Fenniang shot to her feet in surprise.
“L-Ling’er… where did you get so many copper coins?”
Even Zhuo Chang’an’s handsome face showed a trace of shock. He gently held Zhuo Ling’s little face and asked,
“Tell Eldest Brother. Where did all this money come from?”
Zhuo Ling’s heart skipped a beat.
I’ve been too careless!
She was only a five- or six-year-old little girl now—and one who was supposed to be mentally disabled.
Her “foolish girl” persona was her best disguise. She couldn’t let it fall apart just yet.
How could she possibly explain this pile of money without frightening them?
“Ah… ah-ba?”
She scratched her head and deliberately played the fool while desperately searching for an excuse.
“Found… found it? In the grass… yes! Lots and lots of money in the grass…”
“In the grass?”
Zhuo Chang’an studied her eyes carefully.
“Mhm! Lots… lots of money…”
Zhuo Ling was on the verge of panicking. She fumbled through her explanation.
“Ling’er… brought it home.”
Disbelief was written all over Zhuo Chang’an’s face.
He had carried Zhuo Ling all the way back. How could he not have noticed her carrying something as heavy as a whole bag of copper coins?
“Ling’er, children mustn’t lie. Tell Mother where you found it.”
Worry filled Fenniang’s thin face.
“If someone lost this much money, they must be frantic…”
“Mother, Ling’er fell out of the tree and landed in the grass. Maybe that’s where she found it.”
Zhuo Chang’an suddenly spoke up.
“Now that I think about it, she did feel unusually heavy when I carried her back.”
“B-But… our village has suffered from drought for more than two years. Who here could possibly have this much money?”
Fenniang still looked uneasy.
“It definitely doesn’t belong to anyone in our village!”
After staring at the coins for a long while, Zhuo Dawu suddenly slapped his thigh.
“I remember now! Didn’t that merchant caravan selling silk and tea pass through our village a few days ago? They even stopped at our house to ask for water.
“It must have belonged to them.”
“There really was a merchant caravan…”
Fenniang finally relaxed a little, though she still hesitated.
“But they lost so much money. Why didn’t they come back to look for it?”
Zhuo Dawu thought for a moment.
“It’s already been several days. By now, that caravan must be far away. How could they possibly come back?
“…Besides, a caravan like that probably wouldn’t care too much about this amount of money.”
At last, a smile appeared on Fenniang’s face as she gently stroked the copper coins.
“Husband… can we really keep so much money? It doesn’t seem right.”
Zhuo Dawu hesitated.
“Times are hard right now. If you ask me… since Ling’er found it, then it belongs to Ling’er.”
The husband and wife went back and forth without reaching a decision.
Listening to them made cold sweat break out on Zhuo Ling’s forehead.
You two are going to worry me to death!
But she was supposed to be a “foolish little girl,” so she couldn’t explain any further.
Left with no other choice, she suddenly threw herself over the pile of copper coins, spread her tiny arms around them, and cried loudly,
“Money! Found it! It’s Ling’er’s… Waaaah…”
Good grief!
I definitely can’t take money out like this again.
I’ll scare everyone to death.
“Alright, alright. It’s Ling’er’s.”
Fenniang lovingly rubbed her little head and said softly,
“Mother will use the money to buy delicious food for Ling’er, alright?”
Only then did Zhuo Ling relax.
She scooped up a large handful of copper coins and forcefully stuffed them into Fenniang’s arms.
“Money… all for Mother! Mother eats… Ling’er eats… Brothers eat… mm… Father eats too!”
“Alright… alright…”
Fenniang gently stroked Zhuo Ling’s head, her eyes instantly turning red.
“Our Ling’er is such a good girl.”
Zhuo Chang’an affectionately pinched her little cheek and smiled.
“Father, Mother… everyone in the village says Ling’er brings misfortune to her parents.
“But look at her.
“Ling’er is our family’s little lucky star.”
Wow…
Eldest Brother looks so handsome when he smiles!
Even his voice sounds amazing… it’s so pleasant my ears are practically getting pregnant.
Zhuo Ling felt as if she’d been struck by lightning.
Her heart skipped a beat.
“Ling’er… lucky star… hehe…”
She openly snuggled deeper into Zhuo Chang’an’s arms.
Another sparkling string of drool slipped from the corner of her mouth.
Fenniang quietly wiped the moisture from her eyes.
“Let’s eat… let’s eat first.
“Tomorrow Mother will go buy some grain and cook proper porridge for Ling’er.”
After only a few mouthfuls of the watery gruel, Zhuo Ling realized it hadn’t eased her hunger at all.
Instead, it had only made her even hungrier.
She rubbed her flat stomach, regretting her earlier decision so much her intestines turned green.
She should’ve bought some rice or white flour from the Marketplace System earlier.
She probably could’ve talked her way through it somehow, and everyone would already be eating well.
Ding…
Natural Organic Dandelions detected.
Price: 30,000 Underground Credits per jin.
Quantity: Three jin.
Sell?
The system interface suddenly appeared before her again.
The red targeting frame locked onto a battered bamboo basket sitting in the corner of the room.
Following the red frame with her eyes, Zhuo Ling answered without hesitation.
“Yes.”
The sound of coins clinking echoed inside the system.
Your account has received 90,000 Underground Credits. Equivalent value in this world’s currency: 90 copper coins.
Zhuo Ling knew what dandelions were.
This was simply the first time she’d ever seen the real thing.
Also called po po ding, dandelions were bitter and cooling in nature. They could be eaten raw as a wild vegetable and also had excellent medicinal properties, helping clear heat, remove toxins, protect the liver, and nourish the stomach.
Long, long ago—before Earth had frozen over—people would gather fresh dandelion shoots every spring and dip them in northern soybean paste as a vegetable.
She’d heard they were delicious.
The dandelion leaves in the basket were dark green and slightly wilted, obviously already past their prime.
Natural resources were so scarce in the underground city that even wild vegetables of this quality could sell for 30,000 Underground Credits for three jin.
Without sunlight, hydroponic crops depended entirely on artificial suns for light, and the planting area was extremely limited.
Meat could be synthesized artificially, but plant synthesis technology still hadn’t achieved any major breakthroughs.
As a result, vegetables were even more expensive than eggs or meat in the underground city.
That wasn’t unusual at all.
Meat might be difficult to find in this ancient world…
But wild plants?
They were everywhere.
Her wallet had just grown even fatter.
Wasn’t it about time she got something to fill everyone’s stomachs?
Zhuo Ling quietly shuffled toward the stove as inconspicuously as possible.
She opened the Marketplace System and considered buying something ordinary enough that no one would become suspicious if it ended up in the pot.
Ding… Six servings of Chicken-Flavored Survival Rations purchased. 60 Underground Credits deducted from your account.
At the moment, the underground city’s standard civilian ration—only ten credits per serving—was the perfect choice.
Once added to the porridge, it would dissolve almost instantly.
Three jin of wild vegetables had earned her 90,000 Underground Credits.
Yet just sixty credits was enough to feed the entire family.
Buying resources from this world and selling them in the underground city…
Then using the profits to buy supplies from the underground city…
Wouldn’t she become ridiculously rich just by acting as the middleman?
Zhuo Ling’s round eyes sparkled brightly.
In less than a minute, the watery gruel left at the bottom of the pot had thickened into something resembling overcooked corn porridge.
It bubbled vigorously, becoming noticeably richer and thicker.
“Mother… slurp…”
Pretending to be her usual foolish self, Zhuo Ling waved eagerly at Fenniang while drooling.
“Porridge! Ling’er wants porridge!”
“Alright, alright. Mother will scrape the bottom of the pot for you.”
Fenniang walked over carrying a rough black pottery bowl.
The moment she looked into the pot, her hand trembled.
Clang!
The bowl slipped from her hand and crashed onto the floor.