Transmigration: Raising a Child Is Not Easy

Jiang Youmei, a modern woman obsessed with wealth and career, dies in a car accident after being mocked by colleagues and transmigrates into the body of a twenty-year-old widow in the Great Kang Dynasty. She awakens in a dilapidated mud-brick hut in Xihe Village, suffering from the lingering trauma of the original host. The new body is emaciated and weak, cared for only by her five-year-old son, Lin Nian, known as Xiao Baozi. Despite his young age, the boy is precociously mature, handling all household chores, foraging for food, and comforting his mother, whose mental state had deteriorated after her husband, Lin Dalan, was killed by wolves while hunting. Jiang Youmei realizes she has no hope of returning to her previous life and resolves to survive and prosper for her son’s sake.

The family’s situation is dire. They possess only five mu of land, which they rent out for meager returns, and their savings are nearly exhausted after paying for Jiang Youmei’s recent illness. Through conversations with her mother, Madam Li, and her son, Jiang Youmei learns about the extended Jiang family. Her grandfather, Elder Jiang, disowned the original host six years ago for marrying a man with amnesia, Lin Dalan, who was found injured in the mountains. Although the family has since softened, they remain estranged. The household is large and complex, involving multiple branches, but the immediate focus is on survival. Jiang Youmei’s father, Jiang Dafu, and mother, Madam Li, secretly provide food and support, revealing a strained but caring relationship.

A significant conflict arises when the Great Kang Dynasty faces threats from the northern barbarian state of Liao. The village chief announces a conscription order, requiring one able-bodied man per household aged fifteen to forty. The Jiang family faces a crisis as they cannot afford the twenty taels of silver exemption fee. Various family members are considered, but tensions rise when Young Madam Wei, the wife of the eldest son Jiang Youshu, refuses to let her only son go to war, causing a family uproar. Ultimately, Jiang Youyou, a young scholar and cousin, volunteers to enlist, hoping to secure a clerical position rather than face the front lines. This decision leaves Jiang Youmei’s younger brother, Jiang Youzi, also at risk of being drafted, adding to the family’s anxiety.

With her mother’s visit, Jiang Youmei decides to take charge of her life. She cleans her home, bathes, and reconnects with her son, who is initially shocked by her sudden change in demeanor. She promises him a better future, including education and ample food. Determined to earn money, she explores the surrounding area, discovering the local geography and resources. She attempts to fish in Azure Water Creek, successfully catching a large carp, which provides a much-needed meal. However, she realizes that foraging and fishing alone are insufficient for long-term prosperity.

Jiang Youmei identifies her skills in design and handicrafts as a potential income source. Using the limited fabric saved from her husband’s belongings and a small amount of money borrowed from her son’s emergency savings, she creates modern-style handbags and decorative flowers. She designs oval-shaped handbags with cartoon pig motifs and fabric flowers with lace-like trims, aiming to sell them at the market near the Temple of Divine Aid on Eastern Spirit Mountain. Her son, though frugal and skeptical, supports her efforts. As she works on her crafts, Jiang Youmei feels a renewed sense of purpose, driven by the desire to provide a secure and happy childhood for Xiao Baozi, contrasting sharply with her lonely and materialistic previous life.