Guang Province, a certain scenic area.
Tom and Lucia, after worshiping the Goddess of Mercy Lilli, asked a monk to perform a divination for them.
They bought two jade pendants, which were very expensive. The couple didn't have much money and were reluctant to spend it. Hearing the price made their hearts ache. The monk warned them that cheaper jade pendants would not have the same effect.
But the couple didn't really believe it — in their minds, sincerity was what mattered most. As long as they were devout, surely the Buddha would bless them!
Coming down the mountain from the other side, they took the cable car. The couple stood together inside the car.
Lucia took out the pair of jade pendants and asked,
"Dear, they say men should wear Lilli and women should wear Buddha pendants. Why is that? What happens if a woman wears Lilli instead? Or if a man wears Buddha?"
Tom teased casually,
"How about we switch? In our next life, I'll be your wife, give birth to your children, and you'll be my husband, supporting me and our family!"
Lucia nodded happily,
"Alright, it's settled! Next life, I'll be the man, and you'll be the woman!"
After saying that, she placed the Buddha pendant around Tom's neck and admired it — it didn't even look like real jade!
Tom then personally placed the Lilli pendant around Lucia's neck, feeling a pang of heartache as he looked at it.
"Dear," he said, "we're up so high, and there's no one else around. Should we relax a little? Maybe shout a bit?"
"Is that okay? What if someone hears us and thinks we're crazy?"
"Who cares? No one here knows us anyway. Come on, let's do it together!"
"Ahhhhhhhh!"
Their shouts startled the birds in the forest, echoing through the entire valley.
Then they felt the car swaying.
The couple grabbed the sides of the cable car tightly. Seeing it shake more and more, they screamed in panic,
"Help!"
The car continued to rock violently — then suddenly plunged downward. The couple barely managed to hold each other's hands; their other hands flailed helplessly, unable to reach the cable above.
"The monk…"
"Help!!!"
Their voices — a mix of male and female cries — echoed through the sky.
Tom and Lucia held each other's hands tightly. Both were screaming in their hearts:
It's over! We're dead! Forget about praying for children — we're about to be reincarnated ourselves!
Their faces turned pale as they shut their eyes in terror. Just before the crash, they clung to each other, wishing that after death, they could reincarnate together.
"Dear, let's be together again in the next life!"
"Alright!"
They had no close relatives; their house, their car, their savings — all of it was the result of half a lifetime of hard work. If they'd known this would happen, they might as well have donated everything to an orphanage!
If they had known things would end like this, would they still have come?
Would they regret it?
---
"Harrison! Hurry, faster! My son has a fever — bring the doctor to the house at once!"
"Yes, Captain!"
The carriage jolted violently. Perhaps the road was rough and the driver too anxious — the bumps made the elderly doctor inside dizzy and pale.
"Ouch!"
"Harrison! Steady! Slow down a bit!"
"Yes, Captain!"
The carriage sped down the country road like the wind, dust swirling behind it.
"Whoa!"
Before the carriage even came to a full stop, Milo jumped down quickly, clutching his stomach as he dashed toward the southeast corner. Despite his thin frame, he moved with surprising agility!
The old doctor steadied himself inside, then slowly climbed down. He hadn't even had time to grab his medicine box and, also clutching his stomach, hurried toward the southeast corner — the toilet!
It wasn't his first time visiting the Milo family; he already knew where the latrine was. And just now, he'd seen Milo sprint that way too!
"Hey, Doctor! Your medicine box!"
"Harrison, take the box to the Captain's son's room! No time to explain — it's your fault for driving so fast!"
Lucia felt a pair of gentle female hands placing a warm towel on her forehead. Her head ached unbearably.
"Wuwu… my poor child! It's my fault for not noticing sooner. Don't be afraid, son — your father went to fetch the doctor. He'll be here soon to make you better!"
The woman sobbed as she wiped her tears with a handkerchief, then slowly walked out to pour away the small basin of water beside the bed.
Lucia felt the hard wooden board beneath her back. Ever since getting married, she hadn't slept on such a bed. It was terribly uncomfortable!
Her head spun as she looked up at the ceiling — an old-style bed, with a mosquito net, and the roof made of tiled bricks.
How did she end up here? Wasn't she falling from the cable car with Tom? Had they… died? Or somehow been saved?
Where was Tom now?
She tried to sit up but felt dizzy and weak. After several failed attempts, she realized — she seemed to be only three or four years old!
How could this be? She had turned into a child? Had she… time-traveled?
She used to listen to time-travel stories on audiobook apps whenever she had free time. Could it be that she had actually done it herself now?
Seeing no one around, she secretly checked her body—
"Huh?!"
"Oh my god… it's sprouted!"
So it turned out that when women time-traveled, there were no rules — a woman could become a man too!
What about Tom?
Was he a man or a woman now?
Where was he?
Had he also time-traveled into this era?
Lucia still couldn't figure out what time period this was.
If she wanted things to go smoothly, she decided it was better to quietly observe for now.
She couldn't just blurt out questions like other time travelers —
"What year is this?" or "Where am I?"
After all, she was still just a little kid!
Children should be easier to fool, right?
Sigh, what kind of situation was this?
While Lucia was lost in thought, Milo, after finishing his "personal business," returned from outside together with the doctor.
The man who entered was a thin, middle-aged fellow wearing a gray long gown and a straw hat.
He had phoenix-shaped eyes, a high nose bridge, thin lips with a reddish tint, fair skin, and a neatly trimmed mustache — a handsome middle-aged gentleman.
But his outfit was confusing — he looked partly like a farmer, yet somewhat like a steward.
It was hard to tell what era this kind of dress belonged to!
What terrible fashion taste!
Following him was an elderly man with white hair, slightly hunched, carrying a medicine box on his back.
The old man sat down by the bedside right away to take her pulse — oh, so this was the doctor!
Then who exactly was that middle-aged man?
Half-awake and half-dreaming, Lucia felt her body stiff and weak.
Perhaps she wasn't yet used to this new body after time-traveling — and it was sick as well.
All she could feel was pain all over.
Oh heavens, how did she end up in such a frail body?
What kind of era was this anyway?
It looked like a time of hardship — bitter and poor.
She had already suffered enough in her previous life.
Why did she have to go through another life of suffering?
(End of Chapter)