To awaken more memories of the previous Zhang Min, he strolled after work, inspecting the most notable places. He visited the district where the rich and nobility lived, examined government buildings and the officials leaving them. He even peeked into the red-light district, learning a bit more about the life of courtesans and local servants, which finally curbed his desire to send the two sisters there.

  He didn't spot a single modern building or any skyscrapers. There were no cars or even bicycles on the roads. The houses and city layout, with few exceptions, resembled ancient East Asian architecture from his world. Pagodas, towers, roofs of reddish tiles with upturned corners.

  More and more, the new Zhang Min found confirmations that he had ended up in a completely different world, moreover filled with cruelty and indifference. Here power ruled through strength, family ties, bribery, and other medieval delights. In the town where he lived, martial arts were highly revered; he glimpsed several people called warriors or masters. Once he even imagined a pleasure boat in the sky, but he attributed it to advanced alcoholism.

  Until recently, he considered his district the worst of all possible, until he stumbled upon an even more wretched place. The huts there resembled shacks or hastily assembled tents from boards, branches, or grass. The streets were rivers of mud and excrement. Compared to them, he lived in a palace.

  What's this ruin? How can they even live here? Isn't it bad for health? Zhang Min sighed, looking at the unfolding horror. Apparently, the authorities don't care. That's why there are so many thieves and bandits here.

  Returning to his semi-ruined palace on the outskirts of the slums, he cooked rice and ate his fill. Usually, he managed to eat only twice a day, so he constantly felt a slight hunger, but his finances didn't allow him to splurge on eating three times. The girls also snitched rice bit by bit, just to fill their empty stomachs a little.

  The fifth day of work started as usual, but in the evening luck smiled on Zhang Min. A large trading ship moored at the dock, but most porters had already scattered to the taverns by that time. Agreeing personally with the ship's owner, Zhang Min worked half the night and received an unprecedented sum of money, sixty copper coins at once. Tired but happy, he dragged his exhausted body home.

  It's even funny how little I need for happiness now, he thought sadly, looking at the string of coins in his hand.

  Noticing a group of bandits circling near the port from afar, he chose a detour. These pitiful crumbs had come to him with great difficulty, and he was afraid to lose them.

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  How long will I have to live such a wretched life? I need to think about new ways to earn money, he pondered on the way.

  The worn-out door slid open with a creak, and Zhang Min entered the dark room. Groping, he found the firewood piled at the entrance, and after long torments with the flint, lit the hearth. The amount of rice had decreased again, two dried fruits lying on top of the sack had mysteriously disappeared. Smeared traces of small hands and feet on the floor indicated the recent presence of two children here. The only cooking pot lay in its place, cleaned to a shine, as if someone had clumsily tried to hide the traces of their crimes. For some reason, his soul warmed.

  Do they think I'll scold them for the rice? Zhang Min smiled. What a scumbag their father was!

  Then followed a series of monotonous weekdays, passing amid the gray and dreary life of the slums, agonizing for a newcomer from another world. In the morning, he went to work at the big city dock, ate, slept, and worked again. As soon as the rice sack ran out, he bought a new one, sometimes a couple of apples, dried fruits, but always chose the cheapest things. Compared to the previous body owner, the new Zhang Min's life had changed greatly. The girls still feared his retribution for the rice taken without asking and didn't show themselves.

  Time flew unnoticed, and twelve days had passed since his mysterious transfer to another world. Money no longer went to drinking or gambling games; he ate very modestly, so after a few days, he even saved up a small sum. Carefully inspecting the dilapidated dwelling, he found a spot in the floor where he hid a whopping twenty copper coins. With so many bandits and petty thieves around, carrying them with him was considered an unjustified risk.

  Gradually, he got acquainted with the new world, listening to the talk of port workers, rumors from shopkeepers, or boastful tales of porters. The main topics often revolved around warrior clans, cults, sects, and numerous martial arts practitioners. Bandits attacked, warriors defended, cults waged war among themselves or against other enemies that didn't exist in his previous world.

  To his great surprise, Zhang Min learned about the existence of spellcasters, so-called immortals, using something akin to magic. With great skepticism, he perceived the stories about them, as well as about unseen beasts, evil creatures, walking dead, and other nonsense.

  Either everyone's crazy superstitious idiots here, or the world is really very strange, he thought.

  Lately, their house constantly kept a small food supply, the girls calmed down and began to appear briefly in his field of vision. When he returned home, he noticed them playing on the road, as if waiting for his return. Then they quickly dissolved into the alleys and crooked dwellings.

  The dirty ragamuffins, whose gender was hard to guess from their appearance, barefoot ran away from their father. If he called them or scolded them, they would obediently return and endure all the humiliations, but he still didn't care about them. Their relationship was like a student feeding stray cats on the way home. It suited him fine; anyway, he had no idea how to raise children. In any case, food appeared in the house, and the little freeloaders showed themselves to him more often.