Nian Cheng'an came from a well-off family, but he was devoted to farming, so his parents cut off his funds. He made his own way and got into a prestigious university, but before he could even get his diploma, he transmigrated into the body of a useless young master with the same name.
The difference was that although the young master was born into privilege, he had been banished to a dilapidated old house in the countryside to fend for himself after years of reckless spending and idleness.
He looked around. The house was falling apart, he was penniless, and there was also Yu Bai, his husband, who had grown up with him. Yu Bai looked too delicate to lift a finger and was so afraid of him that he wanted to stay ten yards away.
Bad news: everyone hated him, and things had gone horribly wrong from the start!
Good news: his family had farmland, and his skills were a perfect fit!
Nian Cheng'an was best at turning things around, but as it turned out, he had made things sound far too simple.
Natural disasters and human calamities, criminals and corrupt officials, oppression by the powerful: it was everywhere.
Open conflict and vicious rumors made him realize that a phoenix stripped of its feathers was no better than a chicken.
Nian Cheng'an fully understood that all his hard work would only benefit others. He changed course and set out to make something of himself, but he overdid it and unexpectedly came into contact with foreign envoys, causing quite a stir.
The villagers thought he would die for it, and waited eagerly to laugh at him.
Who could have expected them to see a notice at the village entrance announcing his appointment to an official post, the county magistrate personally unveiling a plaque for his fruit shop, and Nian Cheng'an opening up unprecedented trade in fruits and vegetables with foreign countries, exchanging knowledge with envoys from every land...
From then on, even his father, the Minister of Revenue, who had always despised him, came to see him as a source of pride. He called him "my son" at every turn and protected his little family. No one dared look down on him or provoke him anymore.
From then on, even his husband, whom people had looked down on and dismissed as weak and burdensome, became Shopkeeper Yu, praised by all for his beauty, kindness, and culinary skills after the two of them developed all kinds of ways to prepare different fruits.
[Bonus Scene]
With Yu Bai by his side, Nian Cheng'an had gradually developed the habit of drinking a bowl of sweet soup to perk himself up during a break from his busy work.
One day, the sweet soup that had never failed to appear, no matter the weather, didn't arrive as usual. Worried that something had happened to Yu Bai, Nian Cheng'an dropped his farm tools and searched everywhere. At last, he found Yu Bai at their own fruit shop.
Yu Bai was dashing around, hardly stopping for a breath, but the look of contentment on his face made Nian Cheng'an linger at the door and watch for a while. He secretly helped serve customers, then waited for a lull before pretending he'd only just arrived and asking, "Shopkeeper Yu, do you have any sweet soup for sale?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Yu Bai's bright eyes lit up with a smile at the sight of him. He ran over, and then Nian Cheng'an suddenly felt a moist, fruity touch against his lips.
The little husband who used to run away whenever he saw him blushed to the tips of his ears and stammered, "Th-thank you for helping out just now. The shop has sold out of sweet soup today, so I'll pay you back with this instead. I'll make it up to you twice over when we get home..."
Reader's Guide:
Farming and running a business, with a touch of childhood sweethearts.
Both leads have their own careers. The sweethearts dote on each other and work together toward a better life. A sweet story about building a fortune, with no children.
The cover is commissioned artwork. Please do not steal it.
Theme: Change your fate through hard work.
