Quick Transmigration: Always Just a Passerby

Chapter 20 Famine Years, No Escape (Part 1)

When Jiang Ping woke up again, he was in a farmhouse that was clearly an ancient one.

This time, she transmigrated into the body of a bachelor raising his nephew. The original owner of this body was named Zhang Daping, a resident of Dashu Village. His parents, elder brother, and sister-in-law had all passed away, leaving only his young nephew, Zhang Maolin, and the seventeen-year-old original owner to depend on each other for survival.

After a few years of living hand to mouth, they encountered another drought that resulted in a complete crop failure. Zhang Daping had no choice but to take Zhang Maolin and follow the villagers to leave the village and head north.

The journey was fraught with natural disasters and refugees, making it incredibly difficult until the uncle and nephew fell behind and were tragically devoured by the refugees.

The original owner's wish was to raise Zhang Maolin to adulthood, and for him to marry and have children.

Now that the villagers were about to flee the famine, Zhang Daping decided to take Zhang Maolin to live deep in the mountains, teach him some martial arts, and then let him come down to live when the harvest was better.

As for going with them to escape the famine, forget it. There are too many people around him, so he can't use his spatial abilities properly. It would be easier to find a place to clear land and farm.

So, just as dawn broke and the villagers began to leave in droves, Zhang Daping led Zhang Maolin to the back mountain.

He had already scouted the area deep in the mountains and found a cave that was not easily discovered where he could live. There was also land nearby that he could cultivate and grow things. He also carried over large items from his home, such as a large water tank, pots and pans, wooden cabinets, and a cart.

My nephew Zhang Maolin is eight years old. Like other villagers, he is dark-skinned and thin. Because he is often hungry, he looks a bit like a big-headed baby.

While his uncle was working in the fields, he would stay home and feed the chickens, cook, and dig for wild vegetables, just like others. He even learned to sew and mend. It's no wonder the original owner was worried about him because he was so sensible.

Just as Zhang Daping suddenly decided not to flee the famine, the child did not question it. He simply said he would listen to his uncle, and then filled the two baskets to the brim, waiting for Zhang Daping to say that they should set off.

I must say, it's surprisingly worry-free.

The Zhang family was poor, but after Zhang Maolin searched through their belongings, he still managed to find quite a few odds and ends that he could take with him to get by.

As for what they told the villagers...

Zhang Daping just needs to activate the "Audience Aura"...

Before the villagers left, he used rain-making talismans on the drought-stricken areas. Even though there was only one rain, he made sure everyone stored water in containers before setting off.

*

Big Tree Village is nestled against the mountains, yet the villagers only dare to dig for wild vegetables and gather firewood on the outskirts. Rumors circulate that wild animals often roam the area, and some villagers have even disappeared there, so no one dares to venture in to try their luck. At the foot of the mountain, near the village, only withered grass and tree stumps remain.

Whether the road up the mountain was easy or difficult didn't really affect Zhang Daping. The original owner had worked hard all year round, and Zhang Daping had taken some strength pills and body-strengthening pills after he came, so he could now walk as fast as he could, and he even had Zhang Maolin wrapped around his left arm.

As for the baskets that Zhang Maolin had packed, both the front and back were hung on Zhang Daping's body, which was covered with insect repellent powder. The old hen from the family was hanging on Zhang Daping's right arm, trembling.

They stopped halfway to rest and drink some water, but Zhang Maolin refused to let his uncle carry him any longer. He felt dizzy, and his clothes were torn by tree branches.

He took a sip of the spiritual spring water from the damaged space that Zhang Daping had given him, and found it incredibly sweet, which cleared his mind.

"Uncle, this water is so sweet."

Zhang Daping simply replied perfunctorily, "Yes, it's so sweet."

Zhang Maolin felt as if his uncle had said something, yet it was also as if he hadn't.

Less than fifteen minutes later, the uncle and nephew got up and continued on their way without any hesitation.

They walked and stopped along the way. As they went deeper into the mountains, the plants in the mountains began to turn green, and there was a faint sound of flowing water. Finally, they arrived at their destination at noon.

Perhaps Zhang Daping had already moved some of his belongings over, because Zhang Maolin didn't feel unfamiliar with the cave; on the contrary, he felt at ease and even had the mind to talk to Zhang Daping.

"Uncle, will Gou Dan and the others come back to the village?"

"We'll know when they get back."

"Uncle, we won't starve to death now."

"Yes, yes, you're absolutely right."

"Uncle..."

Fortunately, the child didn't ask why only their family went up the mountain; that would have been difficult for him to explain.

Beside the cave was a mountain spring with a small, dripping stream that gathered in a stone pit below, enough for Zhang Daping to use the damaged version of the spiritual spring water.

After finishing their mixed grain pancakes on the stone bench at the cave entrance, the two got up and busied themselves. They had the child sweep up the mud and fallen leaves in the cave, while Zhang Daping went around to look around, pick up some dry branches, and dig up some wild vegetables.

*

It wasn't completely dark yet, but Zhang Maolin was exhausted and sleepy. After all, he was just a child, and after his excitement, he quickly lay down on the straw-covered wooden plank and fell asleep.

Zhang Daping then slipped a martial arts manual into a crack in the rock. This manual was a body-strengthening technique based directly on the illustrated moves, perfect for use in a low-level martial arts world without spiritual energy. It was a shared resource that Tongzi had downloaded for free from the group; he simply aged it before printing it out for use in the small world.

After finishing all that, he asked the system to keep an eye on the child. He made several trips back and forth, carrying all his belongings upstairs, and then built a stove before stopping.

The fire at the cave entrance flickered. Unable to sleep, Zhang Daping leaned against the cave entrance and chatted with the system. After gossiping about Zhang Dazhuang, the male lead who had lost his memory and was picked up, he started complaining that he had transmigrated into a man this time.

"Host, how does it feel to be a man?"

"Damn system, you'll see what I mean when you buy a male character skin next time."

"They don't want that talent."

"Have you caught a virus? Should I report it to the Quick Transmigration Bureau for you?"

"Host, you really have no sense of humor."

Spring goes and autumn comes.

The two of them kept clearing land and farming in the mountains. The area was completely plowed flat. They would only go down the mountain occasionally to exchange for salt and cloth.

Zhang Maolin found the martial arts technique hidden in the crack of the rock and even dragged Zhang Daping to practice with him. Zhang Daping pretended that his talent was not as good as his nephew's.

Having mastered martial arts, they gained another source of income: they went hunting to earn money and even became friends with the monkeys in the mountains.

Zhang Maolin went from being beaten up to being able to beat up the Monkey King simply by using him as a sparring partner. The monkeys didn't kill him because Zhang Daping had given them spring water laced with health-enhancing pill powder.

As for why no wild beasts or refugees came to the cave before, Zhang Daping only said that they might have been lucky. In fact, they used a formation and beast-repelling medicine he had prepared in his previous world.

Now Zhang Maolin is well-fed, tall, and tanned, and looks much more energetic. He usually likes to think about food and practice martial arts.

He didn't mention going down the mountain to live there. He had observed that few of the original villagers of Dashu Village had returned, and he heard that they had all settled in distant places.

The system says that she settled down in Ancheng with the male protagonist, and there wasn't any melodramatic story.

Not long ago, an elderly scholar moved to the village, and Zhang Daping sent Zhang Maolin down the mountain to study.

The reason is to avoid the embarrassment of having to learn new characters on the spot if he encounters other martial arts methods that require literacy in the future.

Okay, Zhang Maolin agreed with this reason, but he just couldn't sit still. After studying for a few years and passing the preliminary examination, he stopped going to school. Fortunately, Zhang Daping wouldn't force him.

However, he still respected his teacher and often brought him some wild game, fish, shrimp, and dried goods to add to his teacher's meals. Even though he no longer went to school, he did not forget to send some things during festivals.