Chapter 14: A Tough Nut for the System

After tidying up the items they had bought from the supply and marketing cooperative, Tongtong took the opportunity to take out some things from her space and mix them in.

This way, no one would question the origin of their goods.

On the way back today, Yu Wanqin had also bought a chicken and two jin of pork. By good fortune, she even came across someone selling rabbits, so she bought one as well, planning to prepare two hearty dishes.

She intended to make a spicy rabbit stir-fry.

The rabbit meat was chopped into pieces and marinated. She heated the wok with oil and fried the rabbit meat once.

Then she added Sichuan peppercorns, minced garlic, pickled ginger, pickled peppers, and fresh chilies. Immediately, the oil sizzled, and the aroma burst forth.

For a moment, the entire family compound was filled with the rich, fragrant, numbing, and spicy scent of stir-fried meat.

The boy next door was practically drooling!

“Oh my! Sister Wanqin, what are you cooking? It smells so amazing!” Aunt Zhu, their neighbor, couldn’t help but salivate.

Her eyes were glued to the wok, unmoving.

Several households downstairs were asking whose cooking smelled so delicious.

Yu Wanqin felt a bit embarrassed: “I’m making a dish from my hometown—spicy rabbit stir-fry. I’ll let you have a taste once it’s done, Sister.”

Aunt Zhu waved her hand, feeling a little awkward: “Oh, no need for that! Just smelling it is enough for me!”

She laughed heartily, not feeling too embarrassed about it.

In these times, life wasn’t easy for anyone, so how could she possibly freeload someone else’s meat?

But when Yu Wanqin finished cooking, she still ladled a small bowl and brought it over.

After all, a good neighbor is better than a distant relative. If things ever escalated between her and Lin Zhiguo, she might need these people’s help.

Aunt Zhu hadn’t expected Yu Wanqin to actually bring her a bowl—and a heaping one full of meat at that.

She was at a loss for what to do.

After thinking it over, she gathered a large bundle of vegetables from her garden and sent it over as a return gift.

Even so, she still felt a bit embarrassed.

After all, what they had given her was meat, while her own haphazardly grown vegetables weren’t worth much.

But Yu Wanqin treasured it greatly, showing no disdain at all, and expressed her gratitude to Aunt Zhu.

Only then did Aunt Zhu breathe a sigh of relief. When she returned home, she told her son that if he ever saw Tongtong being bullied, he must help.

Her son was named Cao Fugui, six years old this year and attending preschool class.

Little Fugui, his mouth glistening with oil, nodded absentmindedly to show he understood.

Tongtong secretly brought another bowl to Liu Lan’s house.

Although Liu Lan’s husband was a political commissar with a decent salary, they had too many sons to feed. Not only was meat scarce, but even their grain supply was running low.

Yu Wanqin had packed the bowl so full that the meat was practically overflowing.

Liu Lan was overjoyed and returned the favor with ten eggs, sending her third son to deliver them.

Chen An’an was quite the chatterbox.

“Tongtong, how old are you this year? Do you want to go to school? Let me tell you, school is so much fun. Our teacher taught us how to catch grasshoppers today…”

He rambled on and on, chattering incessantly.

Tongtong listened with curiosity: “Doesn’t your teacher teach you how to write or read?”

In her previous life, even kindergartens had started teaching pinyin and English.

Chen An’an scratched his head: “No, isn’t that taught in first grade?”

…Alright then.

Tongtong searched through the vast database in her mind and found some information.

This era was chaotic. Many teachers had been sent down to the countryside, and there weren’t many truly educated teachers left in the schools.

Sigh!

“Tongtong, tomorrow I’ll take you to raid bird nests. Let me tell you, I’m really good at it—no one in the compound can beat me!”

“Hmm… birds are good. They help trees catch bugs. Maybe we should just catch bugs from now on,” Tongtong suggested sincerely.

She needed to secure some benefits for her tree friends.

“Catching bugs… that works too.” Chen An’an scratched his head, smiling brightly.

Tongtong handed him a piece of candy: “From now on, if you help the trees catch bugs, I’ll give you one every day.”

Chen An’an’s eyes lit up.

This candy tasted sweet and fruity, different from what he usually ate.

He licked it a couple of times, mumbling: “Tongtong, you’re so nice!”

“If anyone bullies you, I’ll beat them up for you!”

Tongtong’s big eyes curved into crescents: “Okay! Thank you, brother!”

Suddenly, she turned sharply, looking toward the Old Ginkgo.

But she saw nothing.

Strange…

Tongtong withdrew her gaze, tilting her head in thought. Oh well, she’d just ask Ginkgo Grandpa tonight.

Behind the Old Ginkgo.

Si Muchen, wearing army-green overalls, pouted and listlessly ground some gravel under his foot.

He grumbled inwardly.

It hasn’t even been that long, and she already has another brother.

Hmph!

[Host, why aren’t you going up there!]

[Get closer so I can steal some energy… I’ve been half-starved these past two days, only able to maintain one misfortune transfer per day!]

[Sigh! This is so hard for this System!]

Si Muchen rolled his eyes: “Useless!”

If it weren’t for this useless system nagging him every day to come steal energy, he wouldn’t bother coming to see that little ingrate.

The System grumbled internally, but knowing it was at fault, didn’t dare talk back.

Si Muchen sighed, glanced once more in the direction of Tongtong’s house, then turned and left coolly.

On the way, he ran into Li Xue. Remembering how she had helped Shen Wei bully Tongtong and her mom that day, Si Muchen casually used today’s one misfortune transfer opportunity on her.

Li Xue had been upset at work today, and as soon as she got home, she started punishing her daughter behind closed doors.

She blamed her daughter for blocking her good fortune, preventing her from having a son.

Little Zhaodi was eight years old, her body covered in bruises, so thin she was just skin and bones.

But Li Xue was careful, only hitting her where no one could see, so no one knew.

After venting her anger on her daughter, she cursed and went to cook.

But as soon as she picked up the knife, her hand seemed to move on its own, slashing deeply into her own body.

She howled in pain.

The wound was deep enough to see bone. Li Xue quickly covered it and rushed to the hospital to get it bandaged.

Zhaodi dragged her bag, struggling to keep up behind her.

Passing by Yu Wanqin’s house, Tongtong happened to see blood oozing from her wound; it looked serious.

Huh? This bad auntie got her comeuppance again?

The little girl following behind was thin and small, her face pale, so hungry she could barely walk steadily.

Tongtong frowned and gave her half a steamed bun.

She didn’t like it anyway.

Zhaodi was overwhelmed by the unexpected kindness and didn’t dare take it, but Tongtong insisted.

Zhaodi hurriedly accepted it, her sleeve slipping to reveal the shocking bruises inside.

Tongtong narrowed her eyes slightly.

“You stupid girl! What are you standing there for? Hurry up and follow!” Li Xue yelled.

Zhaodi, frightened, quickly stuffed the bun into her mouth, finished it in a few bites, and ran to catch up.

She couldn’t help but glance back at Tongtong.

The adorable, ice-and-snow-like little dumpling, plump and fair, had been well taken care of by Yu Wanqin lately.

She looked back enviously, sighed, and followed step by step behind her mother.

Tongtong didn’t dwell on the matter.

That evening, she went to chat with Old Ginkgo and gathered plenty of juicy gossip material.

She saved it to share with Grandma Wang the next day, continuing to win people over.

Finally, she channeled her special ability into Old Ginkgo.

Old Ginkgo rustled its leaves contentedly.

Only then did Tongtong remember to ask, “I’ve been feeling like someone’s been watching me these past couple of days. Who is it?”