Outside wind was blowing yard and inside Li Mei was sitting by the window and was reading one if those books that spoke about people going back in time and getting second chance in life.
The book actually had five transmigrated people inside in five different countries that never met each other and never knew that they err not only ones transmigrating.
The five stories were taking each fifth of the book but even if they were short stories they were interesting and gave her many ideas.
When she came to the last page she saw a strange writing popping up in it.
*If you as well want to have a chance to live in past, you have to be ready for it. We give you one hour to make chocie of things you want to take with you. You get space of 100 cubic meters and that's it. But this offer will be open only for one hour. After that this book will be gone as well memories of ever reading it. The book is just explanation of other people lives so you can make own choice. We give many people second chances. But many don't remember it. So, what do you want?*
A second chance?
She glanced at her old couch she was sitting on and the window that had cracks but was glued by her with some plastic cover so cold wind wouldn't get inside.
Her own parents disliked her so much that they chose to let her live in old house where her grandparents died ten years ago and they never repaired or repainted this thing.
She glanced at multiple buckets that were gathering rainwater she used actually to wash herself as they forbade her to use shower in house.
Does she really wants to stay here?
Her younger sister stole her place at work by sleeping with their boss, her brother stole her savings that she wanted to use to buy her own small apartment for his gambling debts and as thanks her parents just kicked her out of house.
Hah. Her life was not happy feoms tart on but she was resilient and could survive even in this crazy neighborhood that had many wicked people.
No, they were not rich but her parents acted like they were and caused many to be greedy for things they didn't have.
She looked down at book an realized the book had time counter and only twenty minutes were left.
This is real?
She can have second chance in life?
That means she will die here?
Thinking of her heart paining for a while she realized she really would die earlier or later anyways.
So she calmly stood up.
"I agree. Give me the space."
They lived literally behind one of largest stores in surroundings and she was now tired of scraps her parents always used to feed her.
She will steal.
Suddenly in her mind was brightly lit open space. Hundred cubic meters as promised.
Li Mei calmly gathered the buckets, the old bed that was just fine as it is.
Her grandparents left clothes and she just gathered it with bags, old baskets, few tools in corner they used to turn small garden they had and old iron pot that was hanging on wall.
That was it.
She looked towards the house and shook her head. They had not many things and stealing from them would be ridiculous.
Let them live as they want.
She calmly went to the iron gate at back of store, summoned whole gate into the space and then placed it aside.
This is easy way to just enter.
Storage was full and she calmly went from packages to packages and just summoned things she knew from book she will need astehy were expansive and rare.
Salt, sugar, grains, beans, meat, oil, vegetables and packed food in glass jars.
Seasonings in whole row she took it all, yeast, backing powders and such.
She glanced at the book cover in her hand and was stunned as she realized that the time froze to twenty minutes.
Well she rearranged things in the space and placed the clothes and many things inside the bed bunk, then started gathering things inside more and more.
Finally as things couldn't get inside anymore she again stopped and strated moving them with her mind left and right.
Thinking of her parents that have barely food to eat, she went back home to their pantry and placed few bags of rice, filled their cuporad with various cans and pickled jars and their post with food she sighed.
She didn't hate them even if she should. Right?
Is she fool or is she used to be treated like stupid person? Does it matter?
She glanced at tuem that was still feozena nd at the space in her storage and thought of health.
Maybe medicine?
She glanced at the apothecary that was on next street was in open and had no back door and gulped loudly now.
Well, she already robbed one store.
She calmly crossed street that still had people walking and stood in front of the apothecary .
It was still open.
She went inside and a heard two people arguing. "I'm telling you do obey. If you can't, get the hell out of my store!"
"I will never agree to sleep with such ugly man. For work? I have a degree. Why would I sleep with you. It's not like I don't have options. Tsk."
A young woman grabbed her bag and left while an older man in his fifties passed the stunned woman and rushed after the young apothecary.
The store was empty. The man was already across the street and was arguing with the girl, causing many yo gather there and make a video.
A police car stopped and grabbed the man and took him and the girl to police station and the store was now completely empty.
With flabbergasted expression Li Mei just went to gather common medicine she knew from before.
And in passing she saw few adds about various medicines so she gathered them as well, just in case.
Of course she as well added various brushes, baby medicine, older people medicine and prenatal medicine, causing the gap she opened to slowly fill.
This small apotheke had even pads and such so she got all she could find and went at back.
She got stunned to see walls glued with various adds about medicines and she flatly gathered each of them from shelves.
Suddenly a she saw a fridge.
She opened it up and saw familiar vaccines, special medicines and even some medicines she never saw before but saw on the adds on the wall.
She gathered them all, grabbed various needles and found in dusty corner some medicine books.
Well, reading is never wrong. Right?
Seeing that storage still had some space she looked around small changing room and grabbed all things the two people left.
Including man's things. Why not?
Suddenly a beeping came from the book and she saw that timer started to fount again.
Oh, so she had only twenty minutes left?
She turned doff light, closed the door and looked around.
Li Mei saw an old store selling ancient things. There was old man sleeping in corner and when she entered the gate made sound but he just continued to snore.
"Can you at least tell me in what time period will I go? So I can get some money?"
Yes, there are various coins in whole baskets shown.
Suddenly two baskets started shining and one box.
Her lips twitched. I guess, this was only way for them to show her what she can use.
She summoned the two baskets with simple coins and the box she didn't open yet and just left.
From corner of eye the old man saw her leaving and smiled. "Good luck little girl."
The store slowly disspared and no own noticed this store except her.
The place where she was inside was now only empty side street filled with garbage.
Li Mei looked around and saw a group of people throwing whole bags of buns and complaining they were stale.
No one came to pick them up buts he flatly grabbed all bags and left back home.
They just shook their heads not knowing Li Mei was actually happy about it.
Stale buns my foot. Just reheat them and you can eat for days.
The bit of space was refilled.
The sound on the book again resounded.
Five minutes left.
She went into her house and heard her family snoring. Without anyone waking up she grabbed her father's old military backpack. For some strange reason he always willed it with things, fearing they will have to leave one day.
Inside was warm blacked, some dry rations, his military pot, knife and even gun she had no idea he had.
There was a box with bullets and a packet with thousands of dollars.
Did he plan to leave?
She placed his money into his secret stash in his shoe and rushed back to the street.
There she just walked few steps and felt her heart pulsating heavily.
A woman stopped as she saw her pale face. "Are you ok?"
Li Mei grabbed her heart and slumped to the ground and pointed at her house. "Tell my parents I love them. I always did. I hope they live happily in future. Auntie, you definitely have to tell them... I forgive them. You tell them... I forgive ... "
She really did.
The moment she got second chance and knew she will anyway die, she left the resentment behind and forgave them.
With last breath she smiled and closed her eyes while around thepeople gathered...