Gu Linchen shook his head and sighed lightly as the sky gradually brightened. He couldn’t sleep anymore, so he decided to get up and take a look at the environment he would be living in. After getting dressed, Gu Linchen felt a bit better as his fever had subsided, and at least he was able to get out of bed and move around. Lying on the hard wooden plank was really uncomfortable!

“Chen’er, what are you doing up? Go back to bed and lie down. You’re still not fully recovered,” his mother said while she was sorting some vegetables, looking up at her precious son when she saw him. She quickly walked over, intending to help him.

“I’m fine, don’t worry. I just want to walk around; it’s too stuffy in the room,” Gu Linchen instinctively turned away, not allowing his mother to help him. He steadied himself against the doorframe, looking at his mother’s hands, which still had dirt from the vegetables she was handling, and changed the subject. “What are you doing, Mother?”

“Oh, this? Yesterday, Feng Ge’er and the others dug up some wild vegetables at the foot of the mountain. I’m preparing them to make some porridge for you,” she said, turning back to continue sorting the vegetables. In this village, food was scarce, and people often went out to gather wild vegetables to fill their stomachs.

“Feng Ge’er, Chen’er’s up. Hurry and bring the bread from the pot for him to eat,” Gu Linchen’s mother called toward the kitchen. Immediately, sounds of someone setting food on the table could be heard.

The house was a mud brick cottage. Gu Linchen’s room was on the east side, the main house was where his parents lived, and the west side housed the firewood room, which was connected to a stove room. The house was surrounded by a fence, and the corners were well-kept, indicating that the homeowner was a diligent person.

Gu Linchen walked into the kitchen. It was small, with a few pots, bowls, and a slanted table, plus four old stools. Behind it was the firewood room, which had a small wooden bed with neatly folded quilts on it. It seemed that Feng Ge’er and Xige’er slept here at night! The original Gu Linchen didn’t like Feng Ge’er and Xige’er, and whenever he saw them, he would scold or hit them. Eventually, he forbade them from sleeping inside the house, so the two moved to the firewood room. The more Gu Linchen thought about the original owner, the more he realized how terrible his actions were.

Gu Linchen sat down and looked at the two rough bread loaves and an egg on the table.

Gu Linchen asked, “Have you eaten?”

Feng Ge’er replied, “I’ve eaten.”

This was the first time Gu Linchen heard his husband’s voice. It was soft and cautious, as if he was on guard.

Gu Linchen didn’t know what to say. His stomach had been empty for two days, and it was already rumbling. But as soon as he picked up a loaf of bread and took a bite, he found he couldn’t swallow it. This bread was so rough; it scratched his throat. He put the bread down and picked up the egg, peeling it, intending to eat it. But then he remembered that the family had a few hens, but the eggs were always taken to be sold for money. The original Gu Linchen only ate the eggs occasionally, and no one else was allowed to.

“Xige’er, come here,” Gu Linchen said in his softest, most gentle voice, with a loving smile, calling to Xige’er.

Xige’er, frightened, hid behind Feng Ge’er. Feng Ge’er tensed up, too, like a protective hen shielding its chick.

Gu Linchen sighed and said, “Xige’er, don’t be scared. Come to Daddy. I’ll give you some egg.”

As he explained, he gently extended the peeled egg towards Xige’er. Perhaps it was Gu Linchen’s friendly aura or the irresistible appeal of the egg, but Xige’er, who had never tasted an egg, was curious about its flavor. His desire to try it made him slowly step out from behind Feng Ge’er and walk towards Gu Linchen.

“Here, taste it and tell me if it’s good,” Gu Linchen encouraged, teasing Xige’er to mimic him by opening his mouth to take a bite. Xige’er carefully took a small bite, and Gu Linchen pulled him closer to feed him more.

Xige’er ate the egg as if it were a rare delicacy, savoring it with great care, looking content. The egg didn’t last long, and before long, it was finished.

“Was it delicious?” Gu Linchen asked.

“Mm,” Xige’er replied with a satisfied smile.

Xige’er, small and fragile, wore clothes that had been altered from adult-sized garments, with large patches on them, making him look particularly pitiable.

Gu Linchen, filled with pity, gently stroked his head. Looking at the child, he felt heartache. He didn’t particularly like children, as he was an only child and hadn’t been around many kids. But seeing this skinny, fragile child—who was technically his son—he realized that he had to take good care of him. He would make sure to raise him well, keeping him healthy and chubby, like a proper child should be.

Looking at Feng Ge’er, Gu Linchen said, “I’m not that hungry, you two go ahead and eat more. Can you pour me a bowl of water? I’m thirsty.” He really couldn’t eat that bread.

Feng Ge’er, still shocked by the events earlier, responded, “Oh, okay!” He was stunned by Gu Linchen’s sudden generosity. In the past, Gu Linchen only ate the eggs himself, but today, he gave everything to Xige’er. Was the sun rising from the west today?

Feng Ge’er hesitated for a moment but complied, as he was indeed still hungry. The food at home was scarce, and only the father was guaranteed enough to eat for his work. Gu Linchen and his mother always made do with a little, just enough to get by.

After drinking some water, Gu Linchen felt less hungry and turned to Xige’er, “Xige’er, how about we go for a walk? Do you want to walk with Daddy?” He smiled and held out his hand to Xige’er. He needed to ease the tension between them and treat him well.

Before Xige’er could respond, Feng Ge’er, who had been on guard, suddenly rushed forward and grabbed Xige’er, wrapping him tightly in his arms. His eyes were sharp and filled with protectiveness.

Gu Linchen was taken aback by Feng Ge’er’s sudden reaction, his face showing confusion. “What’s wrong?” he asked. Suddenly, he recalled that the original owner of this body had once threatened to sell Xige’er when there was no money and his mother wouldn’t give him any. Gu Linchen could only lament that it was the consequences of his own actions. He would have to work hard to change the way the two viewed him.

Still, he explained, “I used to be an idiot, Feng Ge’er. Don’t worry, I won’t act like I did before. I’ll treat you and Xige’er well. I just wanted Xige’er to walk with me, that’s all. I didn’t mean anything else. Please don’t be upset.”

Gu Linchen looked at Feng Ge’er, who still seemed nervous and unconvinced, and shook his head helplessly as he stepped outside.

It was October, and the early morning breeze was still a bit cool. Gu Linchen adjusted his clothes as he continued walking. Dongling Village was nestled at the foot of East Ridge Mountain. His house was on the southern side, farther from the village entrance. There were dozens of households in the village. The people here were mostly named Gu, but a few decades ago, outsiders had settled here due to war, and although there had been some disputes over the years, nothing major had happened. The village still had a good atmosphere.

Gu Linchen looked at the peaceful, natural surroundings, free from the noise and chaos of the city. The fresh, unpolluted air made him feel completely relaxed. Before he knew it, he had walked all the way to the foot of the mountain. Along the way, he had only seen a few straw huts, but no people.

Gu Linchen thought, ‘If this place were in modern times, with its beautiful scenery and peaceful atmosphere, it could attract many tourists.‘ But unfortunately… He was on a winding, narrow path at the foot of the mountain, and with no food in his stomach for two days, he was exhausted. After climbing a few steps, he had to rest.

The original body had been in good shape—at 1.8 meters tall and likely in decent physical condition due to the constant running around.

Gu Linchen muttered to himself, “So this is how hard it is to be hungry. I need to find something to eat. If only my storage space was still here… Ah, my storage space!”

Gu Linchen quickly rolled up his sleeve to look at his arm, where there was a scar about the size of a jade stone. Using his mind, he instantly entered a vibrant, thriving environment. There was a wooden house, a small stream on one side, and a grove of fruit trees on the other—peach, apple, and lychee trees. The place was like spring all year round, and the trees were so laden with fruit that their branches bent low.

Gu Linchen hurried over and picked an apple, eating it immediately. He was really hungry, and this fruit was all-natural with no pesticides. This space was something he had accidentally obtained when he was kidnapped and injured at the age of nineteen. After that, whenever he had time, he would come here to take care of it.

As he ate, he walked toward the wooden house. The house wasn’t large—only about twenty square meters—but inside, there were watches, red wine, antiques, calligraphy, paintings, jewelry, gold, and several boxes of ginseng. Gu Linchen had once enjoyed collecting, so he stored some of his items here, not expecting it to end up helping him in such a way. He laughed happily, saying, “Heaven hasn’t forsaken me!”

He felt at ease now; otherwise, he wouldn’t know how he could survive in this world. He casually took a goblet from the antiques, left the house, and walked toward the stream. The water here had spiritual properties and would help heal his injury. After drinking four or five cups, he finally noticed the reflection in the water. The image in the water showed a young man with distinct facial features—sharp eyes, sword-like eyebrows, and a high nose bridge. He had an idol-like face, although his skin was a bit dark. Seeing this, Gu Linchen realized the original owner of this body wasn’t bad-looking either. It seemed like he’d gained something here—he looked ten years younger. Gu Linchen smiled happily and stood up to go back into the house.

Once inside, he walked straight to the gold bars, took one, and tucked it into his clothes. After thinking for a moment, he grabbed a ginseng root and put it in his clothes as well. He searched for something to carry fruit in, but no matter what, he couldn’t find anything. Finally, he wrapped some peaches and apples in a piece of artwork and left the space.

“Chen’er, your injury isn’t fully healed yet! Don’t go wandering around. Hurry and wash your hands. Dinner is ready,” his mother said as she saw her son returning, his head wrapped in a white cloth. She hurried over to check on him.

“Okay, Mother. These are fruits I picked from the mountain,” Gu Linchen replied.

“You went into the mountain? Are you alright? There are big insects in the mountain, don’t go too deep!” his mother said with concern, raising her voice.

“I’m fine, Mother. I just went to the foot of the mountain. There were a few fruit trees there that no one had found before, so I picked some and came back. I didn’t go deep into the mountains,” Gu Linchen reassured her, handing her the fruit.

“Well, that’s good. You can’t get hurt,” his mother said as she took the fruit from his hands.

The fruit was really well-grown, large and round.

Feng Ge’er, hearing the conversation, came out holding Xige’er’s hand. Gu Linchen casually took two apples from his bag and handed them to Feng Ge’er, saying, “Here, these are fruits I picked from the mountain.”

Looking at Feng Ge’er, who had dark skin and was wearing patched clothes, with a face that was so thin it seemed like just skin and bones, but with bright, energetic eyes, Gu Linchen found himself momentarily unsure of what to say. Feng Ge’er was about 1.7 meters tall, which was considered tall in this world.

His mother, seeing the fruit, smiled happily. “Feng Ge’er, hurry and take it. These fruits in the town sell for more than ten coins per jin, nearly as much as meat!” She had once seen this when she went to the town to sell vegetables.

Feng Ge’er took the fruit and said softly, “Thank you.” Though his voice was quiet, Gu Linchen still heard it.

“Yes, we have one for Xige’er too. Come on, Xige’er, how about you have this bigger one?” Gu Linchen bent down and handed the other fruit to him, teasing the little one who was holding onto Feng Ge’er’s leg.

Xige’er stared at the fruit in Gu Linchen’s hand, something he had never eaten before. He wanted to try it and see what it tasted like. His father used to beat him, and he was scared. But this morning, his father gave him some delicious eggs, didn’t hit him, and even smiled at him. It seemed like his father wasn’t so scary after all. Slowly, Xige’er reached out his hands to take the fruit Gu Linchen offered. He cradled it carefully in his small hands and looked at it curiously, smiling.

Gu Linchen wrapped his arms around Xige’er and asked, “Are you happy? How about I give you something to eat every day from now on?”

After eating the eggs this morning, Xige’er wasn’t as scared of Gu Linchen anymore. He shyly whispered, “Okay!”