Chapter 6: 6. Chapter 6: It Is Hard to Guard Against Petty People

Chapter 6: Hard to Guard Against Villains

Bai Jing knew well that after the autumn harvest, her mother would go to dig for wild yams; those would be her family's food supply for the second half of the year.

Just thinking about it made her heart ache.

"Sigh, be careful. Don't let anyone see you. No one in the village knows about that place yet." Since it was behind their own mountain, villagers rarely wandered around other people's back hills.

It was precisely because of this that the place where Luo Chunhua discovered the wild yams had remained undiscovered.

"Mom, eat quickly. After you're done, go take a nap; you have to work this afternoon." Hearing her mother agree, Bai Jing felt relieved. "I'll take some meat to my younger sister and the others in a bit. I bet they're starving for it too."

Thinking of the several little mouths at home, she truly wanted them to have a taste of meat as soon as possible.

As soon as she mentioned going to the school, Luo Chunhua stopped eating. "No. Put all the meat in the cellar in a bit and cover it with a basket. Wait until they come back to eat it."

Bai Jing was very confused. Her mother wasn't a biased person; why would she be stingy with her siblings? "Why?"

"What kind of place is the school? This meat is from the mountains; it's collective property. If someone reports us, how will our family survive?"

While some people did bring game back from the mountains to eat, it depended on what kind of family they were.

In a family like theirs, if someone found out their daughter had picked wild chickens from the mountain without turning them in, her future mother-in-law would be the first to report them.

Hmph.

"People can report that?" Bai Jing really wasn't aware of this. "But we've seen Uncle Chang and others bringing wild rabbits home to eat before, and no one reported them." Bai Jing was quite indignant.

Perhaps years of living in a prosperous era had caused her to lose her vigilance regarding this period.

She had forgotten the fact that her family was not close to anyone in the village.

"We can't control others, but our family cannot let anyone know about bringing wild game home." Luo Chunhua didn't say much more, only insisting that her daughter not let outsiders see.

Seeing her daughter about to press further, Luo Chunhua glared at her. "Don't forget your future mother-in-law."

Bai Jing shuddered. She understood. The school didn't just have her siblings; it also had her uncle. Heh, she had truly been blinded by the system, thinking she was someone with a "golden finger" who could do whatever she pleased.

"Mom, I understand. I won't go to the school; I'll go to the back mountain instead."

Seeing that her daughter had understood, Luo Chunhua felt relieved. "Your father only recently returned to the mountain, so they won't be watching us for now. In a few days, you won't be able to cook the meat during the day anymore."

How disgusting her future mother-in-law was—honestly, even maggots in a cesspool were cuter than her.

It wasn't enough that her father-in-law, Chuan Duo, snatched his son's wages; he was also afraid her family would eat too well. He watched them constantly, and the moment he discovered even the slightest thing, he would force his son to take it away under the guise of filial piety.

She had protested, but unfortunately, no one helped her. The village chief maintained an attitude of "not my business"; as long as no one died, he wouldn't intervene.

The lives of her brothers-in-law weren't much better than hers. Although they were "liberated," the principle of filial piety was placed above all else in any era. No one could blame Old Man Bai; at most, they cursed him privately for being biased—forgetting his son as soon as he got a new daughter-in-law.

It wasn't that the family hadn't distributed grain before the autumn harvest. Even with her low work points, she should have received some cornmeal. But in the end?

She never saw the cornmeal; only some sweet potatoes were left for her. The reason given was that she had to "hand over filial piety grain."

She wanted to resist, but not only was her natal family far away, they were also a den of wolves. She had no one to turn to with her grievances.

For instance, her sister who had married into the same village was likely the person least likely to want her to do well. Expecting her to stand up for her was a dream.

She was better off with a stranger.

Bai Jing had originally wanted to ask why, but certain memories flashed in her mind, causing her to shut her mouth.

"Mom, I understand. I'll be careful from now on."

At worst, she would do it in the middle of the night. She didn't believe anyone would be watching their house in the dead of night.

Sigh, if she could, she truly wanted to take her mother and siblings away from this cold village.

This village was far too unkind to her family.

"Mhm."

She couldn't go to the school as planned, but she was still very willing to enter the mountains.

Thinking of the money in the system, she still wanted to stockpile more grain for the family; after all, there were five mouths waiting to be fed.

"Mom, leave it. I'll wash them. You go sleep for a bit." Seeing her mother about to wash the dishes after eating, Bai Jing immediately stopped her.

Luo Chunhua didn't argue with her daughter; she was indeed quite tired.

Because of the villains working against her, the tasks she was assigned were always the most strenuous ones with the most labor but the fewest work points. By the end of the day, she was more exhausted than an old ox.

"Mhm. Be careful in the mountains this afternoon. If they're too small, don't dig them up; wait a few more days for them to grow larger."

Knowing what her mother meant, wild yams generally ripened after the autumn harvest. While it wasn't too early to dig them now, letting them grow for a few more days would mean more food.

"Okay, if they're too small, I won't dig them."

Bai Jing put the meat and porridge back in the cellar, tidied herself up, and headed into the back mountain again. She didn't stop walking until the silhouette of her home was out of sight.

"System, where is there unclaimed grain?" Thinking of the five mouths at home, she became somewhat urgent.

As the old saying goes, "With grain in hand, the heart is at ease." To prepare for her future rise, she had to secure enough food.

She also had to earn money to treat her mother's illness.

She remembered vividly that her mother had passed away early due to poor health. Only with a mother is there a home; she didn't want to be without a home, and she didn't want to be without a mother.

【Ding! 50 yuan deducted. Map issued.】

The system deducted fifty yuan this time, which made Bai Jing feel a bit of a sting.

But after seeing the routes in her mind, that bit of pain dissipated.

One location wasn't far from her; it would take less than ten minutes to walk there.

Following the map, Bai Jing walked through the mountain forest.

However, when she arrived at the first location, she was completely stunned.

Because she saw a broom rat on the tree, the system was actually making her raid an animal's grain store. Could it be any more shameless?

"System, are you sure you're charging me fifty yuan for a place with no grain?" She felt she had been cheated. If she had known it was an animal's grain store, she wouldn't have needed to spend money.

In a few days, when the autumn harvest came, the village children would be doing this kind of work. Her family gathered quite a lot of grain every year; it was the only way they could get to eat grain.

【Ding! It is very worthwhile. If the Host does not require it, it can be returned. Does the Host wish to return it?】 The system was quite human-like, actually offering a return service.

However, seeing the dense network of routes in her mind, she felt she certainly wouldn't find as much as the system provided. She gave a sheepish smile. "No, no need. System, your service is actually quite good."

Bai Jing didn't dare to act out anymore; what if the system ran away? Sigh, she truly was a chosen person of misfortune.

Following the routes in her mind, Bai Jing brought back a full basket of grain.

There were wheat grains, corn, nuts, and even some peanuts and soybeans. Every time she raided a spot, Bai Jing felt a surge of excitement; after all, the amount was far greater than what they could find on their own.