Chapter 2: Ability
"Ah, don’t run!"
In a small yard enclosed by a simple wooden fence, Xiao Yan dashed on tiny legs, chasing a butterfly.
Lu Qing sat on a stone slab, holding a plant with tiny red flowers, staring at it intently.
In his vision, the red-flowered plant glowed faintly with a soft white light, and two lines of text appeared above it.
【Ox Bone Grass: Common quality, medicinal use.】
【May be effective for bone injuries. Useful when injured.】
It took him a while, but Lu Qing eventually pieced together what was happening.
In short, due to his strange arrival in this world, he had gained a supernatural ability.
Currently, the main manifestation of this ability was that whenever he focused his gaze on an object for a certain amount of time, the object would begin to glow faintly—and reveal simple descriptive text above it.
The longer he stared, the more information he received. But the data wasn’t infinite. There seemed to be a limit—something he suspected was tied to the color of the glow.
Gray-glowing items revealed only one line of text, no matter how long he looked.
White-glowing items, however, showed two or more lines.
And the Ox Bone Grass in his hand was the only plant he’d found around the yard that emitted a white glow.
Was this some kind of game interface?
Lu Qing recalled the occasional map-running games he’d played in his past life.
After a moment, he waved a hand. “Xiao Yan, come here.”
“Brother, what is it?”
The little girl trotted over with eager steps.
“Let me take a look at you.”
He gently brushed a dried-up leaf from her head, then fixed his gaze on her face.
After a few seconds, a soft white light shimmered around Xiao Yan. A line of text floated above her.
【Lu Xiao Yan: Human toddler, female.】
What kind of rubbish description was that?
A few dark lines appeared in Lu Qing’s mind.
But he kept watching.
A moment later, another line appeared.
【Poor little human toddler—she seems to be malnourished.】
Lu Qing froze. He glanced at the child’s dull, yellowish hair, and his heart sank.
“Brother, are you done looking?” Xiao Yan tilted her head up, eyes wide with innocence.
“Yeah, done. Xiao Yan, when you grow up, you’ll be a real beauty.”
He ruffled her hair, a soft ache in his chest.
“Beauty?” Xiao Yan tilted her head again. “What’s that?”
“Haha, you’ll understand when you’re older.”
Her childish curiosity lifted his mood.
No matter what the future held, right now, the most important thing was to care for this little girl—his only family.
It was also the final wish of the original owner’s dying heart.
And to survive in this strange world, he’d have to rely on this strange ability he’d inexplicably gained.
Thinking this, Lu Qing lifted the Ox Bone Grass and held it before Xiao Yan.
“Xiao Yan, do you know what this plant is? What’s it for?”
Xiao Yan stared at the blue-flowered plant, her brow furrowed in concentration. After a moment, she shook her head.
“No idea. But Zhang Ye Ye’s big ox—Big Cow—really likes eating this kind of grass.”
Lu Qing chuckled. He’d been so absent-minded. Of course, the original owner’s memories hadn’t included anything about Ox Bone Grass. How could he expect a child of only a few years to know?
But then Xiao Yan added, “Brother, if you want to know what this is, you could ask Chen Ye Ye. He loves flowers and plants. He always boils them into bitter water for us to drink.”
She wrinkled her face, as if remembering something unpleasant.
Chen Ye Ye?
Lu Qing searched his memory. Soon, a clear image of a kind-faced, slender old man emerged.
Ah, the village’s respected elder doctor.
A doctor?
Lu Qing’s pulse quickened.
Based on the description, Ox Bone Grass was clearly a medicinal herb. Could Chen Ye Ye know how to use it?
“Xiao Yan,” he asked, “when I was sick, did Chen Ye Ye come by?”
“Sure did!” she said. “You were sleeping all the time. I called you over and over, but you wouldn’t wake up. I was so scared—I kept crying. Then Chen Ye Ye came. He checked you and said you had Wind-Cold Illness. He made you drink some bitter medicine, and the next day, you woke up!”
Her eyes lit up. “Chen Ye Ye’s amazing! You just drank one bowl of bitter water, and you got better!”
Lu Qing fell silent.
Only he knew that the medicine hadn’t saved the boy’s life.
But now he remembered—during the haze of unconsciousness, he had vaguely sensed someone pouring something down his throat. The coldness in his body had been wrapped in a fragile warmth that protected his heart, carrying him through the agonizing fusion of minds.
Without that, his frail body might never have woken up.
So this Chen Ye Ye—really did have real skill. He’d saved him. He owed him a debt.
Just then, he felt a gaze on him.
He looked down. Xiao Yan was staring at him.
“What is it, Xiao Yan?”
“Brother… I’m hungry.”
Lu Qing felt it too.
He hadn’t eaten enough to begin with, and the half of a steamed bun he’d had earlier was long gone.
But he’d already checked. There was nothing left in the house.
The rice jar was so empty even mice wouldn’t come near it. If it weren’t for Zhang Ye Ye’s help, Xiao Yan would’ve starved during his two days of unconsciousness.
That thought struck him. He should’ve thanked Zhang Ye Ye and Chen Ye Ye properly. Without their care, neither of them might have survived.
But the house was so poor—walls bare, nothing but emptiness. He couldn’t even offer a token of gratitude.
For now, he had to focus on filling their stomachs. Thanking them could wait.
But where to get food?
Most of the family’s fields had been sold to pay for their parents’ funeral. The rest, left untended, yielded almost nothing.
Digging in the soil wouldn’t help—there was no time. Even if they planted now, the crops wouldn’t grow before they starved.
After a long moment of thought, Lu Qing stepped into the room where the original owner’s parents had lived. He rummaged around, then pulled out a small box containing a steel needle and some hemp thread.
The needle was thicker than a sewing needle from his past life—solid and strong.
He took it, heated it over the fire, then used a wooden stick to bend it into a hook. He pulled out several strands of hemp, twisted them tightly into a thicker, stronger cord, and tied the hook securely.
Next, he cut a flexible bamboo stalk from the cluster behind the house, tied one end of the cord to it.
Finally, he tied a small piece of dry wood onto the cord, just above the hook, to serve as a float.
And just like that, a simple fishing rod was made.
(End of Chapter)
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