I Annotated the Family Tree, and All Our Ancestors Became Sages

While organizing his old family genealogy, programmer Su Cheng accidentally activated an “annotation” feature that let him edit history.

On a whim, he added a note under the name of his late Qing ancestor, a destitute scholar who had died in misery.

[“Life advice: Give up literature and go into business. Head south to Guangzhou, trade in foreign goods, and make a fortune fast.”]

The next day, Su Cheng was woken by a housekeeper. He discovered that he no longer lived in a rented apartment, but in a century-old manor.

His scholar ancestor had become a fabulously wealthy “red-capped merchant.”

Su Cheng understood.

[“To my Warring States ancestor: Stop making pills. There's an iron mine beneath your mountain. Dig it up and sell the ore to a young man named Ying Zheng.”]

[“To my High Tang ancestor: Sell your Chang'an home right away and go to the Western Regions. Find that fat fellow named An Lushan and sell Li Longji the evidence of his planned rebellion.”]

[“To my Northern Song ancestor: Stop studying Neo-Confucianism. Go grow cotton in the northwest, and you'll usher in a warmer age.”]

The Su family genealogy records every pivotal moment in Chinese civilization.

Su Cheng: “At first, I just wanted to improve my meals. I never expected that I'd accidentally send all my ancestors to the altar.”