At the very least, when Lin Ya left, the virus had already been contained.
The shop of Revenge System 123 had a lot of items available.
In addition to ordinary necessities like food, clothing, and shelter, there were also weapons, techniques, and even spells and skills to exchange for. Various types of elixirs and items could be found, and they weren’t very expensive.
Lin Ya had his eye on several items.
One was a spatial storage device, available in two types: one could store items and keep them fresh, while the other was a space that had mountains, water, and spiritual energy where one could farm.
Another item was a comprehensive medical tome, which included descriptions of different medications and poisons, featuring numerous recipes and formulas encompassing all the small worlds.
Lin Ya was also interested in a set of martial arts techniques focused on the five elements. He could practice even without a spiritual root, with the first level being akin to the highest level of martial arts. The ultimate level reached was the Great Ascendance stage.
Upon examining these items, it was clear they were universally applicable across all small worlds.
The two systems were still arguing.
Lin Ya had never heard the Survival System talk so much; it even took on a black furry form and started fighting with the white furball of Revenge System 123 on his head.
With their bickering echoing in his mind and the tussle above his head causing him a headache, he felt a twinge in his temples and clenched his teeth.
“Can you not argue in my head?”
Survival System: “…”
Revenge System 123: “…” Both fell silent immediately.
With some peace restored, Lin Ya looked up at the sun and decided to rent a horse-drawn carriage back, taking the opportunity to buy some new clothes, food, and seeds in the county town.
So, he held his daughter and walked towards a nearby carriage shop.
On the way back, he spotted someone selling candied fruit and even bought a few sticks.
The carriage moved much faster than walking, and by the time he got home, it was already nearly 5 PM.
Hearing the commotion, Ren Zhao rushed out from the house with a ‘pat-pat-pat’ sound, saw him holding his sleeping sister and assumed she was just tired. After Lin Ya laid her in their room and returned to move the things he brought.
The little guy was using all his strength to drag a bag of grain taller than himself. His face was beet red as he gritted his teeth and struggled, which made Lin Ya chuckle heartily.
Lin Ya easily organized the items one by one and gave him a wrapped stick of candied fruit.
There were several sticks inside.
“Leave one for your sister; you can share the rest with Tie Dan and the others.” Tie Dan was a child from the neighboring house. Usually, when the original owner wasn’t home and his mother-in-law couldn’t come, they relied on the neighbor’s aunt to cook for the two children. While it was indeed at the request of his mother-in-law, gratitude was still necessary.
Ren Zhao nodded understandingly, his eyes sparkling as he bounced out the door with the candied fruit.
Children do not hold grudges; no matter how much their father scolded them before, they quickly forgot after a little coaxing and some kindness.
Once he went out to play, Lin Ya began sorting through the things he had bought.
There were two large bags of rice, one bag of flour, a small bag of millet, a hefty piece of pork with a mix of fat and lean, a small bag of salt, two pieces of ordinary coarse cloth, and a rather attractive piece of yellow floral fine cloth. Additionally, there were several better quality pieces set aside to send to the Yu family, which was the original owner’s teacher and father-in-law’s home.
Lin Ya also bought some paper and pens, drinks, snacks, and some pastries. Other than the reserved several copper coins, he spent nearly three taels and half of silver, leaving him nearly penniless.
Once everything was organized, Lin Ya glanced at the empty water tank and picked up a shoulder pole and a wooden bucket from the corner as he stepped outside.
The river water was still relatively clear, and Lin Ya took the opportunity to look at his reflection. Indeed, it was the familiar face he recognized.
It was his own face, though looking quite haggard, with unkempt hair and dirty robes, giving off a faint smell of alcohol.
He carried water back home, filled the tank, and boiled a large pot of water.
Ren Lin had not yet awakened, so he made a light dinner of plain noodles. No one needed to call him, as Ren Zhao came bouncing back home, covered in sweat and joyfully high-spirited.
After dinner, Lin Ya poured water into a wooden basin and washed Ren Zhao two times before changing him into a relatively clean outfit.
Then, he picked up the bucket to scrub off a thick layer of dirt from his own body, also washing his long hair with soap leaves thoroughly until he felt refreshed.
He shaved off his stubble, no longer feeling greasy, and when he emerged from the bath, it was already dark. He lit some candles in the house, and a little one was curled up at the foot of the bed, staring at him with bright eyes.
“Daddy… you look so good!”
His face was indeed quite handsome; he had always been good-looking since childhood, with a beautiful but not overly feminine appearance. Standing nearly 1.8 meters tall and having a tall and slender frame, even though he wore a dirty long gown and his disheveled hair hung loosely, it couldn’t hide his striking features.
Due to his outstanding looks since childhood, the female staff at the orphanage were slightly biased towards him, but he didn’t want to be adopted, so he had never been taken away.
Lin Ya sat on a chair in the room, his hair disheveled, wiping Ren Lin’s face with a cloth. Looking at her thin arms and small face, he thought about nurturing them during this period. He took out a clean garment from a chest to change her.
“Why is sister still not awake?” Looking at his sister who hadn’t woken up since they returned, Ren Zhao climbed over beside her, his small body pressed tightly against her.
“She’ll be fine once she wakes up tomorrow; she’s just too tired and needs to sleep a bit longer.” Growing up in an orphanage, Lin Ya had his ways of dealing with children.
“It’s quite late; Little Bao should go to bed early. Tomorrow, Daddy will make you scallion egg pancakes to eat.” Little Bao was Ren Zhao’s nickname, which he received when the original owner first had this child.
As soon as he mentioned the delicious food waiting for them tomorrow, Ren Zhao obediently flipped over and lay down, but he stubbornly refused to close his bright black eyes.
“Daddy… will tomorrow be the same as today?” Today, Daddy was much better than before; he didn’t scold him at all and even bought candied fruit and snacks for him and his sister. He was a bit afraid that when he woke up tomorrow, Daddy would turn back into the way he was before.