He saw a fair and delicate baby-faced young man. His shoulder-length hair was tied behind his head with a gray-blue ribbon. Reaching behind his waist, Luo Mingchen found the same old scar there as well.
He fell silent for a moment before asking suspiciously, “Could you have mistaken me for someone else?”
This face, this body—no matter how he looked at it, it was his original one. There was no way he could be the person their father had married.
As for the long hair, it was only because he had been hiding and running around for the past two months and hadn’t had time to cut it…
What the trafficker had said earlier clearly implied that he had a family in this world.
So either he had lost his memory, or that family had secretly switched people. Seeing that he was on the verge of death and unwilling to send their own son, they had deliberately sent him instead.
The latter possibility was extremely high.
“After I came here, did your father ever see me?”
Huo Yuhui shook his head.
“When you arrived, Father was still away with a merchant caravan. He had seen you before you came here, though.”
Huo Xiang quietly added, “Little Daddy was brought here by someone. They said you were sick and injured. You lay in bed for two days. Big Brother fed you medicine, and your wounds healed, but you never woke up.”
After hearing that, Luo Mingchen became even more certain that he had transmigrated into this world and had been married off in place of someone else to a complete stranger.
Back then, he had been betrayed by the person he loved and by his so-called family. He had been stabbed in the abdomen and thrown onto a road swarming with zombies.
Before dying, Luo Mingchen had used the fruit from his farming space to lure a massive horde of zombies. He watched helplessly as those people were swallowed by the zombie tide. His own abilities were exhausted, and he lost consciousness.
He had never expected to wake up in this world…
Thinking about it, the children’s father had died outside and left him three rather cute children and a fairly large house.
In this world, he at least had an identity now, which saved him a lot of trouble.
Luo Mingchen believed that with his farming space and abilities, he could definitely live a carefree life in a world without zombies.
Grrr…
Huo Xiang immediately covered his stomach, afraid of being disliked.
Luo Mingchen had also used some of his abilities and hadn’t eaten much during the past two days. He was hungry as well.
“Is there any food left at home?”
If not, he would have to find a way to take some food out of his space.
The two younger ones could be fooled easily enough, but there was still the oldest child, who clearly wasn’t stupid.
Still, the three children could only rely on him now. Having food was better than having none. Once they spent enough time together and developed some affection, they probably wouldn’t betray him.
And if they turned out to be three ungrateful little wolves, he still had his abilities to protect himself. At worst, he could simply move somewhere else and start over.
No matter where he went, he wouldn’t starve.
Huo Yuhui said awkwardly, “Father hasn’t returned for ten days. Some of the grain at home was taken away by Cousin Uncle’s family. We finished the hidden food yesterday.”
Looks like I’ll have to take something out of the space…
Luo Mingchen closed the front door, placed the little girl on the bed inside the room, and brought the two older children to the kitchen.
As the eldest, Huo Yuhui didn’t know what Luo Mingchen was planning. He could only instinctively shield his younger brother behind him.
Luo Mingchen put on a serious expression and said, “Actually, I’m not from your world. I know a little magic. For example… this.”
As he spoke, Luo Mingchen took out a sack of white rice and several eggs from his farming space.
The two brothers stared blankly.
“…!!!”
Huo Xiang’s eyes widened.
“Little Daddy, are you an immortal?”
“Mm… something like that.”
Luo Mingchen vaguely brushed it off and continued, “If you tell anyone about this, I’ll disappear. Then you won’t have a Little Daddy anymore, and those people will sell you.”
Those words were mainly directed at Huo Yuhui.
This child wasn’t easy to fool, and he was very smart. He should understand the hidden meaning.
Upon hearing this, Huo Xiang immediately covered his mouth, afraid that if he said anything, Luo Mingchen would truly disappear.
Huo Yuhui stared at the food in amazement.
Although he had no idea how it had appeared, one thing was certain. If this secret spread, Luo Mingchen would no longer take care of them.
People had said that their adoptive father had already been killed by bandits. If Luo Mingchen abandoned them too, they would only end up being sold.
After a moment of hesitation, Huo Yuhui promised, “We won’t tell anyone.”
The two exchanged looks.
Luo Mingchen smiled slightly.
Good. This kid had potential.
“The eldest can help me tend the fire. The second child can watch your sister.”
Huo Xiang nodded repeatedly.
There wasn’t much bread and milk left. Since he now had the conditions to cook properly, Luo Mingchen instinctively chose to make a meal.
The kitchen was stocked with plenty of firewood, neatly stacked. It had probably been chopped by their father before he left.
After having Huo Yuhui watch the small stove cooking the rice, Luo Mingchen made egg pancakes, stir-fried green peppers and eggplant, and cooked a tomato and egg soup.
The meat in his farming space had already been used up. That was exactly why those people had managed to trick him into going out…
Still, he had already taken his revenge before he died, so there was no point dwelling on it.
No matter how difficult life became, he believed in facing it with a smile.
A happy day was a day.
An unhappy day was also a day.
After his mother’s death when he was ten years old, Luo Mingchen had finally understood the meaning of those words.
Since then, no matter what hardships he endured, he had always been able to keep smiling.
The aroma of the food filled the room.
Huo Yuhui swallowed unconsciously.
Seeing the expression on his face—wanting to eat but not daring to say so—Luo Mingchen found it somewhat amusing.
“Go call your brother and sister to eat.”
“…Okay.”
Huo Yuhui called Huo Xiang and Huo Xinyue over. By then, Luo Mingchen had already set out the bowls and chopsticks.
The dishes on the table gave off an enticing fragrance.
Luo Mingchen lifted his chin.
“Go wash your hands.”
The three siblings obediently washed their hands.
Huo Yuhui first served a bowl of rice for Luo Mingchen, then for his younger brother and sister, and only afterward for himself.
Naturally, Luo Mingchen’s bowl was piled high.
Afterward, Huo Yuhui carefully observed Luo Mingchen’s expression. Seeing no objection, he only served himself half a bowl.
It had been a long time since Huo Xiang had eaten food this delicious. He practically wanted to swallow his tongue.
Luo Mingchen noticed that Huo Yuhui skillfully held his little sister while feeding her. The little girl babbled softly and seemed unable to speak.
“How old is she?”
She certainly didn’t look like a six-month-old infant. She looked at least a year old, maybe more. Shouldn’t she be talking by now?
After swallowing his food, Huo Xiang replied, “Little Daddy, Yueyue is two years old.”
“Why can’t she talk?”
Huo Xiang scratched his head.
“I don’t know…”
Luo Mingchen looked at the child again and decided to think about it after finishing his meal.
Once everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, Huo Yuhui conscientiously cleaned up the dishes and washed them.
Meanwhile, Huo Xiang went to heat bathwater.
Huo Xinyue sat obediently to one side, blinking at Luo Mingchen.
Her face was only the size of a palm, and her large round eyes stared straight at him.
Amused, Luo Mingchen reached out and gently pinched her cheek.
“Say Daddy.”
Outside, Huo Yuhui, who was washing dishes, watched nervously through the window.
He was afraid Luo Mingchen would think his little sister was too stupid and secretly throw her away or sell her.
Huo Xinyue tilted her tiny head.
Seeing her confused expression, Luo Mingchen deliberately slowed his speech.
“Dad-dy.”
Huo Xinyue seemed to understand a little and called out, “Duo-duo?”
“Pfft…”
Luo Mingchen didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. He rubbed her little head.
“Good girl.”
Since there was nothing wrong with her vocal cords and she could imitate sounds, she probably just hadn’t been taught much before. If they taught her more in the future, she should learn to speak.
When Huo Xinyue saw Luo Mingchen smiling, she happily called out again.
“Duo-duo!”
Such a well-behaved little cub…
Luo Mingchen picked her up into his arms.
However, after spotting the lice crawling through the child’s hair, he decided it would be better to give her a good bath before holding her too much.