The chicken coop in the farmhouse was located in the courtyard, crudely enclosed by wooden fences. It was muddy, damp, and piled with filth.
Dressed all in white, Ji Si landed, his body stiff; twenty chickens took off in unison, creating quite a spectacle. Accompanied by a shrill female voice piercing the night, the atmosphere suddenly intensified.
“Thief! Catch the thief!” Lights blazed on the second floor of a house, “Chicken thief! Someone’s stealing chickens!”
The shouts ignited the village like a beacon of war. Perhaps due to the usually peaceful days, no one wanted to miss out on the excitement. The older generation cursed while the younger ones grabbed sticks, and a crowd quickly encircled him, flashlight beams weaving into a net.
Closer, ever closer…
It wasn’t that Ji Si lacked the time to escape; rather, he squandered the moment on an unnecessary detail.
He noticed a latrine.
A miserably indescribable latrine.
Under a tattered plastic canopy and bordered by a leaky fence, it leaned over a cesspit brimming with filth. With no door to shield it, it faced the chicken coop, merely three meters from where he had landed.
He was just a hair’s breadth from a fate worse than death at the prime of his life… Compared to that, landing in a chicken coop was indeed a stroke of fortune!
He hardly had time to breathe a sigh of relief before a woman stormed out of the house, her voice booming like a bell: “Thief! Chicken thief! Catch the chicken… chicken… thief…”
Her voice trailed off, weakening significantly. She stood frozen, as if caught in a still frame.
In the dim light, Ji Si slowly turned his face.
His moon-white robe draped over him, his long hair silky smooth. Strands of black hair were woven into small braids, held by slender silver branches, the tips cascading down like water, blunting all sharpness.
His features were striking, his eyes and brows picturesque. A gentleman should indeed look like this.
As he looked back into the light, warm and elegant, even the moon and stars seemed to lose their lustre.
In that moment, the frightened chickens transformed into holy white doves, the flying feathers morphed into colorful falling blossoms, the filthy chicken coop gained a hundred layers of filters, turning into the Garden of Eden. Even the villagers’ flashlights seemed like glow sticks at a pop idol’s fan meet…
What started as a “village-wide effort to catch a chicken thief at midnight” instantly changed to “a fan meeting event for a celebrity,” all in the blink of an eye.
The woman’s lips quivered, and after a long pause, she managed to finish her earlier exclamation: “Chicken… you’re too beautiful!”
Ji Si flashed an embarrassed yet polite smile.
“Young man, it’s so late, what are you doing dressed up like this in the Jin Guihua’s chicken coop?”
“I… was inspired by the chickens to dance.”
…
Dressed flamboyantly and fond of dancing with chickens in the middle of the night, “spirited young man” Ji Si, thanks to his handsome face, managed to avoid being sent to the local police station.
However, while he could dodge bad luck, life’s challenges were harder to escape.
The items Ji Si brought from “Reincarnation” to the new world included a universal ID card that still worked, but the rest couldn’t easily be pawned off. Even solid gold and silver, once traded, could cause trouble.
Wealth should be concealed; people’s hearts are unpredictable.
Ji Si was not afraid of any threat, but he also refused unnecessary trouble. He chose this world to complete his “mission,” not to make enemies with everyone.
When in Rome, do as the Romans do. He would eat what they ate and use what they used. It was a new life, a new experience, which could very well be treated as an immersive game.
But his immediate concern was acquiring some commonly accepted currency. He needed ordinary clothes and shoes, and a regular smartphone.
However, earning money was indeed a problem…
The town’s market was bustling, with numerous shops but saturated job opportunities. Judged as an oddity by the locals from one end of the street to the other, he stood in front of a bus stop for a while, studying the route map.
Accustomed to carriages, shuttles, time machines, and starships, riding a bus was indeed a novelty.
After learning that the bus fare was two yuan, Ji Si slowly walked over to a utility pole plastered with ads for infertility treatments and stood there quietly leaning on his staff.
With his striking good looks, he eventually attracted his first “customer.”
The hardware store owner, Sun Guoyu, having nothing better to do, watched Ji Si for a long time. He had run his shop in the town for over thirty years, and the faces passing by were all too familiar.
A new face was a rare occurrence and deserved a closer look. Once he started, he couldn’t stop… To be honest, he had never seen such a handsome young man in his life.
Thinking of his niece who had been single for 26 years, Sun Guoyu rubbed his hands together, feeling that meeting Ji Si was fate. Why not play matchmaker? Who knows, it might just work out?
With good intentions, he approached.
“You’re a new face, young man.” Sun Guoyu smiled amiably, offering a cigarette with practiced ease, “Where are you from?”
Ji Si declined the cigarette with a smile: “Jiang Nan. Thank you, I don’t need it.”
A non-smoker, good! Reliable, someone who knows how to live life and take care of a wife!
Sun Guoyu grew even friendlier, asking for Ji Si’s name and then probing, “Are you here waiting for your girlfriend?”
Ji Si replied, “I have no family. I am here just to conduct business.”
“What business?”
“Fortune telling.”
Sun Guoyu: …
“Divination costs only two yuan,” Ji Si continued, asking only for what he needed at the moment, “just enough for a bus ride. Would you like to try?”
A perfectly decent-looking young man, a street swindler by profession? Two yuan per fortune might not be much, but given his handsome face, the volume could be substantial, couldn’t it?
No wonder…
A person of his appearance and stature, why would he come to this remote town to do business? Shouldn’t he be pushing his way into a big city?
Only in their backward little town, steeped in outdated beliefs and full of superstitious old people and judgment-lacking kids, could he swindle and earn his way!
Earning ill-gotten wealth at such a young age instead of following a proper path, it’s time he learned a lesson!
Sun Guoyu’s smile faded: “Okay. Then take a look at my face, when can I leave this wretched town to become a millionaire, a successful big boss?”
Ji Si replied calmly: “In your dreams.”
Sun Guoyu: …
Because of his too straightforward manner, the High Priest not only failed to earn a coin from his “customer” but also didn’t get a “next time for sure.” Instead, the irritated customer dragged him down a back alley, turned three corners, and came to a “legitimate” fortune-telling stall.
The blind fortune-teller, wearing a light yellow Taoist robe and loose hair, lifted his sunglasses and locked onto them with uncanny accuracy. He quickly put away his phone, straightened his back, and posed like a sage.
He sat on a small stool, a clutter of items spread before him on a small table—coins, a peach wood sword, red string, cinnabar, and various unidentifiable ointments. The most conspicuous was a yellow banner with black writing: “Detailed Life Analysis, Bone Weighing, Dragon Searching, 10 yuan per session!”
10 yuan! Bold, highlighted, emphasized!
Ji Si: …
Sun Guoyu rolled his eyes discreetly and sat boldly on another stool, extending his hand to the blind fortune-teller, asking, “Half-saint, can you read my palm and tell me about my life’s fortune?”
The blind man grasped his hand, symbolically touching, pinching, and weighing it.
After a moment of contemplation, he began to tremble slightly: “This, this is the destiny of great wealth and honor! In nearly thirty years of reading fortunes, I’ve never encountered such a powerful fate! This is it, the aura!”
Ji Si: … Great wealth and honor? Powerful fate?
His greatest fortune in life was only when his lawful wife was willing to give him money…
Sun Guoyu listened with satisfaction: “Go on.”
“You are simple and honest by nature, destined to possess endless gold and silver.” Isn’t anyone simple enough to give me money owning endless gold and silver by running a hardware store?
“Suffered from acne in your youth, prone to breakouts and boils, which will clear up as you mature.” Who doesn’t have acne during puberty?
“Many friends, all well-connected, and because you are loyal and brave, they are mostly willing to help you in times of need.” All from the same village, sharing the same surname, it would be awkward not to help.
“You possess talent, wisdom, virtue, wealth, and your children are filial. In your old age, your grandchildren will surround you, bringing great joy. The only thing you lack is a bit of luck. Remember to do more good deeds, give more to charity, and come back to me for a ritual to repay your karmic debt, and fortune will naturally turn in your favor, and you will be wealthy.”
Seeing Sun Guoyu’s brows furrow slightly, the blind man quickly changed his tune: “If you don’t engage in these trivial activities, it’s also fine. You are born to wealth, if not rich today, you will be tomorrow, just wait!”
A load of nonsense, as if the Bull Demon King were flying in the sky.
Sun Guoyu generously gave the blind man ten yuan, rising radiantly, and as he passed Ji Si, he sighed: “That’s what you call a fortune-teller. You’re more like a death sentence.”
“You can’t even speak kindly. I regret giving you two yuan!”
Ji Si: …
He began to understand why his friends said their world was indescribable.
“I’ve learned a lot, and I’m grateful.” Ji Si smiled formally, polite and gentle, “Thank you for showing me around and enlightening me.”
“But our paths diverge here.” Ji Si looked towards the distant bus station, his gaze following the road even farther, “So, I wish you… peace and smooth sailing.”
He nodded slightly at Sun Guoyu, leaned on his staff, and walked forward, his sleeves fluttering, embodying a carefree elegance.
Who knew that after just three steps, Sun Guoyu hurried forward, stuffing two coins into his hand: “For the auspicious words you said, here.”
“Don’t engage in deception, find a proper job, or you won’t find a wife.” He advised earnestly, “You’re still young, it’s okay to start over if you’ve taken a wrong turn.”
Ji Si smiled, his expression tender.
The true glow of humanity always shines brightest when kindness is given. He genuinely felt this warmth.
He accepted the divination fee, and with a note of seriousness, he reminded, “When you get home, remember to take the money from under the shoe insole and give it to your wife.”
“Ah? You, you… How did you know I hid the money in the shoe insole? No, why should I give it up willingly?”
“Your wife has already found out.” Ji Si’s eyes showed sympathy, “If you don’t confess voluntarily, you will never see wealth again. Remember to kneel sincerely.”
Sun Guoyu: …
Why do you know this?
After a while, Sun Guoyu said hesitantly, “Young man, my niece is 26 this year, gentle and wise…”
Ji Si laughed, “Without a proper job, one cannot find a wife. I take your advice to heart and won’t engage in deceit.” He would not interfere, cutting off someone else’s destined match.
This was to avoid karmic retribution.
Sun Guoyu: …
1 thought on “Chapter 2 – The Second Ray of Light”
Aw, man, I love his novel already! Seems fun and comedic (already saw that in the first chapter but ssssh!). Lovely chapter, I shall read them all right now. Thanks for the chapter!