Qian Cangyi stretched his hand forward, moving through the darkness. After walking for about five minutes, he saw a light ahead and quickened his pace toward it.
During this time, the surrounding darkness gradually began to fade, revealing its original appearance.
At that moment, Qian Cangyi was standing on a narrow dirt path in the countryside, just wide enough for three Homo sapiens to stand side by side.
"Good thing I wore sneakers when I left," Qian Cangyi thought to himself, feeling relieved.
He continued forward. With his keen eyesight, he spotted a figure ahead. "Is that Eagle Eye?" Qian Cangyi wondered with a hint of hope, quickening his steps. When he got close enough, he could see the person's face clearly. It wasn't Eagle Eye but a farmer with dark skin and a sturdy build.
"Should I greet him? After all, I'm now playing the role of Shi Haimin. Although Shi Haimin left to work as an adult, Yuxi Village is such a remote small village with a population of maybe only around a hundred Homo sapiens. It's possible not to be familiar with everyone, but not recognizing someone at all seems less likely." As he pondered, Qian Cangyi slowed his pace. "But I don't even know who this person is. How am I supposed to greet him? It's better to walk slowly, let him speak first, and then respond accordingly."
Contrary to Qian Cangyi's hesitation, the farmer sped up upon seeing him.
"Haimin! You're back?" the farmer boomed with a loud, robust voice.
Qian Cangyi waved his hand and smiled. "Yes!"
The farmer dashed over to Qian Cangyi and placed a hand on his shoulder. "You've become much more refined after all these years."
Despite the farmer's enthusiasm, Qian Cangyi's heart sank. He thought, "Thankfully, my appearance was automatically replaced, but this is way too tricky! They gave me nothing but an identity and a brief introduction, and now I have to interact with villagers right after getting off the bus. Do I have to get to know every Homo sapiens all over again? Even with the excuse of being away from the village for years, it's impossible to forget this much—unless the Shi Haimin I'm playing is a complete jerk."
At that moment, the manual in Qian Cangyi's mind began to flip through its pages. The farmer's appearance and name appeared in the manual.
[Shi Jingfu.]
Below the name were a few lines of small text introducing him.
[A close childhood friend of Shi Haimin. The two have a very intimate relationship. Whenever Shi Haimin faced setbacks, Shi Jingfu was always the first to comfort him and offer help.]
"Only now?" Qian Cangyi grumbled inwardly before speaking up.
"Jingfu, it's been so many years. You've grown even more solid!" After saying this, Qian Cangyi patted Shi Jingfu's shoulder as well.
"Hehehe," Shi Jingfu chuckled sheepishly. "Working every day, how could I not be solid? By the way, since you're back, you should go see your mother first. A few years ago, your family's house suddenly collapsed. After the village chief and a few elders inspected it, they said it couldn't be repaired. So, everyone pitched in and built a new house for your family, not far from the village chief's place!"
As he spoke, Shi Jingfu turned and pointed behind him.
Amidst the mist-shrouded mountains, scattered houses came into view. Following Shi Jingfu's finger, Qian Cangyi saw the largest tiled-roof house.
"That must be the village chief's house. Even though in the city, no one might even rent it, here in Yuxi Village, it stands out like a crane among chickens. The small house next to it must be 'my' home." Qian Cangyi withdrew his gaze. "Since Shi Jingfu is such a close friend of Shi Haimin, he must have contributed a lot to building the house—if not the most, definitely not less. I should thank him."
"Jingfu, thank you! I came back in such a hurry this time that I didn't bring anything. If there's anything you need help with, just let me know."
"Who do you think you're talking to? Don't mention it! Hurry back now!" Shi Jingfu withdrew his hand. "I have some things to take care of, so I won't accompany you. After I finish, we'll catch up tonight, brother."
"Oh, okay. Go ahead and take care of your business."
After Shi Jingfu left, Qian Cangyi set off on the path into Yuxi Village.
Since the villagers' houses were very scattered, Qian Cangyi didn't encounter any other villagers along the way.
Arriving at his own doorstep, he found the door wide open. Inside, a woman was sewing clothes with a needle and thread. She looked up toward the door, and her expression suddenly changed—her calm demeanor replaced by excitement. She quickly set down her work and ran toward the entrance.
Though her simple clothing made her appear somewhat rustic, upon closer inspection, her features were quite lovely—beautiful, even.
"This must be Shi Haimin's mother. Judging by the state of the house and what Shi Jingfu said earlier, it's likely that Shi Haimin's father has passed away, leaving his mother alone as a widow. Now, the question is: after years of separation, as mother and son reunite, should I call her 'Mother'? Better not. Even though it's 'acting,' I'm not mentally prepared for it." Qian Cangyi ultimately decided against it.
The manual in his mind flipped again. As before, the appearance and name of Shi Haimin's mother appeared on a new page.
[Shi Xi.]
[Shi Haimin's mother. After Shi Haimin's father passed away, she single-handedly supported the entire family. She is a strong woman.]
Shi Xi ran up to Qian Cangyi and hugged him tightly. "My child, you've finally returned!"
Qian Cangyi sighed inwardly and gently patted Shi Xi's back. "I'm back."
"Let Mother see if you've suffered outside." Shi Xi let go, took a step back, placed her hands on Qian Cangyi's shoulders, and stared into his face.
"Let's go inside first." Qian Cangyi took Shi Xi's hand.
"After all, I'm not Shi Haimin. It's hard to conjure up certain emotions. Moreover, unless necessary, I shouldn't immerse myself too deeply in the role I'm playing. It might cloud my judgment or provoke me into making mistakes due to certain situations." Qian Cangyi analyzed internally.
Shi Xi said "good" three times in a row and pulled Qian Cangyi into the house.
"This house was built with the help of everyone in the village. Although it's not as good as our old house, it's still decent." Shi Xi said this with her back turned to Qian Cangyi. "You must be hungry. I'll make you something to eat!" With that, Shi Xi headed toward the kitchen.
"It seems life was very hard for Shi Haimin and his mother after his father died," Qian Cangyi thought with a sigh.
At the dinner table, Shi Xi asked many questions, mostly concerned about Shi Haimin's life outside and whether he had found a woman he liked, among other similar topics.
Qian Cangyi brushed off all these questions.