Haas was the local drunkard, hailing from the same village as Zhao Lun.
In Zhao Lun's memories, Haas was perpetually intoxicated, almost never sober. Throughout the entire year, he seemed never to have taken a break from drinking, always wandering about with bleary eyes, never once experiencing a clear moment of sobriety.
As for his home, it was always a solitary place. No one else was ever seen there except for Haas himself. His dwelling was as sparse as could be, with only a wooden plank bed remaining. For a long time, he had become the village's prime example of how not to live, constantly subject to the ridicule and scorn of the others. But despite all this, he remained stubborn and unrepentant, showing no signs of wanting to change.
However, Haas did have redeeming qualities, one of which was his impeccable manners when drinking. His behavior while intoxicated could serve as a model for drunkards everywhere. Even when excessively drunk, he never caused trouble. His greatest nuisance was merely passing out in the middle of the road, blocking the path of pedestrians. A trouble that, in the grand scheme of things, was almost negligible.
Unlike many of his kind, Haas never harassed the villagers while under the influence, nor did he ever resort to committing crimes for money to buy more alcohol.
Some praised him for his restraint, while others called him a fool. But the majority simply referred to him as the town drunk.
All things considered, people went about their lives without getting involved in each other's business. Everyone minded their own affairs, and peaceful coexistence was maintained.
In Zhao Lun's memories, Haas had simply vanished, though it was after his mother disappeared that he noticed his absence. At that time, Haas was desperately searching for his mother, grieving over her sudden disappearance. Haas' own vanishing didn't seem important to him until today, when he finally saw his ghostly figure once again, and from the dark recesses of his mind, he remembered Haas and realized—he was dead!
As he pondered this, the ghost slowly faded away, and the night seemed to return to its calm state. The howling wind, however, reminded him that this night would not be as tranquil as it appeared.
The next day, Zhao Lun woke up to the cold wind. Maria was still asleep, but the wind had blown into the shelter, causing Maria to curl up into a ball and snuggle up to him for warmth.
Zhao Lun rose, went to check the fire, and found that the firewood was nearly burnt out. The flames were reduced to little more than a few embers, on the verge of extinguishing.
The small pot above the fire was steaming, filling the air with a savory scent. He lifted the lid and found that the fish bones had turned to mush.
He added some more wood to the fire, reigniting it, and then woke Maria up. After washing up, they had their breakfast before heading to the beach.
The cold was rapidly approaching, and time was running out. They needed to gather enough food to survive.
The tide was retreating, and the beach always held a few pleasant surprises. They took advantage of the opportunity and managed to catch some small shrimp and two fish nearly twenty centimeters long in the traps they had set yesterday. Whether they were familiar or not, they collected them without hesitation. Then Zhao Lun went to the rocky area, where he used nets to block off some of the fish and shrimp routes while gathering the rest. By the time the tide had fully receded, they had a fair haul.
He placed the handmade iron net aside and began to search the crevices between rocks for more small creatures. With the experience from the day before, Zhao Lun was working more efficiently, discarding unnecessary items and finding more time to prepare his fishing line.
The fishing hooks were made from nails he had crafted the night before while the fishing line had been salvaged from a trash heap. The fishing rod was a length of jujube wood, polished smooth and round, a beauty to behold. It was a tool he had brought with him from home, one he cherished and had kept for self-defense. Now, it served the perfect purpose for fishing.
Maria obediently stayed by his side, picking up small shrimp and similar things, but she wasn't doing much else. She had exhausted herself the day before, and today she was feeling the aftermath. Her body ached, and she needed rest.
Zhao Lun's body, however, had already adapted to this pace, and he wasn't as tired as she was.
The wind had died down considerably, and they were now facing away from it, waiting in silence for the fish to bite.
It didn't take long for the floating straw fish indicator to show signs of movement. For a moment, it was pulled under the water, and then it resurfaced. Zhao Lun successfully hooked a small fish, no bigger than the size of his palm.
"Fish! We've caught one!"
"Put it here, put it here!"
Maria was even more thrilled than Zhao Lun. Her violet eyes sparkled as she smiled, resembling a crescent moon.
"Shh! Quietly, don't scare the fish away."
Zhao Lun pressed his finger to his lips, whispering softly.
"...Oh, I understand, I'll be quiet," Maria responded, her large eyes blinking innocently as she covered her mouth. Zhao Lun couldn't help but laugh at her antics.
Perhaps it was luck, or maybe their voices had disturbed the fish, or the fish were simply too clever, but the quality of the hooks wasn't up to par. From then on, despite seeing fish nibbling, they couldn't catch anything.
Every time the float moved, Maria held her breath, clenching her fists, even more nervous than Zhao Lun. When they reeled in their lines to find nothing, she couldn't hide her disappointment, which made Zhao Lun feel embarrassed. Before they had arrived, he had confidently declared that he was a fishing expert.
Before his travels, he had caught dozens of carp from a pond using his handmade hooks.
Although fishing by the sea was different, Zhao Lun felt the skills were largely the same.
As noon approached, they finally had another bite. By the time they finished, they had caught five fish—one the size of a palm, one around a foot long, and the others about half a foot.
They also gathered several large crabs from the traps, along with clams and small shrimp they had collected earlier. With all this, they would have enough to eat for the day.
Returning to their shelter for a quick lunch, they rushed to prepare for the afternoon's activities.
The weather had become gloomy, signaling rain. With no other food, they decided it was best to focus on preserving the fish as sustenance. As for the ghost they had seen the previous night, it was best to put that thought aside for now. The most important thing was eating. Even if they didn't care for themselves, they needed to think of Maria. Zhao Lun had already entered the mode of thinking ahead for her.
Maria had followed him once again, this time carrying a fishing rod she had made earlier in the day. After seeing Zhao Lun catch fish in the morning, she had become quite envious. As soon as they got home, she had begged him to make her one as well. Zhao Lun, while preparing lunch, had complied and crafted one for her.
By mid-afternoon, the wind had picked up again, and the waves had become rough. Zhao Lun checked the sky and predicted rain was imminent. The firewood was running low, so they needed to gather more branches. With few catches to speak of, they decided to call it a day.
Not far from their shelter was a desolate forest. Almost no one came here except for them. The cold had dried out the leaves, and a new layer of foliage had already fallen to the ground.
Using a broom with a bare tail, Zhao Lun gathered some fallen leaves to use as kindling. He also collected some dry twigs before returning to the shelter as the sky darkened.
"Brother, Maria is hungry."
"Maria wants to eat grilled fish—"
Maria, exhausted and famished, clutched her growling stomach and urged Zhao Lun to prepare dinner.
"Don't worry, I'll make it right now," Zhao Lun said.
After a few attempts, Zhao Lun's cooking skills had improved quickly. The dinner was soon prepared, and they devoured it eagerly. Once finished, it was so dark outside that they couldn't see a thing.
Inside the grass hut, there was no light except for the flickering flames of the fire. Maria had already fallen asleep, and Zhao Lun tidied up before lying down as well. However, this time, he didn't sleep. Instead, he lay with his eyes closed, ears alert, listening intently to the outside. When the wind howled, it reminded him of the apparition he had seen the night before. He wondered if the ghost was a one-time event or if there was something more to it.
He also thought about other matters, such as whether the world he was now in was the same as the one he had come from. Was it truly a supernatural occurrence?
Were the historical events of this world identical to those of his original world?
Was his father truly skilled in martial arts? Should he practice it too?
Perhaps he should find some newspapers, books, or other materials to learn more.
The books and newspapers were those Zhao Lun had found in a garbage heap, now stored in the cracks of the grass hut's walls. Most were magazines with illustrations that were easy to read, while the newspapers were intended to be used as wall covering.
The fire flickered, casting shadows, and the wind began to pick up again.
Zhao Lun glanced outside, and in the darkness, he noticed a faint, eerie figure that had appeared unnoticed.
It was Haas! He had returned! Zhao Lun's hair stood on end as he cautiously observed, unsure if this apparition was dangerous. He remained still, not wanting to give away his presence.
Haas seemed the same as before, standing by the fire, lost in thought, mumbling to himself, occasionally scratching his head and rubbing his face, looking as though he deeply regretted something.
Zhao Lun watched for a long time but gained no useful information. Now, standing face-to-face with this ghostly figure, he found that he wasn't afraid anymore.
It seemed harmless—perhaps it was afraid of the fire? Could his memories be confused?
Drip! Drip!
The rain that had been held back all day finally arrived, falling in steady, tight threads, forming a curtain of rain that obscured everything outside.
Exhausted, Zhao Lun drifted into sleep without realizing it.