Chickens and dogs fly in chaos and rebirth

Chapter 1

Ascension? Rebirth?

Qiu Shanglin is 27 years old and works as a mid-level manager at a foreign logistics company. Five years have passed since he graduated from university, and he has changed jobs several times. His current job is not the best, but it is reasonably satisfactory. Although the workload is a bit heavy, the salary and benefits are quite good compared to his classmates who graduated at the same time.

If I had to pinpoint anything I'm dissatisfied with in life...

"Have you heard? A few days ago, Manager Qiu went on a blind date, and the man immediately started cursing at her, saying she didn't know what was good for her."

"Do you guys think she has psychological problems? She always has a deadpan expression, I don't see anything outstanding about her, but she's incredibly arrogant!"

"Don't say that, Manager Qiu is actually a very nice person, just a little introverted!"

"Pshaw, you call that introversion? I think it's just a psychopath!"

"Let's go, let's stop gossiping about others and mind our own business!"

As the footsteps faded into the distance, Qiu Shanglin, sitting on the toilet, let out a soft sigh, leaned her head weakly against the cubicle, closed her eyes, and thought, "What a mess..."

She simply declined his invitation for the evening, so how did that become ungrateful? Does it mean that sleeping with someone on the first date is considered ungrateful?

As for arrogance… honestly, she merely used an arrogant exterior to mask a shy and insecure heart… Her parents divorced when she was young, forcing her to board at school. Years of displacement caused her to develop a greater sense of inferiority than others. These shortcomings in her upbringing can be considered psychological issues, right? I've read many psychology books since I grew up, but experiences shape a person's character; it's not something that can be changed overnight. If God gave her another chance, she would surely have grown up lively, cheerful, and happy… What a pity, just wishful thinking!

She opened her eyes with a wry smile. She'd been out long enough; she should probably go back to work soon to avoid her boss yelling at her for being lazy... Lazy, lazy, lazy... The word "lazy" swirled in her mind, trembling and trembling until her liver ached.

Oh my god, I'm hallucinating... I blink hard, trying to dispel the hallucination, but it seems too real.

Two dirty little children were squatting in front of her, staring at her pitifully. One of them had tears on his face, and Qiu Shanglin could smell the unpleasant odor emanating from them even though she was close by.

The little monkey, tears still clinging to its eyes, shook her arm: "Qiu Shanglin, Qiu Shanglin!"

I thought in horror, "Damn, these days even hallucinations know her name!"

She quickly closed her eyes, held her breath, and pretended not to exist—someone had once told her that if she had nightmares or hallucinations, it must be because she had attracted something unclean, and pretending not to breathe was the best option.

The two children called her name several times but received no answer. She looked sickly and lifeless, which terrified them. They cried out, "Qiu Shanglin, Qiu Shanglin, don't die..."

"Qiu Shanglin, if you die, I'll take all your paintings!"

"Qiu Shanglin, I won't fight you for the doll anymore, here it is, here it is!"

Something was shoved into her arms, soft, wet, sticky... with a fishy smell... She suddenly opened her eyes, startled, and the two little monkeys jumped away with a scream.

"Qiu Shanglin has come back to life!"

She stared intently at the rag doll in her arms.

The rough fabric had several loose seams, revealing the grass roots that filled it. Someone had drawn eyebrows, eyes, nose, and mouth on it, but they were crooked and not very pretty. Two yellow threads were twisted into thin, pitiful braids. When you touched it, it was wet. When you put it to your nose and smelled it, Qiu Shanglin almost vomited. He was furious: Who peed on it!

The two children who had initially kept their distance slowly approached her after hearing her roar, grinning mischievously: "Qiu Shanglin, you're not dead!"

"How about it, I'm fertilizing your precious baby!"

The sarcastic tone infuriated Qiu Shanglin. Where did this brat come from?!

A cold glance swept over him. His face was filthy, patched with black and gray, and his clothes were patched upon patched, with several obvious holes in his knees and elbows. The style was also outdated and worn out. Where did this wild child come from, dressed like someone from the 80s or 90s? Look at those shifty eyes. Wait, shifty eyes?

Qiu Shanglin grabbed his chin in surprise, brought it close to his face, ignored his screams, and asked in astonishment, "Qiu Xialin?"

Qiu Xialin forcefully broke free, rubbed his chin, squinted, and scolded, "What, don't you recognize your grandpa?"

He winked at his friend, "Qiu Shanglin, don't think you can fool me just because you're playing dead!"

Qiu Shanglin didn't speak; she was stunned by what she was seeing.

Qiu Xia Lin, this was clearly her younger brother Qiu Xia Lin, whom she hadn't seen for many years, a year younger than her... The rag doll she was holding was vaguely the one she had begged the neighbor's wife to make for her when she was a child, the only toy she had ever had. Later, the mischievous Qiu Xia Lin and his friends snatched it away, not only tormenting it in every way but also urinating on it...

She grabbed Qiu Xialin's arm again and asked nervously, "How old am I this year?"

Qiu Xialin rolled his eyes: "How would I know how old you are!"

"How old are you?" She stared intently into his eyes, unwavering. Qiu Shanglin had never seen such a sharp gaze from her before, and was momentarily stunned. He obediently replied, "Three years old."

It felt like there was a heavy hammer in my head, banging away incessantly. Even though I was sitting in the shade of a tree, I was seeing stars.

She screamed at the top of her lungs, "I want to go home!"

Qiu Xialin jumped back in fright, nervously standing guard beside him, looking left and right, afraid that someone would notice that Qiu Shanglin had gone mad. Although his parents always sided with him, if his mother found out that he had been naughty and caused trouble again, he would definitely get a good beating when he got home.

She warned him with concern, "Don't you dare tell anyone when you get back. If you dare tell anyone, I'll..." She scratched her head, wondering what she could do. Her eyes darted around, but she couldn't think of any bad ideas. Her most precious doll had already been ruined. She had pushed it away and scolded it. What else could she do to her?

Suddenly noticing her clothes, his eyes lit up, and he loudly threatened, "If you dare to tell on me, I'll dirty and tear your new clothes, so you can't go to Grandma's tomorrow. I'll also tell Mom that you secretly wore them out today!"

In a state of utter despair, Qiu Shanglin glanced at her clothes, on the verge of tears. New clothes? These were clearly someone else's hand-me-downs...

Looking at the familiar yet unfamiliar village scene, the bumpy dirt roads, and the pale-faced villagers, Qiu Shanglin resignedly realized a fact: she seemed to have traveled through time!

Others who time-travel to the Ming and Qing dynasties, the Qin and Han dynasties, or at the very least, the Three Kingdoms period—a truly extraordinary era. Why did she only end up back in her childhood? Heavens, what a waste of resources! Have some mercy! If I have to time-travel, can't I just do it all over again? She doesn't ask for wealth or status, just peace, happiness, food, and a loving family… But then a thunderclap boomed in the clear sky, clearly indicating that the heavens didn't agree.

Qiu Xialin shuddered again. "Good heavens, I dare not do it again. I'll stay put and accept my fate!"

She had no choice but to accept her fate. Qiu Shanglin had been terrified of thunder since childhood, a childhood habit stemming from Qiu Xialin—a year younger than her. Qiu Xialin was notoriously mischievous, unmatched in the surrounding area. She would refuse to go home during thunderstorms. Her parents would send Shanglin to search for her in the rain. As she was calling out to the trees, a bolt of lightning struck a tree not far away, turning it to ashes. Startled, Qiu Shanglin fell to the ground, her face deathly pale. She didn't know to run or call for help, just staring blankly as the tree caught fire and burned away inch by inch. Seeing the fire spreading, Qiu Xialin suddenly appeared from some mouse hole, grabbed her, and ran away. When they got home, she complained: "Mom and Dad, Qiu Shanglin is so stupid! She saw thunder and fire and didn't even run away! I saved her life!"

From then on, he considered himself her savior, not to mention oppressing and exploiting her.

It seems like it happened when I was seven or eight years old; it wasn't the right time yet.

Seeing his sister's dazed look, Qiu Xialin became dissatisfied. He came over and grabbed her yellowish braid, yelling as he did so, "Didn't you hear me? Didn't you hear me? If you dare to disobey again, see how I deal with you!"

His arrogant and domineering behavior, coupled with his dirty, snotty face, ignited the long-suppressed anger in Qiu Shanglin's heart. He shoved away Qiu Shanglin's arm, swiftly grabbed his thin, bony arm, and as he stood up and bent over, they switched positions. Qiu Shanglin, with an absolute advantage in his superior position, slapped Qiu Xialin's buttocks: "I'll teach you to be bad! I'll teach you to be unfilial! I'll teach you to bully me since you were little! I'll teach you to be naughty!"

With a slap, Qiu Xialin was stunned for a moment, then screamed like a chicken being slaughtered, yelling and cursing, "Qiu Shanglin, you're asking for death!"

It would have been better if he hadn't yelled. His yelling only fueled his anger, which had subsided somewhat. He hit her harder, making her hand hurt, but she still gritted her teeth and struck again: "You dare to curse? Who am I? I'm your sister! Call me Qiu Shanglin again and see what happens! I'll beat you to death!"

"You dare! I'll beat you to death and see how Mom deals with you!" A threat made with impunity and without restraint.

She sneered, tightening her grip even more: "At worst, I'll pay with my life, so you won't grow up to do evil and implicate your family!"

There were a few friends from Qiuxialin nearby. After they ganged up to steal Shanglin's doll and pushed Shanglin down, they were so frightened that they scattered like birds. The two best buddies heard the ghosts howling in Xialin and hurriedly ran back. They stood there dumbfounded, watching Shanglin beat Xialin down.

Good heavens, this is outrageous! The timid and cowardly Qiu Shanglin actually dared to hit someone! And it was none other than Qiu Xialin, the lawless and precious treasure of his family!

They couldn't help but look up at the sky to see if the sun was rising in the west.

The sun doesn't rise from the west, of course. Qiu Shanglin's hands ached and he was exhausted after a while, so he just held Qiu Xialin down and asked, "Dare to be naughty again?"

Qiu Xialin, with her sharp eyes, spotted her friends early on and hurriedly called out for help: "Daqiang, Erqiang, don't just stand there, come and help!"

Shang Lin glared at her and shouted sternly, "Who dares! I'll go back and tell Aunt Lotus that you've been fishing in the river again!"

Daqiang and Erqiang both ran up to the front, raising their fists as if to strike. Upon hearing this, they paused for a moment, looked at each other, and hesitated, neither daring to hit.

Qiu Xialin yelled, "You two good-for-nothings! Don't be afraid, once I get up and beat her to a pulp, she won't dare go back and complain!"

Upon hearing this, the two thought, "Hmm, that makes sense!" Just as they were about to take action, they heard Qiu Shanglin shout behind them, "Aunt Hehua, you've come at the right time!"

The two of them couldn't bear to hear a sound, and didn't even dare to look back. They took off running and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

Qiu Xialin was so angry that he kept cursing, "Come back! Come back! You're all so stupid! Come back!"

There was no one left.

He struggled several times but couldn't break free from Shanglin's hold, and could only helplessly remain pinned to the ground, furious: "Qiu Shanglin, you—"

Before she could finish a sentence, she was slapped across the face. Shang Lin glared at him, her face turning pale with anger, and roared, "I'm your sister! Say my name again and I'll beat you to death!"

This is a pain that Qiu Shanglin will never forget, a thorn that has been stuck in her heart for more than 20 years and has never been removed. It is one of the sources of her inferiority complex as she grew up. Now it sounds even more grating. She really wants to kill this kid right now so that everyone can get away with it!

Although Qiu Xia Lin was mischievous, she was quick-witted and observant. Seeing that Qiu Shang Lin was truly angry—an anger she had never seen before, with a fierce tone, clenched teeth, and a menacing glint in her eyes, as if to say, "If you dare to defy me, I'll beat you to death," Qiu Xia Lin deflated, stammering, "Sister, it hurts..."

How could it not hurt? Shang Lin had half his body on top of him, his hands and feet were twisted, and he had been hitting him for a long time. Not to mention him, even Shang Lin's own palms were burning with pain in waves.

She slowly got up, let go of him, still holding his arm with one hand, and glared at him fiercely: "Go home!"

Qiu Xia Lin originally wanted to soften his stance first and then deal with her later, but Qiu Shang Lin still looked fierce, which made him dare not act rashly and obediently follow behind.

Shang Lin took a long stride, then paused, looking down at her short legs. How could she possibly take such long strides? Helpless, she could only shuffle home with her short legs. The white-collar elite training wasn't just for show; it had been around for five years and was quite formidable and imposing. Qiu Xia Lin had never seen her so imposing before, and dared not utter a word, obediently following behind.

As they walked, something felt off. They tugged at their arm and whispered, "Qiu Shanglin..."

Shang Lin turned around and glared angrily, grinning as if he was about to hit someone. Qiu Xia Lin quickly changed his tune: "Sister, it seems we've gone the wrong way. This isn't the way home."

Looking around, all she could see were endless farmlands, and in the distance, villages with wisps of smoke rising from their chimneys. She turned and glared at him, saying, "Where did you go wrong? Stop trying to play tricks on me!"

Xia Lin hurriedly said, "No, no, if we keep going we'll reach Shangcun. Our home is in Xiacun." He pointed in the opposite direction from where he came from.