Right in the broken bowl she was holding, a bowl filled to the brim with braised pork belly suddenly appeared.
In utter shock, Jinjin stared with her mouth agape at her broken bowl, forgetting to breathe for a moment.
Only when a sensation of discomfort filled her chest did she inhale deeply, letting the delicious aroma of meat instantly waft into her nostrils. Jinjin swallowed hard.
Wait, how could there be meat in her broken bowl?
Jinjin felt that this must be an illusion. She subconsciously raised a small hand, rubbed her eyes, and looked back into the bowl.
Yay? The meat was still there.
What was going on?
“Liuliu, what’s going on? How did meat suddenly appear in my bowl?” Jinjin asked Liuliu in her heart, full of doubt.
[Congratulations, Host, for triggering the wishing keyword, unlocking the system’s wishing function and merit value exchange function.]
[Because after your transmigration, you successfully helped your father from your past life, Jin Yao, change his life trajectory and escape his original tragic fate, you were rewarded with one hundred merit points.]
[Because the Host made a wish to eat meat, the system gifted you a bowl of braised pork belly according to your wish, deducting fifty merit points, leaving a current balance of fifty merit points.]
Jinjin’s tiny head was filled with big question marks.
Wishing function?
Merit value exchange function?
What were these? Were they like a wishing tree?
Suddenly, her eyes lit up. She turned to look at her parents, seeing her father putting up the fence while her mother was lighting the fire to cook, neither paying attention to her.
Jinjin quickly stuck her bottom up, turned her back to her parents, placed the broken bowl on the big stone, and softly called out a long string of foods she missed.
“I also want to eat hamburgers, braised pork trotters, fried chicken legs, roasted sweet potatoes, blueberry juice… milk, and yogurt. Okay, I only want these today.”
As her string of wishes left her mouth, modernly packaged foods suddenly popped up on the big stone like bamboo shoots after a spring rain, all being the things she had just wished for.
Wow—
Hahaha!
Jinjin let out a low cheer and laughed happily; there were so many delicious things.
This was amazing!
However, her smile quickly vanished—it seemed two items were missing.
Where was her sweet milk? Where was her sweet and sour yogurt?
“Liuliu, why weren’t my milk and yogurt delivered? Are they out of stock?” Jinjin asked Liuliu in her mind, feeling puzzled.
Liuliu gave a bitter smile: [No, Host, you only earned one hundred merit points. A single food item ranges from ten to fifty merit points, plus we also exchanged a novice gift package for you. These items have used up all your merit points, so naturally, there were no merit points left to exchange for milk and yogurt.]
“Aww, there’s a rule like that? Liuliu, you’re mean! Why didn’t you tell me earlier?” Jinjin instantly grew unhappy again when she didn’t see the milk and yogurt.
Liuliu felt bitter inside.
Did he even have time to say it? This little girl’s thoughts moved faster than the speed at which he could post messages. By the time he sensed what she was thinking, he didn’t have time to announce the news at all.
Besides, announcing certain system messages had conditions, requiring the host to trigger specific keywords and actions.
Jinjin pouted. Mommy used to say that before eating meat, one needed to drink milk to protect the stomach, and after eating meat, one needed to drink yogurt to help with digestion.
Now that there was no milk or yogurt, did that mean she couldn’t eat too much of this meat?
Jinjin’s face was instantly covered with distress!
“Jinjin, what’s wrong? Ah—”
Hearing Jinjin muttering to herself about who-knows-what, then suddenly bursting into loud laughter, and even catching a whiff of meat aroma with their noses, Jin Yao and Liu Dujuan hurried over in confusion to check.
As a result, both let out low exclamations of surprise at the strange packaging boxes overflowing on the big stone before her and the aroma wafting from the two plates of food.
“Jinjin, where did this meat come from?” Liu Dujuan quickly glanced around and asked Jinjin in a low voice.
Jinjin offered an awkward smile to her parents.
Oh no, she was caught.
How should she explain this to her parents?
Say that she wished for it using the merit points earned from saving her father? That definitely wouldn’t do.
Ah, she had an idea!
Jinjin came over, pulled her parents’ hands to make them squat down, and said, “Dad, Mom, Jinjin saw Mom scoop out the very last bit of rice at home to make porridge earlier, so I was really worried about what we’d eat tomorrow.”
“So I held my bowl and muttered softly, saying I wanted meat and lots of tasty food so that Dad’s wound could heal faster.”
“Then, suddenly, so many tasty things popped up here, and my bowl even had a bowl of meat in it. Jinjin was just about to call you over to eat. Quick, Dad, Mom, go get chopsticks so we can eat meat together!” Jinjin shook her parents’ hands, urging them.
Jin Yao and Liu Dujuan were dumbfounded, hardly believing that these food items were real.
As for the reason Jinjin gave, they believed her words. After all, as a little child who hadn’t even left the edge of the big stone, how could she possibly get hold of such food? Only such a miraculous event could bring these meals about.
It was just that they kept feeling it was a bit surreal. Was this right?
“Dujuan, go get chopsticks and bowls!” Jin Yao also wanted to taste whether this meat was real or not.
After Liu Dujuan left, Jin Yao squatted in front of Jinjin and said seriously, “Jinjin, after these foods appeared from your wish, did you feel unwell anywhere? Besides the meat, have you seen the other things before?”
Jinjin glanced at the big stone and nodded, “I’ve seen them! When I went traveling everywhere with the old ancestor in my dream, I ate these in various places. This one is called a hamburger, and it’s super delicious. Sss, Jinjin has eaten lots of them!”
Pointing at the hamburger as she spoke, Jinjin slurped up her drool, craving a bite.
Jin Yao froze, “The old ancestor in your dream took you to eat these?”
Jinjin nodded obediently and let out an “mm”, “Mm, Daddy, Jinjin didn’t feel unwell after making the wish!”
Jin Yao gave a soft “oh”; he roughly understood!
His gaze turned blankly toward that broken bowl. Could this bowl also be a divine bowl sent back for Jinjin by the old ancestor in her dream?
Knowing that they would face hardship, did the old ancestor let them use this object to pull through the crisis?
“Jinjin, from now on, you must protect your divine… bowl well. If you go out to play, you can give it to your mother to keep safe for you,” Jin Yao instructed Jinjin in a low voice.
“Okay!” Jinjin responded in a clear, crisp voice.
Liu Dujuan brought over bowls and chopsticks, and the family gathered around the big stone. Jin Yao picked up his chopsticks and hesitated for a moment before, as if making up his mind, reaching out to pick up a piece of meat. He placed it in Liu Dujuan’s bowl first, picked up another piece to place in Jinjin’s bowl, and then picked up one for himself, bringing it to his mouth.
“I’ll eat first. If I’m fine after eating, then you two can eat!”
With that, he put it into his mouth and chewed a few times. Instantly, a rich aroma of fat and meat quickly seeped through his mouth and teeth, rapidly transmitting to every taste nerve.
At once, Jin Yao squinted his eyes comfortably, letting out a soft sign of contentment.
“Mmm, delicious, so delicious!”
Jin Yao finished chewing, swallowed, and exclaimed.
In all his years of living, this was the first time he had eaten meat this savory.
“I’m fine, hurry up and eat. This meat is truly too flavorful.” Jin Yao quickly picked up more meat for his wife and daughter, wanting them to eat more.
Why were wealthy people all glowing, plump, and full of vitality?
It was because they ate a lot of meat.
His ambition for the future was to nourish his wife and child until they were glowing and plump, letting them eat meat every day without lacking money to spend.
Hearing him say this, Liu Dujuan also quickly lowered her head and ate the meat Jin Yao had picked for her.
Instantly, the savory aroma and tender texture rushed straight to her heart. Liu Dujuan narrowed her pretty eyes happily, chewing gently.
So savory—this was the first time she had tasted meat so delicious!