Ch 5: The Regent’s Farmer Husband

From the time Jiang Ji came home to when the family finished eating, it had been no more than an hour and a half—yet he’d received more tips in that short span than during the entire afternoon!

That added up to 125 jin of rice and over 60 jin of peanuts! Even instant noodles—about ten packs of them!

Jiang Ji was both thrilled and confused. He quickly opened the comment section to find out what had happened.

【My god, their life is way too harsh. They even save the rice-washing water for the next day.】
【The little brother and sister are so thin—just skin and bones.】
【The twins are so well-behaved! When their mother said they could only eat three peanuts, they really stopped after three. Kids that age are usually greedy and playful—they actually held back.】
【Sometimes being “well-behaved” isn’t a compliment. It just means life has beaten them into it.】
【Sigh… they’re treating a simple radish stir-fry like a delicacy.】
【They haven’t eaten rice in two months. Poor things. Let’s give them more tips.】
【Such a simple meal, yet they were so happy. It’s heartbreaking.】

Jiang Ji scrolled through the comments and finally understood why there were suddenly so many rewards.

The viewers had been moved by the family’s poverty and genuine joy—they couldn’t help but feel pity.

He glanced at the list of tippers. Most were familiar names—the loyal viewers who had been watching since the afternoon.

Many of the new viewers had been brought in by those same fans, though some still didn’t quite believe what they were seeing.

【New here. Is this some kind of set for a slice-of-life drama?】
【Came because of the title. Still a bit confused. Pretty good acting, though?】
【My friend told me to watch—said the streamer has a system that can create items from thin air. Haven’t seen that yet. What’s going on?】
【Wait until he redeems something from the system. You’ll see.】
【It’s not acting—it’s real. This is a livestream. If it were staged, every one of them deserves an Oscar. The kids’ emotions are way too natural.】
【I really believe he’s in ancient times now.】
【I’ve been watching all afternoon. He definitely has a system! What they just ate came straight from it!】

The new audience remained skeptical, full of questions, while veteran viewers started explaining things in the comments—they’d been around long enough to know all the details of Jiang Ji’s situation.

【Why’s the screen shaking so much? God, that bowl of rice is right in my face—I feel like I’m eating with them.】
【He’s got the camera strapped to his head, right?】
【He said it’s not a camera. His eyes are the camera. Everything we see is literally what he sees, which is why the view keeps shifting.】
【Okay, changing angles I can get. But why does the image sometimes go oval, sometimes round?】
【When his eyes move, it goes oval; when he focuses on something, it turns rounder and narrower. Someone said it’s how the eyes focus—especially noticeable when he looks far away.】
【No way, seriously?】
【The screen hasn’t moved in a while.】
【Is he spacing out?】
【He’s waving his fingers in the air—bet he’s reading the comments.】

Seeing all this, Jiang Ji couldn’t help but smile. These loyal fans really were dependable.

“Brother, what are you doing? Why are your fingers moving like that?”

Beside the fire, Jiang Bei watched curiously as his older brother moved his fingers through the air, smiling to himself—it looked kind of creepy.

Jiang Ji snapped out of it, glanced at him, and lowered his hand. “Nothing. Just thinking.”

“Thinking about what?” Jiang Bei asked, eyes wide with curiosity.

“Thinking… that I need to get up early tomorrow,” Jiang Ji improvised smoothly. “Can’t be late to the steward’s place.”

【He really is reading the chat, I’m dying of laughter】
【Streamer, meal’s over—it’s time to get back to work】

Zhao Ru and Jiang Xia were cleaning the pot and washing dishes. The pot scrubber was just a bundle of straw tied together. Because the bowls were greasy tonight, Zhao Ru mixed in some wood ash, used the hot water from the pot, and dipped the straw brush to clean. It worked surprisingly well for removing oil stains.

【They’re still using straw ash to wash dishes—no detergent at all. If this is acting, the attention to detail is unreal】

Jiang Ji stood up. “I’m going to get some air.”

“Xiao Ji, are you going to bathe tonight?” Zhao Ru asked.

Jiang Ji nodded. “Yeah, I walked all afternoon and sweated a lot.”

“Alright, I’ll heat some water in a bit,” Zhao Ru said, then added, “Your head’s still not healed—don’t wash your hair.”

“Got it.”

Speaking of bathing, Jiang Ji remembered there was no body wash or shampoo here. People used soapberry water for bathing, washing hair, and even laundry.

He walked out into the yard, opened the system’s mall interface, and checked the section for household items.

Only then did he realize—right now, the only redeemable things were food. And only the types of food that existed in this world; anything that didn’t exist here couldn’t be exchanged yet.

As for daily necessities—that category was still completely locked.

“2977, why is the daily necessities tab greyed out?”

【Unlocking the daily necessities exchange requires a total of 100,000 accumulated viewers.】

“That many?” Jiang Ji sighed. “So I can’t use it yet. What about the second batch of fruits and vegetables?”

【The second batch includes items not yet existing in this world. Unlocking it requires 1,000,000 accumulated viewers.】

“…Even household items are divided into batches?”

【Yes. Just like the crops and produce.】

Jiang Ji: …

The viewers, who couldn’t hear 2977, were growing curious.

【What did the system say?】

Jiang Ji replied, “2977 said the daily necessities tab will unlock once the total number of viewers reaches 100,000.”

【Makes sense—daily items aren’t urgent】
【Food comes first. Filling the belly is priority one】
【By the way, isn’t your third mission already done? I saw there’s a new reward icon. What’s the prize? Did you finish the fourth mission yet?】

Jiang Ji checked the task screen. “Yeah, the third mission’s complete. The reward is a basic farming skill. The fourth one’s not done yet—it needs a total of 10,000 viewers.”

【Streamer, do you even know how to farm? I thought you were a rich second generation?】
【Rich second gen? For real?】
【He said before he crossed over, he lived on a planet called Blue Star. He was some rich heir—his father owns a corporation.】
【Wow, so he probably has no clue how to farm】
【But the body’s original owner knew how, right?】

Jiang Ji sighed. “Yeah, the original did. It’s all in his memory. That’s why I’m not interested in this skill. Farming’s tiring and backbreaking—farmers work themselves to the bone and barely earn enough to eat. Here, just filling our stomachs is already a struggle.”

【Fair point】
【Still, the system wouldn’t hand out something useless】
【Yeah, the system’s rewards are never random. Ask what exactly the skill does】

Jiang Ji paused. That actually made sense. He asked, “2977, what kind of skill is the basic farming one?”

2977 answered: 【The farming skill compiles agricultural knowledge from your original world, from ancient to modern times, divided into basic, intermediate, and advanced levels.】

Jiang Ji was stunned. “You mean farming methods from my world? You’ve got to be kidding—there’s no fertilizer or pesticides here!”

【The system’s basic farming skill integrates the wisdom of cultivators across eras. Its level surpasses the agricultural technology of your current world.】

“Oh…” Jiang Ji nodded in realization, but still felt no enthusiasm. “I’ll claim it later when I need it. Let’s see what the fourth reward is.”

The viewers were more excited than he was.

【What did the system say?】

Jiang Ji explained everything he’d just heard.

【Got it—so even without modern chemicals, ancient farmers had clever techniques. It’s probably combining that knowledge.】
【What’s the fourth reward?】

“Let me see…” Jiang Ji checked the screen. “The fourth reward is… tool modification skill.”

【Hahaha! You don’t want to farm, but the system really wants you to!】
【This is hilarious. The first few rewards feed you so you can survive, and now it’s just handing you farming tools and skills!】
【So your system’s basically a farming simulator?】

That set Jiang Ji off. “Yeah, it’s a farming system! It’s literally called the ‘Plow and harvest System.’ It dragged me here just to make me ‘experience the hardships of labor’ and ‘understand the struggles of working people’—how ridiculous is that?! Absolutely outrageous!”

【Hahahahahahahahaha】
【I can’t—this is killing me】
【Guess you must’ve been a spoiled rich kid before if it picked you for that】
【I’m crying. What a plot twist】

The entire chat was laughing. Jiang Ji looked up at the night sky, utterly speechless.

“Yeah, yeah, laugh it up. But when you’re done, don’t forget to share my stream and bring more viewers. Next milestone’s ten thousand!”

“Brother? Who are you talking to?”

A voice suddenly came from behind. Jiang Ji turned to see Jiang Bei standing there. It was too dark to see his face clearly, but he was looking around, as if searching for someone.

“No one. I was talking to myself.”

Jiang Bei’s mouth fell open in shock. He stared for a moment, then bolted back inside.

“Mother! My brother’s really gone mad! He was just talking to himself for ages, and I didn’t understand a word!”

Jiang Ji could hear every word perfectly.

Jiang Ji: …

【Oh no, the little brother overheard him for a while!】
【Hahahaha, that’s it. The kid’s convinced he’s lost his mind!】

【Anyone would think it’s weird if they saw someone muttering to themselves like that】
【Hahahahaha this is too funny】

Jiang Ji was exasperated. “Alright, that’s enough! You’re still laughing? I’m already miserable—have some decency, will you?”

【Hahahahahahahaha】
【I can’t breathe—how are you going to explain this?】
【Yeah, tell us, I wanna hear how you’re gonna talk your way out of this one】

Jiang Ji sighed, then looked up—and saw his whole family walking out from the kitchen toward him.

Zhao Ru looked worried. “Xiao Ji, your head…”

“Mother, I’m fine. Don’t listen to Jiang Bei’s nonsense.” He tried to reassure her while scrambling for an excuse.

“I’m not making it up!” Jiang Bei said indignantly. “Big brother, you were talking to yourself forever—something about tasks and missions! I didn’t understand a word!”

“T–Tasks?” Zhao Ru’s expression changed, alarmed. “Xiao Ji, you haven’t met any strange people, have you?”

Jiang Ji wanted to laugh and cry at once. After thinking a moment, he said, “Mother, really, I’m fine. The steward I met today told me that since I hit my head and my memory’s been off, I should practice recalling things—like past conversations—to help my recovery. He said his young master used to have the same problem, and that helped.”

Zhao Ru immediately asked, “Does it work?”

“Not sure yet,” Jiang Ji replied smoothly. “But he said his young master fully recovered.”

Zhao Ru brightened. “Then it’s worth a try. Keep practicing, dear. I won’t disturb you. I’ll call you once the bathwater’s ready.”

“Okay.”

Zhao Ru took the children back inside, though Jiang Bei lingered a moment, staring suspiciously at his brother.

Jiang Ji flicked his forehead. “Stop running to Mother with everything—you’ll just make her worry.”

Rubbing his forehead, Jiang Bei mumbled, “Okay…”

“Go on. I’ll… practice some more.”

Jiang Bei kept glancing back as he left.

【The streamer’s mouth is pure trickery】
【Yeah, sure—let’s see that ‘steward’ you supposedly met this afternoon】
【Auntie’s too easy to fool, she believed that instantly】
【Gotta hand it to you, your BS skills are elite】

Jiang Ji clasped his hands dramatically. “Flattered, flattered. If nothing else, I’ve got a quick mind.”

【Ughhh】
【Yeah, quick to lie through your teeth】

He chatted with the viewers for a bit longer before Zhao Ru called him to bathe.

Jiang Ji recalled how the original owner used to wash up. He asked Jiang Bei to bring a tung-oil lamp, then moved the wooden tub into the room, laid out clean inner clothes and a towel on a stool.

When he went to fetch water, Zhao Ru poured out some herbal medicine. “Drink this first. After your bath, you can rest.”

Jiang Ji really didn’t want to, but with the lump on his head still swollen, he had no choice but to pinch his nose and gulp it down.

He chased it with a bowl of water to wash away the bitterness.

“Mother, how many days do I have to drink this?”

“Seven days—until the swelling’s gone.”

Jiang Ji: …So twelve more doses?!

He grimaced but still carried the mixed water inside, fetched some soapberry liquid, and set it aside.

“2977, I’m going to take a bath. Can you turn off the livestream?”

【Your eyes control the stream. I can’t end it for you.】

Jiang Ji: …

He sighed. “Everyone, I’m bathing now. The system can’t shut off the stream, and I can’t keep my eyes closed the whole time. So behave yourselves, alright? Be civilized.”

He deliberately set the oil lamp as far away as possible—just in case he looked down by accident and gave the audience a show they didn’t need to see.

【Wait, you’re actually going to bathe on stream? Can’t you pause it?!】
【I’m dying—he’s really doing a live bath and telling us to behave】
【More, more!】
【He said closing his eyes for three seconds pauses it, and one minute ends it. He can’t exactly keep them closed the whole bath】
【Oh god, I forgot about that rule】
【His house is so poor—no bed, just straw on the floor?】
【So we’re really watching him bathe, huh? Hope this stream doesn’t get banned】
【Quiet—he’s taking his clothes off】
【Oh damn】

The screen first showed the stool in front of him. Then, piece by piece, clothing was tossed onto it. Finally, Jiang Ji stepped into the tub.

【Oh my god, he’s really bathing】
【This is wild—watch before the stream gets taken down】
【It won’t get banned… right?】
【Wait, there’s no moderator in this chat?】
【Yeah, I just realized—no mods here at all】

Jiang Ji didn’t dare lower his head. He stared straight ahead, carefully washing by touch. The dim light kept everything vague anyway.

Bathing in ancient times wasn’t easy—mainly because of the lack of water. Ordinary folk might bathe only every several days, and in winter, once a month was normal.

He scrubbed himself clean with the soapberry liquid, rinsed off with the little fresh water he’d saved, and finally finished.

Once dressed, he emptied and cleaned the tub, then checked the chat—only to find it exploding with comments, the screen full of flustered, nosebleed-inducing reactions.

Jiang Ji groaned. “Come on, guys—it’s just a bath. Are you seriously this dramatic?”

【Hehehe】
【A glimpse here, a shadow there… leaves much to the imagination】
【Only the sound of water, the faint sight of pale arms—tempting indeed】

Jiang Ji: “…”

These degenerates. He didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “Pale arms? I’m a guy! What’s sexy about two tanned limbs? You people have heavy tastes. You wanna laugh me to death and inherit my system or what?”

【…】
【Wait, aren’t you only nineteen? You sound like a pro flirt】
【Hahahahaha, I’m losing it】
【Nineteen and a rich kid? No way you’re still innocent】

Still a virgin, Jiang Ji felt deeply wronged. “What’s that supposed to mean? Since when does being a rich kid automatically mean I’ve done that?!”

“Alright, alright. You guys keep saying you don’t believe my eyes are the camera, right? Fine—I’ll prove it to you.”

【You’re actually going to prove it? How?】
【Yeah, hurry up and show us】

Jiang Ji went into his mother’s room and brought out the small bronze mirror. “Watch closely—this is a bronze mirror. You can see for yourselves whether there’s any camera strapped to my head.”

He held the mirror up to his face, leaned closer to the tung-oil lamp, and adjusted the angle so the viewers could see clearly.

In the mirror appeared his slightly distorted reflection—clean face, nothing on his head but hair.

【！！】
【Holy crap! There’s really nothing there!】
【He’s actually streaming through his eyes!】
【He wasn’t lying! So… he’s really in ancient times?】
【Oh my god, this is insane!】

After dropping that bombshell, Jiang Ji didn’t bother explaining further. In the kitchen, Zhao Ru was washing Jiang Nan and Jiang Bei’s faces and wiping them down; they’d already washed their feet. Jiang Ji took the two boys outside to the toilet, then back to their room to sleep.

He’d walked so far that afternoon that he was completely exhausted, and soon drifted off.

When he woke up the next morning and glanced at the livestream, he was stunned to see that his follower count had shot up overnight—from just over seven hundred to twenty thousand.

Jiang Ji: ！

🌾🌾🌾🌾🌾