When Jiang Ruyu saw the fifty wild eggs, she had a premonition and bit down hard on the sides of her face, afraid that she would laugh out loud and be mistaken for a lunatic. By the end, she could only pretend to be uncomfortable and lean against the back of the seat in front of her, lowering her head and desperately suppressing her excitement.
She'd had this system for a while now, and this was the first time she'd received so many resources, except for the initial newbie gift pack, of course. Although she kept telling herself that it was all free, and that she was lucky to have it all and shouldn't ask for too much, she was still very happy to suddenly receive so many things.
During the one-hour journey, Jiang Ruyu kept her head down until she got off the bus. Jiang Hui, sitting next to his sister, assumed she was feeling carsick and that's why she kept her head down. But when they got off the bus, his sister's smile was particularly creepy.
"Sis, what's wrong with you? Are you possessed by a witch doctor?" Jiang Lin looked up and saw his sister grinning so hard you could see her teeth. Without thinking, he blurted out this question.
Jiang Ruyu couldn't laugh anymore and turned around to teach this unlucky kid a lesson: "You brat, what are you saying? Where are we? Huh, you're so brainless. If you don't correct this habit, you'll get a big lesson one day."
Jiang Lin knew he had said the wrong thing as soon as the words left his mouth. He covered his mouth and instinctively ran away, saying, "Sister, I was wrong. I'll change. I'll change. I'll definitely change. Ah, sister, don't hit me. It hurts."
Jiang Ruyu, panting heavily, caught up with Jiang Lin, grabbed his ear, and gave him a few hard slaps on the head: "It hurts, that's good, it'll teach you a lesson. If it happens again, I'll whip you with a little leather whip dipped in salt water."
Jiang Lin looked at his sister with tearful eyes: "Wow, sis, do you have to be so cruel?"
"snort!"
When Jiang Hui caught up with Jiang Lin carrying a bag, he saw Jiang Lin looking dejected. He asked in a low voice with some curiosity, "What's wrong with you, sis? Why are you like this?"
Jiang Lin looked at his sister's back with resentment, feeling secretly sad: "She said she would whip me with a small leather whip dipped in salt water. Jiang Hui, how can my sister be so cruel? I'm her own brother."
Jiang Hui twitched his lips. He hadn't expected his sister to come up with such a ruthless method. None of them thought that Jiang Ruyu was deliberately lying to him. His sister's educational philosophy for the two of them since childhood was to hit them without hesitation.
The three siblings walked back to their home. It was already past four or five in the afternoon. The alley was full of gossiping aunties and grandmas. When they saw the three Jiang siblings carrying a rather large bag, which was bulging with contents, their eyes lit up.
"Ruyu, where have you been? You've come back with a big bag on your back?" This was Aunt Ma from the second courtyard of their tenement. She wasn't particularly bad, but she loved to gossip and talk about other people's business.
When you encounter someone like this, you can't show it, otherwise the next day your neighbors will say she's rude and looks down on people.
"Oh, it's Aunt Ma. It's nothing. She just went to the countryside to visit my grandfather. My aunt packed some vegetables that they grew in their private plot. Here, you have to pay money and get coupons to buy even a single scallion. Unlike in the countryside, they can eat whatever they want from the vegetable garden right outside their door. It's so convenient."
"That's so true. We may be city dwellers, but actually, we have to pay for everything, even just to eat."
"That's right. Everything here is rationed. You tell me, they only give us about twenty catties of grain a month. It's not enough to eat at all. Those half-grown boys are really eating their fathers out of house and home. My two stinky boys eat like hungry wolves every time they eat."
"Sigh, every family is like this..."
The women started chatting again, and Jiang Ruyu took the opportunity to slip away. She had no interest in gossiping with these people. She was fine with listening to gossip and joining in the fun, but she didn't want to be the center of gossip herself.
As she entered the courtyard, her grandmother was chatting with Grandma Li at the door. When she saw her grandson and granddaughter return, she stood up happily: "You're back! Oh, what are you carrying? Your aunt must have carried them for you. Oh my, so many! How could you bear to carry all that?"
Despite saying that, the old lady's big smile betrayed her happiness. Indeed, everyone wants a relationship where both parties give; no one wants to only give and receive nothing in return.
"Come on, Sister Li, have some vegetables to eat. They were just picked from the field and are still very fresh."
Grandma Li waved her hand: "I don't want it, you take it back and eat it. I can't eat much by myself."
“Take it if I give it to you. It’s not anything valuable. It’s just that we live in this big courtyard and don’t have a place to grow vegetables. We have to buy everything we eat, so it seems a bit rare.”
Grandma Xu gave her sisters some food and went home. Once home, she started tidying up: "Oh, your aunt is a very honest person. Seeing that she gave so much, and with this hot weather, it won't keep. So, tidy it up, wash it, and let it dry. We happen to have a few pickling jars at home. The green beans and cucumbers are already pickled. It's strange that you, Ruyu, are pickling them. You're not good at making those proper dishes, but you have a talent for these odds and ends."
Jiang Ruyu raised her head proudly: "That's right, I was able to pickle vegetables by myself when I was just over ten years old."
"Sis, your pickled vegetables are delicious, but you're terrible at cooking, especially when it comes to dough. It doesn't rise properly, and when you make unleavened dough, it just turns into mush..." Jiang Lin was so busy complaining that he didn't see his older sister was already furious.
Jiang Hui chuckled and hugged Jiang Lin, who was trying to escape: "Sis, I caught him, come quick!"
Jiang Lin looked at his twin brother in disbelief: "Jiang Hui, we are twin brothers, how can you be so lacking in brotherly love?"
Jiang Hui laughed and said, "Because I still want to eat the pickled vegetables my sister makes, they're so good with rice."
"Hmph, just because of pickled vegetables, you betrayed your brother. I hereby declare that we are no longer friends."
"Fine, I'm also announcing that three out of the four of us in my family are cutting ties with you. You can drink your foot bath water tonight." Jiang Ruyu crossed her arms and looked at him with hostility.
Jiang Lin immediately put on a fawning smile: "Sister, look at you, how can such a beautiful mouth say such cold and heartless words?" Old Mrs. Xu and Jiang Hui both burst out laughing, and Jiang Ruyu was also both angry and amused by her younger brother.
She had a fresh stir-fried vegetable meal at home that evening, and also delivered some fresh vegetables to her uncle next door. After washing up and lying in bed, she realized that there was still a box she hadn't opened.
She stopped sleeping, opened the system, and clicked on the wooden box. Although she had wondered before if it might contain something bad, she didn't have any thoughts when she actually opened it. However, when she saw what was inside, Jiang Ruyu couldn't shut her mouth for a long time.
The box wasn't big, but it was carved with incomprehensible auspicious cloud patterns. Inside were a dozen large yellow croakers, dozens of Yuan Shikai silver dollars, and some jewelry that looked like antiques. She didn't understand them either, only that she couldn't take these things out right now. She put the items in her system inventory and lay in bed, unable to sleep for a long time. Had she suddenly become rich overnight? Haha, too bad, these things were worthless now. Only the gold bars could still be exchanged for money, but she had no reason to exchange such large gold bars for money. Sigh, what a sweet burden.
The days passed by peacefully, filled with laughter and playful banter, until Jiang Ruyu met someone who made her heart flutter for the first time in eighteen years.
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