Chapter 1: Sister and Brother

“Damn it, how did I fall asleep?”

Andrew Carter shook his head hard, full of frustration. He had just promised his readers a burst of updates, but then he dozed off in a daze—wasn’t he just asking to be scolded?

“Hurry, help me up, I still have to write another ten thousand words!”

Andrew Carter struggled and shouted, using all his strength to open his eyes.

His dark eyes looked around, and he was instantly dumbfounded.

Although his rented apartment wasn’t much to look at, at least it was bright and clean, with a new lightbulb giving plenty of light—so why was it so dark now?

Looking harder, he was even more shocked. On a black-red wooden table, an oil lamp glowed like a bean, its light not reaching even a meter away, like a firefly. The lamp’s shadow flickered, wooden furniture cast moving shadows on the wall, the wind rustled the paper windows. It was like a haunted house.

Andrew Carter was terrified. Had he started hallucinating? He quickly raised his hand to rub his eyes, but when he brought his hand in front of him, he was even more stunned—a skinny little arm, dirty little hand, like a chicken claw. How could this be a grown man’s body?

Could it be... transmigration???

I only wrote some transmigration novels, I never thought I’d actually transmigrate!

Andrew Carter wailed loudly, and actually fainted from fright... In a daze, he had a strange dream. In the dream, he was a citizen of the Great Song, living in Tutacun, Cangzhou, Hebei East Circuit, a member of the The Carter Family, just eleven or twelve years old.

It was said that the The Carter Family ancestors were military officers, very illustrious. Though the family had declined, they were still the largest household in the village, especially with four generations under one roof, full of blessings, making all the villagers envious.

The head of the family was Andrew Carter’s great-grandmother. She was already over seventy, but her hearing and eyesight were still sharp, she could eat two big bowls every meal, and walked with great energy. Everyone in the The Carter Family had to listen to the old lady—her word was law.

The old lady had a son who, a few years ago, died on the battlefield fighting with the Song army against Western Xia. He left behind a wife, Andrew Carter’s grandmother, who was so heartbroken she fell gravely ill and cried herself blind. Though she survived, she spent her days chanting scriptures and worshipping Buddha, barely saying three words a day, like a wooden figure.

By the third generation, the family suddenly flourished. There were four sons in total. The eldest was Andrew Carter’s eldest uncle, named Henry Carter. When he was young, the The Carter Family was still well-off, and the eldest uncle was a bit of a playboy. After the family declined, he didn’t amount to much. A few years ago, his wife died of anger, leaving him all alone.

The second was Edward Carter, considered the smart one among the The Carter Family sons. He had always studied, hoping to pass the imperial exams and restore the family’s honor.

The third was William Carter, who went out to do business years ago and hadn’t been heard from since. The family had almost forgotten about him.

As for the fourth, Andrew Carter’s nominal father, he was called Charles Carter. Unlike his second brother, he focused on martial arts, hoping to revive the The Carter Family. But in an era where civil officials were valued over military ones, the family didn’t have much hope for him.

A month ago, Andrew Carter’s maternal grandfather fell gravely ill and sent word. His daughter-in-law had to go see him one last time, and Charles Carter naturally went along. Cangzhou was on the border, the people were tough, and bandits and robbers on the road were no joke.

With the parents away, only three children were left at home—Andrew Carter, a younger sister, and a younger brother.

The second aunt had long disliked the fourth brother’s family. Andrew Carter was already in his teens, and other children his age were already working in the fields, but he still wandered everywhere, climbing trees for bird nests, fishing in the river—a real troublemaker. Naturally, she was full of resentment and ordered Andrew Carter to herd the family’s horses.

Andrew Carter was mischievous by nature and had never done farm work before, so how could he settle down and herd horses properly? After just a few days, one noon, Andrew Carter tied the horse to a tree and went to the river to catch fish. When he came back, the horse was gone...

A horse—even though Cangzhou was on the border and horses weren’t as expensive as in the capital, they still cost three or four strings of cash. For the The Carter Family, this was no small sum, so naturally everyone was furious. The second aunt dragged him to the ancestral hall, took a three-foot-long wooden plank, and gave him a sound beating.

Though it wasn’t the water-and-fire staff of the magistrate, it was still enough to kill a young boy.

Andrew Carter’s back, buttocks, and thighs were all swollen and bruised, with blood oozing from some places, the skin split open—a truly miserable sight...

Lying on the bed, another version of events surfaced in Andrew Carter’s mind. “He” was mischievous, but knew the horse was an important family asset and was always careful not to let it out of his sight—except for the day the horse was lost!