When Tom crossed through time, it was far from pleasant.
He felt himself floating inside a woman's belly, surrounded by warm liquid and total darkness.
Then came the sound of a woman's agonized screams echoing through the room — the kind of pain-filled cries that made his heart tremble.
He thought nervously,
"Is someone outside hurt?"
An elderly woman's voice said, "Hazel, hang in there! Don't waste your strength screaming — the baby's about to come out!"
Tom then heard heavy breathing and groans of pain. Suddenly, he felt himself being pushed out of that dark space — into blinding light.
The same old woman's voice followed: "Hazel, the baby is out!"
The woman on the bed, weak and dizzy from the ordeal, forced herself to ask before fainting, "Is it a boy or a girl? Are there… more?"
"Madam," the midwife replied, "it's a baby girl. Congratulations — just one little daughter this time!"
Tom was stunned. His tiny newborn body was being wiped clean — then came a sharp slap on his backside.
"Waaah! Waaah!" he cried out instinctively.
(Stop slapping me, you cruel old woman! That hurts!)
The midwife smiled. "Hazel, the baby girl's cry is strong — she's healthy!"
Tom kept wailing in disbelief.
"What the heck?! I became a girl? No way! I don't want this! Where's my wife? What happened to her?!"
Then, a soft, sweet, childish voice chimed in his mind —
"Congratulations, Host! You've received your first like. The Jade Pendant Spirit Space is now unlocked."
Tom: "???"
The voice continued to explain the pendant's functions — something about a spirit companion and storage space — but the newborn body was too weak. His mind couldn't retain it all. The explanation went on too long, and his memory, never great to begin with, was even fuzzier in this infant form.
On the bed, Hazel let out a long breath of relief. Having only one baby this time felt much easier.
She had already given birth to four pairs of twin boys — eight sons in total. Both she and her husband had long hoped for a daughter.
They had even given all their sons nicknames like "Hoping-for-a-Sister."
Half a month ago, their hometown had been hit by a massive flood. Their property, fish ponds, and the entire village were swallowed by the waters.
They and the rest of the villagers had escaped up the mountains, carrying only a few essential belongings. Hundreds of villagers were now living on the mountain, waiting for the flood to recede so they could rebuild their homes.
With the sea still flooded, they couldn't go fishing. Food was running out. They survived by digging up wild vegetables and hunting small animals — but life on the mountain was harsh.
Outside the birthing room, Tanner had been pacing anxiously for what felt like forever. When he finally heard the sound of a baby crying, he couldn't contain his excitement.
He wasn't allowed to go inside, so he rushed off to find Archie, a young educated man who had come down from the city to help the village.
Archie had finished high school before coming here. When the flood struck, he stayed and helped the villagers survive under the leadership of the local headman.
According to local custom, when a newborn was first handed to a man, that child would symbolically "take after" him — as a sign of blessing and protection.
The midwife didn't count, of course, since she was a woman.
Archie came running, still catching his breath, just as the midwife stepped out holding the newborn.
"Congratulations, Director Tanner," she said cheerfully. "Your wife has given birth to a beautiful baby girl!"
Tom: "..."
Archie smiled as he carefully took the baby from the midwife's arms, holding her as if she were a precious treasure.
Tanner, hearing it was a baby girl, beamed with joy. Standing nearby, he looked at the little one with pride and asked eagerly, "How's her mother? Is the baby okay? Can she nurse yet?"
The midwife replied, "Hazel is fine. She's exhausted and has fallen asleep. Once she wakes up, cook her something nutritious to eat."
Tanner nodded and told the midwife to carry on with her work. Looking at his fair and lovely daughter, he was filled with happiness and urged Archie, "Quick, help me give my daughter a name!"
Archie smiled and said, "How about Hope? It means brightness and prosperity — peace and good fortune. And Wren — like the colorful clouds, meaning beauty and grace. Hope Wren — what do you think?"
Tanner nodded in satisfaction. It was even better than the name he'd thought of himself.
Tom, still dazed, couldn't believe he had become a girl!
And now, his new name was Hope Wren — a beautiful name indeed.
He drifted off into sleep.
When Tom — now Hope — woke up again, it was from hunger. Half-asleep, she heard gentle shushing sounds and the lively chatter of little boys.
"Baby sister, here, have some bird eggs!"
Hazel quickly stopped the two youngest boys, scolding them gently.
"Hey, you two — she's just been born! She can't eat that!"
The eight brothers, excited about their new baby sister, had climbed a tree to steal bird eggs just to share them with her.
When they were told she was too little to eat, they looked disappointed. Tanner stepped in and took the bird eggs away, pretending it was for their mother's benefit.
"Your mother needs these to recover," he said with a grin. "That way, your little sister will have milk to drink."
He handed the eggs to one of the villagers to boil, then came back and shooed the boys outside.
Turning to his wife, who was feeding the baby, Tanner teased with a chuckle, "Do you need me to help you?"
Hazel's face flushed red as she glared at him. "You shameless man, get out!"
Tom — or rather, baby Hope — thought in a panic, Someone's trying to steal my milk! No way! That's mine!
But in her tiny body, she had no power — only the instinct to drink. What could she do? A baby has no rights!
Tanner only meant to tease, but then he remembered the name Archie had chosen. "Honey, Archie gave our daughter the name Hope Wren. Let's think of a simple nickname for her."
"Sure," Hazel agreed with a smile. "Something easy and homely."
"How about… Weed?" Tanner said playfully.
"I like it!" Hazel agreed cheerfully.
Tom — now Hope — was stunned. What kind of nickname is that? Weed? That's awful!
Her blurry eyes could only make out her parents' shapes — a tall, strong father and a gentle mother who spoke kindly to her but was strict with her eight older brothers.
When she later learned that all eight brothers had been given names like "One," "Two," "Three," and so on, each followed by "Hoping-for-a-Sister," she suddenly felt much better about her own name.
From that moment, she became Hope — a baby girl with eight twin brothers and loving, if slightly eccentric, parents.
After she was full, her consciousness slipped into that mysterious space she'd heard about — the magical pendant's world. She wanted to finish reading the story there, to discover what fate awaited her new family — whether it would be tragic or blessed — and to find out what had happened to Lucia.
Did Lucia get reborn as a man? Would they ever meet again?
It took all her effort to nurse until she was full before she could finally drift off to sleep again.
And so, in a simple cycle of eating and sleeping, Hope grew stronger day by day. Each time she heard the sweet, chiming voice in her mind announce how many "likes" she had earned, she smiled inside — promising herself she'd explore that hidden space again once she'd had her fill.
And then, she drifted back into peaceful sleep.
(End of Chapter)