The kids happily ate their meal.

The family members are all focused on their plates, enjoying their breakfast with satisfaction. Jin Wei is seated next to the third oldest brother, still cradling the baby in his arms. His younger sibling has a contented expression and smile with squinted eyes, clearly relishing the food. Jin Wei can't help but laugh as he notices some grains of rice stuck to his younger brother's cheeks, and he gently brushes them away.

The sibling on Jin Wei's other side didn't want to be left behind, so he lifted his chopsticks stuffed with food, offering to feed Jin Wei. The younger sibling was aware that his brother was occupied feeding and holding the baby, making it difficult for him to eat, so he offered help. Jin Wei only raised his brow in amusement as he ate the offered food.

The other brothers watched their interaction and seemed to understand something, also wanting to feed their older brother to show affection.

“No, don’t start it,” Jin Wei warned helplessly. “Eat so I could eat after you guys are done.”

The meal is very harmonious, filling both their stomachs and affection full.

The children ate well, leaving not a single grain of rice or drop of sauce behind. The second-born finishes first and eagerly takes the baby from Jin Wei's arms, freeing him to savor his own meal. Meanwhile, the rest of the siblings work in tandem to clean up, whisking away their empty bowls and wiping down the table. They may still be young, but these kids take their chores seriously and show a remarkable sense of responsibility.

Jin Wei could not help but to feel proud and distressed. It is good for children to be sensible and smart, but not under the condition of experiencing something difficult. These kids experienced hunger and cold many times and have to grow sensible early to survive. Luckily, none of them were weak and managed to hold on until Jin Wei arrived.

Jin Wei had just finished his meal when he remembered one of the twins complaining about being bitten by a bug. He beckoned at the twins and the two children sprinted towards Jin Wei, the one bitten by the bug proudly displaying a puffed-up elbow.

The mark on the child's skin was distinct and conspicuous: a raised bulge with a tiny, black dot in the center surrounded by white rings. The skin around it appeared swollen and red, with a trace of pus oozing out. Jin Wei was surprised by the extent of the swelling and gently raised the child's arm for a closer look.

“Huh? What is this? This swelling is quite big. How did this happen?”

He leaned in for a better look at the wound, concern etched on his face. The way the bite mark was puffing up was frightening, and upon touching the skin around the bite, he could feel a noticeable warmth. It did not give any good news.

“Did you see what bit you?”

The kid shook his head, quite teary. Seeing Jin Wei’s worried face made the child feel that he did something wrong and the situation is dire. But he found comfort in Jin Wei’s concerned expression that made him feel that it is okay to be vulnerable and voice his discomfort.

The child shook his head again, trying to hold the sobs, and with a sniffle, spoke up, “No. I didn’t know. Ge, it feels numb and very itchy.”

“When did this happen? How about your twin brother? Did he get bitten too?”

"Nope," the twin said, displaying his arms and legs to Jin Wei. To Jin Wei's relief, there were no bite marks, just a few scratches from roughly playing around. "He was bitten when we were grazing on the back mountains yesterday."

"What were you doing on the back mountain?" Jin Wei asked, his suspicion growing as he examined the bite. The size of the wound seemed larger than what a simple bug bite would cause. The skin around the wound was discolored, which only added to his suspicions that the insect might have been poisonous.

"Did you happen to see what type of bug it was?" 

“En!” The other twin nodded. “It was this big… quite long and has scales… then it has a weird color…”

Jin Wei listened intently as the child recounted out a description of the creature he had encountered in the back mountain. The system, 777, sprang into action, using its hologram technology to bring the picture to life. As the child finished describing the animal, Jin Wei turned to the system, seeking clarification. In an instant, the system scanned its extensive database, displaying the information on the screen before him.

Jin Wei got a vivid picture of the bug from the description. This snake-like bug was barely a finger long, yet its venom was very lethal. It was most active before winter, and one of the twins must have been bitten as a result of playing around carelessly, disturbing the nest. The information from the system only reaffirmed Jin Wei's fears about the insect's threat.

Jin Wei acted quickly, leaving his other siblings in the hands of his second brother. He rushed the twin to the nearest physician to seek treatment.

He could detoxify the venom using the medicine, but he decided against it after weighing his options. The medicine could work wonders but it has no effect on the natives in this world. And if it did, it would alert the World’s consciousness and that wouldn’t be a good thing. The kid’s existence would become intolerable by this world.

So, why is he using it to feed the protagonist?

As has been mentioned, the protagonist is the fate of the world. Additional influences like medicine should have little to no effect on him. Jin Wei feeding him the medicine is just a reassurance to the world's rules that he is not here to kill the protagonist. Even if alerted, the World’s consciousness might even agree of his ‘doting’.

The small village was bereft of any professional medical aid, with only a bunch of wandering monks and benevolent Samaritans roaming about, dispensing their acts of kindness. On occasion, one could spot one or two of these healers in the village, especially during winters, where death is quite prevalent. But it seemed that fate had conspired against them this time. None of these practitioners arrived yet.

Jin Wei cast a worried look at his ailing brother, his heart heavy with the understanding that another day of waiting would only worsen his brother's condition. Desperation often drives people to seek out unconventional solutions, and Jin Wei was no exception.

He had heard rumors of an old man residing on the outskirts of the village who claimed to possess healing magic. Despite the skepticism surrounding the old man and his questionable reputation, Jin Wei is willing to take a chance. He hastened to the old man’s abode, his heart filled with a glimmer of hope.

The old man, despite his reputation, was surprisingly compassionate and immediately attended to Jin Wei's ailing brother. With a muttered incantation, the room was bathed in a warm, golden light that lasted only a few moments. The old man informed Jin Wei that while the venom from the bite was not necessarily lethal, it could still be fatal if left untreated.

The cure for the venom was a common remedy, but unfortunately, the old man had run out of supplies. It appeared that a neighbor had been struck with a similar affliction and had used the last of the treatment. The old man usually replenished his stock every five days, but in this instance, he was unable to do so.

It is because of the heavy snow last night. The old man is very old. He cannot easily go up in this weather.

Jin Wei was determined to find a cure and wasn’t deterred by the cold weather. He left his younger siblings in the care of the old man and set out into the mountains. The snow was coming down heavily, and the journey was treacherous, but Jin Wei stood against it. He relied on his knowledge and his system to identify the herbs they needed.

He returned to the village before noon; the herbs clutched tightly in his grasp. This time, the twin brother is already having a hard time breathing. The other siblings who came later were also in distress and started crying. Jin Wei appeased them as he asked the old man if everything he collected was right.

"It's okay," the old man comforted him. "Help me grind the herbs and filter it. We won't have much time left."

While Jin Wei was occupied with his responsibilities as an older brother, another individual in a neighboring town was expectantly waiting in a certain spot.

The conditions in this town were not much better than in the small village, with a blizzard having swept through the area the previous night. The streets and houses were now covered in a thick blanket of snow, making the already frigid alleyways even colder.

Laurem rubbed his palms before blowing a warm breath of air to the cold pale skin. He is barely wearing anything thick, so he could fully feel the bone-chilling cold. With his senses heightened, it was much colder.

However, he did not dare to leave and return to his warm hideout. He did not want to miss any encounter with Jin Wei.

For many years, Laurem had braved the harsh winter in the alleyways. Every season, he steeled himself for the possibility of death. The cold made his body sluggish, and hunger gnawed at his stomach. But he always found comfort in the warmth radiating from the oven near his makeshift hideout, keeping him alive through the long, harsh winter.

This winter, for the first time, he wouldn’t be spending it alone, filling the void of his heart with warmth he thought he would never attain in his life.