Daniel jumped out of bed and ran to the table, grabbing a mirror. His face was dark, and his hair was disheveled. It was clearly the same silly face he had in high school. Had he been reborn? Looking at the calendar, it was April 16th, 2002.
He really had been reborn. Back in high school! Could jumping off a building really have such miraculous consequences? Thinking about this, Daniel couldn't help but ponder. Traditionally, the first thing a reborn person would think about is how to make money. One of the major events in 2002 was the World Cup, but it only lasted a month and a half. Where would he get so much money to gamble?
Looking back at the small house he'd lived in for over a decade, he realized it only had two bedrooms and a living room. His parents shared one room, and he and his younger sister shared the other. He glanced at the old, worn-out wooden bed behind him. He and his sister had slept together there until they went to university. Thinking about this, Daniel felt a nosebleed coming on. His mind was filled with lewd thoughts; he seriously questioned how he'd survived those past ten years. Even though she was his own sister, he'd slept with her for so long without any romantic feelings. Banishing the obscene thoughts, Daniel decided he couldn't rush things. He needed to slowly figure out how to make money. He got up, put on his familiar school uniform, and headed towards the school.
Daniel was born in a small village with no road access, but the village had a considerable population, about seven or eight hundred households, though they were scattered. The only middle and high school were located in the town. Because it was a relatively poor place, the high school and middle school shared the same campus. The school was called Lotus Middle School, and its location was quite good, situated not far from Daniel's home, only a twenty-minute walk away.
Daniel's father had two brothers and a younger sister.
[A/N: Daniel's Father - George Miller
Second Uncle - Gerald Miller
Aunt - Grace Miller]
George was the eldest son. His younger brother, Gerald Miller, was mute, so no woman wanted to marry him. Eventually, he spent $800 to marry a mute woman from a neighboring village.
They lived happily together for five years, having two daughters. Then, Gerald was killed when a boulder fell on him while he was cutting down trees in the mountains.
His mute aunt, along with her two young daughters, wept bitterly over her husband's ashes. The youngest sister, Grace, grew up to be a renowned beauty. She was always withdrawn and rarely interacted with others. After graduating from teachers' college, she resolutely returned to her hometown and became a teacher at a dilapidated primary school in a mountain village. She received only a little over $200 a month in living expenses, but she was happy with it. No matter how others tried to persuade her, she wouldn't listen.
The situation was much simpler on his mother's side. There were only two sisters in the family.
[A/N: Daniel's Mother - Julie Cooper
Aunt - Jessica Cooper]
His mother, Julie, was the eldest, with a younger sister, Jessica, nearly twenty years his junior. His maternal grandmother, having a daughter late in life, doted on her like a precious treasure. In reality, she was a year younger than Daniel, naturally lively and cheerful, and always liked to tease her older nephew.
However, Daniel still had some doubts. His mother looked dark and aged, her former charm gone, while his aunt had delicate features, almond-shaped eyes, and an oval face. With a little makeup, she could be quite alluring. Did his grandmother, at her advanced age, still have affairs?
As I walked, I arrived at the school gate. Judging from the time, it was probably already the second period. The discipline master, who was known for his strictness, was standing at the gate waiting for the late students. There were already ten latecomers standing behind him, each with a deadpan expression on their face, as if they had been scolded!
"Daniel, why are you late too?" asked Sunny, the discipline director.
Daniel was a model student in high school, His grades never dropped below tenth in the entire grade. He was definitely a strong contender for university admission.
Daniel knew that as long as he acted well, he might be able to get through this situation. He looked a little listless and clutched his stomach, saying, "Director, I stayed up too late reading yesterday! My stomach got cold and has been hurting since I woke up this morning. I had no choice but to come over as soon as it got a little better."
"Are you alright? If you're not feeling well, just take a leave of absence and rest at home. Studying is a good thing, but you can't ruin your health!"
Sure enough, Sunny immediately looked concerned and said...
Daniel immediately adopted a heroic, death-defying stance: "No way, Director! I'm already in my second year of high school, I can't fall behind. I'll cry myself to death if my grades drop!"
Sunny was immediately moved to tears. What a wonderful student! Even when sick, he didn't forget to study. The future of the school depends on this kind of perseverance. "Then you go up first. I'll talk to your homeroom teacher later. If you really can't stand it, go home and rest! It's a pity that Dr. is off today, otherwise I would feel at ease if you went to the infirmary to see him."
"No need, thank you, Director! I'll go upstairs now."
Daniel spoke weakly, glanced at the people behind him who wanted to slap his face, smiled smugly, and walked into the school gate.
"Director, this is not fair! We were both late, so why are we being punished?"
Immediately, someone who didn't know any better raised a protest.
Sunny smacked his head hard and scolded, "You bunch of brats, you're late either because you sleep in or you go out to play at night. If you're so capable, learn from Daniel. He's been in the top ten of the whole grade since he started school. If you can achieve that kind of academic performance, I won't care if you're late or you don't come to school at all."
As Daniel listened to Sunny's reprimand, he chuckled to himself as he walked.