In this chaotic world of vying for power, I can become stronger by marrying a wife.

"Ahem... Husband... Please, have pity on me."

The woman's voice, tinged with sobs, was like a feather gently tickling his ear.

Su Ming struggled to open his eyes, and a strange, delicate fragrance wafted into his nose first.

A stunningly beautiful face was right in front of me, tears welling in the corners of her eyes, her long eyelashes trembling incessantly, like a frightened little animal.

She was dressed in ancient costume, and her graceful curves were faintly visible beneath the thin silk.

Where is this? On a film set?

Su Ming's mind was a complete mess. He tried to sit up, only to find himself lying naked on the bed, with this beautiful woman in ancient costume right next to him.

The woman noticed his movements, and her body trembled even more violently. With a hint of fear and tension, she tightly closed her eyes.

Fragments of memories flooded his mind like a rusty awl, making his temples throb.

He was certain he had traveled through time.

This is an ancient parallel world, a world rife with war.

The Great Zhou Dynasty, in which he lived, was surrounded by powerful enemies and its national strength was declining.

In order to encourage childbirth and increase the number of soldiers, especially to increase the chances of the birth of one in ten thousand "warriors", the government forcibly assigned all eligible women to men who were soldiers.

Li Yueru was the daughter of a once-powerful but now-declining family in the area, and she was given to him as a "breeding tool."

He lost both his parents at a young age and survived by stealing chickens and dogs; he was a notorious scoundrel.

In this world where human life is as cheap as grass, women are treated like commodities, and men are nothing more than commodities with slightly higher value!

Soldiers forced into marriage have only one month's leave before being sent to the battlefield.

On the battlefield, the chances of survival are slim. Even a martial artist who can take on a hundred men might not survive, let alone an ordinary person like him.

"Gurgle!"

"Gurgle!"

Suddenly, Su Ming heard a rumbling in his stomach, and a wave of hunger washed over him.

Li Yueru, who was standing next to her, immediately understood. She put on her worn-out cotton coat and walked towards the kitchen. "Cough cough... cough cough... Husband, I'll go and make you something to eat."

Soon, Li Yueru staggered in, carrying a broken ceramic bowl.

"My lord, let's have some hot porridge to warm ourselves up first."

Su Ming took the bowl. The bowl contained a thin porridge so clear that you could see your reflection in it, with only a few grains of rice floating forlornly on the surface.

This hardly qualifies as porridge.

It's basically no different from plain water!

Su Ming turned his head and looked around, only to find that the house was bare.

Apart from the bed, there wasn't a single decent piece of furniture.

The rice jar was empty enough for mice to run through, and there wasn't even firewood to keep warm in the freezing cold. The blanket covering them was thin and tattered, and their clothes were even more ragged. When the cold wind blew, it could seep straight into their bones.

Su Ming is still in relatively good health and can barely withstand it.

Li Yueru suffered from long-term malnutrition and was physically weak, and had already caught a cold.

Given the current situation, it's estimated that the two of them will die of cold and hunger this winter before they can even go to the battlefield in a month.

"You drink it." Su Ming pushed the hot porridge back to him.

Li Yueru was taken aback for a moment, then quickly declined, "No, husband, you are the man of the house, the pillar of the family, you need to eat your fill first."

Looking at her pale face, Su Ming's eyes turned serious. He grabbed her cold hand and said in a deep voice, "Now that we're husband and wife, from today onwards, I'll take on the responsibility of this family."

"I promise you, I will make sure you have enough to eat and wear from now on, and you will never go hungry or cold again."

"You're sick right now, and you need to eat more than I do."

Li Yueru's heart skipped a beat. She looked up and met Su Ming's serious gaze.

Everyone said that Su Ming was a good-for-nothing scoundrel, and she was filled with despair when she was assigned to this man.

But now it seems that he is... different from the rumors.

Gentle, considerate, and responsible—much better than those hypocritical young masters from noble families!

[Ding! Detected that the host has developed an emotional bond with his wife; the Affection System has been successfully activated!]

[System Introduction: For every 10 points increased in the favorability of your wives/concubines, you will receive one chance to spin the prize wheel.]

Prizes include, but are not limited to, cultivation levels, skills, weapons, cultivation techniques, resources, etc.

Current number of wives and concubines: 1

Wife: Li Yueru

【Favourability: 10】

[First-time binding successful! You are granted one chance to win a prize! You now have two chances to win a prize. Would you like to participate now?]

A series of cold, mechanical sounds echoed in Su Ming's mind.

System! Cheat Code!

Su Ming was so excited he almost jumped up. Was this the standard for transmigrators?

The sense of crisis has finally eased somewhat.

With the system, not only is it possible to have enough to eat and wear, but there is also hope to survive in this chaotic world, or even to live a better life!

"A lottery!" he thought to himself.

A giant virtual turntable appeared in his mind, spinning rapidly.

[Ding! Congratulations, host, you have won a reward: Herb Identification Skill!]

Herbal identification skills: Ability to identify and recognize all types of herbs, and knowledgeable about their medicinal properties and growth habits.

Su Ming was overjoyed. In this era of scarce medical resources, being proficient in identifying herbs was equivalent to acquiring some medical skills.

Then we can go up the mountain to collect herbs to treat Li Yueru's illness, and we can also sell the herbs to make money!

[The second lottery draw is about to begin.]

[Ding! Congratulations, host, you have won a reward: Sharpshooter skill!]

[Sharpshooter: Proficient in all ranged weapons, with a 100% hit rate!]

Su Ming smiled. He had won the grand prize twice in a row!

From slingshots to bows and arrows, they are all ranged weapons!

Even picking up a pebble from the ground and throwing it counts as a ranged weapon!

Even more incredibly, the hit rate has been increased to 100%, meaning you can hit the target even with your eyes closed!

With just this skill of hitting the bullseye every time, he could become a hot commodity in the military!

However, the most important thing right now is to find herbs to treat Li Yueru and to get some firewood and food for the winter.

"Yueru, drink your porridge and wait for me at home obediently." Su Ming gave a few instructions, then pulled a slingshot from under the bed and braved the wind and snow to go straight out the door.