Nanzhi stared at her reflection in the mirror, lost in thought.
Her face was still the same, with no major changes.
Yet it was as if a beauty filter had been applied in real life; her skin was smooth, fair, and supple.
Not only were there no blemishes, but even the dark circles under her eyes from long-term late nights had vanished completely.
Recalling what her colleague had said that morning, Nanzhi couldn't help but pinch herself.
It hurt; she wasn't dreaming.
“Squeak, squeak, squeak!”
Perhaps out of curiosity, the golden-furred mouse floated over and squeaked twice at the mirror.
“Squeak?”
Nanzhi remained expressionless.
It wasn't a dream, and her mental state was perfectly healthy.
There really was a flying golden-furred mouse hovering over the toilet in her bathroom.
The Treasure-Seeking Spirit Mouse didn't seem to have good control over its flight yet; it only floated in the air for a short while before it was panting with exhaustion.
Finally, it plopped down on Nanzhi's shoulder, curled up, and stopped moving.
Looking in the mirror, it looked like Nanzhi had a small plush toy stuck to her neck.
“This little thing isn't shy at all? It's chubby and quite cute.”
Nanzhi tried poking the mouse's backside.
“By the way, what do mice eat? Corn, peanuts, mealworms, or mouse food?”
A Treasure-Seeking Spirit Mouse was still a mouse. Raising it like a hamster should... be fine, right?
On the coffee table, the takeout had gone completely cold.
But Nanzhi didn't feel hungry.
She turned on her tablet and found that her game character had finished idling and had left the room, seemingly prepared to eat.
【Cultivation finished.】
【Cultivation duration: Three and three-quarter double-hours】
【Meditation experience +10】
【(Encounter) You cultivated diligently and seemed to gain something in the haze; your comprehension of the 《Little Huanzhen Art》 has deepened, and your cultivation has progressed further.】
【Cultivator: Nanzhi】
【Bone Age: 18】
【Cultivation: Qi Condensation Level 1】
...
【Currently Equipped: “Butcher’s Daughter”, “Nan Dazhuang's Butcher Knife”】
【Spirit Pet: Golden-furred Treasure-Seeking Spirit Mouse (Unnamed) (Level 1)】
She was already at Qi Condensation Level 1?
Nanzhi looked away, her gaze falling on the dining table before her.
The Nan family was sitting together, and even Nan Yi, who was rarely home, was sitting beside Nan Dazhuang.
The willow wood table was covered with a lavish spread of food.
A bowl of braised taro, a dish of greens with sesame oil, a plate of braised pork, a dish of fried peanuts, and half a plate of pig's head meat.
And a separate bowl of chicken soup was placed in front of the game character; the oil had been carefully skimmed off, and it contained a large, plump chicken leg.
Nanzhi recognized it at a glance—this was the old hen Chen Jingui had slaughtered to nourish “her” body.
The family seemed to have a silent understanding; their chopsticks only went for the other dishes, not even glancing at the bowl of chicken.
As soon as she moved, the game character left auto-play mode. Nan Yi, sitting across from her, immediately looked over with a concerned expression.
“Big Sister, are you alright? You slept for so long this time, and you were in a daze when you woke up. I was really worried you'd revert to how you were before...”
As he spoke, he discreetly sized Nanzhi up, as if trying to confirm something.
It seemed that if she didn't log into the game, the character would automatically idle, though it couldn't interact or talk with NPCs.
“Mhm.”
Nanzhi gave a vague response: “I felt tired, so I slept a bit longer.”
At this, the eyes of the whole family focused on her.
“Oh, Heavens! The Bodhisattva has truly blessed us, blessed us!”
Chen Jingui touched Nanzhi's forehead with exaggerated movements, her face full of ecstatic joy.
“How can you suddenly speak? You couldn't even call out to people yesterday, yet today you can speak so fluently.
Could it be that you really learned from the immortal in your dream?”
Only then did Nanzhi remember that she had drawn the item 【Mimicry Bird】.
So now that she was speaking, the people around her could understand?
She tried calling out to them: “Father, Mother, Sister... Nan Yi?”
...
“Father.”
The dark-skinned, sturdy young woman touched her neck before speaking cautiously.
Her dark eyes flickered slightly, and when she spoke, her voice was as tender as an infant learning to talk.
“Mother.”
“Sister.”
“Nan... Yi?”
She seemed a bit unaccustomed to it. After calling their names, she closed her mouth, and a hint of bashfulness appeared on her expressionless face.
“Aye, aye, aye!”
“Good daughter, good daughter!”
Chen Jingui and Nan Dazhuang both responded with joy. The former beamed with delight, while the latter was full of pride. He set down his wine cup and said repeatedly:
“My eldest daughter is truly clever! I'll see who dares to call you a mute again; see if I don't beat their mouth shut!”
“Big Sister, call me again! Call me again!”
Even the usually steady Nan Ye leaned in close to Nanzhi, pulling at her and acting spoiled.
“Big Sister is biased! Why do you only remember Brother's name? I've been eating and sleeping with you these past few days, while Brother just happened to arrive at the right time!”
“Those words are a bit unfair.”
Nan Yi placed a piece of the sesame oil greens into Nanzhi's bowl and said slowly:
“Big Sister has always been close to me. In the past, she went wherever I went.
Even though I'm not home now, our bond won't change. Isn't that right, Big Sister?”
Nanzhi's heart tightened, but she didn't let it show on her face, only nodding.
The other party was constantly testing her with his words; could he have noticed something?
But in the character's favorability screen, the ten hearts representing Nan Yi's favorability were still firmly at the top.
If Nanzhi could previously treat 《Path of Seeking Immortality》 as an ordinary game, she had completely changed her mind after seeing the flying mouse and the changes in herself.
Could the Nan family... be real?
Then in that other world, where did the “Nan family's eldest daughter” with the same name go?
Was it Zhuangzi who became a butterfly, or the butterfly dreaming of Zhuangzi?
Nanzhi lowered her eyes and controlled her character to slowly drink the chicken soup in front of her.
...
...
After eating, Chen Jingui sat with Nan Ye under the oil lamp to mend clothes, while Nan Yi and Nan Dazhuang worked bare-chested in the yard, treading yellow mud.
Nanzhi was responsible for sitting on the threshold and spacing out.
Earlier, the Painted Skin Ghost had made a mess of the yard, and a corner of the Nan family's yellow mud wall had collapsed.
There was still a lot of black blood left on the ground, and passing by it, one could smell a wave of unbearable, fishy stench.
Since it happened to be Nan Yi's rest day, Nan Dazhuang had taken his son to haul a lot of yellow mud from outside the city, intending to build the wall even higher.
“During the day, your father and I go to the shop to sell meat, leaving only the two girls at home.
We'll build the wall higher to stop those meddling scoundrels from always climbing over.”
Chen Jingui scratched her scalp with a needle, then suddenly remembered something and pointed to the east room.
“By next spring, once we've saved some silver, we should find a way to get a larger place.
I asked around yesterday; for a decent residence in the city, buying it would cost at least forty strings of cash.
Even a remote courtyard would cost half a string a month to rent.
Yi is older now; in the future, when he marries and has children, he'll need space.
When that time comes, your father and I will take our eldest daughter and rent a place; that will be more than enough.
After all, we still have our strength and can earn silver. We'll save more for the dowries and send both our daughters off to be married with dignity.”
This courtyard was a property Nan Dazhuang had earned from years of butchering pigs; they had both the deed for the house and the land.
Nanzhi understood immediately, catching the underlying meaning in Chen Jingui's words.
Parents love their children and thus plan far ahead for them.
When Nanzhi was “slow,” the old couple surely planned to hand their simple eldest daughter over to Nan Yi after they passed away.
They clearly intended for Nan Yi to support his “simple sister” for the rest of her life.
But now that she was better, no longer simple, and had even gained abilities, the couple naturally had to make other plans.
For one, distance breeds respect while proximity breeds contempt; this was true even for siblings.
In the past, Nanzhi had a heart like a child and was close to Nan Yi; her later life would depend on him.
If friction truly arose between the siblings, Nan Dazhuang and his wife could only turn a blind eye.
After all, after their death, they would still need this son to have some conscience and give his sister a meal.
The human heart is the thing least able to withstand a test.
The couple didn't ask for their daughter to have wealth and glory, but only that she be free from illness and disaster for the rest of her life, have a bite to eat in her brother's house, and be able to live without being bullied.
But now, Nanzhi was clear-headed and had incredible abilities. If Nan Yi married in the future, he wouldn't be alone, but part of a large family.
At that point, they had to consider whether the bride Nan Yi married would be a sensible person.
If she was sensible, she naturally wouldn't be envious of Nanzhi's abilities and would try to curry favor.
If she was not sensible, a troublemaker who incited Nan Yi and whispered in his ear all day, it would be better to live separately.
These parents possessed great wisdom.
Nanzhi rubbed her chin.
“That won't do.”
Nan Yi, still bare-chested, replied with a grin:
“Who from a good family in the county would look twice at a commoner like me, a mere office runner?
I say, Father and Mother will live for a hundred years, and now that Big Sister has learned great skills, our family's days will surely get better and better.
My salary from all these years is with Mother. Let's save a bit more and buy a larger courtyard; otherwise, Big Sister and Ye will have to suffer being squeezed into one room.
Even in the future, after I marry, the whole family should live together.
Otherwise, would you two have the heart to see me return from the county office and not even have a cup of hot tea to drink at home?”
Rate on N.U.
