Chapter 44 - 44 33 A Blessing from Heaven

Words : 1434 Updated : Sep 10th, 2025

44: Chapter 33: A Blessing from Heaven 44: Chapter 33: A Blessing from Heaven The scent of chicken soup wafted from the kitchen, and Manbao stopped chatting with Fourth Brother, trailing behind Junior Ms. Qian, squeezing into the kitchen to join the excitement. Zhou SiLang also perked up, with no money to his name, but he could still eat chicken, couldn’t he? Although the rooster looked pitiful when it was brought back, it was a very robust and handsome bird before the cockfight, well-fed and cared for. As a result, it had plenty of meat, and Junior Ms. Qian purposely reserved half of it, planning to make soup for grandmother the next day. So, there was only half a chicken for tonight’s meal. But Manbao was unaware since her portion was never less, regardless of who in the family got less. Junior Ms. Qian first ladled soup for grandmother, picked out a few pieces of meat for her, then gave Manbao a chicken leg, and the other children each got a piece of meat. There wasn’t much left after that. However, when the adults began eating, they didn’t reach for the meat, instead enjoying their radishes with relish. In the end, the last of the chicken naturally filled the bellies of the children, and Zhou SiLang, Wulang, and Liulang ate several pieces, contentedly helping to clear the table, savoring the taste once more. Manbao rarely had the chance to eat chicken. She found it quite delicious tonight and said to Ms. Qian, “Mother, when Manbao has money, I’ll buy you chicken every day.” Ms. Qian chuckled and, patting her little head, said, “Alright, Mother will wait for Manbao’s chicken.” Early to bed, Manbao climbed onto the bed and sneakily entered the system’s built-in space to unwrap candy wrappers. She had promised Fu Wenyun she’d have a hundred candies for her the next day. As she unwrapped, Manbao, growing tired, complained to Keke, “Why must all your candies be wrapped in paper?” The system replied, “There are some that aren’t.” Manbao immediately responded, “What kind are those? Why didn’t you buy that kind?” “Star Interstellar Reviews say those candies aren’t as good as these. I thought you would prefer this kind,” the system explained. “It’s alright; it’s not like I’m the one eating them.” Manbao asked Keke to buy her a bag to try. The system glanced at her points and quickly purchased a large bag for her. Manbao tore open the packaging and found round white candies inside. She tasted one and nodded, “Tasty.” The system said, “There are other colors. Do you want to try them?” Manbao asked, “Do they taste the same?” The system answered, “No, they’re different.” “Then let’s buy some to try,” she decided. Choosing carefully, the system didn’t select candies with particularly bright colors but instead picked shades that were feasible in this world, aiming for better and more even colors than possible here. It knew that the host rarely ate these candies – most were to be sold. The young host didn’t consider safety issues, but the system couldn’t afford to overlook them. Unaware of these considerations, Manbao eyed the three bags of candies that appeared. She tasted one from each and chose the tastiest variety. She aligned them in order and took a hundred from the bag she deemed the least tasty, planning to have Fifth Brother take them to the county town the next day. With tomorrow’s plans settled, Manbao lay back in bed, contentedly curling up in her small quilt to sleep. But elsewhere in the house, things were not so calm; parents were coaxing their children to hand over money. Even the money of Zhou Wulang and Zhou Liulang was forcibly taken by Old Zhou, who took more than half of it. From the original twenty wen, only five were left on hand. This was only because the two brothers had mentioned Old Zhou’s private stash, and Old Zhou had shown leniency, allowing them to keep some. Otherwise, they probably couldn’t have kept a single coin. Old Zhou handed the thirty wen collected from his sons to his wife and whispered, “The children are grown and beyond our control, let them keep a little money on them.” Ms. Qian secured the money and said, “Tomorrow, you take this money and pay off the village chief’s debt first.” Old Zhou agreed with a sound, and Ms. Qian continued, “I heard Old Master Bai is fixing his house. Tomorrow, have Eldest, Two, and Third go take a look. If they get picked, there’s some income to be made. There are lots of expenses in winter, and for the past two years, Manbao has been wearing clothes I altered from my old ones, which aren’t very warm. She’s going to school to study with the teacher, and it’s going to be cold there without charcoal heating. We better get her a new set so she doesn’t catch cold.” Old Zhou grunted in acknowledgement. After discussing the next day’s tasks, Old Zhou went to check on Manbao in the next room. Seeing that she didn’t kick off her covers, he went to bed at ease. Waking up early three days in a row, Manbao had started to develop the habit. As soon as there was a stir outside, she awoke and clambering out of bed, peeked out the window. Seeing her from the courtyard, Junior Ms.Qian exclaimed in surprise, hurrying over to rush Manbao back in, then closing the window and admonishing through the glass, “Lass, it’s cold in the morning. Why are you peering out without dressing properly? What if you catch cold?” Ms. Qian, who was already up, called Manbao from inside, saying, “Stay put under the blanket, soon Mother will dress you.” Manbao stuck out her tongue and snuggled back under the blankets. After getting dressed and freshened up, Manbao quietly found Zhou Wulang, wrapped the candies in a large piece of oil paper, and handed it over to him, whispering, “Don’t tell dad and mom about this.” Otherwise, she couldn’t explain where the candies came from. Zhou Wulang assured her it was no problem. He didn’t want to mention it either; otherwise, the money he earned would be taken away by their father. Zhou Wulang and Zhou Liulang left for the county town without breakfast, while the adults assumed they went to clear land with Zhou SiLang, unaware of their true destination. As for Zhou SiLang, accustomed to his younger brothers’ erratic work habits—fishing for three days and drying nets for two—he understood that when not under the watchful eyes of their father and brothers, they acted just the same. So he carried his hoe to the wasteland himself. Daya, Datou, and other sensible children went along to help. Their assistance was limited to cutting grass and collecting stones, then moving the grass and rocks out to build up a pile. Manbao tagged along, eagerly picking up stones. Just as she was getting into it, the jingling sound from the system rang out. The system announced, “Host, the research on the two plant species recorded yesterday has been completed, and the rewards have been credited. You can check now.” Manbao went to look and saw the numbers had grown significantly. The system’s voice held a hint of excitement as it said, “Two kinds of plants—Wisteria and Azalea—both primitive species, extinct since the Earth Age. However, their genetic blueprints were preserved, allowing the scientists of the Encyclopedia to quickly confirm their names. The recording of these two plants is significant; hence, the Encyclopedia has awarded the host one thousand points at once as a bonus, with an additional three hundred fifty for the Wisteria and three hundred eighty for the Azalea. Please check.” Unable to resist asking, Manbao queried, “Why are these so much? Before this, I dug up so many plants for you, and you gave me only one or two points.” The roseleaf bramble yielded the most, but that too was only fifty points. The system explained, “Points are determined by the Encyclopedia based on value, rarity, and overall significance of the plant. Host, you’re lucky—the two species became extinct during the Earth Age. Scientists at the Encyclopedia have tried to restore these plants using their genetic blueprints but failed. That’s why your recording of these plants is so important.” “Host, you have met the requirements to open the store. Would you like to open the store now?”

Chapter 44 - 44 33 A Blessing from Heaven

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