"Ahh here we go again."
The boy woke up and rolled around the bed.
Sigh... I still need to go to work. Shitty life. I wanna retire or something. Couple million should be enough.
The boy got up and screamed:
"Ahhhh! I can only retire after tens of years of saving and investing! I don't wanna work!"
"Eh?" — a child's voice. "Am I sick?"
The boy began to touch his throat and examine his body. Then he noticed his small hand and his own small body.
Oh... this is a cute hand, he thought as he opened and closed it.
"No... fuck this shit. Did what I think happen to me— to the most handsome human in the entire world?!"
He got up and looked around the room. There was nothing more than straw mats, chests, a low small table in the middle on the ground, and some stuff hung on the walls.
Ahh shit, I got clickbaited.
He fell back on his ass to the same place he got up.
Okay, let's take a breath and relax, my boi.
At that moment, the door opened and a six-out-of-ten young woman, thin, but not too thin stepped in.
"What are you yelling for? Get up, eat something. We're going to the garden— help me a little, you lazy boy." Did this boy go crazy?
What, are you gonna use child labor— "Wha..."
Before the child could say something, the woman pulled him by the arm and took him outside the room.
What's going on? Am I on the countryside?
The child looked around. He only saw some not-so-high mud walls, some animal pens, and behind that, some hills, fields, and woods not too far away. He tried to close his eyes and feel the wind— but was pulled again by the woman.
"Here you go, wash your hands and face, Yuan," the woman said, scooping water with a ladle from a water jar.
"Ahh... okay." So I'm Yuan now. Maybe it's confusing.Sigh... the cold water on my face feels good in the morning, wherever you are.
Yuan washed his hands and face with the water she poured.
"Okay, go in, eat your meal. I'm in the garden, come back when you're done," the woman said, patting his head and walking off toward the back of the house.
At least she wasn't ugly. I shouldn't be too ugly either.
Sigh... just go in and think while eating.
Yuan got inside the house. There was a table on the ground. He looked around— it was still the same stuff he'd seen earlier. He walked over and sat down.
Is this the village life or whatever? Wait— how does the toilet work here? No no no no no...
Yuan put his head between his hands. After murmuring for a couple minutes, he began collecting himself.
I can't believe I got over the fact I crossed over, but can't get over the toilet fact. I need to relax and adjust my mentality.
He slapped his cheeks and looked at the table. There was only a bowl.
"For fuck's sake, are there not even spoons in this timeline?"
"Ahh... and what's this?" He took the bowl and looked at it. It looked like oatmeal or porridge. He pulled the clay bowl closer and sniffed it. It smelled a little earthy and nutty.
"This smells good— at least its taste shouldn't be that bad." He took the bowl to his mouth and drank a little.
"Huh, not bad. Warm, little salty and nutty. It's okay."
He finished the whole bowl at once and put it down.
Haa... let's go and see what's going on with that woman. I think she's my mother now.
He got up and started walking toward the door, but stopped after two steps.
He took a breath, got out of the house, and started going toward the back. He took the left side of the house.
This should be the kitchen, right? I wonder where the toilet is...
His little chubby face darkened, and he picked up the pace.
These legs are too small. I think I'm five or something.
When Yuan came to the back, he saw a garden and the woman working, picking some greens. Yuan got closer, and she noticed him.
"Okay, you're finally here, Yuan. Come sit here with your brother. Make sure he doesn't eat dirt."
The woman pulled a child from her back, untied some knots, and put the child on a mat.
Yuan completely froze. He looked at the baby, and the baby looked at him with big black eyes.
What... now I have a brother too? What's with this setting?
He got close to the baby and poked his cheek with a finger.
Will this baby take half of the inheritance now or what?
The baby started crawling around. Yuan sat down, one eye on the baby, thinking.
Wait a moment... is it because of the survey I did when I got bored that I came here?
Fuck— but I'm sure I chose the system. Right? The soulless, not-annoying type. Where is that?
"Hey, System?"
Yuan waited for a couple seconds and his face turned completely red.
Okay relax... this is cliché. When you get angry or sad, the system opens and starts talking bullshit. Let's give it a day or two.
What was the survey again? It was something... Chinese martial arts shit.
And where's my daddy? I'm sure I chose one. Please don't be ugly— I need your genes.
Yuan looked left and right.
Maybe at work? Ahh... I really can't remember what I chose. Whatever. At least I have a family now. I'm a chill guy, so it shouldn't be a problem.
Let me ask some things out first. "Mom, what are you going to do today?" he asked in a sweet, childish voice.
His mother looked at him and said, "I'm going to work outside today. You wait at home and watch your father work. I'm going with your brother. Don't forget to feed the animals."
"Okay, I won't." New information: I do have a daddy.
His mother turned back to her garden work and continued while pulling weeds.
"Your father should be back soon. I fed your brother. When he comes back, you can feed the baby goat while I do that."
Yuan froze.
Ahh thank god. I should be over with the milk-stuff already. "Okay, Mom."
He held the baby under the arms and helped him stand up.
"Let's play with the baby. I'll just relax until the cheat comes. I hope it's a real cheat and not a 'work your ass off' cheat." He said under his breath.
At that moment, a sound came from the other side of the house and a man's voice called out:
"I'm back!"
A tall bulky man came close to Yuan and patted his head.
"How are you, brat?"
Is this my father? Thank god and all ancestors as all the Chinese characters say, he isn't ugly. "Good."
"Welcome. Okay, Yuan, go do your work and go to the forge when you're done."
Yuan put the baby down and got up.
Shit. Where even is the feed? "Ahh, Mom? Where's the feed?"
"Sigh. Give them some water. I put the feed in front of the door. Just give them that. Make sure they don't go into the garden."
"Okay, I got it."
Yuan began running toward the entrance.
I need to get used to everything... and Mom said 'forge.' Does my father forge? At least I can learn that and make money.
He grabbed the two bowls next to the door, walked toward the pens, and opened the one on the right side.
Is this one chickens? Umm... let's give them this grain-looking thing and some water.
After putting the food in, he scooped some water from a mug and poured it into their bowl.
Let me look at myself in the water. Maybe I can see something.
"Okay, I'm still as handsome as back then. Good enough," Yuan said, touching his cheeks.
After that, he went to the other pen and opened the door.
"Damn, this one is cute! A baby goat? Is this scraps? Maybe. Whatever— here you go, eat it."
Yuan put the bowl in front of the mother goat and went back to scoop some water for them too.
That's done. What did my mother say? Ahh... forge, right? Where is that? How should I find it?
While Yuan was thinking, he heard a sound from the right side of the house.
It should be my parents. Let's go and see. Maybe I can learn where the forge is.
Yuan started walking steadily toward the sound. He peeked around the corner.
"Bro, that's a big-ass blade."
Yuan looked at his father, who was heating a big, blade-shaped metal piece, shirt off and all sweaty.
So my new father is really a blacksmith.
Yuan watched his father sweating, heating, and shaping the metal from behind the wall. When his father cooled the blade in water, Yuan snapped back.
"This world is real, isn't it? This blade is real too..." And probably as dangerous as it looks.