Because Xu Ying had always been bold and shameless in the eyes of others, the Xu family had spoiled her endlessly, letting her fuss and stir up trouble as she pleased. Even the matter of giving the position of “sister-in-law” to Dong Zhiqing—she’d made it happen with her audacity.
Her sister-in-law, gentle by nature, had never contested it. Honestly, if such a kind-hearted woman wasn’t their family’s sister-in-law, who else could deserve the title?
Yet Xu Ying, thinking back on everything, felt a pang of guilt. In her past life… she really had been too shameless.
She secretly glanced at Sister-in-law Xu, her gaze soft and apologetic. A heavy sense of indebtedness welled up in her chest. I must buy something nice for Sister-in-law next time I go to the county, she resolved silently.
Sister-in-law Xu, however, remained oblivious to the gaze fixed on her. But she could sense something… It felt like Xu Ying had been staring at her for a while now, and she didn’t dare turn around.
Instead, she tugged lightly at her husband’s sleeve. “What’s going on?” she whispered.
Brother Xu looked confused. “What’s wrong?” he asked aloud, his voice booming.
The loudness startled Mother Xu, who immediately shot him a glare. “Can’t you speak softer?” she hissed.
Xu Ying also jumped at the sudden voice. “Brother, you scared me to death!” she scolded, holding a hand to her chest.
Sister-in-law Xu felt increasingly uneasy. Something wasn’t right. Why was Xu Ying so startled? Was she… scheming something?
Is she thinking of taking the job of recording work points again? Sister-in-law Xu’s heart clenched at the thought. In the past, she might’ve been upset about it. But now? Xu Ying treated her and her son so well—it didn’t matter anymore.
She turned and asked sincerely, “Yingying, are you looking at me because… you want to keep the work points record again? If you want it, I’ll give it to you.”
Xu Ying froze, blinking. Then realization dawned, and she quickly shook her head. “No, no! I’m not thinking that at all. Actually… I’ve been thinking about you.”
She stepped closer, lowering her voice conspiratorially. “Sister-in-law, I’ve saved up some cloth tickets. I was planning to buy cloth for you so you could make yourself new clothes.”
Sister-in-law Xu was shocked, waving her hands frantically. “No, no, no! Little sister, don’t waste it on me. I’m fine wearing what I have. Besides, even if I wore new clothes, they’d get ruined working in the fields. You’re still young and beautiful—you’re the one who should wear new clothes.”
“I already have enough new clothes,” Xu Ying insisted earnestly. “But you haven’t had any new clothes in years. Let me gift you this fabric, okay?”
Without waiting for a response, she dashed off to wash up, leaving Sister-in-law Xu staring after her in a daze.
Mother Xu said nothing as she watched the exchange. But deep down, she sighed. The eldest daughter-in-law really has endured so much for this family…
Later, after finishing her chores, Xu Ying ran back inside and flopped onto the bed.
The next morning, she was jolted awake by loud chatter coming from next door. She yawned, rubbing her bleary eyes as the voices drifted over.
“What a good day,” the neighbor’s daughter-in-law was boasting, holding a bowl up proudly. “Look at this meat! It’s not like at the captain’s house—we can smell their meat every single day, it makes me hungry just smelling it!”
Hearing this, Mother Xu hurried to explain, “Ah, we don’t eat meat every day! It’s just a little each meal. My daughter earned some money cooking for the boss last time, so we bought a few pounds of meat and spread it out across meals. It’s not much, really!”
The neighbor gave her a disgusted look. A few pounds, divided into crumbs? And she’s still acting proud?
With even more smugness, the neighbor clutched the large chicken drumstick in her bowl and took an exaggerated bite.
Mother Xu sneered as she watched her from the yard. “The family next door… they’re headed for trouble sooner or later,” she muttered darkly. “Flashing their meat around like that, showing off. People are bound to get jealous. Trouble’s coming for them.”
It was strange. The man next door worked in the town but didn’t earn much. Yet they seemed to eat meat every few days, and not just scraps—old hens, whole birds, big spreads. They flaunted their food like royalty.
Sister-in-law Xu, who hadn’t gone to work that day because of the light rain, looked out the window thoughtfully. “Mom, where do you think they’re getting all that money?”
“Only they know where it comes from.” Mother Xu frowned. She’d always kept her distance from that family, worried they’d get caught up in something shady. “I’m telling you all again—don’t get involved with them. You hear me?”
The children of the Xu family nodded obediently. This wasn’t the first time they’d been warned.
Bored of sitting in the yard, Xu Ying went back into the house and climbed onto the bed, sprawling across it. Ugh, this era is so boring, she thought gloomily. No phone, no internet…
Suddenly remembering her system, she perked up. “Hey, dog system! You there?”
[Host, please speak civilly. I’m here.]
Xu Ying grinned. “Do you have any entertainment stuff? Like movies, novels, games?”
The system lit up immediately, sensing a business opportunity. [Of course! We’ve got a full selection. Please browse!]
A list popped up before her eyes—movies, books, games—everything looked tempting… until she saw the prices.
“System, can I get a discount?” she pleaded. Her pockets were pitifully empty—barely over two hundred yuan left. A fortune in this era, but still not enough for all this!
And her points? Zero. Aside from that big red cloth, a few duck and chicken eggs, some healing powder and ice blades—she had nothing left.
[Hmm… depends. If you buy a lot, I might consider a bulk discount.]
Xu Ying rolled her eyes. “You money-grubbing dog system! Still trying to scam me?”
[What does that have to do with discounts?] the system asked innocently.
Xu Ying widened her eyes dramatically. “I’m emotionally exhausted, you know? I need entertainment to relax! But if you’re charging me so much, how can I unwind? If I can’t relax, how will I have the energy to cook and unlock new recipes? If I can’t unlock recipes, I won’t be able to exchange things with you or earn money. And if I can’t earn money—how will you make any?”
The system fell silent, clearly thinking. After a moment, a message popped up: [Host has worked hard. I’ll give you a 50% discount.]
Xu Ying raised her eyebrows in surprise. Was this dog system actually… reasonable?
“Don’t worry, System. I’ll make lots of money and let you eat meat too.” She winked.
Then she added cheekily, “Hey, you once claimed you’re the most powerful system out there. Why’s that?”
The system’s screen flickered nervously. Truth was… it wasn’t powerful at all. But to maintain its pride, it boasted, [This… this great system ranks top every quarter!]
Xu Ying couldn’t help laughing. “You’re such a silly thing.”
A burst of garbled code flashed across the system’s interface—clearly frustrated. Then it vanished completely.
“Hey, system? Come back! Don’t mess up your performance stats!” Xu Ying called.
But the system sulked silently in its corner.
“Fine, no money, I’m going to sleep.”
At that, the system popped back up instantly, indignant: [What do you want to buy?!]
Xu Ying giggled. “Hmm… got any cartoons? I like something funny. Bugs Bunny’s cute.”
[Host, would you like a TV membership? Normally 998, not 668, but for you—just 68 for a whole year! Super cost-effective!] the system hawked eagerly.
Xu Ying did the math. “Not bad… but I don’t watch TV much. Give me a membership for novels instead.”
[Only valid for one month.]
“No way.”
After a round of bargaining, they finally settled on half a year.
Xu Ying paid reluctantly, staring at her dwindling funds in the space. Her heart ached.
Ah… money really flies fast.