Chapter 8: 8. Chapter 8: Treasure Hunting

Chapter 8: Treasure Hunting

Lying in bed, Bai Jing pondered her plans for tomorrow.

"Mother, can I skip work tomorrow?" Now that she had the system, she wanted to figure out its functions as quickly as possible to help plan her future.

There was some money in the system, enough to at least improve the family's living conditions; she had to ensure her mother's health improved.

"Why?" Her eldest daughter had always been sensible and never shirked her chores. It was rare to hear her say she didn't want to work. "Watching the fields isn't heavy labor, and you don't have to stay there constantly. It's worth three work points." However, she was somewhat reluctant to lose those points.

"Mother, I want to head into the mountains tomorrow. I brought back twenty or thirty catties of grain this afternoon, and I want to keep looking. That way, our family won't have to worry about starving."

With the system in hand, she didn't want to waste all her time in the village. If given the chance, she wanted to take her mother and younger siblings away from this heartless village.

This place was truly driving her family to the brink of madness.

Luo Chunhua naturally did not want to force her daughter. "Alright, I'll ask the team leader for leave for you tomorrow. If you don't want to go, don't go. But I heard the paper mill in town is recruiting again in half a month. Do you want to give it a try?"

She hadn't sought this information out; she had heard it from the village accountant's wife while working.

"Recruiting?" Why didn't she remember anything about this? "Mother, who did you hear that from?" Their village was Baijia Village under the Fumin Commune, and above the commune was a town, and above the town was another town.

To get to the town, one had to take a bus from the commune, which took at least an hour. Her mother wouldn't be able to gather news from such a distance.

"I heard it from the accountant's wife. They say her son got hold of some internal documents and is certain to pass the recruitment exam this time." Luo Chunhua felt envious; perhaps only people like that could pass.

After a moment of deep thought, Bai Jing asked, "Mother, do you want me to take the recruitment exam?" If her mother wanted her to go, she would.

She wasn't afraid of exams. At worst, she would just spend the next few days reviewing her books at home. With her years of experience, liberal arts exams would be no problem.

"If you can go, of course I want you to. But our family has no money. A round trip by bus to the town costs sixty cents, and you'll need food stamps to eat. We have neither."

Thinking of this, Luo Chunhua's hopes faded.

"Forget it. We'll wait until the commune recruits people next time. Go to sleep. If you don't want to work tomorrow, then don't. It's better to rest at home for a few days. Just don't go deep into the mountains."

With that, Luo Chunhua turned her back and went to sleep.

Having her thoughts stirred by her mother, Bai Jing found herself unable to sleep.

*Do I want to take the exam?*

Of course she did.

If she actually passed, she wanted to give the job to her mother so they could leave the village. Her mother's health was too poor to endure such heavy farm work.

As for her father, he was not currently within her considerations. At least until her grandfather passed away, she would not concern herself with him.

It was true she craved paternal love, but she would not let her mother suffer.

As long as her mother left the village, she could step-by-step bring her siblings into the town. With the system, she knew she could do it; she had that much confidence.

Bai Jing thought for a very long time before finally falling asleep.

When she woke up the next morning, the house was empty again.

Seeing the breakfast kept warm for her in the pot, Bai Jing felt a warmth in her heart. Her younger siblings were still very sensible and caring toward their older sister.

After breakfast, Bai Jing wasted no time. She spent fifty yuan to activate the "Unclaimed Grain Collection" feature.

Since she didn't have a watch and didn't know the time, she had to ask the system. Fortunately, the system wasn't too unscrupulous, though it did charge a fee to tell her the time. Thus, around ten o'clock, she spent another twenty yuan to purchase the location of a wild chicken. Then, carrying the grain and the chicken, she headed down the mountain and back home.

The mountain behind her house was quite large; at least in her memory, she hadn't explored the whole thing.

As soon as she arrived home, she cleaned the wild chicken. Everyone in the family lacked nutrition, so to nourish them, she stewed the chicken.

Because she had grain, she didn't deprive herself either. She made a pot of bean rice containing all sorts of beans—soybeans, red beans, mung beans—mixed with the rice she had milled. It was quite fragrant.

When Luo Chunhua returned, she smelled that familiar fragrance from yesterday. She thought to herself, *Did Jing'er catch another wild chicken?*

Her pace quickened as she entered the kitchen.

Seeing the bowl of chicken soup on the small table, she knew Jing'er had caught another one.

"How did you catch this chicken today?" She asked out of curiosity, not with any ill intent.

"Mother, you're back! Come wash up and eat. I set a trap for this chicken today. I just wanted to try it out, but I didn't expect to see a wild chicken caught in the trap when I was out gathering grain. There were two of them, actually."

Bai Jing pointed to another wild chicken that hadn't been put in the pot yet, smiling at her mother as if asking for praise.

Luo Chunhua looked at it, feeling very happy. "Keep an eye on things while you cook. I sent your Fourth Uncle to watch the fields on the back mountain today."

There was a path right next to their house leading to the mountain fields; if someone smelled it, they might not let the meat stay safe.

"Don't worry, Mother. I've been keeping it covered. I only took it out because I saw you were coming back. There's still one more; the two of us will finish it at noon."

Bai Jing understood her mother's concerns.

She wouldn't do anything so foolish. However, she felt that hiding like this wasn't a permanent solution; if given the chance, it would be better to leave the village.

Luo Chunhua washed her hands and brushed the dirt off her clothes. "Made hard food again? Did you pick up a lot this morning?" Lifting the pot lid and seeing the bean rice, Luo Chunhua's face lit up with surprise.

Bai Jing didn't want to hide it from her mother. "Yes, quite a lot. When my younger sisters are on holiday, I'll take them with me. Our family can eat our fill this month."

The memory of her third sister asking what "eating one's fill" tasted like still made her feel bitter.

In the past, Luo Chunhua certainly wouldn't have agreed, as a child could still earn two or three work points a day, but Jing'er's harvest was clearly much greater. She knew how to prioritize.

"Your sisters' school will be on holiday in two days. You can take them with you then."

With her mother's blessing, Bai Jing felt even more confident about hoarding grain.

In the afternoon, Bai Jing did not go into the mountains again. She had spent a lot of money today and needed to earn some back; she couldn't improve their lives just by relying on her meager savings.

After learning that the system could help her detect items within a one-meter range that could be "recharged," she had this idea.

It just so happened that the area was far from the village, so no one would suspect her if she went there. Even if someone saw her, they wouldn't think much of it; everyone knew how wealthy the old landlord had been, and who wouldn't want to look for treasures?

She would merely be seen as a madwoman trying to strike it rich. The old landlord's house had already been picked clean; if there were truly anything left, it wouldn't be for her.

Action was better than hesitation. After tidying up, Bai Jing put on her basket and headed out.

She didn't take the main path used by the production team but instead took a detour through the mountain channels.

When she arrived, there wasn't a soul in sight—not even a ghost. However, the house had been ravaged; it was dilapidated and drafty, looking truly desolate.

Not daring to waste time, she walked toward the main house.