The morning light shone through the roof of the morning market, dancing on the banknotes in her hand and reflecting off the seafood at the stall; even the air was filled with a salty, fresh scent.
Jiang Tang felt the scent of hope.
The days ahead would get better.
Jiang Tang’s seafood was almost sold out before eight o'clock.
She had originally intended to keep the wild gooseneck barnacles for herself, but since someone wanted them, she would sell them.
There were still some sea snails left, so she packed them into a bag and pushed them into Zhou Chong'an's hands.
Zhou Chong'an quickly waved his hands: "You already gave me some this morning. I cannot accept these; you should take them back to eat yourself, or someone else might buy them if you keep displaying them."
"Brother Zhou, please just take them," Jiang Tang said with a smile, trying to persuade him. "My home is on the other side of the mountain, so it’s a hassle to bring them back, and these scraps aren't worth selling anymore. It would be a waste to throw them away."
By lending her a spot, a scale, and a QR code, and even helping her exchange cash, Zhou Chong'an could be considered her benefactor.
Zhou Chong'an could not refuse her, so he had to accept.
Jiang Tang packed up her stall, found a quiet alley, and seeing that there were no cameras around, she put everything into her Space.
After calculating the accounts, she had sold a total of 2,689 yuan today. After spending nine yuan on breakfast, she had 2,680 yuan left.
Holding this money, she felt much more at ease; at the very least, she would not have to go hungry anymore.
If she could have this income every day, wouldn't she soon become a rich woman?
Just as she was happily daydreaming, a transparent little sprite suddenly floated in front of her, wrapped in a hooded robe, revealing a delicate, almost translucent little face.
It was truly cute, but the way it floated in the air made Jiang Tang inexplicably think of a "ghost," and she felt a chill.
A tender voice rang out: "Hi, hello Master! I am your Space channel sprite. Are you willing to spend 2,500 yuan to activate the Space channel?"
Jiang Tang was dumbfounded and glanced around.
Passersby were hurrying along, clearly unable to see this little sprite; it seemed only she could see it.
"Master, are you willing to spend 2,500 yuan to activate the Space channel?" the little sprite asked again.
"Isn't the Space channel already open?" Jiang Tang asked in a low voice, as she had already traveled through it twice.
"Master, that was just a twelve-hour trial opportunity, and you only had four round trips; you have already used three."
"Meow your nest, I thought I picked up a treasure, but it turns out to be a gold-swallowing beast!"
She knew it; how could someone else's ring be so easy to wear?
When a woman wears a ring given by a man, it’s either housework or nursing a child.
She took the crab ring, and it not only wanted money but also her life.
She had endured the pain to work all morning, her back was almost unable to straighten, and she had finally earned some money for food, but before it was even warm, she was being targeted.
"2,500 yuan is too much. If I give it to you, what will I use to buy food? Can we negotiate the price? A little less."
"You don't want 1,980, you don't want 1,880, and you don't even want 980; you only want 180 from me." Jiang Tang rattled off a rap.
"Master, that won't work! 2,500 yuan, no bargaining." The little sprite's voice was without waves. "However, you can pay by the month: 298 per month, 1,280 for half a year, 1,880 for a year, or 2,500 for permanent access. Think about it, opening the channel only benefits you; you can earn back the cost in a single day!"
The little sprite was as deceptive as it could be; it urgently needed to consume money to replenish its Energy, otherwise, it would fall into slumber.
The Treasure Ring would also become completely dim, and there might never be another chance for it to wake up.
"Burn my brain, why does this feel like charging for a TV membership?"
Jiang Tang thought about how many memberships she had bought in her past life just to watch shows.
"NO that honey, Master, this is exactly like charging for a membership! A permanent membership is a bargain once you pay for it."
"Why do I feel like you're scolding me?"
"Not at all, this sprite never scolds people, I am just matching your catchphrases. Oh, by the way, you just said 'meow your nest,' so this sprite will return it with 'poke your heart.'"
Jiang Tang...
And it says it's not scolding her? It was clearly just retorting to her.
"Master, have you decided which one to activate? If you haven't decided yet, this sprite must end the trial time early."
"Didn't you say twelve hours? Why end it early?"
Jiang Tang was furious; could this sprite go back on its word?
She hadn't bought anything yet, and if this money went back to the other side, it would be useless.
"Because I don't have the Energy to support your twelve-hour trial time. If you don't activate it, I will fall into slumber, and you won't be able to return to that world either."
Gritting her teeth, she squeezed out a few bold words: "I'll activate the permanent membership!"
So annoying! The money was gone before it was even warm.
"Thank you for your support, Master! Please transfer the money into the Space, and I will process it for you immediately. After activation, you can use the Space channel until the end of your life; after you die, the channel will regain its freedom..."
The little sprite chattered on, but Jiang Tang couldn't listen to a word of it. It took over two thousand yuan from her and then recited scriptures, and none of it was good news—it was all about what would happen after she died.
Who could stand that? She had just transmigrated and been reborn, and it was talking to her about death; wasn't that cursing her?
Forced to pay over two thousand, she only had 180 left, falling from a rich woman with over two thousand to a downcast person with only a hundred or so.
This mood, who could understand!
"Master, don't feel sad! You were a doctor in your past life; think about the hospital fees, and compared to that, you won't feel so bad, right?"
"You know about my past life?"
Jiang Tang was startled. She hadn't contracted this Space channel until after she transmigrated, so how could this little sprite know?
"Aha, that, well... this sprite guessed it."
The little sprite was afraid that Jiang Tang would keep inquiring, so it quickly flashed and disappeared.
Seeing it disappear, Jiang Tang knew it didn't want to talk, and there would be no answer if she kept asking. It would be better to wait until it forgot and then trick it into talking.
With only 180 yuan left, she could only prioritize buying rice, flour, and oil.
There was a grain and oil shop on the street where she set up her stall, so she walked inside.
"Little beauty, what would you like to buy?" The shop owner greeted her from behind the counter, her face full of smiles, not slighting her at all because of her worn-out clothes.
"Shop owner, how much is the rice?"
"Bulk rice is two to ten yuan per jin, and bagged rice comes in sizes from ten to thirty jin, ranging from twenty to over a hundred yuan," the shop owner introduced in detail. "Do you want bulk or a whole bag?"
"Give me a ten-jin bag, the twenty-yuan kind." Jiang Tang chose the cheapest one.
No matter how bad it was, it was better than the brown rice that scratched her throat last night. She calculated to herself that once she earned money, she would definitely buy a bag of good rice to taste.
The little sprite was happy to spin around in the Space; the Master was an ambitious person, so it seemed there would be no shortage of Energy in the future.
The shop owner nimbly moved the rice bag and smiled as she recommended: "Take a look at the seasonings? I have salt, soy sauce, and flour here."
Jiang Tang simply bought two bags of salt, a bottle of soy sauce, and a bag of flour. After calculating, it cost sixty yuan, leaving her with 120.
She couldn't help but sigh; walking in the Jianghu, money is hard to earn, and life is hard.
As long as she didn't have to spend money to buy "shit" to eat, it was a good life.
After coming out of the grain shop, she found a place with no people and no cameras to put the things into her Space first.
Jiang Tang planned to go for a stroll to buy some tools for Sea Gathering.
✦✦✦