"Beep! System activated."
Pei Yue was startled awake by the sudden noise. Her head was still groggy, and just then, a ray of sunlight shone through the window and fell directly into her eyes.
Pei Yue was so blinded by the light that she had to sit up. When she opened her eyes, she was so shocked by what she saw that she couldn't speak.
What came into view was a bare earthen wall and brown mud on the ground. There was a wooden table, a few small stools, and a wooden cabinet nearby. Looking down at my own clothes, I realized they had become tattered and worn.
What's going on? Did I travel through time?
Before Pei Yue could even think about what was happening, a sharp headache struck, and her mind was flooded with memories that didn't belong to her.
From her memories, she learned that this era was not in any ancient period, but in a fictional world. The original owner of this body was named Pei Yuezhi, which differed from her own name by only one character.
The original owner of this body is twenty-five years old this year and has a son named Fan Chao and a daughter named Fan Mu. Her husband fell ill and passed away because they could not afford to continue treatment. The family's savings have also been almost depleted due to medical expenses.
After her husband passed away, the burden of supporting the family fell on the original owner's shoulders. She got caught in a heavy rain while gathering firewood on the mountain and developed a high fever upon returning home, from which she never recovered.
I've transmigrated so suddenly! How am I going to get back? I have a big restaurant back home and a friend who's practically helpless and has a terrible child. Just thinking about it makes me so worried.
When I first woke up, I seemed to hear something about system activation. Could it be some kind of cheat code from another world?
"System?" Pei Yuezhi called out in her mind.
"Hello, host." A dull-sounding electronic voice echoed in my mind.
As expected, there is a system. Now we should know how to get back.
"System, it looks like I've been transported to another world. How can I go back?" Pei Yuezhi asked anxiously.
"We cannot detect the life energy of the original host body, and we cannot find a solution," the system replied.
...No life energy detected? Could I be dead? How could that be!
Just as Pei Yuezhi was at a loss for what to do, the creaking sound of the door being pushed open interrupted her thoughts.
The boy who pushed open the door was about eight or nine years old. He must be the original owner's son, Fan Chao. He was only eight years old but tall and thin due to malnutrition. He was handsome and his clothes were a little torn but clean.
Pei Yuezhi stared at him, slightly stunned, thinking to herself, "So the novels weren't lying to me; he can grow up to be this handsome at such a young age."
Fan Chao didn't seem surprised to see Pei Yuezhi staring blankly. Since her father's death, her mother had hardly spoken a word. Aside from working, she would just stare blankly at him like this, perhaps because he looked so much like her father.
"Mother, it's time to eat. I've cooked some porridge; drink it while it's hot," Fan Chao said calmly, placing the bowl on the table before leaving.
He didn't like talking to his mother because she would ignore him no matter what he said, and would only say a few words if she wanted to. Aside from going up the mountain to gather firewood and carrying heavy objects he couldn't lift himself, he stayed in his room every day.
Even cooking was done by him and his sister; they only knew how to cook porridge, so they could only eat porridge every day.
Pei Yuezhi recalled her memories and learned about the original owner's usual behavior. Living here was another problem. She talked a lot, so how could she not be noticed? Did she have to shut up?
The more she thought about it, the hungrier she became. Pei Yuezhi got up and went to the table to have some porridge. The bowl only contained some wild vegetables, sweet potato chunks, and a little rice. The rest was rice water, which was green and unappetizing.
"This family is too poor. How can they be full eating this every day? No wonder the children are so thin," Pei Yuezhi muttered as she drank her porridge.
After finishing her porridge, Pei Yuezhi prepared to go out to wash the dishes. When she arrived at the kitchen, she saw another child, Fan Mu, the original owner's youngest daughter.
Fan Chao must have finished eating and left, while Fan Mu was still eating. He seemed surprised to see Pei Yuezhi come out, looking at her with a hint of worry in his eyes.
Fan Mu was dressed simply and had a slender figure. Her hair was tied in two small buns, and her small face had a childlike appearance, but her features were very delicate, especially her big, bright eyes, which were full of spirit.
Seeing Pei Yuezhi approach, she cautiously said, "Mother, just put the bowl here. You're sick and need to rest."
Seeing her adorable and well-behaved daughter, Pei Yuezhi was completely melted.
Was the original owner's heart made of stone?! How could I resist talking to such an adorable baby?
Pei Yuezhi calmed down and said, "Mother is not feeling unwell anymore. You can eat slowly. I'll wash the dishes after you're done. I'll go out and take a look first."
Fan Mu was so shocked he couldn't speak. He only realized what was happening after Pei Yuezhi walked out. His mother had actually answered him, and in such a gentle tone. He had to tell his brother about it later!
Pei Yuezhi arrived at the courtyard and carefully examined the surrounding environment.
There were only two plots of land in the yard where some vegetables were grown, a well, and an enclosed area for raising poultry, although there were no poultry there. The yard wasn't big, but it was kept clean and tidy.
It was summer, but there were no weeds in the yard, only some pretty little wildflowers, and a few butterflies were fluttering around.
Life was tough, but the environment was so clean. Pei Yuezhi's affection for the two children grew rapidly. They were good-looking, hardworking, and capable. It was hard not to love such children.
Since there's no way to go back, and they're just occupying someone else's mother's body, they should just live here and see if they can find a way back later. Besides, these two children are quite pitiful; they're so young and have to act like adults, it's truly heartbreaking.
To survive here, earning money and eating are the most important things. Let's go back to the house and look for our savings first. Pei Yuezhi turned around and prepared to go inside.
When I turned around, I found two children standing at the door, looking at me with a strange expression. I was a little confused and a little worried.
Fan Mu, in particular, was clearly still a little nervous. She gripped the hem of her clothes tightly with both hands, hesitated for a moment, and then spoke up: "Mother, are you alright? You're acting so strangely today. Are you sick or still feeling unwell?"
She was very nervous. Before, when she spoke to her mother, her mother would simply ignore her, and she always felt that her mother disliked her. Sometimes, if she talked too much, her mother would even scold her. But today, her mother not only answered her question, but her tone was also very gentle. That's why she mustered up the courage to speak.
Seeing Fan Mu speaking to her so cautiously, Pei Yuezhi felt a pang of heartache. Such a young and sensible child, her father had passed away early, and her mother was always listless. She didn't even dare to talk to her mother.
Thinking of this, Pei Yuezhi made a decision: she couldn't imitate the original owner just because she was afraid of being discovered to be abnormal; these two children had already had a hard time.
Pei Yuezhi used all her acting skills, thought of a lot of sad things, squeezed out a few tears, and then said softly, "Chao'er, Mu'er, Mother has been seriously ill this time and has come to understand many things."
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