Jiang Bai was helpless; he had transmigrated. Transmigration was supposed to be a good thing, and since it happened to him, he should have been happy. So why was he feeling helpless?
That had to be explained from before his transmigration.
He was originally just a slacker, a social idle youth who lived at home, eating and waiting to die. As for why a social idle youth could live eating and waiting to die…
Well, his parents had both passed away, which was quite tragic. But later, his old home was demolished, and he was lucky enough to receive several apartments, the rent from which was enough for him to live lavishly.
So he became a social idle youth who didn't work and just lived each day eating and waiting to die.
Originally, it would have been nice if life continued like that—never worrying about food or drink, having enough money, occasionally getting massages and foot washes, and chatting about life and ideals with the technicians. Life would have been quite delightful.
However, heaven envied his talent. While he was chatting about life at a technician's home he frequently visited, he was caught red-handed by her boyfriend.
This left him utterly bewildered. This technician wasn't honest; didn't she say she was single?
Originally, Jiang Bai didn't care too much about such matters; it wasn't the first time he'd encountered it. At most, he'd just give some money to compensate the cuckolded guy.
In this society, who would turn down money? If you want to get by in life, you've got to have a bit of green on your head, right?
But Jiang Bai never expected that this cuckolded guy had quite a temper; he actually pulled out a knife and threatened to chop off Jiang Bai's little brother.
Jiang Bai couldn't tolerate this, so he fled, the other pursued, and he flew away as if on wings.
Jiang Bai, in his panic, inevitably stumbled and climbed out the window. This was a building over 30 stories high! Jiang Bai was still complaining in mid-air, "This family is really stingy; they didn't even install a protective net."
So Jiang Bai performed a graceful freefall, doing two and a half turns in the air, landing in a beautiful diving posture. Unfortunately, there wasn't a pool below, but concrete. Jiang Bai couldn't make a splash; he could only make a splash of blood and tofu.
Jiang Bai's last conscious thought was to give this freefall a good review. He felt no pain and died instantly, saving him a lot of suffering.
Afterward, Jiang Bai opened his eyes again, not in the underworld or hell. As for why he didn't consider heaven, Jiang Bai believed he wasn't a good person. He had often entered widows' homes, cuckolded honest men, and made honest men raise children. He felt heaven probably wouldn't want him.
Jiang Bai was quite self-aware.
He opened his eyes and saw a handsome man and a beautiful woman staring at him, giggling. Jiang Bai subconsciously wanted to push the man away, thinking, "You're so handsome, how dare you approach me? I'll punch your face until it swells."
But then he saw his own hands had become chubby and tender, which utterly astonished Jiang Bai. Were these baby hands his? So he had reincarnated? And with his memories intact? Jiang Bai wanted to go back and report Meng Po for being lazy, for sending him into reincarnation without making him drink the soup.
What happened next made Jiang Bai realize he hadn't reincarnated, but transmigrated. After several years of understanding, Jiang Bai learned that this world actually had martial artists, something absolutely non-existent in his previous world. There were lightning-fast five-strike whips, but the kind where you get knocked out with one punch.
Jiang Bai thought, "If I've transmigrated, then so be it. First, I'll learn martial arts, then I'll punch the Nanshan Nursing Home and kick the Beihai Kindergarten. After that, I'll never have to fear being chopped by a cuckolded guy with a knife again."
And then, we arrive at the scene of Jiang Bai's initial helplessness. After more than ten years of learning martial arts, he was still an uninitiated nobody.
He never expected his body's aptitude to be so poor. No matter how much he trained his body, besides gaining strength, he just couldn't cultivate the qi needed for a martial artist's entry level. Naturally, this meant Jiang Bai was still an outsider.
Then Jiang Bai gave up. Since he couldn't practice martial arts, so be it. He could only wake up every day in his 500-square-meter bed, living an extravagant and unrestrained life, served by a host of maids.
Jiang Bai truly felt that life was so helpless.
Just as Jiang Bai was lamenting the difficulties of life, and how he could only endure humiliation and struggle against a life of debauchery.
Suddenly, there was a surprised cry beside him. Jiang Bai looked in the direction of the sound and saw a pure-looking girl in a faded white dress, tripping over her own feet in a panic. She fell in an exaggerated posture that reminded Jiang Bai of the woman who slipped on a banana peel in Stephen Chow's Shaolin Soccer.
Then, the cup of milk in her hand splashed towards Jiang Bai. Caught off guard, Jiang Bai didn't dodge. And so, Jiang Bai was covered in a milky white liquid first thing in the morning.
"I'm sorry, Young Master, I didn't mean to, I'm truly sorry," the girl quickly scrambled to her feet, wringing her fingers in a panic, apologizing pitifully.
The girl looked so pitiful, her eyes red, tears on the verge of falling, yet she stubbornly bit her lip, trying to hold back her sobs.
Those pitiful deer-like eyes looked at Jiang Bai, as if conveying some message. Jiang Bai subconsciously thought of a phrase: a delicate white flower. But, this was his own estate, right? How did an actress get mixed in with his maids?
"What's wrong with you? Can't you watch where you're going? Clumsy, are you here to be a maid or to cause trouble?" The head maid, seeing Jiang Bai covered in milk, immediately reprimanded the girl.
Then, apologetically and flustered, she said to Jiang Bai, "I'm sorry, Young Master. This girl is new and clumsy. I will discipline her well. I will never let her offend you again."
The head maid appeared to be scolding the girl, but in reality, she was protecting her. Jiang Bai saw it clearly.
And the girl, after being reprimanded by the head maid, finally let tears fall from her eyes, looking like a weeping pear blossom, her gaze pitifully fixed on Jiang Bai, as if wanting him to pity her.
Jiang Bai looked at the girl and said, "What's her name?"
"Her name is Chu Momo, Young Master," the head maid immediately replied.
"Oh, Chu Momo." Jiang Bai pinched his chin, looking at Chu Momo with a hint of interest. Jiang Bai had a feeling this girl was up to no good.
And Chu Momo, meeting Jiang Bai's gaze, lowered her head in a panic, hiding a flicker of smugness in her eyes.
Sure enough, these young masters of wealthy families all liked girls with this clumsy, delicate white flower image. Yesterday, she had asked Mei Jie for the job of delivering milk to Jiang Bai today.
Today, she finally had the chance to approach Young Master Jiang Bai. She had specifically dressed up meticulously, believing that her appearance and current demeanor would definitely attract Jiang Bai's attention. And it turned out to be very effective.
"Um, Mei Jie, is my family going bankrupt?" Jiang Bai suddenly asked the head maid quietly.
"Ah, ah?" Mei Jie looked bewildered, not knowing why the Young Master would say such a thing. The Young Master was the son of the richest man in Z Country; his family could be said to be as rich as a nation. Why would he say they were going bankrupt?
"Young Master, you must be joking. The Jiang Family is currently flourishing. How could it go bankrupt?" Mei Jie let out a dry laugh.
"Oh, since we're not going bankrupt, then why isn't this maid wearing a maid uniform, but instead a shabby dress in front of me? Is she implying that I'm too stingy to even provide work clothes? I shouldn't be that petty, should I? I consider myself quite generous to my maids. Your salaries aren't low, are they?"
Jiang Bai deliberately paused here, then looked meaningfully at Mei Jie and continued, "Or are you deducting the cost of her maid uniform? Mei Jie, I'm not scolding you, but why would you deduct the cost of a piece of clothing from her? If you're short on money, just tell me. You've served me for so long; how could I not give it to you?"
These words made Mei Jie's expression change. Only then did she notice Chu Momo's attire. She hadn't even realized anything was amiss with Chu Momo's appearance until the Young Master pointed it out. Her face immediately darkened. She had repeatedly emphasized that maid uniforms must be worn during work. What was wrong with this Chu Momo?
Previously, Chu Momo had been very well-behaved and obedient. Mei Jie liked her very much, feeling as if she were her own sister. Therefore, Mei Jie had been quite protective of her. Now, Mei Jie looked at Chu Momo with scrutiny, her tone hardening. "Chu Momo, where is your work uniform? I said you must wear your work uniform when on duty, didn't I?"