When a "Sea King" is Bound to a System [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 13

Jiang Zhen’s hand froze, but she didn’t immediately pull it out of Jiang Yan’s embrace.

“Jiang Yan, how old are you?”

Jiang Yan: “Ten and a half. I’ll be eleven after the new year.”

Jiang Zhen waited for her to react, but the other girl’s brain was as useless as rotted wood. She was still foolishly trying to “warm her hands.”

She quietly withdrew her hand and pulled Jiang Yan’s clothes closer. “Let’s go inside. I know the owner of this house.”

Jiang Yan obediently walked in. Jiang Zhen followed behind her, tucking her hands in.

‘Why do I feel a bit cold?’

This family did not seem to be well-off. The courtyard was surrounded by a fence, and inside were three thatched-roof huts.

Jiang Zhen went up and knocked on the door. A voice answered, “Who is it?”

Jiang Zhen: “It’s me, Jin’er.”

The sound of a chair scraping against the floor came from inside. After a moment, the door opened, revealing a man in his fifties.

Seeing Jiang Zhen, he looked excited. “Jin’er, is it really you?!”

Jiang Zhen showed a rare smile, and her voice was a little gentler than usual.

“It’s me. Uncle Li, are you and Auntie doing well?”

Li Erping nodded, “Yes, yes, yes. I’m doing very well! Come in quickly. The wind and snow outside are too strong.”

Jiang Zhen led Jiang Yan inside. There was no brazier in the room, but it was still warmer than outside.

It was only then that Jiang Yan realized that Uncle Li’s legs were not well, and he walked with a limp.

An old woman was sitting in the room. Hearing the movement, she stood up.

“Is that Jin’er?”

Jiang Zhen went up to her and took her hand. “It’s me. Auntie, please sit down.”

Auntie Li touched Jiang Zhen’s face and smiled. “Jin’er has grown up and seems to have gained some weight.”

Jiang Yan looked at her sightless eyes, feeling a pang of sadness.

One of the old couple had a leg problem, and the other was blind. No wonder their life was so poor. There wasn’t even a pot of charcoal in the room on such a cold day.

“Is there a little girl with you?” Auntie Li turned her head in the direction of Jiang Yan.

Jiang Yan was surprised. She hadn’t made a sound since she entered the room. How did the old lady know she was a girl?

Jiang Zhen pulled Jiang Yan in front of Li Erping and his wife and introduced them to each other: “This is my younger sister, Jiang Yan. These two are my benefactors. Uncle Li used to be a soldier in my father’s army.”

Li Erping looked at Jiang Yan, then said, “Is this General Jiang’s daughter? She is indeed beautiful and clever.”

Jiang Yan smiled sweetly: “Thank you for the compliment, Uncle Li.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t dare be called Uncle by you. I was the lowest rank of soldier. I only saw General Jiang from a distance and never even spoke to him.”

When he mentioned this, he seemed to feel endless regret, and his tone became melancholic.

“Uncle Li, what are you talking about? Since my elder sister calls you Uncle, I will naturally do the same. You can’t be biased, you know.”

Li Erping looked at Jiang Zhen with a troubled expression. After getting her nod of approval, he said no more.

Li Erping invited them to sit down and started to prepare to cook. Jiang Zhen got up to help, while Jiang Yan sat in the room with Auntie Li.

Auntie Li was a little nervous. She fumbled to pour tea for Jiang Yan. Jiang Yan reached out and took the teapot from her, smiling. “Auntie, don’t treat me like a guest. You and my elder sister are like family, so please treat me like family too.”

“I can’t do that. You are the General’s daughter. This old woman dares not overstep her bounds.”

Jiang Yan didn’t force her to treat her as a commoner. Instead, she changed the subject and chatted with her, asking mostly about Jiang Zhen.

The plot only described Jiang Zhen from the moment she became a general, and almost nothing was mentioned about her past. Jiang Yan pieced together what she could from the information she had.

After Jiang Zhen’s biological father died in battle, she was missing for a period of time. Then, she was brought back by Li Erping from a place not far from her home and lived here for a year until she was brought back home by Jiang Chengsha. She had been at the General’s Manor for half a year up until now.

Everything seemed to make sense, but it also felt like something was wrong.

Jiang Yan’s thoughts were in a jumble, and her head started to ache.

‘Ugh, I forgot I was still sick.’

She sighed softly and stopped thinking about it.

Jiang Zhen and Li Erping were very fast. In about a quarter of an hour, they brought in two bowls of noodles.

Jiang Zhen gave her bowl to Jiang Yan and took the one from Li Erping.

“Uncle Li, aren’t you eating?”

When Jiang Yan asked, Li Erping paused for a moment and then smiled. “We’ve already eaten. These are for you and Jin’er.”

“Eat up. Get some rest after you’re done. We have to get up early tomorrow.”

Jiang Zhen put the chopsticks in her hand, as if she didn’t want her to ask any more questions.

Jiang Yan buried her head in the bowl and ate. Only when she was almost finished did she realize that there was an egg at the bottom of her bowl.

No wonder Jiang Zhen had specifically given her her own bowl. It turned out to be a hidden surprise.

It was very cold in the room. After eating, Jiang Yan started to sweat, and her back felt cold.

Jiang Zhen saw she was uncomfortable and skillfully led her to a place to rest.

“You’ll have to make do. This is all Uncle Li’s family has.”

Jiang Yan lay in bed, hugging her blanket and looking at the person sitting beside her. “Aren’t you going to sleep with me?”

“I’m going to sleep in the other room.” Jiang Zhen said, and she started to leave, but Jiang Yan quickly grabbed her hand.

“You’re lying, Elder Sister. Where is there another bed for you to sleep? Are you going to squeeze in with Uncle and Auntie Li?”

“Of course not.”

“Then come up and sleep with me.”

Jiang Zhen was unmoved. Jiang Yan used her trump card, looking pitiful. “I’ll be scared if Elder Sister isn’t here.”

Her timid tone, paired with her weak face, made her look like a truly pitiful little girl.

Jiang Zhen had no choice. She lay down next to her in her clothes.

Jiang Yan wrapped herself around her like an octopus, her hands and feet clinging to her, transferring her body heat to her.

‘I guess having a fever isn’t all bad.’

Jiang Zhen impatiently moved to the side, but Jiang Yan hugged her waist. “Elder Sister, if you move anymore, you’ll fall off.”

After saying that, she smiled slyly and closed her eyes, resting her head on Jiang Zhen’s shoulder.

“Elder Sister, why do Uncle and Auntie Li call you Jin’er?”

“Because my real name is Gu Jin.”

“You must have suffered a lot in the past, right?”

“I’m sorry. From now on, I will be good to you.”

Jiang Zhen didn’t know how to answer, so she simply stayed silent.

At this point, she was about seventy to eighty percent sure that Jiang Yan had truly changed.

Otherwise, with her old personality, she would never have done so much or gone on this adventure with her.

The sound of steady breathing came from beside her. She turned her head and looked at the little thing, who was already asleep. Her mouth was slightly open, probably because her nose was congested, and she looked a little adorable.

At this moment, Jiang Yan, whose mind was in a daze, was communicating with Oscar.

“Is that true?”

[Do I lie to you for fun?]

“You better not be lying to me, or I’ll twist your head off and stick it in the toilet!”

Jiang Yan had previously asked Oscar why her body was so weak and why she got a cold and fever so easily.

Oscar told her that her body and soul were in the process of merging.

Once the merging was complete, her old abilities would return. As for how much she would recover, that was unknown.

Jiang Yan thought that as long as she could recover, even a tenth of her abilities would be enough.

This way, she could fight side-by-side with Jiang Zhen instead of relying on her protection.