Famine and Natural Disasters, Yet My Husband's Family Eats Meat Every Meal

【Aloof Scholar × Hot-Tempered Ge’er】 Chen Zhan was a PhD in agricultural science from a top Chinese university. After working himself to death from staying up late, he transmigrated into the body of an ancient ge’er and gained a Mountain Goods Exchange System. He woke to find his own parents had sold him to a scholar for ten taels of silver, then stuffed him into a bridal sedan to be married off. Chen Zhan decided to take things as they came, figuring he could always run if it didn’t work out. He never expected to fall for Jiang Yuzhang at first sight. Those deep-set eyes, striking features, cool and handsome bearing, broad shoulders, slim waist, and long legs! When had he ever seen a man like that while doing research and farming? Jiang Yuzhang paid him no mind, but Chen Zhan’s thoughts wandered to other things: What would it be like if those long, strong fingers, so often wrapped around a calligraphy brush, spanked him? If he kissed the scholar until he cried, would that usually icy face show some expression? Would those beautiful eyes turn red? And so Chen Zhan decided to stay and make a life with the scholar. He went up the mountain to pick wild vegetables and hunt game for points, then used the System to exchange them for supplies. Soon, his whole family could eat meat at every meal, and the villagers no longer dared look down on them. Someone jealous tried to frame him? Chen Zhan outsmarted them. That was nothing compared to Empresses in the Palace! His birth parents came shamelessly asking to borrow grain? Chen Zhan kicked them right out, cursing them for how they had treated him back then! The villagers all started currying favor with Chen Zhan’s family. A famine struck, and the villagers had no food to eat. Once Chen Zhan had secured his own family’s livelihood, he began helping the rest of the village, too. “Brother Zhan! How can these potatoes grow in winter? And they’re so huge! It’s a miracle!” “Hehe, hybrid cultivation!” Word spread from one person to ten, then from ten to a hundred, until it reached the county seat. The county magistrate came to verify it and was stunned: this was a great achievement that would go down in history! The news was reported to the prefect, then spread to the capital, causing a huge sensation. Even a prince came in disguise to see for himself. The prince was refined and handsome, and Chen Zhan took a second look at him. When he got back, the scholar pinned him beneath him, his narrow eyes fixed fiercely on him, utterly unlike his usual cool indifference. “Was he really that handsome?” Chen Zhan hesitated, then told the truth. “...He was handsome.” The scholar punished him severely. “I’m your husband!” “You don’t like me. I don’t want to force you anymore. Let’s divorce!” Chen Zhan said. The scholar watched him for a long time, then suddenly buried his face in the hollow of Chen Zhan’s shoulder. “No. You’re my husband... I like you. I like you so much. I want to keep you by my side every moment, where no one else can see you...” And so the aloof scholar finally lowered his head. Later, Jiang Yuzhang passed the provincial exam and then came first in the palace examination, becoming a high-ranking official. But even he couldn’t outshine Chen Zhan. Chen Zhan spread his agricultural techniques and introduced new crops, saving countless people from starvation during the famine. The emperor bestowed on him the title of “God of Agriculture,” built a temple in his honor, and founded an agricultural academy, offering him a fortune in gold to serve as its dean. Outsiders stopped calling them “the Jiang family” and started calling them “Brother Zhan’s family”... Reader’s Guide: 1. There may be a childbirth plot. The author is leaning toward having a child in an extra chapter, but whether there will be a child, how it happens, and whether it’s in the main story or an extra will depend on readers’ comments. Feel free to leave your thoughts. 2. The history is fictional, with original worldbuilding. 3. This is a sweet little romance, not a serious historical drama. The author is bad at history, so don’t overthink it. Just have fun. A quick plug for my upcoming story. Please add it to your favorites~ After My Nemesis Got a Shared-Sensation Doll: Chi Yi has been feeling awful lately. Every night, he has to endure a round of “being tortured,” with an aching back and sore butt, and one particular spot hurting even more. He shows up to class every morning with dark circles under his eyes, completely exhausted, and nearly faints during a lecture. At last, Chi Yi realizes that he shares sensations with his plush doll. Even worse, the doll has fallen into the hands of a dog: his roommate and nemesis, Si Tan. The guy is using his doll as a stress-relief toy, going at it without restraint night after night, with the lights blazing and no attempt to hide it! What a shameless pervert! Of course, Chi Yi is the one suffering most. At this rate, he can forget about coming top of the class at finals. He might not even qualify for the lowest scholarship, and if his family stops paying his tuition, he’ll starve! But how can he possibly say something like that out loud? Chi Yi wants to leap up and beat him senseless, or sneak up on him in the dark and finish him off with a knife. But he probably couldn’t pull it off. The guy is irritating, but he’s got long arms and legs and stands six foot three. There’s no way Chi Yi could take him head-on. Chi Yi starts dropping hints, both subtle and not-so-subtle, that Si Tan should give his doll back. But the other guy acts like an idiot, pretending not to understand, and only clutches the doll tighter. So Chi Yi has no choice but to wear him down with a mix of coaxing and force, rubbing his back and legs, bringing him tea and water. Their classmates and roommates start to wonder if they’re seeing ghosts. How did two people who used to hate each other become so close? But even as Si Tan enjoys the attentive service, he still won’t let go. He’s like an old dog, acting all sweet and affectionate. It’s infuriating! Chi Yi can’t take it anymore, so he finally comes clean and explains what’s been happening, hoping Si Tan will return the doll to its rightful owner. Si Tan just smiles faintly. “I’ve known for ages.” Chi Yi’s cheeks flush with anger. “Then why would you do that sort of thing!” “Back then, I swallowed my pride, only to get a hurtful reply.” Si Tan’s gaze remains deep and unreadable. “You’ve tormented me for years. I deserve to get something back.” Chi Yi turns his head away. “...That’s ancient history. There’s no point bringing it up.” “No point bringing it up? Ten years together, and that’s all it meant to you?” Si Tan stares straight into his eyes, his gaze roaming over Chi Yi’s reddened face. Chi Yi grits his teeth. “That’s right. You’re worthless, you’re an idiot, and I hate you more than anyone!” Si Tan isn’t angry. From the age of eight to eighteen, he spent ten years pining and chasing after Chi Yi. He’d already survived things far more humiliating than this. What was one more? “If you hate me, why are you still keeping the doll I gave you?” With a smile, Si Tan takes out the shared-sensation doll. It was the gift he gave Chi Yi for his eighteenth birthday. That was also the year they went from childhood friends to sworn enemies, and ten years of friendship turned to ashes in an instant. Of course, Si Tan no longer wants friendship. Or rather, he wants more than friendship. He wants Chi Yi. Faced with the question, Chi Yi has no answer. After a long silence, all he can say is, “...” - The one who ties the bell must untie it. You have to deal with the mess you made yourself. A secret crush is like a green apple: the first bite stays sour for ten years, and only the second is sweet. / Theme: Devoting oneself to the people