Lu Man wakes up one day with her memories from a previous life restored. Only then does she realize she isn't a native of this world: she transmigrated, and into the final years of a dynasty, no less.
In the dynasty's final years, disasters are frequent and people are starving. If Lu Man wants her family to survive, she can't just sit around and wait for death. Luckily, she was an agricultural student in her previous life, so she can take her family south to the mountains to farm and avoid the turmoil.
After one drought follows another in the north, Lu Man's family packs up their belongings, calls on their childhood friend from next door, Luo Ling, and leads the villagers south to escape the disaster.
Along the way, they witness the horrors of parents trading children for food, people eating tree bark, grass roots, and even Guanyin clay. Some go further and try to rob them of their food.
Fortunately, Lu Man's group has plenty of strong laborers, and she's as strong as an ox herself. But when war breaks out in the Central Plains and Shu is no safer, Lu Man leads her family into the mountains to hide.
They clear a valley, gather wild vegetables, and grow grain and mushrooms. At last, Lu Man's agricultural expertise comes in handy.
As their harvest grows, Lu Man's family finally has something to look forward to, apart from the childhood friend who's been following her around.
Lu Man: "Why do you keep following me? Have you caught any chickens or ducks alive? Have you started raising cattle and sheep?"
Luo Ling gazes at Lu Man in silence. "What about the thing you promised me?"
Lu Man looks up at the sky, then down at the ground, anywhere but at him. Now that she has memories of her previous life, she sees him as a younger brother, childhood friends or not, and she's long since forgotten the promise she made him.
From then on, Luo Ling sticks to her, determined to make her keep her promise.
Lu Man: "..."
Reader's Guide:
1. Fleeing famine in the early part, farming in the later part.
2. The dynasty is fictional, so there's no need to worry about historical accuracy.
Theme: Love life and stay positive
