"Boy! Boy! Get out of the road!"
Wang Zhi didn't have very long to appreciate the quietness of death. Someone was shaking him and tugging at his legs. Couldn't they just leave him alone for five minutes?!
He opened his eyes and was assailed by the bright light of a summer noon. The smell of roast duck was everywhere, and his mouth watered. Had he made it to the dining hall after all? No, what was he thinking? What dining hall would sell roast duck that smelled so fresh? He must be in a street market...
But hadn't he been smashing his head all over the dormitory steps a second ago?
"Boy!" Someone slapped him.
Ouch! What the hell? That stung!, Wang Zhi wanted to shout. But his voice was thick and stuck in his throat, and all he could do was lie there and stare up at this asshole.
Hovering over him was an older woman with an irritated expression. She slapped him again.
Really? Is this necessary?!
"You're clogging up the road, kid!" She snapped, pulling on his arm. "People can't get by! You're making my inn look bad! Get up, get up!"
Feeling a creaking protest from his whole body, Wang Zhi stumbled to his feet with the help of the woman's yanking/pushing/slapping. She slapped him on the back of the head all the way. What a violent old woman! On his feet now, Wang Zhi squinted around. He blinked a few times, recognizing his surroundings.
"...Zhu Jie Market...?"
Zhu Jie Market was a place Wang Zhi had been many times. It was a day market bursting with life and color, with merchants of all types from slimy to benevolent, and a street lined with comfortable inns, off-limits brothels, and crowded teahouses. However, it was not a real place. It was the initial spawn point for every solo player in Spring Blossoms, Autumn Fruits.
The old woman scoffed, giving him a stink eye. "Where else would we be? Did you hit your head on the way down? Or are you an idiot? Bah, I shouldn't bother. Look at your clothes! You've clearly been living on the streets!"
Wang Zhi indeed looked down to find that he was wearing a pitiful set of what could only be referred to as "rags". His robes were torn here and there and covered in grime, clearly falling apart at the seams. This could all mean only one thing.
He had transmigrated into Spring Blossoms, Autumn Fruits--and what's more, he'd gotten horribly unlucky and spawned in as the lowest class--a beggar with zero spiritual training!
To be honest, he didn't care to pick apart the whys and hows and whats of it all. He was in Zhu Jie Market, he was a beggar kid, and that was that. What use would it be to lose his mind over something already said and done?
Although it really was a little sad. He must have died immediately. Now that he was a part of the game, would he ever get to see the new surprise DLC? Would this world update with the Spring Blossoms, Autumn Fruits of his world? As he pondered this, the woman ushered him off the road under the irritated watch of many passerby who had been trying to walk around this collapsed young man for some time now. She pushed him all the way into her inn and shut the door.
Wang Zhi blinked. He looked around--this was an auto-generated inn. Every time a new player spawned into Zhu Jie market, it was a little different. It was comfortable and large, as Zhu Jie's inns always were.
"Kid," The inn owner snapped. "Since you caused me so much trouble, you'll have to help me out."
"Of course," Wang Zhi said without hesitation. "What can this humble one do for this Miss?"
The lady seemed shocked for a moment at his immediate agreement. What she didn't know was that a quest marker had briefly appeared above her head: a green diamond that indicated the quest level was Easy. But the woman quickly got over herself and crossed her arms. Though she was significantly shorter than him, her gaze and presence were far harsher. "I need you to do something for me. I'll give you something, too. Here it is: down the street, another inn just like mine has opened up. It's called Eat Well Inn. They've copied our kitchen's menu entirely, down to the ingredients, and yet they get all the business on the street!" This was evidently true; as Wang Zhi looked around, he couldn't see a single patron. He couldn't help but feel a little bad for this woman. Who wouldn't be so violently angry when all their patrons had been stolen by a no-good competitor? She went on: "I need you to sneak into their kitchen and pour all their salt into their congee. That'll teach them to copy my recipes!"
"And what will this one receive in return?"
The woman glared at him. "I told you, your debt of making a scene in front of my inn with be repaid! But if you're that greedy..." She stomped into another room and returned with something wrapped in cloth. She pulled off the cloth dramatically to reveal...
A really shitty sword.
Wang Zhi's heart sank. It wasn't to say that the sword was completely useless--it had a faint glow of spiritual energy, and it was certainly well-made. It's just that it was a low-level sword design that could only deal so much damage. Good for small fries, useless against a real boss. He'd hoped the first quest he was issued might get him something powerful, but clearly luck was not on his side. He'd slipped down the stairs, been born a beggar, and now he had a shit sword as a starter reward. He might as well go to the lottery and try his hardest to lose!
The woman noticed the disappointed expression on Wang Zhi's face, and her expression grew harsh. "What? Not satisfied? Then I'll keep it!"
"No! No, no, this one is very satisfied! I'm only disappointed that you will part with it once this one has completed your request." Wang Zhi held his hands together and bowed his head. "This one will surely return soon with good news."
The woman was ecstatic, but she tried to hide it behind a severe look. "Good! At least you're diligent. What's your name, boy?"
"...This one's name is Qiu Yunru." It was the username he'd used for most of his characters. Why not take on a new name that didn't hold so much weight, now that he was dead?
The woman scoffed. "Such a lofty name for a street kid. Well, get going! Maybe there's hope for you yet if you work hard. You seem like a good kid."
As Wang Zhi headed out the door, he couldn't help but roll his eyes. A good kid? Hard work? Then why had she told him to use underhanded methods to destroy a competitor?!