I woke up to find Cree by my side, his grip on my hand tight. Helplessly, I sighed, imagining how he must have felt when he saw me lying motionless, lifeless. Yet, his tight grip also warmed my heart, a testament to his fear of losing me. I decided to wait patiently for him to wake up on his own, scanning my surroundings as I did so. The room was simple and plain, with a mud bed and a clay pot of water nearby. I quietly searched for the quilt, intending to tuck Cree into bed. However, my emotions wavered as I came across a ragged piece of coarse cloth with numerous patches, clearly showing signs of long-term use. Closing the door quietly behind me, I headed out for a walk, where I encountered Uncle Jiang.
"I will go out for a walk, Uncle Jiang," I informed him.
He nodded, arranging the stacked wood beside the kitchen made of stones.
"Be careful, Bellona. I'll have your older brother call you when I finish cooking," he cautioned.
As I walked, I observed my surroundings. It truly felt as though I had been transported back to prehistoric times, with brick houses, deep wells, and endless fields and mountains. According to the memories of this body, the mainland country we were in was called "The Great of Pallova." I couldn't recall hearing such a name in my history class. Lost in my thoughts, I dozed off momentarily, reminiscing about my past life. I had once been a secret trained officer in an organization during the late 18th century. We were individuals who operated in the shadows, performing tasks such as assassinations, espionage, and gathering information. We carried out actions that the police couldn't undertake in broad daylight due to laws and restrictions, yet the government tacitly approved of our actions. It was akin to having a license to do things that were not meant to be done. I had been coerced into joining the organization after my parents, who were doctors from a long line of medical practitioners, were convicted of medical malpractice when I was fifteen. We lost everything.
During my time in the organization, I endured unimaginable hardships. Only the strong were deemed worthy of survival. We were subjected to relentless training day and night until our bodies surpassed their limits. After five grueling years, my high IQ led to an opportunity. I was given a choice: serve as a foot soldier for twenty years or become a mercenary for five years to shorten my time with the organization. I opted to join a mercenary group as their strategist and doctor. Following my training and accepting missions, I tried to locate my parents, with whom I had never been close, even as a child. They were always preoccupied with their careers, but it was bearable because I had my grandfather by my side. I was never coddled, but I was never neglected either, as I was taught from a young age to rely on myself for survival.
I was uncertain about how I ended up in this body, but since I had been given a chance to live again, I resolved to live life on my own terms. I peered into the water, catching a glimpse of my reflection. Astonished, I gasped, noting the resemblance to my previous face.
"Jie, it's time to eat!" Cree shouted, making his way toward me, though he was still unsure if I could hear him. I chuckled, finding his concern endearing. We entered the house, and I helped him wash his hands before sitting beside Seeley to eat. Life was undeniably challenging; the table was adorned with dried rations made from coarse powder and corn porridge.
Big Brother Allardy kindly handed me a piece of roasted sweet potato, and I was deeply touched by his gesture. I knew that it was the last piece we had, and he had intentionally saved it for me.
"Cree, let's split it in half," I suggested.
"No, Jiejie. You should eat it all. You need to strengthen yourself," he protested, though I could see him eyeing the piece with longing from time to time.
"No, you take this half. Children need to eat more," I insisted, stuffing the remaining portion into his mouth.
"Euno, what happened to you yesterday?" I was taken aback by the question.
"I was poisoned," I revealed. Indeed, this body had been tainted with toxins known as "more subita." After consuming the poison, it would remain in the body for at least a month, leading to sudden and unexplainable death.
"WHAT?!" they all exclaimed in shock.
"I'm fine now. I managed to detoxify myself," I reassured them calmly.
"How... How did that happen?"
"I... I don't know. All I can remember is that I was poisoned a month ago," I admitted, despite having received the memories of this body.
"Those bastards!" Seeley slammed the table in anger.
According to the memories of this body, we hailed from a prominent family in the Capital, the Noble Marquis Moore Residence. Both our parents were forced out of their own homes by their paternal relatives. In those memories, I witnessed a loving and warm family. This body's father, or rather, my father, was the second child of the Noble Marquis and held a prominent position in the court. However, my paternal family was filled with unscrupulous individuals who shamelessly seized our properties. If it hadn't been for Uncle Jiang's intervention, we might have met a tragic end, buried in an unmarked grave.
"Second Young Master, please calm your anger," Uncle Jiang tried to pacify him.
"I truly owe you my gratitude, Uncle Jiang. If you hadn't saved us, we would have perished," I expressed sincerely.
"I don't deserve your thanks, Young Miss. It is my duty as your servant," Uncle Jiang humbly replied, immediately bowing down on his knees.
"Uncle Jiang, there's no need for formalities with us," Big Brother Allardy interjected, helping him to rise and sit. Uncle Jiang, the head steward of the family, could have fled and left us behind, but he chose to protect us, even at the cost of grave injuries that left him reliant on a crutch to walk.
"Big Brother... Uncle Jiang..." I gazed into their eyes with utmost seriousness. "This time, we must let go of our roles as mistress and master. We are no longer part of Marquis Moore Residence." Their expressions turned to shock. I knew they all yearned to restore our former glory, even in our current dire circumstances. I paused, allowing my words to sink in, and calmly awaited their response.
"Euno is right, Big Brother. Those who harmed us are not family," Seeley reasoned with them.
"Hmm," Eldest Brother nodded slightly. "Once those bastards find out we survived, they will undoubtedly send someone to finish us."
"What we need is to live, not cling to a noble title," Seeley affirmed.
"But... What about Master and Mistress?" Uncle Jiang inquired weakly.
"I didn't mean that we would cease searching for them. We just need to gather our strength first. Quietly, we must build our forces so that we can defend ourselves against them," I explained determinedly.
Jie - means elder sister meimei - younger sister
We shared a silent meal, and once we finished eating, Seeley and I immediately began cleaning the table. "Uncle Jiang, how is our household fund at the moment?" I inquired, taking a sip of tea. I surveyed our new home. It had been a day since we settled here, and we were fortunate to have acquired this land and courtyard for a mere 30 silver coins. According to the Village Chief's account, the previous owners of this house were an elderly couple who recently passed away. Their child now lived comfortably in the county city and wanted to sell the house, leaving behind all the household tools. "We only have 1 silver coin and 2 strings of copper coins," Uncle Jiang informed us. We had nearly depleted all our resources during the month we spent on the run. Moreover, we hadn't been able to secure any money during our escape. "Hmm," I pondered. I needed to find ways to earn money, or we might not survive the upcoming winter. "Big Brother Allardy, let's go to the mountains," I suggested.
We strolled past a few households, and thankfully, our living area had only a small number of residents. This meant we didn't have to endure the curious stares of a crowded place. “ Little Sister, it's so quiet here. It's incredibly peaceful,” he remarked as we made our way up the mountain. The previous owner of the house was a hunter, so he had left behind quite a collection of tools. Eldest Brother carried a bow and arrow with him. Suddenly, I stopped in my tracks and picked up some dried branches. I played with them for a moment and then came to a halt. “ Big Brother, stop,” I said. “ Eh? Why?” he asked, observing the thick pile of dried leaves. “ This is a trap. See these dried leaves?” I poked at them, causing a few leaves to fall and reveal a tiny hole. “ It's a hunter's pitfall, so we need to be careful of our surroundings.” He nodded in understanding and continued walking, now sidestepping the trap. “ We could also set up a trap... OLDER BROTHER! OVER HERE!” I imme
“They’re here! They're here!” We were just a few steps away from the front yard when I spotted Cree running towards me. Uncle Jiang and Seeley quickly emSecond brotherd and helped us carry our loads. “ You've made quite a harvest in the mountains, huh?” Uncle Jiang remarked as he took the two trophies from my hands. “Wah! It’s meat! it's meat!” Cree exclaimed with excitement. “ You greedy rascal, always thinking about meat,” Elder Brother teased, playfully tapping Cree's forehead. This earned him a pout from Cree. Once inside, Seeley fetched chairs for both of us and personally handed me a cup of water. “ Thank you, Bal,” I smiled at him, reassuring him that I was fine. He simply nodded and gently lifted my legs, giving them a soothing massage. “ Uncle Jiang, I need you to make some bamboo traps later so that we can go back and set them up. Oh, and I plan to make some adjustments to them,” I explained. I had noticed some traditional and primitive traps in the mountains, but t
I woke up in the middle of the night and began cultivating my internal energy, drawing upon the memories stored in this body. According to the knowledge of the previous owner, cultivators are highly esteemed in this era. A single cultivator can defeat ten or more martial artists based on the strength accumulated through their internal energy. In my previous life, the organization I was part of researched similar techniques, but they yielded no results. Perhaps the pollution in the modern world prevented them from absorbing the earth spirit energy. My mother, who clearly had a significant background, taught me how to cultivate. My father was also involved, but the previous Bellona was sworn to secrecy about it. I continued my cultivation until I heard a noise in the nearby room, prompting me to get up and change into a different robe. “ Good morning.” Elder Brother greeted me as he proceeded to wash up. Seeley, still half-asleep, followed suit but stopped when he saw me and asked why
As soon as Cree returned, we gathered around to eat. He couldn't contain his excitement and began talking with a mouthful of food. “ Wow! Elder sister, I never knew something like this existed!” he exclaimed, chewing happily. “ Who would have thought that a simple green leaf could turn into Green Tofu? It's amazing! Does this mean I can have Green Tofu every day? That would be awesome!” We all chuckled at his enthusiasm. “ You greedy little rascal, all you care about is eating,” Eldest Brother teased, playfully tapping his forehead, which earned another round of laughter. “ Well, it's made from a jelly plant, so regular leaves won't have the same effect,” I said, pouring cold water on his thoughts while placing another piece of green tofu on his plate. “ Really? Is it rare then?” he asked, looking down and muttering to himself. “ I better eat more, just in case. This might be the last time I get to have it. I need to savor the moment!” His words didn't go unnoticed by us, ma
After cultivating for at least three hours, I decided it was time to prepare lunch. I planned to make braised rabbit meat with cassava starch, but first, I needed to pound the cassava to extract its juice. Although I possessed internal energy that could turn the cassava into fine powder, just like modern starch, I chose to keep this ability a secret. While I trusted my family, I wanted to reserve this skill as a trump card for crucial times. As I heard them training outside, I looked at the plate filled with cassava in my hand, pondering for a moment before heading outside with it. “ Older brother, Bal, I need you both here,” I called out. I placed all the cassava in a white katcha I found in the kitchen and placed it on a stone slab. “ What do you need?” they asked in succession. “ Eh? What is this?” They looked at the cassava with confusion. Instead of answering, I pulled them apart and positioned them on opposite ends of the stone slab. I instructed Cree to fetch some fiber ro
We ended up eating a little later than usual. All my brothers devoured their food hungrily. I could tell they appreciated the effort we put into making the dish. “ This meal is the result of our hard work and dedication. I'm savoring every last bite,” they thought, making their enjoyment quite evident once I served the plate. I couldn't help but laugh and let them have their fun. We finished every last bit of the steamed taro and braised meat. I had already taken care of all the vegetable plants in the backyard, ensuring they were thriving. Older brother and Second brother continued to prepare the small plot for planting seeds later. Uncle Jiang and Cree had just returned from the bamboo grove when I heard Elder Brother Zhong's voice calling from outside. We all washed our hands and greeted him. “ Bellona-Sister, you're quite lucky this time! Our trophies were purchased directly by a restaurant. Your pheasant fetched 30 liang, and the two big rabbits were sold for 40 liang,” he sa
We have noodles made with fine and buckwheat powder for breakfast. According to Zhong-Older brother, one jin of white rice costs 10 liang, while fine powder costs at least 5 liang. Luckily, buckwheat is much cheaper, only 2 liang for a jin. It's a luxury for a small farming family like ours to have fine rice with a meal because they usually sell all of their harvest to buy necessities. Currently, we have 3 jin of white rice, 2 jin of pine powder, and 3 jin of buckwheat flour, which is just enough for about two weeks of daily consumption. Fortunately, I have discovered a great source of cassava, but since winter is coming, I need money to buy new quilts and fuel for oil lamps. “ Uncle Jiang, are those bamboo arrows ready? I plan to head to the inner mountain this time,” I ask Uncle Jiang, whom I had previously requested to make many bamboo arrows. “ Bal, you and Cree will collect our trophies, then give them to Zhong-Older brother to sell, but please save some for us,” Seeley prot