After adapting for a full day yesterday, Luo Zhiyao had already become very proficient at weeding. Today, she worked both quickly and accurately.
At eleven o’clock, she completed her task and called the scorekeeper over to calculate her work points.
Based on her morning workload, getting full marks was not a problem at all (male workers receive 10 points for a full day and 5 for half a day; female workers receive 8 points for a full day and 4 for half a day).
The scorekeeper looked at the pile of weeds—more than half again as much as others—and at her speed of pulling them, then silently gave her the full 10 points. With this level of ability, she could qualify as a male laborer! She had finished a full day’s workload in just one morning.
“Thank you, Uncle Hu!” Luo Zhiyao, quick-eyed, noticed she had been given 10 points. With a bright smile, she thanked him. This uncle really was a good person!
“Uncle Hu, I’ve finished my task today. Can I not come this afternoon?”
The scorekeeper, Hu Jiarong, nodded. “Yes, you don’t need to come.”
Under the envious gazes of the others, Luo Zhiyao carried a basket of mushrooms and walked back toward the educated youth compound.
As she walked, she thought, Should I build a house? Otherwise, I won’t be able to eat the meat stored in my space.
According to the novel’s plot, by the end of 1977, there would be reforms and the college entrance examination would be reinstated. It was only 1970 now—more than seven years away. By then, she would be twenty-five or twenty-six.
In that case, she decided she wouldn’t take the college entrance exam. She had already gone through that kind of competitive grind in her previous life. In this life, she just wanted to make money—lots of money—and then relax. After the 1980s, she could start doing business and become the first female tycoon! Ten years to go—she had to endure!
Thinking about her future laid-back life made her realize she currently had very little capital. Aside from a little over a thousand yuan and some food supplies from her family, she had almost nothing. And a thousand yuan wouldn’t even buy a house.
Maybe she should consider some “underground” ventures—like the black market the heroine often visited? Perhaps she should go check it out.
Lost in thought, Luo Zhiyao returned to the educated youth compound. Seeing that everyone had not yet returned, she quickly made a pot of delicious mushroom soup with the mushrooms she had gathered.
She drank a large bowl herself and left the rest in the pot.
When the others returned from work and saw the pot of mushroom soup, they were all startled. Luo Zhiyao heard the commotion and walked out.
She cleared her throat lightly. “Ahem… about the past few days when I was causing trouble—it was because I didn’t understand things and hadn’t adapted to countryside life, which caused everyone a lot of inconvenience. I sincerely apologize. These mushrooms were picked by me this morning on the mountain—they’re still fresh. I’ve already had a bowl, and the rest is for everyone as an apology.”
Even though she didn’t intend to form deep relationships with them, as the saying goes: having one more friend means one more path. Even if they couldn’t be friends, she shouldn’t make enemies.
At this stage, the fewer people she offended, the better. After all, she would eventually have to deal with the heroine. She didn’t want to become the heroine’s foil. It was best to change others’ impression of her now.
Although the original owner of this body wasn’t a good person, she wasn’t an irredeemable villain either. Since she had come into this world, she would live well in her place.
Hearing her words, everyone’s fearful expressions softened slightly, though they still looked somewhat suspicious of the mushroom soup.
Helplessly, Luo Zhiyao picked up a ladle, scooped a bowl, and drank it in one go. These fresh mushrooms are so sweet!
Seeing that she had eaten it herself, everyone thanked her and began drinking. Once they tasted it, they no longer cared about anything else and started praising it.
“This mushroom soup is so delicious. Too bad I don’t recognize these mushrooms—otherwise I’d pick some myself to cook.”
“Yeah, thanks to Luo comrade, we got to taste such fresh mushrooms today.”
“Luo comrade, next time you go picking mushrooms, can you take me with you? I’d like to send some back home for my parents to try.”
“Yes, me too.”
“Sure, I’ll call you all next time I go!” Luo Zhiyao agreed readily without refusal.
Everyone quietly continued drinking the soup. After all, it was truly delicious. No one knew how this delicate young lady had suddenly learned to cook and handle firewood.
But they didn’t care. Free food was always a good thing.
Pei Feng looked at the mushroom soup in his hand, his expression complicated. He and Luo Zhiyao had grown up in the same compound. Over the past two years, she had followed him everywhere, yet he realized he truly didn’t understand her at all.
He had always assumed that the young lady from the Luo family was a pampered rich girl who couldn’t do anything. Yet now, she could cook, handle firewood, and even identify mushrooms.
He glanced at Luo Zhiyao walking back to her room, then silently drank the soup in his bowl.
Sensing someone’s gaze on her, Luo Zhiyao did not turn around and went straight back to her room.
After locking the door, she entered her space. Looking at the lush mushrooms covering the ground, she fell into thought. Weren’t these just brought in this morning? How had they multiplied so much in just one morning?
Could it be that the space’s land also had a growth-accelerating function?
To test this, she picked some mushroom seeds from the pile and planted them. Then she went outside and began timing.
Ten minutes later, she re-entered the space—the mushrooms had already sprouted. Estimating another twenty minutes, they had fully grown.
She summarized the rules of the space:
“Ahhh, I’m rich! I’m really rich! Heavenly Grandpa, you’re my real grandfather! I love you so much—I’ll definitely kowtow to you more in the future!”
Excited, Luo Zhiyao couldn’t sleep the entire afternoon, staring at the seafood pool and drooling.
“Right now I don’t have enough ingredients to cook anything. Once I’m prepared, I must treat myself to a proper feast!”
In the afternoon, she stayed inside the space watching the mushrooms go through cycles of planting, sprouting, growing, and harvesting—again and again.
At the end of the workday, a postal worker arrived at Qingshan Brigade on a bicycle.
“Comrade Luo Zhiyao! Comrade Luo Zhiyao, is she here?”
“She’s at the educated youth compound, comrade postman. You can go that way!”
The postman rode toward the compound as directed.
“Comrade Luo Zhiyao! Are you here?”
Hearing someone call her name, Luo Zhiyao walked out of her room. “Hello, comrade. I am Luo Zhiyao. What can I do for you?”
Seeing the fair and delicate young woman before him, the postman’s dark face flushed slightly—though it wasn’t noticeable due to how dark he was.
“Comrade Luo Zhiyao, I’m from the post office. You have a package that needs to be collected. Here is the pickup slip. Please sign your name and take this to the post office tomorrow to collect your package.”
Luo Zhiyao signed her name and took the slip. “Thank you, comrade. Please wait a moment.”
She knew it was important to build good relations with postal workers—she might need their help when sending things in the future.
She went inside and poured him a glass of water. “Thank you for making the trip. It’s hot outside—have some water.”
The postman accepted the cup somewhat dazedly and drank it in a few gulps. After returning the cup, he rode away with a red face.
Luo Zhiyao noticed that the young man’s ears were completely red and smiled. Such an innocent boy.
People in this era really were quite simple and honest.