Chapter 2

“If she won’t listen, just let her go hungry for a few meals. I don’t believe she won’t behave after that.” Liu Meili had three sons and one daughter. The eldest and second sons were both married, with their families living in the eastern and western rooms respectively. After hearing the commotion, they all leaned against their windows to watch the spectacle, but not one of them came out to say a word in Zhong Xixi’s defense. After all, the Zhong family hadn’t split up yet, and everyone still had to answer to Liu Meili. Who would willingly invite trouble? Besides, whether Liu Meili managed to get that jade bracelet or not, they wouldn’t get a single benefit from it. So why bother? They might as well sit back and enjoy the show. Meanwhile, in the southern room, Zhong Mumu stared at his sister, who had suddenly become so fierce, completely dumbfounded. Was this really his sister? The same sister who had always been timid and soft-hearted, who did nothing but cry whenever something happened? “Sis…” But he quickly stopped thinking about it. Instead, he carefully pulled a black steamed bun from inside his shirt. “Sis! I stole a steamed bun. Hurry, eat it! It’s not dirty!” Zhong Mumu was wearing a little undershirt whose original color could no longer be discerned. On his feet were a pair of oversized, worn-out adult shoes that dragged along the ground whenever he walked. His face was covered in ugly blue-black bruises, with a few scratches here and there, yet he was still smiling happily. “Here… Sis, your… your arm looks like it’s hurt. Hurry and eat. Once you eat, you’ll feel better, and it’ll stop bleeding!” Zhong Xixi looked at the little brother who had depended on her for everything. Then she glanced at the blood-red wound on her wrist, which had been hastily wrapped with a piece of cloth. Her eyes involuntarily reddened. What a poor child. He thought his sister was merely injured. He didn’t know that his real sister had already died last night. The person standing in front of him now was nothing more than a complete stranger. Sigh. In her previous life, she had never had much luck when it came to family or relationships. Now that she finally had a little brother in this life, she would definitely treat him well. Just as she was thinking this, Zhong Xixi suddenly felt another wave of dizziness. Oh, this body was seriously weak. This was an era of planned economics, when there were plenty of things that money alone couldn’t buy. You needed ration coupons, too. Rural families also had to hand over grain quotas to the state every year. Everyone was struggling to get by. The Bai family at least had enough food to keep from starving, but even they could only barely avoid hunger throughout the year. Eating anything truly good was out of the question. As for the siblings… Their situation was even worse. The original owner had already been malnourished. After losing so much blood, it was only natural that she felt dizzy. “Sis, I’ll sneak outside and get you a bowl of water. You can eat the bun with it.” Zhong Mumu spoke again. The little boy picked up a bowl and headed outside. Watching his tiny figure, Zhong Xixi couldn’t help thinking that this child really did have a good heart… But Zhong Xixi, who had never eaten something like this before… Was so hungry. She didn’t want to eat a hard black steamed bun and drink cold water. She wanted roast chicken! Zhong Xixi felt like crying inside and could only roll her eyes. Come to think of it, when she died from overwork, hadn’t she collapsed somewhere near the roast chicken section of the ready-to-eat food area? Ah, it smelled so good… She could almost smell roast chicken right now! With her eyes closed, Zhong Xixi began imagining it. Suddenly, her nose twitched. Hmm? She really could smell roast chicken! She immediately lowered her head. Good heavens! Wasn’t there actually a glistening roast chicken lying right in the palm of her hand? This… this, this… Could it be that she hadn’t merely transmigrated into another body? Had she also gained some kind of supernatural ability? Sure enough, the heavens had closed one door for her but opened a window! Just then, Zhong Mumu returned with the water. Zhong Xixi hurriedly hid the roast chicken behind her back. Zhong Mumu didn’t notice anything unusual. He walked over carrying the bowl and handed it to her. “Sis, here…” Zhong Xixi: “…” In the end, a hint of tenderness appeared in Zhong Xixi’s eyes. Sigh… Forget it. He was her little brother, connected to her by blood. Surely she could trust him to keep a secret? “Mumu, close the door and come over here.” Zhong Mumu obediently closed the door before returning. He leaned against the edge of the kang, looking up at her with his round, innocent eyes. Zhong Xixi didn’t want to lie to those innocent eyes, so she looked away. “Ahem… What I said just now about dreaming of Mom and Dad was true. They even sent us some food in the dream. Do you believe me?” Zhong Mumu nodded. “I believe you. I dream about Mom and Dad all the time, too. In my dreams, Mom even makes delicious food for me.” “Chicken legs… sponge cake… and candy…” He counted the foods he had never eaten before on his fingers. The more he thought about them, the more his mouth watered. After wiping away his drool, Zhong Mumu looked up. And immediately came face-to-face with a huge, plump roast chicken. It was still steaming hot… The chicken skin glistened with oil, looking tender and delicious. Zhong Mumu’s eyes widened. He first looked around the room, then patted his own cheek. “This isn’t a dream… Sis?” His eyes grew even wider. Zhong Xixi quickly tore off a chicken leg and stuffed it into his mouth. If only she had a bottle of Coke to go with it! The next second, Zhong Xixi discovered that there was actually a bottle of soda in her palm. Whatever she wished for really did appear! No, wait. Could this have something to do with that warehouse containing billions’ worth of goods from her business partner? The siblings hid inside the room and ate the entire roast chicken, washing it down with the Coke until not a drop remained. They carefully hid the empty bottles and bones. Zhong Xixi could feel strength returning to her body, though she still felt somewhat uncomfortable. She leaned against the kang and gradually drifted into a hazy state between sleep and wakefulness. In that half-dreaming state, she seemed to return to the warehouse containing billions’ worth of goods. Only now, she realized that the warehouse was divided into different sections. The roast chicken she had taken earlier came from the first food section. There were all kinds of prepared foods there, as well as everyday household necessities. The second section contained things that appeared to be more advanced, including medical equipment and various bottles of brightly colored medicines. The third section contained vehicles, along with numerous small, unidentified models that seemed to float in midair. There were still more sections beyond that, but they appeared to be shrouded in thick mist. She couldn’t see anything inside them. However, apart from the first section, all the other sections were locked. Beneath each one was a blurry electronic progress bar. It seemed that, for now, she could only take items from the first section. Everything else needed to be unlocked. But what were the conditions for unlocking them? And could she really take things from the warehouse without any restrictions? Zhong Xixi decided to experiment. She tried taking something else. A lollipop! It worked! She silently thought of another item. Nothing happened. Zhong Xixi thoughtfully put the lollipop into Zhong Mumu’s mouth. She had taken something from the warehouse three times today. On the fourth attempt, she could no longer retrieve anything. Furthermore, every time she took something out, she felt an intense sense of weakness, as though all the strength had been drained from her body. Could it be that taking things from the warehouse consumed physical energy? And with her current strength, she could only do it three times a day? If that was the case, then perhaps she needed to strengthen her body and improve her physical fitness. The stronger she became, the more times she would be able to retrieve things from the warehouse! “Sis, it’s so sweet!” Zhong Mumu wrapped his arms around the waist of the only family he had left. The happiness brought by the lollipop brought tears to his eyes, which rolled down his cheeks and left a dark streak across his dirty face. Zhong Xixi felt a little disgusted by his filthy appearance, yet at the same time, her heart felt warm. She reached out and gently ruffled his messy hair. “Mumu, things will get better for us from now on. But you absolutely must keep the secret about Mom and Dad sending us food in our dreams, understand?” “If Auntie and the others find out, they’ll definitely take everything away from us. Then we’ll have to go hungry again.” They might even kill the goose that laid the golden eggs. So Zhong Xixi had to make sure her little brother understood the importance of keeping this secret. Just as she finished speaking, a sudden commotion came from outside.