Chapter 1 Chapter 1 A Country Bumpkin in the Mountains
"Tao Yuan, what's wrong with asking your brother to do some work? He's going to the city to enjoy his life soon, and there will be no one to do the work in the mountains. Don't ask me, I still have to go to the card table..."
Before the skinny man could finish his words, a woman's scream erupted from the dim tiled house: "Li Xiangdong! Did you gamble with my money? Do you have any shame? You don't even have enough money to pay for your son's education, and you still dare to play cards? I'll fight you!"
Tao Yuan screamed, picked up the table and chair beside her, and threw them at Li Xiangdong in anger.
With a crackling sound, the already precarious tables and chairs shattered to the ground, which sounded particularly harsh in the mountain village where only chickens, ducks and geese could be heard.
The neighbors who heard the sound gathered outside the door immediately, and several middle-aged women were eating melon seeds and shaking their heads.
"Alas, it's really pitiful that Tao Yuan has such a gambler..."
One woman rolled her eyes. "She deserves it. Who told her to take that boy Tao Ning with her when she got married? He's just an adopted brother, and a sickly one at that. Who is she protecting him like an eyeball, for? "
Another person was immediately dissatisfied. "Tao Ning is a well-behaved child. He always ranks first in exams and even won a prestigious Mathematical Olympiad award. Recently, someone sponsored him to study in the city. He will become rich after he graduates. I think you are just jealous of your son..."
"Hey you?!"
"Third Aunt, Second Aunt."
Just as the two were arguing, a clear and urgent voice interrupted them.
They both looked over and it was evening.
The setting sun hung obliquely in the sky, and the orange-red afterglow lightly sprinkled on the running boy. The light penetrated his clothes that were washed white, reflecting his thin and upright body, as well as the thin shoulders and neck squeezed by the black backpack strap.
The shadow of the camphor tree at the door happened to fall on the boy's cheek, forming a sharp contrast with his delicate and fair skin.
The boy's rosy and plump lips were tightly pursed, and the shadow moved up with his movements, sticking to his tall and delicate nose bridge. Further up, his eyebrows and eyes were blocked by a pair of thick black-framed glasses, making it impossible to see his entire face.
The boy's fine and slightly curly bangs stuck to his forehead. It was obvious that he had rushed back from school.
He gasped for breath and looked into the house anxiously, while the sound of things being thrown around became louder and louder.
The third aunt who was helping the boy said something bright. "Ning Wa Zi, are you back from school? Xiao Ming got 60 points on the math test yesterday. Thank you so much for helping him with his studies. How about this, you can help Xiao Ming with his studies again in a few days, and the third aunt will treat you to an apple..."
The woman didn't notice Tao Ning's anxious look at all, and continued to chatter about him helping her son with his studies.
Tao Ning nodded and stood on tiptoe to check the situation at home.
The person who was mocking Tao Ning just now immediately changed his expression. He was even dissatisfied with Auntie San's rushing in. He hurriedly blocked her and said with a smile: "Ning Ning, why don't you also give our Li Hua some tutoring? Our Li Hua is very smart, especially in English! Then you can win her an Olympiad award..."
"Hmm...Okay..."
Tao Ning responded softly.
At this moment, a voice suddenly appeared, which no one noticed except Tao Ning.
[I'm worried about you, you idiot. Why don't you just say no? They're obviously taking advantage of you. Are you stupid?]
After hearing this voice, Tao Ning was stunned for a second, then replied familiarly in her mind: [They are not bad people.]
[Just because I'm not bad, I can take advantage of you? 】
Tao Ning thought about it and seriously answered the voice that appeared out of nowhere in his mind, or rather, the system.
[This isn't taking advantage. My sister and the book both say that we should be willing to help others.]
The boy smiled shyly, "And I charge for it."
System: [Alright, little fool, go in and see your sister.]
Tao Ning nodded seriously in his heart. He took a deep breath and said to the women who were eager to take him home for tutoring, "Aunt Liu, Second Aunt, Third Aunt, I..."
Before he could finish his words, a sharp female voice suddenly rang out from the front: "What are you doing standing at my door? Are you going to let my brother in? Go away! Go away!"
The hurried footsteps were getting closer and closer. The women standing at the door to block Tao Ning looked at each other and then left quickly.
Tao Ning secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He definitely couldn't deal with these aunts alone.
Just as he came to his senses, he saw that the schoolbag on his back had been picked up by someone, but the hand that lifted the heavy bag was a bony, calloused, female hand.
Tao Ning raised his eyes and met a pair of beautiful eyes through the clear lenses. The latter was only half a head shorter than him, not tall. It was hard to imagine that the sharp sound that could have shaken a bird away came from such a thin body.
Tao Yuan smiled.
"Ningning, you're back?"
Tao Ning narrowed her eyes.
"Well, sister, I'm back."
Tao Yuan was afraid that Tao Ning was hungry, so he picked up his schoolbag and pushed him forward, muttering, "Hey, kid, why did you come back so early today? You should learn more from Teacher Wang. You don't have to worry about the work in the mountains."
Tao Ning lives deep in the mountains, and the people here rely on the lemon trees on the mountain for their livelihood.
"I have to worry about it." Tao Ning silently picked up the other half of the schoolbag strap, "Today is also the day my brother-in-law comes home."
Tao Yuan married a gambler who went out to play cards and drink every day and only came back to get money when he ran out of money.
Tao Ning summed up a pattern. Zhao Xiangdong would go home at the end of every month, so during these days he would not go to the teacher's house to study, nor would he help others with their lessons, but would go straight home.
Hearing his words, Tao Yuan was stunned for a moment, then smiled gently and said helplessly: "You kid."
She glanced at Li Xiangdong who started smoking in the house, and became furious. Her eyes changed from helplessness to guilt.
"Ningning, I need to discuss something with you."
Tao Ning took the opportunity to hold the schoolbag in her arms, "Sister, you tell me."
Tao Yuan's voice gradually became quieter. "Li Xiangdong went out gambling with the money I gave you to go to the city. Your nephew needs to pay tuition for the new semester. Sister...sister, I don't have much money left to give you."
She sighed and continued, "Secretary Liu said a few city dwellers will be coming in the next few days. They're wealthy and need people to work as guides. You're the most promising person in our area. I recommended you, and the secretary agreed. You'll get a lot of money. But I didn't discuss this with you in advance... Will it affect your studies?"
"Will you blame your sister..."
Hearing these words, Tao Ning was stunned for a moment, and the system popped up in his mind again.
Only this time, the sound was more like a mechanical synthesis than before.
[Ding Dong! Congratulations to the Country Bumpkin host for unlocking his first story mission—]
【Be the guide of Zhao Jingqun, one of your future men. 】
Tao Ning was silent.
This system suddenly appeared in his mind not long ago, telling him to conquer three men, otherwise he would disappear from this world.
A voice suddenly appeared in his mind. Tao Ning was stunned for a moment, thinking that apart from anemia, there was nothing wrong with him.
He quickly ruled out mental illness as a possible cause, but of course, because he had no money for a checkup, he could only speculate.
Tao Ning didn't dare to act rashly. At the beginning, the thing that called itself a system kept complaining in his mind every day.
"What the hell do you want, you poor, unsophisticated idiot? Can you please talk to me? This system is a product of a high-level civilization in the universe. Do you know how honored it is to be able to talk to me?"
[Stop doing the questions! Talk to me now!]
Tao Ning pretended not to hear anything and continued to work on his math problems.
One day, the system suddenly said.
[Forget it, this system has given up. You idiot, I won't talk if you don't want to. But you must conquer those three men. Tomorrow someone will come to sponsor you to study in the city. Then I will officially release the conquest mission.]
As usual, Tao Ning pretended the system didn't exist and didn't respond.
The next day, the village secretary came to his house with laughter and joy, shook his hand and said, "Good boy! You've made it! The money for your university education is settled. A family named Song in the city wants to sponsor you to go to school—"
Tao Ning was stunned immediately.
It turns out that what the system said... was true.
From then on, Tao Ning started talking to the system, but she kept avoiding the task of "conquering three men" it told her.
The system is confused: [You don't want to conquer men, do you want to conquer women?]
Before Tao Ning could say anything, the system continued to be confused: [But according to Earthling standards, few people on Earth can compare to you. If you really try to win over women, you will definitely fail. They will only treat you as their son.]
Tao Ning: “…”
He didn't want to pursue anyone, neither man nor woman. He just wanted to study hard, then work hard to get out of the mountains and make money to make Tao Yuan and his nephew happy.
But his resistance was futile because the system could block his five senses. Once he showed any resistance, the system would cause him to become blind, deaf, mute, and other problems.
Once, the system deprived Tao Ning of his eyesight, and he stood there at a loss. Tao Yuan soon noticed his abnormality, held his face, and kept asking him what was wrong and not to scare his sister.
Tao Yuan's voice trembled when he spoke.
Tao Ning rarely "saw" Tao Yuan crying, so that was his first time "talking" to the system.
【I promise you to conquer them.】
Seeing this, the system excitedly said, "That's right! We are a good civilization. After you succeed in conquering us, how about we heal your body?"
Tao Ning thought about it, and in order not to worry Tao Yuan and for the sake of his health, he weighed the pros and cons and agreed. Before entering the city, he lived his life as usual, but he didn't expect that the day of receiving the task would come so soon.
"Zhao Jingqun..."
Tao Ning silently pronounced this unfamiliar name, wondering what kind of person he was. Would he be difficult to approach?
He is dull and introverted and doesn't like to talk, which is one of the reasons why he is unwilling to attack anyone.
Seeing Tao Ning didn't say anything, Tao Yuan thought he was unwilling, "Ningning, forget it. Sister Qian will think of a way for you to go to the city. I'll go and say hello to the secretary when the time comes..."
"No."
Tao Ning quietly looked at Tao Yuan, who was always thinking about her, and said softly, "I do, sister."
"I am willing to be their guide."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
