Upon waking up, the first thing that came into his mind was...
"...Ji... A-Ji... You grasp my hand too hard..." The boy's voice hoarse, unlike his usual childlike voice.
The strength lessened, before the pair of hands grabbed his shoulders and shook him violently.
Now that he had already waken, the deity's killing intent rapidly increased.
"Three days in coma and the first thing you do is to complain?! You don't know how worried I was!"
YueChen did nothing, allowing the taller male to shake him to the point he felt like puking.
The reason Yuan Ji stopped shaking him was a girl who carried a basket hit the deity's back with said basket.
[Are you trying to knock him to a month-long coma this time?] A-Die smacked him again and again, even after he released YueChen.
He turned around and grabbed the basket, roaring, "Enough! Don't hit me anymore!"
Having her basket snatched from her and thrown outside the window, she had a startled look before she produced a tree branch out of nowhere and pointed it to Yuan Ji.
[Back off! Back off as far as you could from him!]
The water deity raised an eyebrow and took a small step to distance himself from his vessel. "Is this far enough?" He snickered sarcastically.
[I said, back off!]
Another step, followed with a mocking comment, "I think this is far enough."
[You literally took only two steps!] She fumed, stomping her foot to emphasize her words.
"Yeah, I'm aware. But those two steps took a handful of energy, too."
Yang YueChen, "....."
[Back away. Go away!]
Two steps now.
[Scram!]
A step, before he stole a bun on the table and ate it.
[Don't eat the food! Leave at this moment!]
Yuan Ji grabbed another bun and tossed it lightly to YueChen, who nearly failed to catch the flying bakery thrown to his direction.
"Die-Die, here's an advice. Put more salt in the bun, it's so tasteless." He stated before fled to wherever the girl couldn't chase him to.
[!!!]
Rule number one: Never insult a certain dark-skinned girl's cooking. YueChen noted.
He took a small bite of the bun, eyes fixed curiously on the girl. The bun tasted fine, the amount of the salt perhaps suited most people's tongues. Yuan Ji never liked food with strong taste, yet he just said it need more salt.
With that thought, a smile bloomed on the teen's face.
A-Die noticed that, but said nothing. She only gave him an unfathomable stare as he ate.
"This is good. You cook really well." His praise caused a blush to spread across her face.
Now that his mind had cleared and his stomach had been filled, he realized that he was wearing a traditional clothes—white inner robes.
And the fact that the place he was staying could be considered traditional styled and the folks here wore hanfu just like him didn't help anything.
•
"The God! Bless us with prosperity!"
"God! Please grant me a daughter!"
"God! Please let this season's harvest be a great one!"
Cheers and exclaims bombarded him from all direction the moment he stepped out of the hut. And those made his ears started to ring once more.
Forcing himself to not cover his ears and scream, he only leaned backwards and gave the folk a smile.
/Yang YueChen!/
/Yang YueChen!/
The shouts from his memory relived themselves, filling his mind with sharp needles, ready to prick his brain.
"Silence." The cheers died down as an elderly woman raised her hand. The people circling around him retreated a few steps hesitantly.
Xian Jian Zhe had opened her mouth, who dared to defy her?
With a code from the chief, the folks knelt down. Man and woman from all ages kowtowed to the boy.
"Apologies, God. We were being too excited for having a god descend to this small village to bless us. Please show mercy on us for our reckless action."
This was too overwhelming. Yang YueChen was no god. A ghost—an anomaly—who dared to imitate a celestial being, how audacious.
"No, I..."
Before he had the chance to explain, he spotted a figure in the distance. Water blue robes, black embroidered ribbon, a cheeky smirk, arms crossed, posture upright.
Xian Jian Zhe interrupted him, "What should we refer you as, Lord?"
The person mouthed a word, and smiled.
'Dimwit'
"I...uh..." The boy stammered, his face started to redden. "People call me Hui Le."
This time, that person cupped his hands to form a megaphone around his mouth as said louder, "Dimwit."
•
The Agriculture God Hui Le he became, from the anomaly smart student Yang YueChen.
People had been offering him a bunch of offerings and uttered their prayers for two hours. The line itself seemed to be endless, a small village with only about three hundred people living in it shouldn't be this many, right?
In the first hour, Xian Jian Zhe's residence had turned into a makeshift temple. Fruits and goods filled a quarter of the hut in the second hour.
A-Die helped him to receive the offerings, while Xian Jian Zhe sat on the table and peeled herself an orange.
"May you be blessed, may you be blessed." Left his mouth a hundred times already, his mouth became dry and lips noticably chappy as he spoke the words.
Sometimes, they would only gave him the goods and bowed to him. Sometimes, some would mutter a prayer. Some would take a dramatic turn and wail as they knelt before him, bawling their eyes out and grabbing his robes too hard it almost torn. Some would stare at his hair, as it was uncommon for a person to have short hair in that era.
Being a god is a pain. Being a boy stranded in the past and had to act as a God named Hui Le is a pain. Being next to Yuan Ji is a pain.
Yuan Ji stabbed an apple with a needle, wherever he got it from, it's better left unasked. The apple had tiny holes about the same amount as the people who had finished the worship.
"Oh wow, it's your a hundred and fifth follower. Give her a proper blessing."
The lady, seventeen of age, looked bashful and sweet at the same time. She glanced at him, then looked away in embarrassment. Her cheeks, instead of natural blush red, were heavily powdered with rogue. Her lips too red, her hair pinned neatly with too much decorations.
"Hui Le Shen, please accept this humble me's offering." The tone was coquettish, apparently a false voice. Her white hands handed over a basket of fruits and flowers. The yellow chrysanthemums complemented the orange and red, as well her attire.
Seeing that this maiden acted all sweet and shy, Yuan Ji couldn't help but to roll his eyes. He gave the apple a prick, a shallow one. "I take it back. You don't have to give her a proper one."
Being a good person YueChen was, he said what he had said for hundreds times. "May you be blessed."
The next was a couple, a newly wed around his age. The couple asked for things usual couples would ask for. But after praying, instead of giving it to YueChen, the bride and groom handed it to A-Die. On her face, a big smile instantly bloomed.
After the couple, a runt ran over to them. The boy looked like he was eight at the most, body small in comparison to his peers, his face and body littered with dust and earth. The little boy presented a flower to A-Die, a tiny white wildflower. He exclaimed confidently, "Here's a flower to pretty sister!"
Witnessing that one adorable boy, the crowd promptly laughed. "Son, that's not how it works. You have to pray for something!"
The teenage girl blushed, and signed in flusteration.
The boy, hearing the adults laugh at him, only thought for a moment before beamed cheerfully to YueChen, "Then, I want to marry sister once I grow up! Can you help me?"
Shocked, Yang YueChen stammered subconsciously, "Huh? Yeah, yeah. I will remember."
A-Die covered her face behind her hands, not daring to look at anyone right now. Yuan Ji, on the other hand, pricked the apple deeper than the ones before.
•
Five hours and thirty three minutes, as the deity said. YueChen fled as far as he could and laid down on the field of grasses once he was finished.
"How does being a deity feel like?" The water deity asked, rolling to one side.
"Hell, I don't understand how you all could bear it." YueChen closed his eyes, as though not seeing anyone would free him from the responsibilities waiting for him.
"Mmm... Takes time to get used to it."
"I just wish that they don't worship me like that, it's weird."
"Noted, Hui Le Shen."
The teen pushed the deity, "Stop it, don't call me that name."
"Okay, Hui Lei Shen then, XingXing."
"Not that too!"
Too tired to fight or start a quarrel again, he only murmured sleepily, "The stars are bright tonight..."
He could feel a hand, intertwined itself with his, and a warm breath near his neck. "They sure do. Goodnight, Xiao Xing."