“Congratulations, Host, for triggering a hidden storyline.”
“As this is the host’s first hidden storyline trigger, you have received a Lifestyle Gift Pack.”
“The original Lin Baiyu could have become a great female protagonist in her own right. However, because the original novel’s heroine was favored by destiny, the original owner’s fortune was suppressed. Not only was she unable to achieve great accomplishments, but it also led to her dying young.”
“The reason the host was able to come to this world is also due to the resentment and unwillingness of the original Lin Baiyu, as well as the lingering resentment of the novel’s readers.”
“When the original author was nearing the end of the novel, a reader posted a lengthy review discussing Lin Baiyu’s character. Many readers felt her treatment was unfair. After intense debates, she gradually became a white moonlight character in the readers’ hearts.”
“The discussion eventually expanded from Lin Baiyu to the male and female cannon fodder characters, then to the supporting male and female leads. In the end, even the main protagonists were not spared. The author could no longer fill all the plot holes and ultimately abandoned the story, causing this world to develop a flaw.”
“A flaw? You mean the original novel world collapsed, and that’s why I was able to transmigrate here?”
Lin Baiyu had never expected that a casual guess would earn her such a shocking revelation from the system.
“That’s correct. That is why the host was able to enter this world successfully and merge seamlessly with the original owner’s body.”
“Does that mean there could be other people like me in this world?”
Although the system had not mentioned it directly, Lin Baiyu immediately grasped the possibility.
“That question requires further exploration by the host. The system’s current energy level is too low to access that information.”
After saying that, the system fell silent.
Realizing she would get no further answers, Lin Baiyu stopped pressing the issue.
She returned to sorting through the original owner’s textbooks and study materials. To her surprise, she discovered that the original Lin Baiyu’s handwriting was identical to her own.
Then she remembered the system’s earlier statement about making all of her actions appear reasonable, and immediately felt that this made perfect sense.
However, her greatest discovery was the collection of manuscript submission addresses she found through the original owner’s memories.
That’s right.
Although the original Lin Baiyu had only recently graduated from high school, she had always excelled academically and possessed excellent writing skills. Coupled with her independent and decisive personality, she had been submitting articles and manuscripts since her high school years. Over time, she had accumulated a modest amount of savings.
This was something only her family knew.
Even Lin Baiyu herself had only discovered it after carefully reviewing the original owner’s memories.
Now that she had graduated and returned home, and given her fragile health, the Lin family had no intention of sending her to work in the fields. As a result, she would need to find another path for herself.
According to her memories, it was currently the summer of 1974.
With manuscript fees serving as a source of income, there was no urgent need to search for a job.
For now, her priority was completing system tasks and improving her living conditions.
Although Lin Baiyu considered herself capable of enduring hardship, life in the 1970s was still difficult for someone accustomed to modern comforts.
Without realizing it, the sun had already begun to set.
Instinctively, Lin Baiyu wanted to check the time.
Just as she lowered her head to look at the “watch” that should have been on her wrist, she suddenly remembered that there was no clock or watch in the house.
For someone who had once managed every minute of her day with precision, this was particularly frustrating.
Just as she was feeling disappointed, she remembered the Lifestyle Gift Pack she had received after triggering the hidden storyline.
Opening the system inventory, she immediately found the unopened package.
Before opening it, she began silently making wishes.
Please give me something practical, System. A ladies’ wristwatch would be perfect. Please, please…
Then she opened the gift pack.
Sure enough, a watch icon appeared in the inventory, along with a fountain pen icon.
Both were things she desperately needed at the moment.
Lin Baiyu immediately felt that the system was incredibly intelligent.
At present, both items were marked as unused.
Eager to get her hands on the watch, she selected both items and clicked “Use.”
The watch and fountain pen instantly disappeared from the inventory.
However, after searching around, she could not find either item anywhere.
Confused, she asked, “Xiao Bai, why did they disappear after I used them? Where are the watches and fountain pens?”
The system explained, “System rewards will appear through reasonable means.”
Hearing that, Lin Baiyu stopped worrying about it, though she remained curious about how exactly the system intended to deliver the rewards.
Not long afterward, Grandma Lin returned home from work.
When she saw that Lin Baiyu looked even healthier and more energetic than she had the previous day, she was overjoyed.
During dinner, Lin Baiyu looked at the meal, which was much the same as yesterday’s, and thought that it was fortunate the original owner had a reliable source of income.
She would definitely need to improve the family’s meals in the future.
Eating this kind of food occasionally was fine, but her modern palate, spoiled by countless delicious dishes, could not tolerate it every day.
Although her biological clock was completely different from what it had been over the past twenty years, Lin Baiyu’s strong adaptability was already helping her adjust to a lifestyle of early nights and early mornings.
The next morning, she vaguely heard Grandma Lin preparing breakfast and quickly woke up.
In the kitchen, Grandma Lin looked at Lin Baiyu’s rosy cheeks, so different from her previous sickly appearance.
At that moment, her heart finally settled.
She had genuinely feared that Lin Baiyu’s recent improvement was merely a final burst of vitality before death.
But looking at her granddaughter now, with her face resembling that of a well-rested kitten, Grandma Lin felt her heart melting.
For the first time, she truly believed that her granddaughter had recovered.
She could not explain exactly why.
Yet after living for so many decades and witnessing countless strange and inexplicable events, she knew with certainty that this was still her granddaughter.
As long as the child was healthy and safe, nothing else mattered.
If she absolutely had to explain it, she thought perhaps it was because Lin Baiyu’s late father was watching over her from heaven.
In a place where Lin Baiyu could not see, Grandma Lin quietly wiped away the tears gathering in her eyes.
Because of what her granddaughter had said the previous day, and considering the family’s current circumstances, Grandma Lin no longer obsessed over giving all the best food to Lin Baiyu.
As a result, during breakfast, Lin Baiyu noticed that although Grandma Lin still reserved the more nutritious foods for her, she had also begun eating white rice and eggs herself to maintain her own health.
Lin Baiyu felt that this was a good start.
Going forward, she would have to work hard to ensure both her grandparents enjoyed better and better lives.
Before leaving for work, Grandma Lin reminded her to continue resting at home.
“If you’re fully recovered tomorrow, then you can finally go out. Coincidentally, your grandfather will be coming home tomorrow as well.”
Hearing this, Lin Baiyu repeatedly assured her.
“Don’t worry, Grandma. I’ll rest properly. I’ll definitely be better by tomorrow.”
After seeing Grandma Lin off, Lin Baiyu fed the family’s chicks just as she had done the day before.
During the process, she discovered an unexpected surprise.
One of the hens had laid an egg.
At that moment, Lin Baiyu had no idea that receiving a fresh egg was only the first pleasant surprise awaiting her that day.