In the dark and snowy road, there were two shadows leaving footprints behind. The third shadow left footprints five meters away from them. But no one noticed it as the dark night covered everything.
Li Amm was shivering. She had given her coat and outer clothes to the children. Her arms were a bit numbed. In this life, she was the pampered daughter of a Minister and lazy wangfei of a General. This body of hers had never carried any heavy things. So, in just ten minutes of holding the little boy, she was already losing strength in her arms.
"There was a girl who loves studying the most." Li Amm started her story. She was trying to distract herself from the numbing feeling on her arm and entertain the boys. It was still a thirty-minute walk until they reached the next city.
"What is she studying? " The boy who was walking at her side asked. The little boy in her arms also blinked. They were both curious.
Li Amm smiled at them.
"She is studying anything she could get her hands on. But the things she likes to study the most is how to get more money. "
"Money could get us warm food and a warm bed. A silver coin can make me live well." The boy who was walking to her side muttered these words. He also wanted to be a person who can get more money.
Li Amm glanced at this boy. She did not sugar coat him and told him the truth about society.
"You are right. That girl realized that and studied hard so that when she grows up, she would have everything she wants." The two boys continued to listen to her story.
They could imagine a girl in front of a desk. She was drying the paper that she had finished her writing. The lamp beside her almost burns her brows. She looked like those scholars who studied all night and day.
Though in Li Amm's mind, she imagined a ten-year-old girl, reading thick books and holding a calculator. That girl studied madly until she wore a black toga with medals around her neck.
"Until one day, all her hard work paid off. She had become one of the wealthiest people in her country. She became a known person in the whole world. She got everything she wanted."
The two boys looked at the snowy road in front of them as they imagine the little girl grew up to become a noble wealthy person.
In Li Amm's mind, that girl became the CEO of a company. That little girl who only relied on herself, relied on her abilities once again to bring the company to major breakthroughs until the company and her name became an influential figure in the industry.
"It must be good. Was she able to eat a lot of hot buns with spicy meat?" The older boy had tasted the said delicacy when a servant had brought a tray of hot buns and dropped one to the ground. Since their masters could not eat dirty food, the servant just left it there and ran in a hurry.
The child, who had watched everything, sneakingly took the bun and split it evenly with his siblings.
That's the most delicious food he had ever eaten. Until now, he could not forget that taste.
"Yes. She eats all she wanted to eat and visit every country to wonder and have fun. She had lived her life to the fullest. She had died of old age with a peaceful heart."
The two boys looked at her. It must be satisfying. But the sound of dying in old age wasn't good to their ears.
Besides, they felt that the story wasn't over yet. The two shadows, the woman and the child could not feel their legs anymore but they do not pay attention to it as they were focused on the story.
Li Amm looked back at them.
"Do you think she had lived a good life?"
The two boys nodded. Being able to eat those warm buns and visits every place that they want to see sounds pretty good for them.
"I think so too. But when the guardians lead her to reincarnate, they stopped her and said that she wasn't ready yet." At this point, Li Amm was telling the story with a furrowed brow. She was actually analyzing that moment. Why did those peeps told her that she wasn't ready yet?
Li Amm stare ahead. They traveled in the dark and snowy road. Only with the help of moonlight, they could see which road they would take in.
Li Amm continued to speak with a confused mind.
"What did she lack? She had made sure of herself that she had lived well and she did not leave any attachment to the world. So why? What was wrong in her life?" Li Amm felt it was unfair. She had lived her life for 96 years. She had prepared herself in her final years that she would finish living as Liam Drelavine and enter reincarnation.
Some people might found her situation good and might just have fun living in this world. She had her memory intact, her experiences, her past knowledge, her abilities, all of it was in her mind. And she remembered it. Anyone in her shoes would be happy and might use this opportunity to gain more fame, wealth and pleasure. When she had learned the counting system here earlier than learning the language, she was almost deemed as a genius.
When she realized that the people were looking at her fanatically, she stopped learning counting in front of them and just studied the other systems behind their backs. It was not a good feeling when people look at you like you are a genius when in fact you only just hold the advantage of having your memory intact when you were born.
Li Amm doesn't like it.. Living in this life with the remains of her past self...was, not something she had hoped to live on. It was not like her past was bad. It was just...
"Empty.." Li Amm muttered. Then her eyes turned wide at the sudden realization.
Why she said 'empty'?
Why she found it empty?
Li Amm questioned herself.
She had lived her life to the fullest...she get everything she wants! So why she had said it's empty?
Why??
Liam Drelavine, a woman who was proud of her 96 years of living, suddenly felt lost. She was doubting if those years she had lived was really fulfilling as she had believed so.