Chapter 2, Confusion
When Gao Huaiyuan moaned and woke up asking for water, Liu'er felt as if her heart was about to burst with joy. The only person she could trust or talk to had finally returned to the world. With this, the Gao family would no longer sell her or kill her. Thus, Liu'er served this young man with even greater care, hoping he would recover quickly
A young servant, wearing a crooked little hat, swaggered into the courtyard without even glancing at the young man. He shouted at Liu'er, who was mending clothes, in a harsh tone: "Liu'er, our Fourth Madam wants to see you. Hurry up and come with me!"
After realizing all this, Gao Huaiyuan finally understood that his existence in the Gao family was actually dispensable. Otherwise, ever since he was struck by lightning, his father and the people in the household would not have failed to even cast a glance at him. His life and death were of no concern to anyone, which led Gao Huaiyuan to develop a strong sense of alienation towards the entire Gao family.
After waking from a coma caused by a lightning strike, Gao Huaiyuan did not see a single so-called relative come to visit him. The only one who had been by his side was a frail girl named Liu'er. Through their conversations, he learned that this girl was not his relative; she was merely a maid assigned to him by the Gao family. The reason for this arrangement was simply to have someone who did not want to work keep an eye on this once foolish young man.
He felt grateful towards Liu'er, who took care of him attentively all day long. Although Liu'er did not speak of it, he could tell that she had suffered quite a bit because of him. This made him secretly resolve that he would repay Liu'er well whenever the opportunity arose, and he would not allow her to suffer alongside him any longer. He had not yet become accustomed to viewing Liu'er, this maid, as a servant. In his previous life, he had not developed the mindset of categorizing people into different ranks. Naturally, he regarded Liu'er, who treated him the best, as his own family, while he felt no connection to those so-called relatives.
The young master, in name only, does not enjoy the same treatment as the other masters of the Gao residence. Even after Gao Huaiyuan was injured by lightning, he did not receive any special care and continued to eat the leftover scraps of the servants. In order to help Gao Huaiyuan recover quickly, Liu'er even took risks, sneaking into the kitchen at night to steal some good food for him. Thanks to her meticulous care, Gao Huaiyuan's health improved rapidly, and within a few days, he was able to walk again.
However, he was quite satisfied with this body. Although the foolish boy was only twelve years old, perhaps due to his simple-mindedness and good appetite, he was in good physical condition and quite sturdy. Over the past few days, he had been working hard to adapt to this new shell. Since heaven had granted him the chance to live again, he was already very grateful, and as for what kind of body he received, he could only make do with it
Huang Tao stood in the courtyard; at this moment, he could no longer be called Huang Tao, but should rather be referred to as Gao Huaiyuan, for he had completely understood what had transpired.
What troubled him even more was the issue of this era; he had inexplicably found himself transported to the Southern Song Dynasty, and it was only a few decades before the Mongol army would annihilate the Southern Song! Since his soul had been allowed to traverse time, why not send him to the powerful Han Dynasty or the prosperous Tang Dynasty? Huang Tao was very dissatisfied with this outcome
He attempted to inquire about the reason for Liu Er's tears, but Liu Er always evaded the question and refused to tell him. However, what was Huang Tao's role in this? He soon discovered the underlying reason, realizing that Liu Er was once again suffering because of him, taking the blame for his misdeeds, which led to her being scolded by that wretched Li. He felt quite distressed in his heart
However, Liu Er remarked that he had not possessed such strength before; it was only after his recovery this time that he began to exhibit this brute force. As for the reason why, both he and Liu Er were unable to clarify, but having strength was certainly better than lacking it, so Gao Huaiyuan chose not to delve into the matter any further
What delighted Liu Er the most was that the Third Young Master had been struck by lightning this time. After waking up, he seemed to undergo a significant transformation mentally. Although he still occasionally asked some questions that seemed a bit foolish to her, Liu Er could clearly feel that his speech had begun to exhibit a strong sense of coherence. Moreover, this Third Young Master would sometimes fall into deep thought, and his gaze no longer bore the previous vacant expression; instead, it possessed the light of a normal person, even appearing somewhat profound, resembling a wise adult. However, Liu Er could distinctly sense that his speech had begun to exhibit a strong sense of coherence, and this Third Young Master would occasionally fall into deep thought, with his gaze no longer showing the previous vacant expression, but rather the light of a normal person, even appearing somewhat profound, resembling a wise adult. Thus, she wondered if this lightning strike had cured his foolishness. Liu Er was not entirely certain, but she could affirm that the Third Young Master before her was already different from the past.
For this reason, Liu Er did not know how many times she had cried. If she had known earlier, she would have never allowed Gao Huaiyuan to climb the tree to retrieve the kite!
It was purely by accident that Gao Huaiyuan was born into the Gao family. His mother had once been a maid in the Gao household, and his father, after a chance drunken episode, took advantage of her, resulting in her pregnancy with him. However, his unfortunate mother did not gain any benefits from his arrival; rather, his birth cost her life. Thus, from the moment of his birth, he held a low status within the Gao family.
Damn it, it turns out he actually had incredible luck, his soul traversed, and unfortunately, it landed on the body of a foolish young man, taking over his form and becoming the third young master of the Gao family in Shaoxing
Since awakening, what has pleased him the most is this foolish boy's strength. His strength is somewhat unexpectedly great; at only twelve years old, he can lift over a hundred pounds with ease. Although this is a bit hard to believe, could it be that ancient people were all immensely strong? Regardless, since he has arrived in this chaotic world, having strength is certainly better than being utterly powerless. He is beginning to appreciate this physical form.
Regarding the origin of this body, Huang Tao is not very satisfied. What is wrong? Why was he, of all people, a foolish child who was neither loved by his grandmother nor cared for by his uncle?
What is even more lamentable is that after his birth, it was not until he was two or three years old that it was discovered he was a simple-minded fellow. This became a source of great concern for his father, who then neglected him entirely, allowing him to fend for himself. Remarkably, he managed to survive against all odds, which is indeed a miracle. However, within the Gao family, no one regarded him as a person; they merely provided him with the bare minimum out of basic decency, ensuring he was not starved to death as long as he did not cause trouble. Thus, while his status in the Gao household could be described as that of a young master, in reality, he was not much better off than the servants. Yet, within the Gao family, no one regarded him as a person; they merely provided him with the bare minimum out of basic decency, ensuring he was not starved to death as long as he did not cause trouble. Thus, while his status in the Gao household could be described as that of a young master, in reality, he was not much better off than the servants.
It is precisely because no one pays attention to him that no one knows that Gao Huaiyuan is no longer the fool he once was. The only one who knows this and is happy about it is probably the girl Liu'er. Since Liu'er entered the Gao residence, she has always been by Gao Huaiyuan's side, to the extent that her status has become the lowest in the Gao household. Anyone can bully her, and everyone can hit or scold her at will. Only this foolish Third Young Master has never hit or scolded her; sometimes he even foolishly calls her "sister." Therefore, in the Gao residence, Liu'er can only regard Gao Huaiyuan as her only family.
In the few days of contact, Gao Huaiyuan could feel that Liu'er was a very kind girl. Although they had no blood relation, Liu'er took great care of him, which made Gao Huaiyuan feel much better. Since he was able to speak, he learned a lot from Liu'er. Although Liu'er knew very little about the outside world, at least he understood his own background in this life and why he was so neglected by the Gao family.
However, in the aftermath of this lightning strike incident, the most displeased person was likely Li, the concubine of the Gao family. When Gao Huaiyuan fell from the tree, he happened to land on two orchids beneath it, which were Li's favorites. After the incident, unable to vent her anger on Gao Huaiyuan, she directed all her fury towards Liu'er instead. As a result, Liu'er has accumulated countless scars over the past few days. Each time she was summoned by Li to be unjustly scolded and beaten, Liu'er returned with tear stains on her face. Although Gao Huaiyuan did not know why she cried, he was acutely aware that Liu'er had been bullied again.
Recalling the heroic scene of that day, Huang Tao was also aware that his original physical body had long been shattered into pieces by the violent explosion, and returning was no longer a possibility. He could only wonder how much sorrow this would bring to his parents. However, upon further reflection, contemplating this matter had become meaningless. The government would likely bestow upon him the title of martyr and take care of his parents, and the compensation would probably not be insignificant, serving as a small inheritance he left for them. Moreover, his parents would inevitably be forced to attend various ceremonies and give reports for a period of time. After some time, he would be completely forgotten by everyone.
What he needs to think about now is not the past, but the future. He spent several days just trying to clarify the current situation. The mental legacy left to him by this foolish young master is indeed quite limited. The scattered information in his mind provides no effective assistance; it merely informs him that he has a father in this era, and that this father seems to be an official, suggesting a decent family background. He also has two older brothers, one older sister, and two younger sisters, which qualifies as a well-off family. However, in his impression, these people seem very unfamiliar. Among the information he has managed to gather, all he can recall are their mockery and scolding, with not a trace of warmth to be felt.
After talking with Liu Er for a while, Gao Huaiyuan began to exercise in the small courtyard. At this moment, what he needed most was to strengthen himself first, ensuring he had the ability to protect himself.
The incident of Gao Huaiyuan being struck by lightning terrified Liu'er. She was very afraid that this foolish young master would die just like that. If Gao Huaiyuan were to die, she had no idea what kind of punishment she would face. The most likely outcome would be that she would be sold again, not knowing to what kind of family she would end up, and what kind of suffering she would endure. Another possibility was that the master would beat her to death, making her a burial companion for Gao Huaiyuan. Thus, the fear of the future left Liu'er feeling lost and helpless.