Gulp, gulp, Mu Cheng raised the bowl as he finished drinking the nourishing chicken soup.

"Fuhaa~. So good." Mu Cheng praised the soup. The soup was generously seasoned and filled with various ingredients. Being so poor, Mu Cheng did not have the privilege of using spices. 

As a modern man used to eat delicious food rich in flavor and spices. Being suddenly thrown down to this ancient era, not to mention being poor and lacking food to the extent of having to eat random plants in the wild. It was like eating cardboard instead of meat.

The City Lord's Manor naturally did not lack in wealth. Be it food or spices, they were all of the best quality. It was normal for them to eat gourmet food, the chicken soup which was for nourishing Mu Cheng's body was not counted as a gourmet dish. But even then after comparing to cardboard flavored food, this soup was indeed like a heavenly dish for Mu Cheng.

"Yihan, do you feel better?" The little 8-year-old girl, Wei Qianqian asked as soon as she saw Mu Cheng finish the soup.

"Young lady, the boy needs to digest the soup before his body can recover." The old doctor explained.

Mu Cheng who was just going to say that he felt better, silently thanked the doctor before zipping his mouth. He even wondered if he had to weaken his pulse in case the doctor was to feel his pulse again.

Mu Cheng had thought he would need to explain his background, but all they asked was his name. Then they cooked the chicken soup for him. Mu Cheng had to decide whether to use his own name or the body's name. Or even a made up name, but considering the situation, using the body's name would be better.

Due to his 'weakened body', Mu Cheng couldn't do anything else but to lie on the bed and 'rest'. But if he didn't show up with a weakened body, it would be more questionable for him to just simply faint at the forest like that. Feeling extremely bored, Mu Cheng decided to through the Tai Chi memories he gained. Although he had shifted through them before. He could go deeper into the memories and in greater details understand his memories. It was like memorizing a book, you'd know the content, but that does not make you understand it and being able to apply the content. If it was a coding book, just memorizing it doesn't make you a programmer, you needed to digest the knowledge, follow the rules of coding etc.

Mu Cheng was now digesting the memories of several decades worth of Tai Chi experience.

One day later.

Mu Cheng was invited to meet the city lord. But before that, two maids brought him to wash his body. Maybe due to his condition still being 'weak', the two maids washed Mu Cheng's body in a big wooden circular bathtub.

Being extremely embarrassed to have his body washed by others, and two ladies no less. Mu Cheng did not know what to do or say. Luckily both the maids did not undress, they simply pulled up their sleeves and began scrubbing Mu Cheng's body clean.

"This is not embarrassing. This is not embarrassing. It's like a mother washing her child..." Mu Cheng could only imagine the situation as such. Being a 6-year-old boy, it would be weird for him to be all embarrassed by simply being washed by the maids.

"As expected of nobles." Mu Cheng stepped out the room in a new clean robe. The robe was pleasing to the eye, soft and comfortable to wear, unlike the coarse cloth robe Grandpa Fu had gifted him.

A servant came over and guided Mu Cheng to the meeting room. Inside, the city lord, Wei Lifeng and Wei Qianqian were sitting around a large table while sipping on some tea and making small chats.

"So it's time to explain my background now." Mu Cheng thought and started getting ready.

"Come take a seat." The city lord gave a nod and pointed.

"Yihan thanks uncle for saving his life." Mu Cheng said after taking his seat.

"No need to be so polite, but the one who saved your life is my daughter, Wei Qianqian." The city lord smiled and introduced his daughter.

"Oh. Big Sis, thank you for saving me." Mu Cheng turned his head to the little girl and said. Naturally, he knew it was the little girl saving him as it was he who baited her to come to save him.

"Hehehe. You're welcome!" Wei Qianqian said happily.

Wei Lifeng then asked for Mu Cheng's background. Since Mu Cheng had given his 'real' name because Su Yihan was the former body's identity. It was considered his real name in this world. Except for his golden finger, Mu Cheng had nothing to hide. Except for being a bit vague about the time and durations. Mu Cheng explained that he was an orphan and lived in a village he did not even remember the name of. Then the village was raided by bandits, he was lucky to have survived and had then left to find other villages. Him ending up almost starving to death in the barren plains and then to him meeting Grandpa Fu.

Him living with Grandpa Fu and learning to read and a bit about medicine and plants. Then to them visiting Blue Haw Village, to the Tiger Bandits coming to raid the village. Mu Cheng said that he had escaped due to the bandits coming to raid the village, although the reason for escaping was not for preserving his life instead, he wanted to get adopted by a noble. But the father daughter duo simply believed the boy had escaped to save his life. Then after traveling for a long time until he fainted and then woke up here in their manor.

During his narration, the city lord had occasionally interrupt and made up some excuses to feel his neck pulse and asking him questions like 'did this really happen?' to reaffirm the validity of the story.

"Isn't this like how the CIA detect lies? This city lord acts so amiable and says he believes me. It's more like he believes in his own methods." Mu Cheng resisted the urge to roll his eyes as he mocked the city lord inwardly.

Since Mu Cheng didn't lie about anything, and only omitted a few parts of the story. Mu Cheng passed all of the city lord's questions.

Sniff, sniff. Wei Qianqian wept slightly, her eyes slightly wet.

"Father, Yihan is so miserable. Why don't we adopt him? He almost got eaten by the big bad bear and wolves." Wei Qianqian took the initiative to bring up the topic which Mu Cheng had had a headache thinking of how to bring up the topic.

"Aiyah. This good girl! I'll treat you well in the future." Mu Cheng silently promised.

"There is no need to hurry. It's a big decision that will affect Su Yihan's future." Wei Lifang shook his head.

"Damn, I thought I would succeed. I just hope the city lord won't just kick me out later. Seems like I have to trick the little girl to like me more like a little brother." Mu Cheng sighed in his heart.

A few days later.

Mu Cheng had 'fully recovered' and spent most of his time playing with Wei Qianqian. Since their ages were close to each other, they got along well.

"Now that I think about it since he doesn't have an heir, it's naturally harder for him to adopt me. Because I'll automatically become the heir if he adopts me... Damn you city lord's son, why did you die so early!" Mu Cheng figured out why the city lord did not adopt him and silently cursed the city lord's son whose name he did not know in his mind.

It would be much easier for Mu Cheng to get adopted if the city lord already had an heir. Mu Cheng never had the thought of becoming the next city lord. He was so much more interested in martial arts and whatever supernatural power might exist in this world. Therefore he would rather have the city lord's son who had died two years ago to still be alive.

"Yihan come! It's time to eat dinner!" Wei Qianqian waved at Mu Cheng who was in deep thoughts.

"Okay! Big sis, I'm coming~" Mu Cheng smiled, his mouth already salivating.

The best about living here was the great food. Although there were restaurants that served great food too, they were very expensive and their targeted customers were all nobles. Mu Cheng had thus never had the chance to eat at those high class restaurants. But the dishes served in the city lord's manor wasn't lacking at all and Mu Cheng always looked forward to the meals.

"Too bad there's no hamburgers or pizza in this era." Mu Cheng muttered.

"Did you say something, Yihan?" Wei Qianqian asked.

"No it's nothing, Big Sis, come, let's eat dinner." Mu Cheng hurriedly said.

Mu Cheng always called Wei Qianqian big sis, it was a way to make the girl more used to having a little brother. The culture here was very similar to China. So it was also normal to call a girl older than you big sis even if you're not related to them. That's why Mu Cheng had called the city lord uncle as well.

But normally when there is a huge gap in social status, you wouldn't call them like that. Mu Cheng would normally have to call Wei Qianqian as young lady. But since Mu Cheng was just 6-year-old, he could act shameless, it's not like he has parents to tell him off. And the city lord would not lower himself to educate a 'clueless' orphan kid about such an insignificant matter.

Toga

I was planning to just say michelin star restaurant, but idk about how it goes with mentioning real life trademark stuffs