Now knowing that the mall could recycle local specialties, Jiang Tangtang suppressed her excitement and began to ponder.
Ordinary wild vegetables weren’t worth much, so what was valuable? She recalled information she had read in her past life. Perhaps things like wild herbs, mushrooms, wild fruits, or even wild pheasants and rabbits in the mountains held higher value?
She figured it would be best if she could get her dad to help. Action speaks louder than words.
“Daddy,” she spoke up, her voice soft and sweet, instantly catching the attention of both parents. “I had a dream yesterday. I dreamed of… red fruit-fruits, and… mush-mushrooms.” After speaking, she swallowed her saliva right on cue.
She did her absolute best to use vocabulary a four-year-old child could manage, describing mountain goods that might be valuable, like red mushrooms, other fungi, or wild fruits.
Jiang Jianguo and Lin Wanting exchanged a glance, both finding it rather amusing. Jiang Jianguo gently pinched her little nose. “Dreaming about food? You little glutton!”
Lin Wanting smiled warmly as well. “Once you are completely recovered, I’ll have your dad go look for them for you.”
They simply assumed it was just a child’s wild imagination and didn’t take it to heart.
Jiang Tangtang wasn’t discouraged; she knew this couldn’t be rushed. Closing her eyes again, she continued her grand venture of “earning gold coins.” Checking in, watching ads, browsing products… Though the gold coins awarded per task were meager, a drop of water makes an ocean.
She was absolutely determined to guide her dad into the mountains to secure more valuable mountain goods.
By noon, when Lin Wanting brought back that bowl of wild vegetable gruel—so watery you could literally see your own reflection in it—Jiang Tangtang had already accumulated another 300-plus gold coins, bringing her total close to 900.
Watching her mother pour the gruel into three bowls and push the fullest one toward her, Jiang Tangtang felt a pang of bitterness in her heart. Staring at the selection of 10 eggs priced at 1,000 gold coins in the mall, she clenched her tiny fists.
‘Almost there. Just a little more effort, and I’ll soon be able to let Mom and Dad eat actual good food!’
In the afternoon, Jiang Tangtang spent most of her time “sleeping” (diligently grinding tasks). True to his word, Jiang Jianguo didn’t go to work. Instead, he puttered around the house, occasionally slipping out for a stroll, grandly calling it “taking care of the patient.”
Around dusk, as the residual glow of the setting sun spilled into the room through the broken window, Jiang Tangtang finally saved up 1,000 gold coins!
During the night, while her parents were fast asleep, Jiang Tangtang didn’t hesitate for a single second. She instantly located the 10-egg option in the mall and clicked 【Exchange】.
[Consumed 1,000 Gold Coins. Exchange for “Eggs (10 pieces)” successful! The items have been dispatched to the system warehouse and can be extracted to a real-world location at any time.]
Success!
The successfully exchanged eggs didn’t just materialize out of thin air.
‘System warehouse? Extract?’
With a thought, a grid interface resembling a gaming inventory appeared. In the very first slot lay an icon depicting a carton of 10 eggs.
She tried using her mind to lock onto it and “drag” it, intending to place it inside her blanket.
The next second, she felt a slight weight settle near her shin. That carton of eggs had materialized out of thin air! The chilly eggshells pressed tightly against her warm skin, making her shiver, but it brought an unparalleled sense of security.
Accompanied by joy and peace of mind, the moment Jiang Tangtang’s mind relaxed, an overwhelming wave of exhaustion flooded her like a tide. Her head lolled to the side, and she fell into a deep sleep.
In the middle of the night, Jiang Tangtang was woken up by a cautious, gentle shaking. Drowsily opening her eyes, she used the faint moonlight filtering through the window to see her dad, Jiang Jianguo, squatting by the bed. One of his hands was gently pressing down on her blanket, while the index finger of his other hand was pressed against his lips, making a “shh” sign.
Jiang Tangtang’s heart skipped a beat, and she instantly snapped wide awake. She instinctively shrank back into her blanket, her little hand brushing against the freezing carton of eggs.
Jiang Jianguo didn’t speak. He simply gestured with his eyes toward the spot where something was hidden under her blanket, then made a “take it out and let me see” hand sign. His expression was incredibly grave, his brow tightly furrowed—completely devoid of his usual playful, smiling face from the daytime.
Jiang Tangtang’s heart pounded furiously. ‘I’ve been caught! What do I do? Spile the beans directly? No, this is way too shocking for this era, and he might not even understand what a “system” is.’ Her mind raced at lightning speed, instantly recalling the most easily acceptable excuse for this era.
Looking timid and frightened, she leaned close to her dad’s ear and whispered, “Daddy… it’s, it’s egg-eggs… given by a white-bearded grandpa…”
Jiang Jianguo’s pupils constricted violently, shock and confusion flashing across his face. Instead of immediately checking the eggs, he leaned even closer, scanning his daughter from head to toe. Finding nothing amiss, he finally breathed a sigh of relief. With an unprecedented solemnity, he asked, “Tangtang, tell Daddy, did that grandpa… make you promise him anything? Or, after you accepted the eggs, did you feel uncomfortable anywhere? Are you dizzy? Does your body hurt?”
He rattled off a string of questions, deathly afraid that his daughter had paid some sort of price to receive these eggs. While the origin of the eggs was staggering, it was far less important than his daughter herself.
Jiang Tangtang felt the deep concern in her father’s words. She shook her head vigorously. “No! Grandpa just put the eggs down and left! Tangtang doesn’t feel sick at all…” She paused, then added in a small voice, “It’s just… dreaming about Grandpa flying around made me a little bit tired…”
“A little tired?” Jiang Jianguo instantly caught onto that key phrase, and his tone became even more serious. “Tangtang, listen to me carefully. In the future, if that old grandpa shows up again or makes you look at anything draining in your dreams, the moment you feel tired, you must immediately chant in your heart: ‘I’m not looking anymore, I’m going to sleep!’ Do you hear me? Nothing is more important than my daughter’s health! We’d rather not have these eggs than have you wear yourself out!”
“Mmh! Tangtang will remember!” Jiang Tangtang obediently agreed.
Feeling his daughter’s submissiveness, Jiang Jianguo’s tense body relaxed slightly.
However, he was still deeply worried. If some spirit or deity truly demanded a price from Tangtang, there was absolutely nothing they could do to stop it.
Letting out a sigh, he carefully lifted a corner of the blanket. Guided by the faint light, he clearly saw a whole carton of ten red-skinned eggs!
Even though he had mentally prepared himself, seeing them with his own eyes still caused his breath to hitch! The quality, the quantity… he found himself believing his daughter’s story about the “old grandpa” just a fraction more.
“Hubby, what’s wrong?” Lin Wanting’s gentle, sleepy voice rang out. She had woken up too, propping herself up as she looked at the father and daughter with concern.
Jiang Jianguo took a deep breath, brought the eggs over to Lin Wanting, and lowered his voice. “Wanting, look.”
“Ah!” Lin Wanting let out a soft gasp and quickly clapped a hand over her mouth, her eyes widening into perfect circles. “This… where did this come from?”
“A white-bearded grandpa in Tangtang’s dream gave them to her,” Jiang Jianguo explained briefly, before placing heavy emphasis on the main point. “Tangtang said that watching the old grandpa perform magic tricks made her a little tired.”
The shock on Lin Wanting’s face was gradually replaced by worry. She reached out to pull Jiang Tangtang into her arms, gently stroking her back. “Tangtang, do you really not feel unwell anywhere?”
“No, Mom. I’m completely fine.”
Looking at his wife and daughter, Jiang Jianguo’s gaze grew increasingly resolute and shrewd. “This matter is our family’s greatest secret,” he whispered, keeping his voice incredibly low. “No one is allowed to speak a word of it. It rots in our stomachs.”
Lin Wanting nodded vigorously. Though her face was still a bit pale, her gaze had completely steadied.