It wasn’t that she deliberately hid it, but the matter of Pin-Xi-Xi was too mysterious and extraordinary. The more people who knew, the greater the danger.
Su Dabao had always been bold. She picked up the medicine, turning it over and examining it, then pointed at the fine print on the box indicating its functions and indications, saying happily, “Mom, look at what it says here—it can treat wind-cold flu!”
Wang Lihua took the medicine box and examined it carefully. She reached out and patted Su Dabao’s head, then looked at Su Erbao, earnestly warning her two daughters, “You must never tell anyone about this. If it gets out, all three of us will be in danger, understand?”
The sisters nodded in unison, “We understand.”
Su Dabao was already sensible and knew what should and shouldn’t be said. As the owner of Pin-Xi-Xi, Su Erbao naturally understood even better.
Su Dabao immediately stood up, “I’ll go boil water for Mom. Mom, take the medicine and get better quickly.”
After saying this, she turned and went to the kitchen to boil water.
Seeing how exhausted Wang Lihua looked, Su Erbao helped her lie down, “Mom, lie down and rest. I’ll stay right here and watch over you.”
Wang Lihua smiled. If she had been like a flower on the verge of withering before, now she was like a withered tree reviving in spring, radiating vitality.
“Alright, I’ll listen to our Erbao.”
Su Erbao sat on a small stool nearby and opened Pin-Xi-Xi in her mind.
The Pin-Xi-Xi account was from her previous life. The delivery address had changed to [Xi-Xi Storage Space], and [Xi-Xi Wallet] quietly held 999,982 yuan—the 1 million yuan she had saved to buy a house, minus the 18 yuan she had just spent on medicine.
She opened [Xi-Xi Storage Space] and discovered it was a spatial dimension. The introduction section listed the basic information about the storage space.
It was 100 meters long, 100 meters wide, and 5 meters high. Items purchased from Pin-Xi-Xi would be directly delivered to the storage space. She could choose to remove the outer packaging or discard the packaging entirely. Usually, it could be used as a portable space. Time within the storage space was static, meaning items placed inside would remain exactly as they were when taken out, without deteriorating over time.
Using the Xi-Xi Storage Space only required mental operation.
Considering the current situation, Su Erbao quickly placed an order in the System Mall for 200 catties of rice.
It was 1980, and the household responsibility system had already been implemented. The Su family had also divided their property last year.
Old Mrs. Su, using the excuse of living with the eldest branch and not requiring Su Dagui to provide for her, had taken two-thirds of the second branch’s farmland.
But in reality, most of Su Dagui’s salary every month was handed over to Old Mrs. Su, leaving only a small portion for Wang Lihua.
The money Wang Lihua had saved through frugality was all spent on setting up a cenotaph for Su Dagui, leaving her with almost nothing.
That was why, after the eldest branch borrowed the compensation money and refused to return it, she was dragged to her death due to lack of money for medical treatment.
Su Dagui hadn’t actually had an accident at the factory. Otherwise, it would have been impossible to fake his death under everyone’s watchful eyes.
From the flashes of memory before her death, she learned that after Su Dagui climbed the social ladder, he bribed his workshop supervisor. The workshop supervisor “accidentally fell into the water” on his way home, and Su Dagui, despite not knowing how to swim, jumped into the river to save him and was swept away by the current.
The workshop supervisor widely publicized Su Dagui’s “heroic rescue” within the factory. The incident even made it into the newspapers. After unanimous agreement among the factory leaders, they sent Wang Lihua 300 yuan in compensation.
All things considered, the 300 yuan in compensation had been in Wang Lihua’s hands for less than three days.
It was only November, and the family’s food supply was already running low. Su Erbao clearly remembered that when she and her sister were driven out, they had only taken twenty catties of sweet potatoes.
It was thanks to those twenty catties of sweet potatoes that she and her sister survived that bitterly cold winter.
Thinking of that winter, Su Erbao couldn’t help but shiver before continuing to browse through the System Mall.
Her mother was ill and severely depleted, and both she and her sister were malnourished—they needed proper nourishment.
In the System Mall, she bought ten catties of pork ribs and ten pig’s trotters, along with some dried goods for stewing the ribs and trotters, before finally stopping.
Just then, Su Dabao finished boiling water and brought two bowls into the room.
Su Erbao quickly stood up to help, but Su Dabao shook her head, “Little sister, don’t fuss, be careful not to burn yourself. Just sit quietly.”
Unable to argue, Su Erbao could only sit back down.
Noticing that Su Dabao’s cotton trousers were too short, Su Erbao suddenly remembered something. She quickly opened the System Mall and, according to the sizes of the three of them, bought three sets of fleece-lined thermal underwear.
Outer clothes were out of the question, but innerwear wouldn’t draw attention.
After Wang Lihua finished taking her medicine according to the instructions on the box, Su Erbao took out the newly bought thermal underwear from the Storage Space and placed it on the bed. She also took out two pig’s trotters and two catties of kidney beans, setting them on the nearby table.
Seeing these items, Wang Lihua and Su Dabao exchanged a glance before Wang Lihua spoke gently, “Erbao, taking these things… won’t it harm you in any way…”
Su Erbao understood what she meant and knew she was worried. A warm feeling surged in her heart.
She shook her head, “No, Mom, don’t worry.”
By now, Su Dabao was gradually getting used to her sister’s ability to suddenly produce things out of thin air. She picked up the smallest set of thermal underwear, unfolded it, and gently touched the fine fleece lining. “It looks so warm. Mom, put it on quickly. I’ll help little sister get dressed.”
Su Erbao wanted to say she could dress herself, but meeting her sister’s gaze, she couldn’t bring herself to say it. Instead, she obediently nodded, “Okay, sister, help me.”
Even though they knew she had been reborn from her forties, her mother and sister still treated her as a daughter and younger sister who needed care and protection.
Su Erbao lowered her head, her eyes quietly reddening.
On the other side, Liu Xianghua was cursing and grumbling at home. Su Xiuxiu took a clean, damp cloth soaked in water and gently wiped the bloodstains from her face.
Having lived to this age, Liu Xianghua had never suffered such a great loss. The more she thought about it, the angrier she became, wishing she could rush back to the second branch of the family and devour the mother and her two daughters alive.
Old Mrs. Su kept her hands tucked in her sleeves, her eyes half-closed. After listening to Liu Xianghua’s endless cursing, she finally couldn’t take it anymore and spoke up, “Shut up!”
Liu Xianghua glared, about to retort, but Su Xiuxiu discreetly pinched her arm.
“What’s the use of cursing? They won’t give it to you anyway. Instead of wasting your breath here, you’d better think of a way to get the money.”
“You don’t want Xiao Wen to miss his wedding, do you? His job still depends on his father-in-law’s connections.”
Old Mrs. Su couldn’t stand the sight of Liu Xianghua acting like a madwoman and reminded her at the right moment, hoping she would understand the priorities.
Liu Xianghua fumed with indignation, “The factory where Second Brother worked is just too stingy. They could have easily let Xiao Wen take over his position…”
Before she could finish speaking, Old Mrs. Su shot her a sharp, piercing glare like an arrow, forcing the rest of her words back down her throat. Choked by the unspoken retort, her face grew even more sullen.
She hadn’t said anything wrong, after all. Su Wen could very well take over Su Dagui’s position—that way, the family would have another worker entitled to state-supplied rations.