After Death, I Finally Met The Man Of My Dreams

Chapter 6: The River

Mochou looked around the area. The river was a lot further from the hut then he would have liked.

"Being this far from the river it'll be difficult to come here everyday." Mochou mused. It wasn't necessary to go to the river everyday, but he would have liked the option.

"The poor guy's house is in disrepair and he lives far from the other villagers. It's close to the forest which can be dangerous and far from the river. Is it all because his face and body is full of scars?"

Mochou's brow furrowed at the situation. It was unfair and he hated not knowing why. However, he couldn't access the previous owners memories. The only way he could was to have the strange dreams. Dreams he couldn't control or choose when he had them.

Mochou looked into the distance like he did in the dream. He didn't see anyone but there were signs that people often went in a particular part of the river bank.

Mochou's current location was on the opposite side with a faster current and looked a lot deeper. If he didn't know how to swim he would have been afraid to get close.

"I couldn't find any soap or those soap nuts I once read about. I'll need to make do with just water." Mochou said as he squatted down by the river's edge to start washing his bedding and clothing.

As he tried his best to wash out the mysterious stains and dirt he considered his options.

"No matter the era or country food is always worth money. I'll use the next few days to set some traps in the forest and see how much food I can find. I don't know if I'll be able to sell the plants, but if I catch some rabbits and quails I should be able to get something for them. But where to sell them? I doubt anyone in the village will sell to me. Maybe there's a large town I can go to?"

It took awhile before Mochou finished washing the bedding and clothes. When done he found some long branches and built himself a drying rack. While they dried he decided to forage for some edible plants.

Walking away from where the villagers would spend time Mochou eventually found a shallower, area with a slower current.

"Jackpot!" Mochou claimed when he spotted some watercress and the distinct purple flowers of some shuixiangcai. Both were best eaten raw as a salad. It wasn't the most filling option but Mochou was glad for anything that would help add some variety to his meals.

He also saw some juvenile arrowhead vegetables he'd be able to harvest in mid-winter, some lemongrass, and cattails. They were all welcome editions to his basket full of edible plants.

Now that he found a shallower area he considered fishing.

"If I had my old fit body I could grab them with my bare hands. Now... it's debatable even a current this slow won't knock me over."

Mochou felt frustrated at the situation, but he anticipated it. He brought some pieces of meat left from the quails to use as bait. He grabbed some long reeds from the rivers shore and began making a conical basket.

He'd learnt how in survival training for special ops in the army. The idea was that the fish would swim in easily in search of the bait, but couldn't swim out.

He hoped to get at least one fish. After setting the trap he ventured a little further and found some fruit trees. They didn't currently have any fruit, but he noted their location. What he did find were oleaster berries. They were small yellowish berries the size of olives. They tasted sweet but mealy.

Mochou popped a few into his mouth. The taste was perfect but the texture unpleasant. Even so he ate a few more as he picked them. They were filled with vitamins and minerals as well as known as an immune booster and good for digestive problems.