As a Child Bride, I Encouraged My Husband to Take the Imperial Examination

Xie Laoer and his wife, Mrs. Zhang, live as the second branch of a large patriarchal family in Yunshan Village. Despite Laoer’s hard work and secret savings from odd jobs, the family favors his elder brother and sister-in-law, leaving Mrs. Zhang and their three daughters to endure constant bullying and starvation. During the wheat harvest, Mrs. Zhang, heavily pregnant and exhausted, collapses in a sudden storm while fetching water. She goes into premature labor in the field, bleeding and unable to move. Her eldest daughter, Xie Ying, runs through the rain to fetch help, leading Laoer to discover her condition. The family rushes her home, where Doctor Li and the midwife perform emergency acupuncture and delivery. Against all odds, Mrs. Zhang survives and gives birth to a son, Xie Huai’an, but the family’s resources are nearly depleted, and tensions with the elder branch remain high.

Following the birth, a wandering Daoist visits the Xie household and examines the infant. He predicts that Huai’an’s life hangs by a thread and foretells a major calamity when the boy turns three. To ensure the child’s survival, the Daoist instructs Laoer to find a wife for him who is three years older, to be raised alongside him from childhood and married before he turns sixteen. Laoer travels to a nearby village and purchases a sickly, abandoned three-year-old girl named Ya’dan. Unbeknownst to the family, Ya’dan is actually Xia Zhi, a modern female doctor who transmigrated into the child’s body after dying from overwork. She retains her medical knowledge and adult consciousness but is trapped in the fragile body of a child bride in an ancient rural setting.

Xia Zhi is taken in by Mrs. Zhang, who treats her with kindness despite the family’s poverty. As Xia Zhi recovers and grows, she observes the harsh realities of the household: the favoritism shown to the elder branch, the meager rations given to the second branch, and the strict control exerted by Old Madam Wu. Meanwhile, Huai’an, who also possesses memories from a past life as a powerful eunuch in the imperial palace, is determined to live a peaceful, ordinary life this time. He and Xia Zhi form a close bond as they grow up together, with Xia Zhi often caring for him and protecting him from the family’s neglect.

As Huai’an approaches his third year, the predicted calamity looms. The family’s financial situation worsens due to taxes and the costs of raising children. Laoer, desperate to protect his son and provide a better life for his immediate family, decides to separate from the main household. He kneels before his parents and requests a division of property, enduring physical punishment and verbal abuse in the process. The village and clan chiefs intervene, but Laoer remains steadfast. Eventually, his parents agree to the separation, granting him a small portion of land, some grain, and a fraction of the family’s savings. Laoer, Mrs. Zhang, and their children move into a separate dwelling, gaining a measure of independence but facing the challenges of self-sufficiency in a difficult economic climate.

With the new household established, Xia Zhi uses her medical knowledge to improve the family’s health and well-being. She tends to Huai’an’s fragile constitution and helps Mrs. Zhang manage their limited resources. The story follows their daily struggles and small victories as they navigate life outside the oppressive family structure. Huai’an, now a young boy, begins to show signs of his past-life wisdom, while Xia Zhi continues to adapt to her new reality, balancing her modern sensibilities with the constraints of ancient society. Their relationship evolves from childhood companionship to a deeper partnership as they prepare for the future that the Daoist foretold.

The narrative explores themes of family dynamics, gender roles, and survival in a historical setting. Through the eyes of both Huai’an and Xia Zhi, the story highlights the resilience required to overcome adversity and the importance of found family. As they grow older, the couple faces new challenges, including societal expectations and external threats, but their bond remains strong. The story sets the stage for their eventual marriage and the fulfillment of the Daoist’s prophecy, promising a life of peace and prosperity for the second branch of the Xie family.