Chapter 1146: Keep Your Identity Close (Part 2) [Requesting Monthly Tickets]
"My lads, I, Shen Laowu, have returned!"
Shen Tang flipped herself over on the bed with a somersault.
Just as she was about to feel smug, a strong wave of dizziness hit her brain, and her vision went black. She lost her balance and landed hard on her bottom on the mattress. Luckily, it was soft underneath, otherwise her backside would have suffered: "Phew—how long have I been lying here?"
She wasn't letting the three-year-old goodness temporarily take over her body?
Could it be that this girl agreed verbally but then shirked her responsibilities?
Gossiping behind someone's back makes you easy to get caught. Just as Shen Tang was thinking this to herself, the voice of the three-year-old benevolent spirit echoed from the depths of her mind: "Youli always keeps her promises, unlike you! You've had a good time these past few days."
Shen Tang asked: "Are you sleeping?"
The three-year-old, with a kind heart, replied: "I'm not asleep."
The energetic young pears don't need to sleep.
Shen Tang: [...]
She caught her breath slightly, got up and searched the tent, finally finding a bronze mirror. Just one glance, and she almost threw it away! Her reflection showed a sallow, ashen face, dry, unfocused eyes, and chapped, parched lips—a picture of someone drained of their life force by a demon. Shen Tang touched her cheek tenderly; the skin on her palms was no longer the smooth, delicate skin she remembered.
The appearance has dropped by at least fifteen points!
Shen Tang said sorrowfully, "How could you disfigure me like this!"
Doesn't she know that this overworked socialite relies on her face for motivation every day? She can't lose this face, just as the West can't lose Jerusalem: "Her heart is despicable, her heart is despicable!"
A three-year-old's good intentions whistled in his mind.
Shen Tang clenched her fists in anger!
She could even picture the three-year-old toddler with his hands behind his back, his eyes darting around, pouting and whistling, looking at the sky and the ground but not at the victim, showing absolutely no remorse! The more she thought about it, the angrier she became, and the angrier she became, the more she wanted to kill the three-year-old right now!
The combination of intense sleep deprivation, irregular meals, and intense emotional fluctuations nearly drove Shen Tang to the brink of death.
She covered her throbbing forehead, trying her best to calm herself down.
"What's this?"
As soon as she focused her attention, she noticed something strange about her body.
It was a subtle, inexplicable premonition, somewhat like the effect of using the "Three Hearts, Two Minds" technique, but upon closer examination, it didn't feel quite like it. Suspecting a trap, Shen Tang cautiously probed.
She focused her mind and captured that subtle moment.
Even more subtly, footsteps and conversations could be heard coming from the empty tent. At first, the sounds were very faint, but they became clearer as she focused her attention, and the conversations went from being vague to clear.
She heard a voice that shouldn't be there!
The river fish here look really plump and delicious. How about spearing a couple?
This person speaks with a soft, gentle accent; it is extremely rare to hear such soft, melodious, and graceful speech in the North.
You can tell from the sound that it's unique to the southern region.
Shen Tang subconsciously asked: [Xiahou Zikuan?]
[Huh? Why are my parents calling me for no reason?]
The voice seemed to come from behind.
Shen Tang whirled around, only to find a disheveled bed behind her, a far cry from Xiahou Yu. Just as she thought this auditory hallucination was a lingering side effect of the Kangshi scholar's way, Shen Tang heard Gu De speak again: "Take all your seasonings back. Don't even think about eating fish sashimi. We don't have the money to buy you deworming medicine right now. If you can't be cured, you'll just have to wait to die."
Xiahou Yu then suggested: "Why don't we catch some river crabs and make them raw and marinated?"
Raw marinated river crabs are not suitable.
Sigh, I didn't have so many concerns before.
You used to have the protection of your literary talent and spirit, but what do you have now? If you contract this parasitic disease, be careful—your internal organs and brain might be eaten away. I don't want to be collecting your body only to find a bunch of worm eggs crawling out of your seven orifices and disgusting me…
It tastes good, but the parasite infestation is severe.
Some scions of noble families were killed by insects at a young age.
Shen Tang covered her forehead, trying to suppress the auditory hallucination.
Unexpectedly, she not only experienced auditory hallucinations, but also visual hallucinations.
Even though she was standing inside the tent, she could feel the intense heat of the sunlight on her skin. The river flowed gently, and Xiahou Yu, wearing a straw hat, sat on the riverbank surrounded by pebbles. Gu De rolled up his trouser legs and tied them around his thighs, holding a sharpened piece of wood in his hand.
The scorching sun caused several large beads of sweat to appear on his forehead.
Gu De clearly didn't have much experience with spearfishing.
Several attempts failed to hit the target.
The two fish were still leisurely swimming around his thighs.
Shen Tang's pupils trembled, and she gasped in shock.
Is Kang Jishou's bad luck still not over?
Xiahou Yu lowered his bamboo hat: [Sigh, being uncultured is so inconvenient. Without raw pickling, what's the point of life?]
Gu Dedao: [Just bear with it a little longer!]
Pfft, another stab, almost piercing my foot instead of the fish.
Even Shen Tang couldn't stand it anymore.
Regardless of whether it was a hallucination or not, she was ready to roll up her sleeves, wade into the river, and help him catch a couple of fish. But then an even stranger thing happened. She could clearly feel her legs not moving in the tent, yet the soles of her feet could feel the real sensation of walking on hot pebbles, and Gu De was getting closer and closer to her.
After getting into the water, the icy coldness rushed from the soles of my feet straight to the top of my head.
Gu De looked up at her: "Why did the parents come down?"
Shen Tang: 【…I'll do it.】
Gu De was about to hand her the wood when Shen Tang raised her hand and conjured a long spear, which she used to precisely finish off the bold, fat fish!
Shen Tang: [...]
Gu De, who was standing close to her, keenly noticed her unusual behavior: "The heat is intense; parents should seek shelter in the shade."
Shen Tang raised her hand and turned it over to examine it closely.
Two completely different hands appeared in my field of vision.
One of them was someone she had known for many years.
One is something she is still very unfamiliar with.
A thought crossed Shen Tang's mind, and she raised her hand to touch her head.
Large swathes of land are bald, with sparse hair.
Shen Tang: [...]
What exactly happened?
Just then, a small fragment of memory entered his mind. This fusion was exactly the same as when he dispelled the literary energy and his memories flowed back to his original self! Shen Tang did not resist, but absorbed it with practiced ease.
This memory, though brief, lasting only three days, answered most of Shen Tang's questions—Zi Xu, as a special avatar capable of long-distance and independent action, possesses remote communication capabilities with the original body. In layman's terms, Shen Tang can now freely switch between accounts.
Given the great distance between them, the mental strain would be immense.
If it's just a simple matter of sharing and updating memories, then it's easy.
Shen Tang: [...]
Oh, she misunderstood Kang Jishou.
Xiahou Yu, Gu De, and [the fictional version of Shen Tang] have left the territory of Qu State and are inquiring about Qi State along the way. Lacking funds, they seek out bandits, and the three, posing as wandering knights, raid a bandit stronghold over the next three days, rescuing dozens of victims.
They left enough money for travel expenses, and distributed the rest. Among the victims were two destitute brothers who wanted to follow the three of them to another place to seek their fortune; they were currently leading several mules, which they had acquired for free, to forage for food. Shen Tang shook his head: [It's not hot.]
She speared a few more river fish.
He instructed Gu Dedao: "Make sure it's fully cooked before eating."
Shen Tang tried to control her mind and slowly detach herself from the [Zi Xu] state. When she opened her eyes again, all she saw was a simply furnished tent: "Since I can contact Zi Xu, can I also contact Wu You?"
She tried hard to recall that subtle feeling from before.
Sure enough, I sensed another similar aura.
Practice makes perfect.
I got back into the zone much faster this time than before.
only--
Why are you fishing too?
Oh, no, I'm not fishing.
Shen Tang shifted her gaze and realized that this was still the temporary residence of the Cui family. Maids and servants were coming and going nearby, indicating that the master of the house was hosting a banquet in the back garden to entertain someone. It was called a flower appreciation banquet, but in reality, it was a matchmaking banquet for young noblemen.
The air was also filled with the strong smell of cosmetics.
The fictional version of himself was clearly running to the carp pond for some fresh air.
[A perfect match, both handsome and beautiful. Sister Shen, what do you think of that female ruler and her brother?]
The speaker was Cui Mi.
There wasn't a trace of gloom on the young boy's face.
He was chatting and laughing with himself with ease, oblivious to yesterday's disappointment.
Shen Tang followed his gaze and looked over.
Haha, they're all acquaintances.
The woman was Miao Ne, disguised as a noblewoman, while the man was Cui Xiong, the eldest son of Cui Zhi. At first, Cui Xiong kept a cold expression, only occasionally responding to the scholars beside him, showing no interest in Miao Ne's advances. It was only after Miao Ne spoke to him that the young man became willing to engage.
Shen Tang said: [It depends on fate.]
Cui Mi replied, "Marriages among aristocratic sons are not a matter of fate. They are arranged by parents and matchmakers. Today I heard news that the King intends to pre-select this person."
Marriage is, of course, a private matter within a noble family, but since the king is in the mood to act as matchmaker, Lady Cui has to give him some face, especially given that her grandparents want to curry favor with the other party and dislike her brother. The matter is practically settled. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, it's basically decided.
Shen Tang didn't feel comfortable interjecting.
Cui Mi added, "Brother, sometimes fools have all the luck."
Shen Tang: 【……？？？】
Cui Mi is acting strangely today.
The young boy gazed across the koi pond in the direction of his elder brother, his eyes slightly narrowed, and said: "The difference between being manipulated into a fool by a woman and being manipulated into a fool by a woman... is like heaven and earth..."
Just as Shen Tang frowned, pondering the sarcasm in Cui Mi's words, Cui Mi finally turned his gaze away. Shen Tang noticed that quite a few aristocratic young women were also looking at Cui Mi, and then remembered that this was not only Cui Xiong's matchmaking banquet, but also Cui Mi's.
As the host, I can't just hide here and slack off.
Shen Tang wanted to get rid of Cui Mi.
Cui Mi replied, "At most, being lazy for a moment will only earn me criticism for being impolite and a scolding from my father. But if I don't know my place and actually incur debt, that would be truly immoral. Yesterday, I went out with my brother and met a wandering Taoist priest who said I wouldn't live past twenty-five."
Shen Tang casually replied: 【It's fake.】
It's better to believe it exists than to believe it doesn't. If it were just a wandering Taoist priest saying this, I could certainly choose not to believe it...
Are there other people?
The monks supported by the family temple also said the same thing.
Shen Tang had no way of verifying the truth of what Cui Mi said: "I see Hou Chi is in excellent health, how could he be twenty-five..."
This age isn't considered premature death, but it's still considered a short lifespan.
Even if you're going to die, there should be a way to die, right?
Did the fortune teller reveal the cause of Hou Chi's death?
Shen Tang didn't shy away from discussing death, and Cui Mi himself wasn't opposed to it either. Looking up at the bright, sunny day, he sighed, "[Everyone has their own way of dying. The monk said it's like the sky collapsing and hitting me, while the wandering Taoist said the seas are boiling and the rivers are turning upside down, and I'll be eaten by fish.]"
The young boy sighed, half-jokingly and half-seriously.
Shen Tang's lips twitched upon hearing this.
She didn't think Cui Mi was lying, but she didn't think he was telling the truth either. Cui Mi's voice reached her ears: [Before yesterday, I believed it. Fate is predetermined, and human power cannot defy it; any defiance will surely bring divine retribution. How can the strength of an ant shake a towering tree? I just lived day by day, taking it one day at a time. But now, I have some doubts… Fate has truly changed.]
Shen Tang was completely confused.
Has it changed?
Just as my brother was destined to be both manipulated into a fool by women and to be manipulated into a fool by women. The scene Cui Mi saw yesterday when he talked to Cui Xiong was different from the scene he saw today.
This is something that hasn't happened in many years.
After thinking it over, he guessed that it was the effect of his own words.
Thinking of this, Cui Mi raised his hand and looked at his palm, lost in thought.
He told his mother that day, and while he wasn't lying, he didn't tell the whole story either—he could indeed see fragmented images through her breath. Passive, completely uncontrollable. These images weren't limited to the past, but also included a vague future.
He was so young at the time that he was almost paralyzed with fear.
He could see not only his own short life, but also his brother's demise, one after the other. Apart from them, everyone he encountered wouldn't survive the sudden natural disaster—except for his father. He had already become a grave before the disaster.
The mother is nowhere to be seen in these images.
She never came back after the divorce.
However, he also knew where the other person had been buried.
He also paid a price for trying to make a difference.
Destiny is predetermined and cannot be defied!
His and his brother's deaths also changed from being struck by a meteorite to being swept away by the waves and devoured by fish. He tried to interfere with the fates of the maids and servants around him, but the results were similar. The servants avoided dying of illness, but were murdered on the same day they returned home to visit their families; the maids were spared being sold by their grandmother, and he released them from their indentures so they could return home, but on the same day they were sold to a broker by their brother and sister-in-law.
He once felt distressed about this.
I don't want to have contact with people, and I don't want to see other people.
He even went to the temple where his maternal grandmother practiced Buddhism to escape to a peaceful place.
His grandmother spent her days praying to Buddha and cultivating her mind. Several times, he was curious and wanted to ask her who the scholar who looked somewhat like his mother and brought offerings to her grave was. But how could he, with his shallow spiritual practice, keep his thoughts to himself? He asked, and his grandmother gazed at the Buddha statue in silence.
She readily accepted his special treatment.
Grandmother said, "Let's accept our fate."
But if we do that, what about Father, my brothers...?
Everyone comes into this world with their own karma. What you sow, you reap; why force it? Rather than clinging to a vague and uncertain future, turning it into an obsession, it's better to cherish the present. Grandmother, fingering her prayer beads, said softly, "Whether it's blood ties, lovers, or soulmates, all karma exists only in this lifetime. Perhaps a few years, perhaps half a lifetime… it all comes to an end. One should not be greedy."
Greed will inevitably backfire.
The more you try to hold on, the more you lose.
How can you be sure that the future you see is the worst and not the best? Don't make things worse...
Cui Mi had no choice but to calm down.
only--
Yesterday I saw my brother being played like a fool by a woman, and I couldn't help but offer her a few words of advice, but my brother's mind went completely astray. And today, wow, his fate has changed!
However, he himself did not suffer any backlash for interfering in all of this.
Cui Mi fell into deep thought.
This wasn't the only strange thing that happened.
He also saw his future jumping around like crazy.
ヾ(ゞ)
PS: _(:з」∠)_ I've noticed that everyone is quite naive. Is it possible that when Cui Mi said "seeing someone being played like a fool by a woman" in the previous chapter, he meant "foolish" in the literal sense? However, due to family traditions, Cui Xiong interpreted it in a different way.
Cui Mi: "...Completely impossible to carry."
P.S.: Jingji's new book, "The Sixth Year After the Disaster: I Built a Farm by Sprouting Beans," is already quite long! If you like farming novels, you should check it out. Don't miss it! Click the link below ↓
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