Chapter 3: Space Plays a Big Role

The space of only a few square meters was empty and gray, containing nothing but a dried-up spring in the center.

"This is the space? What use could this empty place possibly have?" Tong An'nian looked around, unable to help but frown.

She had always been quick to adapt and had read plenty of novels; in other people's stories, their spaces at least had some kind of divine spring or the like. Why was hers completely empty?

"Master, the space is very useful. You can plant any vegetation you are interested in within the spiritual fields, or you can plant medicinal herbs. Once your experience points reach the required level, the space can be upgraded.

That spring is a spiritual spring. As the space upgrades, the spiritual spring will be activated, and spiritual spring water will gush out, which is beneficial to the Master's body.

Most importantly, please collect merit. With merit, the Master can exchange for whatever is needed within the system."

The system said a few more words, giving Tong An'nian a rough understanding of the space system's functions, before sending her back out.

To upgrade the space system, she would likely need to plant many good things. That wasn't a problem; she was currently in a mountain village, and the mountains were full of treasures.

Once her body recovered a bit more, she could head up the mountain to take a look.

But as for this "merit," how was she supposed to get it? Was it asking her to do good deeds every day? She didn't consider herself a saint.

"Nianbao, your brothers found a few bird eggs, and your Fourth Aunt steamed some egg custard for you. Grandma will feed you." Old Mrs. Tong held Tong An'nian and sat her up against the pillows.

She sat on the edge of the bed, picked up the bowl, and spooned the egg custard into Tong An'nian's mouth one spoonful at a time.

Tong An'nian sat there obediently, eating half a bowl of the custard.

It wasn't that she didn't feel bad for her family, but her current body was simply too weak; she needed to build it back up as quickly as possible.

"Delicious." After finishing half the bowl, Tong An'nian felt a warmth spreading through her body, making her feel much more comfortable than before.

"If it's delicious, eat more. Tomorrow, I'll have your brothers go find more bird eggs for you." Looking at the frail Tong An'nian, Old Mrs. Tong's tears fell instantly.

This was the first time Tong An'nian had eaten this much!

"Grandma... don't cry..." Tong An'nian's eyes reddened, and she reached out her thin, bony hand to wipe away Old Mrs. Tong's tears.

"Alright, Grandma won't cry. My little darling shouldn't cry either. You just woke up, so you need to rest well. Take a nap, and perhaps you'll be better tomorrow."

After helping Tong An'nian lie down and giving her a few instructions, Old Mrs. Tong left the room.

Over the next few days, Tong An'nian didn't think about anything else, quietly focusing on recovering her health at home. Her energy improved day by day, and her speech became more fluent than before.

"Sigh, it's been a drought for a year now. I'm afraid there won't be enough grain this year," Old Master Tong sat by the doorway, muttering with a gloomy expression.

"Indeed, the water in the river has dropped by more than half," Tong Zhengye replied to Old Master Tong.

"Yes, who knows what's going on? It hasn't rained for a year. More and more people are out digging for wild vegetables, and the soil is already showing at the edge of the mountain. In a couple of days, there might not be any wild vegetables left to dig."

Old Mrs. Tong was also very worried. Because it hadn't rained all year, they had to carry water from the river to irrigate the crops. Not only was the road long, but the moisture wasn't enough, and the crops weren't growing well.

To make ends meet, everyone went out to dig for wild vegetables, and there was nothing left to dig near the foot of the mountain.

But there were wild beasts deep in the mountains. They were just farmers; no one dared to venture deep inside easily.

"Grandma, how about I take my younger brothers down to the river to see if we can catch some fish? Little sister needs to build up her strength now," Tong Anqi hesitated for a moment before walking up to Old Mrs. Tong.

"The water in the river is low now, and there are many people fishing there. I'm afraid there are no fish left in the river," Old Mrs. Tong shook her head directly, not wanting Tong Anqi and the others to waste their energy in vain.

(End of chapter)