Truly worthy of being nominal father and daughter.
Even though the two had little contact, Song Changjiang still accurately guessed Ruan Zheng's intentions.
As they discussed their strategy, Ruan Zheng started eating again.
Aunt Wu's meals were still bland. Ruan Zheng considered cooking something special for herself—the System Inventory had no shortage of delicious food, and there was really no need to force herself to eat such plain fare.
But thinking about her fragile stomach, she gave up the idea.
Better to take it easy for a few days first, lest she make herself vomit again…
While eating, the System came to ask why she had taken a liking to railway work.
Ruan Zheng replied telepathically.
【These days, you need an introduction letter to go anywhere. But as a train attendant, you can travel north and south with just a work permit. It’ll make things easier for me in the future.】
The System suddenly understood.
The host traveling far and wide could also work as a Middleman Trader.
Bringing back local specialties from different regions to sell to locals was indeed a very convenient job.
But there was still a bug.
【What if they don’t let you be an attendant and give you an office job instead?】It had checked the rules of this world: attendants could perform tasks and reach destination cities without an introduction letter, but other positions still required one.
Ruan Zheng shook her head.
【System, don’t be more confident than I am. With this body of mine, which on the surface hasn’t even spent a day in school, who would dare assign me an office job?】
【That’s true…】The System was about to leave, but Ruan Zheng suddenly thought of something else and pulled it back.
【I haven’t had a chance to ask you—was I recalled early because of Wang Jinhua?】
【Yes, Wang Jinhua threatened the host’s life, so you were recalled early.】
【What about my original body? I remember it came along with me into this world.】
【Your original body merged with the soul of Ruan Zheng from this world and has already been reincarnated.】
【……?】
She didn’t know what to say, but the System’s after-sales service was surprisingly good—it even handled reincarnation.
But isn’t this a fictional world?
Can paper-thin souls also be reincarnated?
Ruan Zheng had some doubts but decided to ask a more practical question instead.
【The time for my Resurrection Armor hasn’t run out yet. Can I save it and use it when I want to return to the modern era?】
【No, it’s a one-time item. Once it expires, it’s gone.】
【But I didn’t use it up. You recalled me early—it’s your fault. You have to compensate me.】
【If I hadn’t recalled you early, you would have died. I was saving your life!】
【I don’t care if I die. It’s none of your business.】
The System, which had hidden itself after being called ugly by Ruan Zheng, jumped out again.
This time, it had changed its skin. No longer an ugly potato, it had become an irritable cucumber.
Ruan Zheng almost burst out laughing.
If this was the aesthetic of their System, it was truly abstract.
The abstract little cucumber couldn’t understand at all and let out a soulful cry: 【You no longer have a body in the modern era. Even if I gave you another Resurrection Armor, you couldn’t go back. What would you want it for?】
【To play around with~】
【You’re messing with me!】
【How is that messing with you?】
Ruan Zheng felt her System might not be very smart, so she made her demand outright: 【A smart System would already be digging through its inventory to compensate the host. A not-so-smart System is still arguing with the host…】
【What if I don’t give it?】
【Nothing much, just slacking off a bit, lying flat a bit, and then working hard to enjoy my wonderful life in the sixties.】
The System felt the tone of these words was somewhat familiar.
Its data spun around in a loop, recalling what it had said when it first bound with Ruan Zheng.
The boomerang hit right between the eyes, and the System felt a bit uneasy.
Still, it tried its best to persuade, 【You have supplies with you. Can your conscience bear not helping the suffering people of this era?】
【I have no conscience. As for you, you dragged me here and assigned me an identity where everyone has turned against me. Do you have a conscience?】
【I don’t. We systems only have motherboards.】 The System replied truthfully, and after that, both fell silent.
On Ruan Zheng’s side, after finishing her meal, she started chatting with Aunt Wu and ignored the System.
The System reflected for a while and realized that since the host had already chosen to work as an attendant, she probably didn’t intend to abandon her duties.
Perhaps her insistence on the Resurrection Armor was just an attempt to extort something from it.
Just like how she extorted things from her parents. But as a newly graduated system, it had no Points to exchange for good items.
The Resurrection Armor was the most valuable treasure in its new system starter pack…
Wait, it still had the starter pack.
The System quickly opened the control panel for the starter pack.
The icon for the Resurrection Armor had already dimmed, indicating it had been used.
There was a beauty card, valid for two days.
Using the beauty card could increase the chance of a character falling in love with the host at first sight.
The System glanced at Ruan Zheng’s dark little face. If it gave her the beauty card, she’d probably think it was mocking her.
After all, it only lasted two days. Once it expired and she reverted to her original appearance, even if she managed to encounter a man and successfully made him fall in love with her at first sight, he likely wouldn’t recognize her after she reverted.
Using it would be worse than not using it.
There was also a One-Shot Success Pill, typically used in palace intrigue scenarios to conceive heirs. The host didn’t even have a partner yet, so it was useless.
Aside from these, there was nothing else.
After some thought, the System still presented these two options to Ruan Zheng.
It wasn’t that it wasn’t giving them to her—if she didn’t want them, that wasn’t its problem.
After seeing Aunt Wu off, Ruan Zheng looked at the two new items in her mind and decisively took them.
【System: …】
Why was this different from what its data suggested?
Shouldn’t the host disdain things she couldn’t use?
What a joke.
Why would she disdain free stuff?
Even a pound of cardboard could sell for a few cents, let alone items produced by the System. The System still didn’t understand her well enough.
But the System didn’t ask, and Ruan Zheng didn’t explain.
The two fell silent again.
The next day at noon.
Zheng Jianguo visited the hospital room again.
He held the divorce certificate in his hand but didn’t immediately hand it to Ruan Zheng. Instead, he asked, “I agree to all your conditions, but how can you guarantee you’ll fulfill the conditions you promised me?”
Ruan Zheng knew that someone from the older generation who had been on the battlefield wouldn’t compromise so easily, so she had prepared in advance.
In front of Zheng Jianguo, she placed a cassette tape into an old-fashioned portable cassette recorder and pressed play.
Soon, Ruan Zheng’s voice came from the recording.
“I, Ruan Zheng, hereby declare that all information regarding Zheng Wanyin’s identity is fabricated and untrue. I urge everyone not to believe or spread rumors, and to work together to build a beautiful new era.”
Zheng Jianguo: …
Where did she get the recorder?
Of course, she bought it at the duty-free small commodities market.
Ruan Zheng felt a hint of pride but didn’t show it, simply saying, “Now you can rest assured. Once Zheng Wanyin’s identity is exposed, you can pin it all on me. Whether it’s deliberate revenge or jealous madness, just heap the blame on me. With the evidence on the tape, no one will question Zheng Wanyin again.” Zheng Jianguo was convinced and handed the divorce certificate and cash to Ruan Zheng.
Ruan Zheng asked the System to help scan and confirm that both the divorce certificate and the money were genuine before taking out the tape and handing it to Zheng Jianguo.
With the transaction completed, Zheng Jianguo left.
The System couldn’t help but ask Ruan Zheng, Aren’t you afraid he’ll use the tape to control you instead?
Ruan Zheng, counting the money, licked his finger and said, “Unless he really wants Zheng Wanyin to become the talk of the town. Besides, how could I hand over leverage to an enemy? Hey, System, you guys don’t have tape recorders over there, do you?”
No.
“Search for what a tape recorder can do.”
After running through the data and connecting it with Ruan Zheng’s words, the System grew excited.
(╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻
The host is so clever!