Su Shu and her blind date, Zhou Yue, are standing beneath an old locust tree in the old city, just about to say goodbye, when a rare winter thunderbolt strikes. When they open their eyes again, they find themselves in the wilderness of Huaixi in the sixth year of Xining, Northern Song dynasty.
The new policies are squeezing the people dry, the winter is bitter and the harvests have failed, refugees are everywhere, and the Baojia system punishes entire households for one person's actions. The village won't take in "wandering strangers" of unknown origin, leaving the two modern people, with nothing but everyday belongings, as outsiders everyone distrusts.
To find a place to stay, they pretend to be siblings fleeing famine and rent a drafty, dilapidated earthen house at the eastern end of the village. With half a sack of coarse rice, they begin their halting life in ancient times.
Reading notes:
1. Updates daily. Please excuse any missed updates.
2. Completed works: The Ancient Guide to Surviving as a Refugee, The Flight from Famine, A Record of Farming in Ancient Times, and Farming: The Wife Sings, the Husband Follows.
Theme: A longing for a better life
