Before Bebe and Jia Hyson could even begin to fully process the fact that for a split second Jia Hyson had been legitimately attracted to a fucking male chicken, the handsome looking villager from Little Leaf village they had been stalking ran toward them. "Da Gong!" He exclaims looking a bit tired and frazzled, "There you are! Did you bully the village children again?"
The black rooster, Da Gong, made a 'tch' noise and swivelled his head to face away from the villager. The villager gave the bird an exasperated look, it was clear that this wasn't the first time he had been snubbed by the bird. "You stinky chicken," he scolds, "I let you come with me because you scare off even the dogs but you ran off the moment we stepped foot here to steal food and scare kids. Auntie Wu has already nagged at me to stop bringing you around ah,"
Da Gong just clucked.
The villager sighs. "I also heard you messed up Old Li's fruit cart again? Aiyah, that man almost died from fright when you jumped onto his head from the rooftops before jumping onto his cart and squishing his plums. Honestly, I fear that I'm losing more money than I'm earning it with you around."
Da Gong just clucked again. It somehow sounded even less interested than the last one. It was clear that on account of him being a rooster he was neither able to communicate with the village nor was he particularly interested in doing so. Unfortunately, it seems like the villager didn't mind the attitude and kept talking.
Jia Hyson who was listening while laying low and inconspicuously on the ground suddenly realized why such a handsome sunny looking young man was all alone with no fellow villagers to help him on his journey here save for a rooster as his sole companion.
This guy... was a huge chatterbox!
One minute, two minutes, five minutes... it was like all the words Jia Hyson didn't see him use when he was stalking him had been saved up just for this moment and they were bursting out like water from a cracked dam.
Jia Hyson didn't know you could talk so much about your day ah. Even if you asked him how his whole week has been he wouldn't have been able to use half as many words. And he'd been taking acting classes with a demonic cultivator, a grandmother and a literal emperor whose son was the main character to a stallion harem novel.
"-and then the old man told me that he spotted the pretty new Wu family's daughter in law leaving the house in the direction of her childhood sweetheart's home. He didn't say it outright but I think we all know that the poor groom is wearing a green hat ah. Though the daughter in law is quite bold, the Wu's are pretty prideful and rich, not as good as our Little Leaf village's Tang family of course but it's enough to make the daughter in law's life miserable. Aiyah, it's such a troublesome matter, the Wu family and the Pan family had agreed to this contract for years and the Pan daughter had also seemed to be fairly happy with the Wu's eldest. Now that this sort of news has come out both families have lost a great deal of face and the Pan family will face the dissatisfaction of the Wu's. Speaking of dissatisfaction, Old lady Bai once again tried to haggle over my-"
'Host, host, the villager is talking about the original main character Pan Shuchun.' Bebe spoke up excitedly breaking Jia Hyson from his daze. Because Bebe had the skill function of [World Encyclopedia] it now had more information on the important characters that may not necessarily have been written into the story. While it couldn't currently get any information about unimportant background characters like the villager at the current level, it was more than enough to get moderately detailed hidden background information on supporting lead-level characters and above.
'Who? I thought the main character is Tang Muxin,' Jia Hyson was a little befuddled by the young villager's mouth which was akin to a verbal machine gun. Not only is his lung capacity and memory good, his story tangents will have tangents making it confusing to listen to. One moment he's talking about fruit and the next he will talk about seeing a strange painting of a mandarin by a passing merchant before moving on to rumors about a thief stealing people's dogs.
To be honest his voice was good and the way he spoke was not bad, making even idle things sound interesting, but the pacing was too fast and the rapid changes in subjects made it too hard to understand. Jia Hyson felt it was a pity. If the young villager could solve these problems he could probably make a living as a storyteller or entertainer.
Bebe sighs. 'Yes, but the main character of the story she transmigrated into is Pan Shuchun. You know, the agricultural student who transmigrated into a beautiful village girl?'
To be fair, since Tang Muxin ran away from the main plot for most of the story, other than the world-building in the beginning and some passing gossip and references during the rest of the text, Pan Shuchun was not exactly a fully formed character. More like an extremely long foreshadowing at best. Most likely she would have shown up once Tang Muxin entered the palace but since this story went onto hiatus and was left incomplete….
Anyway, Jia Hyson didn't pay too much attention to her. But it was surprising that the original main character and the true main character's transmigrated bodies would only be a few villages apart. Could this be fate or the world simply being lazy?
'Wait,' Jia Hyson suddenly recalled they gossip the villager spat out happily, 'this Pan Shuchun is married and is cheating on the husband? It couldn't be...'
When there is a story about a character transmigrating into a world where there is another person who has also transmigrated there is a common trend. The main character (mainly female) of the true story transmigrates into a villain, a vicious supporting lead, cannonfodder or random bystander. And the other transmigrated character will almost always be the heroine.
This general trend then splits into three main cliches.
The transmigrated heroine is only interested in living her own life happily, and is pretty chill and is not too invested in hooking up with the male characters. She and the main character will become best friends or at least friendly acquaintances who will support each other and maybe even diss the cliched other characters together. Maybe they'll even get together. This trope has been growing in popularity recently.
The transmigrated heroine treats it all as a game but thanks to some faceslapping and the possible reveal that the true protagonist is also a transmigrator, the heroine mellows our and tries to redeem her previous actions in some obvious plot event just to make her more likeable. This is the least common trope but it's not a bad one either since it gives a bit more realism to the protagonist character.
And finally, the transmigrated heroine is a delusional two-faced, fake white lotus, green tea bitch who believes the world revolves around herself, she deserves everything good, that she is heaven's favoured darling and aims to take the reverse harem route by seducing all the hot men in the world.
There's, of course, different variations of this type of character but generally one would observe low intelligence levels, high arrogance levels, a callous to the point of vicious attitude toward others that aren't her love targets (especially toward other women) and a feeble mind that will eventually break and go batshit insane after various blows to her ego and scheming. This is the most common and popular trope, mainly due to the great satisfaction of seeing such an unlikeable and annoying bitch get faceslapped hard. Unfortunately, it's quite overdone so the popularity is not as high as before given that other than a good faceslapping this character does not bring much to the table due to a complete lack of substance.
However, for this current story which is written more like the slow paced daily life of a retired super-assassin, having such a hateful character is also not too bad.
Jia Hyson carefully considers it.
Tang Muxin won't arrive for a bit but Pan Shuchun is already here. He has time to scope out Pan Shuchun's underdeveloped character and whether it would be interesting to bring her into the plot earlier than intended.
The fact she is legally married isn't mentioned in the story, but after getting Bebe to look into it the author briefly mentioned that Pan Shuchun had run away from the village with her childhood friend due to a marriage agreement. Nowhere didn't it say that the marriage agreement had already been fulfilled or not, just that she wasn't happy with it.
Jia Hyson couldn't help but frown slightly. He's read about similar characters in QT stories where the story action are taken at face value or the plot is written to be in the protagonist's viewpoint and in reality nothing is necessarily what it seems. But the thing is, for Jia Hyson he didn't think that was something that actually happened. Sure the world's consciousness needs to add things and tweak things in order to explain the story plot holes which causes some unexpected changes in perspective.
But in terms of character personality, it's different if they are written as good and kind-hearted they will be good and kind-hearted. If they are written as a fake white lotus they are a fake white lotus. Jia Hyson took it for granted that the information taken from the plot, while not necessarily complete, would at least be accurate. He didn't expect this sort of discrepancy in the original female lead.
Bebe, sensing his puzzlement quickly explains. As a system that has seen many types of story worlds, it has a good grasp of how stories will reflect in reality.
Usually, this sort of strange loophole would not be made but due to the story not having a proper ending where the majority of the big questions and plot has been covered already, the world's consciousness obviously could not decide where to put what and just let reality take its course for some aspects.
For example, there is the typical cliche of having a bullied and abused son who is reborn and faceslaps all the people who wronged him like his stepbrother or stepmother or scum dad. If a story is completed with the bullied son granting his scum step-family mercy due to his kindness than it would happen. However, if this story wasn't completed and this specific scene wasn't written to showcase the bullied son's innate kind nature then logically, using reality as a basis and following the story so far with what the bullied son had experienced, the bullied son might just completely blacken instead and end up destroying the scum step-family.
After all, in reality, the human heart is naturally a dark bloody red.
The less popular and more unfinished a story is, the more unstable it will be in reality, creating a few discrepancies. On the bright side, it does make it easier to act more freely without being considered as breaking out of character. Not that Jia Hyson has to really worry about that currently ah.
Jia Hyson's eye muscles twitch. As someone who writes and drops stories even more than he picks up and dumps one night stands he knows exactly how common an unfinished story is in the world of literature and web novels. That is to say, he can look forward to more of these situations in the future ah.
This also brings about the question of future characters like those lurking in the castle. Ignoring the original protagonist, there was like, nine princes in the imperial family and who knows how many concubines and princesses. The important ones have some information on them in the story such as 'the arrogant crown prince', 'the unwanted and unfavourable sixth prince', 'the hot-headed fighting maniac third prince' etc but in terms of detail, it's worryingly sparse. Jia Hyson didn't really care about it before but now that he knows that unfinished stories have a tendency to create AWOL characters he suddenly was overcome with the same feeling he had when he was a student.
Bebe: 'What feeling?'
Jia Hyson: 'The feeling of low key anxiety where for once you studied the recent biology class topic of the digestive system but found out two days before that the test is actually on the circulatory system that you had learnt and forgotten weeks ago. Like, it's not too late to solve the problem but it doesn't feel great to do the work okay? Especially since it was already a big deal that he had studied so well in advance instead of cramming it last minute.'
Bebe: '...I thought you were a good student?' From the school records the teachers gave high praise to Jia Hyson, complimenting his quiet diligent demeanour if a little antisocial and shy. His grades were also nothing to scoff at with the exception of possibly chemistry and history but even they were pulled up last minute by his final exams. Even though it knew this spicy chicken host wasn't a good thing, Jia Hyson admitted himself that when he was younger he was much milder and timid, quite different to his current self.
Jia Hyson: 'No, no, no, you're mistaken. My teachers thought I was a good student just because I didn't talk much. Also, I'm naturally quite smart and talented so my grades were also enough to easily get me into a good university ah.╮(╯∀╰)╭ In truth, I was very lazy and would only do things last minute unless it was a group project.'
The societal pressure of group projects and his anxiety on how people viewed him made him unable to slack off for those sort of assignments. Unfortunately not all his fellow students sang the same tune as him making group assignments one of the most unlikeable things about the education system other than holiday homework.
Bebe: '...' (¬_¬) Right now a thousand school scum are spitting at you in their hearts.
Anyway, while this problem was something to worry about in the far future it was still a pretty big problem. It's like being a director and casting people blindly for a movie that relies on a lot of improvisation and will only start filming in three years. If the people happen to be good then the movie will be brilliant, however, if one person drops the ball or their role doesn't fit the casting choice then it'll become an ugly mess. Also, who knows what will happen in three fucking years? Butterfly effect and whatnot.
Jia Hyson sighs. Since this is only a reward world and he'll be getting compensation pay anyway, it's not a big deal but in other worlds, it will definitely be important to take note of. Right now it's best to take this world as practice if nothing else and see how it goes.
While he was pondering these deep thoughts the villager was still talking. Da Gong also wasn't even remotely paying attention, scratching in the dirt with a blank look that radiated boredom and indifference.
Bebe who was listening dearly wished it couldn't. Unfortunately ever since the villager spoke up about Pan Shuchun, this somewhat important character, it's work ethic wouldn't allow it to stop listening in case there was more relevant information in that stream of words.
Bebe: '...' Why do I feel like I'm the honour student among a class of slackers? (￢_￢;)
Finally, Bebe could not take it anymore.
'Host, if you don't do something about that man's motor mouth Bebe will do something.' Bebe threatens tiredly. It had ended up doing more work today than it did the whole time in the last world ah. What's worse is that the universal wi-fi and mobile data costs are much higher in an ancient world setting so it also has to cut down on it's social media time on top of everything else.
Jia Hyson, who still didn't know that their precious beloved wi-fi time is going to suffer greatly, still was in the mood to be playful. 'What will you do ah?' He teases inwardly.
'Bebe… Bebe… Bebe will do, Bebe will do something!(ﾉಥ益ಥ）ﾉ┻━┻' Bebe promises vehemently if a little pathetically. It was so tired it couldn't think of a good insult.
Aw. That's so adorable.
However, Jia Hyson was also getting tired and the day was nearly ending. He had no intention of waiting for this chatterbox to finish when he still hasn't found a place to stay the night safely.
Forcing his overworked body to move again, crawling toward Da Gong and using his tail to curl around one of his talons, 'mrp'ing softly as if asking for attention. Because he was so small and his physical strength wasn't very good, the way he wrapped his tail made it feel like Da Gong was being lightly tickled by a delicate paintbrush. It was a feeling the rooster had never felt before and instinctively he wanted to retreat his claw and kick the offender.
However, looking at the small baby worm with little claws just like his own, Da Gong didn't have the heart to do so. He had seen somewhat similar animals like this one but without ears and with uglier claws, much less beautiful and useful than his own. Those things can separate their tails when startled. It's very disgusting and annoying.
Da Gong isn't sure if this odd noisy worm can also do that but he was reluctant to see such an ugly sight. Besides, the four-legged worm was so small and weak, if the tail was pulled off wouldn't it just straight up die?
Pushing down his natural knee jerk reaction, Da Gong puffed up his feathers to try look bigger and more intimidating as he looked down on the worm. Even though the worm had amused him, it was still not correct to let the worm touch him like this! Not even his idiot master dares to touch him so intimately!
Jia Hyson who didn't understand the thoughts of an arrogant, overbearing rooster: 'Ah, ah, he puffed up! How cute! (∩˃o˂∩)♡Bebe, does that mean he's excited? Is he happy that this cute dragon touched him so coquettishly?'
Bebe who has a general understanding of the body language of various species of life forms: '...Sure.'
Jia Hyson likes animals, it's why he chose to do zoology in university in the first place. But he was unique in that his first-hand experience with animals was virtually nil compared to the other students. Till he was twenty-one he had never even held up a rabbit.
His mother came from a veterinarian family and was generally given the unlikeable task of having to clean up all the animals in the household clinic when she was younger causing her to be averse to having pets in the future. And by chance none of his good friends had pets, and Jia Hyson at the time didn't have a thick enough face to go over to an acquaintance's house just to pat a dog.
He had gotten some goldfish when he was younger and he liked to feed the magpies, crows and ravens in his garden, but let's be honest, that doesn't really count, does it?
In university he held his first rabbit.
On the dissection table.
To be fair, he was very, very good at handling that.
But that still didn't help his ability to understand the intricacies of non-human body language. He's seen videos and such, and had read up on it idly but with his spicy chicken memory how on earth can he retain such non-vital information pertaining to his life? All he knows is basic stuff like raising a bird's wings might be to make themselves look bigger to intimidate or when a dog sticks out its tongue to pant it's probably because it's thirsty. Basic logic stuff.
But puffing up the feathers? What sort of survival defence mechanism is that? Isn't it just selling meng ah?
So Jia Hyson, who really didn't know any better excitedly also tried to sell meng back. Chirping cutely as he curls his entire body around the rooster's foot.
Da Gong: '…What a bold worm!'Σ(T□T)
Da Gong stiffens, startled at the audacity of this strange little worm. However, he can't help but be intrigued.
If Jia Hyson heard the rooster's thoughts he would be speechless. Not only is the rooster's attitude domineering, but even his thoughts and reactions were also very typical to an overbearing CEO male love interest who becomes interested when the cute female lead intern talks back. Unfortunately, no matter how much of a male lead Da Gong was at heart, in body he was still… a rooster.
Da Gong wasn't the only one who's attention was on Jia Hyson's actions. The chatty villager had long stopped talking after Jia Hyson made his presence known, staring interestedly at the strange creature. What was more surprising than the lizard-like animal having ears or a strange fluffy tail, was that Da Gong, this tyrant of a rooster, did not immediately beat it to death.
He would have you know, Da Gong once beat up a whole stable worth of horses because they ate his specially prepared offerings from the village. Even the village head and the arrogant and rich Tang family would treat this feathered tyrant like a small ancestor.
Seeing that the lizard managed to hug the usually aloof and abstinent Da Gong and not get swallowed whole, how can the villager not be surprised?
"Well, well," The villager strokes his chin with curious eyes, "It seems Da Gong has made a new buddy ah? How interesting."
Da Gong clucked blandly but he didn't shake Jia Hyson off.
The villager chuckled and stroked his chin again, "Very interesting. Little buddy, why don't you come home with us tomorrow?"
Jia Hyson immediately turned his head toward the villager and excitedly gave his most affirmative sounding 'meep' noise he could muster. If the villager invited him as a pet then wouldn't he get protection and free lodging under a proper roof? This was like a small pie falling out of the sky for the tired Jia Hyson. It turns out in this rural setting you don't need to hold onto a golden thigh to get your way, just a chicken's will do!
"Great, great!" The villager laughs, correctly taking the noise as agreement. Standing up straight he righteously points a finger at Jia Hyson, still curled up around Da Gong's leg and declares, "I shall call you… Xiao Bang! Because you look just like a little stick!"
Little Stick Jia Hyson: '…'
"Pft," Da Gong, as if understanding the insult let a little huff of air, almost reminiscent of a chuckle, adding salt onto the wound.
Bebe: 'It could be worse ah.'
Jia Hyson: 'How could it be worse?'
Bebe: 'You're small and covered in brown mud right now, you could've been called… Xiao Bian hehe.'☚(ﾟヮﾟ☚)
(Xiao Bian = Little Shit)
Jia Hyson: '...' ಠ_ಠ Unhappy.jpeg