A Cannon Fodder Who Became The Future Queen - Chapter 3

The beginner’s guide had explained the rules of the draw system, which were very similar to the gacha games Ji Ping’an used to play. The items she could draw were divided into three tiers: [Excellent], [Good], and [Common]. The [Excellent] items were rare and the most valuable, while [Common] items were the most ordinary and had the highest chance of being drawn. The items were all randomized and couldn’t be specified.

When drawing, if the item was [Excellent], the entire screen would turn gold.

Ji Ping’an saw the system’s prompt for a draw. She took a deep breath, her eyes glued to the draw page and her heart rate was speeding up with anticipation.

Just give me a gold one, please! I really need it!

If she could get an [Excellent] item, she was willing to eat like a queen for the next five years.

[One draw opportunity has been used.]

As the mechanical voice fell silent, the system page began to change. The draw button was lightly tapped, like a pebble falling into a calm lake, creating ripples.

One second, two seconds, three seconds…

After three seconds, the transparent system page began to show a faint golden tint from the edges. Ji Ping’an held her breath, watching as the color slowly deepened, eventually turning into a brilliant, dazzling gold!

She had gotten the rarest item on her very first draw!

[Congratulations! You have received an [Excellent] item: [Prey Aiming Scope]. Effective time: [Permanent possession].]

[Item description: The sharpest arrowhead points to its intended prey, allowing for not a single mistake.]

Ji Ping’an stared at the item description for two seconds. The function of the [Prey Aiming Scope] wasn’t clearly explained, but its aura was practically overflowing.

The [Prey Aiming Scope] looked like a scope from a shooter game, with a crosshair that could be used to aim at objects. When Ji Ping’an equipped the scope, a crosshair immediately appeared in her vision. She could mentally decide what to aim at. She had a rough idea of what the item was for. She got up, took the old bow hanging on the wall, and grabbed a few arrows made from split wood.

This bow and arrow set had belonged to Ji Ping’an’s mother. However, the bow was made from mulberry branches, and the string was of poor quality. After being used for a while, it was relegated to the house for the original owner and her sister to play with as her mother got a better one.

She tried to aim at the table in the room. The crosshair immediately centered on the table, but a warning suddenly popped up.

[Tip: This item is not within the scope’s range of fire.]

Ji Ping’an put the bow down and lay back on the bed. She had a good idea of how it worked now. An item like a table didn’t fall under the system’s definition of “prey,” so it wasn’t within the scope’s auxiliary range. It looked like she would have to find some actual prey to test it out tomorrow.

Because of the draw before bed, Ji Ping’an was so excited that her dreams were filled with golden light, so she woke up exceptionally early the next day. She got dressed and went to check the kitchen.

The clay pots on the stove were clean, and there were some herbal dregs in the ash. It seemed they had at least taken the medicine Doctor Zhuang had given them. After checking that, she walked inside to where she remembered the family’s food was stored. Ji Ping’an bent down and opened a covered jar. Inside was a thin layer of wheat flour, barely covering the bottom—not even enough for one meal. Next to it were four small sweet potatoes and some wild vegetables, enough for one meal. There was nothing else.

Ji Ping’an curled her lip. No wonder the system had been so generous with the beginner’s pack. If it hadn’t been for that, she wouldn’t have to wait for Shen Zhiyu to be “skinned and deboned” by the system’s tasks; she’d probably have starved to death first.

Today, she absolutely had to go to the city to buy some rice and flour. And if possible, she should also go to the pharmacy to get some medicine for bruises and sprains. Even though Doctor Zhuang said they didn’t need it, she hadn’t forgotten that in the original book, Shen Zhiyu was left with permanent scars from the beatings. She couldn’t just ignore it.

She put the four sweet potatoes into a clay pot, added some water, and boiled them for breakfast. Ji Ping’an ate only one and left the other three. After eating, she walked quietly to the door of Shen Zhiyu and Suisui’s room. She didn’t go in, just peeked through the crack.

They were both still asleep, probably because of the late night. Suisui was sleeping on her side, her face nestled in her pillow, her hand tightly gripping Shen Zhiyu’s sleeve. She looked like a child again. Shen Zhiyu’s eyes were closed as well, her hair slightly messy. At least she didn’t look like she was in pain.

As long as the fever was gone, Ji Ping’an felt at ease. She went back to her room, grabbed the old bow, and left the courtyard with the only back basket the family owned.

What Jing Ping’an didn’t know that as soon as her footsteps faded, Shen Zhiyu, who was supposed to be in a deep sleep, opened her eyes and were filled with vigilance.

******

The village they lived in was called Big Willow Village, named after the large willow tree in its center. Villagers loved to gather under it. Sometimes they would gossip about an Omega from a northern family getting married, and other times about who got caught cheating in the next village over. No matter what happened, they got the latest news firsthand.

“Did you all hear that noise last night? It must’ve been from the Ji family, right?”

“It was. In the first half of the night, it sounded like she was hitting someone. You could hear the child crying. It was so pitiful! In the second half, she must have beat the person half to death, which is why she went looking for Doctor Zhuang.”

“Don’t even mention it. The way she was shouting for help in the middle of the night, I wanted Doctor Zhuang to hurry up, too.”

“It’s such a shame. The hunter, Ji, was a good person. How could she have a daughter like this? She must have bowed to the wrong gods in her past life.”

Everyone gathered under the tree burst into laughter. They used to envy Ji’s mother. She was strong, a great hunter, and the smell of cooking meat from her kitchen was enough to make other children cry with envy. Even though the Ji family’s man had died young, their daughter Ji Ping’an had differentiated into an Alpha before she was fifteen, which meant she would be a valuable laborer in the family’s future. Who would have thought she would become the only hooligan in Big Willow Village? Their previous envy and jealousy were gone, replaced by a desire for a good show.

But in the middle of their laughter, they saw someone on the road, and their laughter immediately died down.

Ji Ping’an strolled along, twirling the bow in her hand as if completely oblivious to what was happening. She asked curiously, “Aunties and uncles, why’d you all stop laughing?”

“…”

After a few seconds of silence, someone spoke up. “Oh, we were just chatting. There was an Alpha from the next village who fell into the river, and his pants got washed away. He had to go home with no pants on. Wouldn’t you say that’s a big joke?”

At her words, everyone’s face lit up with a smile. “Ms. Fugui, it sounds like you saw it with your own eyes. Who wouldn’t laugh? Ping’an, wouldn’t you say so?”

“Auntie’s right.”

Since she was going to be living in the village for a while, Ji Ping’an didn’t want to make things too awkward.

“Speaking of which, Ping’an, are you heading to the mountain to hunt?” one of them asked, having spotted the bow in her hand. The path up the mountain was the same one she was on.

Ji Ping’an put on the original host’s shiftless, troublemaker tone. “Just going for a stroll. Can’t exactly starve to death at home, can I?”

Their village was right next to the mountains. Villagers often went up to gather wild vegetables or pick fruit. The kids would catch cicadas or other bugs and fry them up for an especially tasty snack. But hunting was a different matter; the wild animals on the mountain were much faster than domestic livestock.

Hearing this, everyone thought the same thing: With a lazy good-for-nothing like you, what’s the difference between starving here and starving on the mountain?

That’s what they thought, but they certainly wouldn’t say it out loud. They knew a hooligan like her would actually hit them.

“Well, then, you’d better hurry, Ping’an. I’d imagine there are lots of animals up on the mountain this time of year. Winter’s over, so they’re all out looking for food.”

“That’s right. They’re not as plump as they’ll be in the autumn, though. Those autumn rabbits are nice and fat!”

Ms. Fugui laughed and added, “Who would complain about whether the meat’s plump or not? Ping’an, if you catch anything, be sure to share some with us!”

“What does animals I catch have to do with you, Auntie?” Ji Ping’an hadn’t forgotten that it was Ms. Fugui who had just brought up her mother. She didn’t want to make things awkward with the villagers, but she wasn’t going to let herself be insulted without a word either. Being a hooligan had its perks; she could say whatever she wanted and not care about offending anyone.

At her words, the smile on Ms. Fugui’s face froze, and she couldn’t say a thing. After Ji Ping’an turned the corner at the end of the road, Ms. Fugui spat on the ground. “Ptooey! Who does she think she is? Does she really think she can catch anything?” she sneered. “Just be careful she doesn’t end up like her mother and leave her life on that mountain!”

The others didn’t respond, but they were all thinking the same thing. If hunting were that easy, the villagers would have done it long ago. Who was she to think she could do it?

Ji Ping’an had no idea what Ms. Fugui had said after she left, but even if she had, she wouldn’t have cared. Based on the original host’s skill level, she’d be lucky to survive in the mountains, let alone catch any game. But with her luck from the [Prey Aiming Scope], hunting was going to be much easier.

After entering the mountains, she saw many wild vegetables starting to sprout. Wearing the [Prey Aiming Scope], Ji Ping’an walked slowly along the edge of the forest, avoiding the deeper parts. The deep mountain probably held bigger and better prey, but it also held dangers, like large animals such as tigers, wolves, or wild boars. Ji Ping’an only had the [Prey Aiming Scope] to help her. Even the arrows she was using were just toys her mother had whittled from tree branches. She wouldn’t even be able to pierce the skin of a wild boar. She’d have to wait until she drew a few more system items before venturing deeper into the mountain.

She made her footsteps as light as possible, deliberately slowing her breathing and keeping a close eye on her surroundings. A quarter of an hour later, Ji Ping’an spotted a wild rabbit about ten meters away, nibbling on some new grass on the ground. She stopped, focused her gaze, and slowly pulled back the bowstring until it was taut. At the same time, she saw the crosshair of the scope zero in on the rabbit.

[Tip: The prey has entered the scope’s firing range.]

“Shoo—”

The moment the arrow was released, the rabbit stopped eating, its ears perked up in alert, and it leaped away from its spot in a flash. The alertness of wild rabbits was already high, not to mention this one, which dared to be active near the edge of the mountain where there were more people. Its agility and reaction speed were no joke.

In the blink of an eye, the arrow reached the spot where the rabbit had been, but only an afterimage remained. As the rabbit hopped away, Ji Ping’an, still holding her bow, had only one thought: I missed it! My rabbit’s getting away!

Just as the thought crossed her mind, before she could feel any disappointment, she saw the arrow, which should have flown straight, change direction just before it fell. The sharpened tip plunged into the rabbit’s abdomen!

Ji Ping’an: “!!!”

She was in disbelief. Only when she picked up the shot rabbit did she confirm that it hadn’t been an illusion. This meant that as long as the target was within the [Prey Aiming Scope], she would have a perfect hit!

“Is this what they mean by ‘system-made products are always the best’? Is it really this powerful?” She was already thinking about how to quickly increase Shen Zhiyu’s favorability to get more draws and see what other [Excellent] items she could get.

Ji Ping’an had been talking to herself in a low voice, but after she finished, the transparent, solid-colored page turned a faint pink at the edges.

“?” Ji Ping’an blinked, curious. “System, are you blushing?” She had thought the system was just a cold, heartless tool, but it seemed it could understand her. No wonder she had felt the system page flicker when she’d complained about the chuunibyo-like item description yesterday.

“So, can we make a deal? How about you give me another [Excellent] item on my next draw?”

As soon as she spoke, the pink-tinged page reverted to a pure, transparent color.

Ji Ping’an: “…”

Okay, so it has principles.

While she was having a one-sided conversation with the system, she wasn’t idle. In just a few moments, she pulled the arrow from the rabbit and tossed it into the back basket she had brought. The arrow could still be used. Of course, it was the only one she had. The original host had sold off the kitchen knives, and there were no sickles left. There was no sharp object in the house at all, so she had no way to make more arrows anytime soon. Fortunately, the old bow was worthless, so the original host hadn’t sold it. Otherwise, Ji Ping’an wouldn’t have been able to use the [Prey Aiming Scope].

For the next two hours, Ji Ping’an continued to patrol the edge of the forest, catching two more rabbits and a wild chicken. The rabbits were about three to four jin each, and the chicken was a little smaller, about two jin. All together, the basket weighed over ten jin, and she covered her catch with wild vegetables to hide them.

Ji Ping’an felt the weight on her back and decided it was enough. She stood up straight and immediately froze, her breathing completely stopping. A snake with black and green patterns was coiled on a tree in front of her, flicking its tongue.