Super System in the Early Tang Dynasty

Chapter 215 The Rooster Crows

As the rooster crows, the sky turns white.

With several unprecedentedly loud, high-pitched, and spirited rooster crows, a thin line of dawn appeared on the eastern horizon, the morning stars dimmed, and a towering, enormous figure gleaming with multicolored light was revealed on the rooftop of Wangjia Village.

With the crowing of the rooster, everyone in Wangjia Village threw off their warm blankets, dressed, got out of bed, stretched a few times, then chopped firewood and started a fire. Soon after, wisps of smoke, mingled with the aroma of rice, rose and dissipated...

The entire world was shrouded in the faint chill of early spring and a thin mist; everything was quiet and peaceful.

Hearing the deafening rooster crow from the rooftop, Li Xingzhi could no longer fall asleep. Feeling the warm, fragrant jade, he cursed under his breath.

The two women had already opened their eyes, revealing two pairs of bright, crystal-like eyes, still hazy like a thin mist, which stunned Li Xingzhi.

"Brother Li, it's so noisy!"

Li Linzhi frowned slightly, pulled the blanket over her head, and tried to go back to sleep.

Ultimately, things didn't go as planned—another rooster's crow, piercing the soul, roused my still-drowsy eyes, rousing me from my drowsiness.

Following Li Xingzhi, who was also lazy, Li Linzhi became lazier and lazier. Usually, she would not turn over until the sun was high in the sky.

"You go to sleep first, I'll go out and take a look."

Li Xingzhi affectionately stroked the girl's fair face and spoke softly. His voice was as gentle as warm water flowing over a person's body, making the girl feel extremely comfortable.

"Hmm..." The girl snorted softly, seemingly understanding something, and pulled all the blankets over her small head.

At this moment, Zhou Rou'er had already gotten out of bed, tied up her hair, and was dressed in plain white. She then picked up the clothes that Li Xingzhi had folded and placed beside him the day before and put them in Li Xingzhi's hands. Judging from her appearance, if Li Xingzhi hadn't been used to dressing himself, she would have done it for him.

Ignoring the slightly aloof expression on the young woman's face, she appeared to be the epitome of a virtuous wife and loving mother. Yet, the gentle glint in her eyes betrayed a hint of vulnerability.

The girl, who was originally helpless against fate, somehow completely submitted to its arrangements. Perhaps, for her now, fate is not always deceiving her.

The boy and girl, dressed neatly, walked side by side outside. If you ignored the one lying in bed, tucked in the blankets, snoring softly, the scene would be perfect.

Zhou Rou'er walked to the well, and with a gentle lift of her slender hand, a large wooden bucket filled with water shot out of the dark well, tracing a narrow parabola before falling to the ground at great speed. The girl gently caught the bucket, ensuring not a drop of water spilled.

Carrying water, her flowing skirt and slender figure moved with light steps toward the side room—where there was a stove for boiling water.

Li Xingzhi felt the cool, refreshing morning mist brushing against his face, instantly dispelling the pent-up gloom that had accumulated throughout his body overnight.

He swung his arms and kicked his legs, preparing to do a set of "radio calisthenics" to get his blood flowing, when suddenly, a shadow grew larger and larger, descending from the sky, enveloping him like a dark cloud, and obscuring the already dim morning light.

"Splash—splash~..."

It was as if a giant roc was flapping its wings, fanning the wind in his ears, creating a huge gust of wind and a great commotion, even stirring up dust on the ground.

Hearing the commotion, Li Xingzhi flicked his long sleeves, creating a hurricane that swept away the dust.

At this moment, the culprit that had fallen from the sky had landed safely. After the dust settled, a robust figure was revealed—it was a chicken, a huge chicken!

This chicken is taller than half a person at the shoulder, over a meter long, with glossy feathers and its head held high. A magnificent comb, like a blazing fire, grows on its head, making it appear noble and extraordinary. Its tail is long and bright, with five colors, which shimmer in the rising light, magical and beautiful!

This is not a chicken; it is as beautiful as a peacock, yet a hundred times more noble than those haughty peacocks! Perhaps, this is a phoenix, a strange phoenix that has broken away from the flock!

Okay, no matter how strange, amazing, or beautiful it looked, Li Xingzhi recognized it—it was clearly his family's chicken!! Only it had changed in appearance and mutated.

This huge chicken has two large, shiny black claws.

He took a step forward with his two large paws, like a dragon walking and a tiger striding, looking very majestic. His bright and sharp eyes looked at the two-legged creature in front of him with a few doubts and curiosity, wondering why he felt a sense of familiarity and affection.

Li Xingzhi looked at the mutated rooster and found it quite interesting. Suddenly, a vibrant, otherworldly green appeared in his outstretched hand—tender green grass growing by the spiritual spring. He used to feed his chickens with this grass and the spiritual spring water.

The rooster already has its own thoughts and soul, though it is still immature, but that does not hinder its thinking.

His eyes were fixed on that tender green—it was a familiar feeling, and within that familiarity lay an endless allure, an allure more captivating than the devils of the abyss, a temptation from the deepest, most primal depths of the soul and body.

The rooster glanced at Li Xingzhi, then looked at the tender green that he longed for, took a few steps forward again, and carefully pecked at the tender, fragrant grass, swallowing each blade one by one into its sharp, golden beak.

His throat made gurgling sounds, and his eyes showed a human-like enjoyment.

What a wonderful taste! He seemed to be saying.

Li Xingzhi watched the rooster pecking at the grass, gently kneading its neck and the soft flesh under its chin with one hand. The rooster, in turn, rubbed against Li Xingzhi's hand in a gesture of affection.

Just as the man and the chicken were getting along intimately, a thin, elderly man with silver hair and a white beard walked into the courtyard, leaning on a cane.

"Is that Li Dalang?"

The old man squinted, craned his neck slightly, and strained to see the figure in the fenced yard.

As people get older, their eyesight starts to deteriorate.

Li Xingzhi looked over upon hearing the sound and found the old patriarch of the Wang family standing outside the courtyard, gazing in this direction.

The old man was emaciated, like a rotten piece of wood, swaying back and forth. Before anyone knew it, a gust of wind blew by, and he creaked and fell to the ground.

Six years have passed, turning a child into a teenager, a teenager into a man, and an old man into a man nearing the end of his life. The once healthy and cheerful clan chief is now reduced to this state, leaving Li Xingzhi with a deep sense of melancholy.

"Elder Chief, what brings you here?" Li Xingzhi answered loudly, as if afraid the old man wouldn't hear him.

Seeing the old clan chief swaying unsteadily, he ignored the rooster beside him and quickly went forward to help the old man into the courtyard.

"I'm getting old, I'm getting old~" The old man, supporting Li Xingzhi, staggered into the courtyard, sighing a few times. "Luckily you came back early, otherwise, these old bones of mine wouldn't have seen you again... Thanks to your grain seeds, Li Family Village has no worries about food now. The entire Tang Dynasty is blessed by you, Li Family Man! I want to thank you on behalf of the people of Wang Family Village, on behalf of the people of the Tang Dynasty..." As he spoke, the thin old man staggered towards Li Xingzhi and bowed deeply. If Li Xingzhi hadn't caught him in time, he would have collapsed to the ground. "Oh, I heard you came back last night, so I thought I'd come and see you..."

The old man was still trembling, rambling on and on, his enthusiasm making Li Xingzhi feel ashamed. He supported the old man, his body, which was usually impervious to heat and cold, was covered in a thin layer of sweat.

Li Xingzhi was looking at the old man and listening to his rambling when suddenly the old man's voice faltered, and his eyes looked to the side. "This...this is your 'golden phoenix,' isn't it? How come he's so close to you? I've never seen him pay attention to anyone else. This old man has spent his whole life..."

At some point, the rooster standing nearby approached. It nuzzled Li Xingzhi's thigh, a look of comfort and ease in its eyes.

The old man continued rambling, but Li Xingzhi showed no impatience.

The small gate on the fence creaked open again, and Wu Laoliu led Liu Shi in, bowing respectfully, "Young Master."

"Why did you come so early?" Li Xingzhi was listening to the old man's rambling when he saw Wu Laoliu and his wife and was taken aback.

"We've come to help with some chores." Old Wu rarely speaks anymore, always just a few dry words. However, the enthusiasm and sincerity in his words are clear.

"Old Wu is good; he didn't let Liu suffer." The two people who had been interrupted had been observing the couple for a long time before finally saying this.

Wu Laoliu was startled when he heard the familiar, aged voice. He had been watching Li Xingzhi the whole time and hadn't realized there was another person here.

"Why did the old clan chief come out so early?"

As Wu Laoliu was speaking, Liu Shi came up from behind and carefully supported the old man's other arm.

"I wanted to see Li Dalang. I can't close my eyes in peace without seeing him..." The old man's voice, as aged as worn-out wood, came from his mouth.

At this moment, a sliver of sunlight peeks out and shines upon the earth.

A faint, refreshing aroma of rice wafted from the side room in the courtyard, instantly invigorating the senses. (To be continued.)