After Ten Years of Sleep, Things Remained but People Had Changed

"Pah, pah, pah!"

Pale moonlight spilled across the pitch-black earth as a young man furiously spat mud from his mouth.

"They said Golden Silk Nanmu wouldn't rot for a thousand years. How many years had it been? It had already crumbled to scraps."

"Damn Crippled Li. He actually dared to swindle me with fake goods."

After spitting the mud clean from his mouth, Chen Changsheng stretched his somewhat stiff limbs.

By the hazy moonlight, the rounded curve of Chen Changsheng's butt could faintly be seen.

But at this moment, Chen Changsheng did not seem particularly concerned about letting his bird roam beneath the moon.

"System, have the ten years passed?"

"Replying to Host: the ten-year sleep has ended. Attribute points have been credited."

Hearing the system's answer, Chen Changsheng looked at the panel in his mind.

Host: Chen Changsheng

Strength: 1

Speed: 1

Defense: 1

Spiritual Power: 0

Lifespan: 80

That was right. Chen Changsheng was a bona fide transmigrator.

The system he possessed was neither a sign-in system nor some heaven-defying invincible system. It was merely the "utterly ordinary" Immortality System.

As long as Chen Changsheng slept, he would receive the corresponding lifespan and attribute points.

However, there was a limit on the duration of his sleep: it could not exceed his maximum lifespan.

Furthermore, the lifespan Chen Changsheng had already lived would recharge after he went to sleep.

In other words, if Chen Changsheng slept after living for eighty years—

Even if he only slept for one day, upon waking, he would possess a lifespan of eighty years and one day, rather than only one day.

Additionally, after waking up, the interval before his next sleep could not be less than one-tenth of his total lifespan.

So, theoretically speaking, as long as Chen Changsheng kept his head down and developed steadily—

Chen Changsheng could live up to his name and achieve true immortality.

Looking at the ten attribute points he had received, Chen Changsheng did not immediately allocate them.

Instead, he took a set of clothes from the System Space and put them on. Then, using his memories to identify the general direction, he strode down the mountain.

After ten years, the war should have ended.

The beloved woman separated from him by the war should have returned as well.

"Sesame cakes! Steaming-hot sesame cakes!"

Walking through the bustling market, Chen Changsheng felt as though a lifetime had passed.

Although the town was still the same town as before, the people from back then were all gone.

Ten years was neither long nor short, but it was enough to change many things.

After observing the changes in town, Chen Changsheng followed his memories toward a familiar place.

Very soon, Chen Changsheng arrived at a farmhouse on the edge of town.

Seeing the familiar house, the corners of Chen Changsheng's lips lifted. Then he called out, "Excuse me, is Nian Ci here?"

At the sound of his voice, a delicate little girl poked her head out from the house.

"Who are you looking for?"

Seeing the little girl, Chen Changsheng froze.

"Isn't this Nian Ci's home?"

"I don't know any Nian Ci. You came to the wrong place."

A trace of disappointment flashed through Chen Changsheng's eyes at the little girl's words.

At the time, war had been raging. Nian Ci had merely been an ordinary person; perhaps she had long since passed away.

With that thought, Chen Changsheng immediately prepared to turn and leave.

"Chang Sheng, is that you?"

A familiar voice rang out behind Chen Changsheng, and his whole body was struck as if by lightning.

After calming his surging emotions, Chen Changsheng slowly turned around. That once-familiar face came into view again.

Bang!

The vegetable basket in the woman's hands fell to the ground.

After confirming the person before her, Nian Ci immediately covered her mouth with one hand, tears pouring from her eyes like a flood bursting through its banks.

"Don't bully my mother!"

Seeing her mother cry, the little girl immediately rushed out of the house and spread her tiny arms to stand between them.

Hearing how the little girl addressed her, Chen Changsheng looked at his former Childhood Sweetheart with confusion in his eyes.

Facing Chen Changsheng's gaze, Nian Ci did not avoid it. She merely slowly raised a hand and stroked his face.

"Ten years have passed, yet you still look exactly the same as before."

"Why?"

Chen Changsheng finally voiced the doubt in his heart.

At those words, Nian Ci smiled, then lowered her head and lovingly stroked the little girl's hair.

"After we were separated, I was hunted by bandits. Later, he rescued me from a pile of corpses."

"Half a year later, my injuries healed, and the war ended."

"He returned here with me. Back then, Crippled Li said that you had bought a coffin from him."

"Then I waited for you for three years..."

At this point, Nian Ci paused. A flicker of disappointment and helplessness passed through her eyes.

Then Nian Ci let out a long breath and smiled. "For the past three years, he has been taking care of me. He has truly been very good to me."

Hearing that, Chen Changsheng froze for a moment.

Then he smiled in relief, though there was a hint of bitterness in that smile.

Sleeping for ten years was a very short time for him.

But for Nian Ci, ten years was far too long. How many decades did a person have in one lifetime?

When they had parted, both he and Nian Ci had been twenty years old.

Ten years later, he still looked twenty, but Nian Ci was already thirty.

In truth, from the moment he came into this world, she and he had been destined to belong to two different worlds.

Thinking of this, Chen Changsheng crouched down, patted the little girl's head, and smiled.

"Little girl, what is your name?"

At Chen Changsheng's words, the little girl turned to look at her mother, seemingly asking for her permission.

"Tell Uncle... tell Big Brother. He is an old acquaintance of Mother's."

Having received her mother's consent, the little girl said brightly, "My name is Li Niansheng. I'm six years old."

"Niansheng." Chen Changsheng repeated the name several times, then smiled. "What a fine name."

"There is also a 'Sheng' in Big Brother's name, but mine is Chen Changsheng."

"You can call me Big Brother Chang Sheng."

After saying that, Chen Changsheng rose and left.

Seeing this, Nian Ci instinctively called out, "Where are you going?"

At those words, Chen Changsheng paused. With his back to the mother and daughter, he waved and said—

"My old house is gone, but I saw that Crippled Li's Coffin Shop is still there. I'll stay with him for a while."

As he spoke, Chen Changsheng's figure gradually receded into the distance.

Watching Chen Changsheng's back, Li Niansheng looked up and asked, "Mother, is Big Brother Chang Sheng your friend?"

"Not a friend. He is a very familiar old acquaintance."

"Then who is the Nian Ci he was looking for?"

"Perhaps she is his Childhood Sweetheart. After all, the name 'Nian Ci' sounds like a private name a man would use for the woman he loves."

"So that's how it is!"

"Then can Big Brother Chang Sheng find the woman he loves?"

"I don't know. Perhaps he has already found her."

Nian Ci murmured to herself, then looked at Li Niansheng and smiled. "All right, Father will be back soon. Shall we go make him something to eat?"

"Okay!"

Li Niansheng cried out happily, then skipped toward the kitchen.