People who eat melon are in 70 - Chapter 17

Jiang Youtao wiped the sweat off in her mind and made up a story, “Aunt, don’t argue. At this point, that man is in his forties or fifties, and the children he adopted have all grown up. Even if you send more children to him, he won’t take them in.”

“Besides, the real mothers of those adopted children have returned and are now living with them. It’s a big mess; the real mothers of those children think everything the man has belongs to their own children. Sending more kids there would only make them suffer.”

Jiang Youtao’s words made sense, and Fourth Aunt Jiang and the others thought the same. The three women who had just argued like hens quickly made up.

Fourth Aunt Jiang was intrigued by the gossip in Jiang Youtao’s words. “Didn’t the real mothers of those children leave with other men? Have they come back? And the man has even married again. What’s the situation now? Does he have two wives?”

Xu Dazui and Aunt Zhang Er also became excited. “Oh, this man is something! Even in the new China, he’s enjoying the benefits of having multiple wives. Tsk tsk.”

Fourth Aunt Jiang was so excited her face turned red. “I wonder how they manage to sleep at night. I’ve heard that houses in the city are small. If they’re all sleeping on one bed, oh dear, if my husband knew, he’d probably want to swap places with him.”

As the conversation turned to more colorful topics, the three women chatted more and more. They eventually moved on to talking about local anecdotes.

“Speaking of which, we used to have a family like this in our village, but the situation was different from yours,” Aunt Zhang Er said to Jiang Youtao. “In Group One, Liang Tiehua’s family had a man who was a ‘bandit’ before he died.”

A “bandit” referred to an old marriage custom where, if the husband was seriously ill and unable to support the family, the wife would find a healthy, kind-hearted man to come and earn a living for the family.

This type of marriage relationship became extinct in later times, though it was still somewhat common during this period.

“Liang Tiehua was really fortunate. Both of her husbands were good men. The first one died, and she lived happily with the second. She gave birth to five children, two of whom were from her first husband. But look, her husband treats the children from the first husband the same as those from the second husband.”

Jiang Youtao knew Liang Tiehua, a quiet and thin woman, while her husband was tall and appeared several years younger. Jiang Youtao had once seen her husband waiting for her after work to help her carry a hoe.

If Aunt Zhang Er hadn’t mentioned it today, Jiang Youtao wouldn’t have known they weren’t originally married.

Fourth Aunt Jiang countered Aunt Zhang Er: “This situation isn’t the same. Tiehua made her situation clear from the start. If someone was willing to join in, they could; if not, she didn’t force them. It was a mutual agreement.”

“Exactly. What Youtao is talking about is irresponsible, abandoning her own children at someone else’s doorstep, and then coming back to reap the benefits when they grow up. She probably hopes her three grown children will support her and have her adoptive father divorce the adoptive mother to be with her.”

Aunt Zhang Er spat disdainfully, “She’s really got her hopes up. I’ve heard about this even in the Northeast. What does that adoptive mother get out of it? She isn’t sick or disabled, so why would she become an adoptive mother? None of the four children are hers by birth. She’s gone through so much trouble raising them and ended up with nothing. Tsk.”

“What could she get? A person with such a mindset can’t be like a normal person,” they discussed among themselves.

Jiang Youtao sighed with relief in her mind, feeling that she had managed to divert their previous questions.

Just as she was congratulating herself, Xu Dazui spoke up, “Youtao, you still haven’t answered my earlier question. Among the children from our three families, who is more outstanding?”

They were good friends and sisters, but they were always comparing each other—comparing their husbands when they were younger, comparing their children when they had them, comparing their daughters-in-law and sons-in-law when the children were grown, and now comparing their grandchildren.

They had been comparing for decades without a clear winner, and now that there was a chance for a judge, they all stared at Jiang Youtao, waiting for her to rank them.

It looked like Jiang Youtao couldn’t avoid this question. Her mind raced as she quickly organized her thoughts, “Aunt Xu, what you’re asking is difficult. Each child is different and incomparable.”

“Take Aunt Dazui’s third child, for example. At just four years old, he’s already taller and sturdier than six or seven-year-olds. He’s definitely fit to join the army and become a city dweller in the future.” In that era, joining the army was one of the few ways for rural people to become city dwellers.

Xu Dazui dreamt of having a child who would join the army and eat state rations. She often mentioned during work that she hoped her fourth child would study hard and train well to become a soldier. Jiang Youtao’s words resonated deeply with her.

Jiang Youtao continued talking about Xiao Shitou: “Xiao Shitou is even more remarkable. He’s so handsome that I haven’t seen many children in the city who look as good. I wonder how many young girls will be captivated by him when he grows up. Aunt Fourth, you’d better keep an eye on him and make sure he behaves, otherwise, he might break hearts in the future.”

Fourth Aunt Jiang had always loved looking charming, and the most frustrating thing in her life was that her children didn’t inherit her looks.

Xiao Shitou was born with a fair complexion and grew up looking more and more like her. Fourth Aunt Jiang cherished him deeply. She was especially proud when people praised Xiao Shitou for looking like her. Hearing Jiang Youtao’s compliments made Fourth Aunt Jiang’s smile stretch from ear to ear.

Jiang Youtao then spoke about Aunt Zhang Er’s daughter, Xingzi: “Xingzi is such a sensible girl. Not only does she take good care of her younger siblings, but she also keeps herself impeccably clean. I’ve never seen a child so meticulous and particular.”

“I even saw her washing her younger brother’s hair last time. What a great kid.”

Because Jiang Youtao had a good relationship with the three aunts, she had met all their children. Having grown up in an orphanage, she paid extra attention to children and was familiar with the strengths and weaknesses of the kids from these families.

Jiang Youtao’s series of compliments made Xu Dazui and the others feel elated and pleased with her. They thought this young educated youth was truly admirable in every way.

Xu Dazui, seeing the girl who had been working in the fields every day and didn’t appear to have tanned much, suddenly had an idea: “Little Jiang, you’re seventeen now, and you’ll be eighteen soon. You can start thinking about relationships. Do you have any requirements for finding a partner?”

Older people often like to play matchmaker for the younger generation, and Xu Dazui was no exception. Her pleasant personality and good reputation meant that several couples she had helped were living happily.

The unexpected push for a marriage made Jiang Youtao’s smile freeze.

She forced a laugh and said, “Aunt, I’m still young. I’m not considering this right now.”

Xu Dazui had her own perspective on this: “You’re not too young. I’m not saying you need to get married immediately, just that you should start looking for someone. Even if you get engaged now and marry when you’re twenty, that would still be fine.”

Xu Dazui’s serious demeanor showed that she was genuinely concerned for Jiang Youtao.

Having spent over half a month together, Jiang Youtao had briefly shared about her family, and Xu Dazui and the others had taken it to heart. They felt a bit sorry for her and were more considerate toward her at work, giving her the easiest tasks. If she couldn’t finish them, the three of them would help her out.

Jiang Youtao really didn’t want to date. She felt that being in a relationship would only slow her down.

Moreover, the psychological trauma caused by men was too severe for her.

Back in high school, a girl in her dorm had a relationship that went through numerous breakups and reconciliations until graduation. Each time they broke up, the guy would threaten to commit suicide.

The most severe instance involved him running to the dorm building and stabbing himself in front of everyone. It was no exaggeration; he was seriously hurting himself.

Their relationship became widely known, and the girl, once a pretty and delicate young woman, was driven to a state of madness by the end of it.

If it were about something else, Jiang Youtao might have considered it, but this was a matter of principle. She was not going to date or marry at this time.

Given the era and environment, the only potential partners she could find were either young intellectuals or villagers, and the conditions were clear.

She could not settle down in the countryside. Accustomed to the prosperity of the city, she intended to return to the city no matter what. Everyone has the right to pursue a good life, and Jiang Youtao wasn’t afraid of being laughed at for speaking her mind.

Marrying a young intellectual in 1976 would likely end in separation. Few young intellectuals ended up with a happy outcome, and she didn’t want to abandon anyone or be abandoned herself.

People say that college relationships are the most beautiful. In her previous life, Jiang Youtao was too busy surviving to experience this, so she was determined to have a college relationship in this life to avoid regrets.

Facing Xu Dazui’s serious gaze, Jiang Youtao shook her head vigorously: “No, no, I’m not planning to find anyone. Aunt, please don’t introduce anyone to me.”

Jiang Youtao was firm, and Xu Dazui couldn’t force her into a matchmaker situation. So she could only express her regret: “Alright, but if you have any preferences, let me know. I’ll keep an eye out and let you know if someone suitable comes along.”

Jiang Youtao immediately felt better. She remembered a popular matchmaking saying from the future: “Has a car and a house, parents deceased, can handle both the living room and the kitchen, has a good job, and looks great.”

Considering the current era, Jiang Youtao thought the standards of having a car and a house could be relaxed a bit.

“The bicycle should be a Permanent brand. This brand’s bicycles were known for their quality and were still being produced before her time travel. All the children in their neighborhood rode these bicycles, and their quality was top-notch.

As for the house, it should ideally be a blue brick and tile house that can last many years. Otherwise, if it rains heavily outside, it would still rain lightly inside, making life quite unbearable.”

When Jiang Youtao’s standards were mentioned, they stunned the three women.

Every requirement was reasonable on its own, but finding someone who meets all of them together was a tall order. Finding even one person in a hundred who met these criteria would be a stroke of luck!

“Really daring to dream,” Fourth Aunt Jiang commented wistfully, “If I had known back when I was young that such conditions could be set, I wouldn’t have ended up like this.”

Fourth Aunt Jiang had chosen her own partner. He looked decent, had a good personality, and had a fair family background. At the time, many people thought she was quite bold. But now she felt she hadn’t been bold enough; if she had Jiang Youtao’s courage, she might have ended up living in the city by now.

“A grown woman saying such things, isn’t she embarrassed?” A sharp, piercing female voice interrupted Jiang Youtao and the others’ conversation. Jiang Youtao and Xu Dazui looked toward the source of the voice.

The speaker was also from their team but did not work with them directly. She rarely spoke, sometimes not saying a word all day. Today, for some unknown reason, she came over and started spouting off.

Xu Dazui frowned: “Liu Erhua, did you skip breakfast this morning and come here full of shit from the latrine? Your mouth smells like dung from afar. People can say what they want, what’s it to you? If you’re so bored, go back to your latrine and mutter some more.”

In those days, people’s names often involved flowers and plants. It was no surprise to Jiang Youtao that Aunt Liu’s name was Liu Erhua.

After hearing Xu Dazui’s retort, Jiang Youtao felt she had learned something new.

One’s life really does require continuous learning. In her past life, she never knew that people in Northeast China could be so amusing in their insults.

If Liu Erhua hadn’t directed her comments at Jiang Youtao, she might have already laughed out loud.

Since Xu Dazui had stood up for her, Jiang Youtao couldn’t just hide behind her.

She cleared her throat to suppress her laughter: “Aunt Liu, since I joined Team Three, I’ve barely exchanged a few words with you. What’s the meaning of targeting me now? If I’ve offended you, just say so; if not, then you owe me an apology.”

Jiang Youtao avoids trouble but is never afraid of it.

One of her life mottos, before she became a worker, was to take life and death lightly and to fight back when challenged.

In her previous life, if it hadn’t been for needing to earn a bit of salary to get by, she would have long since let loose her true nature. Otherwise, with the foolish leaders and colleagues in her company, she would have dealt with them already.

After traveling back in time, she decided not to suppress her true self any longer. As a rural youth in the countryside, she relied on her own efforts and the rewards from the melon-eating system and had little to do with the people in Liushu Village. Why should she put up with them?!

When she returns to the city after the college entrance exams, she will likely never see most of the people from Liushu Village again. So she might as well roll up her sleeves and face them head-on. Who’s afraid of whom!

Liu Erhua was taken aback by Jiang Youtao’s words. Having seen many rural youths, she had often cursed them out when she was feeling frustrated. However, none of the rural youths had ever argued with her as directly as Jiang Youtao did.

Most rural youths would swallow their anger and endure the humiliation. Those with thinner skin might even cry on the spot. A few would argue back, but those rural youths could never gain the upper hand against her.

Liu Erhua had her reasons for bullying Jiang Youtao.

During lunch today, she went home to eat and her youngest son told her he was interested in Jiang Youtao.

Liu Erhua knew about Jiang Youtao. Just based on her appearance, Liu Erhua was unwilling to let her marry into their family. She seemed unsettled, and such a woman would surely bring unrest to the household.

In the afternoon, Liu Erhua tried hard to hold back her frustration but couldn’t resist coming over. To her dismay, she arrived just in time to hear Jiang Youtao’s standards for choosing a partner. This was like stabbing Liu Erhua’s heart.

She had five children, three sons and two daughters. Because of the large family and few laborers, they were once the poorest family in the village. Every autumn, they ended up owing money to the production team.

The money for her eldest and second sons’ weddings was all exchanged for the daughters’ dowries. Now only her third son, who is neither high nor low in status, remains.

Liu Erhua was particularly fond of her third son. To her, he deserved a girl from the commune. But seeing that he was interested in Jiang Youtao, who was beautiful but lacked other qualities, she felt quite resentful.

None of Jiang Youtao’s partner criteria matched her third son.

For instance, regarding the house, they were poor, had many children, and were living in mud houses. Not only did they not have a car, but she hadn’t even seen one up close!

Liu Erhua was increasingly angry. It was one thing to dislike Jiang Youtao, but if Jiang Youtao didn’t even consider her son, that was unforgivable.

What’s more, there was the requirement for the partner to have parents who were deceased. What did that mean? Did one need to have their parents die first before getting married? How brazen was that?

She stiffened her neck and said, “What’s wrong? Have I said something wrong? Everyone, judge for yourselves. Here is a sixteen or seventeen-year-old girl, with no sense of shame, brazenly saying she wants a partner with a car and a house and no parents. Isn’t that shameless?”

“How can you have the nerve to say such things? Does marrying you mean your parents have to be dead first?”

Liu Erhua raised her voice sharply, drawing the attention of nearby villagers. It’s human nature to watch a commotion, and this was the first time they heard someone make such demands in choosing a partner, so they quickly gathered around.

Some women, upon hearing Jiang Youtao’s criteria, immediately sided with Liu Erhua and criticized Jiang Youtao.

Jiang Youtao ignored them. Let them say what they wanted; it didn’t affect her.

Liu Erhua was uneducated and couldn’t even write her own name. The idiom “brazenly” was something she learned from her third son.

Her third son was good friends with the commune leader’s son. They spent their days discussing national affairs, and her son had become more educated through this influence.

Liu Erhua watched Jiang Youtao triumphantly, waiting for her to show a change of expression or even to cry.

Jiang Youtao was not going to meet her expectations. She stood up and looked down at Liu Erhua. “Auntie, what kind of partner I look for and what my standards are have nothing to do with you. Who are you to criticize me? Are you that idle?”

Considering Liu Erhua also had a few sons, Jiang Youtao calmly said, “Don’t worry about it. My standards for finding a partner are high, and it’s impossible for me to choose your son.”

Liu Erhua was quite pushy and loud. Jiang Youtao often heard her boasting about her son’s abilities while working. Sometimes her son would come to the fields to find her, and Jiang Youtao had seen him from afar a few times.

He was short, thin, and ugly, with a face resembling Liu Erhua’s, including large, prominent teeth. He didn’t seem like a good person; his eyes always darted around, and he exuded an overall sleazy vibe.

When Liu Erhua didn’t get the reaction she expected and heard more disdainful remarks about her son, her head felt like it was going to explode. She grabbed a handful of dirt and threw it at Jiang Youtao. The moment she let go, Jiang Youtao moved.

With her extensive fighting experience, she grabbed Liu Erhua’s hair, and once she had a hold of it, victory was halfway secured. No matter how Liu Erhua struggled, kicked, or scratched, Jiang Youtao held on tightly and struck her with the free hand.

She hit Liu Erhua where it hurt, and Liu Erhua’s pained cries never ceased.

The onlookers, including Xu Dazui and others, were stunned.

They hadn’t expected that the argument would escalate into a physical fight in the blink of an eye.

They stood there dazed for a minute or two before rushing in to break it up.

Xu Dazui and Fourth Aunt Jiang, who had a good relationship with Jiang Youtao, quickly moved to intervene. Zhang Er and fourth aunt Jiang went to grab Liu Erhua’s arms.

“Stop fighting! Is there anything that can’t be said properly? Why resort to fighting? We all see each other every day.”

Xu Dazui went behind Jiang Youtao and tried to hold her arms, but she was ineffective, and Jiang Youtao continued her assault without restraint. With a grunt, she took the opportunity to strike Liu Erhua several more times before the onlookers could get closer.

Liu Erhua’s screams of pain never ceased.

The team leader, squad leader, and a group of onlookers rushed over when they heard the commotion.

Gu Nianwei and other young intellectuals also arrived. They silently stood behind Jiang Youtao, and Zhao Yonglan was among them as well.

Some villagers stood by to watch the commotion, with those related to Liu Erhua or close to her siding with her.

Liu Erhua’s hair was disheveled from being grabbed by Jiang Youtao, and she was now crying with snot and tears.

In contrast, Jiang Youtao looked much more composed. Except for some disheveled clothing, she appeared as calm and unruffled as if she hadn’t been in a fight.

When Liu Erhua saw the team leader approaching, she immediately began to complain like a child seeing their parent. “Team Leader, look at what Jiang Youtao has done to me!”

Liu Erhua pointed to her face, which had a scratch mark from a fingernail and was bleeding slightly.

Jiang Youtao’s principle was not to hit the face, so she didn’t touch Liu Erhua’s face at all. The scratch on Liu Erhua’s face was from her own agitation, and it even had a bit of her own skin in it.

“She must compensate me!” Liu Erhua declared with righteous indignation. Anyone who didn’t know the full story might have thought that Jiang Youtao was the aggressor.

Fourth Aunt Jiang spat and said, “Don’t talk nonsense. We all saw clearly what happened. You scratched your own face, right, Zhang Er?”

Aunt Zhang Er was named by Fourth Aunt Jiang, and although she hadn’t seen how Liu Erhua’s face was hurt, it didn’t stop her from supporting her good friend: “Yes, it was her own fault. If you don’t believe it, look at her nails; there’s still flesh under them.”

Aunt Zhang Er had often fought with her husband and was very familiar with scratching, always leaving some flesh under her nails. She guessed Liu Erhua’s nails had to be the same. Of course, if they weren’t, so be it. The onlookers couldn’t just grab Liu Erhua’s hand to check, could they? That would be ridiculous.

Liu Erhua’s voice was sharp and grating, and her cries made the team leader feel as though his head was buzzing.

The team leader frowned and scolded Liu Erhua: “Enough! You’re an adult, and you’re fighting with a half-grown kid. What face do you have to cry?”

The team leader felt embarrassed saying this. There were no secrets in the village, and the person who called him had already gathered all the details of the situation. When he was called, the matter was already clear.

Liu Erhua had brought this beating upon herself. Jiang Youtao had been working quietly at her assigned task without moving her camp. Liu Erhua, instead of working, came over and stirred up trouble, even resorting to physical violence when she couldn’t win the argument. As far as the team leader was concerned, she deserved it, and getting beaten was not unfair at all.

The team leader still had considerable authority among the villagers, so Liu Erhua, sobbing and sniffling, fell silent.

The scene finally quieted down.

The team leader turned to Jiang Youtao and, seeing her calm demeanor, felt a headache coming on: “So, what’s going on here?” After a pause, he added, “Xu Dazui, you explain.”

Xu Dazui relished this sort of thing and immediately recounted what had happened, mimicking Liu Erhua’s tone and expressions perfectly.

The surrounding villagers couldn’t help but laugh at her performance, and the young intellectuals, seeing that the incident was not Jiang Youtao’s fault, relaxed and joined in the laughter.

Liu Erhua was even more enraged: “What did I say that was wrong? What’s wrong now, are the young intellectuals not allowed to be criticized?”

The team leader ignored her: “Since the matter is clear, it ends here. Get back to work. It’s almost time to finish up. Look at how much work is left! Do you all not want any work points? Have you eaten too much?”

The team leader left, and the crowd of onlookers dispersed. No one paid any attention to Liu Erhua’s crying and fuss.

Their thoughts were the same as the team leader’s: There was no enmity or grievance with her. She came looking for trouble and got beaten for it. What else did she expect? If she wanted Jiang Youtao to compensate her, it would set a bad precedent where everyone might start causing trouble and demanding compensation.

No one was there to speak on Liu Erhua’s behalf, and after being beaten by Jiang Youtao, she felt a mix of fear and resentment. She spat and glared at Jiang Youtao, saying, “Someone like you will never set foot in my house!”

Jiang Youtao was bewildered by this. What was she talking about, entering her house? What was this old woman saying?

Xu Dazui and Aunt Jiang Si exchanged a glance, and Xu Dazui smiled: “Guifang, I just heard a joke. Do you want to hear it?”

Fourth Aunt Jiang, whose name was Jiang Guifang, had been good friends with Xu Dazui for many years. As soon as Xu Dazui began, she knew what was coming and immediately responded, “Oh! There’s a joke? Tell me, let me see if it’s funny.”

“It goes like this: There was a toad crossing a field, and it saw a white swan standing there. It was so captivated that it actually wanted to eat the swan!”

Fourth Aunt Jiang and Aunt Zhang Er burst into laughter, their laughter so loud it almost seemed to shake the ground.

Liu Erhua wasn’t foolish; she understood the mockery in Xu Dazui and Fourth Aunt Jiang’s exchange. She shot them a furious look and walked away angrily.

Once she was far off, Xu Dazui turned to Jiang Youtao: “How are you? Are you hurt?”

Jiang Youtao shook her head: “No, she didn’t hit me much.”

Even if she had, Liu Erhua didn’t have much strength, so Jiang Youtao didn’t feel any pain.

Relieved, Xu Dazui and the others continued pulling weeds. Fourth Aunt Jiang said to Jiang Youtao: “You did the right thing. People like Liu Erhua, who always looks for trouble, need to be taught a lesson. Once she gets beaten, she’ll behave better next time.”

Aunt Zhang Er added: “What your Aunt said is right. Liu Erhua is just a bully who preys on the weak. If you hadn’t shown her you’re not to be messed with, she’d continue to trouble you. But if she knows you’re tough, she’ll avoid you in the future.”

Xu Dazui and her friends got along well because they all shared the same temperament: they preferred to act rather than talk.

When they were younger, they had even fought Aunt Zhang Er’s husband together.

Xu Dazui continued: “Liu Erhua is so arrogant because she sees you as a young intellectual with no backing. If you were from the village, she wouldn’t dare act like that.”

“And her son, he looks like a monkey from the mountains. I don’t know how she dares to have such high demands.”

Xu Dazui added: “Every day you pass by the village entrance, look at the family behind Widow Liu’s house. They’re so poor that even thieves would leave crying. Her two sons could only get wives because of their two daughters; otherwise, no one would be willing to marry them!”

Jiang Youtao was intrigued: “How so?”

“Well,” Xu Dazui continued, “her eldest daughter-in-law was swapped for her eldest daughter, and the second daughter-in-law was bought with the bride price of her second daughter. Her two daughters-in-law have been with her for five years, giving birth to six or seven children. They’re so poor they’re almost down to their last pair of pants.”

It wasn’t uncommon for people to be poor, but being as destitute as Liu Erhua’s family was quite rare.

Xu Dazui wondered where Liu Erhua got the confidence to think Jiang Youtao might marry into her family.

Feeling a bit uneasy, Xu Dazui looked serious and warned Jiang Youtao: “Xiao Jiang, you should be careful. Liu Erhua’s youngest son is a street thug who hangs around with people from the commune. I’ve heard he’s connected to some of the commune leaders’ sons.”

“What Liu Erhua said earlier might mean her son is planning something against you. Be on your guard.”

While Xu Dazui usually called Jiang Youtao “Youtao,” she used “Xiao Jiang” when discussing serious matters.

Jiang Youtao never underestimated anyone. She assured Xu Dazui: “Don’t worry, Aunt Xu. I’ll be careful.”

Seeing that Jiang Youtao understood the seriousness of the situation, Xu Dazui stopped talking about it.

Unbeknownst to them, the melon system activated, pushing promotions for items in its store: [Host, look! Here we have the latest anti-wolf spray and solar-powered electric baton from the Space-Time Administration, now on special offer. No need for 998, 98, or even 9.8 yuan. With melon coins, you can easily take these two self-defense gadgets home!]

Jiang Youtao:

The system was absurdly inconsistent—smart when it shouldn’t be, and clueless when it should be intelligent. She didn’t even know what to say.

She noticed that ever since she got one melon coin, the system kept trying to entice her into spending!

But all these efforts were futile. That one melon coin was as precious as her life. Even if it were for anti-wolf spray and a solar-powered electric baton, she wouldn’t spend it.

Look at what the system is showing! Is there any difference between that stuff and what you’d find on modern online marketplaces? The packaging, and even the brand, are exactly the same! What kind of nonsense is this “latest release from the Space-Time Administration” supposed to be? Are they just trying to fool idiots?

Does the system think she’s so desperate to use that stuff that she wants to show it off in front of Gu Nianwei?

Melon System: “I was careless. It should have a different packaging.”

After finishing work, Jiang Youtao said to Gu Nianwei, “Weiwei, are you going to the county tomorrow? If so, could you bring back some chili powder for me? I want the spiciest one.”

It had been almost half a month since their last trip to the county, and Gu Nianwei thought the situation might have calmed down. She planned to go to the county the next day to gather some news.

She agreed to Jiang Youtao’s request.

Her space was filled with all sorts of things, including many types of chili powder, so it was no trouble at all to get some for Jiang Youtao.

“Sure, I’ll definitely bring it back for you tomorrow.”

Jiang Youtao handed Gu Nianwei two dimes, which she accepted.

Seeing Gu Nianwei’s reaction, Jiang Youtao felt like sighing again.

As long as she didn’t run into the Lin family, Gu Nianwei was such a clear-headed girl—no saintly airs, no white lotus pretensions, and very perceptive.

That night, it started raining again, and in the morning there was still a light drizzle outside. Jiang Youtao took a glance out the window and then went back to bed. Gu Nianwei, on the other hand, got up, folded the blankets, washed up, and soon came back into the dormitory with a white cloth bag she always took with her into town, leaving the dorm quietly.

Jiang Youtao turned over and continued sleeping groggily.

[Ding~ “Task available~ Interfere with and mess up the male and female leads’ first formal meeting. Reward: 3 meat buns, 500g beef jerky, 1kg of sunflower seeds.”]

The ding echoed in Jiang Youtao’s head, instantly dispelling her sleepiness. She sat up quickly, folded the blanket, and rushed outside.

If Gu Nianwei’s intelligence was lowered when encountering the younger Lin family members, imagine how her mind would turn into mush if she met Lin Jianzhong!