Transmigrated into a Blacksmith’s Husband

Lin Cuifen had already started a fire in the kitchen and seemed to be preparing breakfast. Qiao Yuan quickly washed up and rushed into the kitchen, snatching the task of washing the rice from Lin Cuifen’s hands, trying to win her favor. “Mom, let me cook. You can rest.”  

Lin Cuifen hesitated for a moment but seeing that his complexion was rosy, and he seemed much livelier, she figured his body must be fine. So, she handed him the work in her hands and instead moved to sit on a small wooden stool by the stove to start a fire. 

Qiao Yuan asked while washing rice, “Mom, what are we having for breakfast?” 

“You figure it out,” Lin Cuifen added, “Your eldest brother and Qiu Ge’er went back to the capital yesterday. Your eldest brother has a heavy workload, so he only took two days off.” 

Qiu Ge’er refers to Yu Laoda1This is the eldest son. This can be translated as Old Yu but I find it awkward/does not suit big brother Yu so I am keeping Yu Laoda as a nickname since this will be used multiple times.‘s husband Meng Qiu, who stayed with the original body in the new house during the wedding. The original body took advantage of the time when he went to the bathroom and hanged himself. Qiao Yuan had an impression of him.  

It was the first meal that the new daughter-in-law cooked after marrying into the Yu family, so Lin Cuifen wanted to test Qiao Yuan’s cooking skills. Therefore, she didn’t interfere with anything except adding firewood. 

Qiao Yuan understood that this was a test from his mother-in-law! This damn fate, one day he would even have to worry about the relationship between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law! 

After some thought, Qiao Yuan made up his mind that congee was a must-have. There were potatoes in the kitchen that could be used to make potato cakes, saving the effort of kneading dough. Some vegetables could be picked from the garden to make vegetable cakes, and a refreshing cold dish of vegetables could also be made. Yu Liu, the young ger, was still a child and should have a bowl of egg soup in the morning. 

Once he had made up his mind, Qiao Yuan put the washed rice in the pot, peeled and sliced the potatoes, added some wild onions picked from the garden, seasoned with a few drops of soy sauce, mixed in some beaten eggs, and finally fried everything in lard until it was slightly crispy. Perfect! 

The vegetable cakes are relatively light, with only a little salt and eggs, which are more suitable for Yu Liu to eat. This operation used up four eggs, and Qiao Yuan suddenly realized that this was in ancient times, and it might be too wasteful. He felt a little guilty and asked his mother, “Mom, did I put too many eggs?” 

Lin Cuifen was shocked by Qiao Yuan’s series of quick operations. As far as she knew, the people in Xianhe Village didn’t cook like this.  

After a while, Lin Cuifen finally said in a hesitant voice: “Your father and Dameng both work hard at the blacksmith shop, and the younger siblings are still in their early years of growth. Now that the debts at home have been paid off, life is not as difficult as before. Everything is fine. ”  

After finishing speaking, Lin Cuifen glanced at Qiao Yuan’s weak and fragile appearance. She thought that he probably hadn’t eaten anything delicious at his wicked uncle’s house, so she added, “You have a weak body and need to supplement it. Our family’s chickens can lay more than ten eggs a day, so I’ll make an egg custard for you to eat.”  

Since he was young, Qiao Yuan’s father did not love him and his mother did not care for him. Later, he had to rely on himself to make a living. After his grandparents passed away one after another, he rarely received care from others. When someone showed him kindness, Qiao Yuan felt touched and sincerely said, “Thank you, Mom.”  

Lin Cuifen sighed lightly, not knowing what she was thinking, “Just live a good life with Dameng.”  

Qiao Yuan awkwardly touched his nose and explained, “I had a moment of confusion and won’t do such stupid things again in the future.”  

Lin Cuifen nodded slightly, apparently not believing his words very much, and still needed to see his subsequent performance. She didn’t want to continue discussing this topic with Qiao Yuan in the kitchen, so she asked, “What are you planning to do?”  

“Pancake,” Qiao Yuan answered.  

“Are you making a pancake like this? You didn’t even knead the dough!” Lin Cuifen was skeptical of Qiao Yuan’s method, but since it was the first meal made by the new daughter-in-law, she didn’t want to be too harsh and didn’t want Qiao Yuan to misunderstand her. Lin Cuifen didn’t say anything and thought to herself that she would teach him how to do it properly in the future.  

Take a small piece of lard and spread it around the edges of an iron pan. Put the mixed dough into the pan and use a spatula to adjust the shape. Fry it slowly over low heat until both sides are golden brown. The aroma gradually spreads out and is very tempting. 

Yu Dameng came back at the right time, just as he entered the courtyard and put down the firewood, he followed the scent and arrived at the kitchen. “What’s that smell, it’s so fragrant?”  

Lin Cuifen glared at him and scolded, “You only know how to use your nose!”  

Yu Dameng scratched his head and laughed happily. Qiao Yuan was also amused and tore off a small piece of freshly baked bread, feeding it to him, “Try it, I made it!”  

Yu Dameng took a bite and was immediately conquered by the taste. “Delicious!”  

Qiao Yuan was softened by his silly appearance, and his voice unconsciously softened a few degrees, “There are even more delicious dishes, I’ll make them for you next time.”  

“Um.” Yu Dameng nodded, with a slight blush on his ears.  

Lin Cuifen watched the interaction between the young couple on the side and believed somewhat in what Qiao Yuan had just said.  

One by one, the other members of the Yu family got up and curiously went to the kitchen, but without exception, Lin Cuifen coaxed them all out.  

Qiao Yuan can be considered as someone who had just gotten to know the Yu family. 

Old Man Yu2Can be translated as Mr. Yu or Old Man Yu but since this is an ancient setting, I try to use the most appropriate words, let me know if you prefer this or Mr. Yu or Old Man Yu., the head of the family, is about fifty years old. Perhaps due to excessive labor, he has two deep wrinkles between his eyebrows and speaks relatively little. 

The twin brothers looked exactly the same, but the thinner one was Yu Shanwen and the slightly fatter one was Yu Shanwu. These two mischievous kids seemed to have some hostility towards him.  

Xiao3“Xiao” is a common prefix used in Chinese nicknames, and it is often translated to “little” or “young.” It is used to show affection or familiarity, and is most commonly used with a person’s given name. Yu Liu was obedient and soft and had been secretly observing him all along.  

Dishes were served one after another, and the first official meal for Qiao Yuan after marrying into the Yu family began.  

The fragrant potato pancake is made with vegetables, eggs, and salt. The twin brothers who were dissatisfied with Qiao Yuan’s hanging on his wedding night did not confront him as planned. Yu Shanwu even said directly, “It’s delicious! Mom, let’s have this for breakfast from now on. Don’t eat dry bread every day!”  

Lin Cuifen firmly grasped her son’s trick and scolded him with a stern face, saying, “It was done by your brother Yuan! Just tell him directly!”  

Yu Dameng was stunned for a moment before suddenly reacting. He reached out and slapped Yu Shanwu, who was closest to him, on the head, and ordered, “Call him brother!”  

The twin brothers pouted with a sense of injustice. They were clearly standing up for their third brother but ended up getting beaten by him. However, they were intimidated by their third brother’s strong physical strength, so they reluctantly called Qiao Yuan with a humiliating “Brother Yuan.”  

Qiao Yuan sighed, this pair of rascals.  

Yu Liu, who had already been conquered by vegetable cakes and egg soup, accepted it with pleasure. He gently pulled on Qiao Yuan’s collar and said softly, “Brother Yuan, the vegetable cakes are so delicious!”  

Qiao Yuan was instantly melted by the cuteness of this little angel baby. He casually pinched Liu Ge ‘er’s chubby little face and said with a smile, “Then you should eat a little more and gain some weight.” 

The twin brothers were very angry at Liu Ge’er for being a big traitor! We agreed to present a united front to the outside world, didn’t we?  

The family had a warm breakfast together. Just as Qiao Yuan was about to clean up the table, he was stopped by Lin Cuifen. “Let your brothers clean up, they’ve been busy all morning. You just got better, so just sit and rest for a while.”  

Yu Dameng also nodded in agreement beside him, and Qiao Yuan felt even more that the atmosphere of the Yu family was good.  

After everyone else dispersed and went about their own business, Yu Dameng secretly pulled Qiao Yuan back to the room.  

“What’s wrong?” Qiao Yuan asked in confusion.  

Yu Dameng searched in his pocket for a while and pulled out a small box. “I bought this from Dr. Wang this morning. He said it’s very effective for reducing scars and relieving pain!” Yu Dameng pointed to the scar on Qiao Yuan’s neck as he spoke.  

Qiao Yuan’s heart warmed, and he took the ointment and asked casually, “How much does it cost?”  

Yu Dameng suddenly became hesitant and evasive.  

Finally, under Qiao Yuan’s deathly stare, he struggled to say the price, “Two…two taels of silver…”  

After speaking, he widened his eyes and pleaded with Qiao Yuan, “Please don’t tell Mom!” 

Qiao Yuan was shocked. This inconspicuous small box of ointment was actually so expensive!  

He had memories of his past life and knew the concept of two taels of silver, which was enough for a frugal rural family to use for half a year. It seemed that no matter which era it is, medical treatment and medicine were expensive, which further strengthened his determination to make money. His weak and fragile body must be prone to illness, so he must make enough money to afford medical treatment in case he became sick.  

After sighing, Qiao Yuan felt a bit touched. Two taels of silver, and Yu Dameng actually bought him the ointment. He was really a simpleton, even though his husband had hanged himself on their wedding night, he was still so kind to him. 

There was no mirror in the room, so Qiao Yuan had to hand the ointment to Yu Dameng and said, “Can you help me apply it?”  

“Me?” Yu Dameng was shocked.  

Suddenly, Qiao Yuan remembered the difference between a man and a ger, but once words were spoken, it would be cowardly to take them back. So, pretending to be fierce, he said, “Of course it’s you! There’s no mirror here, hurry up!”  

“This…” Yu Dameng stared at the ointment in his palm, feeling troubled. Since Brother Yuan was unwilling to be his husband, it was unreasonable. After a while, under Yuan Qiao’s urging, Yu Dameng finally acted and carefully applied a piece of ointment to Yuan Qiao’s neck.  

The plaster was icy cold, and as soon as it touched his neck, Qiao Yuan couldn’t help but let out a hiss.  

Yu Dameng asked nervously, “Does it hurt?”  

“Not painful, just cool.” 

Yu Dameng became even more careful in his movements, and his eyes shone brightly because he was working so seriously. He leaned in too close, and his warm breath lightly brushed against Qiao Yuan’s neck. Qiao Yuan’s mind went blank for a moment, and he blurted out, “Yu Dameng, why did you marry… me?”  

Yu Dameng seemed to think that this was a very stupid question, “Your grandmother found my mother.”  

“I know that, but what about you? Did you not have anyone you liked before? Why did you agree to marry me?”  

Yu Dameng thought for a moment and said, “What does it mean to like someone? My mother asked me to marry you, and your grandmother saved me and my mother. I want to repay you!”  

Qiao Yuan couldn’t help rolling his eyes. It seemed that Yu Dameng, who was already in his twenties, was a complete fool when it came to matters of the heart. But that was fine. At least he confirmed that Yu Dameng had no feelings for the original body. If he did develop any feelings in the future, they would all be directed towards him. 

 

If you like my translation, a cup of coffee is very much appreciated. I will post a bonus chapter for every five kofis received. Thank you!

 

 

1This is the eldest son. This can be translated as Old Yu but I find it awkward/does not suit big brother Yu so I am keeping Yu Laoda as a nickname since this will be used multiple times.2Can be translated as Mr. Yu or Old Man Yu but since this is an ancient setting, I try to use the most appropriate words, let me know if you prefer this or Mr. Yu or Old Man Yu.3“Xiao” is a common prefix used in Chinese nicknames, and it is often translated to “little” or “young.” It is used to show affection or familiarity, and is most commonly used with a person’s given name.