In the southern part of the city, at the entrance of the scrap yard, an old man sat under a large tree, fanning himself with a bamboo fan.
“Grandpa, I’d like to come in and collect some old newspapers to start a fire. Is that alright?”
Shen Ran said it just like a heroine from those 1970s-era novels.
The old man nodded without hesitation:
“Go ahead, but don’t take things at random. We’ll weigh them when you leave, then pay accordingly.”
Shen Ran’s eyes lit up—she hadn’t expected such a quick approval.
In most novels, the heroine had to bribe someone or perform some elaborate ritual just to get permission.
And when entering, it was usually treated with utmost seriousness, as if stepping into a secret base.
But those stories were mostly set in the early ’60s or early ’70s.
By 1977, many policies had relaxed. People who had been wrongfully displaced were returning to the cities, and the atmosphere was much less tense.
After greeting the old man, Shen Ran stepped into the scrap yard.
It was quite large, divided into four sections:
Shen Ran went straight to the books and papers section.
She rifled through piles of old books, but couldn’t find the Self-Study Series for Math, Physics, and Chemistry she wanted.
Instead, she found a treasure trove of other books:
Foreign classics, traditional Chinese veterinary and medical texts, magazines, novels, comic books, and more.
Shen Ran stored all usable items in her space.
She knew this might seem a little unethical.
But these books were destined for burning if left there—better she kept them.
Morality, she thought, was for showing others, not for binding oneself.
As long as she didn’t harm anyone, her conscience remained clear.
Not finding what she wanted in the books section, she considered the other areas—probably even less promising.
Just as she hesitated, a flash of movement caught her eye.
A tiny black mouse zipped by like lightning.
“Wait, little one!”
Shen Ran activated the Beast Heart within her, sending her thoughts to the mouse:
“Go find all your relatives and friends. I need you for a task!”
The mouse blinked its tiny round eyes, nodded, and scurried off.
Ten minutes later, Shen Ran found herself facing a swarm of forty or fifty mice.
If little White had been here, it would’ve gone crazy with excitement.
But thinking of it gnawing on bloody rodents made her stomach churn—too disgusting.
She decided to keep that part secret. Little White had plenty of food, fun, and comfort in her space anyway—it probably wouldn’t care about mouse meat.
What mattered now was getting these little helpers to work.
“Form four teams. Search the four sections and find whatever you can for me!”
Finally coming to a scrap yard, she intended to make the most of it.
Some treasures had already been picked through by others, but there were always hidden gems.
At her command, the mice split into four teams and scattered to search.
Though they weren’t intelligent, the Beast Heart allowed Shen Ran to control them, making them obedient—far more useful than most intelligent animals.
Soon, a pulse of thoughts reached her mind.
One mouse had found something valuable!
She rushed over and saw a tiny mouse gnawing at an old, ruined shoe.
The stench was overwhelming, nearly making her gag.
“Ugh! Are you sure this is something good?”
The mouse stopped chewing and started tapping the sole. Shen Ran understood, and pried it open with a knife.
Inside lay an ancient mutton-fat jade pendant with a dragon motif.
In the sunlight, the jade glowed warmly, delicate as fine cream. A five-clawed dragon curled majestically, its whiskers flowing—an exquisite craftsmanship.
Shen Ran had experience from working in modern-day auction houses.
A pendant like this would fetch 3–5 million RMB at auction.
She couldn’t believe she had stumbled on such a windfall on her first scrap yard run!
Her eyes sparkled as she stored the pendant in her space.
She handed the mouse a small cream cake as a reward.
“Here’s your treat—go enjoy it!”
The mouse clutched the cake, scurrying off to eat in peace.
The other mice watched enviously and worked even harder.
Soon, another mouse found something spinning inside a broken ceramic chamber pot.
Shen Ran hesitated—another smelly mess.
Still, she lifted the pot and tapped it, focusing on the handle.
Breaking it open revealed a set of gold jewelry—a necklace, earrings, and rings.
In modern times, this would be worth tens of thousands of RMB.
She planned to clean and disinfect the antiques later.
For this find, she rewarded the mouse with a big, crisp apple—enough to make the others envious and motivated.
The mice scampered around energetically, turning the scrap yard upside down.
Half an hour later, Shen Ran collected a treasure trove:
In modern times, these would be priceless, totaling well over ten million RMB.
Shen Ran was ecstatic.
She handed out more snacks to the mice and gazed at the mountains of treasures in her empty space villa.
Even in her previous life, except for winning ten million in the lottery, she had never collected so many valuables at once.
Now, even doing nothing, she could live as a happy, rich couch potato—a thought that made her giddy.
Hehe o(￣▽￣)o!