I am a Big Player
Chapter 281 - 279, Return to the Capital (Second Update)_1

Chapter 281: 279, Return to the Capital (Second Update)_1

Before the winter break ended, Ren He stayed at home every day, not even stepping outside the door, excited at the thought that he would soon be able to bring the book Harry Potter, which had accompanied him throughout his entire childhood, into this world.

Back then, what attracted him the most was that splendid and complete magical world; the detail in the writing was truly magnificent, and it was those details that constructed that world.

Moreover, every time he thought about the children he saw while supporting education, it would give him extra motivation to finish this tedious task. After he gradually shattered the children’s worldview, many of them would take the initiative during breaks to explore more about that fascinating outside world.

Just like when he himself aspired to be a scientist as a child, the children all aspired to leave the mountain village one day and experience a different life.

In the end, Ren He did not become a scientist, as he realized only when he grew up that it wasn’t the career he loved, but he hoped the children could achieve their dreams because only by stepping out would they be able to make better choices.

Back then, the children’s eyes were bright, as if a flame called hope had been ignited within them.

Ren He would also occasionally recall their arrival at the original dilapidated school in the mountain village, and the sentence written on the blackboard, "I’m sorry, students."

He could feel the frustration of an impassioned young man who, full of zeal, had come to support education there and stayed for five years, only to ultimately be defeated by reality. He didn’t even dare to say goodbye to the children in person, instead leaving behind that sentence on the blackboard and departing without notice.

Ren He understood that he couldn’t accept his own failure, the reality of having become a deserter, and this sense of guilt would accompany him for life. Ren He wanted to write Harry Potter to provide better security for more people like this teacher, allowing them to commit to their work with their heart without having to consider economic and family factors, and to free them from financial constraints.

Perhaps by that time, that teacher would return to the old place and continue as a proud support education teacher.

Ren He wrote continuously for over ten days, and as Mrs. Ren and Ren busied themselves again, he immediately bought a plane ticket back to the Capital. He had seen the weather forecast that predicted a late cold snap with heavy snow to blanket the entire Capital in two days. Ren He, however, wanted to go back and see it, as Luo City had only had one snowfall this year and that was before he returned.

While at the security checkpoint, Ren He was amused by his own desire to see the snow in the Capital; he wouldn’t have been so enthusiastic in the past, but now he had a sudden whim and just went with it.

Since returning from supporting education, his mind had truly become much clearer.

In his previous life, he heard a story about Wang Ziyou, a prince during the Eastern Jin Dynasty, who rode his boat through the snow to visit his friend Dai Kui at Yin Mountain. He reached Dai Kui’s doorstep at dawn but then turned back. When asked why, he said, "I came on a whim, and I return as the whim ends. What does it matter whether I see Dai Kui or not?"

When Ren He first heard this story, he thought this guy was way too wilful—didn’t he have anything better to do with his time? But now, he kind of understood; once the thought arises, no mountain can block the path. Actions follow the heart’s desires without seeking an outcome.

"Let’s go, back to the Capital to see the snow," laughed Ren He as he entered the security checkpoint. The special police at the airport watched in surprise as Ren He laughed like a maniac, almost reaching for their weapons!

However, upon a closer look, it seemed like there was no issue at all...

...

When Ren He returned to the Courtyard House, the door was already open. Upon entering, he saw Uncle Fang and Mrs. Wang sweeping the yard. Ren He smiled and said, "Uncle Fang, you’re back early, aren’t you?"

On hearing his voice, Uncle Fang looked up: "Are you back, young master? We’re not early; it’s already past the fifteenth of the New Year, and I feel a bit embarrassed for taking so many days off."

"There’s nothing to be embarrassed about; we don’t have that many rules here. As long as it doesn’t delay work, it’s fine. And you don’t need to sweep the ground— they say it will snow tomorrow, which would mean having to sweep again, and that’s bothersome," Ren He said with a smile.

"Snow?" Uncle Fang looked up at the sky in surprise: "I was wondering why it was sunny yesterday and now the wind has started blowing."

"That’s enough, Uncle Fang, take a rest. And tonight, can you make some pancakes for me? With shredded potatoes, mung bean sprouts, sauteed green peppers, broad bean paste, and green onions, is that okay?" Ren He was reminiscing about Uncle Fang’s pancakes again.

Fang put the broom aside with a happy smile, "Sure, I can make whatever you love to eat whenever you want."

Now, while Fang and Mrs. Wang were earnestly taking care of the courtyard house, they couldn’t help but think, everyone says that you must be careful in a big city because there are many bad people, but it doesn’t seem to be quite like that. On the contrary, they thought that Ren He was a really nice person, not as wicked as the villagers had said.

Ren He suddenly remembered something, "That... Uncle Fang, I’ll add an extra 3,000 yuan to your salary, would you help me clean up another house on occasion?"

Fang was stunned, there was no problem with that, it’s just that city folks really do have a lot of properties...

Before the next day arrived, in the evening, snowflakes large as goose feathers began falling from the sky. Ren He was typing in his room when he suddenly looked up and saw the snowflakes drifting down, lightly covering the partially swept yellow fallen leaves in the courtyard. In just a few minutes, the ground became wet.

Then it was a vast expanse of white.

Ren He stepped out of the warmth of his room, transfixed by the snowy scene. In his past and current life, it seemed he truly was different. Personalities are hard to change; had Ren He merely been reborn simply, he probably wouldn’t have challenged life itself, but the Divine Punishment System, although punishing him, gave him an opportunity to fulfill his dreams.

Often lazy, sometimes boiling with enthusiasm, Ren He was just that kind of person. Without the Divine Punishment System, he might have just idled his life away after finishing Dota, or as the saying goes, ’you can’t teach an old dog new tricks’. Ren He didn’t mind describing himself in such a way; that’s just who he was.

No one becomes proactive and ambitious all of a sudden after time-traveling. Everyone actually understands this, countless times at the end of holidays they say, ’I must study hard next semester’, but do they not still end up dragging along?

Planning to exercise daily during holidays, and do a bit of holiday homework every day, doesn’t it all still end up going to waste?

Personalities are not easy to change.

But when Ren He came back from teaching, he truly felt he had changed, as if looking back at his past self—it’s just a memory of who he once was, lazy and loving ease, avoiding trouble in everything, without the Divine Punishment System’s push, he wouldn’t even have thought of trying extreme sports after being reborn.

Ren He looked at the snowflakes in the sky and laughed. He hadn’t expected that he would do something so characteristic as traveling hundreds of kilometers just to come back and watch the snow.

He was still himself, just an ordinary person who now clearly knew what he wanted.

"I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more."

Then Fang came carrying steaming thin pancakes and various vegetables for wrapping them, his feet leaving a trail of footprints in the snow as he ran over and called out, "Master, the pancakes are ready, hurry and eat them while they’re hot. I’ll serve you some millet porridge in a bit."

Ren He suddenly felt like a down-and-out scholar in the Capital, with a strong sense of having traveled through time.

Really characteristic.

He beamed with a smile, "Haha, thanks Uncle Fang! Give me another green onion, and a dish of sweet bean sauce!"

...

Metamorphosis Chapter. The End.

Volume Three: "Entering the Thin Air Zone". Stay tuned.

As usual, have a bite to eat.