Chapter Two: The Full-Time Achievement System

“Huff… huff…”
With heavy, labored breaths, Yang Qing, who had been lying silently on the hospital bed, suddenly sat up.
A moment later, in the dimly lit ward, his vision began to focus bit by bit.
“So… did I transmigrate, or was it all just a dream? It must be a dream.”
Strange and vague fragments of memory flickered through his mind, leaving him dizzy and light-headed.
He could barely recall the details of what he had experienced in that dream, only his identity within it, and how the dream had ended.
Because of death! The death of the dreamer, the shattering of the dream!
Now, awake and looking back, it all felt like a lifetime ago.
In the dream, he died saving a drowning child; in reality, he collapsed from exhaustion.
One life real, one life illusory—both were himself, both sharing the same fate.
Yang Qing, orphan.
“Luckily, in this life, I am no longer alone—I have four sisters, orphans just like me…”
As if watching a film, memories of this world replayed in his mind: four innocent little faces etched themselves deep into his soul, and, murmuring to himself, a gentle smile appeared on his lips.
From now on, he would no longer drift like a rootless duckweed, as he had in that empty dream; his heart had finally found a place to belong.
A soft creak—
As his memories tangled between illusion and reality, the door to the ward was gently pushed open, and a small head timidly poked in. A trembling voice sounded:
“Are you… are you a person or…”
“I’m a person! I’m human!”
Yang Qing snapped back to himself and answered before the other could finish. Speaking, he got up and walked toward the door.
At his approach, the person at the door darted back, and the sound of hurried footsteps echoed away.
Yang Qing: …
Outside the ward, a dozen or so doctors, nurses, and patients crowded the hallway. As Yang Qing opened the door and stepped out, they all recoiled in terror.
Yang Qing: (◎_◎;)
“Uh, well… Don’t be afraid. I promise, I’m really human. I don’t eat—um, I don’t bite… -_-||”
Yang Qing rubbed his forehead in helplessness. Zombie films were entertaining, but clearly a bit too influential.
A thermometer rolled to his feet, and a quivering voice suggested, “Measure your temperature first.”
Yang Qing: …
Three minutes later, the thermometer read 36.7°C—normal. The doctors, who had been terrified moments ago, were suddenly excited.
“A miracle! This is a true medical miracle!”
“Yes! He was dead, and now he’s alive! This defies science—no novelist would dare write this!”
“To hell with novels, I just want to study him! Figure out how he came back to life!”
Yang Qing’s mouth twitched. “Ahem, haven’t you heard of medical cases of apparent death?”
The doctors: …
“Let’s do a full examination first, just in case…”

“No, I refuse. I can’t afford it.”
“…It’s free!”
“Free… Then can you let me bring my four little ones too?”
The doctors: …

…
“Thank you, thank you so much. Don’t worry, I’ll definitely repay the five thousand six hundred and eighteen yuan you covered for my medical fees. Here’s the IOU I just wrote—please keep it safe.”
At the entrance to the children’s ward, Yang Qing bowed deeply to the young woman, his voice solemn, eyes full of gratitude.
The young woman gazed at the crooked handwriting on the IOU, momentarily dazed.
“You’re really… alright now?”
A warm smile appeared on Yang Qing’s thin face. “Thank you, I’m fine now. If it weren’t for you, I fear…”
At this, Yang Qing looked through the ward’s doorway at two little ones sleeping quietly on their beds, his eyes filled with guilt, anxiety, and boundless tenderness.
The young woman gazed into his eyes, and suddenly she understood his heart. She smiled gently. “Since you’re alright now, I’ll leave you to take care of them.”
“Thank you… may I ask your name and phone number? I’d like to…”
“My name’s Qin Xue. Haha… You want to invite me to dinner to repay your life-saving debt, is that it?”
Faced with her delicate features, her lively, speaking eyes, Yang Qing nodded, a bit helpless.
She laughed, “Then you’ll have to bring the little cuties along too. My phone number is…”
“…I don’t have a phone. Could you write it down for me? I’m afraid I’ll forget.”
She watched as Yang Qing solemnly tucked her note with his number into his pocket, her heart fluttering. With a smile, she waved and left.
Kindness may not bring good fortune, but it always brings happiness.

…
“Big brother… hug me…”
As Yang Qing approached the bedside, little Dong’er, just two years old, seemed to sense him. She opened sleepy eyes, stuck her little bottom in the air, and crawled up, lips trembling on the brink of tears, and held out her arms for a hug.
“There, there, sweetheart, don’t cry. Brother will make you something delicious at home.”
“Eat… eat fruit cakes.”
“Alright, haha… we’ll have fruit cakes. Give brother a kiss.”
“Muah.”

…
At four in the afternoon, Qiu’er woke. Seeing Yang Qing sitting by the bed holding Dong’er, she was both excited and afraid, tears running down her cheeks in streams.
“Don’t cry, girls’ tears are precious like pearls. Let’s save them. Come on, let’s go pick up big sister from school.”
Beneath the scorching sun, the shadows of a man and child stretched out, merging until they disappeared at the end of the street.

Wuyi Road…
“Big brother, where’s our pancake cart? Was it stolen?”
“No, the city officers took it. See, there’s a note here with an address.”
“Then… can we get it back? Will the officers give it to us?”
“Qiu’er is so clever and sweet, I’m sure they’ll return it to us.”
“Good! The cart still has the money we earned selling pancakes, and the little hat grandma made for me.”

Yang Qing smiled and nodded but said nothing more.
The fragile beauty in a child’s heart is so often shattered by the cruelty of reality.
…
Nanyuan Village lay in the northwest corner of Yang City, home to migrant workers from all over, rising with the sun and returning beneath the stars.
With a click, little Qiu’er, standing on tiptoe, opened a blue-green courtyard gate, and cheerful laughter rang out.
“Wow! Big sister, look! The tomatoes you planted are turning red again. Hehe… Can I pick one to eat?”
“No. Don’t be naughty and greedy.”
A girl, her elementary school uniform perfectly clean, grabbed Qiu’er as she rushed toward the vegetable patch in the yard, her little face solemn.
Qiu’er: ￣▽￣
“Big brother, Qiu’er said you fainted and went to the hospital. Are you alright?”
Beside Yang Qing, another girl in a school uniform, her hair cut short, looked up at him, her face worried.
“I’m fine, see? Brother’s just fine.”
Yang Qing patted her head affectionately, smiling. “Go inside and do your homework with Chun’er. I’ll make dinner for you all.”
“Dinner… fruit cakes, brother, fruit cakes…”
“Haha, alright, I’ll make fruit cakes for our little darling.”
Yang Qing laughed and kissed Dong’er, who was in his arms, then called for the still-peeking Qiu’er and headed into the kitchen.
“Big sister, about brother…”
“Brother is too tired, Xia’er. We have to study hard, so grandma and brother can be happy!”
“Mm!”
In the main room, the two little girls put down their patched-up school bags and spoke in hushed voices.
As they talked, they each took out a sign-up form for a “Little Artists Training Course,” carefully folding and hiding them in their secret base.
In the kitchen…
“Qiu’er, stop playing with water, hurry up and wash the veggies. Brother’ll reward you with a tomato.”
“My dear Dong’er, why don’t you go find big sister and second sister and supervise their homework, instead of watching me make the fire?”
“Mmm… no, second sister spanks, fire is fun.”
Yang Qing: ＼（〇_ｏ）／
In a jumble of happy chaos, the preparations were finally done. Yang Qing chased the two little troublemakers out, rolled up his sleeves, and began cooking.
Making pancakes was something he’d learned from grandma—it was their main source of income. Since Dong’er wanted them, he’d make one for her before dinner.
But just as his hand touched the flour, he froze.
Without warning, a melodious electronic voice sounded in his mind, leaving him stunned.
“Ding! All-Profession Achievement System binding initiated.”
“Beginner’s benefits being distributed…”