The Peaceful Life

After training stopped, the days suddenly slowed down.

Son Gohan moved a table over by the window and spread out a pile of books before him. Elementary school, high school, university materials—every textbook he could get his hands on was stacked across the table.

He opened the first one.

One of the most basic benefits that came with transmigrating was photographic memory. Once he turned a page, everything on it was already fixed in his mind, with virtually no chance of error.

The room was quiet. Only the sound of pages turning filled it, one page after another.

Birdsong occasionally drifted in through the window. The wind on Mount Paozu rustled the leaves, but none of it affected Gohan as he poured knowledge into his mind.

Chi-Chi came in twice.

The first time, she brought in a plate of sliced apples. Seeing Son Gohan bent over his pile of books with such focused eyes, she gently set the plate at the corner of the table, watched him for a few seconds, then quietly slipped back out.

The second time, she brought in a plate of snacks and found that the apples had not been touched. She wiped her hands on her apron, walked behind Son Gohan, bent down, and said, "Gohan, don't study yourself too hard."

Son Gohan gave an "Mm," without taking his eyes off the page.

Looking at her son, Chi-Chi finally felt the knot in her heart loosen a little. The years since marrying into Mount Paozu had truly been hard.

Her husband was a battle-crazed martial arts addict who only knew how to fight. Her son was still young, and she alone had to manage everything inside and outside the home.

But now, looking at Gohan sitting at the desk, she saw that this child was different from Goku. He had a future.

The family was no longer short on money either. In the future, she could send him to the best schools and let him become a great scholar. Then her life would have been worth it.

As she thought about it, her eyes grew a little moist. She hurriedly raised a hand to wipe them, then turned and left.

By the time Son Gohan closed the last book, it was already pitch-black outside.

His head was crammed with formulas and theorems, heavy with them, yet his thoughts were remarkably clear. From elementary school to university, he had finished every subject in a single day.

He leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes for a moment.

"Dinner's ready! Gohan, come eat! You've been studying all day!"

Chi-Chi's voice carried over from the kitchen.

Son Gohan opened his eyes, pushed his chair back, stood up, and stretched.

His muscles relaxed from their tense state, making his whole body feel much better. The smell of food reached him, and his hungry stomach immediately rumbled.

As he walked out of his room, Son Goku happened to come in through the front door.

He was filthy. His martial arts uniform was covered in dust, and there was a shallow scrape along one pant leg. He had probably gotten itchy for a fight again and gone to train with Piccolo today.

The moment he entered, he took off his martial arts uniform and casually tossed it onto a chair.

Chi-Chi happened to come out of the kitchen carrying a dish.

Her eyes landed on the chair, and her brows immediately furrowed.

"Goku!!"

"Hm?"

"Don't just throw your clothes around." Chi-Chi immediately scolded him. "Dirty clothes need to be folded together. How many times have I told you?"

Son Goku's head started to ache, as though he were being recited the tightening spell.

"I know! I know, Chi-Chi!"

He raised both hands over his head and immediately struck a surrendering pose. Chi-Chi glared at him twice more, bent down to pick up the clothes, folded them, and placed them in the corner before turning back to the kitchen for more dishes.

Son Goku let out a sigh of relief and sat down at the dining table.

Dinner was lavish.

Chi-Chi had made tempura, miso soup, a huge bowl of stir-fried vegetables and sliced meat, and steamed a fish.

The rice was still served by the bucketful. Steam rose from the table, and the dishes were packed so tightly there was barely room to set down chopsticks.

Father and son started eating. The clatter of chopsticks against bowls rang out in a rapid stream, and the food on the table visibly disappeared. Chi-Chi ate while adding food to both their bowls, though she put much more into Gohan's.

After finishing his third bowl of rice, Son Gohan set his bowl down and picked up a cup for a drink of water.

"Dad."

"Mmph?" Son Goku had food stuffed in his mouth, his cheeks puffed out round.

"Did you take the special medicine Trunks gave you?"

Son Goku slowed down as he ate. He thought for a moment, then revealed a guilty smile.

"Huh? How did you know, Gohan?" He swallowed the food in his mouth. "I haven't taken it yet. I forgot."

"No rush, no rush, haha."

He laughed with an honest-looking, utterly unconcerned expression.

Son Gohan set his bowl on the table.

"No. You have to take it now."

His tone suddenly turned stern and serious.

Even Chi-Chi froze for a moment, holding her bowl as she looked toward her son.

Son Goku scratched his head. "It's not that serious—"

"If you don't take it now, when are you going to take it?" Son Gohan did not let him finish.

"When everyone's dead and you finally remember?"

"If your heart disease acts up then, all you'll be able to do is watch everyone die right in front of you. You won't be able to do anything."

He paused, lowering his voice until his tone grew heavier.

"Or do you want to see that happen?"

The table fell silent. Even Chi-Chi said nothing.

Son Goku looked into his son's eyes, stunned for several seconds. Then he stood up, seemingly conceding.

"Okay, okay—I'll take it right now."

He turned and walked into the room, pulled open a drawer, rummaged through it, and found the capsule Trunks had left behind.

Son Gohan followed him to the doorway and watched with his own eyes as his father broke open the medicine bottle, put the pill in his mouth, and washed it down with a huge gulp of water. Only then did he finally relax.

Son Goku's personality made it far too easy for things to go wrong. In the original story, that reckless nature of his had nearly caused a catastrophe. Since he had come here, he could not let something like that happen again.

Dinner ended. Chi-Chi cleared the dishes, Goku leaned back in his chair, and Gohan took a bath before returning to his room to sleep.

In the blink of an eye, another peaceful and cozy month passed.

Wild boars occasionally ran through the mountains, their hooves rustling across the dry leaves.

Over that month, the family of three ate breakfast together every morning. In the mornings, Goku either went to train with Piccolo or practiced alone in the mountains, while Gohan did some basic ki training. After lunch, they continued with their own affairs in the afternoon.

Chi-Chi no longer had to walk whenever she went out. The aerial route Bulma had built was now open, running directly from Mount Paozu to the city. With the small aircraft produced by Capsule Corporation, there was no need to pilot it herself. It chugged back and forth, making grocery shopping and trips to the market far more convenient than before.

Over the past two and a half months, Son Gohan had thoroughly absorbed the results of his training. In its place was a quiet sense of fullness. His ki circulated steadily through his body, neither hurried nor sluggish.

He had finally begun to grasp the state Mr. Popo had spoken of.

One afternoon, the phone rang.

Son Gohan opened his eyes from meditation and walked over to answer it.

"Gohan!" Bulma's voice came through, carrying a proud smile. "The custom gravity chamber you wanted is finished! When are you coming to pick it up?"

Son Gohan held the receiver, the corners of his mouth lifting.

"Thank you, Aunt Bulma. I'll come get it tomorrow."

"Alright. Call me when you get here."

"Okay. Aunt Bulma, you're the best."

Bulma chuckled on the other end and hung up.

Son Gohan put the receiver back and stood there, looking out at the peaks of Mount Paozu beyond the window.

A month had passed. His body had recovered, and he had rested long enough. He could finish a day's schoolwork in a single day, and the gravity chamber was complete.

It was time to begin.