As the sun completely sank below the horizon, smoke rose from the chimneys of every household in the residential compound. But inside Li Xiaocao's kitchen, a lively scene unfolded.

"Yes! Add it as soon as the water boils! Simmer on low heat!"

"Oops, I put in too much salt! Quickly, scoop out some rice water to dilute it!"

"Two drops of sesame oil are enough for this cold dish! Oh dear, that's a vinegar bottle!"

Li Xiaocao's voice was hoarse from giving instructions, while Mingzhao was like a precise but occasionally malfunctioning machine, strictly following the "instructions," only handling vague variables like "a little," "appropriate amount," and "heat" extremely rigidly. The final result: a pot of barely thick rice porridge, a bowl of overly salty dandelion salad that Mingzhao salvaged by diluting with cold boiled water, and a few pieces of mixed vegetable pancakes with charred edges and undercooked centers.

Looking at the "spoils" on the table, Li Xiaocao didn't know whether to laugh or cry, but seeing Mingzhao's rare look of bewilderment and slight frown, she found him incredibly cute.

"Great job! This is the first time you've done something like this, you're really amazing!"

Li Xiaocao gave a thumbs up and praised sincerely, "I can drink the porridge, eat the vegetables, and even the pancakes... well, I can even gnaw on the burnt bits! I won't go hungry!"

Mingzhao scooped a spoonful of porridge into her mouth and savored it. The consistency was acceptable, but the rice grains were unevenly cooked, resulting in a one-dimensional flavor... Hmm, the energy acquisition efficiency was up to standard, but the sensory experience score was low. She silently noted down the parameters that needed optimization.

After finishing her meal, Mingzhao voluntarily cleared the dishes, but her mind was racing. With Huo Hua not home, she had to cook for herself, but this was inefficient and time-consuming, seriously interfering with her plans—studying and conducting research. This didn't align with the principles of optimization.

She needs a solution, an "all-in-one butler" that can automate or streamline her life's processes, like the central management system at Alliance Base.

“Sister Xiaocao,” Mingzhao wiped her hands clean and walked up to Li Xiaocao, who was sweeping the floor, her eyes serious, “I need mechanical materials. To make something.”

"What are you doing? Mending clothes?" Li Xiaocao asked curiously.

“A robot butler,” Mingzhao said succinctly, “a system that can automatically or in a simplified way cook, clean, and monitor safety.”

Li Xiaocao: "..." She almost dropped the broom. A butler? A system? An automatic cooker? What's going on in this girl's head?

So that's why you took your radio apart?

"Uh... Mingzhao, what you're talking about... I'm afraid we don't have that around here." Li Xiaocao scratched her head. "How about I make you something?"

Mingzhao shook his head, his gaze fixed on the deep night outside the window, his mind scanning potential resource locations like a sophisticated radar: "Old items. Scrap parts. Recycling stations."

Li Xiaocao instantly understood! This girl was after the junk at the recycling station! "That place... is so dirty and messy..."

"I'm not afraid." Mingzhao's eyes were firm. "The materials need to be broken down and reassembled. Can we go tomorrow?"

Seeing the unwavering determination in Mingzhao's eyes, Li Xiaocao could only swallow her words of dissuasion: "Fine...fine! I'll go with you tomorrow! But it's agreed, we'll only pick what's usable, nothing too dirty!"

——

The next morning, on the dirt road leading from the family compound to the town.

Mingzhao changed into his most durable old clothes and carried a sturdy canvas shoulder bag. Li Xiaocao carried an even larger basket and kept nagging about the precautions for the scrap yard. Mingzhao listened quietly, his eyes filled with anticipation for the "materials warehouse".

The state-run waste recycling station at the west end of the town looks like a huge garbage dump.

Piles of rusty scrap iron, broken copper and aluminum, scrapped machine parts, broken furniture, and bundles of old newspapers and books exuded a strong smell of rust, oil, and rotting paper.

As soon as Li Xiaocao entered, she was choked by the smell and the mess, and frowned. She stayed close to Mingzhao, afraid that she might bump into something or be hit by something.

Mingzhao, however, moved like a fish into water! Her clear eyes instantly lit up with a scanner-like light, precisely scanning the piles of waste. She ignored the old furniture and tattered clothes, heading straight for the machinery scrap area!

Rusty gears? I want them! Bearing balls? I want them! Broken springs? I want them! A piece of wire wrapped in rags?

She wanted it! Even a piece of rusted iron that was unrecognizable was acceptable! She moved quickly and stuffed the "materials" she had her eye on into her handbag, which was soon full to the brim.

Li Xiaocao was dumbfounded, and didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

Resigned, she untied the large basket from her back: "Put it here, girl! I'll carry it for you! You...you keep picking!"

He patted his belly; thankfully, it was alright. If it had gotten bigger, he wouldn't have been able to help Mingzhao.

She couldn't understand how these pieces of junk could serve as "housekeepers," but as long as Mingzhao was happy, that was all that mattered.

Just then, on the other side of the scrap metal pile, a young woman wearing a slightly worn blue cotton jacket, who was struggling to search for something, looked up.

She was probably around twenty-five or twenty-six years old. Her features were fairly delicate, but her complexion was somewhat sallow, and her eyes revealed a weariness that didn't match her age, along with... a hint of shrewdness that was barely perceptible.

Her gaze inadvertently swept over Li Xiaocao, who was helping Mingzhao load scrap metal, and she suddenly stopped!

As if she had seen something unbelievable, she blinked hard and looked at Li Xiaocao's face carefully, especially the faint old scar on her forehead!

He Yuchun was shocked?

What's Li Xiaocao doing here? And looking so... rustic? Wearing patched old clothes, covered in dust and dirt, helping people collect scraps at the junkyard?

He Yuchun's heart was in turmoil! She had only been reborn for three days! She desperately tried to recall the opportunity that had changed her fate in her previous life!

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