After walking for some time, they reached the outskirts of the village, where shabby huts stood. Big Huang led the way, entering one of them.
Noir's nose caught the aroma of food coming from inside. As they entered, he saw a young girl wearing old clothes, but with a beautiful smile on her face. "Brothers, you're back!" she exclaimed.
Her smile matched her beautiful face, but it didn't match her clothes. As Noir looked at her, she pouted. "Hmph, brother, why were you late? I've prepared food for so long; look, it's getting cold."
Pulling Noir by the hand, she took him to a mat on the ground. "You sit here," she said. Then, looking at Big Huang, "Big brother, you come too."
"Yes…yes, coming," Big Huang replied, smiling as he sat beside Noir. "Little brother was working extra for the man who offered us the meat, so he was late because of that."
Xiao Meili arrived with a large plate containing a big chunk of roasted meat, and they began to feast.
"Happy birthday, little sis," Big Huang said, retrieving a piece of clothing from under his own cloths.
"It's not new, but I promise that one day I'll buy you a new one, the only one of its kind in the world."
Noir looked at this and realized the original owner of the body must have also prepared something for her birthday, or at least tried to, but died before he could, as he didn't find anything valuable on him that could be given as a birthday present.
Putting his hand into his clothes, he retrieved a single gold coin. "This one is from me. Happy birthday," he said, handing the gold coin to Xiao Meili, who was stunned when she saw it.
"Brother!" she exclaimed.
"Where did you find it? Don't tell me you robbed a noble!" She glared at Noir with questioning eyes.
"No, I haven't robbed anyone," with silly smile. "And you also stop glaring at me," he added, looking at Big Huang, who was staring at Noir while sitting so close to him.
"I have something to say, but before that, it's better we discuss the matter we discussed at the inn," Noir said, addressing Big Huang.
"Oh," Big Huang responded, his tone turning stern. "Little sister, listen carefully and don't overreact," looking at both Noir and Xiao Meili.
"Is it something serious?" Xiao Meli asked, her face showing panic as she noticed Big Huang's change in tone.
"Well..." he hesitated, "Little brother was in an accident and lost his memories."
[Silence]
Xiao Meili looked at Noir, her hands roaming over his face. First, she stretched his cheeks, then pinched them. "He seems fine to me. Why are you joking with me, big brother?"
"He's not joking," Noir said, waiting for her to remove her hands from his face.
"Isn't this the second time he's lost his memories then?" Xiao Meili's tone changed, and she glared at Big Huang.
"Big brother, I gave you one simple task, and you can't even..." she began, but Noir interrupted. "This isn't his fault, or anyone's fault. When I woke up," he said, putting his hand inside his robe and pulling out another gold coin.
"I found these," he showed them the gold coin. "With these, we can change our lives and begin our journey as cultivators."
[Silence]
"Cultivators! You mean immortals? They're no joke, little brother. Immortals are living gods, and we mortals can never be one of them. Stop dreaming," Big Huang said, disapproving of the idea. Even dreaming of becoming an immortal was taboo for them.
"And these few coins? It's better to save them and exchange them for silver and bronze coins later, so we can live a better life than being beggars. How can two gold coins change our lives?"
Noir put his hand inside his clothes again and this time pulled out two more coins. "Here are more," he said, handing the three coins to Big Huang. "There are more, so there's no need to limit ourselves, big brother."
Big Huang and Xiao Meili were both shocked and couldn't believe what they had just seen. Noir stood up after finishing his meal. "I've already made a deal with the inn owner. Come with me, and we can live at the inn until we decide what to do in the future."
"It doesn't feel right. It's your money, and I don't want to be a burden on you, little brother. You found them, so it's better if you leave me here and take little sister with you," Big Huang said, becoming emotional.
"No," Xiao Meili said sharply, shaking her head. "If big brother doesn't go, then I won't go either."
Noir rubbed his head. "I've lost my memories, but there's something my heart is telling me," he said, putting his hand on his chest. "We're family, aren't we? So how could I leave my family alone?"
"Both of you are coming with me, or I won't go either," he said. Although he didn't want to be emotional and didn't want to say those words, seeing them so emotional, he couldn't help himself.
Big Huang, as his name suggested, was larger in stature. He hugged both Noir and Xiao Meili, overcome with emotion. "Yes, we are family. We'll always live together,".
"We are family," Xiao Meili repeated, tears welling up in her eyes.
After their emotional reunion, they began packing their important belongings. Noir stopped them from taking their old clothes, as he had decided to buy new ones for everyone.
Xiao Meili only carried two things: a dress gifted by Big Huang and a small pouch containing old gifts from Noir and Big Huang.
After a while, they reached the inn. Seeing them arrive, a servant ran to Noir. "Young master, I have prepared three rooms for you," he said.
After Noir left, the servant went straight to the inn owner and told him about Noir's words. The inn owner, who had been slightly doubtful at first, now felt fortunate that he had accepted Noir's offer and ordered the servant to do as Noir had instructed.
"Big brother, sister, you guys go first. I'll come later," Noir said. He then looked at the servant. "Help them settle in while I meet with the inn owner."
"This way," the servant nodded and guided Big Huang and Xiao Meili to their rooms.
Meanwhile, Noir made his way to the inn owner. "Oh, you're here. Are the rooms ready?" the inn owner asked with a smile as he saw Noir approaching.
"Yes, they are. Thanks for agreeing to it," Noir replied with a smile.
"So, what are you offering for accommodating two more people with food and housing?" the inn owner asked, getting straight to the point. He was hoping Noir would offer a few more gold coins.
"Well, I'm offering nothing. Instead, why don't we discuss the terms we agreed on? I want to change them," Noir said, surprising the inn owner.
The inn owner's face fell when he realized there were no more coins. His expression changed, and he asked, "What changes do you want? Although the gold coin is precious, I can't accommodate more than one person for five years."