Chapter 7: The Seasoning

The village chief had barely taken a few steps when he saw She Yuqi rushing past him in a flurry, carrying an unconscious Xiaoxiao.

"Girl, stop right there! It’s not that I don’t want to give you that bicycle, but this weather is freezing. It’s easy enough to slip and fall just walking, let alone riding a bike while carrying a child. It’s far too dangerous!"

The village chief was panting heavily, his hat having fallen off during his pursuit. He picked it up and caught up to She Yuqi, stumbling slightly.

"I think you should go find that lad Jiang Bei. His family has an ox cart. If he takes you to the commune health clinic, you’ll be there in no time!"

"Speak of the devil and he shall appear—look, Jiang Bei is just pulling back a load of manure!"

The village chief slapped his thigh, feeling immensely relieved that his bicycle would be safe for another day.

She Yuqi frowned, feeling torn, but the village chief had already intercepted Jiang Bei for her.

Beaming, the village chief said to Jiang Bei, "Back with the manure? Perfect timing. Take these two girls to the commune health clinic."

As he spoke, he didn't forget to give She Yuqi a wink. "Make sure you don't let them go for nothing."

Before She Yuqi could speak, Jiang Bei looked up and fixed his gaze on her. She felt a twinge of awkwardness but gave him a friendly, sheepish grin.

"Get on."

After agreeing, Jiang Bei carefully laid out a thick quilt on the ox cart for She Yuqi and Xiaoxiao, worried they might be cold.

"Thanks!" She Yuqi’s impression of Jiang Bei improved even further. She hugged Xiaoxiao and climbed onto the cart.

Throughout the journey, She Yuqi didn't know how to strike up a conversation. Being alone with a man made her feel deeply uncomfortable.

"Thank you for helping me out of that tight spot earlier today."

After much hesitation, She Yuqi finally managed to squeeze out a sentence. Her gratitude toward Jiang Bei was sincere.

Jiang Bei didn't even look up as he replied coolly, "I would have helped anyone."

"Oh..."

She Yuqi tugged at her sleeve, feeling a bit awkward. Well, that killed the conversation; she didn't know how to respond to that!

...

Before long, they arrived at the entrance of the commune health clinic. Jiang Bei stopped the cart and prepared to go inside with her.

"No need, you can head back now. I feel bad for taking up so much of your time. I can take Xiaoxiao in by myself."

She Yuqi didn't want to cause any misunderstandings; after all, there were social boundaries between men and women, and it wouldn't look good to be too close.

She shoved a yuan into Jiang Bei's hand, returned the silver ring, and walked into the clinic with Xiaoxiao without looking back.

Jiang Bei frowned slightly, clutching the warm yuan and the silver ring in his hand. His eyes held a flicker of confusion, as if he were deep in thought.

"Doctor, does my sister need to be hospitalized?" She Yuqi asked anxiously. The doctor removed his mask and said softly, "Nothing serious. She’s just a bit malnourished. Make sure she eats regularly; the child is in her growing years."

"I understand. Thank you, doctor."

Xiaoxiao had already woken up. She Yuqi took her to the pharmacy to get the medicine and finally let out a sigh of relief. At the same time, she began considering returning to her "space" to exchange items for money. Otherwise, a small, frail child like Xiaoxiao wouldn't be able to hold up.

Coming out of the clinic, She Yuqi was surprised to see that Jiang Bei hadn't left. He was leaning against a utility pole, arms crossed, eyes closed, seemingly waiting for them.

The midday sun caught his sharp, well-defined profile, bathing him in a golden glow and making him look strikingly radiant.

Sensing a gaze, Jiang Bei opened his eyes and looked over.

When their eyes met, She Yuqi shifted her gaze away, feeling ill at ease. Jiang Bei remained as cold and reticent as ever. On the way back to Xiaogou Village, neither of them spoke.

"Just drop me off at the village entrance."

Jiang Bei stopped the cart at the entrance without a word. She Yuqi’s mouth twitched. Well, he was certainly a straight-laced guy.

She climbed off with Xiaoxiao and offered a polite, courteous smile. "Thanks for the lift. Goodbye."

When she smiled, the two dimples on her cheeks became very prominent. Her expression was perfectly sincere, devoid of any ulterior motives.

Jiang Bei had already walked away without looking back. They weren't close enough for every word of hers to elicit a response from him. She Yuqi didn't mind; she took Xiaoxiao’s small hand and walked slowly toward home.

"Stop right there!"

As soon as she opened the courtyard gate, a familiar, grating voice rang out. Xiaoxiao shrank back, hiding behind She Yuqi like a startled rabbit.

When She Yuqi saw who it was, she frowned so hard she could have crushed a fly. "What are you doing here?"

The "Shrew" Wang hadn't even finished putting on her shoes properly. She rushed out of her yard wrapped in a floral cotton-padded jacket. She held a crucian carp, walking over with an air of defiance. She Yuqi instinctively shielded Xiaoxiao, bracing for a fight, but the woman’s next action left her completely stunned.

"I caught this fish. We couldn't finish it, so here."

The woman shoved the still-struggling fish into She Yuqi’s hands with an expressionless face and walked away without looking back.

She Yuqi: "???"

"Big sister, is this fish poisonous?" Xiaoxiao asked, her blunt honesty showing.

She Yuqi quickly covered her mouth, smiling helplessly. Children truly had no filter!

"Let's go inside. We're having stewed fish tonight."

Xiaoxiao’s mouth curled up in delight. They’d had wild pheasant yesterday, and today there was fish—life was getting better and better!

Once inside, as She Yuqi was gutting the fish, she discovered a red stone hidden inside its belly. She picked it up, rinsed it in clean water, and inspected it closely in her palm.

"A gemstone!"

Seeing that it was a gem the size of a pigeon egg, She Yuqi was stunned. As someone who knew luxury goods, she knew this was a high-quality piece.

There was only one way to verify if she was right. She ran to an empty room, focused her mental energy into the bracelet space, and "whooshed" into the second-floor supermarket.

Exchange in the supermarket mall!

A single gemstone was enough to unlock all the eggs, and even if she emptied the stock, it would automatically replenish! She Yuqi was so happy she jumped on the spot.

However, she didn't dare take certain items out. After all, modern goods would be far too conspicuous in this era; she might even get dragged off for investigation, which would be a huge loss!

She Yuqi decided to take some eggs to the black market to sell.

After wandering around the supermarket, besides the eggs she had just unlocked, the only things she could currently afford to exchange were a pile of miscellaneous seasonings: chicken bouillon, oyster sauce, white sugar—all the things she used to use at home. They were perfectly stocked, and there was even a bottle of Lao Gan Ma chili sauce, which the system had gifted her as a "newcomer package"!

Exchanged for a pound of hazel mushrooms!

The seasoning section was now fully unlocked, which would make her future cooking much more flavorful. A transparent panel appeared out of thin air before her. It showed that if she checked in for sixty-six days, the entire department store would be unlocked.

She Yuqi was thoughtful, and at the same time, filled with anticipation!

As her consciousness returned from the space, a large pile of seasonings—things that didn't exist in this era—and, most importantly, a stash of eggs, appeared on the heated brick bed.