Ye Jin transmigrated into a book as the cannon-fodder biological daughter. Her birth parents died on the battlefield, and her adoptive father brought her home.
Her adoptive mother had been a pampered young lady, but for love she cut ties with her family and married a penniless, rough-edged man.
The rough-edged man went off to join the army, leaving behind a drafty thatched hut, two young and ignorant children, his frail, sickly parents, and the original owner, whom he had picked up from the battlefield.
The whole family of five depended on the adoptive mother to forage for wild greens.
Ye Jin: ?
That familiar lovesick behavior! Even Wang Baochuan would shed tears and cry, "A kindred spirit!"
Rubbing her growling belly and chewing on the bitter wild root in her hand, Ye Jin felt utterly hopeless. I'm done. Let's just destroy the world.
[Ding! Wild shepherd's purse detected. Value: 20 copper coins. Exchange?]
Ye Jin's hand trembled as she tapped yes.
The next second, the half-eaten wild plant in her hand turned into a hefty stack of copper coins.
Ye Jin's eyes lit up. She grabbed a hoe and dashed out the door. "Mother, put down those wild greens and let me handle it!"
Later, she escaped poverty by foraging for wild greens, moved her whole family from the slums to the capital, and even rented a hillside in the city to research 108 ways of digging up wild greens.
Then one day, the powerful old chancellor stood before her, tears in his eyes as he held up some wild greens. "Child, you've suffered so much all these years."
Ye Jin: ???
Oh, now she remembered. This was the father of her birth parents, who had died on the battlefield, which made him her grandfather. And the woman beside him was her grandmother?
The rich and powerful in the capital noticed that their sons, who usually did nothing but visit brothels and drink, were going out less often. And whenever they came home, they were filthy, with mud and dirt all over their arms.
Yet somehow, they had ten times more energy than before. They no longer dragged their feet, and they even seemed to have a spring in their step.
The wastrels: Don't ask. We're digging up wild greens.
The rich and powerful: ?
Is this some new kind of pastime?
Then the old chancellor, who had been bedridden, went out to dig up wild greens twice. He came back glowing and full of energy, looking as if he could live another twenty years.
The whole court was stunned. These weren't wild greens, they were elixirs!
Before long, ministers across the court were all asking for leave, summoning their servants, grabbing their hoes, and heading out of the city.
Who needs court when digging up wild greens is so much better?
So the emperor, who had risen early for once, stared at the empty throne room and scowled.
Theme: Work hard and strive, and a wonderful life will follow
