Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Song Jitong was being punished with kneeling again. Even the saying “a man has gold under his knees” was choked back into his throat, silenced by the sight of Aunt Song’s butcher knife.

It all started because he refused to acknowledge the marriage between us.

Song Jitong had been frail and sickly since childhood. He had nearly died several times until Aunt Song heard that buying a child bride would help his health improve.

And so, only a few days after I transmigrated into this world, the Song Family bought me for five taels of silver.

Afterward, Song Jitong’s health truly did improve significantly.

Aunt Song always believed it was because of me. Therefore, no matter how much Song Jitong resisted later on, she insisted that he must marry me.

But Song Jitong didn’t like me.

At least, that’s what he said.

Watching Song Jitong kneeling in the courtyard in the middle of the day, I silently brought out a bowl of water from the house.

“Don’t think that doing this will make me agree to Mother’s demands to marry you! The woman I marry must be gentle, sweet, and well-educated. Not someone like you-”

“Not a coarse woman like me, who only knows how to tinker with clever little gadgets all day and has eyes for nothing but money.”

I sighed, finishing Song Jitong’s sentence for him.

Song Jitong had been saying these words for years; I could recite them backward by now.

He choked on his words, the slightly upturned corners of his eyes flushing red.

He was fuming at me.

Song Jitong was handsome. Even as someone from the 21st century who was used to all kinds of handsome men, I had to admit his looks were exceptional.

But Song Jitong didn’t like me, his child bride. Over time, I had given up on the idea myself. I planned to repay the Song Family’s kindness, see Song Jitong off to Jingdu to become the Top Scholar, and then go live my own carefree life.

If Aunt Song hadn’t spent five taels of silver to buy me back then, I probably would have died that winter.

Who could have guessed that I would just fall asleep and transmigrate into a male-protagonist imperial examination novel I’d read before, becoming the child bride the male lead despised?

Looking at Song Jitong kneeling under the blazing sun, sweat dampening his sideburns without making him look the least bit disheveled, I sighed softly.

Song Jitong gave a cold snort.

He turned his head away slightly, but his peripheral vision lingered on the bowl of water in my hand. “I won’t drink it even if you bring it!”

His voice carried a hint of a sulk.

“Who said this was for you to drink?”

My tone was one of feigned surprise. I carefully placed the bowl right on top of Song Jitong’s head and said with a smile, “Mother said you’re to balance this. You’ll balance it for as long as you’re kneeling. If a single drop spills, that’s another half hour added.”

“You-!”

This time, Song Jitong was so angry his eyes actually turned red.

In truth, Song Jitong had said those things many times before.

When he was little, Song Jitong was a boy as beautiful as carved jade, and since he was likely my future husband, I used to indulge him. It was only after hearing those words so often and realizing his heart would never be with me that I started treating him like an immature younger brother.

“Kongchu,” I squatted down, resting my chin in my hands as I looked at him. “Are you really that unwilling to marry me?”

Though I asked casually, there was a trace of earnestness in my voice that even I didn’t notice.

After all, objectively speaking, as a future Top Scholar, Song Jitong was handsome and had an immeasurable future. He was a top-tier candidate for a husband.

What a pity.

Looking at Song Jitong, a flash of regret crossed my eyes.

“I… of course I’m unwilling!”

Song Jitong’s eyes suddenly darted away. He stiffened his neck, his face flushing. “You… don’t even think about it! I only… only think of you as an Elder Sister!”

For some reason, the boy’s voice grew lower and lower, and his fair earlobes turned a burning red.
“I understand.”

I assumed he was just flushed from the sun and didn’t give it much thought. I nodded, braced my hands against my knees, and stood up. “In that case, I’ll go have a word with Mother. You focus on your studies and don’t worry about these things. You shouldn’t have made a special trip home for this.”

Aunt Song treated me like her own daughter. She had even taken my hand before and grumbled that Song Jitong was blind for not seeing how wonderful I was.

I would only smile in response, never once mentioning to Aunt Song that I had no desire to marry him.

Deep down, I suppose I had still been clinging to a sliver of hope.

But things were different now.

The Autumn Imperial Exams were approaching, and with Song Jitong’s talent, they would surely pose no problem. He was destined to sweep the preliminary exams, and from there, his path to the top would be vast and glorious.

It was only natural that he looked down on me. After all, my looks were merely average, and aside from a small knack for making money, I truly didn’t fit his standards for an ideal wife.

Besides, once Song Jitong became the top scholar in the land, he would naturally be matched with a beautiful lady of equal standing, living in perfect harmony.

I had originally hoped that our years together would help him understand my feelings. But since he didn’t want me, I would simply withdraw my heart.

Still, I had my own selfish reasons for staying close.

Song Jitong was a kind man who remembered his debts of gratitude. I had worked hard for the Song Family over the years; once he rose to power, my future would be much easier.

Ever since I realized I couldn’t go back to my old world and that Song Jitong had no intention of marrying me, I had been peacefully planning my own way out.

“What?”

Song Jitong looked as though he hadn’t processed a word I said. He stared blankly as I stood up. “What are you going to tell my mother?”

“Don’t you fancy the headmaster’s daughter? You even gave her your personal jade pendant.”

Recalling the gossip I’d heard on the way here, I hesitated before offering him some gentle comfort. “You needn’t worry about your status. Our Kongchu is a man of great ability; you’re bound to sweep the exams. As for Mother…”

Thinking of how aggressively Aunt Song had tried to push us together over the years, I scratched my head in frustration.

I glanced at Song Jitong, who was still being punished, and remembered he was in this mess partly because my loud shouting earlier had alerted his mother. I couldn’t help but let out a small cough.

“You don’t need to worry. When the time comes, I’ll tell Mother that I’ve set my sights on that young scholar at the east end of the village. If that doesn’t work, Brother Liu next door will do. Mother is kind-hearted; she won’t force us apart if she thinks I love someone else.”

I was only using this as an excuse to put his mind at ease.

In truth, I couldn’t even remember what that young scholar from the east end looked like.

“Who-who says I fancy the headmaster’s-”

Song Jitong was left reeling by my earlier words and instinctively tried to protest. However, he cut himself off abruptly, his eyes widening as he surged to his feet.

The porcelain bowl balanced on his head slid off, hitting the ground with a sharp shatter.

I was startled by the sudden commotion, but before I could speak, Song Jitong grabbed my wrist.

His grip was surprisingly strong, pinching me until it actually hurt.

“You’re planning to marry that weakling from the east end? That scholar who looks like he’ll never amount to anything?”

I froze.

When did I ever say I was actually going to marry him?

For some reason, Song Jitong sounded like he was speaking through gritted teeth.

But before I could react to his strange behavior, Aunt Song’s loud voice rang out:

“Song Jitong! You actually dared to break my bowl! Kneel for another hour! No dinner for you!”