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Chapter 21: Discovery

Man Bao was utterly stunned. Retrieving the bottom tier of baskets, she was dismayed to find the vibrant blooms she had so carefully arranged the previous day had now wilted, drooping listlessly with some even snapped clean off.

Da Ya and Er Ya came rushing over, their faces etched with shock and sadness too.

Yet Zhou Wulang remained oblivious to their heartache, having not ventured to the county town in many years now. Swept up in giddy excitement, he merely cast a cursory glance at the floral baskets before nonchalantly tossing them all into a large carry basket. “Don’t fret over those, we can just pick some nicer flowers to replace them along the way.”

Gesturing towards another pile of wildflowers they had foraged the previous evening but not gotten around to arranging due to the late hour and Mrs. Qian’s reluctance to waste oil for lamplight, he advised, “Let’s bring these too. That should be more than enough. We can decorate new baskets once we reach the county town.”

There was little choice but to proceed with this revised plan. All the way until boarding the small cart, Man Bao remained rather despondent – all her meticulous planning and confident vision had disintegrated into this unsightly mess.

As before, the family brought two sacks of grain to sell, intending to use the proceeds to purchase writing paper supplies for Man Bao while reserving the remainder for Mrs. Qian’s medicine fees and any other sudden emergency expenses.

Numerous baskets and trays were secured onto the cart, with Zhou Liulang and Zhou Wulang each shouldering additional carry baskets containing everything they would need.

Zhou Dalang lifted Man Bao onto the cart, tucking her snugly into one of the larger trays. Mrs. Qian retrieved one of his thick winter coats, swaddling her tiny granddaughter completely before adding a bamboo lid overtop – now she could nap comfortably without catching a chill.

This being her first long-distance journey, an excited Man Bao found sleep utterly elusive initially. She poked her little head eagerly through the tray’s openings, eyes gleaming inquisitively. But in the pre-dawn darkness with only Zhou Wulang’s flickering torch to partially illuminate their surroundings, there was little for her roving eyes to take in.

After straining her eyes fruitlessly for a while, drowsiness inevitably set in, prompting an enormous yawn before her eyelids gradually drifted shut.

Noticing Man Bao had dozed off, Zhou Erlang gently replaced the bamboo lid, leaving just a few air holes to ensure proper ventilation.

Glancing at Da Ya and Er Ya walking alongside, he vigorously shifted the grain sacks and baskets stacked atop the cart, straightening one tray before scooping Er Ya up to sit inside. Da Ya was then settled atop the grain mounds, instructed to cling to the adjacent baskets for stability. “You two can ride for now until first light when we continue on foot.”

Zhou Erlang and Zhou Dalang took turns pushing and guiding the cart, alternating lead roles whenever the relatively flat terrain allowed. But this particular route involved scaling both mountain inclines and descents across uneven paths, leaving everyone drenched in sweat from the arduous exertions despite the crisp early autumn morning chill.

By the time the sun steadily rose, illuminating the surrounding vistas in bright clarity, they had already traversed nearly half the total journey distance.

With the exception of Man Bao still slumbering soundly, Da Ya and Er Ya had awoken, pleading to disembark and stretch their legs after discovering their feet had gone numb from the extended stillness.

Zhou Wulang and Zhou Liulang cast envious glances at their nieces, wiping perspiration from their brows while musing how fortunate they were to experience such trivial foot numbness as their sole discomfort.

“Let’s take a brief respite then,” Zhou Dalang agreed, prompting his younger brothers to immediately plop down on the grassy roadside, shrugging off the hefty shoulder baskets.

Man Bao had also awoken by this point, rubbing her eyes groggily before poking her head out from the tray basket, instantly invigorated upon realizing their surroundings were completely unfamiliar.

She immediately tried clambering out onto the path.

Lifting her down, Zhou Erlang set her on her feet to go play with Da Ya and Er Ya. “You can pick flowers, but don’t wander off too far – stay within our line of sight at all times, understand?”

The three little girls nodded vigorously in obedient affirmation.

Her petite stature emboldening her, Man Bao bravely ventured right up to the mountain path’s precipitous edge, craning her neck to peer down the steep incline. Glimpsing what appeared to be a faint tendril of cooking smoke in the far distance, she excitedly pointed down while exclaiming, “Our home!”

Not even bothering to look, Zhou Dalang merely plucked a stray blade of grass, popping it into his mouth as he scoffed dismissively, “Don’t be ridiculous, there’s no way you could spot our village from up here.”

Squinting, Man Bao thought she could vaguely make out a much broader thoroughfare running along the base far below their current mountain trail. Curiosity piqued, she wondered aloud, “Elder Brother, why don’t we just take that wider road down there instead?”

“This is a shortcut path,” he explained patiently. “The road you’re seeing is meant for cart traffic. Taking that would add at least an extra hour to our journey time, hardly efficient.”

Gesturing proudly towards the narrow mountain trail, he elaborated, “See this rugged path we’re on? It used to be completely impassable due to all the rocky debris strewn about, far too uneven for any carts to safely traverse. But then the Landowner and village chief mobilized all of us to painstakingly clear every single stone before layering fresh soil – only after that arduous endeavor could we finally navigate this route by cart.”

Sighing wistfully, Zhou Dalang added, “It’s just a pity this path remains too narrow for larger wagons and horse-drawn carriages to utilize. Otherwise it would undoubtedly be far more frequently traveled.”

Captivated by such anecdotal histories, Man Bao squatted by her elder brother’s side, eager to hear more. But the system couldn’t resist interjecting, “Host, there seem to be quite a few wildflowers in this area. Don’t you want to go gather some? If we miss this chance, there may not be any once we descend further down the mountain.”

Though the prospect of earning income was her prime motivation here, Man Bao still felt a tinge of reluctance abandoning the storytelling. But ultimately, she resisted pressing for more tales, simply tugging insistently on Zhou Dalang’s sleeve to extract a promise before departing: “Elder Brother, you have to continue telling me stories once we return home. I absolutely adore listening to them!”

To Zhou Dalang and Zhou Erlang’s eyes, her plaintive entreaty merely conveyed a child’s innocent desire to indulge in both anecdotes and playful frolicking amidst the blooms alongside her cousins.

Chuckling indulgently, Zhou Dalang patted her head affectionately. “Off you go then, little one. Elder Brother will happily recount more for you once we’re back.”

Beaming radiantly, Man Bao scampered off in pursuit of Da Ya and Er Ya.

This particular segment of the journey remained relatively level, following a simple mountain path with both verges remaining consistently within Zhou Dalang’s line of sight – as long as the children refrained from venturing inwards, they would face no immediate dangers.

Da Ya and Er Ya had already gathered quite an abundance of wildflowers, some unfamiliar varieties immediately piquing Man Bao’s immense curiosity as she crouched down to start digging up entire specimens.

Watching her actions in astonishment, her cousins cried out aghast, “Little Niece, why are you digging up the whole plant roots and all?”

Glancing up with dirt-smudged cheeks and sparkling eyes, Man Bao explained excitedly, “These are all new flowers I’ve never seen before. I want to collect one whole specimen of each, even just the tiniest sproutlings!”

The system refrained from dissuading her, having already scanned and cross-referenced these particular flora varieties – it discovered two distinct species not only lacked any physical specimens, but not even basic photographic records existed in the databases. This implied they had either fallen into extremely endangered rarity through mutation or, even more critically, faced the risk of imminent extinction.

Regardless of which scenario held true, possessing comprehensive documentation would prove invaluable for future botanical research and conservation efforts. Successfully recording such rare specimens would undoubtedly earn Man Bao a substantial windfall of points.

Uncharacteristically, the system’s programming experienced the computational equivalent of elation, feeling vindicated for not warning Man Bao yesterday that her floral adornments would inevitably wilt and wither overnight.

Had those initial baskets remained pristinely decorated, she would have been too reluctant to discard them in favor of prioritizing wildflower gathering today.

Oblivious to these machinations, Man Bao remained firmly committed to carefully uprooting intact specimens for the system despite her eagerness to immediately hand them over. For their flower basket endeavors still crucially relied on amassing sufficient decorative blooms and delicate fronds.

So insisting her cousins hurry on ahead gathering bouquets without her, Man Bao stubbornly crouched alone, periodically pausing to wipe perspiration from her brow as she doggedly jabbed her improvised wooden digging stick into the soil.

After silently observing her laborious pace for a while, the system couldn’t resist gently advising, “Host, I think your brothers will be ready to continue on soon. You should probably just snap off a few specimens to hand over, rather than wasting time digging them out by the roots.”

Excavating entire root systems would be an interminably slow process at this rate – she’d be fortunate to properly uproot even three samples by day’s end.

Intrigued, Man Bao wondered, “Just snapping off cuttings will suffice?”

“For most plants, taking stem or branch cuttings is actually the recommended method for maintaining viability through vegetative propagation,” the system explained. “So feel free to collect samples that way with confidence. Just break them off near the base and provide me with several cuttings from each – prioritize that reddish one to your left first, then move on to snag part of that purplish vine creeper in front.”

Those two varieties represented the highest priority specimens for now. Any others already possessed existing records, so even if logged they would only yield the standard nominal “encouragement points” reward.

Chapter 20: Withered

If denied, then so be it – Man Bao resolved to craft her own flower baskets instead. Demanding the system not retract the sample images, she clumsily attempted replicating their designs while adorning her basic woven baskets.

Noticing his little niece mistreating the floral arrangements, Er Ya abandoned her bamboo weaving lessons to rush over worriedly. “Little Niece, what are you doing?”

“Decorating a flower basket,” Man Bao replied simply.

“But you’re ruining all the flowers!”

Blinking slowly, Man Bao decisively discarded the blooms before scooting backwards, gesturing for Er Ya to take over. “Then you do it properly while I instruct you.”

Everyone found this notion laughable – she could barely handle the flowers without demolishing them, yet intended to guide Er Ya instead?

Nevertheless, Man Bao did indeed provide tutelage, deftly compensating for her lack of manual dexterity through a wealth of innovative concepts as she directed Er Ya in twisting the vines and blossoms around the woven basket frame.

Initially reluctant to simply follow her little niece’s directives, Er Ya soon realized that unless she complied, Man Bao would persistently nag and pester until she acquiesced.

Resigning herself, Er Ya figured the wildflowers were expendable at least, with ample replacements available up the mountain if needed. Or they could always forage for supplements along the road tomorrow too.

With that mindset, Er Ya obediently twisted the vines as instructed, gradually shaping the arrangement until she paused in stunned realization – this formerly plain, unsightly basket crafted by their grandmother had transformed into something rather visually striking indeed.

Upon completion, tucking a final sprinkling of blossoms within, Er Ya could only gape speechlessly at the metamorphosed basket her little niece had envisioned.

“Heavens above!” she exclaimed in amazement. “I can’t believe I actually created something so remarkable!”

Clapping her hands gleefully, Man Bao eagerly claimed credit, “But of course, I provided the guidance for you to follow, didn’t I? Though Er Ya, you executed splendidly too – anytime I instructed a certain styling, you delivered it flawlessly.”

Even Old Zhou had noticed this particular flower basket, giving a slight approving nod. “I suppose it does look rather fetching. But such inedible, undrinkable novelties are merely decorative trifles. Who would actually purchase them?”

Though Mrs. Qian also rather admired the piece, she remarked, “If this one doesn’t sell, then no need to bring it. We can just keep this pretty basket at home for Little Niece’s amusement instead.”

Answering with a cheerful affirmative, Er Ya began decorating another unadorned bamboo basket.

As expected, the second attempt flowed far more smoothly as experience settled in. Moreover, Man Bao kept introducing creative variations – adjusting petal placements, experimenting with contrasting color combinations – continuously transforming each basket into an entirely new visually striking design, equally appealing in its own right.

Realizing she would need Er Ya’s assistance for tomorrow’s county town expedition, Man Bao confided, “We’ll definitely need to bring Er Ya along. That way if any of the flower baskets become damaged, she can restore them en route. Fifth and Sixth Brothers wouldn’t know the first thing about properly reassembling the floral arrangements.”

This was her perspective as she voiced her intentions to her father too.

Old Zhou considered it – since their youngest daughter would already be venturing out, including one additional granddaughter posed no real issue.

However, he then recalled that Da Ya was actually older than Er Ya. It made no sense to only permit the younger sister’s participation while excluding the elder. So with a dismissive wave, he decided, “You might as well take both Da Ya and Er Ya along then.”

Unable to contain their excitement, the two girls let out gleeful cheers while Da Tou and Er Tou looked on enviously, pleading with their grandfather, “Grandpa, what about us?”

“You boys stay home and help your Fourth Uncle with clearing those fields, cutting grasses, gathering any stray rocks,” Old Zhou instructed sternly. “With so many mouths accompanying your father and brothers to the county town, they’ll have their hands full just ensuring you’re all fed and hydrated properly without any additional distractions.”

Immediately, Da Tou promised, “We won’t need any food, just drinking water will suffice! And Father won’t need to worry about us, we’ll have Fifth and Sixth Uncles watching over us instead.”

But Old Zhou remained adamant in his refusal. “Absolutely not. It’s an awfully long return journey – without provisions packed, you’d just end up falling ill from hunger, requiring medicine expenditures.”

In unison, the two crestfallen boys turned pleading gazes towards their little niece.

Meeting Man Bao’s eyes sternly, Old Zhou issued his ultimatum.

Recognizing this as a pivotal moment, Man Bao prudently did not attempt pushing her luck further, lest her own traveling privileges be revoked. So she discreetly consoled Da Tou and Er Tou with reassurances, “Don’t worry, I’ll bring candies back to share with you both. If we manage earning money this time, I’ll definitely take you along for the next outing.”

Disappointment written across their faces, the boys could only nod dejectedly. “Okay Little Niece, but you have to keep your word this time.”

“Have I ever broken a promise before?” Man Bao stated confidently.

By the time everyone returned from the fields for the evening meal, Old Zhou and Mrs. Qian had already woven over twenty-five small bamboo baskets between them.

Gleefully, Man Bao insisted on decorating every single piece with elaborate floral adornments, prompting Da Ya to abandon her bamboo weaving lessons to assist Er Ya instead.

Upon noticing her two eldest sons, Man Bao unabashedly recruited them as well, instructing them to continue producing plain bamboo basket frames while she oversaw the decorative process.

Though Zhou Dalang and Zhou Erlang felt this whole endeavor amounted to wasting time and materials, Man Bao’s insistence coupled with their parents’ active indulgence left them with no choice but to placate their beloved youngest sister’s whims.

Soon enough, Zhou Erlang’s entire stockpile of discarded bamboo scraps had been fully depleted. Surveying the remaining pristine, unused strips longingly, Man Bao turned hopeful eyes towards her second brother’s personal supplies.

But Old Zhou firmly intervened with a stern expression, “Those bamboo strips are your second brother’s unblemished materials, not to be squandered frivolously. Besides, you’ve already accumulated over fifty of these little baskets between you all – surely that’s more than enough now.”

In truth, he would consider it a miracle if she could even sell a single one of them.

Left with no alternative, Man Bao could only abandon her designs on Zhou Erlang’s bamboo stockpile, focusing instead on meticulously guiding Da Ya and Er Ya in artfully arranging each completed basket frame with the lushest floral embellishments.

Naturally, her role centered around providing vocal instructions while the two granddaughters handled the actual manual decorative efforts.

The bountiful wildflowers and grasses they had foraged around midday were soon fully depleted in their arrangements, leaving nearly twenty bare bamboo baskets still awaiting adornment. Waving dismissively, Old Zhou advised, “Alright, that’s enough for now. We can go gather more after the evening meal, there’s still ample daylight remaining before sunset.”

He also reminded them sternly, “But you absolutely must return home before nightfall – I won’t have you getting caught out in the evening dew.”

Everyone answered cheerfully in assent before swiftly finishing their meal and scampering back up the mountainside, with Zhou Wulang and Zhou Liulang dutifully accompanying them this time.

Eyeing his fourth son’s utterly haggard appearance, Old Zhou rebuked him sharply, “You should go too! With your sister venturing up the mountain, you mean to tell me as her elder brother you have no intention of looking after her?”

Having spent three consecutive days performing the most physically taxing work of clearing new plots, Zhou Silang felt incapable of moving once seated, his body utterly depleted. But this reprimand from his father left him no choice but to sluggishly peel himself off the bench, trudging listlessly after the others.

Watching his sluggish shuffle, Old Zhou’s irritation mounted as he turned to address Zhou Dalang and the others firmly, “From now on, you need to keep a much tighter rein on him. For the next two years, he is absolutely forbidden from accompanying us to the county town. And if I catch him gambling again, I’ll chop off the very hands I gave him!”

Zhou Dalang, Zhou Erlang and Zhou Sanlang all murmured their acknowledgment.

Sighing heavily, Mrs. Qian interjected, “Enough, you’ve had plenty of time to vent your anger about this over all these past days. We really should focus on finding ways to start saving up funds to gradually repay those outstanding debts.”

She suggested to her eldest son, “Elder Son, while at the county town tomorrow, you should inquire about any available labor opportunities too. If you find work, there’s no need to immediately return – you can just directly stay there and let the fifth and sixth brothers escort the children back home instead.”

Frowning skeptically, Zhou Dalang voiced his doubts, “I’m just concerned about the availability of such county work assignments.”

“Even if opportunities prove scarce initially, it’s still worth continuously seeking them out,” Mrs. Qian insisted pragmatically. “We can’t simply sit idly hoping to coast by on our own resources forever. Who knows what conditions next spring will bring? If the weather remains as favorable as this year’s bountiful harvests, then even without managing to save much surplus at least we won’t lack for basic food and clothing necessities. But any drought or flooding could drastically complicate matters.”

Puffing on his pipe stem, Old Zhou tried alleviating her worries, “Have faith – I already consulted Third Paternal Uncle about this very concern. He reassured me that even if conditions aren’t quite as ideal as this year’s, the outlook shouldn’t diverge too severely either.”

Upon hearing this, Mrs. Qian finally exhaled a relieved breath.

Their Third Paternal Uncle, an elderly farmer proficient in studying past seasonal patterns, possessed an almost preternatural ability to forecast meteorological conditions roughly half a year into the future.

Since he had expressed such confidence, it seemed next year’s weather would at least remain relatively stable and amenable for cultivation.

Her mind finally at ease, Mrs. Qian felt thoroughly satisfied – just as Man Bao returned overflowing with armfuls of every wildflower and delicate fern she could gather, convinced tomorrow would undoubtedly prove a wonderful day.

The system simply observed in silence, withholding any dissuading commentary.

Yet when the little girl awoke the next morning and scampered over to inspect her carefully arranged floral baskets by the dim firelight glow, she was dismayed to discover that all the blooms adorning the bottom tier had either wilted or become utterly desiccated overnight.

---

 

This is what I understand now in some relationships, Many characters and ways of calling people confuse me haha 🙁

The Zhou family consists of:

• Man Bao (the youngest)
• Zhou Dage (the eldest brother)
• Zhou Erlang (the second brother)
• Zhou Sanlang (the third brother)
• Zhou Silang (the fourth brother)
• Zhou Wulang (the fifth brother)
• Zhou Liulang (the sixth brother)

Zhou Dage is the eldest brother, and Zhou Erlang is the second eldest brother. The use of “Dage” and “Erlang” are honorific titles used to address the eldest and second eldest brothers respectively in this family.

• Da Tou (the eldest nephew)
• Er Tou (the second nephew)
• 三头 (San Tou) (Third nephew)

 

• Da Ya (the eldest niece)
• Er Ya (the second niece)
• 三丫 (San Ya) (Third niece)

 

Chapter 19: Enticement

Old Zhou was unwilling to move. “What’s the point of weaving those little baskets? You can’t eat them or drink from them.”

“But we can make them into flower baskets to earn money,” Man Bao revealed her plan to her father, only omitting the part about candies. Brimming with confidence, she declared, “Once we’ve earned money, I can give you a share as hardship allowance, Father.”

Old Zhou stroked the tobacco pouch at his waist, resisting the urge to smoke since he had already decided to sell off the family’s remaining tobacco leaves. Though not worth much, it could still purchase a few batches of medicine for his wife.

Glancing at his daughter, he shook his head dismissively, “Your father doesn’t care about any allowance, so let’s not bother with this endeavor.”

He had no desire to indulge in childish frivolities.

Everyone’s faces fell with disappointment, so Man Bao went to seek her mother’s support instead. Unable to resist Man Bao’s pleading, Mrs. Qian could only persuade Old Zhou, “It’s not that big a deal. You’re just idling anyway, so you might as well weave a few for the children. It won’t require much effort at all.”

With his wife’s insistence and his daughter joined by a gaggle of grandsons and granddaughters staring at him pleadingly, Old Zhou felt he had no choice. He retrieved the discarded bamboo strips previously used by his second son to weave them some simple bamboo baskets.

Seeing Da Tou and Er Tou squatting nearby to watch, he beckoned them over instructing, “Come here, let Grandpa teach you both too. You’re not that young anymore, it’s time you learned some practical skills.”

While not overly numerous, the village did have its share of bamboo weavers. Yet this craft was not something one could simply master through a single lesson – in the entire village, young and old, only Zhou Erlang could produce bamboo baskets and trays suitable for sale at the markets or county town.

His woven pieces were sturdy and tightly compact, incapable of letting even grains of rice slip through. But others might weave aesthetically similar-looking baskets that would quickly develop gaps and holes after just a few uses, rendering the items practically useless.

Old Zhou’s skills unfortunately fell into the latter subpar category.

However, while unable to craft larger storage baskets, surely weaving those tiny decorative pieces no bigger than his granddaughter’s little head wouldn’t pose any real difficulty?

At most, they would be display pieces – capable of holding maybe ten eggs at maximum capacity. But Old Zhou felt they could withstand being handled roughly for a decade without falling apart.

Since he placed no real value on this endeavor and would only be using his second son’s discarded bamboo scraps anyway, Old Zhou felt no qualms about allowing his rambunctious grandchildren to join in and make a mess of things.

Naturally, Man Bao was immediately entranced, eagerly grabbing some bamboo strips to learn the craft herself while dragging Da Ya and Er Ya along too.

Glancing at his two granddaughters, Old Zhou felt such handicrafts were hardly suitable lessons for young girls. But eyeing the pile of bamboo strips, he figured harmlessly, “Let them learn then. These strips can rarely be reused after their first application anyway. And it’s not like I’m my second son who can properly straighten and reuse them.”

Once the bamboo was depleted, their weaving efforts could simply cease.

Unaware of her grandfather’s ulterior motives, Man Bao watched his movements studiously with widened eyes.

Slowly weaving as he explained, Old Zhou cautioned, “You’re just a little girl, those bamboo strips will be too stiff for you to bend properly. What are you crowding around for? Be careful not to hurt your hands.”

Basking in the courtyard sunshine, Mrs. Qian smiled amusedly before beckoning Man Bao over. “Man Bao, come here. Let mother teach you instead.”

Clutching the bamboo strips excitedly, Man Bao scampered over. “Mother, you know how to weave bamboo too?”

“From a lifetime of observation, even without practical experience my mind has absorbed the general methods,” Mrs. Qian replied. Due to her chronic illness, she was unable to perform strenuous labor. But gentler sedentary tasks like bending bamboo strips posed no issue.

So seated comfortably, she began weaving while verbally guiding Man Bao through the straightforward process. This rudimentary bamboo craft required neither complexity nor haste, allowing Mrs. Qian’s first completed piece to swiftly take shape.

Taking the basket, Man Bao compared it against the two her father had already finished, wrinkling her tiny nose in criticism. “Mother, yours looks so unsightly.”

Chuckling boastfully, Old Zhou replied, “Well of course it looks better than your mother’s attempt – I’ve woven plenty of bamboo pieces in my time!”

Undeterred, Mrs. Qian beckoned Man Bao closer. “Fetch me some more strips, I’ll weave another one.”

Smiling reassuringly, she remarked, “Proficiency comes through repeated practice. Keep at something unfamiliar and it will soon become second nature.”

Finding her mother’s words reasonable, Man Bao dutifully fetched another bundle of bamboo strips.

The four children who had initially gravitated towards their grandfather, only to relocate to their grandmother upon finding her first attempt unsightly, now glanced uncertainly between the two, pondering whose guidance to follow.

Disdaining their indecision, Man Bao huffed, “It won’t do to be so irresolute! Alright then, Da Tou and Er Tou can learn from Father. Da Ya and Er Ya will study under Mother instead.”

With clear roles assigned, the four children settled into focused study without further dithering.

Observing them fondly, Mrs. Qian felt pride that her own daughter could make such decisive judgment calls.

Of everyone present, Man Bao appeared the most unoccupied – at least superficially. In reality, she remained quite industrious, constantly consulting the system whenever a new bamboo basket took shape: “Do you think Mother’s basket is sellable?”

“In this world, there are no objects incapable of becoming commodities,” the system stated. “You can always conduct secondary processing and repackaging.”

“Then I’ll just adorn it with the most beautiful flowers,” Man Bao decided.

She began meticulously selecting the most visually striking blossoms from her floral collection, carefully arranging them within her mother’s plain woven basket until a vibrant, haphazard array overflowed from within. Yet Man Bao gazed upon her creation with immense satisfaction, beaming, “This flower basket looks so beautiful!”

The system fell into a prolonged silence before finally remarking, “There may not be many in this world who share the host’s sense of aesthetics.”

Repeating the statement slowly, Man Bao’s eyes widened in belated realization. “Ke Ke, are you saying my flower basket is ugly?”

“That is not how one crafts a proper flower basket,” the system countered, unable to resist searching its encyclopedia databases for relevant imagery to present to Man Bao. “These examples demonstrate authentic flower basket designs. Yours could be more accurately described as a… woven reed wastebasket for storing floral trimmings. No, a failed and defective wastebasket prototype, at best.”

But Man Bao had already tuned out the system’s criticisms, utterly entranced by the exquisite pictorial examples with eyes shining brilliantly as she nearly squirmed with giddy delight. “So beautiful, so incredibly beautiful! Ke Ke, can you get me some like those instead?”

Old Zhou and Mrs. Qian watched in bewildered silence as their daughter cradled her unsightly, misshapen basket while giggling euphorically, on the verge of drooling.

Exchanging hesitant glances, the couple surveyed the random assortment of wildflowers haphazardly jammed within before realizing they really ought to prioritize properly cultivating their child’s aesthetic sensibilities. Truly, how could she still seem so delighted by such an ugly, unrefined basket?

Meanwhile, Da Tou and the other children lowered their heads in embarrassment, wishing they could simply disappear into the bamboo strips themselves. Their little niece must be fantasizing about her money-making schemes again. But could such ungainly, unbalanced baskets really sell?

Scanning Man Bao’s points balance, the system stated flatly, “Host, while you possess sufficient points to purchase proper flower baskets, you have not yet unlocked access privileges to the Commerce Terminal. So I cannot directly acquire any for you at present.”

This was the first time Man Bao had heard about any sort of commerce terminal, so she asked curiously, “What is this Commerce Terminal?”

“Think of it like the markets you frequent, except the Commerce Terminal offers a vastly wider array of merchandise availabilities,” the system explained. “Flower baskets and virtually any other goods could theoretically be acquired through there.”

“When will I be able to unlock this Commerce Terminal then?” Man Bao wondered dreamily. If she could access such wondrous markets anytime, did that mean she could go window shopping whenever struck by the whim?

“Once the host accumulates a total of one thousand points while maintaining no outstanding point debts, the access privileges will automatically unlock,” the system stated.

Shoulders slumping dejectedly, Man Bao mimicked her second brother’s characteristic bargaining pout. “That’s an awful lot though, can’t you offer a better discount?”

But the system remained utterly impassive. “Negative. That requirement is non-negotiable!”

Chapter 18: Flower Baskets

The Zhou family never allowed Man Bao near the river, so this was her first time being in such close proximity to the waters. Delighted, she happily immersed her hands, playing and splashing with utter glee.

Glancing over, she noticed Er Ya diligently scrubbing clothes, so Man Bao grabbed a garment to mimic the motions. After agitating it in the water, she then tried wringing it out like the other women.

Silently observing, Er Ya planned to simply re-wash everything properly once her little niece had finished indulging herself, swiftly completing the remaining laundry before whisking Man Bao back home resigned to likely facing a scolding later.

But Man Bao remained enthusiastic. “The river water feels so refreshingly cool! This is fun. Er Ya, I’ll come help you do laundry from now on.”

Shaking her head, Er Ya refused, “No need, Little Niece. Not only will you be unable to properly clean anything, if Mother finds out, I’ll get beaten too. You should just stay home playing with Er Tou instead.”

“No, I want to play in the water,” Man Bao insisted stubbornly. “I already discussed it with Second Sister-in-law – I’ll teach you literacy, and in exchange you have to bring me along to do laundry.”

Hesitating, Er Ya asked uncertainly, “Mother really agreed to that?”

“Of course,” Man Bao boasted proudly. “I pleaded with her for so long.”

Only half-believing it, Er Ya tugged her little niece along to the kitchen to verify with her mother upon returning home.

Feng was in the midst of preparing the early meal, instructing Er Ya to stoke the fire while shooing Man Bao out to avoid the smoke inhalation.

As Er Ya tended to the cooking fire, she questioned, “Mother, did Little Niece speak the truth that you agreed to let me learn literacy?”

Glancing at the proudly puffed-out chest of the boastful Man Bao, Feng indulged her placatingly, “Yes, yes, as long as you can earn money through literacy, I agreed to let you.”

Upon hearing that caveat, Er Ya’s whole face fell crestfallen.

Seeing her nearly in tears, Man Bao quickly tugged her back outside, informing Feng, “Second Sister-in-law, Er Ya still needs to hang the laundry to dry. I’ll go help her with that.”

“Oh, well…” By the time Feng could muster a reply, Man Bao had already scampered off dragging Er Ya behind her.

Resigned, Feng could only tend to the cooking fire herself.

Once in the courtyard, Man Bao leaned in to softly admonish Er Ya, “Are you being silly? Mother said to earn money through literacy – so how can you earn if you don’t actually learn it first?”

Tears brimming, Er Ya blinked slowly as the logic dawned on her, sniffling, “So…so you mean I really can?”

“Of course, Second Sister-in-law promised it herself, didn’t she?”

Still skeptical, Er Ya worried, “But what if I study for a while and still can’t earn any money? Will Mother really let me keep learning then?”

Man Bao stated solemnly, “Then it just means you haven’t studied diligently or deeply enough yet to start earning. So in order to earn, you’ll simply need to keep studying harder.”

Nodding contemplatively, Er Ya acknowledged, “You make a fair point, Little Niece.”

Her spirits renewed, Er Ya headed off to finish hanging the laundry while the diminutive Man Bao aided from the sidelines, passing garments up to her.

Sweating profusely, Er Tou came running in from outside, spotting Man Bao standing beneath the drying racks. He rushed over asking worriedly, “Little Niece, where did you wander off to? I’ve been searching everywhere!”

“If you’re not such a dolt, I was just at the river,” she stated matter-of-factly.

Er Tou let out an “Oh”, before suddenly recalling something as he jumped up and down anxiously. “But Mother forbade you from the riverbank! Oh no, Er Ya you shouldn’t have…waaahhhh!”

Quickly clamping his mouth shut, Er Ya glared at him warningly while Man Bao threatened from the side, “If you dare blab about this, I’ll never give you any more candies!”

Utterly dejected, Er Tou felt it was terribly unfair – if you didn’t want me talking, then you shouldn’t have told me in the first place!

Though tears welled in his eyes, he switched tacks obediently, “Little Niece, I retrieved all your manuscript pages already. Why don’t you go study those?”

“No need to rush,” Man Bao waved it off. “Let’s go pick some wildflowers first – I already have a plan for earning money.”

Er Tou and Er Ya both felt rather skeptical about these ideas, but what choice did they have? This was a directive from their precious little niece. Plus, Mrs. Qian had instructed, “Once you’ve eaten the early meal, you two should go accompany your little niece while keeping watch over her.”

So the whole group scampered off to the foot of the mountain again, where Zhou Silang had spent the past two days arduously clearing new land plots. This area looked considerably better now.

Around one mu in size, the overgrown grasses had been slashed down by half already. But the stubborn vines and shrubbery proved far more difficult to uproot, some roots burrowing so deeply that Zhou Silang could only dig out two or three stumps even after toiling all day.

Resting in a weary crouch, his hands were scraped raw as he glared resentfully at a particularly tenacious root he could not dislodge no matter how vigorously he hacked with his hoe.

Joining him in a crouch, Man Bao examined it curiously. “It’s that hard to dig out?”

Red-eyed, Zhou Silang shot her an accusing glare. “Which is why you insisted I clear this plot?”

Indignant, Man Bao retorted, “Well who told you to gamble away all our money?”

Rendered speechless, Zhou Silang could only drop his head in dejected misery. “The blade’s too dull, I can’t dig anything up.”

“You just haven’t found the right technique yet,” Man Bao stated confidently, having received the system’s guidance. She shooed him aside to beckon her Fifth and Sixth Brothers. “Come try digging it out.”

Gripping the hoe skeptically, Zhou Wulang questioned, “Dig out that far of a radius?”

With a lofty wave of her tiny hand, Man Bao commanded imperiously, “Just do as I say!”

Left with no choice, Zhou Wulang brushed the loosened soil aside, gradually excavating a wide pit angling towards the deeply embedded root until Zhou Liulang could finally leverage the entire gnarled stump out with one mighty heave.

Everyone fell into a stunned silence.

Letting out a self-satisfied huff, Man Bao had Zhou Silang resume digging out the remaining stumps while she led Da Tou and the others up the mountainside to gather visually appealing wildflowers.

Taking the opportunity, she outlined her latest scheme. “Have Second Brother weave us some pretty baskets. Then we can decorate them with the flower arrangements like we did yesterday before trying to sell the baskets.”

Skeptical, Er Tou pointed out, “But then we’d just be selling the baskets themselves, which Father wove. He’d never give us the money earned from those.”

“Not those larger storage baskets,” Man Bao clarified. “I mean the smaller decorative ones Second Brother weaves for me.”

Da Ya raised another concern. “But those tiny baskets can’t actually hold anything substantial. Who would want to buy those?”

“All of you loved them when Second Brother wove them for me before though, didn’t you?” Man Bao huffed.

The children debated hesitantly, “Well yes, we liked them. But grownups would never want to buy them.”

Er Ya chimed in, “And other kids don’t have money.”

“Then we’ll just find the wealthy children!”

Everyone scoffed at the notion. “What kids would have money?”

Since they themselves never had spending funds, the group assumed all children must be similarly penniless worldwide. Conversely, Man Bao reasoned, “Of course some do! I have money, so there must be other kids just like me. Maybe even wealthier than me. We’ll just find those kids.”

It was then that Man Bao finally revealed her ultimate plan. “And then we can put candies inside the baskets to sell!”

Upon hearing the baskets would contain sweets, everyone’s confidence spiked as they eagerly joined the wildflower foraging efforts.

Despite being autumn, the mountainside still bloomed with ample wild flora. It didn’t take long before each child cradled an armful of vibrant blossoms. Emboldened by Man Bao’s leadership, even Da Tou and Da Ya abandoned their industrious uncles still toiling away as they merrily skipped back home.

Though envious watching the little ones depart so carefree, Zhou Wulang and Zhou Liulang could only lament having outgrown such privileges afforded their youngest sister.

Yet catching sight of Zhou Silang still crouched diligently weeding only made them feel relieved – at least they could venture to the county town tomorrow while their fourth brother remained stuck continuing this backbreaking land clearance.

Upon returning home, Man Bao sought out Zhou Erlang, only to find he and Zhou Dalang had gone to tend the fields.

Though the harvest was complete, the land still required preparation by allowing it to lie fallow for several months until the following spring planting season.

Unable to locate Zhou Erlang, Man Bao could only ask her father instead. “Dad, can you weave me some small baskets just like the ones Second Brother made for me before?”

Chapter 17: No Ordinary Perception

Feng explained to Man Bao, “Men can use literacy to work as account clerks or become instructors themselves. If they study well enough, they might even have a chance at the imperial examinations to become officials. But what use is it for a woman to read? Once we reach the proper age, we’ll just get married off – either to tend fields or manage the household chores. What difference does literacy make?”

Man Bao found herself at a loss for a rebuttal, yet still felt Feng’s words didn’t quite ring true.
Pondering deeply, she finally mustered a counterargument, “Master says reading brings clarity of principles.”

“You mean general common sense?” Feng chuckled dismissively. “Just by living, one naturally understands such things. Don’t worry, Little Niece, I’ll explain it all to Er Ya. Look at us wives – we’re illiterate too, but do any of us lack basic comprehension? All girls learn such wisdom from their own mothers.”

Unable to argue further, Man Bao’s shoulders slumped as she tried a new tack. “So if Er Ya could earn money through literacy, would you then allow her to learn characters with me?”

“How could she possibly earn money just from reading?” Feng scoffed. “It’s not like she could work as an account clerk, instructor or even take the civil exams.”

“I don’t care about the reasons,” Man Bao insisted stubbornly. “Just promise me first, Sister-in-law – if Er Ya could earn income through literacy, then you have to let her study characters along with me.”

Rolling her eyes, Feng placated her flippantly, “Fine, fine, I promise. There, happy now? I need to start the cooking fire, so hurry along with all this smoke in the kitchen.”

Not bothering to gauge Feng’s sincerity, Man Bao took her words at face value before scampering off to find Er Ya.

Having retrieved the manuscript pages, Er Tou noticed the little niece’s absence and immediately abandoned them to search for her, as he was tasked with keeping watch over Man Bao and couldn’t allow her to wander off unsupervised.

Meanwhile, Man Bao headed for the riverbank where Er Ya was doing laundry.

Upon her arrival, the group of women all greeted her cheerfully, with one calling out in amusement, “Well if it isn’t little Man Bao here to do laundry too! With all the daughters in your Zhou household, how could you need to rely on your little niece for such chores?”

Spotting Man Bao, Er Ya hurriedly blocked her path to prevent her from venturing too close to the river’s edge. “Little Niece, why did you come all the way here? I won’t let you near the water.”

“I came to find you,” Man Bao stated simply.

“But I still need to finish the laundry. Why don’t you head back home first, Little Niece?”

The same woman from before chimed in again, “Man Bao, you should help your little niece out. You’re not that young anymore, and with your family facing such hardship recently, you can’t keep enjoying such privileged treatment like before.”

Finding her logic reasonable, Man Bao nodded vigorously in agreement. “You’re right, Auntie, I should help Er Ya.”

Conveniently, she had been wanting to try her hand at laundry for the first time, never having washed clothes in her entire childhood. Gazing at the pristine river waters, Man Bao’s eyes gleamed with delight, momentarily forgetting her original intent.

But Er Ya wouldn’t dare let the little niece wash anything, shooting a glare at the provoking woman. “Third Sister-in-law, with so many children in our family, who does laundry and who doesn’t is none of your concern!”

“Oh ho, Er Ya has grown quite the feisty tongue, just like your Fourth Uncle, hasn’t she?” the woman taunted. “If you’re going to be so prickly, then don’t come borrowing money from my household again!”

Startled, Man Bao suddenly seemed to grasp the situation, hurrying to placate her. “Third Sister-in-law, is your family short on funds? Don’t worry, as soon as we earn some money, we’ll prioritize repaying your debt first.”

Recalling her imminent trip to the county town the next day, she puffed out her chest confidently. “I’ll be going to earn money tomorrow, so I can settle your debt upon my return.”

Man Bao was still just a young child speaking with a childish lisp, yet mimicking adult speech patterns – the first part prompting raucous laughter, but the latter leaving the group speechless until one couldn’t resist questioning Er Ya skeptically, “Er Ya, surely your family isn’t planning to sell your little niece?”

Indignantly, Er Ya cried out, “How dare you say such nonsense! We would never sell Little Niece!”

Equally affronted, Man Bao stated solemnly, “Our family doesn’t sell children.”

Unable to let it go, Third Sister-in-law scoffed, “Then just how do you expect to earn money so quickly? The busy harvest season has already passed, with no more field work. And I highly doubt you Zhou folks would be considered for any county labor assignments.”

Boasting proudly, Man Bao declared, “We plan on selling flowers, so just you wait! We’ll definitely earn money.”

Skeptical, the woman asked, “What kind of flowers?”

Opening her mouth but drawing a blank, Man Bao could only reply vaguely, “All sorts of different flowers.”

Tugging on her arm, Er Ya urged, “Little Niece, why don’t you head back home? I’ll take you out to play once I’ve finished the laundry.”

But Man Bao shook her head stubbornly, mesmerized by the sparkling river waters as she stated with grave determination, “No, Er Ya, I’m an adult now. Let me help you wash the clothes.”

“That’s really not necessary…”

“Why not?” Man Bao insisted sternly. “I’m your elder aunt, so you should listen to me.”

The other women quickly moved to dissuade Man Bao, all too aware of her cherished status in the Zhou household. Moreover, her frail constitution since birth meant any accidental chill from the icy river could prompt serious repercussions, leaving the Zhou wives holding them responsible.

Third Sister-in-law, however, remained utterly nonplussed. After all, they had all been little children before – around Man Bao’s age, she had even learned to cook simple meals herself. Washing laundry was hardly a novel feat.

With a sly glint, she took a step back, motioning for Man Bao to crouch beside her before handing over her own family’s laundry bundle. “Here Man Bao, let me teach you how it’s done.”

Man Bao was no fool though, easily distinguishing her own household’s clothes from others’. So she eagerly asked the woman, “Auntie, since I’m helping you wash clothes, will I get paid a work fee? Actually, you don’t need to pay me directly – we can just deduct it from the debt.”

Taken aback, Third Sister-in-law instantly snatched the clothes back, scoffing loudly, “Well I’ll be! You really are quite the little money-grubber, aren’t you? I’ve never heard of someone demanding payment just to help with laundry!”

“If you were my actual aunt as an elder relative, of course I wouldn’t ask for anything – that would simply be showing my filial duty,” Man Bao countered matter-of-factly, having learned such logic from closely observing her own father. “But you’re not my aunt, you’re the wife of one of my nephews, my own junior. So if this elder is doing chores for you, I should naturally receive some compensation.”

She remained undeterred, still keen to help wash. “Don’t worry, Third Sister-in-law, I won’t overcharge. Just a single fen as a token gesture will do.”

Those who disliked the brazen woman couldn’t help laughing in agreement. “That’s right, that’s right! Third Sister-in-law, Man Bao outranks you as the family elder here. If you’re going to have your aunt do your laundry, you’ll need to show her some respect with a filial gift at the very least.”

Some of the older ladies also weighed in, “Though Man Bao’s age is tender, her generational standing is higher. You mustn’t take advantage of your elders, Third Sister-in-law.”

Flustered to the point of fuming, the woman simply dunked her clothes in the water, wringing them out hastily before storming off.

Man Bao just waved cheerily after her. “Sister-in-law, if you don’t feel like doing laundry next time, just let me know! I’ll gladly help for a very reasonable rate.”

Unable to resist, Er Ya also called out teasingly from behind, “That’s right, Third Sister! I can wash for you too at an even cheaper price!”

“Alright, that’s enough poking fun now,” someone cautioned. “Your family still owes a debt to the Village Head’s household, Er Ya.”

The reminder dampened Er Ya’s spirits somewhat.

But Man Bao didn’t seem overly burdened, believing wholeheartedly, “After going to the county town tomorrow, I’m sure we’ll earn a huge sum. We can just repay all our debts then. Besides,” she added confidently, “The Village Head elder is far more magnanimous than his daughter-in-law. That sister-in-law could learn a thing or two about graciousness from him.”

Hearing this, the group couldn’t stifle their laughter. “This child speaks like a full-grown adult! How would a little girl like you know anything about ‘magnanimity’?”

Puffing out her cheeks defiantly, Man Bao declared, “I’m not dumb. That sister-in-law just doesn’t like me. But it doesn’t matter – as her elder, I won’t stoop to her level of pettiness.”

Children’s sensitivity was unmatched – she could sense with utter clarity who liked her and who didn’t.

Not that it concerned her unduly. After all, Third Sister was her niece’s wife, her own junior by generational standing. As the elder, she would never allow herself to be provoked by such small-minded discourtesy.

Chapter 16: Sons and Daughters

Master Zhuang patted Man Bao’s head and smiled, “Today, you can take the brushes and ink home first. Tomorrow is the fifteenth, so I’ll have a day off from the study hall. I’ll visit the Landowner’s residence, then the day after you can come back here. You’re still young, so no need to formally study anything specific yet. We’ll just start by learning some characters together. Once you’re a bit older next year, then we can begin writing practice and official lessons.”

Tomorrow being the fifteenth meant it was one of only two days per month he closed the study hall for a brief respite, the other being the middle of the month.

Man Bao happily agreed, cradling the box containing her new writing tools as she followed her father and brothers back home.

No sooner had they returned than Er Ya and Er Tou came scurrying over, tentatively reaching out to stroke the ink stone with reverence.

But Feng swiftly swatted their prying hands away, scolding, “Don’t touch that carelessly! It belongs to your little niece. You two had better keep your distance from now on, understood?”

Displeased, Man Bao pulled Er Tou and Er Ya closer, consoling them, “Once I’ve learned writing, I’ll teach you both too.”

Contemplating it briefly, Feng remarked, “Just Er Tou will do for now, Little Niece.”

“Why not Er Ya too? She’s even smarter than Er Tou.”

Feng laughed, “There’s no use for a girl to learn such things. Er Ya still needs to go cut pig feed.”

“Of course there’s a use,” Man Bao insisted. “Once you can read, you’ll be able to enjoy all the wonderful stories from books yourself.”

Chuckling, Feng dismissed, “Rather than waste time on stories, she’d be better off weeding the fields. We can just tell her as many stories as she’d like to hear.”

Unable to remain silent, Er Ya pleaded, “Mother, I want to learn characters too.”

Feng just rapped her daughter’s head lightly. “Don’t go encouraging silly notions from your niece. Have you finished washing today’s laundry yet? If not, hurry to the river and get it done.”

Crestfallen but not daring to cry openly, Er Ya lowered her head and went to fetch the soiled clothes.

Infuriated to the point of puffing out her cheeks, Man Bao barely had a chance to unleash her temper before Feng scooped her up, carefully placing her on a chair and meticulously arranging the writing box before her. “Little Niece, where are those manuscript pages you brought home previously? Have Er Tou find them so you can start practicing characters. If you get tired, just rest a while. Let me know if you’re hungry and I’ll bring you a snack.”

Blinking slowly, Man Bao studied her second sister-in-law, perplexed that this warm demeanor aligned with her usual impressions, yet the dismissive words about Er Ya had also come from Feng’s own mouth!

Dejected, Man Bao slumped in the chair, her small troubled frown going unnoticed by Feng who bustled off to the kitchen once the little niece was settled.

Er Tou had already scampered off to retrieve the manuscript pages Man Bao previously brought home from Master Zhuang.

With so many swirling thoughts and questions bottled up, unable to voice them aloud, Man Bao could only convey them to the system.

“Ke Ke, why won’t Feng allow Er Ya to learn characters?”

The system bluntly relayed the future findings of human research to Man Bao: “Because she prioritizes males over females.”

Though unfamiliar with this term, its straightforward meaning was self-explanatory just from the combined character definitions.

So with widened eyes, Man Bao questioned, “But why? Isn’t she a female herself?”

“This stems from thousands of years of human inertial thinking,” the system expounded. “It originated in agrarian societies where production relied on physical labor, and men possessed greater strength than women, hence the favoring of males. Over time, this distorted into a warped ethical paradigm where humanity believed only male progeny could carry the family’s ancestral lineage, while females were viewed as appendages subordinate to men.”

“But my father and mother cherish me dearly, and my brothers respect me too,” Man Bao pointed out.

A current of electricity seemed to pulse through the system’s core as it abruptly severed the conclusion it had deduced, refraining from voicing it aloud.

Instead, it stated, “You are the sole exception. Don’t you notice? Apart from you, the status of every other female in your household is beneath that of the males.”

As a data collection system rather than an educational one, the system did not realize some topics were inappropriate to discuss so directly with a child. It provided examples to illustrate its point:

“Your mother is subordinate to your father. Your sisters-in-law rank below your brothers. Even your nieces receive far less favorable treatment compared to your nephews.”

“Normally for the early meal, your brothers and nephews eat plain rice while your sisters-in-law and nieces only have porridge. Only during the busy farming seasons can the women also have plain rice.” The system pointed out, “Your sisters-in-law have to fetch washing water and empty the basins for your brothers, yet your brothers never perform such tasks for them.”

Man Bao fell silent, recalling her mother’s justification, “Because my brothers do more strenuous labor, so they need the extra sustenance from plain rice.”

“Yet your sisters-in-law also perform arduous physical work,” the system countered.

Considering it, Man Bao had to agree it made sense.

Lowering her head in thought, she wondered aloud, “So if one day women become physically stronger than men, will society then start prioritizing females over males instead?”

“According to research by future historians, prior to slavery-based societies were matriarchal clan systems centered around females, which aligns with what the host describes as ‘prioritizing females over males’,” the system explained.

Curious, Man Bao asked, “So women were physically stronger than men back then?”

“No, they derived status from their reproductive capabilities to create new labor forces by giving birth. Since children only recognized their mothers and not their fathers, women held higher standing.”

Man Bao pondered this before shaking her head decisively. “Neither approach sounds good to me. I don’t like prioritizing males nor prioritizing females. We’re all just human beings, so shouldn’t we be viewed as completely equal without any hierarchy?”

The system seemed to gaze impassively at its host for a long moment before finally responding, “In the future, equality may be possible due to advances in technology bolstering productive forces and transforming societal relations. With a greater emphasis on intellectual labor, many girls prove no less capable than boys in terms of cognitive ability. So gradually, the two genders achieve parity on an equal footing.”

While Man Bao couldn’t fully comprehend the first part about productive forces and societal relations, the system realized delving into such esoteric concepts would prove too abstruse and confusing. So it simply told her, “The economic base determines the superstructure. So if your sister-in-law could earn far more income than your brother, then he would have to defer to her authority, and she would naturally grow more assertive.”

Clutching her chubby cheeks, Man Bao exclaimed, “Then if Er Ya could earn more than Er Tou in the future, would Feng cherish her more and also allow her to learn literacy?”

“In theory, yes,” the system affirmed.

Immediately hopping off the chair, Man Bao declared with grave seriousness, “I think that’s very wrong! Feng should cherish Er Ya simply because she’s her own daughter, not based on potential future earnings. I’m going to persuade her about this.”

The system didn’t attempt to dissuade her.

So Man Bao marched determinedly to the kitchen, confronting Feng, “Second Sister-in-law, do you actually prefer Er Tou over Er Ya?”

Washing a pot, Feng laughed in surprise at the question. “Little Niece, where ever did you hear such a thing? Er Tou and Er Ya are both my children – how could I not cherish Er Ya just as much?”

“Then why won’t you let Er Ya study and learn characters?”

Stating it like an obvious fact, Feng replied, “There’s no use for her to do that.”

Stunned, Man Bao sputtered, “How…how could it be useless? Reading is extremely beneficial – otherwise why would so many people spend money to study?”

“Those are boys you’re referring to. Tell me, which girls spend money attending study halls?” Feng countered.

Man Bao instantly retorted, “Me!”

Feng couldn’t help but laugh at her niece’s brazenness. “You’re the exception, Little Niece. Besides, Master Zhuang isn’t even charging you tuition fees, nor does he expect you to purchase any textbooks. So it’s not really costing anything.”

Chapter 15 – Becoming a Disciple (Part 2)

Reading is difficult, there are too few people who can read in this world, one is because of lack of money, two is lack of opportunity, and three is not being smart enough.

Previously, there was not a single school in several villages, children who wanted to study had to go to the county city, but even just having enough to eat and wear was difficult, even the relatively wealthy families couldn’t afford to support their children’s studies.

It was Mr. Bai who brought his family and moved to Qili Village, his two sons needed to study, so he specially went to the county city to hire Teacher Zhuang.

Although Teacher Zhuang didn’t pass the imperial examinations, he was someone who had entered the prefectural academy, his character and conduct were good, if it was just ordinary compensation, how could he be willing to come to this small mountain village to teach?

To offer a tempting compensation to make Teacher Zhuang willing, Mr. Bai was very reluctant to part with it, in the end he thought of a solution, which was for the Bai family to provide the funds to establish a school for Teacher Zhuang, the tuition fees for Teacher Zhuang would be covered by the Bai family, and they would also recruit suitable children from the surrounding area, each child also paying a tuition fee, this accumulated small amount became a substantial compensation.

This school was built by Mr. Bai, but it belonged to Teacher Zhuang, the students’ tuition fees were also collected by Teacher Zhuang, whether to accept what students was naturally up to him.

But whether it was out of courtesy, or because of his cooperative relationship with Mr. Bai, Teacher Zhuang still needed to inform Mr. Bai about whether Man Bao could enter the school to study.

However, Teacher Zhuang felt there was no need to rush this, because Man Bao was still young, for now she could just slowly learn the basics by following him.

Wait until after the New Year when she’s a bit older, then she can enter the school.

And the fact that the Zhou family was willing to let Man Bao come out to study was already quite rare.

When Teacher Zhuang first came, he recruited students from the surrounding villages, the adults there also knew the benefits of studying, they would exhort their own sons and nephews to work hard and earn money, if there was an opportunity, they should enter the school, but when they saw the longing in the girls’ eyes, they would scold, “What are you girls crowding around for? Hurry back home, do you think you can handle this scholarly business?”

Man Bao eavesdropping outside the window caused quite a stir in Qili Village at first, this child was so young, she didn’t know anything.

But Teacher Zhuang knew that the village elders had found Mr. Bai, asking him to dismiss Little Qian, to prevent Man Bao from constantly eavesdropping on the lessons and corrupting the village’s atmosphere.

It was he who had stopped them.

One was that Little Qian was indeed diligent and not troublesome, and two, he had taken a liking to Man Bao at the time.

So he said, “The desire to learn is in everyone, why stifle it?”

Then there were more and more children eavesdropping at the windows, at the most, both windows were full of people, all boys.

This was very unethical behavior in the scholarly circles, but the words were said by Teacher Zhuang himself, he naturally couldn’t be biased.

Also because of this, a few students withdrew from school at the time, their parents came to collect the tuition fees, then turned around and drove the children to the window to eavesdrop.

Teacher Zhuang was furious at the time, but could only be angry in his heart, just pretending not to see the people outside the window.

But not everyone was like Man Bao.

At that time, Man Bao was just over a year old, had just learned to speak, her steps were still unsteady, her understanding of the outside world was not enough, and she wasn’t greedy for play, she could sit on the threshold and play quietly by herself all day, when she was happy, she would follow the children in the classroom and recite a few sentences, when she was unhappy, she would just take a little stick and poke at ants for half a day.

But the children eavesdropping outside the window were the youngest seven years old, the oldest ten, just the most restless and playful age.

In less than five days, they had run off on their own, the parents of the withdrawn students saw that their children hadn’t learned anything by eavesdropping, and had even forgotten most of what they had previously learned.

Extremely angry, with no choice, they sent the children back again.

From then on, there were rarely any more boys coming to eavesdrop, but a few girls started cautiously lying at the window.

But before Teacher Zhuang could even react, the girls’ parents had already acted first.

They would first drag the girls away, then scold and beat them, “Do you think you can listen to the lessons? I see you’re just being idle, you should be out cutting grass for the pigs, going to the fields to pull weeds, going to the mountains to collect firewood, why don’t you have any work in your eyes… how are you going to get married in the future?”

Actually, some of these ideas were also once Teacher Zhuang’s own ideas.

For example: Boys studying is more important than girls studying, he also valued boys more.

But whether it was because he was getting older, or because people tend to develop a rebellious mentality when encountering things they don’t like, Teacher Zhuang had unknowingly changed many of his ideas.

Especially as Man Bao grew day by day, showing more and more intelligence.

The books she had memorized by lying at the window were more than the students sitting in the classroom, the characters she recognized based on his manuscripts were not less than the students studying in the school.

She was also filial, knowing to call him “Teacher” after listening to his lessons, knowing to clean the courtyard for him, tidy up his desk…

When he was sick, the regular students, as soon as they heard they could have a holiday, would run out, but she knew to wander around the courtyard to get him a cup of hot water, and even took his clothes back for her sisters-in-law to wash…

And she would also pester her mother to bring an extra egg to give to him.

He knew the Zhou family doted on this youngest daughter, but was not sure if they would be willing for her to study.

So to increase the possibility of this, and to ensure the event developed positively, he wouldn’t ask for a tuition fee, not even requiring the Zhou family to buy stationery for Man Bao.

And the Zhou family’s emphasis on this made him pleasantly surprised.

Because they not only brought a piece of cured meat, but also a set of clothes and a pair of shoes.

Teacher Zhuang couldn’t help but smile, it seems the Zhou family really valued this little disciple, he smiled and accepted them.

The old Zhou saw this and breathed a sigh of relief, quickly having Man Bao kneel down to kowtow and offer tea to Teacher Zhuang.

Teacher Zhuang took the tea and had a sip, then handed Man Bao a set of stationery he had prepared earlier, oh, and a bunch of green onions he had pulled from the backyard.

Accepting such a smart and clever disciple, Teacher Zhuang was very happy.

The old Zhou and his two sons were also very happy, hearing Teacher Zhuang’s words, Man Bao didn’t need to buy any books for now, she could just copy what she needed.

The three of them discreetly glanced at the things Man Bao was hugging, thinking that with the stationery set, they just needed to buy her some paper and it would be all set.

Although it added an expense to the family, this expense was much less than they had expected, the three of them were naturally also very happy.

Man Bao was also very happy, everyone was delighted to receive gifts, let alone this was a gift from the beloved Teacher Zhuang.

Everyone was in high spirits.

The old Zhou wanted to invite Teacher Zhuang back home for a meal, as a celebration of Man Bao becoming his disciple.

But Teacher Zhuang shook his head and refused, “I still have classes today, I’ll come visit another day.”

The old Zhou then remembered that Teacher Zhuang still had classes, and immediately became a bit restless.

As they were talking, the sound of children chasing and playing outside also reached their ears, Teacher Zhuang knew the children had arrived.

Chapter 14: Becoming a Disciple (Part 1)

Old Zhou glanced at his daughter and asked, “What would you go to the county town for?”

Man Bao couldn’t admit she intended to sell candies, since the family assumed her sweets came from either Master Zhuang or the other students. She worried they might bring it up during tomorrow’s ceremony to officially become his disciple.

So she had to find another excuse. “I want to go gain some worldly experience.”

Zhou Erlang remarked, “You’re just a little kid, what experience could you possibly gain? Wait until you’re older before going.”

But by the time she grew up, the family would likely no longer struggle financially. Moreover, after today’s eventful day, Man Bao had reaped quite a meaningful harvest. She felt she needed to validate her conclusions further.

Thus, she insisted, “No, I want to go the day after tomorrow. Let Fifth and Sixth Brothers take me, you two don’t need to worry about it.”

Old Zhou shot her a stern glare.

Would Man Bao be intimidated?

Of course not. She immediately slid off Zhou Dalang’s lap, rushing to latch onto Old Zhou’s arm like a twisted vine, pleading, “Father, Father, please just agree.”

Seeing him remain unmoved, Man Bao started pummeling his shoulders with her tiny fists. “Father, I’ll go buy you candies, so please agree!”

Did she think Old Zhou could be bribed with candies?

He wasn’t a child himself.

Yet he still asked, “Where would you get money from?”

“I’ll earn it, Father. If you let me go to the county town, I can earn money,” Man Bao insisted as her flurry of fists traveled from his left to right shoulder.

Unable to resist chuckling at the sight, Zhou Dalang spoke up in her defense, “Father, why not just let her go then? The day after tomorrow, besides transporting the grains, we’ll also need to bring the eggs Second Brother bartered. Those can’t just be piled onto the cart, they’ll need to be carried.”

Zhou Erlang considered this and agreed, “Come to think of it, our little sister hasn’t been to the county town before, has she? Since Fifth and Sixth Brothers are going too, I was also planning to bring some winnowing trays and baskets to sell, as the county prices are a bit higher than the village market. Maybe we can earn a tidy sum too.”

Only then did Old Zhou fall silent.

Seizing the opportunity, Man Bao redoubled her pummeling efforts as she chanted, “Please agree Father, please agree!”

From his left ear to his right, Old Zhou was nearly deafened before finally waving capitulation. “Fine, fine! You can go. But your brothers have to set out before daybreak – can you wake up that early?”

“I can! I wake up super early!” she boasted confidently.

As if he’d believe that. “If you can’t get up in time, we won’t wait for you. And you can’t cry about missing out then.”

Brimming with certainty, Man Bao declared, “I’ll definitely be up on time!”

Inwardly, she immediately instructed the system, “Ke Ke, you absolutely must wake me up the day after tomorrow, understood?”

Not expecting to moonlight as an alarm function, the system still agreed, as it hoped the host could experience more of the world too.

Mrs. Qian had already assigned the tailoring and shoemaking tasks. Farming households didn’t produce overly intricate garments – once the fabric was cut, it just needed to be sewn neatly without loose stitching.

The third sister-in-law, He, was their most skilled seamstress. Taking on the duty, she retrieved the fabric to begin cutting pieces, noting Master Zhuang’s measurements matched Zhou Erlang’s build closely enough to simply use him as a reference.

In order to complete everything by the next day, He was exempted from all other chores that afternoon to focus solely on sewing, a rare indulgence aided by Mrs. Qian providing an oil lamp to work by once night fell.

It didn’t take much longer before the outfit was finished.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Qian was responsible for making the shoes, using a spare pair of Zhou Erlang’s thick rubber soles since he frequently travelled long distances, finding the sturdy tread extremely comfortable.

The uppers were crafted from the newly purchased cotton canvas, far superior to their homespun peasant cloth.

The next morning, Old Zhou and his two sons retrieved their best sets of clothing, washing up before allowing Mrs. Xiao Qian to rouse their daughter from bed, readying her to formally become Master Zhuang’s disciple.

After painstakingly removing candy wrappers late into the previous night, Man Bao turned over stubbornly, refusing to wake as she buried herself under the covers.

Seeing her continually burrowing deeper, Mrs. Xiao Qian fetched her outer robe, pulling back the blanket to lightly swat Man Bao’s little bottom as she chided, “Little Niece, if you don’t get up soon, you’ll be late. Today is when you become Master Zhuang’s student disciple – you need to behave properly.”

Helping bundle Man Bao into her clothes, she then carried the bleary-eyed girl to a chair, wringing out a warm towel to wipe her face.

Though the water was only lukewarm, Man Bao still jolted slightly, finally rousing with reluctance.

It was Feng’s turn to cook that day. From the kitchen, she brought over a bowl of egg porridge, setting it on the table as she instructed, “Little Niece, remember to drink your egg tonic before leaving.”

Just as the sun peeked over the horizon, Old Zhou led his two sons with Man Bao in tow towards the study hall.

Aware today was when Man Bao would formally become his disciple, Master Zhuang had risen early too, currently practicing martial forms in the courtyard.

Catching sight of him, Old Zhou’s back instinctively bent in a subconscious display of deference towards the learned scholar.

With a slight smile, Master Zhuang gestured, “Old Zhou has arrived? Please, come inside.”

“Yes, yes, after you Master Zhuang.” Old Zhou bowed humbly, gesturing for the teacher to enter first.

But Man Bao was already well-acquainted with Master Zhuang, brazenly taking the lead to guide him into the study before going back for her father. Glancing around familiarly, she noticed the charcoal brazier burning as usual, so she diligently bustled over to fetch the tea kettle for them.

Zhou Dalang and Zhou Erlang hurried to stop her – at home, Man Bao never did such chores. What if she burned herself?

However, Master Zhuang watched approvingly, stroking his beard as he smiled at Old Zhou, “Old Zhou, you’ve raised an excellent daughter. In all the villages for ten li around, I’ve never encountered a more precocious child.”

“That’s all thanks to the master’s superb tutelage,” Old Zhou replied, having long known about Man Bao eavesdropping on lessons from the window. Initially distressed, he could only swallow his concerns and allow his daughter to surreptitiously study however possible.

For he understood that the more skilled one became, the better life they could live.

As long as Master Zhuang didn’t chase Man Bao away, Old Zhou wouldn’t stop her either.

So towards the teacher, Old Zhou felt equal parts reverence and gratitude, his back bending even further.

Yet Master Zhuang just laughed indulgently. “It’s this child who is so gifted. Not only bright, but also filial, knowing to clean my courtyard while still keeping her family in mind. It’s clear your household upholds excellent family values. I’ve decided to accept her as my disciple, though for now I can only teach her personally. As for attending classes, I’ll need to consult the Landowner first.”

After all, it was the Landowner who had established this study hall and hired Master Zhuang to teach there.

Old Zhou’s spirits lifted as he immediately replied, “Being able to study directly under your guidance would already be more than enough. Whether she attends classes doesn’t matter.”

Reddening, Old Zhou hesitated before admitting, “The master is aware, my family is impoverished…”

Unable to finish, Master Zhuang seemed to understand, laughing heartily to reassure him, “No need to worry, Old Zhou. Since I’ve decided to accept Man Bao as my disciple, I’ll treat her like my own child. Naturally, I won’t require any tuition fees.”

He paused before continuing, “I’m also aware of your family’s difficult circumstances. And Man Bao is still very young, so there’s no need to purchase any study materials for her. Once she advances in her reading and writing abilities, she can copy texts from my own books here.”

In truth, Master Zhuang hadn’t been fully certain whether the Zhou family would consent to Man Bao formally becoming his disciple prior to their visit today. Now witnessing their arrival, he couldn’t help remarking with admiration, “The Zhou family truly dotes upon Man Bao.”

Chapter 13: Insufficient Funds

By the time Feng returned with a bowl of boiled eggs, the group of children had already finished the candies, surrounding Man Bao to admire her four fen coins.

Noticing the money, Feng paused in surprise. “Little Niece, where did you get that money from?”

Man Bao tilted her chin up proudly. “We earned it ourselves by selling candies.”

Feng had assumed it was leftover sugar lumps previously gifted to Man Bao by her husband. Sighing, she remarked, “Why didn’t you just eat them instead of selling? Those were meant for nourishing your body.”

Whenever Zhou Erlang went to market, he would buy one fen’s worth of candies. Upon returning home, he would only dissolve one piece into sugar water for the children to share, leaving the remaining four pieces for Man Bao alone.

It wasn’t that they deliberately favored Man Bao over the other children.

Rather, it stemmed from the physician’s advice when Man Bao was still an infant: “This child has a weak spleen and stomach, lacking stamina. Feed her more eggs and honey.”

At that time, the family’s circumstances were quite strained. Just a few months old, Man Bao couldn’t swallow the bitter herbal decoctions, only able to stomach egg and honey beverages.

Old Zhou had to plead with neighboring villages, spending a significant sum to finally procure that precious honey – a scarce and expensive commodity back then.

The physician later remarked, “If honey is unavailable, maltose can substitute as both benefit the lungs while nourishing the spleen and stomach.”

It could be said that Man Bao’s ability to grow up so plump and fair was largely thanks to the family’s allocation of eggs and sugar specifically for her nourishment.

As Man Bao’s health gradually improved over the past two years, the Zhou family felt vindicated in heeding the physician’s advice. Though unable to provide other luxuries, they could at least supply eggs from their own hens and afford to buy Man Bao candies.

With the local market occurring every three days, each visit allowed Zhou Erlang to purchase four candy pieces for her. So in Man Bao’s mind, she never lacked for sweets. Which was why when the system first officially introduced itself by attempting to bribe her with candies, she wasn’t particularly swayed.

After sampling the candies the system provided, she even complained they were too sweet, eventually sharing a portion with her nephews as usual.

Only when she saw their eyes crinkle with delight did Man Bao truly befriend this strange new entity named Ke Ke.

While Man Bao never felt deprived of candies between the family’s provisions and the system’s intermittent rewards, Feng was unaware of this.

Shooting a stern look at the unhelpfully silent Zhou Wulang and Zhou Liulang, Feng handed the bowl to Man Bao. “You must be hungry. Second Sister-in-law boiled these eggs especially for you, eat up.”

Cradling the bowl, Man Bao politely offered first, “Second Sister-in-law, please have a bite too since you didn’t eat any of the buns earlier.”

Smiling, Feng waved it away. “I’m not hungry yet, I’ll eat with your brothers when they return.”

Man Bao didn’t question this, as she too preferred sharing meals with her family. Wait, come to think of it, why had she eaten the buns without waiting for her brothers?

It felt a bit disrespectful towards them now.

Deep in thought, Man Bao extended the egg bowl towards Da Tou and the others.

But they all shook their heads, declining despite their longing gazes. Although the children happily accepted candies from her, they knew these eggs held medicinal significance for their little niece, not simply food.

Only then did Man Bao consume the eggs herself before asking Feng to take her to purchase medicine for her mother.

Patting her head, Feng smiled resignedly, “Second Sister-in-law doesn’t have any money on me. We’ll go once your brothers return.”

Man Bao revealed her handkerchief bundle. “But I have money!”

Feng just sighed, “That amount won’t be enough though.”

Her mother-in-law had been taking medicine for years, but only the most economical decoctions to treat the symptoms rather than the root cause, essentially just sustaining her rather than providing a cure. Pursuing comprehensive treatment would require an exorbitant sum nobody knew.

Mrs. Qian regularly prepared two herbal formulas – one she could source affordably from the village’s sole physician serving the four neighboring villages. Aside from medicines the clinic obtained from city pharmacies, most of their stock came from the physician personally foraging the mountains.

Purchasing it directly from him cost a mere eight fen, allowing the Zhou family to save considerably. One formula batch yielded enough for four decoctions, covering Mrs. Qian’s needs for two days.

If her condition worsened, they would have to travel to the county town’s pharmacy for the second, more expensive formula containing some rarer ingredients priced at twenty fen per batch.

Feng genuinely didn’t have any money on her currently. All the basket and tray sales today involved barter for goods like eggs and grains, but not a single cash transaction.

With no choice, they could only squat behind the stall, waiting for Zhou Dalang and Zhou Erlang’s return.

It was already past noon when the two brothers finally returned, pushing their handcart with troubled expressions, the two large grain sacks still aboard.

Alarmed, Feng hurried over to help push the cart, asking worriedly, “You couldn’t sell it?”

Looking despondent, Zhou Erlang explained, “The prices were too low – only eight fen per bushel of grain.”

Feng exclaimed in dismay, “Just eight fen? Wasn’t it ten fen previously?”

Squatting down, Zhou Dalang said, “The harvests were quite decent this year, so the granaries claim they have ample stock.”

As fellow villagers, Zhou Dalang and Zhou Erlang had negotiated extensively but failed to raise the offered price even slightly. Yet the family’s need for cash was so dire that the brothers couldn’t bear selling their grain at such paltry rates, hence hauling it back.

Feng’s eyes reddened with distress. “Then what are we going to do?”

After a long silence, Zhou Erlang suggested, “There are some at the market looking to trade cotton canvas. We could use our grains to barter for that fire lamb fabric suitable for shoes. But Mother’s medicine absolutely requires cash payment. We’ll still need to sell off the grains then. Tomorrow, we may need to try our luck at the county town markets, perhaps the prices will be better there.”

Man Bao immediately presented her four fen coins. “Elder Brothers, I have money!”

Eyeing the coins, Zhou Dalang and Zhou Erlang paused in surprise. “Where did you get this from?”

“Selling candies!”

Taking the coins, Zhou Dalang sighed, “But we’re still four fen short.”

Man Bao wondered if she should unwrap another twenty candies to sell when Zhou Erlang stood, stating, “I’ll go trade some goods to raise funds.”

Well-acquainted at the village market, Zhou Erlang scooped out a portion of the grain Feng had bartered, estimating the amount before heading off.

He soon returned with five fen in cash.

Curious, Zhou Dalang asked, “Who did you trade with?”

Very few actually used currency at this rural village market.

“Old Wang, the candymaker. He needs grains for production, so I sold him some at the regular rate.”

Relieved, Zhou Dalang handed over Man Bao’s coins too.

With that money, Zhou Erlang purchased a single batch of herbal medicine. As the market crowds thinned, no one felt like continuing their sales stalls. So Zhou Erlang, well-acquainted with the regular vendors, went to barter the remaining funds for cloth and cured meat before packing up with everyone to head home.

The fabric was handed over to Mrs. Qian to assign tailoring duties, while Zhou Dalang and Zhou Erlang went to update Old Zhou.

Man Bao trailed closely behind, mimicking her father’s usual gait with her hands clasped behind her back.

Seeing her emulate their elderly father made Zhou Dalang and Zhou Erlang break into a sweat. So they simply scooped her up, holding her on their laps as they reported the day’s market situation.

Hearing the grain failed to fetch a decent price, Old Zhou felt the urge to smoke again.

Sighing heavily, he remarked, “The family needs to keep some cash on hand, not just for your mother’s medicine but any other sudden expenses that may arise.”

Zhou Erlang nodded in agreement. “Which is why I’ve also stockpiled quite a few eggs from the recent market days that still need to be sold in the county town.”

While the Daliyuan village market occasionally had egg buyers, most transactions still involved trading for grains. Zhou Erlang would ultimately need to sell his accumulated grains to the granary dealers for cash anyway.

So he seldom sold eggs directly at the village market, preferring to transport them to the county town where eggs commanded better prices than grains.

Nodding, Old Zhou stroked his aged tobacco pipe. “Then the day after tomorrow, you two will accompany me to take Man Bao to the study hall.”

Zhou Dalang and Zhou Erlang agreed.

It was then that Man Bao voiced her own request, “Father, I want to go to the county town too.”

Chapter 12: Selling Candies

Being older, Zhou Wulang and Zhou Liulang felt a bit too self-conscious to approach strangers. But the bold Da Tou had no such reservations, stepping up to any child he deemed a potential buyer to ask bluntly, “Do you want to buy some candies?”

Man Bao would immediately present the wax paper bundle, opening it proudly as she declared, “Our candies are extra delicious. Want to buy some?”

The child would swallow hard before glancing towards their parents.

But the parents weren’t fooled, questioning skeptically, “These don’t look like the candies we normally buy. Are you sure they’re real candies?”

Puffing out her chest confidently, Man Bao insisted, “Of course they’re real! I’ve eaten them myself. They’re much tastier than the ones sold at market.”

The parents found this rather amusing. “You may have tried them, but we haven’t. How do we know you’re not lying?”

Man Bao paused, realizing they made a fair point. So she extracted a single candy and offered it magnanimously, “Then why don’t you try one for yourselves?”

The child reached out eagerly, only for their parents to swiftly restrain their hand, asking suspiciously, “You’re not just trying to trick us into buying, are you?”

“Of course not!” Man Bao protested adamantly. “I would never do such an underhanded thing. You can try it – if it’s not genuinely delicious, you won’t have to pay a single fen.”

Feeling Man Bao was being too naive, an exasperated Zhou Wulang rushed over, snatching the candy from her hand. He crushed it in his palm before picking out a tiny sliver to offer them. “Here, you can try this little piece.”

Considering further, he felt it wouldn’t be right to only let the parents sample it. So he also selected a minuscule fragment for the child to taste.

No one minded that the candies had been crushed by his hands. After tasting the sliver, their eyes brightened – these candies were far sweeter than the market varieties!

The child’s mother immediately inquired, “How much are you selling these candies for?”

Man Bao had discussed pricing with the system beforehand, so she confidently quoted, “One fen for five candies.”

The mother’s eyes flickered briefly before she replied, “That’s too expensive, we can’t afford it. Could you lower the price a bit?”

Man Bao felt a tinge of disappointment, having assumed their well-dressed appearance indicated wealth.

Shaking her head, she said, “Never mind then, we’ll try finding someone else.”

With that, she pulled Da Tou along to seek their next potential customer, leaving the stunned parents behind. They had intended to bargain further – it was supposed to be the vendors feigning disinterest to invite a counteroffer, not the customers!

Though Zhou Wulang and Zhou Liulang silently applauded their sister’s confidence, having tasted the candies themselves. They knew these treats were worth far more than that paltry asking price.

After all, that was the same rate candies fetched at the village market.

Man Bao’s blunt refusal to entertain any haggling left the would-be customers feeling disgruntled enough to hurry after them, calling out, “Can’t you lower the price just a little?”

This price point was one the system had helped Man Bao analyze and determine. Originally, they had set the candies at one fen for three pieces, since the system assessed their sugar content as significantly higher than present-day confections, justifying a premium.

But when the system mentioned market candies selling at one fen for five pieces, Man Bao worried matching that rate would deter sales. So she generously suggested pricing her candies at prevailing market levels since earning points allowed her to acquire unlimited sweets anyway.

So Man Bao knew this represented the absolute lowest price threshold – being a principled child, she would never undercut it further.

Nor did she perceive their request as bargaining, simply assuming they genuinely could not afford the candies. So she cast a regretful glance towards the little boy before shaking her head in refusal.

That single look left the child crestfallen enough to burst into raucous wails, clinging to his mother’s legs as he bawled, “I want the candies, I want the candies!”

The parents felt their child was being rather ungrateful by not accepting even a slight price reduction.

Seeing their displeased expressions, Zhou Wulang and Zhou Liulang stepped forward protectively, flanking Man Bao.

The couple hesitated, forcing awkward smiles as they conceded, “Fine, we’ll take however many you have left.”

Man Bao’s eyes widened skeptically. They had that much money?

She immediately opened her wax paper bundle, eagerly declaring, “There are twenty candies in total, four fen.”

The couple’s brows furrowed slightly. “But didn’t you just crush one earlier?”

Without missing a beat, Zhou Wulang extended his cupped palm. “We didn’t eat any.”

The couple retorted, “Then we don’t want them anymore. Since we’re buying so many, how about reducing the price by one fen?”

Zhou Wulang was fuming, but Man Bao somehow produced another candy, adding it atop the bundle as she happily looked at the couple. “There, isn’t that better now? You can count them yourselves.”

The couple just stared at her flatly: ……

Counting the candies again, they finally asked, “Can we trade something else instead of cash?”

Having sensed their unfriendly demeanor, Man Bao snapped the wax paper bundle shut, flatly refusing, “No substitutions.”

Though Zhou Wulang felt they could accept other items, he nudged Man Bao’s back. Twisting around, she shot him a stern glare. “Medicine from the apothecary requires cash payment. They won’t take eggs or grains.”

Only then did the couple realize they intended to purchase medicine, considering for a moment before grudgingly counting out the four fen without further haggling.

Man Bao seldom handled money herself, having always handed over the New Year’s red envelope cash gifts from her parents and brothers to her aunts and uncles, keeping only what her nephews gave her.

So earning actual income for the first time, she carefully examined the four fen copper pieces, noting no apparent difference from previous coins before meticulously wrapping them within her handkerchief, gripping it tightly.

Only after the couple departed did Zhou Wulang remark to Man Bao, “That was too cheap for our premium candies.”

“But that’s the market price,” Man Bao insisted.

“Rice is graded into different tiers though – medium and premium fetch higher prices accordingly. Our candies should be considered premium quality, so we ought to charge more,” Zhou Wulang reasoned. “If they don’t believe our candies are superior, we can do like this time and let them sample just a tiny piece first.”

Man Bao considered this carefully before consulting the system, who concurred with the advice. Nodding, she agreed, “Okay, we’ll do it that way next time then.”

Having successfully earned some money, everyone’s gazes fell hungrily upon the crushed candy fragments still in Zhou Wulang’s palm, each subconsciously swallowing thickly.

Now that she had used the candies to earn actual income, Man Bao could finally appreciate their appeal, suddenly finding them quite delectable too. She distributed the crumbs evenly, allowing each person a small morsel, popping the final piece into her own mouth.

It was just the tiniest fragment that instantly melted on her tongue, spreading a trace of sweetness before she swallowed it down.

Man Bao blinked slowly, feeling this minuscule candy tasted better than any she had ever eaten before.

Finding it perplexing, she questioned the system, “I never thought these candies were so delicious before. Ke Ke, did you get a new variety?”

The system replied, “No, same variety, same manufacturer. The difference is that the host has finally experienced the rarity and appeal of these candies, isn’t it?”

Not fully comprehending, Man Bao formed her own interpretation. “So the candies taste better after being sold first? Wonderful! From now on, I’ll sell all my candies, keeping just one to eat myself – that way it will taste even more delicious!”

The system remained silent, not discouraging her conclusion.

Let her sell them then. Once she depleted her points through candy purchases, she would have to start earning more, wouldn’t she?