Lian Hua acted on his words immediately. First, he asked for leave from the school. If the school went looking for him, noticed he wasn’t there, and informed his cousin, what should he do? He and Zhao Jing were “missing” for so many days already, but no one came to ask about them! He really didn’t know what to say. Was the difference between people that great? The mentor didn’t even come to ask how he was. Could it be that this was a normal occurrence? What sick leave, Bai Lianhua missed school like that quite a few times. Was he really so weak that a push could send him sprawling? Didn’t you see the line the book used to describe the white little sister*? He had two dimples in an ever worried smile, he looked a little sick, his eyes always held tiny tears, and he had a voice as soft as a whisper.

*Sarcasm for Bai Lianhua. Not sure if they’re saying he’s pure (white = pure) sarcastically or calling his name OTL.

Lian Hua ran a few steps, but he was too excited, so he didn’t notice that the airflow didn’t reach his lungs and his heart also wanted to give out. Not good, this is too weak! Lian Hua suddenly felt as if the long road ahead was blocked by a huge mountain.

It was tragic. Lian Hua covered his gla.s.s heart, fearing that even a little accident could shatter it. Heavens, where did his previous healthy and robust body go? Lian Hua roared. This really was a white lotus.

Even moving his hands and legs was like a weak willow in the wind. How was he supposed to fight monsters when the apocalypse was just around the corner? This was a serious problem!

It seems the most pressing issue is physical improvement. Fortunately, Lian Hua had expertise on this issue. Haha, after he transmigrated, Lian Hua had money but not an eight pack. Don’t think wrong, in his old world, he was—— a fitness trainer! He was actually a strong and mighty man, had body covered in firm muscles, and allured countless young men and young women! Ay, the past cannot be chased, those memories were like a cold wind blowing. Looking at his present body, the flesh at the stomach was soft and flabby and there wasn’t much meat on the arms either. Not good, at least he should re-train his abdominal muscles.

Lian Hua was so tired that he could stop breathing at any moment. He called the school while out of breath to ask for a month off from school. The other side agreed immediately.
-_-Did it need to be like that? Was the other person either really used to this, or was it a privilege of the upper cla.s.s? In any case, he didn’t need to worry about school any more.

Right now, his cheap cousin was trying hard to get pig leg back and probably didn’t have time to care about him. It was just the right time to use the excuse of looking for a present for grandfather’s upcoming birthday celebration to leave S city.

When his cousin picked up the phone call, Lian Hua heard tiredness in his voice. No way, who told you to eat out of the pot while looking at the bowl[1]? The s.l.u.t is hypocritical, you can dump other people, but other people dumping you is an unforgivable crime? Towards the kind of pinching, pulling, kneeling and licking or whatever, Lian Hua didn’t have any way to understand this kind of feeling. In his point of view, love is between two people. A third person definitely shouldn’t stick their nose in. If you can’t be faithful, you should just break up!

“What’s up?”

“Cousin, that is… I want to prepare a birthday present for grandfather. These days I won’t be in S city, don’t worry about me.”

“Alright, up to you!” Bai Yi snapped the phone shut. Lately his mood

wasn’t good. Even his cute little cousin couldn’t comfort him.

Xia Zhi[2] broke up with him and without Xia Zhi’s support, the company fell apart. There was also Jiang Huai of the Jiang clan who came all the way from the capital to S city and started paying attention to Xia Zhi. Bai Yi knew Jiang Huai was scheming something indecent towards Xia Zhi, and was furious that Xia Zhi would actually let someone else be so close to him. That Jiang Huai had a paralyzed face, with no expression, just like a dead person, how could he be more handsome than Bai Yi?

Xia Zhi seemed to have said that he wanted to open a super market. He got in touch with contacts all over the place to import goods, food, clothes, not missing a single thing. There was even electrical appliances, gasoline and diesel. There was even a rumor that he asked Jiang Huai to buy guns and ammunition. Hmph! Did Bai Yi not have contacts? He definitely couldn’t be suppressed by Jiang Huai. However, he couldn’t figure out where Xia Zhi hid his supplies! Was Xia Zhi cautious of him? So heartbreaking, how could Xia Zhi treat him like this? Could the feelings of many years between them be worth less than that deadpan face?

As a result, Bai Yi was not far behind in the crazy race to gather and buy supplies, guns and ammunition. He was even scolded by old master Bai[3] until all the blood that rushed to his head started ringing with the echoes of the taunts[4].

However, when old master Bai heard that the Xia clan and the Jiang clan were storing supplies, and that some families with good relations to them were also coincidentally gathering supplies, he panicked and also rushed to dispatch someone to import goods. The old man remembered that there were some rumors earlier and decided to prepare one step earlier just in case. He learned from the other families and summoned all of his descendants in advance. However, Bai Yi stubbornly refused in the face of life or death to return, saying that he wanted to get Xia Zhi back. Hmph! It’s only a man. Furthermore, he was a descendant of the Xia clan, their rivals. Can two men stay together for a lifetime? It’s only a man, after playing around, they would eventually get married and have children. Old master Bai decided not to care anymore.

Lian Hua’s plan was very good, it took advantage of the time pig leg was rus.h.i.+ng around with his cousin. After all, pig leg didn’t intend to acquire jade before anything else. Before the apocalypse, jade was very valuable, it was better to h.o.a.rd food. After the apocalypse, it was much easier to get valuables treasures like gold and jade. Casually bringing along some food could be exchanged for a whole bunch. Besides, apart from pig leg, no one knew about the use and method of using jade. Of course, that didn’t include this fake white lotus!

As for why pig leg didn’t leave the dangerous S city? Lian Hua expressed, this one is just a commoner; how could he understand pig leg’s thinking process? If he were to be taken by pig leg and made into a meat s.h.i.+eld, he could only die!

Basically, staying at this area would allow them to fight higher level monsters, once again establish connections with those in the past life, and even obtain critical resources. If you wanted peace and prosperity you wouldn’t mess with those! In any case, you could also deepen affections with your comrades when within critical life or death situations. Pig leg could also provide them with cultivation methods, helping them become more powerful! Afterwards, pig leg would have the biggest foothold in this world’s capital. Anyone who owes him or maltreated him, he would demand full compensation. And anyone who was good to him, he would repay them double.

Lian Hua took all of his gold and jewelry sans the jade to the p.a.w.n shop and dealt with it first. Then he took the villas here* and at the capital to an intermediary to have those dealt with cheaply. There was no choice, Lian Hua asked them to pay the full amount and quickly because he urgently needed the money!

*At S City, but it just said “here”.

With this and that, he gathered an additional fifteen million. Right now he had thirty one million in the bank. This was an amount of money that he couldn’t even see in his dreams in his past life. Of course, after the advent of the apocalypse, money turned into useless sc.r.a.ps of paper.

In the following days, Lian Hua ran around to several farmer’s markets. He chose to buy a variety of crop seeds. Don’t forget that in the future he’s a wood esper! There’s vegetables, crops, wheat seeds, rice seeds, radish seeds, and even white cabbage seeds.

Lian Hua thought these things would be easy to buy, but the truth was like lighting from clear skies, making him want to scream and cry.

“Boss, give me some radish seeds!”

“Nope!”

“…”

“Boss, sell me a bag of white cabbage seeds!”

“We’re out of stock!”

“…”

“Boss, take out a bag of rice seeds!”

“Ay, you came too late, someone else bought all of it already!”

“…”

…

N markets later—

“Boss, no matter what kind of seed, gave me a pack!!!”

“Ah, a few days ago, a young man came and bought all the seeds I had! That brat was really handsome, and warned me to save grains for myself!”

“…”

*Pout*, are you not going to let people live? Pig leg, your brilliance is so illuminating, so bright that there isn’t even a shadow! Lian Hua’s tears overflowed. Pig leg was too cruel, the cannon fodder wanted to vomit blood.

Lian Hua felt extremely lost. Could he not escape from pig leg’s shadow his whole life? So exhausting.

He was ready to go home, these days were rather haggard.

“Bop!” Suddenly, someone slapped his shoulder. Lian Hua jumped in shock and looked back. It turned out to be the boss of the last stall he just asked around in.

“Brat, seeing as you look anxious to buy seeds. How about you come to my place, my house has a lot of seeds that we’ve kept for ourselves. We can actually give you some.” The middle aged boss’s eyes crinkled as he smiled at Lian Hua.

Lian Hua suddenly felt that the uncle in front of him was an angel. Those deep wrinkles couldn’t cover this uncle’s charm!

Therefore, Lian Hua hauled a.s.s and ran after the uncle, climbing onto a cargo truck which dawdled out of town. After more than two hours, they finally stood in a village.

Wow, this village was a good place. The scenery was a beautiful as a painting, the people simple. Lian Hua comfortably enjoyed the home cooked family dinner that the uncle’s wife made, and was even warmly invited to stay the night. The evening also pa.s.sed by happily, the aunt dragged Lian Hua over by the hand and constantly rambled and nagged about all sorts of large or small issues. Lian Hua didn’t find it a bother. He hadn’t experienced the compa.s.sion of a loved one in a long time.

Lian Hua’s parents and younger brother all died in a traffic accident. At that time, Lian Hua was only fifteen years old, and his younger brother was only thirteen. He had to endure much suffering just to live, finally training a muscular body. After a lot of hard work, the owner of the gym finally took a fancy towards him and allowed him to become the lead fitness instructor. Before that, he took on all kinds of odd jobs, such as carrying sand bags, being a small time thug, collect protection fees, and beat whoever needed to be beaten. However, all this has pa.s.sed! The day his life would turn around was just around the corner, but he was. .h.i.t in the head by a book and came here. It really was bad luck.

When Lian Hua mentioned that he was about to go to YN province, the two other people stood up in shock. It turns out they had a son, but this son liked men and was driven out of the house. It had been several years since they heard any news. Right now the old couple really regretted it. So what if our son likes men? It’s fine as long as he’s happy. Right now they especially missed this child. They wanted Lian Hua to help search around YN province and tell that person that they have forgiven him and hope that he could return home as soon as possible.

Lian Hua promised and the wife couldn’t stop her tears from spilling. Lian Hua and the uncle quickly coaxed her.

The uncle found a photograph and handed it to Lian Hua. The photo was a bit yellowed around the edges, but it was well taken care of. Squinting to look carefully, ah, it was a very handsome teenager, smiling widely with two small dimples. When he flipped over the picture, there were two words written on the back— Le Xi[5].

The next day, Lian Hua held the variety of seeds that the villagers had given him and sat on the back of Uncle Le’s truck. The seeds were carefully individually packaged by Aunt Le! Not only were there seeds, he was also given heaps of fruit from the house. They really were warm hearted villagers. Lian Hua was a bit overwhelmed. If he said he hated the fruit with the spit on it, he wondered if Aunt Le would get angry.

Uncle Le refused to take Lian Hua’s money. Lian Hua could only urged him to store more food and go out less before going out the door. Uncle nodded his head rapidly before seeing him off.

Lian Hua had to go, but he still wanted to warn Zhou Jing first. After all, they were both cannon fodders, supporting each other was good. But he couldn’t figure out how to get in contact and could only leave behind a note that basically warned Zhou Jing to quickly get out of S city. The best thing to do would be to go to the capital, if not, he could go to YN province to look for Lian Hua… Right, right, remember to stock up on supplies, don’t believe in strangers, and a bunch of long winded things. It was as if Lian Hua turned Zhou Jing into a little kid and was advising him as if he were four or six.

Finally, Lian Hua shed tears as he said farewell to the place he only stayed at for a few days. He only carried on his back the seeds, checkbooks, keys and a backpack filled with jade as he stepped on the flight to YN province.

Translation Notes:

[1]I’m pretty sure that usually this is the other way around. Instead of being with the person he’s dating (the bowl/Xia Zhi), Bai Yi is sleeping around with other people (looking in the pot).

[2]I forgot to mention in one of the earlier chapters, so I’m reiterating here. Xiao Zhi (少至) is Bai Yi’s nickname for Xia Zhi (夏至). The first one uses a prefix that means small and the second one is his family name, which means summer. I forgot that they look similar in English… There’s a certain nickname down the line that also makes me wonder if I should just use “Little” instead, but since it’s more of a t.i.tle, I’m going to keep it as Xiao.

[3]This term (老爷子) seems to be specifically used for the head of a large and famous family, or just as an extremely respectful way to address some old guy. So I used old master even though it technically only means “old father”.

[4]This…was a really weird and complicated expression to translate. 狗血淋头 “Dog’s blood shower overhead”, broken down, refers to:
1. Long story short, dog’s blood by itself means that something is overused or cliché.
2. Shower overhead, in this case, refers to how old master Bai was cursing up a storm.
3. You can use these words to infer that old master Bai was using the same words over and over again (dog’s blood), and all of it fell on Bai Yi’s head like a shower of rain.
This explanation is thanks to my friend Zombie cưỡi Lợn. Cám ơm em nhé!

[5]While this surname is usually romanized as Li, in this story there are a bunch of other people named Li with a different character, so I’ve decided to switch to the less common version Le. As I understand it, Le(黎) can have the meaning of happiness while his given name Xi(希) means hope.
Side note: This is… arguably my favorite character and we share the same last name.

Translator’s Notes:

Read this first at mirrortranslationsblog.wordpress.com

Lian Hua’s obsession with body building amuses me to no end. This chapter was hard to translate. There were a lot of really weird phrases.