A sharp pain jolted him awake, followed by a cacophony of noise that seemed to swell from far away to right beside his ear. Chu emerged from a hazy state, unsure whether it was a "click" or a "chattering" sound that had roused him.

Just now I was so tired from taking photos that I lay down on the makeup table in the photo studio for a while. It seems like I slept for a long time, otherwise how could my mother look so worried? But even with the headache, Chu still didn't look at her mother's face. Wow, this makeup artist is really good. They completely removed the crow's feet from the corners of my mother's eyes and the spots on her nose. And wearing ancient costume, my mother actually looks so gentle, virtuous, and elegant! Hahahaha—not for nothing that I swindled a family portrait photoshoot discount from my sister-in-law. Ignoring the inexplicable pain in my head, Chu smiled at his mother who looked like a blooming flower.

"Are we done? Is it my turn now?"

"Cǎicǎi, are you awake?"

Both of them spoke at the same time. Chu's ears perked up, but he didn't hear clearly what they said. However, he still nodded, "Awake, hey, Mom, why are you crying?"

As soon as the words left his mouth, the frail old mother in front of him started to cry with pear blossoms and tears. This completely subverted the usual image of the old mother who was strong and decisive, commanding respect and getting her way. The change came too quickly, leaving Chu unprepared to react.

"Tap tap tap"—a series of footsteps came, Chu Gang wanted to turn his head, and suddenly a face appeared in front of him, "Cai Cai, you're awake!"

The enlarged face and deafening shout startled Chu who jumped back, pressing her hand against her thumping heart. She looked at the person who had suddenly popped up in front of her with a reproachful tone, "Dad, why did you scare me like that?"

Seeing his mother's tearful face, he immediately pulled his father, who had been approaching her daughter's bed, aside and whispered, "Yuanlang, CaiCai has just woken up, don't scare her!"

Chu was dumbfounded. "Did I hear that right? Yuan Lang? Cai Cai? What does this mean?" Even more shocking to Chu was that his father stood obediently aside, like a naughty child listening to a scolding from an adult, muttering every now and then, "Cai Cai has been asleep for two days. I miss Cai Cai. It wasn't intentional just now, Cai Cai..."

What on earth is going on?

Could it be that this artist's photo has been transformed into a moving picture? The strong mother plays the role of a helpless and virtuous woman, while the muscular father plays a meek and foolish man?

No, the straw mat on the floor, the patched quilt, the roof with holes... It looks so real.

As soon as he thought of this, a vast expanse of memories flooded his mind, instantly drowning out Chu Ci's thoughts.

A gentle breeze rustled through the manor, and the sky was clear.

A little girl, no more than ten years old, sat on a large stone in front of the house with her chin resting on her hand, her expression vacant.

On one side sat a tall and imposing man with an elegant face. He mimicked the little girl beside him, resting his hands on his cheeks and sighing every now and then.

His face, expressions and demeanor were all in perfect unison, imitating to perfection. However, when this act was performed by a young man of twenty or so, it seemed rather out of place.

Chu noticed the gesture of the border person and couldn't help but chuckle. The smile, however, tugged at the wound on her head, turning the expression into a grimace.

The man immediately put down his hand that was supporting his chin, lifted his face, and pouted it close to her, "Cai Cai, blow on it, blow on it and it won't hurt anymore."

Chu looked at the man's anxious and genuine expression, his eyes instantly reddened. The pain seemed to have vanished. He pulled away his hand and sighed, "I don't hurt anymore, Dad."

It wasn't until this moment that Chu fully accepted the reality of his soul transfer.

Chu Qing, whose nickname is CaiCai, is ten years old this year. She looks exactly like her age, but she's thin and pale, clearly malnourished.

The man standing before them, with a bewildered and worried expression, was his father, Chu Huaiyuan. He was in his mid-twenties or early thirties. In memory, he used to be a general, but ten years ago, after a disastrous defeat that resulted in the annihilation of his entire army, he was found to have lost his sanity and become childish and out of touch with the world.

Meanwhile, the child's mother, named Miao Danxuan, was a well-educated lady in her memory. She excelled in all areas of art and culture, including playing instruments, calligraphy, poetry, and painting. After marrying her father, they lived happily together like two strings harmonizing, but suddenly an accident occurred. Her husband was accused of dereliction of duty, and their family was abandoned by their relatives. The frail mother brought her mentally disabled husband and a two-month-old child to this place to struggle for survival, transforming from a sheltered young lady into a washerwoman in wealthy households to support her family.

Ten years have passed in the blink of an eye.

Chu Qing sighed deeply. If she hadn't seen it with her own eyes, she wouldn't have believed that Bai Lingying's mother would become a washerwoman for money, and the father of a national special forces soldier would become senile and foolish.

And just a few days ago, Yuan had an argument with some children from the same village. When they realized they couldn't win the argument, those kids started throwing stones at Yuan. A stone the size of a bowl smashed into his head, and blood poured out instantly. Yuan fainted right away. He was originally pronounced dead by the doctor, and then I, who had been napping with my eyes closed, just... came over like this.

I think if I hadn't dragged my parents to take photos during the Lunar New Year holiday, I probably wouldn't have woken up to such a terrifying scene.

Well, since it's happened, I might as well accept it. Besides, my parents are still my parents. Even if they made some mistakes, they're still good people.

Perhaps God thinks that parents haven't spent much time with their child over the years, so He lets the whole family travel back in time to enjoy a good family reunion. Although this reunion looks a bit tragic, there's no need to worry. With the brains of a 21st-century college student, we can definitely handle this legendary farming life.

Chu Qing looked at her short arms and legs. She was a bit frail, but as long as she took good care of herself, she could still make a name for herself.

Thus, Chu Qing stood up abruptly, clenched his fist and made a beautiful arc in the air like a cheer, believing that he would definitely bring his cute and silly father on a star-studded path to happiness and well-being!

Just then, a shrill voice came from afar.

"Cai Cai, Cai Cai, your father is chasing after my duck again—"

Cici? I think so.

Chu Qing stiffened her neck and turned to the right, seeing a fierce-looking old woman wailing. She followed the direction of the woman's cries.

That silly dad is chasing after the other person's duck, running happily across the field.

A surge of courage and excitement welled up inside him.

It seems like, dreams are indeed very full, but reality is really harsh.

It's not about dreaming of the future right now. The most urgent thing is to get dad back, who ran away chasing ducks.

"Father, Father——you're back—"

Chu Qing took a step forward, chasing after him silently, tears streaming down her face with exhaustion.

So there was this scene in the field: Father Chu chasing after a duck, Chu Qing chasing after his father, dogs barking, men working in the fields with hoes and women carrying winnowing baskets at their doorsteps, all watching this unfold and unable to stop laughing. It was quite a lively scene for a moment!

(Editor in charge：historical romance novels)