The laser lights on the ceiling were dazzling and vibrant, and golden ribbons fluttered all over the sky. The atmosphere had reached its absolute peak, and everyone present was completely hyped!
Zhou Xingxing was naturally no exception. He was weaving back and forth and swaying in the middle of the dance floor.
His fair and tender fingertips rested on someone’s hand, and his waist swayed casually to the beat of the music.
He had only had one drink, but his alcohol tolerance was truly pitiful. After twisting and swaying like this for a bit, his head grew dizzy and he saw stars.
Suddenly, something struck his back. He frowned and was just about to snap back when suddenly, everything went black before his eyes.
He felt his body continuously falling downwards, downwards. His mouth and nose seemed to be covered, and there was not enough air to breathe, suffocating him so he couldn’t catch his breath.
When people are nervous, they subconsciously flail about, punching and kicking, to the extent that:
His hand brushed against something scalding hot, damp, and rock-hard.
In a daze, he blinked his eyes open. Before him was a wheat-colored chest, and further up, a drop-dead gorgeous face.
“Xing-ge’er! Wake up! Wake up quickly! Xing-ge’er!”
An anxious voice rang in his ear. Zhou Xingxing slowly opened his eyes, and upon seeing the person before him, his expression turned dazed and somewhat blank.
“Cough cough. Cough cough cough. Ugh.” He wanted to open his mouth to ask something, but his throat and nose were choked with water.
“You’re finally awake! You scared me to death! How did you fall into the water? Were you so hungry you starved and passed out?!” Blah, blah, blah, his little mouth kept chattering non-stop.
His head felt like it was about to explode. Zhou Xingxing opened his mouth to stop the other person, but the next second, a flood of memories that didn’t belong to him violently rushed into his mind.
The original body was also named Zhou Xingxing. His parents had passed away a few years ago, and he was now raised in his eldest uncle’s household. He never got enough to eat or warm clothes to wear, and every day he still had to do grueling physical labor, getting beaten and pushed around from time to time.
Because his grandfather had arranged a betrothal for the original body since childhood, and his cousin Zhou Youcai always cared for him and looked after him, he had endured it again and again, waiting until he got married so he could finally eat his fill.
Just moments ago, the original body had gone to the riverside to wash clothes for the family. Shortly after, his eldest uncle’s second daughter, Zhou Yingying, had come over.
After dropping a few out-of-line remarks, to which the original body was already accustomed, Zhou Yingying, for reasons unknown, directly shoved the original body into the river.
By the time he had processed all of the original body’s memories, Zhou Xingxing collapsed backward out of sheer exhaustion, staring up at the sky and taking heavy, deep breaths.
He, he, he, actually transmigrated!
“Xing-ge’er! What’s wrong with you? Haven’t you recovered your wits yet?” The little ge’er stretched out a finger and waved it in front of his eyes, his face full of worry.
“I’m fine, I’m fine.” Having just transmigrated, he needed to calm down properly and adjust to the jet lag.
“Go home and change your clothes, or you’ll catch a cold.” The little ge’er tugged at his clothes, wringing out the water with all his might.
“Thank you, Xiaoning.” From the original body’s memories, he knew the person in front of him was called Wan Xiaoning.
“Why are you being so polite with me? Hurry back, and if you need anything, come find me at my house.” He paused for a moment, then placed both hands on Zhou Xingxing’s shoulders and said, “If you don’t get enough to eat, come find me at my house too.”
The two waved goodbye, and Zhou Xingxing carried his wooden washbasin and walked in the direction of his memories, thinking as he walked.
It seemed a man had rescued him, and that face was quite easy on the eyes.
He secretly made up his mind to find an opportunity later to ask Wan Xiaoning about it; he needed to thank that person on behalf of Zhou Xingxing.
The fact that he could transmigrate meant he had some inexplicable fate with the original owner. He just wondered if Zhou Xingxing had transmigrated into his body or drowned.
If souls were swapped, that would be fine, at least the little pitiful one could live a good life over there. All of his bros were top-notch guys.
He had just bought a small shop not long ago, planning to open a restaurant. If the little pitiful one knew how to cook, at least he wouldn’t starve to death.
Little pitiful one, if you didn’t transmigrate, leave me a dream with any last words. I’m the most loyal person, and I’ll sort out whatever you need.
Zhou Xingxing kept his head down, muttering to himself as he walked back. The current season had just finished the autumn harvest, so there was no farm work, meaning he didn’t run into anyone along the way.
In the distance, he spotted a few large dogs and quietly steered clear. He had been bitten by a dog when he was young, leaving him with a psychological shadow.
An agritainment resort, huh.
Finally arriving at his destination, Zhou Xingxing raised his eyes and looked around.
The courtyard looked quite spacious, somewhat similar to the agritainment resorts he had visited before, but the house before him was even more countryside rustic.
The house was built of stone, the windows were pasted with paper, and as far as the eye could see, he had never, ever seen so much, was it dirt or mud?
Only at this moment did Zhou Xingxing truly realize that he had transmigrated for real, without a shred of a joke.
Since you’re here, make the best of it!
He, Zhou Xingxing, was like a blade of little grass! Wherever he took root, he would grow! No wind could ever blow him down!
With his chest puffed out and head held high, he took long strides toward the courtyard gate. Catching a glimpse of a figure out of the corner of his eye, he looked to the left.
That person had just walked out of the neighboring courtyard. Looking closer, wasn’t that Zhou Yingying, the one who had pushed the original body into the river?!
The other person spotted him the very next second, her eyes widening in shock as she took two flustered steps back.
“Cousin sister.”
Putting on an affected tone, Zhou Xingxing swayed his hips as he walked over, dumped the wooden basin right at her feet, and then intimately hooked his arm around hers, blinking his big eyes.
“Cousin sister, I just fell into the river. Guess what I saw at the bottom of the river?”
“You, you, you! How did you…” She didn’t dare finish the rest of her sentence, hastily brushing Zhou Xingxing’s hand away and retreating a few more steps.
“I saw a water ghost with flowing long hair, and the water ghost said we were fated, and that it would protect me from now on!” After saying this in a hushed, mysterious whisper, Zhou Xingxing suddenly blew a breath into Zhou Yingying’s ear.
“Ahhhhh!” Zhou Yingying shoved him away and stumbled back into the neighboring yard.
Watching her panicked footsteps, Zhou Xingxing curved the corners of his lips in a mocking smirk.
Ancient people believed in ghosts and spirits, and Zhou Yingying was feeling guilty for doing bad things. Whether Zhou Xingxing had transmigrated or not, it was still a human life; if he didn’t scare her a little, he would be doing the original body a disservice.
After giving Zhou Yingying a small lesson, Zhou Xingxing carried his washbasin into the courtyard. His clothes were soaked through and uncomfortable everywhere; he wanted to change into something crisp and refreshing.
Finding the original body’s room beside the outhouse, though calling it a room was generous, as it was basically a storage shed measuring at best about ten square meters, with several layers of cornstalks spread on the ground to serve as a bed.
Such a little pitiful one.
Zhou Xingxing rummaged around. Fortunately, there was a change of clothes, though they were terribly shabby, covered back and front in a dozen patches.
Stripping off his clothes, a frail, pale body appeared before his eyes, covered in crisscrossing blue and purple bruises.
Zhou Xingxing raised his arm and then lifted his leg high, skin and bones with barely any meat. Turning around to look, it was completely flat.
What a waste of my backside.
He sighed and lamented.
As a delicate and beauty-loving little bottom, Zhou Xingxing used to apply high-end face creams costing several hundred a month, and his round, perky backside was his proudest feature!
I’ll just slowly nurse it back to health later.
Zhou Xingxing suddenly felt rather troubled. He didn’t know if ancient times had good face creams, he really wanted his little perky bottom back.
After standing bare-bottomed and feeling sentimental for a good while, he reluctantly changed into the clothes and sat down to ponder his next steps.
He definitely couldn’t stay in this household any longer; he had to figure out a way to move out. Furthermore, he needed to make money. No matter what era it was, holding money in your hands was the ultimate truth.
His culinary skills were pretty good, so he could develop in that direction later. After all, his modern brain gave him an advantage; making money shouldn’t be too much of a problem.
As he thought and thought, Zhou Xingxing’s eyelids began to droop. Which was understandable, of course, because he had transmigrated without getting any sleep, and his soul was still suffering from a hangover.
It was time for dinner. According to routine, the original body would have prepared the meals early, set them on the table, and waited until the eldest uncle’s family finished eating before he could eat whatever was left over.
Today, everyone was seated, but after waiting for a long time, no food was brought to the table. The youngest son impatiently complained with a few grumbles, and the eldest uncle’s wife came over cursing and swearing.
Seeing the washbasin tossed aside, the eldest uncle’s wife gritted her teeth with hatred. With a loud bang, she kicked the door open, and upon seeing Zhou Xingxing sleeping away, her anger flared right up.
“You damned ge’er! What time is it?! Still loafing around and sleeping in your room! I see you’re asking for a beating!” The eldest uncle’s wife delivered a kick straight to Zhou Xingxing’s backside.
“Who is it?!?!”
Zhou Xingxing was deeply displeased. He hated nothing more than being woken up while sleeping, especially when someone kicked his backside!
“You’ve flipped the heavens! Get up right now!” The eldest uncle’s wife placed one hand on her hip and pointed a finger right at the tip of Zhou Xingxing’s nose. “Let’s see if I don’t teach you a proper lesson today!”
Annoyed and irritated, after some struggling resistance, Zhou Xingxing finally pried open his heavy eyelids.
The moment he opened his eyes, a monkey-like face came into view, and he instantly chuckled out loud.
“Damned little ge’er! What are you laughing at?” The eldest uncle’s wife reached out to pinch his ear.
“I hate people touching my backside the most!” How could Zhou Xingxing let himself suffer a loss? With a roll, he dodged it. “Don’t lay your hands on me! I don’t buy your act!”
The eldest uncle’s wife froze for a split second before immediately reacting. “That damned little ge’er actually dares to talk back to me! You’ve grown dog’s guts!” She began spewing foul curses.
Zhou Xingxing sneered inwardly, crossing his arms to watch the show. This eldest uncle’s wife truly had a face that reflected her ugly heart; no wonder the original body was so afraid of her. If anyone had even a slightly fragile mindset, she could easily verbally abuse them into depression.
However, crossing paths with him, Zhou Xingxing, meant she had kicked an iron plate!
“What are you howling about like a ghost?”
Zhou Xingxing caught the gist from her rambling curses, which was nothing more than him failing to cook for their family, prompting the eldest uncle’s wife to storm over and scream her head off.
Tch, they’ve really been spoiled rotten by this family.
“With the time it took you to come looking for me, the meal could have already been on the table! What is this? Did everyone in your family break their hands or feet?! Or are you all paralyzed and unable to get out of bed, expecting me to cook for your entire clan?! You might as well just open your mouths and drink the northwest wind!”
Executing a seamless daily routine, Zhou Xingxing left the dumbfounded eldest uncle’s wife standing right where she was, scoffed lightly, and strolled leisurely out the door.
Perhaps hearing the eldest uncle’s wife’s voice, or perhaps because they were genuinely hungry, just as Zhou Xingxing stepped out of the room, he caught sight of the rest of the household members. Running through their files in his mind, he matched a label to every single one of them.
The eldest uncle had an ugly mug, the eldest son had a bear’s mug, the second daughter had a blockhead’s mug, and the youngest son had a rat’s mug. Taking one last look back at the eldest uncle’s wife, Zhou Xingxing instantly reached a conclusion.
Indeed, before the founding of the nation, not a single one of this family looked like a human being.