Chapter 2

A Strange Experience

Strangely enough, despite having lived for just over twenty years, her soul didn’t feel much attachment to her own death.

Perhaps it was because she had never set any clear goals or expectations for the future. A thought crossed her mind—would she get to see her late grandfather and grandmother again?

Did life after death truly exist?

She had been dead for a while now, but even she wasn’t sure. All she could do was think about those she had left behind. She wondered how devastated her parents and older brother must be.

…That was probably her only regret.

But this place was so mysterious. Sali drifted through an endless void, an infinite emptiness. She had always assumed that when people died, their souls would leave their bodies, floating around to observe things before being dragged off to face judgment in the underworld.

But after pondering, she felt a chill thinking of the descriptions in books she'd read in her spare time. Sali was confident that she had done many good deeds in her lifetime, but she wasn’t a perfect person who had never done anything wrong. Therefore, her spirit comforted herself that no one was perfect. So, being in her current state was probably normal, just like anyone else.

After settling her thoughts, she allowed herself to drift freely…

But time in this empty void seemed to stand still. Eventually, she grew bored. Her mind, once filled with constant activity, longed for something to do. But when she looked around, there was nothing. She let out a deep sigh.

If only there were some books to read, that would be nice, wouldn't it? It would be a good way to pass the time while waiting for the Grim Reaper to come collect her…

It seemed like her thoughts were being answered, as the void around her suddenly manifested countless books for her to choose from. Though Sali was momentarily startled, she had been idle for so long that curiosity quickly overtook her hesitation. Her slender fingers reached out for a book at random, and she began reading it with earnest concentration.

She didn’t know if this knowledge would ever be useful to her, but the many fun stories she read were etched into her memory. She realized that every tale in existence—whether fictional or real—was not only born from a writer’s boundless imagination but also carried lessons and experiences that could not be found elsewhere. There were many teachings to be learned from them and applied to her own life.

Sali continued reading, unable to stop. In this place, there was no sense of fatigue or exhaustion. Tales, novels, myths, and stories passed before her eyes endlessly. Every piece of information she consumed etched itself into her memory without her realizing it. Books that she had finished reading vanished the moment she turned the last page. She had no idea how much time had passed. But based on her non-stop reading marathon, she could estimate—

It must have been years…Thankfully, there were no wrinkles or gray hairs to show for it. It was as if time itself had frozen. She hadn’t read every book in existence, but she chose only the ones that resonated with her—the ones that felt meaningful and useful in some way.

She wasn’t sure how any of this knowledge would benefit her, but Sali felt that it was fun. The longer she remained here, the more she began to understand how extraordinary this vast, empty space truly was.

It was a miraculous dimension, responding perfectly to her desires.

When she wished to practice a skill but lacked a teacher, she found ways to teach herself. In the end, she didn't know how much time had passed, and her conception of time began to fade.

She didn't know how many years had passed, but she felt that she had reached a point of saturation and no longer wanted to learn anything more.

And with that realization came a deep desire for rest. She set down the tools she had been using to pass the time, and the moment they left her hands, they vanished. Before long, a massive, luxuriously soft bed materialized out of thin air.

A giant, pastel pink pillow and a body-length bolster, even larger than she was, sat beside it. The mattress looked as soft as a drifting cloud. Its presence weighed down her eyelids, making them grow heavier and heavier. She yawned widely, as though wanting to swallow the stars. Her eyes were slightly moist from excess tears, though there was no sadness in them.

The soul of a 22-year-old woman felt as if she was about to face true death. Perhaps time had momentarily halted because her mind was making one last desperate attempt to resist it. She could only hope that the underworld, as people often described, wouldn’t be too cruel to her.

"Sigh… this feels so comfortable," Sali murmured, utterly free of sorrow, as soon as she lay down on the massive bed. Her consciousness began to blur. Or was she ascending to heaven?

"If reincarnation is real, just let me be born rich next time. That’s all I ask. I… just want to live a chill life, pampering my skin with luxurious treatments every day… Oh, and please let me die after my parents. That’s all I want, okay?" Her final prayer seemed as if it was meant for the gods of fate—if they even existed.

Her soul drifted away, never hearing the response from the god of death who had been listening all along.

"What nonsense. Are you sure this is the right person?" A grim reaper—one with a face as handsome as that barista from the café—shook his head slightly. Moments later, another figure, identical to him as if they were twins, stepped forward from behind.

"You’ve got the right one. But from here on out… if she starts complaining, don’t summon me to listen... Just thinking about it already gives me a headache."

As soon as the second figure finished speaking, both of them vanished. Moments later, this dimension began to collapse rapidly. The once-empty void disappeared entirely, replaced by a vast sea of twinkling stars, shimmering with a stunning, radiant glow…Sali’s consciousness gradually returned, but she began to be surprised...

This dimension didn’t have the same atmosphere as the real world. There was no sensation of heat or cold, no pain or fatigue like she had felt earlier. Her soul furrowed its brow in frustration. And the body she was in mirrored the movement exactly.

(Shit… could it be…?) Sali felt a pang of fear. Her mind processed the information even faster than her actual brain ever had.

(I survived?! Holy crap, what kind of merit did I accumulate to deserve this!?) Her consciousness was gradually becoming more coherent, and she feared that the pain she was feeling now was the result of being hit by a car.

(Okay… I can wiggle my toes. My fingers work too. But why do I feel so weak? And why is this air conditioning so cold? Jeez, I need to tell Dad to turn it down, brrr…)

She kept grumbling internally, failing to notice the glaring inconsistencies. Why was all the knowledge and training she had gained in that void still vividly intact? Perhaps the brain had a way of lying to itself.

But as time passed, and no one came to check on her, Sali began to grow anxious. When she considered the situation carefully, it became clear why she, a victim of a recent car crash, was lying in a quiet room, with no nurses around, no one changing her IV fluids, and no beeping machines indicating her vital signs. The bed she was on felt hard, not soft and comfortable like a hospital bed.

The atmosphere was eerie enough to send chills down her spine.

The soft sound of a wooden door opening was followed by a creak that echoed like something ancient. The person, still in a nearly vegetative state, summoned every ounce of strength to force her eyes open. She had to see what was happening. She needed to complain. How could a hospital treat a patient this badly? This was nothing like the hospitals she knew.

"Mother…" A tiny, hoarse voice whispered beside her ear. A warm, damp cloth was gently pressed against her face.

"Big Sister Ning-ning is getting rice porridge. Mother, please bear with the hunger for a little while longer, okay…?" The girl’s voice was filled with tenderness. However, the person listening, lying still for almost the entire day, had sharp hearing. She heard a small stomach grumble. The other party had likely gone without food for some time.

But why could she understand what this child was saying? Was it Chinese? Yes… it sounded similar. After thinking for a moment, she realized she could understand it well, and even speak it herself.

Even though she was shocked, her eyelids remained still. Her body did not twitch. Soon after, the door to the room opened again.

"Dajie… How is Mother?"

"The same as always. Hurry inside, Jìn'er. It’s still cold outside." The sound of small, unsteady footsteps entered the room, and Sali's mind began piecing the situation together. "And where is Xiaodi? Why isn’t he here to greet Mother?"

"He probably went to find Sister Ning-ning. I heard there was some trouble in the kitchen."

"Sigh…" The two sisters let out a synchronized sigh before climbing onto the large bed where their mother lay motionless. Small hands carefully massaged the body, just as the physician had instructed.

"Dajie… Mother will wake up one day, won’t she…?" The younger one asked, her voice trembling—a question she had asked every single day.

"Of course she will. In just a few more years, I’ll be old enough to wear a hairpin… Mother… Mother has to wake up." It seemed that the elder sister’s emotions weren’t any more stable than the younger one's. Her response wavered with uncertainty.

The one person they once thought they could rely on—their father—had left for the capital to work. And so, they had lived under the oppression of his other wives and concubines for a long time now.

Fortunately, some of the servants remained loyal. At the very least, they still had food to eat and could provide nourishment for their mother, whose body had grown frail in her comatose state. But the vital medicine prescribed by the physician had been missing for far too long.

Sali’s mind quickly processed what had happened. She had read countless novels and historical accounts—never expecting to be in one herself. Her stress skyrocketed at an uncontrollable rate. Because it seemed that she was now a mother. And she had at least three children.

The way people spoke here carried a distinctly Chinese cultural influence, but she couldn’t yet determine the exact era. She had read a fair amount of history. She would have to ask someone—after figuring out how to wake up from this vegetative state first.

The sound of the door opening softly caused the two little girls to pause their ticklish massaging. Their small voices greeted their younger brother with natural familiarity. Sali could sense the deep love and affection they had for one another.

She wasn’t sure if there were internal conflicts within this person’s family. But at least these three siblings seemed to be close and harmonious.

In her heart, she could only pray that this was all just a dream. If she were to wake up in the underworld, standing in line for judgment, she would be far less shocked than she was now.

But what disturbed her most was something she didn’t want to think about. The age of the body she now inhabited.

Three children…and the children could already walk and move around on their own…

Surely, that didn’t mean—she had become a middle-aged mother?

Sali felt utterly, utterly dejected.