1: Chen Linsheng

Chen Linsheng woke up groggily, every part of his body aching.

“Elder Sister-in-law Chen, if you can't pay the Autumn Tax, your brother-in-law will have to go to the front lines and die! If the Chen family ends up without an heir, can you face your ancestors?”

“Master Liu is kind-hearted. As long as you agree to follow him, let alone this tax money, you'll live a life of luxury, and your brother-in-law's future will also be settled, won't it?”

“Cough, cough... Matchmaker Wang, please relay this message: I am a member of the Chen family in life, and a ghost of the Chen family in death...”

“Hmph! You don't know what's good for you. Then just wait for the Chen family to die out!”

Chen Linsheng was utterly confused, yet an uncontrollable surge of nameless anger flared up. He tried to prop himself up, but a wave of dizziness struck, and his consciousness sank back into darkness.

After an unknown amount of time, Chen Linsheng woke up again.

It was already dawn outside. The faint morning light filtered through the window paper, outlining the bare walls of the house.

This time, countless chaotic memories flooded into Chen Linsheng's mind.

He had become another Chen Linsheng, a poor Herb Gatherer.

His predecessor's mother had died of illness, and his father and elder brother had been conscripted by the Yamen Runners years ago, both dying on the battlefield.

All that remained in the family was his Elder Sister-in-law, who had become a widow shortly after marrying.

And his predecessor had been severely injured in a fall while gathering herbs, leaving him bedridden for days.

Chen Linsheng felt the pain in his body receding like a tide. He propped himself up and sat down on the edge of the bed.

He was always good at taking things as they came. At this moment, he had no mind to dwell on his past life; the only things lingering in his thoughts were the immediate crises: the Autumn Tax that had to be paid within ten days, and Master Liu, who harbored ill intentions toward his sister-in-law.

Just as he was pondering, a crisp sound suddenly came from the direction of the kitchen, like the smashing of dishes, followed by a suppressed groan.

Chen Linsheng's heart tightened. He abruptly got off the bed and stumbled into the narrow kitchen.

He saw a slender figure curled up on the ground, with shattered porcelain scattered everywhere.

That was his Elder Sister-in-law, Su Wan.

“Elder Sister-in-law, are you alright?”

Chen Linsheng quickly squatted down to help her up. As soon as his hand touched her arm, he felt an abnormal heat.

His heart sank, and he reached out to check her forehead.

“She has a fever!”

A chill rose from the bottom of his heart.

Without a word, Chen Linsheng scooped up the already semi-conscious Su Wan and quickly carried her back to the bed in the room.

After settling his Elder Sister-in-law, Chen Linsheng forced himself to calm down.

The family didn't have a single penny, and the village he was in was remote, with no Doctor. Going to the County Town was like trying to put out a nearby fire with water from far away.

Fortunately, he was a hereditary Herb Gatherer.

Passed down through several generations, they had also developed a few medicinal recipes for treating colds and fevers.

He could only risk going into the mountains!

Chen Linsheng never procrastinated. He quickly found his machete, basket, and straw hat, returned to the bedside, and whispered to his drowsy Elder Sister-in-law: “Sister-in-law, rest well. I'm going out for a bit and will be back soon.”

As soon as he finished speaking and turned to leave, his hand was suddenly grabbed by a hot, weak hand.

Chen Linsheng turned his head and met a pair of eyes filled with panic and pleading.

Su Wan's pale lips trembled, her voice barely a whisper: “Don't, don't go... The mountain is dangerous... A Sheng, you... you are my only family now...”

Chen Linsheng's heart felt as if it were tightly squeezed by that burning hand.

He was silent for a few seconds. He gently placed his other hand over Su Wan's hand, patted it, and said in a low but firm voice, “You are my only family too.”

After speaking, he gently pulled free from her hand, walked to the doorway, and put on his straw hat.

He turned his face slightly, his gaze resting on Su Wan.

“I will come back safely.”

Chen Linsheng quickly walked out of the house. The cold morning wind made him shiver.

He paused, thought for a moment, turned around, and knocked on the neighbor's wooden gate.

“Who is it?”

Soon, the wooden gate slightly opened, and a weathered middle-aged woman peeked out, looking at him suspiciously: “Linsheng? Are your injuries healed? What are you looking for me for so early in the morning?”

“Aunt Zhang,” Chen Linsheng tried to keep his tone calm, “My sister-in-law suddenly has a high fever, and she's very ill...”

Aunt Zhang's expression shifted slightly. She subconsciously stepped back half a pace, tucked her hands into her sleeves, and spoke evasively: “Oh dear, this... our family is also struggling...”

Chen Linsheng immediately interjected, “I'm not asking to borrow money. I only ask that Auntie help look after her while I'm in the mountains gathering herbs, lest she be alone while ill and something unexpected happens.”

Hearing this, Aunt Zhang clearly relaxed, and a smile spread across her face: “That's easy, easy! We're neighbors, I'll go over and check on her right now.”

Saying this, she walked straight out the door and headed toward Chen Linsheng's house.

Seeing Aunt Zhang enter the house, Chen Linsheng felt slightly reassured. He stopped hesitating, tightened the basket on his back, turned, and strode toward the deep, mist-shrouded mountains.

The mountain road was rugged and the mist was hazy. As soon as Chen Linsheng entered the mountain, he squinted, carefully searching for the herbs recalled from his memory.

Perhaps his luck was good. Not long after entering the forest, he found a stalk of “Clear Wind Vine” under a shady rock crevice. This was one of the auxiliary herbs required for his medicinal recipe.

Joy rose in his heart. He carefully picked the herb and placed it in his basket.

The moment he finished the harvesting motion, his vision suddenly blurred, and an ancient, ethereal book scroll materialized out of thin air and slowly unfolded.

Clear writing appeared on the pages as if branded onto them:

[spirit book]

[Host: Chen Linsheng]

[Skill: Herb Gathering (Beginner)]

[Progress: (66/100)]

[Effect: Basic Herb Identification, Nimble Technique. Can identify dozens of common herbs; slight loss occurs during collection.]