Mi Beibei collapsed onto the sofa as if every bit of strength had been drained from her body. Outside the window, dusk gradually deepened, making the room darker and darker, but she had no desire to get up and turn on the lights. Her stomach had long been protesting with loud growls, one after another. She was simply too exhausted—even moving a single finger felt like too much effort. She let the hunger spread through her body.
She had no idea how much time had passed before the growling in her stomach became even louder, like a little devil inside kicking and punching nonstop. Unable to endure it any longer, she slowly turned over. Her arms felt as heavy as lead, but she finally managed to reach the phone lying on the edge of the coffee table. Her fingers slowly swiped across the screen until she opened a food delivery app. She randomly chose a stir-fry fast-food restaurant with decent ratings, quickly placed an order, and tossed the phone aside without even checking the order status. She continued lying there limply, drifting between hunger and drowsiness while waiting.
Knock, knock, knock.
The sudden knocking startled Mi Beibei. She slowly pushed herself up. Her legs felt as soft as cotton as she weakly called out, “Coming,” while making her way to the door.
After opening it, she accepted the steaming hot takeout and thanked the delivery person repeatedly, her voice full of exhaustion. She walked to the dining table, clutching her stomach, which had already begun producing acid from hunger, and devoured the meal as though she hadn’t eaten in ages.
After finishing, the table was left in complete disarray, but she had no energy to clean it up. She barely managed to stand, dragging her heavy feet toward the bedroom.
At the bedroom door, Mi Beibei looked down at herself. White flour stains from carrying bags of rice and flour that morning still clung to her clothes, and the unpleasant smell of raw meat lingered on her body.
She sighed helplessly.
She had wanted nothing more than to collapse into bed, but she couldn’t stand how filthy she felt. So she dragged herself into the bathroom and turned on the hot water.
The warm water washed over her, easing some of her physical fatigue, though her mental exhaustion only seemed heavier. She casually dried her wet hair with a towel, not even bothering to use a hair dryer. Then she threw herself onto the bed and quickly fell into a deep sleep.
The next morning, gentle sunlight filtered through the gap in the curtains and fell softly across Mi Beibei’s face.
Still half-asleep, she rolled over, only to be greeted by sharp soreness throughout her arms and legs, as though every muscle in her body was protesting. She tried moving her limbs, but the pain instantly intensified, causing her to let out a soft groan.
Without enough strength to get out of bed, she closed her eyes again and drifted back to sleep.
When she finally woke up again, the sunlight had become bright and glaring. Her phone showed that it was already ten o’clock in the morning.
Mi Beibei struggled into a sitting position and rubbed her sleepy eyes, feeling groggy.
She dragged her aching body into the kitchen, opened the refrigerator, and searched through it for a while before taking out a vacuum-packed chicken drumstick and two eggs.
She placed them into a pot, added some water, turned on the stove, and began boiling them.
After a while, she figured the eggs were fully cooked and turned off the heat.
She carried the food to the dining table and eagerly began eating.
Although it was hardly a proper breakfast, it tasted exceptionally delicious to her at that moment.
After finishing, she stood up and stretched her arms. The soreness had eased slightly, though the dull ache still remained.
Mi Beibei picked up a broom from the corner and began cleaning the entire house.
After yesterday’s trading, the house looked as though it had been hit by a storm. Flour and dust were scattered everywhere, miscellaneous items lay all over the floor, and the faint smell of raw meat still lingered in the air.
She bent over and swept every corner little by little.
After sweeping, she soaked the mop in a bucket of water and vigorously mopped the floor. Every stroke made her sore arms ache. Once the floor was clean, she grabbed a rag and carefully wiped down every table and cabinet before thoroughly cleaning the kitchen as well.
By the time she finished everything, it was already noon.
Oddly enough, she didn’t feel hungry at all.
She was just about to lie down for another rest when she suddenly remembered the suitcase of gold bars and the package she had received yesterday.
While cleaning, she had already placed both items on the coffee table.
Now she sat on the sofa, gently placed the suitcase on her lap, and examined it carefully.
It was a small black leather suitcase with an elegant, refined appearance. Silver trim lined the edges, glimmering softly in the sunlight.
On the left side of the handle was a six-digit combination lock with neatly printed numbers. On the right side was something resembling a small camera, though she had no idea what it was for.
Taking a deep breath, Mi Beibei carefully entered the combination Liu Jingming had given her yesterday.
Click.
The lock opened.
She slowly lifted the lid.
Inside were neatly arranged gold bars, each about two fingers wide and marked with a weight of 50 grams.
Ten bars filled the top layer, with another ten underneath.
Twenty gold bars in total sparkled brilliantly inside the case, their dazzling golden light making her heart race.
Her hands trembled with excitement.
She carefully removed every gold bar and lined them up on the coffee table, inspecting each one individually.
The sunlight reflected brilliantly off their surfaces, forcing her to squint.
“I have gold bars too!”
She kept repeating the words, unable to suppress the joy spreading across her face.
Only after a long while did she reluctantly place each gold bar back into the suitcase one by one.
Next, Mi Beibei opened the package.
Inside were several blackened bracelets that appeared to be silver, their surfaces darkened from oxidation.
There were also seven jade pendants.
Two were white and had an unusual texture.
The other five had excellent clarity and transparency, looking crystal clear and obviously valuable.
In addition, there was a gold bracelet and several gold necklaces that gleamed brilliantly under the sunlight.
Mi Beibei placed the gold necklaces and the gold and silver bracelets aside, planning to sell them at a jewelry store when she had time.
As for the jade pendants, she carefully stored them away.
She carried them, along with the suitcase, into the bedroom and hid them in the deepest corner of her wardrobe.
Looking at the growing collection of jewelry inside the wardrobe, Mi Beibei suddenly remembered the jewelry box she had ordered online.
She took out her phone to check the delivery status and was pleasantly surprised to see that it had already arrived at the neighborhood pickup station.
Without bothering to rest, she quickly put on her shoes and excitedly rushed out the door.
At the pickup station, she collected the package and hurried back home, eagerly opening the box.
Inside was an elegant antique-style jewelry box.
Its wooden surface was beautifully carved with intricate patterns, giving it a refined and graceful appearance.
Mi Beibei took out all of her jewelry and carefully placed each piece into the jewelry box.
Every time she added another piece, she adjusted its position until everything was perfectly arranged.
When she finished, she hugged the jewelry box and happily spun around the room several times, a joyful smile covering her face.
Finally, she gently placed the jewelry box back into the wardrobe.
At that moment, all the exhaustion she had been feeling seemed to disappear, washed away by this unexpected wealth and happiness.
She felt full of energy once again.
She packed the gold and silver jewelry she intended to sell into a delicate little bag, grabbed her keys, and walked out the door with light, cheerful steps—a complete contrast to her earlier fatigue.
Mi Beibei first went to the noodle shop on the street corner.
“Boss, one bowl of banmian! Add tofu skin, meatballs, and an egg!” she called energetically.
Since it was already past mealtime, only the owner and his wife were working in the shop.
Before long, a steaming bowl of banmian was placed on the table.
The rich aroma immediately whetted her appetite.
She ate enthusiastically, finishing the entire large bowl in no time.
After eating, Mi Beibei rode her electric scooter to the same jewelry store she had visited before.
As soon as she entered, the staff warmly greeted her.
She took out the gold necklaces and the gold and silver bracelets, and the employees immediately began examining them.
Pricing the gold jewelry went smoothly.
However, the blackened silver bracelets took much longer.
The staff repeatedly tested them with professional equipment before finally determining their value.
When Mi Beibei received the bank notification confirming the deposit, a satisfied smile spread across her face.
She left the jewelry store and rode her scooter toward home.
On the way back, she turned into a lively vegetable market.
After eating out for the past couple of days, she suddenly found herself missing her own home-cooked meals.
The market was bustling with people, filled with vendors calling out to customers.
Mi Beibei wandered from stall to stall, carefully selecting fresh ingredients.
She bought potatoes, eggplants, cucumbers, tomatoes, cabbage, zucchini, and several heads of fresh lettuce and bok choy.