Jiang Zhou’s head was dizzy, there was countless clips of hoarse voices in his mind but he couldn’t see clearly. He squinted his eyes and glanced around the room, in a trance he seemed to remember Wen Yan sighed and turned around walked out with no intention of going back. He was startled and suddenly yelled, “Ah Yan!”

The cold sweat on his back soaked his clothes, making him felt sticky and uncomfortable. Jiang Zhou sat up from his bed too fast, his sight turned black for a while.

He was a little confused about the situation, right now, he was lying in a mudbrick house with hard bed under his body. A chipped bowl was placed on a table not far away.

He only remembered that he went out to the market and came back riding uncle Zhang’s cart but when he passed a small mountain road, the cart got bumped by a stone and he was thrown out. Well, he passed out and now he not only got into an accident but also robbed?

He had a splitting headache and yelled “Ah Yan” as usual.

No one answered, Jiang Zhou was startled for a moment. Maybe Wen Yan was in the yard and didn’t hear him, he called again, “Ah Yan?”

“Who are you calling?” a voice came from the door, “I heard from outside you keep calling Wen Yan. Why? You already drove out your wife, now that you’re suffering you want him back? Why did you let him go then?” it was aunty Lu who came, she usually was very warm and nice to other villagers.

Aunty Lu was going to pick some eggplants from her field, she was thinking of making dried eggplants. While she was on the way, she heard Jiang Zhou calling someone from inside the house.

For this Jiang Zhou, aunty Lu had mixed feelings. A year ago, Jiang Zhou was good at everything, he was hardworking and capable. His family left some properties to him and he married a shuanger as his wife, the two of them were really sweet after the marriage. But since Jiang Zhou fell of the old man Zhang’s cart, he changed into different person.

At that time, Jiang Zhou seemed to be less clever, he was lazy and slept a lot till the sun high. Wen Yan made a fuss then fought with Jiang Zhou, then he went back to his natal (wife family) house. As a result, Jiang Zhou who lost his wife, happily did business with others.

When he asked people to follow him, the villagers thought he was unreliable and refused. The merchant was a lecher, when he visited in the village, his eyes always drifted to little girls and married women. This man clearly wasn’t a good thing, some villagers tried to warn Jiang Zhou but they were choked back by him. Gradually people are tired and stopped taking care of Jiang Zhou.

In the early days, Jiang Zhou earned one or two taels of money and used it to show off in from of everyone. The villagers really couldn’t do anything about him.

The first success made Jiang Zhou tasted the sweetness, then he became greedy and paid more money for this spice business. He planned to open a shop and received the goods from this merchant, he already paid deposit so everything already in line.

His plan at that time was good, he only thought was he would not spend his life digging the ground. Being a businessman was good, opened a shop and sold the goods, then he could count the money while laying down. It was a pity that his plan backfired, the merchant disappeared without a trace after being paid. He also a someone to buy him a shop, but this person was gone, there was no shop under his name.

To own a shop, they had to go to the government to write the contract. This contract had to be triplicate, one for the buyer and seller, the other was for the government. The person said there was some trouble and the contract would be delivered in two days. He already handed the money but the person couldn’t be found.

Jiang Zhou lost all his family property and changed from wealthy family to a poor one. How could the traveler bear this stimulation, that person immediately fainted and gone.

Aunty Lu sighed watching Jiang Zhou sat in a daze, she couldn’t bear it and persuaded, “I know you are feeling helpless. Listen to aunty, the money is gone but you can earn it back. We villager always dig the ground for food. As long as God didn’t show His power, we would never starve to death. Even though you lost your house and money, you still have your hands and feet. Unlike Zhu san-ye (third son), you are diligent and hard worker, there will be a way.”

Zhu san-ye was a young man from Zhu family who was disable, now he had reached the age to marry but no one was willing to be his wife.

Aunty Lu saw Jiang Zhou didn’t say a thing, she continued; “I just heard you calling Wen Yan, did you miss your wife? When he made a fuss about going back you didn’t stop him. Your wife is great, good looking and virtuous, he also knows how to read and write. I don’t why you are unhappy with him; you don’t try to get him back. Now you regret it, aih, your situation right now is bad. I think it’s better to tidy up your life first then ask Wen Yan to come back, don’t let him live a hard life with you.”

She babbled a lot while Jiang Zhou listened silently, his memory got a little clear. After realizing what had happened, he could only smile tragically. What could he say? He didn’t do anything at all. The ‘him’ in his memory was a modern soul who sneaked into his body while he was unconscious from accident. This traveler must read too much fiction, he thought it was finally his time to shine as protagonist. But this protagonist couldn’t tell which good and bad, he was cheated as soon as he tried business and couldn’t handle it so he disappeared just like that.

In fact, Jiang Zhou was a little hesitant to say the traveler was gone. He didn’t know a bizarre thing could happen to him, he didn’t know where he was gone. But now the memories of traveler also inside his head. This was incredible but confusing, he couldn’t help rubbing his arm and head weakly, “Aunty, I know it. Before it was me who ignorant, I will change it. As for Wen Yan,” he paused and thought of his wife’s gentle gaze, “I will go and coax him back.”

Jiang Zhou was confused back then and couldn’t receive any comments. But now, he listened to aunty Lu, she nodded to herself, it seemed he already knew he was wrong. Aunty Lu was a little satisfied,

“Hurry up and clean yourself. Your house is a little damp, I saw the small animals coming down around the river. I guess it will rain soon, you should repair your roof.”

Jiang Zhou responded in a low voice, he got up and sent aunty Lu out. He also looked at his living place, he used to live in the center of the village; it was small house with all furniture complete. He also expanded a yard for Wen Yan; he usually sat there to wash the clothes or play with flowers or plants. Later, the traveler put all his property to make business and sold his house to buy a shop. His money was gone, the house also sold.

The place where he lived now was in the entrance of the village. This house used to be the residence of old man Yang, this man had no children so he made living by tending villager’s fields. He could endure hardship and saved money for years, finally he moved out and saw the traveler had no place, he gave him this house to borrow.

The thatched house had no one to repair, it was already broken. Some of the roof was gone, even the door was only closed with a curtain. No wonder Jiang Zhou was cold when he woke up.

Aunty Lu said it will rain, so he must repair the house quickly. But he was penniless, how could he do things without money? Even small things were impossible.