The weak scholar in the end of ancient times

Chapter 2: Start Hard Mode
The new consciousness and the original information merged in a very short time. My brain felt like it was on fire.

Hot-headed.

Fortunately, this period did not last long, and the consciousness that completed the memory fusion became clearer.

As I opened my eyes, the scene hit me, and my consciousness returned, and my brain quickly analyzed everything in front of me.

A strange experience, surprising and alert.

There are no supernatural powers here, but you can't be careless.

At this time, Wen Gu was sitting on an old and simple wooden chair.

He moved his drooping hand. The sleeves were made of rough material, and his hand looked very young.

That’s right, this “Wen Gu” is not very old, he is only eighteen years old this year.

As for the man squatting on the ground in front of him, who looked a little bit dim-witted, he was Wen Gu's cousin. Just now, he was crying out for his father and mother in grief, and happened to call out "Dad".

At this time, the other party stopped crying and was looking at Wen Gu with a stupid look on his face.

Wen Gu thought to himself: You didn’t expect that your “father” is alive!

The person opposite stared without saying a word. Although his face was resolute, he looked a bit aggrieved like a child.

There was no one else in the room. Wen Gu looked calm, but his voice was weak and sickly. He smiled and said, "I just slept. I'm not dead."

After a pause, Wen Gu said in a weak but firm voice: "Tietou, don't shout!" My uncle's spirit in heaven probably doesn't want to hear this.

This cousin's nickname was Tietou. He was sick when he was young and injured his head. He looked not very smart, so he got this nickname - his family hoped that his brain would be as hard as steel and would not be damaged again.

Medical care was poor in those days, and even wealthy families suffered from illnesses and sequelae. Cases of brain damage like this were not uncommon.

My cousin is not very smart, but he is obedient. He can't absorb much information each time, but as long as he listens, he can do it well.

This cousin was only half a year older than Wen Gu. Although he was not very smart, his physical strength was developing rapidly. Wen Gu's father hired someone to teach him martial arts.

The two brothers standing together, it is obvious that one is a scholar and the other is a warrior.

"Wen Gu" was a person who was studying for the imperial examination. When he was traveling to study, his family arranged for this cousin to accompany him.

It’s family, so I feel more at ease.

When introducing to outsiders, "Wen Gu" is of course the cousin's full name, Wen Ying, but in private it is more casual.

After the world became chaotic, people basically started calling each other by their nicknames.

My cousin has been called this by his family since he was a child. He responds most quickly to the name "Tietou" and prefers his own nickname.

Something has happened in the family, and now the two of them depend on each other. In order to be able to respond in the first time in this dangerous world, "Wen Gu" has always called his cousin by his nickname.

Apart from "Wen Gu", no one in the world calls him that anymore.

Sure enough, after Wen Gu called him like that, Tietou turned from sadness to joy, grinning from ear to ear. It was unknown what kind of simple psychological activities he went through.

Only such a stupid person can smile without any gloom in today's difficult world.

Wen Gu raised his hand and pointed at the teapot on the table next to him.

Tietou expertly poured a cup of herbal tea. The tea was lukewarm, having been boiled not long ago. He remembered the "review" instruction to heat water before drinking.

Wen Gu held a cup of tea and drank it slowly while sorting out the information in his memory.

They are now just temporarily staying in a small mountain village. The world outside the village is not very good and is no less dangerous than Wen Gu's original world.

According to the information collected from memory, this is the Great Jin Dynasty that Wen Gu has never heard of. It has both similarities and differences with the historical timeline of Wen Gu's original world.

The dynasty had a large territory and a vibrant economy. Last year, when the emperor celebrated his birthday, all officials, ministers, and royal family members gathered in the imperial city.

However, during the prosperous times, some foreign merchants bribed the Maritime Customs and brought the "elixir of life" to the imperial city as a treasure.

Unexpectedly, the so-called miracle drug is actually a kind of evil poison that can cause "evil spirits" to possess people and turn them into monsters.

As peace lasted for a long time, the population grew, the imperial city became bustling with people, and the canal transportation developed, so the evil epidemic spread faster.

The center of the dynasty, which was completely unprepared and had no experience in dealing with the situation, quickly fell.

Those foreign merchants wanted to rob and run away, but they failed and were executed.

However, the evil plague had already arrived, and only a few people managed to escape during the disaster. Whether they were infected with the evil plague or possessed by the evil spirits while escaping is unknown.

Under the fatal blow, the court was in turmoil, wars broke out in various places, epidemics broke out frequently, and the world was suffering.

The dead were left exposed without cover, and the living fled and scattered.

In such a disaster-stricken and chaotic world, without the correct experience in dealing with it, how many of the people fleeing from all directions could survive, even if they were not short of food and clothing?
"Wen Gu" originally went out to study, and his father asked a friend to let him follow a large caravan to the imperial city to broaden his horizons.

However, halfway through the journey, they suddenly learned that an evil plague had broken out, and the caravan had to turn around and return.

However, when they returned, the entire city had been destroyed, quite tragically.

The two brothers collected the remains of their relative and handled the funeral arrangements.

"Wen Gu" found the things his father left in the secret box - a keepsake and a letter.

The letter was written in a hurry, asking "Wen Gu" to take the token of love and go north to join his aunt.

Wen Gu's aunt, her mother's older sister, had married into a northern military officer's family. Although her uncle's family had declined, the two generations had some talent, had built their business over the years, and had made achievements, suggesting a potential for a resurgence.

Our dynasty values culture over military affairs. If the world were peaceful, the Wen family, a family of scholars, would not have sought to curry favor with the old dynasty.

However, the world is now in chaos and the central government has collapsed. If those military officers who led the troops could survive, they could provide more care for their relatives and friends.

Transportation was inconvenient, information was lagging behind, and society was clearly divided into different classes. When people lived in concentrated ethnic groups, they would first seek out places where they knew and were from the same hometown as them, with relatives being the first choice.

If a relative holds an official position, that would be the best choice!

Furthermore, if the relative holds a high official position and has real power, that would be even better!

The social class system is strict, with people divided into noble and humble. Having relatives in official positions means you have someone to lean on, someone to rely on, and a sense of security!
I don’t know what the situation in the north is like now, but compared to others, going north to join relatives is indeed the best option.

The winter in the north is extremely cold, and those "evil spirits" don't seem to like this low temperature.

During their escape, the "Wen Gu" brothers also encountered wealthy families from the south migrating north.

When you encounter an emergency and are unsure whether your decision is correct or not, you can refer to those aristocratic families with profound heritage.

What they had seen and heard along the way proved that their decision to go north to stay with their relatives was the right one. At least it was the best choice for now.

They teamed up with some of the survivors and headed north, encountering many conflicts and disagreements with others.

Wen Gu thought it was not suitable to travel in such a lush vegetation, and that they needed to find a place to rest and wait for the right opportunity, but the rest of the team disagreed. So the two brothers left the team and came to this small mountain village to stay temporarily.

In just a few months, families were destroyed, cities were lost, the world was in chaos, and the world and human nature were in confusion.

"Wen Gu" was suddenly struck by this disaster, and he was depressed and in a state of high alert. After arriving in the mountain village, he caught a cold and was bedridden for nearly three months.

Until now.

Without sufficient experience in dealing with the situation, without reliable sources of information, and without sufficient armed protection, it was already very difficult for me to survive here with my not-so-bright cousin.

Wen Gu patted his chest gently and said to the other "self" who had passed away: You have done a very good job!
He took a deep breath and thought about himself again.

The moment I arrived here, I had a mysterious intuition that after spending my whole life here, I should be able to go back.

But, this life can be very long or very short.

Wen Gu didn't want to waste this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

He arrived in ancient times, but it was not the ancient times he thought it was. It was like the previous bifurcation of time and space, another possibility for the development of the world.

The wish was fulfilled, but it also seemed like it wasn't fulfilled.

No matter what, he is willing to reconcile with the world in front of him.

If you encounter difficulties, solve them. If you don’t work hard, how do you know that you won’t be able to see what you dream of?

This can only be earned with countless blessings of luck!
He calmed his mind and took a closer look at the layout of the room.

The room is not big and you can see everything at a glance.

In the corner brazier were the remains of burning plants - the villagers burned several scented plants to ward off evil spirits.

According to the information in my memory, this is indeed effective. The evil creatures outside have a keen sense of smell. If the smell of burning does not please them, they will avoid it.

This was the reason why Wen Gu first smelled a strange smell.

It doesn't smell good, but it's reassuring.

Wen Gu couldn't help but feel lucky that it was just a fusion of consciousness. If he had been transported to this strange ancient world in his real body without the protection of a vaccine package, then the start would have been a disaster.

The native organisms of this world have already adapted to the environment to a certain extent. Outsiders may not be able to withstand it and will be eliminated in the first round of competition with microorganisms.

Foreign consciousness + local body = able to initially adapt to the living environment
Therefore, what he is facing now is not a situation where he is bound to die.

But it's also a difficult start.

Fortunately, facing the current difficult problems, "reviewing the past" has provided the first step in solving the problem.

Wen Gu, the successor, can just approach the problem in this direction.

In these turbulent times, the Wen brothers struggled to find a way out. Their village was impoverished, life was difficult, and with evil spirits roaming the world, they had a cousin who wasn't very bright, and two outsiders, the village wouldn't provide them with supplies for free.

After taking a break and regaining some strength, Wen Gu stood up and sat down by the window.

There is a simple desk here, which has been repaired countless times. Like the bed, chairs and stools in the room, it is too simple and can barely be used.

However, Wen Gu's attention was not on these furniture. His eyes were burning and his hands were trembling slightly as he took out a small stack of paper, a brush, an inkstone and an ink stick from the side.

The paper is of high quality and the pen and ink are excellent!
Revisiting the past gives me a sense of spiritual enrichment!
His eyes swept to the window beside him.

The windows were not very big, but they were covered with screens that did not match the overall decoration at all.

Whether it is the pen, ink, paper and inkstone in front of him, or the window screens that are luxury items for farmers, they are not in harmony with the layout of the house.

Of course, these things were not originally in the village, but were brought back by the villagers when they went to the town to search for things after the world became chaotic.

The village chief has a lot of pens, ink, paper and inkstones of this quality!

Taking a deep breath and spreading out a piece of paper with a drawing on it, he looked carefully at the content on it - the diagram of the dock under design.

"Wen Gu" brought his cousin to this village as a stepping stone to let the village temporarily accept them and provide them with daily necessities and healing medicine.

However, in the past two months since entering the village, he has been bedridden due to "reviewing the past", and the construction of the fort has progressed slowly.

Now, we can continue drawing.

Outside, the sky was clear and sunny, and a dry wind blew into the room.

According to my memory, as long as it is not raining, you can still open the windows to ventilate the house and blow away the moisture and disease air in the house.

Outside the window, one could see houses of varying distances. They weren't made of brick or tile, but rather low earthen houses with thatched roofs. They were similar to the house Wen Gu lived in now.

If you walk out of the door, you have to bend down slightly and lower your head to avoid the thatch hanging from the eaves.

If the rain is heavier, the house is likely to leak again.

I remember that there was rainfall during the more than three months I lived here, but the good thing was that it was not continuous heavy rain.

The dirt roads in the village are paved with gravel, tiles, bricks and wood.

There is a wooden frame not far away. When people stand on it, they can see part of the situation outside the village over the low houses.

These were built by the village after the world became chaotic. When encountering unusual situations, people can stand on them and check the surroundings.

The source of this evil plague, which the medical officers called the evil poison, was most likely some kind of extremely lethal parasite - a parasite that could transform a normal person into a monster more terrifying than a wild beast, turning them into another species.

It could be a bowl of raw water, a mouthful of uncooked meat, or a wound left by someone not paying attention in the jungle, and they could all be infected.

Wen Gu's eyes swept over the wildly growing plants in the village.

The season when vegetation is most lush has passed, but it can be seen that the climate this year is suitable, with sunshine and rainfall at normal levels.

Despite the poor living conditions, this village can still support so many people. This proves that the evil plague that everyone fears is not so pervasive.

As long as you pay attention to your daily diet and lifestyle habits, you can avoid being "possessed by evil spirits".

As for those evil creatures outside who have been "possessed", that is another matter. A different logic is needed to deal with it.

Fear comes from the unknown. The more you understand, the more courage you have to face it.

I have the ability to review the past, but others have not.

The people here are tough and it is far away from the town.

Of course, in today's special disaster-stricken and chaotic times, just having a tough character will not allow more people to survive.

With the surrounding towns and villages almost completely destroyed, the key to the survival of this small village lies in——

First, they have a wise village chief who has considerable influence.

Second, the village chief’s grandson was an apprentice in a pharmacy in the county town and actually learned some skills.

Third, there is a hunter in the village who has high martial arts skills, is quite prestigious, and has more experience than ordinary villagers.

The combination of these three points enabled the village to respond effectively in a short period of time, avoid the initial impact of the evil epidemic, and seek more opportunities for survival in the following period.

At the beginning of this year, a Taoist priest came to the village, three months earlier than "Wen Gu". He spent most of his time locked in the house making elixirs. "Wen Gu" had never met him and didn't know what kind of person he was, but he must have some skills.

Wen Gu planned to go and have a chat with the Taoist priest when he felt better.

He stretched his muscles and focused his attention back on the drawing on the table.

Grind the ink and get to work!
If you want to get more supplies from the village and recover as soon as possible, you still have to show sincerity!
A long time ago, forts were a survival option for the people to deal with foreign invasions.

However, with the centralization of power and the control of the people, the forts of this dynasty only occasionally existed in border areas. Nowadays, many people have only heard of them but have no idea what they look like.

I also have some understanding of "reviewing the past" from the library at home.

Now, by integrating memories and reviewing the past, I can continue with the unfinished drawing and make some additional modifications.

He not only had to draw and write down how to build a barrier based on the local terrain and what kind of organizational structure should be inside, but also had to make the villagers understand and accept it as quickly as possible.

My cousin was sleeping peacefully on the bed, with dark circles under his eyes. He must have been worried about "Wen Gu's" illness these days and hadn't slept well.

The sunlight outside the window gradually slanted. I was immersed in the reminiscence of the conception of the dock when I noticed someone approaching outside and looked over.

When he saw who was coming, a smile that was two parts elegance, three parts sickness, and five parts gratitude suddenly appeared on his face.

"It's Mr. Liu!"

The man who came was Liu Za, the son of Liu the hunter in the village. Most villagers called him by his nickname "Mu Tou". Liu Za also said that just calling him "Mu Tou" would be fine.

However, as a respectable scholar who has a stereotyped impression among the villagers, how could he be so casual?

Hunter Xiao Liu has reached the age of tying his hair this year. He has inherited his father's hunting talent and stature. He is much taller and stronger than his peers in the village. Now he is also one of the important members of the village's armed forces.

He is free today and is responsible for delivering meals here. He came over with a food box and also came to check out the situation.

The eldest brother of the Wen family cried so hard today that some people in the village suspected that Wen Gu had died.

But now it seems that the noise was probably from crying with joy. The sickness on Wen Gu's face has dissipated a lot, and he is still drawing!

But he still looks weak and powerless.

Stereotype +1
The villagers never doubted Wen Gu's identity as a scholar. His demeanor and temperament showed that he grew up immersed in literature. His words and deeds were full of bookish air, which was completely different from that of the villagers.

If Wen Gu really came with a knife, an axe, or a stick, his identity would be suspected.

The villagers have their own logic of thinking.

Nowadays, the world is in chaos, the imperial examination has been stopped, and scholars have no strength to wield swords, but their heads are filled with knowledge!
Wen Gu said that I can draw a picture of a fort, so I can definitely draw it!

The progress was just a little slow. After several months of providing food and medicine, the villagers inevitably complained.

Fortunately, it continued.

Is the map of our village's fort coming out soon?!
Thinking of this, the smile on Hunter Liu's face became more sincere and enthusiastic. This was a matter of life and death for their village!
Quicken your pace and bring the food box into the house.

When Wen Gu's cousin heard the noise, he had already gotten up from the bed, opened the door and was about to take the lunch box. Previously, people who delivered lunch would just hand the lunch box at the door.

Hunter Xiao Liu squeezed into the house carrying a food box.

Seeing this, Wen Gu spread out the drawings on the table a little, then stood up and gave a bookish bow to the young hunter Liu who had entered as a token of his gratitude. He seemed to be exhausted and his body swayed.

Faced with this elegant greeting, Hunter Liu didn't know what to say in response for a moment. He looked embarrassed and waved his hand.

I thought to myself: The village chief is right, scholars are particular, but their bodies are weak. After being sick, they become even weaker. They can't even stand steadily, and it's difficult for them to even pick up a pen.

He looked eagerly at the drawings on the table.

Although the world is different now, Xiao Liu the Hunter still has great respect for such talented scholars. He also went to school when he was young, but he didn't continue his studies.

When I saw the painting on the drawing, I felt even more respect for it.

You are indeed a scholar, your painting is totally incomprehensible!

There is only one wooden table in the room, and we eat and draw on it.

Cousin Wen Gu came over to clean the table. He usually did these jobs and was very skilled at it.

Worried about the Wen family's eldest brother's clumsy hands and feet, the hunter Liu took the position and said to Wen Gu:

"Hey, I'll do it! Brother Wen, you're not well yet. Sit down and rest first. Drink the medicine while it's hot."

"Then, thank you for your help."

Wen Gu's voice was gentle and soft as he sat there, instructing Liu Mu to clear the pens, ink, and blueprints from the table. He even took a moment to glance at the carved wooden lunch box, a truly classical style that the villagers had brought back from town.

The table was rearranged and Wen Gu said no more. He delayed for a while until the medicine was at the right temperature, suitable for consumption.

Hmm, it doesn't taste good.

But it saves life and keeps you healthy.

It's done!

While packing up his things, hunter Xiao Liu couldn't help but ask about the contents of the drawing.

After Wen Gu finished drinking the medicine, he explained, "It's just a rough diagram. It needs to be improved. I'll have to draw a few more diagrams with annotations later for easier reference."

Hunter Xiao Liu responded and kept Wen Gu's words in mind, intending to relay them to the village chief later.

Wen Gu glanced at the food in the lunch box and had an idea in his mind.

It seemed the village had enough food stored up for now; they must have amassed quite a bit during the initial chaos. The meals were simple, but the portions were adequate.

After drinking the medicine, he had some light porridge.

The body is in urgent need of energy replenishment, and rustic food becomes a rare delicacy.

Wen Gu sat there and instructed the hunter Liu to clean up the table and put the pens, ink and drawings back.

Hunter Xiao Liu had no complaints and was quite active.

Before leaving, Hunter Liu glanced at Wen Gu again and thought to himself: With his size, he can't even lift a bamboo pole. If he leaves the village, he'll just be delivering food to the evil creatures. He probably can't run away, but he still needs to keep an eye on him.

After going out, Hunter Xiao Liu greeted the people patrolling the village and asked them to come over and take a look from time to time.

The village has always been keeping a close eye on the Wen brothers. Their thoughts are simple—

My village will provide supplies, and you will draw the blueprints for the dock. Although there is no contract, this is an agreement. You can't just run away when you recover!
When it comes to matters concerning the survival of the village, it is never too cautious.

Wen Gu certainly knew the attitude of the villagers. That was why he started work immediately after understanding the situation. At least he had to show his attitude first and was not afraid of being supervised by the villagers.

Continue drawing calmly.

The old wooden chair is a little shaky when you sit on it, which is not a problem, but if it shakes a little, the wooden parts will make a creaking sound.

Wen Gu frowned.

Close the window and get up.

He scanned the wooden chair from top to bottom, checked it, and quickly located the source of the sound. He then found a suitable tool and accessories, and moved quickly, knocking it down with two bangs.

Done!
He put the tools back in place, wiped his hands, straightened his clothes, opened the window, and then turned around and sat down.

He was upright and steady, and sat down silently.

He has elegant manners and is well-mannered.

It fits the village's stereotype of high-end scholars.

　New!

　　Still a niche topic

　　
　
(End of this chapter)