“Excellent, this haul is a huge win! With this, I’ll never have to worry about food or drink for the rest of my life in this world!”
Just as Shen Xixi was envisioning her wonderful future, the System came out to pour cold water on her excitement.
“Master, according to the System’s rules, this money is all ill-gotten gains from the people, so you cannot spend it directly. It will be converted into System points and can only be exchanged for items. If you want to live a good life, you’ll have to work hard to earn money!”
“What? So this money is just scrap metal to me! Damn System! Why can other systems just take and spend freely, but when it comes to me, I’m just a porter!”
Shen Xixi cursed angrily in frustration.
Despite her anger, she could only quickly purchase some makeup items from the Space Panel. She applied them to her face, changing her skin tone, drawing some freckles, altering her eyebrow shape, and even putting on colored contact lenses.
At first glance, it might not seem much different, but compared to the original owner’s childhood appearance, it was quite a change, especially since she made her face look much thinner.
With her dark, skinny, and withered appearance, even her own mother wouldn’t recognize her.
“Second Uncle Shen, it’s not that we don’t want to help you, but it’s simply beyond our reach. The person above him has always been at odds with my husband. If we were to say a few words on your behalf, not only would you lose your position, but they might even target you. So… alas!”
She spoke with a look of helplessness.
“Madam Shen, if that’s not possible, could you lend me some silver? I could start a small business…” Shen Zhiqiu was unwilling to let this opportunity slip away. If it didn’t work out this time, he wouldn’t have the face to come again.
Getting some benefit was the real goal.
“Lending money is too formal! Mama Fang, this man once saved our master’s life with two pieces of flatbread. Go to the accounts office and fetch some money—we can’t let his family go hungry. Second Uncle, I have some matters to attend to in the inner courtyard, so I must excuse myself!”
“Yes, Madam!” Mama Fang lowered her eyes and agreed.
Chen Xue’s smile grew noticeably colder as she spoke and turned to leave.
When she saw Shen Xixi approaching, she merely glanced at her, her eyes filled with disdain. This skinny, scar-faced girl thought she could be sold to their family? She gave a cold glance and walked away.
Nanny Fang sighed, fully understanding her mistress’s intentions.
“Here are five taels of silver!”
“Wasn’t it supposed to be a hundred taels? Why only five?” Shen Zhiqiu looked utterly bewildered.
“Ah, Second Uncle, the favor of two pieces of flatbread was repaid many years ago, wasn’t it? Have you forgotten how you got your previous position? Now, giving you five taels is only because we see how far you’ve traveled to come here. It’s not easy for you!”
Nanny Fang smiled warmly, but her words were far from pleasant.
“So you’re treating me like a poor relative to be dismissed! That’s not what Madam said earlier!”
Shen Zhiqiu was furious. He had swallowed his pride to come here, only to receive a mere five taels.
“Ah, I’m just a servant. I do as my master says. If you come more often and work hard, five taels each time is still a gain for you. Now, hurry along. The Madam still sees you this time, but next time might be different.”
Nanny Fang was well-practiced in dismissing poor relatives. The Shen family had many relatives, and those closer in blood than Shen Zhiqiu were plenty. His family’s favor was only two pieces of flatbread, yet he had been bringing it up for years. It was truly shameless.
“Oh, Nanny Fang, I heard your family is looking for a 12-year-old girl. What do you think of my granddaughter here? Our family truly can’t make ends meet anymore. If she’s sold to your household, it would be her good fortune. I heard your family is offering fifty taels!”
Shen Zhiqiu wanted to get angry, but then he thought about the five taels of silver—in the village, that would be enough to feed a family for two years. If this job were lost, this money would be the last bit of savings they had left.
“Oh, Second Uncle, you’re a scholar! How could you stoop to selling your own granddaughter? Besides, the girl’s face is covered in scars. Forget fifty taels, no one would take her even for one tael. And we’re relatives—how can you even say such a thing? You’re trying to cheat people.”
Nanny Fang looked utterly exasperated. If a girl covered in scars like this were passed off as a corpse, that person would surely stir up a huge storm seeking revenge for his daughter. Once they started investigating, it wouldn’t hold up under scrutiny.
“Children’s skin is tender. She just fell a few days ago—it’ll heal in a few days. How about this, I won’t ask for that much, just twenty taels!” Shen Zhiqiu still refused to give up.
“This is great! I’ve struck it rich! I won’t have to worry about food or drink for the rest of my life in this world!”
Just as Shen Xixi was imagining her beautiful life, the System appeared to pour cold water on her.
“Master, according to the System rules, this money consists of the blood and sweat of the people. Therefore, Master cannot take it out to spend. It will be directly converted into System points and can only be used to exchange for items. If you want to live a beautiful life, you must work hard to earn money!”
“What? Then this money is just scrap metal to me! You damn System, why can other people’s systems collect and spend, but when it’s my turn, I’m just a porter!”
Shen Xixi cursed in a rage.
Despite her anger, she could only quickly buy some makeup items from the Space Panel. She smeared and rubbed things onto her face to change her skin tone, drew some freckles, altered her eyebrow shape, and even put on Colored Contact Lenses.
At a glance, she didn’t look that different, but compared to the original owner’s childhood appearance, she had changed a lot. In particular, she made her face look much thinner.
With her dark, thin, and shriveled appearance, even her own Mother wouldn’t be able to recognize her.
“Second Uncle Shen, it’s not that we won’t help you, but our reach is simply not long enough. The person above him has always been at odds with our master. If we were to say a few words, not only would you be unable to continue your duties, but I’m afraid they would even target you. So… sigh!”
Madam Shen spoke with a face full of helplessness.
“Madam Shen, if that won’t work, could you lend me some silver? I want to start a small business…” Shen Zhiqiou was unwilling to let this chance go. If he failed this time, he wouldn’t have the face to come back again.
Getting some actual benefits was the priority.
“Lending money sounds so distant. Mama Fang, this man saved our master’s life with two pancakes back then. Go to the accounts and get some money. We cannot let their family go hungry. Second Uncle, I still have some matters to attend to in the inner courtyard, so I will not be staying to accompany you!”
“Yes, Madam!” Mama Fang replied with lowered eyes.
The smile on Chen Xue’s face grew much colder. She started walking out as she spoke.
When she saw Shen Xixi approaching, she only gave her a glance, her eyes filled with disdain. Seeing this little girl who was as thin as a hemp stalk and whose face was covered in scars, and realizing they wanted to sell her to their household, she gave a cold look and walked away.
Nanny Fang sighed, naturally understanding her master’s intention.
“Here are five taels of silver!”
“Wasn’t it a hundred? Why is there only five?” Shen Zhiqiou’s face was full of shock.
“Alas, Second Uncle Master, the kindness of two pancakes was repaid many years ago, wasn’t it? Have you forgotten how you got that previous job? Giving you five taels now is only because we recognize it wasn’t easy for you to come all this way!”
Nanny Fang smiled warmly, but her words were unpleasant.
“This is treating me like a poor relative to be dismissed! That’s not what Madam said just now!”
Shen Zhiqiou was furious. He had sacrificed his dignity to come here, and the result was only five taels.
“Sigh, I am but a servant. I do whatever the master tells me. As long as you are diligent and come a few more times, five taels a visit is still a gain for you. Alright, you should leave now. Madam is willing to see you today, but she might not see you next time.”
Nanny Fang was well-versed in the business of dismissing poor relatives. The Shen Family had many relatives, many of whom were closer by blood than this Shen Zhiqiou. His family only had the favor of two pancakes, yet he had been harping on it for so many years; he was truly thick-skinned.
“Wait, Nanny Fang, I heard your household is looking for a twelve-year-old girl. Look at my granddaughter here. Our family really can’t make ends meet. It would be her blessing to be sold to your house. I heard your family is offering fifty taels!”
Shen Zhiqiou wanted to lose his temper, but then he thought about the five taels. In the village, that was enough for a family’s expenses for two years. If his job was truly gone, this money would be his final safety net.
“Oh, Second Uncle Master, you are a Xiucai. How can you do something like selling your own granddaughter? Besides, the little girl’s face is full of scars. Forget fifty taels, no one would want her even for one tael. And you call yourselves relatives; to even say such words, you’re trying to cheat people.”
Nanny Fang was speechless. If this girl with a face full of scars were used as the corpse, she feared that person would surely turn the world upside down to avenge his daughter. When the time came for an investigation, it wouldn’t hold up.
“A child’s skin is tender. She took a fall a few days ago, she’ll be fine after a few days of rest. How about this, I don’t need that much, twenty taels will do!” Shen Zhiqiou still refused to give up.