Jiang Yao looked at the boxes of paper on the ground with a disappointed expression. “That’s it?”
Xiao Hei licked its lips after finishing the bone, still unsatisfied.
“This probably isn’t just scrap paper. Take a look at what’s written—maybe handing it to your husband could earn him some merit.”
Jiang Yao picked up a sheet and glanced at it. “I don’t understand it.”
Her academic performance had been poor. She dropped out halfway through middle school—how could she possibly recognize English or those strange symbols?
Every day, she was either tomb raiding or thinking about how to make money. Although her skills weren’t as good as the masters, she had luckily bound herself to a system, so her life wasn’t bad.
Xiao Hei: “……”
“Fine, I’ll look.”
Although its voice sounded calm, Jiang Yao could somehow hear the gritted teeth behind it.
She grinned and patted its head, shamelessly flattering it. “Xiao Hei, this family really can’t function without you. You’re the most, most, most amazing system in the whole world.”
Xiao Hei tilted its head, avoiding her touch, and focused on the papers on the ground.
A few minutes later—
Xiao Hei’s serious voice sounded in Jiang Yao’s mind. “They discovered rare metals down here. They’re planning to use them to upgrade weapons.”
The northwest region did indeed have many rare metals. If the enemy managed to steal them, the consequences would be unimaginable.
Jiang Yao froze. “Are you serious?”
“Of course. There must be a mine in this area—and not a small one. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have stayed underground for so long.”
From the piles of documents alone, it was clear that the mineral resources below were abundant.
“Find a chance to hand this over to the military. They should need it right now.”
Seeing that there was no one outside, Jiang Yao slipped out quietly and took another path.
On the way, she even caught two wild chickens and one wild rabbit.
At the entrance of the family compound—
“Hello, sister-in-law!”
“…Hello!” The sudden shout startled Jiang Yao, and she quickly pulled herself together, forcing a smile. “Thanks for standing guard!”
“I—”
Before the young soldier could finish speaking, she had already rushed inside, leaving only a blur behind.
“I haven’t even told her that Commander Qin is waiting for her at home…” the soldier muttered to himself.
Jiang Yao hurried home, only to be stopped by an unwelcome figure.
“Sister-in-law, why are you coming back so late? Commander Qin just returned from a mission and is exhausted. Instead of staying home to cook, you went out wandering, making him go to the canteen himself.”
Jiang Yao stopped and looked at her strangely. “You again? Finished your housework?”
She had heard from Yang Erni that this woman was Li Cuicui, the wife of Zhang Yong, a battalion commander in the Second Battalion of the First Regiment. She loved showing off her son.
Zhang Yong was a mama’s boy who listened to his mother in everything. At home, he and his mother ate well, while Li Cuicui, despite giving birth to a son, was treated like a laborer.
Seeing Li Cuicui’s face grow uglier, Jiang Yao simply walked past her and entered her own courtyard.
“Grandma, I’m back!”
In the yard, Song Yulan was sitting on the steps picking vegetables. When she saw Jiang Yao return, she gave her a look and gestured toward the house.
Jiang Yao made an “OK” gesture to show she understood.
She walked over, set down the basket on her back, and opened it for her to see.
Just as she did, a shadow fell over her. Qin Mu, dressed in a clean military uniform, stood at the doorway, staring straight at her.
His gaze made her feel a bit uneasy.
“Ah Mu, you’re back?”
Qin Mu gave a soft “mm,” walked over, glanced at the basket, and frowned. “Why didn’t you wait for me before going out?”
Jiang Yao felt a little guilty. She fidgeted with her fingers and said softly, “I saw you were busy… and I wanted to eat rabbit meat. You can’t really buy that.”
Seeing Jiang Yao being scolded, Song Yulan stepped in to smooth things over. “What’s done is done. But next time, you’re not allowed to go, understand?”
Jiang Yao took the cue and nodded obediently. “I understand, Grandma.”
“Look at how messy you are. Go clean up and eat first. After that, take a bath.” As she spoke, the old lady pulled her into the house and told Qin Mu to take care of the things in the yard.
Inside, Jiang Yao washed her face. Song Yulan had already served her a bowl of porridge and sat across from her.
Jiang Yao felt a bit embarrassed and apologized, “Grandma, I lied.”
Song Yulan sighed. “Since you know you were wrong, just tell the truth next time. That way, I’ll at least have some idea. We’re not living on our own anymore—Xiao Mu is here now. If you want to eat something, just have him get it for you. It’s not safe for a woman to go out alone.
When Xiao Mu came back today, the first thing he did was look for you. He cares about you a lot and was worried something might happen to you, so his tone was a bit harsh. Don’t take it to heart.”
Jiang Yao picked up a steamed bun and took a bite. “Grandma, I know Ah Mu is worried about me. Don’t worry—I won’t be upset.”
She had a big heart and didn’t dwell on things easily.