The Bad Girl's Quick Transmigration System: Traveling Back and Forth

Many years later, when Xiao Shitou, no, people now call him Shi Lei, was camping in a desolate valley on a quiet night, listening to the whistling wind outside the tent, he would still remember that afternoon clearly.

That afternoon changed his entire childhood and even influenced his entire life.

Back then, he was a thin, timid child, like an inconspicuous foxtail grass, a "little stone" growing in the folds of the mountains. Parentless, he depended on his elderly and ailing grandmother for support. The village was remote, and the road to the outside world was a winding, narrow path. On sunny days, he was covered in dust; on rainy days, he was covered in mud. The days were like the muddy river at the village entrance, flowing slowly and dully, with no end in sight, no light in sight.

Until Sister Lin Wei appeared.

She was leading a small, female detachment of soldiers on a bandit-suppression mission. The entire team was dressed in green leather armor, but she, wearing the same uniform, stood out. Her eyes were like the clearest mountain spring water, bright, gentle, and filled with a smile. Her voice was also beautiful, like the sound of birdsong in the morning, crisp and melodious.

The female soldiers' squad camped on an unused plot of land next to the village primary school. The village was small, so secrets abounded, and everyone soon learned that Sister Lin Wei was the squad leader.

The first time Little Stone saw Lin Wei was when his grandmother asked him to go to Aunt Li's house at the village entrance to borrow some salt. He saw Sister Lin Wei squatting on the ground, showing a picture book to a few children about his age.

Little Stone was so fascinated by the scene that his thin body huddled in the corner, revealing only a pair of longing eyes.

"Are you here to see it too?" A gentle voice sounded above my head.

Little Stone was startled and turned around and wanted to run away like a frightened little rabbit.

"Don't be afraid, my name is Lin Wei." Sister Lin Wei smiled and held him close. Her hand was warm. "What's your name?"

Little Stone lowered his head, scratched the corner of his clothes with his fingers, and whispered, "Little Stone..."

"Little Stone?" Sister Lin Wei smiled, her eyes curved into crescents. "What a cute name. Come, let's read together. This book tells stories about the outside world."

She pulled Little Stone over to her side, letting him sit with the other children. She then flipped through the pages of the book, recounting stories Little Stone had never heard before in her sweet voice. Sunlight streamed through the shabby window lattice, illuminating Sister Lin Wei's youthful face and casting a gentle glow around her. At that moment, Little Stone felt like Sister Lin Wei, a fairy straight out of a story.

From that day on, Little Stone, like iron filings that had found a magnet, would inevitably run towards the elementary school. The female soldier squad was very busy, and Sister Lin Wei often had to accompany the team up the mountain, spending most of the day there. But whenever she was at the camp, Little Stone always found a chance to spend time with her.

Sister Lin Wei not only told him stories but also taught him to read. She used a small branch to write on the ground, teaching him to write "stone" and "head" stroke by stroke, and then taught him to write "forest" and "wei".

"This is my name, Lin Wei." She pointed to the words on the ground and said, "From now on, you can call me Sister Lin Wei."

"Sister Lin Wei..." Little Stone followed along, feeling sweet in his heart.

Sister Lin Wei would also bring him treats. Sometimes it was a piece of candy, so sweet he could savor it all day; sometimes it was a cookie, crisp and delicious. Knowing that Xiao Shitou's family was struggling and his grandmother was in poor health, she always found ways to help him. She would even "on the side" make an extra meal for Xiao Shitou to "help" with; she would wash and fold some of her old clothes, and give them to Xiao Shitou to wear. Though worn, they were clean, much better than the patched-up clothes Xiao Shitou had worn before.

Grandma always pulled Little Stone and asked him to kowtow to Sister Lin Wei to thank her for her kindness. Sister Lin Wei always quickly helped him up and said, "Grandma, please don't be like this. Little Stone is very good and I like him."

Once, Little Shitou ran a high fever, becoming delirious and constantly crying out, "Water...water..." Grandma was desperate, and the village doctor was helpless. Just when Grandma thought she was losing her only grandson, Sister Lin Wei, braving the pouring rain and carrying her medicine box, ran from the camp, trudging along.

She took Little Stone's temperature, gave him medicine, and wiped him with warm water to cool him down. She stayed by Little Stone's bed all night, constantly changing the towel on his forehead, humming an unknown song softly as she ran from the camp, one foot deep and one foot shallow.

She took Little Stone's temperature, gave him medicine, and wiped his body with warm water to cool him down. She stayed by Little Stone's bed all night, constantly changing the towel on his forehead and humming an unknown ballad.

The next morning, Xiao Shitou's fever subsided. When he opened his eyes, the first person he saw was Sister Lin Wei. Her eyes were bloodshot and her lips were a little chapped, but she smiled with relief when she saw that he was awake.

"Little Stone, are you awake? Do you feel better?"

At that moment, Little Stone felt an indescribable feeling for the first time. He felt that Sister Lin Wei was just like... just like his mother. Although he had never met his mother, he thought that his mother must be like Sister Lin Wei, gentle and kind, who would stay with him when he was sick, tell him stories, and give him warmth.

From then on, Little Stone became even more attached to Sister Lin Wei. The uncles and aunts on the exploration team joked that Little Stone was Lin Wei's "little tail." Wherever Sister Lin Wei went, Little Stone would follow. When she went to the river to wash clothes, Little Stone would help her move the stool. When she was looking at blueprints under the lamp, Little Stone would sit quietly beside her, not making any noise, just watching her serious expression. When she discussed work with the team members, Little Stone didn't understand, but he loved to hear Sister Lin Wei's voice.

Sister Lin Wei never found him annoying and would patiently answer his strange questions.

"Sister Lin Wei, are there really such tall buildings outside the mountain?"

"Sister Lin Wei, which runs faster, a train or a horse?"

"Sister Lin Wei, is the sea really blue? As blue as the sky?"

"Sister Lin Wei, will you...will you stay here forever?"

Whenever she asked the last question, Sister Lin Wei's expression would become somewhat complicated. She would touch Little Stone's head and softly say, "Little Stone, I'm from the exploration team. We have a mission to accomplish. Once the mission is completed, we will leave."

"What is the mission?" Little Stone didn't understand.

"Our mission is..." Sister Lin Wei thought for a moment, pointing to the distant mountains. "We're going to learn about these mountains and see if they have any treasures, like minerals that could help us live a good life, or clean water we can drink."

Little Stone nodded, half understanding, but he remembered the word "leave." Those two words, like little bugs, crawled around in his heart, making him feel uncomfortable. He was terrified that Sister Lin Wei would leave. He was afraid that after she left, he would return to the gloomy, dull days of the past, without picture books, good stories, or a warm embrace.

He began to become somewhat silent and was always depressed.