2 Chapter 2: State of the world. (1/2)

”Urgh...” groaned Duan Li as he slowly woke up and sat on the ground.

Touching his forehead, Duan Li looked around towards his surrounding in confusion, ”What in the world.. just happened?” he said to himself while feeling bewildered.

He remembered that he had only tried to pluck that mysterious pearl away from the tree to take a better look, before a blinding light to suddenly encompassed him followed by surges of pain assaulting his head that caused him to faint.

Must things be so exagerated?

Turning his dizzied head slowly towards the halfway chopped tree, he realized that the pearl was no longer there. In its place was a hollow rounded space, the only evidence that what he had experienced was not a dream or illusion.

”Did the pearl broke apart when I touched it?” he thought to himself but shook his head immediately afterwards.

”That cannot be, even my axe was strongly repulsed by it with a metallic clanking sound, thus it should be pretty sturdy..” he mumbled as he rustled around the ground among the fallen leaves to find it in case it fell off from the tree after he had touched it.

After several minutes of attempt, he stood up and tidied himself as he shook his head again. ”Forget it.. I should just continue chopping down trees for the firewood.. I need to get back by noon or else mother would get worried..” he sighed helplessly, as he decided to put the previous matter to the back of his head.

...

”Mother, I am home!” shouted Duan Li as he put down the pieces of firewood that he had straped to his back with ropes.

”Ahh there you are! I was beginning to get worried! Tell me, where did you run off to?” queried his mother with a stern, reprimanding look. But if one were to see her face right now, they would only find that reprimanding face to be quite adorable instead.

”Well.. after I finished chopping some firewoods, I decided to sat down and rest..” replied Duan Li. He decided not to tell his mother about the bizarre experience he just had before.

After all, who would believe him if he were to said a pearl was growing inside a tree he was chopping?

”And then you dozed off, correct? Ha... ” sighed his mother. ”Well, as long as you're fine..” she said with a smile. ”Come let's eat, the food is ready!”

Hearing this, Duan Li's eyes turned bright. In this world, there are only three things that he truly enjoyed doing; sleeping, eating and learning! Everything else he chose to not care too much. He had lived with such a mindset since he was a child, therefore, he didn't manage to make a lot of friends.

'Munch munch!'

”Slow down young man.. you're going to choke yourself up!” said his mother with a giggle and added with a tease, ”You are already 21! Stop eating like a child..”.

”Mother, this potatoes.. its not from our farm at the back of our house right?” asked Duan Li as he stared at the mashed potatoes on his spoon.

”Hmm? Yes.. that potatoes was given by our friendly neighbour..” replied his mother, ”Why? Does it not taste that good?” she continued, feeling worried that the potatoes tasted wierd.

But that shouldn't be the case.. because she had tried the mashed potatoes too before serving it. It tasted the same as their potatoes. Even the way she cooked it was normal without any extra addedingredients.

”Ohh.. no that's not it, I just feel like this is the case..” replied Duan Li casually while still stuffing his mouth with the food.

His mother felt weird when she heard this. ”How could he tell the difference?” she thought to herself as various assumption sprung up in her mind.

'thud!'

”Finished!” said Duan Li after putting down the bowl onto the wooden table feeling quite satisfied with a smile. He truly loved his mother's cooking as he could somehow felt the gentle warmth everytime he ate it.