CH 2

Chapter 02: The Cliché Original Host

"Huff... huff..."

Leaning against the entrance door, Ye Zhou was gasping for air, his previously raised firewood knife now discarded beside him. His lungs, deprived of oxygen, craved fresh air desperately. His mind, which had been in a daze for quite some time, still hadn't had the opportunity to process who those people were and how he ended up here after being hit by a car.

"Brother..."

Amidst sobs, a young and tender voice rang out as the tear-streaked little boy rushed into his embrace, crying uncontrollably.

"Mmm..."

Even though he wasn't a good person, Ye Zhou wasn't heartless either. The boy was clearly only five or six years old, and even if his collision had caused some pain, Ye Zhou could only silently curse in his heart. He reluctantly lifted his hand and embraced the boy, saying, "Stop crying. My head hurts, my throat hurts, and my whole body hurts. Let me rest for a while."

It's unclear whether the little boy understood or not, but his wailing gradually subsided. Ye Zhou patted the back of his head in a comforting manner as he leaned against the worn-out door, allowing his body to relax. It was only now that he had the energy to sort out the chaotic memories forcibly injected into his mind earlier.

In simple terms, he had traveled through time! From the vibrant 21st century, he returned to the early 1990s in a rural village. The original owner of this body was also named Ye Zhou. Unable to bear the gossip and rumors from the outside world, he had hanged himself. And it was precisely at this moment that he arrived.

The original owner's life was even more melodramatic than the excessively cliché soap operas of the 21st century. Although he had a bunch of despicable relatives, he still had hardworking and simple parents. Until last year, he was the only high school student in the entire village. Moreover, he attended a prestigious high school in the city, dozens of miles away from the village. He was the only person in the village with hopes of getting into college, and you should know that college students were highly sought after in the 1990s, especially in rural areas.

However, a dramatic turn of events occurred last year. In order to earn money for his education, the original owner's father went to the city to find work during the farming off-season. He was tricked by his elder aunt, who had married and moved to the city, into selling coal briquettes with her. Unfortunately, the coal truck they were using overturned on a steep slope, and the original owner's father died on the spot. Soon after, the original owner's mother was falsely accused of having an affair with a widowed man from the village while her husband's body was still cold. Unable to bear the constant insults and the village's contempt, she also committed suicide by drinking pesticide one night. As a result, the original owner, who had lost both parents in succession, had to drop out of school and return home because he had a six-year-old brother who needed his care.

If you think the misfortune of the original owner ends here, you're completely wrong. Don't forget about his bunch of despicable relatives. After dealing with his parents' affairs upon returning home, the meager savings of a few hundred yuan were exhausted1. Luckily, the crops in the field were ready for harvest, so the two lonely brothers wouldn't go hungry. But that's where the trouble begins. His father was the fourth son, with three older brothers above him and two younger sisters below. The eldest sister, his eldest aunt, married into the city years ago, while the youngest sister is only in her twenties and was born when the old lady was close to fifty. She has been spoiled since childhood and still hasn't married. The one who was berating him alongside the old lady earlier was his younger aunt.

Here's how it went: after his parents passed away, since both he and his brother were underage, the village officials tried to find their grandmother and uncles, hoping they would temporarily take care of them until Ye Zhou came of age. But just like holding onto a hot potato, none of them were willing. Ye Zhou had some backbone and took on the responsibility of looking after his younger brother. However, during the crop harvest, that entire bunch of despicable relatives showed up. Everyone, including Ye Zhou, thought they still had some family affection left. Little did they know, all the harvested crops were taken to the main house of the Ye family. The brothers didn't even see a single stalk of grain. Those were the life-saving provisions for the two brothers.

The original owner, enraged, approached the village officials to reclaim the harvested crops. However, the old lady produced a worthless IOU, claiming that his parents had borrowed money from her, and the crops were taken as repayment. According to her, repaying debts was only fair. Even the village officials couldn't say anything, although they felt that those people had gone too far.

Eventually, the matter was dropped. In the following months, the original owner and his brother managed to survive with the help of their neighbors' charity. In order to support his brother, he had to work at a small restaurant in town, waking up early and working late. Although the pay was low, the restaurant occasionally had leftovers, and knowing their family situation, the boss would let him take them home. It was barely enough for the two brothers to get by. However, those despicable relatives would take advantage of his absence and ransack their house, taking anything of value. His younger brother couldn't stop them, and as a result, he was often injured. The two brothers had no choice but to endure silently.

The incident that caused the original owner to neglect even his own life and contemplate suicide happened a few days ago. Although he couldn't carry heavy loads or lift things, he had a somewhat attractive appearance. The prolonged malnutrition made his body extremely slender and weak, giving him a kind of delicate beauty that men didn't possess, often referred to as "effeminate." Don't blame Ye Zhou for the negative description; apart from "effeminate," there was no other word to describe this body. And it was from this point that the incident occurred.

That day, the restaurant owner in town had some urgent matters and closed the restaurant after lunch. Ye Zhou was able to return home early. On his way back to the village, he was unexpectedly harassed by a group of local ruffians who often loitered around town and the neighboring villages. They even stripped off his pants and nearly assaulted him. For a man, it was a great humiliation and shame. Even the "effeminate" original owner felt indignant. He had a rare moment of manliness and managed to escape, immediately rushing to the local police station to report the incident. However, he was too young and naive, underestimating the power of rumors. The news spread throughout the entire village in no time. Instead of condemning the ruffians, the villagers openly mocked and ridiculed him, even bringing up his mother's infidelity. This became the final straw that broke him. Unable to bear the gossip and slander, the original owner resolutely hanged himself at home.

Damn it! When a person dies, they lose everything. If death could solve problems, would there still be overpopulation in China?

This is such a fucking idiotic situation!

After finally understanding the general situation, Ye Zhou cursed in his heart. If he were to die, he should at least take a few people down with him. Otherwise, it would be such a loss! He would never engage in such a losing business.

"Brother, don't die. I don't want you to die..."

Intermittent sobbing sounds came from his embrace. Ye Zhou lowered his head and saw that the little guy had fallen asleep at some point. Even though his face was dirty, tears were still hanging on it.

"Alright, let's accept the situation. I probably won't be able to go back. Little guy, from now on, I'll protect you and take care of you as your brother. Consider it my repayment for occupying his body."

He reached out and gently touched the boy's cheek. Ye Zhou forced a bitter smile, his hand slipping beneath his knees, preparing to carry him into the house. It was late, and even if he wanted to do something, he would have to wait until morning. But...

"What the hell..."

"Crash..."

Could they be any weaker?

Just as Ye Zhou was about to lift the boy, the two brothers both stumbled and fell to the ground again, accompanied by a string of curses echoing through the entire yard. A seventeen-year-old young man couldn't even lift a boy who was already over six years old but looked no more than five, and who was so thin that a gust of wind could blow him away. How fragile could this body be?

Although Ye Zhou had already learned from the original owner's memories that this body was weak and effeminate, he still held onto a glimmer of hope. Who would have thought... he dared not even look in the mirror to confirm.

"Uh... Brother, what's wrong with you?"

Perhaps hurt from the fall, the little boy, Ye Huan, rubbed his eyes and asked in a drowsy voice.

"It's nothing. Let's go back inside and rest."

With a heart that was on the verge of collapse, Ye Zhou held the boy's hand, wanting to cry but unable to shed tears. He was gay, but he wasn't effeminate2. He didn't expect to become so weak. In his previous life, he had always done good deeds like Uncle Lei Feng. Couldn't the heavens treat him better? Didn't they know that if he hanged himself again, he might be able to return to the 21st century and his own body?

Well, our dear classmate Ye Zhou was really overthinking. "When heaven is about to place a great responsibility on someone, it first exhausts their mind and body." Skin and flesh are affected... In short, he could forget about going back in this lifetime.