The lingering glow of the setting sun spilled over the forest path, casting Riya's slender figure into a remarkably elongated shadow. Lu Chen followed closely behind, his heart filled with questions: Just who was this person Riya spoke of, and could she really help him?
After walking for about half an hour, the trees gradually thinned out, and an open clearing came into view. Wooden houses were arranged in an orderly fashion, thin wisps of smoke curled upward into the air, and the scent of food permeated the surroundings—this was the small town where Riya lived.
Riya led Lu Chen through a few narrow paths and stopped in front of a modestly decorated wooden house. She gently knocked on the door. "Sister Cana, are you home?"
"Who is it?" a crisp female voice called out from inside. Moments later, the door swung open, and a tall woman with a cascade of fire-red hair appeared in the doorway. She had vibrant, energetic emerald-green eyes.
"Riya? Why are you here? And this is..." Cana looked at Lu Chen standing behind Riya, a trace of doubt flashing in her eyes.
"Sister Cana, this is Lu Chen. He..." Riya briefly explained Lu Chen's situation to Cana.
After listening, Cana looked Lu Chen up and down and broke into a hearty laugh. "So that's how it is! Welcome to our town, young man. Come on in, don't just stand in the doorway."
Lu Chen followed Riya into the wooden house. Looking around, he found the interior clean and tidy, with a few peculiar ornaments hanging on the walls that gave it an exotic charm.
Cana warmly invited them to sit down and poured Lu Chen a steaming cup of tea. "Don't worry, young man. Although your situation is rather unusual, we will do our best to help you."
Lu Chen gratefully accepted the teacup. "Thank you, Ms. Cana."
"Just call me Cana," Cana said with a smile. "Riya says you want to learn our language?"
Lu Chen nodded. "Yes, I hope to learn the local language as quickly as possible so I can live here properly."
Cana pondered for a moment. "How about this? Starting tomorrow, come over to my place every morning, and I will teach you some basic everyday phrases."
"Really? Thank you so much, Cana!" Lu Chen said excitedly, his eyes shining with hope.
And so, under Cana's tutelage, Lu Chen began his language-learning journey. He woke up early every day, diligently following Cana to study pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary. Although the process was not easy, he never once thought of giving up. He was like a dry sponge, greedily soaking up the nourishing rain of knowledge.
Hard work pays off. After a period of intensive study, Lu Chen's language skills progressed by leaps and bounds, and he was already capable of holding simple everyday conversations. He began trying to communicate with the townspeople; although he still made occasional grammatical mistakes and caused a few laughs, everyone was touched by his hardworking attitude, warmly encouraging him and patiently correcting his errors.
Lu Chen felt an unprecedented warmth and goodwill. He knew he was slowly blending into this unfamiliar world. He thought it was time to properly express his gratitude to the kind woman who had helped him open this door to communication.
The first rays of morning light filtered through the lattice window, illuminating the living room of Cana's house. Lu Chen arrived early, holding a basket of freshly picked wild fruits—a token of appreciation he had specially prepared for Cana.
"Good morning, Cana!" Lu Chen greeted her in the still somewhat halting local language, a shy smile on his face.
Cana was preparing breakfast. Hearing Lu Chen's greeting, she turned around in pleasant surprise. "Wow, your accent is getting more and more standard!" She took the fruit basket, her eyes full of appreciation. "Did you pick all these yourself? Thank you so much!"
"Just a small token of my appreciation," Lu Chen said, slightly reserved. "Thanks to your guidance over this period, my language skills improved so quickly." He paused and said sincerely, "Cana, thank you truly. You are like a teacher to me, and a friend."
Touched by Lu Chen's sincere words, Cana smiled and patted him on the shoulder. "I'm so glad you've integrated into this place so quickly. Language is merely a tool for communication; what matters more is that you have a sincere heart."
Seeing how hard Lu Chen was trying, Cana decided to teach him everything she knew, passing on her years of accumulated town knowledge and survival skills. She gave Lu Chen a detailed introduction to the town's various districts, the residents' living habits, trade rules, and some wilderness survival tips, such as how to navigate, find food, and avoid wild beasts.
Lu Chen listened very intently, locking these valuable insights firmly in his mind. He knew these would become his vital safeguards for survival in this otherworld.
To test the results of his studies, Lu Chen decided to take a stroll through the town market by himself. The market was bustling with noise and excitement, filled with dazzling arrays of goods and a strong exotic atmosphere. Lu Chen took a deep breath, mustered up his courage, and walked up to a stall selling daily necessities.
"Hello, how much is this?" he asked, pointing to an exquisitely crafted wooden bowl, speaking in a slightly clumsy local language.
The stall owner was a kindly middle-aged man. He warmly answered Lu Chen's question and patiently explained the material and uses of the wooden bowl.
Lu Chen listened attentively, occasionally asking questions and bargaining with the stall owner. In the end, he successfully exchanged some herbs he had picked for the wooden bowl he favored and a few other daily necessities.
Looking at his spoils, Lu Chen's heart was filled with joy and a sense of accomplishment. This was the first time he had independently completed a transaction since coming to this world, marking his initial capability to establish a foothold here.
However, little did Lu Chen know that while he was enjoying his joy, danger was quietly approaching. Sam, who still harbored deep resentment toward him, learned the news of Lu Chen's rapid progress in language skills. His jealousy burned furiously, and he decided to strike again to cause new trouble for Lu Chen...
Sam was intensely annoyed by Lu Chen's rapid progress. He had originally thought that the language barrier would become Lu Chen's biggest obstacle to integrating into this world, allowing him to keep Lu Chen under his heel. However, Lu Chen's hard work and progress completely shattered that illusion, causing the jealousy in his heart to grow like wild vines.
"Damn it! How is he improving so fast?!" Sam slammed his fist onto the wooden table, which groaned in protest. With a gloomy face, he replayed the scene of Lu Chen conversing fluently with the stall owner in the market over and over in his mind, burning with fury.
He could not accept that an outsider he regarded as a bumpkin could integrate into this place so quickly, mastering the local language even faster than he had. He felt like a clown, being played in the palm of Lu Chen's hand the entire time.
"No, I can't let this go on!" Sam stood up abruptly, a vicious glint flashing in his eyes. "I have to teach him a lesson and let him know this isn't a place where he can just run wild!"
A malicious plan gradually formed in his mind. He decided to exploit people's guard against strangers to create a massive problem for Lu Chen, ensuring he would never be able to turn things around.
The next day, Lu Chen came to Cana's house for his studies as usual. Seeing his radiant expression, Cana wore a gratified smile. "It looks like you had a very fruitful trip to the market yesterday!"
"Yes! Thanks to you teaching me so much, I was able to buy what I needed smoothly," Lu Chen said with a smile, his eyes sparkling with gratitude.
"That's wonderful. I'm so glad you're adapting to life here," Cana said, bringing a plate of freshly baked bread out from the kitchen. "Here, try my newly baked bread and see how it tastes."
"Thanks, Cana!" Lu Chen took a bite of the bread, and its sweet flavor instantly filled his mouth. "So delicious! Cana, your baking skills are getting better and better!"
Seeing Lu Chen's happy expression, Cana's face also bloomed with a joyful smile. Right at that moment, a series of urgent knocks shattered the cozy atmosphere inside the room.
"Bang, bang, bang!"
Puzzled, Cana walked to the door and pulled it open, only to see Sam standing outside looking furious, flanked by several burly men.
"Sam, why are you here?" A vague sense of unease rose in Cana's heart.
Ignoring Cana, Sam stared past her with a fierce gaze, locking his eyes directly onto Lu Chen seated by the table, a cold sneer curling the corner of his mouth.
"Lu Chen, you are suspected of stealing my things. Now I'm going to search your room!"