This year he turned eighteen. He had been studying at the town school for a full nine years, yet his academic performance was still terrible. Some of his classmates had already passed the imperial exams and earned titles, while he was still in the beginner’s class, attending lessons every day with a group of ten-year-old children.

This was equivalent to others already being in college, while he hadn’t even graduated from elementary school.

This was a complete disgrace to the Hanshui Town school, and the teachers there were no longer willing to teach him, as he was simply too stupid and dull—like rotten wood that could not be carved.

So, he was expelled.

Since childhood, his parents had spoiled him too much. He couldn’t carry things on his shoulder or lift things with his hands, barely had the strength to truss a chicken, and didn’t even know how to chop firewood, let alone do farm work.

So after returning home, he spent every day holding a wooden stick, drawing and writing in the mud outside the door, living off his family.

His parents never resented him, still caring for him with warmth and concern. His younger brother, though a bit of a rascal, also treated him very well, coming home every day with bruises and black eyes after earning a few copper coins outside, supporting his useless older brother without a word of complaint.

When these memories surfaced, Chad Sullivan’s body felt a wave of warmth.

When he was young, Chad Sullivan ate white rice at every meal, while his parents and brother could only drink corn porridge.

If his father occasionally caught a wild rabbit in the mountains, he would take it to the market to sell, but every time he would leave one rabbit leg behind, letting only Chad Sullivan eat it. His brother Brian Sullivan would watch, drooling, as he picked at the dry corn rice in his bowl.

His parents were truly biased, treating Chad Sullivan, the slow-witted one, like a treasure, while his brother Brian Sullivan was like a wild weed.

And because Chad Sullivan had a low intellect since childhood, he was often bullied, and his brother Brian Sullivan had fought who knows how many times to protect him.

It was truly a happy and warm life.

So, up to this point, all the memories were beautiful. Even though the family was extremely poor, they were genuinely happy.

But if Chad Sullivan was so poor, why was the room he lived in now so luxurious?

Because he had married an incredibly wealthy wife—or more accurately, he had become a live-in son-in-law in a rich family.

……

Chapter 3: The Wealthy Family, Heh Heh

The The Foster Family of Xuanwu City was in the silk and cloth business, owning tens of thousands of acres of mulberry and cotton fields, and was the richest in the region.

The The Foster Family’s daughter, Yvonne Foster, was a top beauty in all of Xuanwu City, skilled in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. Not only in Xuanwu City, but even among the socialites of the entire Nujiang Prefecture, she stood out as exceptional.

From the age of fifteen, she had helped her father manage the family business, was shrewd and capable, and had befriended many daughters of high officials and nobles, allowing the The Foster Family to smoothly integrate into the upper class of Nujiang Prefecture from their merchant origins.

Such a young lady, blessed with beauty, talent, and wealth, was the dream lover of countless outstanding young men. Even as a live-in son-in-law, someone as foolish and incompetent as Chad Sullivan would never have stood a chance. Although he was very handsome, he and Yvonne Foster were worlds apart.

But no one expected that a year ago, Yvonne Foster suddenly fell seriously ill. Mr. Foster searched everywhere for doctors, but none could cure her, and she was on the verge of death.

At that time, a Taoist priest came to the Mr. Foster, saying that Yvonne Foster was not sick, but possessed by evil spirits. The only way to save his daughter was to hold a wedding to ward off the misfortune, transferring the bad luck and evil energy to a live-in son-in-law.

Of course, the Mr. Foster didn’t believe it, but with Yvonne Foster about to die, he had no choice but to try anything, and publicly sought a husband for Yvonne Foster throughout Nujiang Prefecture.

If it had been before, countless outstanding young men would have fought tooth and nail for this marriage. Even if Yvonne Foster was dying, just for the The Foster Family’s immense wealth, there would have been no shortage of suitors.

But since the purpose of the marriage was to ward off evil and transfer misfortune, who would dare to step forward? Everyone avoided it like the plague.

Everyone loves beauty and gold, but their own life is more important.

In the other world, Chad Sullivan, the slow-witted one, had once seen Yvonne Foster by chance two years ago, and had been infatuated with her ever since.

Other young men might only admire Yvonne Foster, but Chad Sullivan regarded her as a goddess.

After being expelled from school, he spent every day drawing and writing in the mud, mostly sketching Yvonne Foster’s face.

When he heard that Yvonne Foster was gravely ill and needed a man to marry her to ward off evil, he rushed to the The Foster Family without hesitation, declaring his willingness to marry Yvonne Foster for this purpose, without even consulting his parents.

His parents and brother, of course, were unwilling, and rushed to the The Foster Family to stop it, but it was too late—Chad Sullivan had already married the unconscious and dying Yvonne Foster. Even so, his parents and brother insisted on taking Chad Sullivan home, but were thrown out by the The Foster Family.

At that time, the Xu family’s steward gave his father David Sullivan fifty gold coins, but his father threw them right back, saying he would never take money for selling his son.

And so, Chad Sullivan became the The Foster Family’s live-in son-in-law.

A handsome but slow-witted poor country boy entered a wealthy family.

Of course, Chad Sullivan didn’t become the The Foster Family’s son-in-law for riches and glory, but only to save his dream lover Yvonne Foster, even if the idea of a wedding to ward off evil sounded completely absurd.

But something strange happened—after the wedding, Yvonne Foster actually recovered her health, and became even more beautiful and charming.