>>5754071Faint rays of orange and purple hues begin to shine from the east when you arrive, the stars of the Rat beginning to cross the horizon in the west. It seems you awoke not long before sunrise, and so have the villagers. Many of them poke their heads out from their homes when you pass by, some whispering to each other, others calling out to ask Jin about the fallen star and the strange guest he brought back. The old man offers a short assurance that everything was fine and he'd tell them later, but you can feel everyone's eyes on you. Some were curious, some felt wary. The other villagers eventually part ways with you and Jin, telling others about what happened, but you follow the old man until he comes to a stop.
"This is it. Don't mind the mess, we weren't expecting guests." The old man tells you, gesturing to the hut in front of you. It was a humble place, built from creaky wood and surrounded by rough wooden fencing, though you note how it was bigger than most of the other huts in this village. You walked past pigs and chickens in people's yards on your way here, but Jin's home didn't have any animals. Instead, you see a forge and an anvil beside the house, covered by a thatched roof. Various tools hang from the outside wall, with Jin hanging the hammer he was carrying next to them. Beside the forge, you notice a rack of assorted weapons. Seeing them makes you wonder, why did Jin grab a hammer for protection if these were right here?
"Come on. My granddaughter's probably making breakfast, she'll fix something up for you too." Jin assures you, gesturing for you to follow him in. You do so, noting the smell of pork in the air as you cross the doorway. Smoke rises and flows out an open window, and you find a young red-headed woman tending to a cooking pot over a fire. She notices Jin first, looking up and smiling in what appears to be relief.
"Grandfather, you're back! What happened? Are you alright? Did you find out what that loud crashing was?" The young woman bombards Jin with questions. You don't think she's even noticed you yet.
"I'm fine, Ming. I'll explain, but get another bowl ready. We have a guest." Jin tells her, stepping aside and gesturing to you. The girl's eyes widen when she sees you're shredded clothes, but Jin is quick to reassure her. "The boy's not hurt either. Just hungry and lost."
"Oh my, what happened? Did somebody rough you up? Poor thing, it was those Honglang meatheads, wasn't it? They've got no right hurting a little fella like you!" She huffs, fretting over you in search of injuries. When she confirms you were indeed unharmed, she seems to huff indignantly as she speaks of the Honglang people the villagers keep mentioning.
>"...I am not little.">"What is Honglang?">"I don't know, I can't remember what happened to me.">Ignore her and check the pot. You're hungry.>Write-in 