Chapter 0002: Basic Needs

However, over the span of five thousand years, with the rise and fall of dynasties and the turmoil of wars, how many years have truly been a time of peace and prosperity, and how many years have the common people genuinely experienced the taste of sufficient food and clothing

"Being healthy, young, and muscular is truly wonderful!" Li Jincheng gazed at the bulging muscles of his arms and couldn't help but let out a deep sigh of appreciation

Li Lian'er, whose mouth was almost watering, immediately pouted and huffed twice, yet did not object. This time, it was Li Jincheng who felt embarrassed; after all, he was a young man, and having an elderly person and a little girl watch him eat made him feel uncomfortable, no matter how thick-skinned he was.

After a moment of silence, Li Jincheng suddenly stood up: "Father, I am full now; you and my sister can continue eating."

Due to years of continuous warfare, there were quite a few orphans in the village adopted to carry on their family lineage. Furthermore, with the efforts of Li Jincheng being well recognized, everyone directly overlooked the identity of Li Jincheng's adopted son, genuinely regarding him as the young clan leader of the Li family

In the midst of the turmoil of war, everyone is facing difficulties, so Li Cheng symbolically accepted a few eggs as a gesture. However, this is sufficient for the three members of the Li family to improve their meals a little.

Because Li Jincheng knew that he could not stay in this room for another second, otherwise he might lose control and let the tears flow. In that moment, he finally understood why the people of ancient Huaxia were the most simple, obedient, yet the most hardworking group of people. Their demands were truly not high; as long as they could fill their stomachs and support their children, that was enough. In that moment, he finally understood why the people of ancient Huaxia were the most simple, obedient, yet the most hardworking group of people. Their demands were truly not high; as long as they could fill their stomachs and support their children, that was enough

The current version of myself is so incapable that I am unable to provide for the basic needs of three individuals

However, it must be said that the spring water of this era is clean and the wild vegetables are healthy. Although they have not had sufficiently abundant food for a long time, Li Lian'er and Li Cheng do not show any obvious signs of ill health on their faces, and they even appear somewhat rosy.

In the past two days, lying in bed, Li Jincheng has been able to skillfully control his limbs and thoughts. At this moment, his limbs are strong, and it is evident that the muscles on his abdomen and chest have been developed through years of trekking in the mountains and fields. His skin tone is also a healthy wheat color, which is a stark contrast to the image of himself in his previous life, which was covered in flabby white fat.

"Brother, it's time to eat!" A clear call came from outside, as a little girl around ten years old, with her hair styled in double buns, jumped out and waved her arms at him.

With his hand frozen in the air, Li Jincheng fell silent for a moment. He carefully inserted the chopsticks into the bowl of scrambled eggs, dividing it into two large portions and one small portion. He quickly picked up the small portion and ate it, then pushed the bowl towards Li Lian'er and Li Cheng, saying: "Father, sister, you two can each have half; I have already eaten."

When a person is hungry, they hardly care about what they eat; the priority is to fill their stomach. As for Li Jincheng, he can only silently swallow his tears in secret. After so many days without the scent of meat, and not even a glimpse of grease, this is nothing short of hellish torment for a modern person accustomed to a life of abundant food.

"Brother, you should eat it instead," Li Lian'er hurriedly pushed it back. "You usually love this the most, yet you always let me have it. This time, it won't do."

Thus, Li Jincheng forcefully endured his hunger, pushing the bowl of eggs in front of Li Lian'er, while he himself enjoyed a mouthful of wild vegetables with great relish

Only when he got out of bed and moved his limbs around the room did he truly feel the strength of this body

Li Cheng, sitting beside them, silently watched as the two pushed the bowl of eggs back and forth across the table. Finally, he could not help but tap the table and said, "One half for each, everyone should have a share. If you two keep pushing it around like this, it will get cold!"

For people of this era, this can already be considered a decent meal

Looking up at the astonished Li Lian'er and Li Cheng, Li Jincheng suddenly felt a pang of heartache

He kept walking briskly until he reached the fence of his home, extending his hand to lean against it. Li Jincheng finally came to a halt, breathing heavily. The fresh mountain air washed over his chest and abdomen.

However, Li Jincheng soon shook his head vigorously, realizing that he was indulging in nonsensical thoughts. When did a small white-collar worker, who could not even manage his own affairs in the past, become a saint? In this chaotic world where the weak are preyed upon by the strong, who knows if he can even survive himself, let alone manage others?

Li Lian'er waited until Li Jincheng sat down before gracefully bringing over the bowls and chopsticks to hand to him. Li Jincheng immediately smiled at his sister. Li Cheng slowly walked over, smiling as he said: "Come, come, come, these are eggs from the old hen in the mountains, meant to nourish the child. You shouldn't compete with your brother for them, girl"

Li Lian'er and Li Cheng were instantly stunned, neither of them spoke first, only tears were faintly swirling in their eyes. Li Cheng's hand trembled slightly as he picked up a chopstick of wild vegetables: "My children, it is your father who is incapable, unable to even fill your stomachs, but there is nothing to be done. In this day and age, to seek a full belly, one basically has to risk their life. Your father is old, and alone, how can I support both of you!"

In that fleeting moment, he vaguely understood that his presence here was not merely for his own sake, but also for the father and sister in the room behind him. Looking at his own hands, Li Jincheng felt a profound sense of powerlessness

Li Jincheng did not become the master of this body for no reason. The original Li Jincheng rolled down from the hillside outside the village and fell into the stream at the bottom of the mountain. Although he did not suffer much in the way of external injuries, when the villagers picked him up, the original soul had already dissipated, replaced by another soul from fifteen hundred years later

But who would have thought that heaven would not fulfill human wishes? The son of the Li family fell down the slope, and everyone exerted great effort to rescue him, only to find that he had gone mad. Fortunately, the wandering Taoist priest that Li Chenghua had hired with a large sum of money was able to completely drive away the evil spirit from the mountains that had attached itself to the son of the Li family. In these past few days, Li Jincheng has been lying peacefully in bed, while the number of visitors from the village coming to see him has nearly worn down the threshold of the Li family home.

Li Jincheng nodded. After his mother's death, he was raised by the village patriarch, Li Cheng of the Li family, which is why he carries the Li surname, and his name was also given by Li Cheng. After all, at that time, his mother died during childbirth due to shock and did not clarify her surname or name, leaving the villagers at a loss.

The head of the Li family in this generation is Li Cheng, but Li Jincheng does not understand why Li Cheng only married and had children in his forties or fifties. Unfortunately, he only had a daughter, and his wife, due to her advanced age, became weak after childbirth and passed away a few years later

As soon as he finished speaking, he turned and walked outside

I have only endured this suffering for a few days, yet they have endured it for ten years or even thirty to forty years, and they are destined to continue suffering for a long time to come

In the entire village, there are three surnames: Li, Zheng, and Song, which naturally form three families. Each family has its own clan leader and occupies a designated area within the village. Matters of varying importance in the village are typically discussed and decided upon by the clan leaders of the three families after they meet.

Moreover, due to Li Jincheng's innate diligence, he not only learned a vast number of ancient texts and poems from Li Cheng during his youth, but also devoted considerable effort to other village affairs. He led a group of able-bodied men to help build the houses of several widows and orphans in the village. Regardless of their surname, whenever the villagers mentioned the Li family's son, they all praised him enthusiastically