Cherreads

Chapter 2 - Chapter 02:Harmonious neighborhood relations

Chapter 2: Harmonious Neighborly Relations"perfect life is a casual healing game that nourishes the soul and calms the mind and body. Here, you'll find heartwarming plots and cozy daily life. With hope and Happiness as the main theme, we will bring positive energy to all players..."Time passed minute by minute until 23:59, when the mechanical synthetic voice from the depths of his Brain Sea abruptly stopped."Now, you can choose your own perfect life."The hard, cold ground stimulated his facial nerves. Han Fei slowly opened his eyes, finding himself sprawled in an unfamiliar Room.The house was about seventy square meters, with dust covering the furniture and mottled walls stained with some black and red marks."My head hurts so much, it feels like there's a hole in the back of my head."A faint smell of mold drifted into his nostrils. Han Fei could clearly perceive everything around him.Hearing, sight, smell, touch—this game was not much different from the real world.Sitting blankly on the Living Room floor, Han Fei looked at the empty, desolate Room.The architectural layout and furniture of the house still retained the style of decades ago, covered in dust, as if no one had lived there for a long time."Is this my home in the game?"Han Fei rubbed the back of his head and stood up from the ground: "According to the game description, this is a healing simulation life game with an open world and no fixed gameplay. I can try to level up my character and improve my attributes, or I can collect money to spend and enjoy, or I can date a virtual girlfriend and experience virtual kinship and Love."Just as he was thinking about what to do next, Han Fei suddenly heard a knock on the Room Door from outside.Bang! Bang! Bang!Walking to the other side of the Living Room, Han Fei opened the anti-theft door. The dim light of the voice-activated lamp shone into the Room, dispelling the desolation and loneliness."Young man, you must be the new resident, right?"A kind and amiable voice came from outside the door. In the cluttered corridor, stood a kind-faced, silver-haired Old Woman."Today is New Year's Day. Grandma's family made dumplings. Come over and eat with us. Holidays should be lively."In modern cities, everyone is very busy, and Neighbors might not speak for weeks. Han Fei had never encountered a situation like inviting Neighbors over for a meal during a holiday in his entire life."Let's not, I don't want to trouble you." Han Fei had become taciturn after being laid off by the company, and he wasn't very willing to communicate much with others."My son and daughter-in-law are working in other cities. It's just me and my little grandson at home. I made a lot of dishes, and it would be a waste if we can't finish them."Grandma looked at Han Fei as if he were her own Child. Her every word was like the morning sun, making one feel warm."Dumplings symbolize the changing of the year and reunion blessings. Eating dumplings can ward off a year's bad luck. It's not easy for you, a Child, to work hard alone outside. Come, have a hot meal of dumplings to warm your stomach."The Old Woman invited him repeatedly. In reality, Han Fei would most likely find various excuses to deflect, but this was in a game, and the Old Woman might just be guiding him to a plot mission.Nodding, Han Fei picked up a large bunch of Keys from the coffee table in the Living Room and walked out of the Room Door, supporting the Old Woman as they walked downstairs."Grandma, watch your step, walk slowly."The corridor in front of them was piled with miscellaneous items and trash, the iron railings were rusty, and the walls on both sides were covered with many small advertisements and children's graffiti.This place looked very much like an old Residential Community from more than ten years ago. With the rapid development of technology, such communities were already extremely rare.The Old Woman led Han Fei down one floor and stopped at the door of Room 1031.The numbers painted in blood-red paint on the wall were somewhat blurry. She coughed lightly and opened the door to Room 1031.A rich aroma of meat drifted from inside the Room. Han Fei swallowed, peering into the Room.The Old Woman's house had no lights on, only a few candles lit on the dining table."The fuse blew. The repairman probably hasn't come because of the holiday.""Grandma, how about I fix it for you? I used to change the fuses myself at home." Han Fei didn't treat the Old Woman as an NPC. He didn't know why himself, perhaps because she felt like a living person to him."Be careful. The spare fuse is in the drawer." After the Old Woman instructed him, she went into the kitchen. The meat she was stewing seemed to be done.Stepping on a stool, Han Fei replaced the fuse. He turned on the circuit breaker, and the warm light illuminated the dark little house."Player No. 0000, please note! G-level normal mission 'Replace Fuse' has been completed. Meng Shi's friendliness has increased by five. Harmonious Neighborly Relations are the first step to a perfect life."A cold, mechanical synthetic voice came from the depths of Han Fei's Brain Sea: "The mission system has been activated. Newbie Mission updated. Completing the Newbie Mission will help you understand everything about this world as quickly as possible."Listening to the unfamiliar voice in his Brain Sea, an attribute panel appeared before Han Fei, but before he could look at it closely, the Old Woman came out of the kitchen carrying a pot of fish soup."Freshly stewed fish soup, drink it while it's hot." The Old Woman smiled and placed the fish soup on the dining table. She turned and walked to the Bedroom door, unlocking the iron lock on it: "Chen Chen, come out and eat."A moment later, a five or six-year-old Boy walked out of the Bedroom. He kept his head down, as if he was sulking with the Old Woman."You two eat first, I still have a few dishes to finish." The Old Woman opened the Refrigerator door and took out half a frozen chicken from the top shelf: "It's been without power for so long, and it's still not thawed?"She put the frozen chicken into a small basin and casually placed it on the dining table."Grandma, don't make so many dishes, we won't be able to finish them.""It's rare to have guests at home. If I don't make more, the meat in the Refrigerator will spoil." Enthusiastic and kind, the Old Woman's busy figure in the kitchen reminded Han Fei of his own family.When he was very young, his family's New Year celebrations were always this lively.The aroma of meat drifted into his nostrils, and the freshly cooked fish soup was steaming. The hazy fragrance made Han Fei feel a little dazed, as if the memories in his Brain Sea were overlapping with the virtual game.The dim yellow light illuminated the small house. The sound of pots and pans came from the kitchen, and commercials played on the square television. The faint smell of fireworks seemed to disperse the indifference of this unfamiliar city."These simple beauties are perhaps life itself."Life always has a special dark period. If one stands still out of fear of the future, they will only be trapped in the darkness forever.Han Fei picked up the ladle and served a bowl of fish soup for himself and Chen Chen.The milky white fish soup emitted an inviting aroma. Han Fei gently blew on the bowl a few times to cool it.Just as he was about to taste the fish soup, the corner of his eye suddenly caught sight of the Child across the table raising the bowl of fish soup above his head."What does this Child want to do?"Before Han Fei could react, the Child slammed the bowl full of fish soup onto the ground!"I won't eat anything taken from a Coffin!"Pfft!Hearing the Child's words, Han Fei spat out a mouthful of fish soup.Coffin?The ceramic bowl shattered into pieces, and fish soup splattered everywhere. The Old Woman heard the commotion and quickly ran out of the kitchen: "Chen Chen! What are you doing?!""Everything you make is taken from a Coffin!" The Boy, who looked only five or six years old, raised his head. His eyes were bloodshot."What nonsense are you talking about!" The Old Woman, worried the Boy would get burned, didn't even bother to untie her apron and rushed to the dining table."Building Manager said only dead people are put in Coffins!" The Boy broke free from the Old Woman's hand, threw the frozen chicken he had just taken from the Refrigerator onto the ground, and then ran towards the Bedroom."You come back here!"The Old Woman also entered the Bedroom, leaving only Han Fei, holding a bowl of fish soup, in the Living Room."This naughty Child is too terrifying." Han Fei silently put down the porcelain bowl. He found a broom and dustpan behind the door, wanting to help the Old Woman clean up, but as he was about to clean up the frozen chicken on the ground, he suddenly remembered something.The Child said he wouldn't eat anything taken from a Coffin, but Han Fei clearly saw that the half-frozen chicken was taken out of the Refrigerator by the Old Woman.Originally, this was nothing, but if combined with the Child's later statement that the Building Manager told him only dead people are put in Coffins...Why would this Child mistake the Refrigerator for a Coffin? Could it be that there's a corpse hidden in their Refrigerator?Huh?Thinking of this, Han Fei was stunned. This didn't seem like the beginning of a healing game!

Enjoying the story?

Read early chapters and exclusive content on my Patreon.

👉 Search on Patreon: CrimsonInk8

OR

patreon.com/CrimsonInk8

More Chapters