Chapter 3: This is even worse than mine!

Both parties communicated using their thoughts, which the system automatically converted into text. Since Wang Erya was illiterate, her system automatically added voice messages.

After hearing about Wang Erya's situation, Ning Xuan learned that she was fleeing famine, lacking food and water, and had no clothes to wear for the upcoming winter. She felt desperate for her, thinking that she was even worse off than her.

Ning Xuan scanned the mixed flour steamed bun and actually earned a point.

I'm eating this right now.

Looking at the steamed buns that appeared in her mind, Wang Erya kept swallowing her saliva, as if she could already smell the aroma.

The crowd is resting now, and she and her daughter are resting in a spot where they can see the crowd but are some distance away.

Then another message came from the other side, saying that she had water on her end and asking if she wanted some. Wang Erya quickly nodded.

Ning Xuan suddenly realized that the refugees might also be short of water, so she asked whether the system only counted the number of transactions or the items, and planned to try trading both together.

Just then, a child was returning a beverage bottle. She stopped him and exchanged the glass bottle for one cent. She told him to go home and fill it with tap water or well water, or even better, cooled boiled water—basically any drinkable water. She bought the bottle along with the water for one cent.

She watched the boy come out from the side; his home must be nearby. Ning Xuan waited at the door, watching the little boy fill the tap with water.

In less than a minute, the little boy came out, and Ning Xuan gave him a penny as agreed.

She scanned the glass bottle as well, which also earned her points.

Wang Erya, seeing both steamed buns and water, and such clear water at that, and noticing that no one was paying attention to her, put her hand in the pocket inside her clothes and felt for two copper coins by touch.

I know food is expensive for refugees right now, but I don't have much money. Would you mind buying it for two copper coins?

Ning Xuan said yes, and then the system asked both parties again.

[This transaction will deduct 2 points. Confirm the transaction?]

Ning Xuan and Wang Erya, from different times and spaces, nodded at the same time.

[Transaction successful. The traded items have been placed in temporary storage. Please retrieve them promptly.]

Wang Erya looked at the soft steamed bun that she had managed to reach under her clothes. Her face showed a mixture of laughter and tears. She wanted to laugh but was afraid of attracting attention, and she wanted to cry but was too thirsty to cry.

Afraid that the aroma of the steamed buns would attract attention, she quickly put them back; it wasn't the right time to take them out yet.

Then Wang Erya took out the glass bottle. Although she was amazed by its exquisite appearance, she didn't dare to dawdle. She quickly and secretly poured half of the water into the water pouch and then hurriedly gave it to her unconscious youngest daughter.

Watching Niu Niu greedily sucking on the water, Wang Er Ya felt both gratified and on the verge of tears.

Da Niu had been watching with envy as Niu Niu drank water, and Wang Er Ya had noticed it long ago.

After Niu Niu had drunk enough, Wang Er Ya took the water away and whispered to Dan Niu, "Come on, Dan Niu, you should drink some too, and keep it down."

Da Niu nodded sensibly, then greedily but restrainedly drank two sips of water before letting Wang Er Ya drink it.

Wang Erya was touched by her daughter's thoughtfulness. Thinking of the half-full bottle of water in the warehouse and the system that allows trading once a day, Wang Erya felt hopeful, so she urged her daughter to drink a couple more sips.

Although the children are young, including Niu Niu, they may not cry because they experienced famine early on and know they shouldn't cry, or they may be too weak from hunger. So when Niu Niu suddenly had no water to drink, she didn't cry.

After her two daughters drank the water, Wang Erya carefully took two sips before putting the water pouch away.

Then they continued their escape with the crowd.

When evening came, while the crowd was eating their dry rations and making a ruckus, Wang Erya took her daughter to a corner, secretly tore off a piece of steamed bun, quickly put it into her daughter's mouth, and told her to be quiet and eat quickly.

Niu Niu is only three months old and has no teeth, so she can't bite on her own. Wang Er Ya dipped the steamed bun in water and quickly put it into Niu Niu's mouth.

There was no food on the way to escape the famine. Wang Erya had long since stopped producing milk, so Niu Niu ate only soaked coarse grains along the way. She was already small, but now she was so thin that she was just skin and bones, with no flesh at all, and she was the size of a cat.

They didn't dare eat too much; the two of them, one big and two small, only ate a quarter of the large steamed bun, but Wang Erya and Daniu were already very satisfied.

Wang Erya was afraid that the steamed buns were too fragrant and would cause trouble, so after eating them, she and Da Niu grabbed some soil, put it in their mouths, and then spat it out.

Niu Niu is still young, so I didn't let her eat dirt.

Some people in the crowd noticed that Wang Erya and her friends were eating dirt, and they only felt sorry for them for a moment. No one thought of offering to help them, after all, they were also struggling to take care of themselves.

It was Wang Erya's act of eating dirt that finally made those who were staring at them look away.

----

Ning Xuan, who received two copper coins, was a little worried. The copper coins might be antiques and could be exchanged for money in the future, but they were too late to solve her immediate problem. She hadn't exchanged them for anything useful today and had even lost a few cents.

Feeling upset, Ningxuan decided to buy another steamed bun. It was still quite hot, and buying too many wouldn't keep. One would be enough for dinner that night.

Then, out of curiosity, she went to the supply and marketing cooperative in the county town, but it required coupons, so she couldn't buy anything.

Never mind, I'll buy the tickets later when I get them. Luckily it's still hot, so I can sleep without a blanket.

However, while browsing, she secretly took photos of the products at the supply and marketing cooperative and uploaded them to the system. In a short time, she earned several hundred points. That's too much to ask for points!

It wasn't until she saw the clock hanging at the supply and marketing cooperative that Ning Xuan realized it was almost time, and she hurried towards the station.

When Ning Xuan arrived, several educated youths were already waiting by the oxcart.

Besides Zhou Aiguo, there was another middle-aged man, also tall and with dark skin.

“This comrade is also an educated youth, right? I am the captain of the Hongxing Brigade, my name is Zhou Jianguo.”

Ning Xuan quickly replied, "Yes, Captain, I am Ning Xuan, an educated youth."

About 10 minutes later, at exactly 2 o'clock, Xu Jiajia and Zhou Zhipeng arrived at the meeting point right on time.

Xu Jiajia carried only her small shoulder bag, while Zhou Zhipeng and Lu Xun each carried a lot of things.

Ning Xuan was extremely envious. She wasn't envious that the female lead was the darling of the group and had someone carry her things; she was envious that she was rich and could buy so many things.

Thinking about the little stuff she had brought, Ning Xuan felt a headache coming on. The trading system only allowed one transaction per day, and the key issue was that the other party was currently fleeing famine and had no extra useful items to trade with her. She would even have to pay them out of her own pocket.

According to the system upgrade requirements, it will take another 10 days to reach level 2 before she can be matched with another dimension. Hopefully, the next dimension will be more favorable, otherwise she'll be in big trouble.