Chapter 5:  Thank Goodness, Still A Woman

Knowing Ling Lan didn't blame it, the mecha learning machine was quietly happy.  However, hearing Ling Lan's question, all of the joy vanished and it anxiously responded: "You've already been unconscious for two days and two nights without waking.  Your mother wept so much that she couldn't even eat.  No matter how many times they checked, they couldn't find any problems.  They've decided, if you do not wake up after another day, they will have to take you to the hospital.  Listening to the meaning in their words, it seems like entering the hospital will only cause trouble.  It didn't sound good, so I woke you up as quickly as I could."

Ling Lan was surprised.  She couldn't go to a hospital.  Who knows if the technology here could discover the little guy in her mind.  If found out, the result awaiting her would certainly be becoming a lab rat.  She prevent this possibility.

For the sake of her safety and freedom, she could not resist.  Thus she opened her mouth and howled loudly, prompting the nearby person caring for her that she had awoken.

Ling Lan originally just wanted to make a random noise, but she didn't expect that the moment she opened her mouth…this sound is what would be called earth shattering…

The child was startled and it anxiously asked: "Why are you shouting so loudly?"

Ling Lan, who was also shocked scared by her own howling, embarra.s.sedly said: "Super hungry…"

Losing completely to the demand of her instincts, Ling Lan wanted to burst into tears.  Just so you know, originally she wanted to be a proper and cute little baby to gain favor with this life's parents.  It seemed like this plan was going to be wasted.

A baby – to be able to make this kind of earth-shattering sound – no matter how you look, doesn't seem to have anything at all to do with being proper…

Ling Lan's frightening howling sound awakened the person resting next to her.  Lan Luofeng jumped up and quickly embraced her daughter, her eyes full of surprise, happiness, and worry.

She was happy because her daughter finally moved, surprised because of her daughter's shrill cry, and fearful that there might be something wrong.

The constantly waiting doctor sis.h.i.+ rushed in from next door.  After careful examination, they found out that it was because Ling Lan was extremely hungry.

Lan Luofeng joyfully watched the desperately suckling Ling Lan, her heavy heart finally lightening.

Finally, after full of wine and food…no, after full milk and food*, Ling Lan finally had the strength to open her eyes and observe the world she was in.

It was a bedroom and the bedroom was extremely large.  Ling Lan's small head turned around, yet with her line of sight, there was no way to completely view the entire bedroom.

The bedroom was designed in a very refres.h.i.+ng way with no huge jumps in color.  Ling Lan's first sensation with this world's mother was that the bed they laid upon was extremely large.  Not including the s.p.a.ce they took up, there was still a great amount of room.  There was enough s.p.a.ce for her to roll back and forth quite a few times – of course, that was under the premise of being able to roll.

The headboard didn't have the drawers and shelves that the ones in her previous world had, just a few metallic-like objects that b.u.t.t up against the wall.  The shapes were strange and let Ling Lan to think of robots.

In Ling Lan's line of sight, she didn't see anything like closets or other bedroom furniture.  Rather, it should be said that other than the bed, she couldn't find any other bedroom-like furnis.h.i.+ngs.

Ling Lan didn't think too much about this.  After all, this was a world countless years in the future.  Who knows how the world developed?  She wasn't nervous; as long as she continued living here, she would most definitely find answers.

The room also had another woman.  She was pretty old and stayed close to her mother's side.  Curious, Ling Lan glanced at her and found that despite the old woman's kindly looks, she was cautious and alert.  That vigilant att.i.tude probably meant that she wasn't an elder of the family, but a servant.

Seeing this, Ling Lan's mood became very happy.  This meant that the condition of the family she was born into was very good.  This was undoubtedly excellent; she won't have to worry about the future.  In her past life, there were too many money problems caused by her illness, and being able to avoid such things in this world was good.

At this time, Ling Lan did not understand.  Sometimes the better and richer the family is, the more problems there will be.  Of course, this is something for later; for the time being, we won't talk about it.*

Once she was done observing the environment around her, Ling Lan finally let her focus fall on the smiling woman that was holding her small hand.  This was her mother in this world; she definitely is an ultra super beauty.  Even the same gendered Ling Lan couldn't help but feel a bit dazed.

This satisfied Ling Lan.  It meant that she probably won't grow up looking too bad.  Even if she couldn't be a great beauty, becoming a small beauty was completely possible.  No person would destain the possibility of looking prettier.

Suddenly, a middle aged man around forty to fifty years old came up to the bed.  It was the steward, Ling Qin.  His behavior respectful, he began to talk to Ling Lan's mother, Lan Luofeng.

"Madam, in regards with both government and military, everything has been arranged properly.  In a month, the Federation will formally put into effect young master Ling Lan's inheritance."  Ling Qin's tone was a little heavy.  If possible, he would have preferred that the great pillar of the clan was still alive – able to shelter the madam and young lady – instead of now, where the little lady was unable to live a normal life.

Young master Ling Lan?  Hearing her name, Ling Lan's somewhat sleepy mind suddenly startled.  This world had a boy with the same name has her?  Ling Lan, thinking this, did not know that it was the name of her body in this world.

Lan Luofeng, upon hearing Ling Qin's words, once again started tearing up.  Crystal tears fell down: "Ling Xiao will be very happy."

Lan Luofeng's behavior startled the old servant next to her.  She tried to appease Lan Luofeng and finally managed to calm her.

Lan Luofeng rubbed away her tears and resisted the sadness, knowing she couldn't fall.  She was required to defend all that was left behind by Ling Xiao as well as the young Ling Lan.  Awaiting her growth contained countless possibilities of danger, she couldn't take it lightly.

Lan Luofeng leaned over to kiss Ling Lan's little face and spoke: "Ling Lan, my child, your mother cannot apologize enough to you.  From now on, you are the Ling clan's young master, and can only be the Ling clan's young master!"  Althought the guilt in Lan Luofeng's heart couldn't be suppressed, her eyes reflected a steely determination that could not be shaken.

Hearing Lan Luofeng's words, Ling Lan's mind spun in chaotic confusion: Young Master Ling Lan?  Does she mean me?  Ni ma**, I reincarnated into a guy?  I must have heard wrong…

Perhaps because in these two days Lan Luofeng worried nonstop about Ling Lan, her body was extremely exhausted.  After she finished explaining, she quickly fell asleep.

Ling Lan waited for the old servant to turn around and busy herself with other things.  A small hand quietly reached downward to probe…

Flat!  Ling Lan's heart immediately settled down.

Thank goodness she was still a woman.  She didn't grow anything extra down there.  She didn't need to live as neither a man nor woman, leading to mental confusion.

Of course, Ling Lan was also very happy that she could still use the name Ling Lan.  After all, she had been called this for over twenty years.  To suddenly change her name, she found that she had some difficulty accepting.

However, she wasn't happy for too long before being caught by anxiety.

If the word for young master held the same meaning as years before, that meant the situation had become drastic.  She was forced, with no alternative choice, to crossdress and become a man.

With that realization, she finally understood the guilt in her mother's eyes.  But even so, her mother still made such a decision.  That meant the reality of the situation was so bad that she had to become a man to turn it around.

—

Translated by somnious, unedited

* The literal words here are "酒足……不，是奶足飯飽" – full of wine and food…no, milk and food, which originally subst.i.tutes 'wine' for 'milk'.

** Like yā dè, it’s a noise of exclamation.  However, ni ma is also a h.o.m.ophone for ‘your mother’ in Chinese.

TL notes: I changed the translation of 'jia' from 'family' to 'clan' in some parts since it's a more appropriate use there.