"I’ll catch a fish for you one of these days!"
Lu Changsheng patted Xiao Heitu on her little head. The girl was two years his junior and the youngest in the family. Lu Changsheng also had an older brother named Lu Haozi, who had just turned sixteen and served as the family’s primary laborer. Lu Haozi was a steady, hardworking soul, despite a name that suggested otherwise. If not for his labor, their aging parents might well have abandoned little Xiao Heitu or sold her off to some big shot in Heishan Prefecture as a servant girl. Such a wretched fate.
"It’s a shame," Lu Changsheng thought. "My golden finger is a slow-burn type; I can’t make any use of it for now."
The only benefit Lu Changsheng could currently see was that the golden finger displayed his natural talents in text. It allowed him to plan for the future with a bit of foresight.
"A top-tier talent... it’s a waste not to make good use of it!"
"I wonder what dynasty this is?"
His predecessor’s memories held no concept of dynasties. In this poverty-stricken mountain village, the only thing on anyone’s mind every day was how to fill their stomachs. As for whether the dynasty was ruled by the Wangs, the Tangs, or the Zhaos—it had nothing to do with them. However, he did know one thing: no matter the dynasty, being a scholar was always a damn good profession. One could rise to the imperial court to serve as an official, or settle for being an accountant, clicking an abacus as a bearded clerk. At the very worst, one could sneak off to some remote township and work as an unlicensed Master. In an era like this, where no one cared for credentials, a life like that would certainly be comfortable.
"It’s settled! I’ll study and earn a degree!"
With top-tier aptitude, it shouldn’t be too much to ask to become a scholar in three to five years, right?
"I remember that Wang Heihou has a book at his place—but it’ll be a hassle to borrow it."
In this godforsaken corner of the world, books were rare treasures. That kid Wang Heihou often took his book out to show off, claiming that sleeping with it made him more scholarly, leaving the other village children green with envy. But whenever anyone wanted a look, he would flatly refuse.
"To study, I first have to learn to read," Lu Changsheng mused to himself.
...
By evening, his parents and brother returned from the fields.
"Didn’t you catch any fish?"
"No! Those fish were too slippery!" Lu Changsheng replied.
Usually, his parents wouldn't have asked, but Wang Heihou had been acting so high-and-mighty in the village today that many people had developed expectations. The three of them, skin darkened by the sun, were soaked in the scent of sweat. Lu Changsheng sighed internally and stepped forward to help put away the farm tools. His parents seemed accustomed to it; they cleaned up briefly and then busied themselves preparing a meal.
Because of his young age and lack of nutrition, Lu Changsheng’s physique wasn't great; he found it exceptionally difficult to lift the twenty-odd pounds of tools. Seeing this, Lu Haozi walked over to help.
"Brother, do you know where one might get books?"
After a full two seconds, Lu Haozi finally reacted, looking at Lu Changsheng. "Books? You mean the same kind of things that Wang Heihou has?"
"Exactly."
"I... I don't know! I heard Uncle Wang found it on the road! Are you trying to learn to read?" Lu Haozi looked at him in surprise.
"Yes!"
"Well... you should ask Dad. I feel like this whole thing... it seems..."
Lu Changsheng didn’t press further. He hadn't expected his family to offer any advice. To them, reading and writing were luxuries far too extravagant.
"I’ll have to find a way myself," Lu Changsheng thought as he finished putting away the tools.
As someone who had transmigrated, he knew that only those who lived a pampered life lived long. Of course, that didn't apply to those already suffering from chronic illness. Living a leisurely life, stress-free, with a good mindset—that would naturally lead to a longer life. His golden finger was a marathon, not a sprint; the longer he persisted, the stronger he would become.
"But even if I live to be a hundred, that’s only 20 points of aptitude! At best, I’ll only reach the level of a prodigy."
In the end, he would still die. What was the point of the later, locked stages if that was the case? Lu Changsheng felt doubtful, hoping that the golden finger would bring some unexpected surprises down the line.
...
"Time to eat!" Xiao Heitu’s clear voice rang out.
Soon, Lu Changsheng sat at the table, looking at the food and once again feeling the hardship of their home. Two chipped bowls held nothing but thin broth. There wasn't a drop of oil to be seen, just plenty of wild greens.
"How are we supposed to work on this?" Lu Changsheng glanced at his parents and brother, whose cheeks were sunken, and silently pulled back his chopsticks.
"Aren't you eating?"
"I haven't done any heavy work; I’m not hungry!"
"Me neither! Dad, you guys eat!" To his surprise, little Xiao Heitu chimed in with wide eyes.
The girl was far more sensible than he’d imagined. Lu Changsheng hesitated but decided against mentioning his plans to learn to read to his parents.
The next day, he set out with a stomach so empty it felt like he could eat dirt. It was the peak of the farming season, and the best way they could contribute was to eat and move as little as possible. In a few days, he would be joining them in the fields.
"Heihou! Could you lend me your book to read? Don’t worry, you can watch me the whole time—I’ll take great care of it!" Lu Changsheng found the boy.
The lad was still basking in the glow of yesterday’s triumph. A child who caught a fish was the undisputed king of the village. He’d heard Auntie Wang say that Wang Heihou’s father had spent the night strutting around the village with the fish in hand. If Old Li hadn't caught the scent of fish and reminded the pair of them, they might have kept walking until dawn. The Wang family were renowned fishers in the village—a true family tradition.
"What book? No way! Don’t even think about it! If I lend it to you and you suck away the ‘scholarly spirit,’ how am I supposed to study?" Wang Heihou refused point-blank without a second thought.
Lu Changsheng: 0.0!
Seeing the earnest look on Wang Heihou’s face, Lu Changsheng decided to let it go.
"Come on! Let’s catch some fish! I’m going to catch another one today! No, two! My dad said if I catch two, I can sleep with the book tonight!" Wang Heihou, acting like a little king, led a group of children toward the river.
"Forget it! I need to fill my stomach first," Lu Changsheng thought, even though he knew he had no real talent for catching fish.
"I’m meant for books," he told himself. "In my past life, I was almost the top scorer in the county’s college entrance exam!"
They soon arrived at the river. A bunch of children stripped down and jumped into the water. Lu Changsheng had to admit, he was impressed—these kids might be young, but their water skills were nothing to sneeze at. The talented ones, like Wang Heihou, could dive for a minute or two, which truly opened Lu Changsheng’s eyes.
"I’ll just do my best," Lu Changsheng thought. He glanced around to make sure no one was watching, then slowly stripped off his clothes and waded into the water.
For some reason, he felt like his touch was surprisingly good today.