After Death, I Finally Met The Man Of My Dreams

Chapter 7: Rustle

"Yichen, where are you going?"

"I'm tired of hanging around the house all day. I need some fresh air, Mom." Yichen said in an exasperated tone.

"Don't stray too far. You're father will be back later to talk to you about getting a job at the doctor's office in town." His mother announced.

"Mom, I've told you I won't work for that quack."

"Tell me what you plan to do, then? You can't get married as a jobless fool." She chastised.

"I'd rather not get married at all." Yichen retorted.

"You're seventeen it's time you stop gallivanting around with that uncle of yours and settle down with a wife. The young lady the matchmaker found is beautiful, well mannered, a good cook, and talented in embroidery."

"You forgot to mention she's from a rich family." Yichen sarcastically noted.

"Don't give me that attitude. I did my best to arrange a respectable woman for you to marry. Trust me. I'm your mother. I know what is best for you." The mother asserted.

"I understand mom. That's why I came back." Yichen said. He then slipped away before his mother could say anything else.

...

"What to do?" Yichen sang as he walked through the village. It had been almost seven years since he was last in the village. A village he wasn't exactly happy to come back to. But his mother called and like a good son he returned.

While he wandered around he spotted the forest and decided to take a walk through it. He was bored and there was always something interesting or knew inside a forest.

When he first arrived at the forest he saw young children, GERs, and woman walking around picking some wild plants to use for dinner. He looked around bored and uninterested.

"Same old, same old. Everyone here is the same." He said. The main reason he left with his wandering doctor uncle to travel the country was because he was bored with the status quo in the village. Nothing new or exciting ever happened.

He continued further in the forest. The further he went the less people he saw. The GERs and woman would never wander deep in the forest because of the danger. The men who travelled for firewood or to hunt would head to the northeast where it was safer.

Not wanting to travel the path well known Yichen chose to head northwest. It wasn't explored because a bear was seen in the area a few times. Yichen didn't let that deter him. He knew the bear had been killed by some hunters hired by the Town's official several years ago.

Even though it had been killed most villagers didn't trust that another bear wouldn't appear again. Leaving the area untouched and quiet.

The terrain got rougher and the amount of untouched plants became more abundant. As he walked Yichen noticed more than a few medicinal plants along the way. He had learned how to identify them while working for his uncle.

He loved learning about the plants, but had no interest in becoming a doctor himself. He didn't know what he wanted, but he knew what he didn't want. Becoming a doctor and marrying a respectable woman from a rich family in town was not his idea of a perfect life.

"Mom keeps saying how good this girl is supposed to be but she just sounds boring. I don't want a good respectable girl. I want someone who excites me." He said as he walked along the area.

Bam... bambambambam...*

Hearing a strange sound Yichen rushed to see what was going on. It didn't sound like an animal. Even if it was a dangerous animal his curiosity won.