Section 5, A Glimmer of Dawn

Jon's heart sank

Then he heard a voice coming from behind.

So, this is not a dream

Shan Jia prepared breakfast for the first time, and the eggs were a bit burnt, but Qiong En did not mind these details

When Jon woke up, he found that the sunlight was piercing his eyes painfully. He frowned, struggling to adjust to the light that was not actually very strong. After a few seconds, he finally opened his eyes and discovered that he was lying on the lower bunk—Sanja's bed—covered with her quilt adorned with pink teddy bears.

Upon waking up in the morning and finding herself naked in an embrace with Jon, Sansa, although surprised, did not pay it much mind. For a seven-year-old child, there is still a lack of clear gender awareness—there is a saying: people in the world can be divided into three categories: men, women, and children.

Jon's previous life, before his time travel, naturally included parents, but their relationship was not good. They had been arguing since Jon could remember, and eventually, they could no longer endure it and divorced. After Jon graduated from high school and was accepted into university, he finally escaped from that home filled with cold wars. After that, until graduation and into his career, he never returned and had no desire to go back

Jon felt a chill run down his spine, and every hair on his body stood on end

But I am indeed lying on Shanjia's bed

Jon had a deep impression of this quilt. Before the age of six, he and Shanja had slept together under the same quilt; after his sixth birthday, their mother said they would sleep separately from then on, setting up bunk beds and buying new quilts for both siblings.

Qiong En and the book quietly breathed a sigh of relief; the seven-year-old girl indeed had a relatively simple mind, while it was he who had overthought things.

But Jon knew she was merely comforting herself; what could she do? She had no relatives or friends to borrow money from. Jon had been in this world for seven years and had never seen her parents or had any dealings with relatives. She did have a few friends, but they were all equally poor.

Just as this glimmer of dawn was about to fade away, the goddess of fortune finally bestowed upon him a faint smile

Fifty-seven gold coins, for some individuals, is a meager sum, but for their small business, it represents a significant amount. As Jon knows, when their parents were still alive, the store could only earn a few dozen silver coins a year, which amounts to just a few gold coins. Now that they have passed away, relying solely on Jon and Sansa, two children around seven or eight years old, it is nearly impossible to earn fifty-seven gold coins in three years.

After all, it is the person who has raised him, cared for him, spoiled him, and looked after him for seven years

Because tears silently slide down the face

***

Shan Jia was not by his side, and the bed was empty and desolate. Jon sat up naked, still a bit dazed. After a while, he regained his composure and realized that his clothes were draped over the chair by the bed

Jon and Shanja followed their mother to the market. Shanja immediately took a liking to a quilt featuring pink teddy bears. In contrast, Jon chose a checkered pattern, which was rather conventional and lacked any distinctive features

Revenge is not an easy task, especially in a situation where there is a significant disparity in status. The enemies are two wizards, both said to be of noble birth, and due to the official news blackout, the brother and sister duo cannot even find out their names or appearances; even if they could, what could two merchant children do to exact revenge?

What killed them was a reinforced fireball, which instantly turned them into charred remains, their bodies fused together, unable to be separated

For Shan Jia, what she is truly contemplating at present is revenge

Jon knelt down, reaching out to touch the gravestone, his fingertips slowly tracing along the patterns, outlining their names. "Dad, Mom," he whispered, "I'm sorry."

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Essentially, Shan Jia is very tough and stubborn

"Isn't this what you've always hoped for?" Shan Jia said, her expression calm as if she were merely stating a matter she had contemplated for a long time. "Two merchants cannot take revenge on two wizards, but if one of the merchants becomes a wizard, then there is hope—unless you would prefer to become a priest?"

Jon naturally would not be willing

"Within three years, we need to earn enough to acquire fifty-seven gold coins." After the siblings finished their breakfast completely, Shanjia paused for a moment before speaking

"Do not be sad anymore, Jon," Shanja said softly, her own eyes already wet, but she held back her tears. "They will watch us from the realm of the goddess, seeing us live happily."

Why? Jon was taken aback

These two sentences were spoken in Chinese, and also in the language of the *Book* which was Jon's previous life, so Shanja naturally did not understand; it only sounded to her like her brother was inexplicably producing a meaningless noise. Jon did not wish to elaborate further, stood up, and prepared to return.

Thus, Jon has always believed that he has little emotional attachment to his parents, whether in his past life or this life

According to the customs of the City of Shadows—specifically, the traditions of the ancient Naiseryl Empire—the citizens of the City of Shadows, who are descendants of the Naiseryl Empire, observe the thirtieth day after a loved one's passing as a day of memorial.

I just recalled a sentence. "Jon remained silent for a moment, then spoke

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Jon is about to turn seven years old, with three years remaining until he reaches ten. The family originally had sixty-three gold coins, and with the addition of eighty in compensation, they are still short fifty-seven gold coins for tuition.

The tree wishes to be still, but the wind does not cease; the child wishes to care for their parents, but they are no longer present

However, seeking revenge is not easy

Shan Jia gently placed the white flower down, while Qiong En stood quietly beside her, staring blankly at the familiar name on the tombstone

However, it seems that Shanjia has no intention of pursuing the matter, or rather, she does not take it to heart. Perhaps it is because the two of them slept together every day during their childhood, only separating at the age of six; nowadays, even if Qiong'en crawls into her bed again, it is not considered a big deal.

Recalling the events of last night, Jon couldn't help but feel a bit guilty, worried that she might question why he was sleeping in her bed—especially in the nude, and possibly still holding each other when she woke up. Although he could use excuses like "You had a fever last night, and your body was cold" as a pretext, it would ultimately be somewhat troublesome

Yet it is merely a glimmer of dawn

However, how did I end up lying here by myself

He rushed into the kitchen and then saw a seven-year-old girl wearing an apron

The weather was clear, and Jon and Sansa arrived at the cemetery. Their father and mother were buried together, not to save space or reduce costs, but simply because they could not be separated

What?

However, there are indeed only two people left in the family—specifically, two children who are just a few days shy of turning seven years old

"Because the tuition for the wizarding school is two hundred gold coins, our family originally had sixty-three gold coins," Shanja said, evenly packing a pile of shadow orchid powder that she ground yesterday into a small bag, "and their minimum enrollment age is ten years old"

He put on his clothes, walked out of the bedroom, and did not see Shanjia, but he heard some noise coming from the kitchen. Jon felt a surge of joy in his heart; could it be that last night was truly just a dream, and that his father and mother were safe?

Do you want me to become a wizard

"I’m up," Shanjia said, busying herself without looking back. This work was usually done by her mother, and she was not familiar with it, inevitably a bit clumsy. "Just wait a moment, breakfast will be ready soon"

Jon looked at Shanja, and perhaps it was the telepathic connection between twins, or perhaps it was the nearly thirty years of experiences from past and present, but he suddenly knew what Shanja was thinking in her heart

In fact, he also really likes this pink teddy bear

The siblings ate breakfast in silence. Shanjia did not speak, and Qiong'en felt a bit uneasy, unsure if she was upset about the events of last night. However, although the little girl did not have a smile on her face, she was not gloomy either; her expression was quite neutral, seemingly indifferent, as if nothing had happened.

What?

Revenge

But it seems that it is wrong now

Well said

In the nearly seven years of their relationship, Jon has come to understand Sansa very well. She is gentle, calm, and well-behaved, not lacking in spirit, yet always quiet and unassuming. However, these are merely appearances, or rather, they are not just appearances, but they do not represent her true essence.

Her smile is clever and sweet, with a deep-seated charm hidden within her bones, yet this does not escape Jon's notice. For this is precisely the type of woman he favors most.

Jon was momentarily lost in thought, only just recalling the events of yesterday. Suddenly, it felt as if everything was a dream; the unexpected passing of his parents in this life, Shanjia falling ill with a fever, him wiping her body and holding her to sleep—everything seemed somewhat unreal, as if he had been dreaming last night

Because he retained the memories of his past life, he did not truly regard his parents in this life as his "real parents"—at least, that is what he has always believed in his heart

It is just that, since it is Shanjia rather than mother preparing breakfast... it is definitely not a dream

I will find a way, don't worry, Shanjia said

Well, thanks to my deceased parents—though this may sound disrespectful and unfilial, it is merely a statement of fact—Jon's dream of becoming a wizard has finally seen a glimmer of hope in the deep darkness of night

It was only when he truly experienced loss that he realized some things are not as simple as they seem.