Hello, Middle Ages

Tang Feiliu sat clutching her small trunk inside a luxurious European carriage. Outside, snow-white horses trotted steadily along the road. The driver occasionally gave a light flick of the whip, and the horses would quicken their pace.

Outside unfolded picturesque European countryside scenery, though the farmers tilling the fields wore tattered medieval robes, and the women donned simple, worn European dresses. It looked like a scene from an oil painting of rural life brought to life.

Tang Feiliu felt deeply uneasy. He was heading to meet a very formidable figure.

Just over a year ago, he had been an ordinary modern man, working a mundane office job and striving to make ends meet. Though his interests differed from the norm—preferring housework, crafts, and gourmet food over sports, gaming, drinking, or fighting compared to most men—he still enjoyed games, sipped wine occasionally, and loved watching football. Overall, Tang Feiliu was a perfectly ordinary, life-loving young man.

Then he suddenly transmigrated. At first, Tang Feiliu couldn't accept it. But after living for a while, he had no choice but to face the reality of his new existence in a different world. The only consolation was that his family still had his annoying, mischievous yet adorable little sister. At least before his transmigration, he had saved two drowning children—so his life hadn't been entirely wasted.

Tang Feiliu found himself in the body of a country gentleman's youngest son, experiencing the ruthless, cold-hearted, and unreasonable cruelty of medieval Europe. As the biological son, when the country gentleman died, he left all his property to his eldest brother. The youngest son was given only five pounds as a settlement. Then, his own brother kicked him out of the house without a single penny.

The infuriating part was that his brother's actions were entirely legal.

Tang Feiliu no longer wished to recall the first days in this world—the exhaustion, the hunger, the empty pockets, the futile job searches, the freezing cold, the inability to pay the two shilling monthly rent.

Clutching his precious little suitcase, Tang Feiliu remembered his arrival in this world—the original owner of this body, the youngest son of a local gentry, a sentimental and fragile teenager. At just fifteen, he had already lost his family's protection. His elder brother had driven him from home. He should have been smarter—taken the gifts his father had given him over the years and the meager pocket money he'd saved himself, then found work. Though no longer upper-class, he could at least have lived better than the common peasants.

But the boy was too heartbroken. He took a few small suitcases and left home in a daze, heading for the city to try to find work. Yet he was too naive, having never truly known hardship. The white bread, tender roasted lamb chops, fresh snow-white sea fish, caviar, and peaches as sweet and fragrant as a maiden's skin he had once enjoyed at home were all extremely costly. Even as the young master endured hardship after hardship, his wealth dwindled due to his ineptitude at managing it, until he was left penniless.

When the young master departed this world, overcome by poverty and fever, Tang Feiliu—this solitary soul from another era—opened his eyes. Now, Tang Feiliu stood alone before this unfamiliar world. Fortunately, he inherited the young master's memories. Though he groaned inwardly at the mere handful of white bread left, at least Tang Feiliu was different from the young master. He was an adult. While not omnipotent, Tang Feiliu had always been adept at looking after himself and his friends. Though he might not have excelled in the industrialized modern world, in this era where he possessed nothing, his knowledge of interesting crafts and life skills proved invaluable.

Fortunately, Tang Feiliu had inherited the young master's memories. He knew he had arrived in an unfamiliar world. The Lot Empire bore a striking resemblance to medieval Europe, even down to its currency. Yet compared to Europe, this place seemed more savage and brutal.

Serfs and freemen still existed here. Nobles held their own fiefdoms, and gentlemen maintained their estates. While the West had established gentleman's schools as early as the seventeenth century—precursors to modern education—this realm relied solely on private tutors serving the nobles they swore allegiance to. Literacy remained a privilege reserved for those born into privilege. Physicians existed, but their knowledge was limited to crude methods like bloodletting and fasting. Many merely instructed patients to pray to God. Surgery often involved crude disembowelment, with few survivors. Clergy, requiring lifelong devotion to God and forbidden from marriage, were not considered the most desirable profession either.

The legal system was fragmented across the domains of major nobles, each whose laws were dictated by the lord. Within these territories, the noble's will superseded all else, leaving the legal profession far underdeveloped.

Industrial development was accelerating but nowhere near revolutionary. Maritime trade, however, flourished tremendously. Nobles grew immensely wealthy, while the common folk endured harsh lives.

Consequently, the options available to those caught between the upper and lower classes were far less plentiful and favorable than those in seventeenth- or eighteenth-century Europe.

Lance, the young master whose former incarnation was Tang Feiliu, enjoyed a privileged upbringing and received extensive tutoring. Yet as the second son of a less affluent estate owner without inheritance rights, his options remained limited. Becoming a personal valet to an estate owner and advancing to steward was a respectable path. Securing a position as a tutor in a newly prosperous household offered another stable prospect. Becoming a steward or official in a noble's domain was the best outcome. For those less accomplished, bookkeeping for merchants or starting a small workshop after a few years... As long as one was willing to lower their standards, the starting salary would never be less than seven or eight pounds—far above the four or five pounds a year earned by the wealthiest peasants.

Yet Lance was born frail—both physically and psychologically. His mother died at his birth, while his father and brother paid him scant attention. Even the family physician and tutor who cared for him could not prevent this.

Tang Feiliu, now Lance, discovered he was likely a premature infant, resulting in weaker immunity and overall physical capabilities compared to others. Lance was frail, and his memories revealed a deep love for reading and playing the piano. He could spend entire days confined within the estate, more reclusive than any ancient noble lady.

Well, at least in their shared love for staying home, the two were remarkably alike.

Tang Feiliu thought bitterly, finding humor in the situation.

His first predicament upon arriving in this world was poverty. After all, the high fever had passed, taking the life of the real Lance with it. Yet Tang Feiliu had survived, needing food, shelter, and money.

After resting for a day with his eyes open, Tang Feiliu began working as an accountant in a small workshop. He earned seven shillings a month. After paying rent, he still had five shillings left. This might sound pitiful, but for the average person, it wasn't a small sum. Five shillings equaled a quarter pound, and one shilling equaled twelve pence. Consider that even the finest goose cost only six pence—half a shilling. In this God-fearing age, any noble bird capable of flight fetched merely half a shilling, while pork and mutton were far cheaper still.

The lodgings Lance rented weren't particularly fine, but they weren't bad either. Though the young master never awoke from his life of privilege until his untimely end, he was, in his own way, wise enough not to seek out those places charging a pound a month.

Thus, Tang Feiliu saw no need to relocate. Though it was merely a single room, a half-hour walk from his small workshop, at least this rented space wasn't in a slum. It was in a normal neighborhood, inhabited by ordinary citizens.

Thus Tang Feiliu settled in and began working to improve every aspect of his life.

This was largely thanks to Tang Feiliu himself. Most men transported here might manage work adequately, but daily life would likely prove far more challenging. Not so for Tang Feiliu. The bookkeeper job held little difficulty for him. Though living conditions were meager, his skills gradually made life more comfortable.

After shamelessly begging for an accounting position, he worked diligently, improved numerous bookkeeping methods, and earned significant trust. His job became stable. Simultaneously, he could no longer tolerate his living conditions. His first act was selling the few outfits Lance had carried with him—mourning, in passing, how much better it would have been if young Lance had been the child of an established noble. According to Lance's memories, the nobility of the Lotte Empire still wore three-piece woolen coats at this time. Tailcoats were merely fashionable experiments among the younger gentlemen, while the established aristocracy still donned gem-studded cloaks and silk shirts embroidered with gold and silver thread... In short, the more opulent the better. Such extravagance meant that the embellishments on a single garment could easily outshine an ordinary person's entire lifetime of enjoyment.

That said, the clothes young Lance brought with him were no small fortune. At a time when a single shilling could buy only a meter of cotton cloth, his wardrobe included not only the tailcoats and woolen coats now trending among the youth, but also silk shirts for banquets, embroidered coats, and cloaks— he still believed that after losing his father, he might one day reenter high society.

Even the wig had been pawned. To be honest, Tang Feiliu could appreciate suits and tailcoats, but wigs, breeches, patent leather shoes, and brightly embroidered shirts and capes... Tang Feiliu inwardly recoiled.

He kept only the clothes on his back. After pawning the rest, Tang Feiliu held twenty pounds in his hand. His current body was in terrible shape, and his living conditions were far from comfortable. Though the Lott Empire differed from many parts of Europe at the time, one thing remained the same: filth, disorder, and squalor.

First, the living quarters. While the exterior appeared passable, the bedding hadn't been cleaned since moving in. Lifting the mattress revealed straw matting beneath, infested with insects and eggs. The cleanliness-obsessed Tang Feiliu nearly vomited.

The room itself presented a similar picture. While superficially passable, dust accumulated in every corner. York endured perpetual rainy seasons, and Tang Feiliu suspected the young master couldn't afford to heat the fireplace—or perhaps the room simply lacked one. Consequently, the wardrobes were already moldy, and a foul stench permeated the space. Living in such a mildewed environment would likely sicken even Tang Feiliu, despite his robust health, let alone the frail Lance.

Pinching his nose, Tang Feiliu launched into a thorough cleaning. First, he bought cloth and sewing supplies, then painstakingly sewed a new sheet himself—Lance had originally bought a full bedding set. While the sheet remained, the cotton fabric and quilt stuffed with cotton were the most expensive items Lance had purchased, costing ten shillings for just the quilt alone—half a pound. Tangerine Liu naturally wouldn't discard them. He planned to wash all of Lance's purchases thoroughly, giving him two sets to rotate.

Though the Lott Empire had begun cultivating cotton, weaving still relied on the most ancient machinery. This meant cotton cloth, while affordable, was far from cheap.

Until craftsmen invented new looms, this situation was unlikely to improve.

Tang Feiliu took the money, discarded the old straw bedding, and replaced it with fresh, dry straw. laid down a freshly made mattress, cleaned the entire room, tossed out the moldy wardrobe to wash and sun-dry it, and insisted on opening the windows daily for ventilation on sunny days. He even bought an iron basin to burn charcoal with the windows open, determined to keep the room as dry as possible. Finally, the pigsty-like house was transformed. At least now, when he returned home at night, after bathing, lying in bed felt comfortable at last.

During his next break, Tang Feiliu sought to buy soap to clean the original bedding for future use. To his despair, he discovered—soap was nowhere to be found on the streets!

This city called York, reputed to be one of the most prosperous in the ducal lands, certainly had all manner of shops. Yet nowhere among the general stores could he find a single item called soap.

After much inquiry, Tang Feiliu finally grasped the truth—people in the Lotte Empire didn't bathe. They washed their clothes with plain water, claiming that as devout children of God, abstaining from bathing was an act of piety.

It suddenly dawned on Tang Feiliu why the entire city reeked. He recalled the bread he'd eaten these past days and imagined the bakers kneading dough without washing their hands or bathing—the thought made him feel sick to his stomach once more.

God, why did you bring me to this world? That night, Tang Feiliu scrubbed himself with great effort. His wet blond hair dried by the charcoal brazier as he gazed at the full moon on the horizon, a strange desolation settling in his heart. While getting a second chance at life was indeed a blessing, couldn't he have been granted a modern existence instead?!

The moon on the horizon was large and round, resembling a salted duck egg oozing with briny oil.

That night, Tang Feiliu dreamed of slicing five salted duck eggs to accompany his porridge, and his heart finally found a fleeting moment of peace.

Author's Note:

Note: While the broad setting draws inspiration from medieval Europe, its economic development resembles that of the 17th-18th centuries. The social structure remains semi-feudal and semi-slave-based, with nascent maritime and industrial growth—the entire society is in a transitional phase.