Yang Nuo transmigrated into the body of a six-year-old boy named Yang Bao'er, the ninth son of the wealthy Old Man Yang. One night, Old Man Yang, covered in blood, burst into their room with a sword, having discovered a massive scandal within his household. In a single night, he uncovered multiple affairs among his concubines, resulting in the deaths of several people including his third son and the second, fourth, and eighth concubines. Old Man Yang's blood-soaked rampage was triggered by learning that many of his children were not his biological offspring. After a brutal night of killing, blood tests were conducted on the surviving children. Yang Nuo and his seventh sister, Yang Xinran, were confirmed as Old Man Yang's true descendants, while the sixth daughter was not and was subsequently killed. The entire Yang household was thrown into chaos, leaving only Yang Nuo and his mother, Dong Qiuwan, along with the seventh sister and her mother, the sixth concubine, as survivors.Following this traumatic event, Old Man Yang took full control of the family affairs. Recognizing his advanced age and his young son's extreme youth, he began grooming Yang Nuo to take over the family business. He brought Yang Nuo everywhere, teaching him about managing businesses, farmlands, and household affairs. Steward Liu's son, Liu Ping'an, was assigned to serve Yang Nuo as a future subordinate. Yang Nuo, possessing the knowledge of a modern person, occasionally revealed his exceptional talents in reading, writing, poetry, and accounting. Soon, his reputation as a child prodigy spread throughout the small city. Old Man Yang was pleased with his only son, and his health temporarily improved. However, his body could not withstand the ravages of time, and he passed away a month before Yang Nuo turned eleven.By the time of Old Man Yang's death, Yang Nuo had already mastered the management of most family affairs. Although some subordinates were concerned about his youth, they held a positive attitude towards this prodigy patriarch. Yang Nuo had already dealt with those who were disloyal before the old man passed away. After taking over, Yang Nuo began implementing advanced concepts from his previous life, such as improving agricultural tools like the qu-yuan plow and developing new commercial products. The Yang family's industries expanded rapidly, showing a thriving trend. The cake grew bigger, and everyone's benefits increased, leading to stronger cohesion among the subordinates than when Old Man Yang was alive.Two years after Old Man Yang's death, Yang Nuo was a mature twelve-year-old. He had already bought a young maid, Xiao Yu, the year before Old Man's death, ostensibly to cultivate a close confidante from a young age, but in reality to fulfill his wish for a personal maidservant. The relationship between them was more like Yang Nuo taking care of Xiao Yu. One day, while inspecting the family's resource structure in the fields, Yang Nuo was napping on a haystack when a white cat appeared and sat on his face, startling him awake. His dream had been oppressive: a dark sky pressing down, heavy rain pouring, and a suffocating, desperate atmosphere. He dismissed the incident and continued with his business.Yang Nuo planned a trip to the capital, Liangdu, to gather information and formulate future plans. He understood that information was too blocked in their small town, and he needed to understand the world's politics, military, and economy better. His business empire plan required careful navigation of potential taboos. He informed his mother, Dong Qiuwan, about his upcoming journey. Dong Qiuwan was initially worried, concerned about the dangers of travel, but Yang Nuo reassured her by explaining the necessity of expanding to secure the family's future and by highlighting the safety of the official roads with government soldiers. He also mentioned that if he established a foothold in the capital, he could bring her there as well.Dong Qiuwan's family had originally been well-off, but a journey to resettle was ruined by a series of natural disasters: earthquakes, floods, plagues, and famine. Most of their clan members died, and the family was nearly wiped out. Only Dong Qiuwan, her parents, and her elder brother survived, but they were eventually separated. This traumatic past made Dong Qiuwan fearful of long journeys. However, after Yang Nuo's detailed explanation and promises, she finally agreed, though she remained anxious. Yang Nuo then instructed Liu Ping'an to prepare for the journey, deciding that Liu Ping'an would stay behind to help manage the household, while Steward Liu would accompany him on this first scouting trip. The trip to the capital was set for early next month, with a planned duration of three to four months.
