Ning Xuan's life had become much more comfortable these past few days. Her daytime work was light and not exhausting, and her visible meals had improved significantly—no longer did she have to endure eating poorly.
Indeed, after Ning Xuan and Xu Jiajia moved in, they switched their staple food to fine grains because they didn't want the hassle of cooking two different types of meals.
Originally, Lu Xun and the others had considered covering Ning Xuan's share if she couldn't afford fine grains daily, but in return, she would have to take on more work, such as handling all the cooking.
However, Ning Xuan stated that she could also eat fine grains every day, and the rice and flour she produced were traded from the modern dimension, with even better quality than Xu Jiajia's.
Lu Xun and the others fell silent, realizing that this girl had been playing dumb all along.
Once they understood that everyone's financial situation was actually quite stable, Lu Xun and the others completely relaxed, living a life where they ate fine grains at every meal and had meat every couple of days.
Ning Xuan didn't have much money or ration coupons, so she directly provided supplies instead. Since she usually stayed at the brigade, suddenly producing fresh meat would seem suspicious.
So, Ning Xuan would take out more items during her rest days when she went to the commune, and for meat, she had Lin Yuhan prepare preserved items like sausages and cured meats that could last longer.
Lu Xun had initially agreed to let Ning Xuan share the small courtyard and meals with them simply because he thought it unsafe for a girl to live alone, and it wouldn't look proper for Xu Jiajia to live with just him and Zhipeng. He never expected that Ning Xuan, who had first appeared like a refugee fresh from a famine, would turn out to be so capable.
Their shared living arrangement was very hassle-free. Xu Jiajia wasn't as dependent on men as she had seemed at first glance—when Zhou Zhipeng offered to take over her cooking duties, she declined.
Xu Jiajia knew how to cook. Her family doted on her but also had principles; they had gradually taught her essential skills like cooking and laundry since elementary school. Once she learned, they didn't make her do it every day.
Lu Xun and Zhou Zhipeng were in similar situations, so both male comrades were much more skilled at cooking than the other male Educated Youth at the Educated Youth Center.
The four of them took turns cooking, and if anyone had scheduling conflicts, they would simply swap shifts. Aside from taking turns cleaning the toilet, other shared chores like sweeping the yard or fetching water for the tank were handled proactively and casually by everyone, creating a very harmonious atmosphere.
The courtyard no longer lacked firewood either, as Lu Xun and the others had long ago traded supplies with the brigade members for it.
With their harmonious living environment and good meals, Ning Xuan could read novels or watch shows on her phone or tablet during breaks. Lin Yuhan had traded both a phone and a tablet to Ning Xuan, along with a power bank. When the power bank ran out, Ning Xuan would trade it back to Lin Yuhan for recharging during their transactions.
She also had a small night light in her warehouse—specifically one with warm, color-changing lights, not the incandescent type. Though not very bright, it was perfect as a desk lamp, so she didn't have to go to sleep as soon as it got dark with no entertainment.
However, Ning Xuan remained quite disciplined. Even if she didn't have to work the next day, she would only stay up until 10 p.m. at the latest before going to sleep.
Fortunately, the original owner wasn't nearsighted, so she didn't need to wear glasses. She had to take good care of her eyesight and strive not to wear glasses again in this lifetime.
One day, while Ning Xuan was watching dramas again, the System showed activity. It turned out to be a message from Yun Xi in the Cultivation Realm.
Yun Xi's Sudden Enlightenment had lasted several days this time, but the results were remarkably satisfying. Her cultivation had directly broken through from the early Golden Core stage to the middle stage, and reaching the late stage was just a step away.
A single Sudden Enlightenment was equivalent to several years of cultivation for her.
After her enlightenment, she stabilized her cultivation a bit and then remembered the script that had triggered her enlightenment.
["I want the scripts you sent last time. Right now, all I have suitable for mortals are Great Strength Pills. Do you still want them? In a while, when I gather the herbs, I'll refine other types. Great Strength Pills can be taken repeatedly, but the limit for mortals is three pills. Three is the maximum; taking more would make them unable to withstand the medicinal power, ranging from injuring tendons and breaking meridians to exploding and dying."]
Although Ning Xuan felt her current strength was quite sufficient, she could always trade the pills to others. After all, she had plenty of novels to spare, and exchanging even one pill would be a profit for her.
This time, Ning Xuan traded three novels for three Great Strength Pills.
As for Yun Xi, besides finding the scripts entertaining, she had experienced Sudden Enlightenment because of them and thought she might gain other benefits, so she decided to continue her "unproductive" habit of reading scripts.
Of the three Great Strength Pills, Ning Xuan planned to keep one for herself and give the other two—one to Wang Er Ya and one to Lin Yuhan.
Currently, Lin Yuhan's side had a higher return rate, but the Famine Escape Dimension was the first dimension she had connected to, so it held special significance. She was willing to help Wang Er Ya a bit more.
Meanwhile, Wang Er Ya and her group encountered a band of bandits even more ruthless than the previous mountain bandits, and their numbers were greater.
Due to the disparity in numbers, the leader advised everyone not to act impulsively and to let the bandits take their belongings. However, the bandits weren't satisfied and planned to take everyone back to the mountain. The men would be forced into hard labor or as fighters, the women would be kept for delicate tasks and entertainment, and the children would be used as food.
Hiding at the back of the crowd, Wang Er Ya watched the approaching bandits with despair in her eyes. She had the sharp kitchen knife Ning Xuan had traded her in her Warehouse, but she knew her strength was no match for the bandits, and they were too numerous for her to fight.
Seeing the children's panicked expressions, a bold idea flashed through Wang Er Ya's mind: Could she trade the children over and ask the other party to take care of them?
Since they had traded items back and forth many times before, Wang Er Ya felt the other person was very kind. She just didn't know if the System could trade living beings.
No matter what, it was better than being taken by the bandits to be used as food.
So, while the bandits hadn't reached the back of the crowd yet and everyone's attention was on them, Wang Er Ya quickly sent a trade request to Ning Xuan.
At that moment, Ning Xuan happened to be thinking of trading a Great Strength Pill to Wang Er Ya. Without looking closely at the trade content, she clicked agree and then explained the pill's effects to Wang Er Ya.
Only after sending the message did she realize that Wang Er Ya had traded over two children?!
She didn't know if the Warehouse could store living beings—she had never tried it before. She hurriedly "took out" the children.
Then Ning Xuan nearly gagged from the smell; it was overwhelmingly pungent!
Looking at the two thin, monkey-like children before her—one larger, one smaller—their eyes wide with panic as they stared at her, Ning Xuan had no time to feel relieved that the System could store living beings or that the children were still breathing before a headache set in.
She had seen Wang Er Ya's message entrusting the children to her care, explaining that they had encountered formidable bandits and that their entire group would likely perish that day. In desperation, she had tried to send the children to Ning Xuan through the System.
Ning Xuan felt worried for Wang Er Ya, yet also troubled by her current predicament—there was no way she could accommodate these two children here.
Fortunately, it was her day off again. Xu Jiajia and the others had all gone to the Commune, leaving her alone in the small courtyard.
She first took out some food for Da Niu to eat, then retrieved a bottle to feed Niu Niu.
Only after tasting the familiar food did the two children begin to relax slightly. Niu Niu even narrowed her eyes contentedly as she drank the milk.
After the children finished their milk, Ning Xuan noticed that Wang Er Ya still hadn't replied. Though concerned, there was nothing she could do but hope the Great Strength Pill would be of some help.
Then Ning Xuan could bear it no longer—the two children smelled terribly. She didn't dare take them to the bathing area, afraid that someone might return unexpectedly and she wouldn't have time to hide the children.
Right there in the room, she brought out a plastic basin and warm water from the Warehouse. She stripped the older child first, washed her with clean water, poured the dirty water into another large empty plastic tub she had taken out, then prepared a second basin of water. From the Warehouse, she selected an unscented soap and began lathering the child.
Although Wang Er Ya had applied medicine to both children, their hygiene was so poor that their skin remained repeatedly red and rash-ridden. As Ning Xuan bathed them, her hands trembled uncontrollably.