A Little Life in Another World

Cao Xiangnan, a modern university student, dies after falling into an open manhole and awakens in the body of a man with the same name in the Feng Dynasty, a fictional historical setting where men are divided into xiaozis who cannot bear children and ge’ers who can. He finds himself in a dilapidated room with a mosquito net, suffering from severe injuries, and is greeted by a young boy named An’an who calls him father. His husband, Qi Wanfeng, a tall and sturdy ge’er, returns and expresses overwhelming relief at his awakening. Cao Xiangnan realizes he has transmigrated into the life of a poor peasant who was hit by a carriage, leaving him bedridden and unable to work.

The original Cao Xiangnan had been a man of blind filial piety, working in town to earn three guan a month and handing all his wages to his mother, Chen Zhu. Despite his contributions, which helped build the family’s brick house and support his youngest brother’s education, he and his family were treated as the lowest members of the household. Qi Wanfeng, who had married into the Cao family, endured years of mistreatment, performing all the household chores while being monitored and scolded by Chen Zhu. The family consists of Cao Xiangnan’s cowardly father, Cao Ashan, his stingy mother, and three older brothers: the honest but weak eldest brother Cao Fugui, the lazy and greedy second brother Cao Fuqiang, and the beautiful third brother Cao Chunqing who serves as a concubine in a wealthy household.

Upon waking, Cao Xiangnan learns from Doctor Sun that his leg may be permanently damaged and that Qi Wanfeng is pregnant again, though his health is poor due to malnutrition and overwork. This news triggers a crisis within the Cao family. Chen Zhu, fearing that supporting the injured fourth son and his pregnant wife will drain the resources reserved for the youngest son’s scholarly pursuits, pressures her husband to separate the fourth branch from the main household. The family gathers in the courtyard, where Chen Zhu announces the division, offering only two mu of inferior land and the old houses at the homestead to Cao Xiangnan’s family.

While the eldest and second brothers’ wives eagerly accept the arrangement to secure their own interests, Qi Wanfeng is devastated, feeling betrayed by his in-laws after years of loyal service. Cao Xiangnan, however, sees this as an opportunity to escape the exploitative family structure. He instructs Qi Wanfeng to carry him out to the courtyard, where he feigns weakness and asks his family to promise to care for his wife and child if he dies. This manipulation causes panic among the relatives, who fear being burdened with his dependents. To avoid any future entanglement, Chen Zhu agrees to invite the village and ward heads as witnesses to formalize the separation.

Cao Xiangnan secretly plans to use this separation to establish independence. He whispers a strategy to Qi Wanfeng, who agrees to trust him despite his fears. The narrative concludes with the family preparing to finalize the separation, marking a pivotal shift from subservience to autonomy. Cao Xiangnan resolves to build a better life for his new family, determined to never again allow himself or his loved ones to be exploited by the Cao clan.