"What?!"
Li Yulan was the first to cry out, her voice rising sharply in disbelief.
Cooking oil.
Fine white flour.
Even pork.
In these bitter years, such purchases were nothing short of extravagance.
For a moment she could hardly believe what she had heard. Her eyes widened, and an ugly flush crept across her face.
She had not eaten meat for a long time. In fact, she could scarcely remember the last time a proper piece of pork had appeared on their dining table.
And yet that little wretch Li Shuying dared to buy it so casually?
Her chest heaved with indignation.
"Mother!" she exclaimed impatiently. "If what little brother said is true, we must go and get those supplies back immediately!"
Her voice sharpened with anger.
"How can Chen Meilan be so foolish as to spend money so extravagantly? Doesn't she understand the virtue of frugality?"
Her tone was filled with scorn.
"Just because she recovered her husband's allowance passbook, she's lost all sense of restraint?"
"That is absolutely unacceptable!"
Zhao Hongmei standing in the corner had not spoken for a long time.
Yet when she heard Li Guofu list the supplies her heart trembled violently.
A memory flashed through her mind.
The night she had died in her previous life.
She still remembered it clearly.
While she lay dying in bitterness and despair, she had seen Li Shuying and her family enjoying an extravagant feast—bowls filled with fragrant dishes, laughter ringing through the room.
The memory made Zhao Hongmei's fingers curl tightly into fists.
Her nails dug into her palms.
But she forced herself to remain calm.
She knew very well that she could not act recklessly now.
Ever since she had failed the mission and lost her protagonist halo, her life had become miserable once again.
Without that protection, she had returned to being an ordinary village girl—one with little status in the Li household.
Today alone had been proof enough.
Wang Chunhua, still furious about yesterday's events, had not spared her a single pleasant glance. Instead, she had sent her to the fields to labor for work points.
And now, while she had been sweating under the sun, Li Shuying had been strolling through county shopping.
The thought made Zhao Hongmei's blood boil.
Still, she slowly inhaled and suppressed her anger.
When she finally spoke, her voice was soft and hesitant, almost timid.
"I never expected Sister Shuying would do something like this…"
Her gaze lowered modestly.
"After all, Uncle Guofu and Brother Xiaojun will both be taking the college entrance examination this year. They need proper nourishment for their studies, so shouldn't she keep their portion aside?"
She paused before adding gently,
"And there is also Aunt Yulan…"
Her tone was careful, as though she were merely speaking out of concern.
"Finding a good match in the county with urban household registration is extremely difficult these days. But with supplies like these… and money…"
She glanced up briefly.
"…wouldn't it make things much easier?"
"After all," she continued slowly, "even people living in the city cannot easily buy such things from the grain station or the supply and marketing cooperative."
A faint glimmer passed through her eyes.
"So if Sister Shuying can somehow obtain these supplies… she must have connections."
Then she delivered the final push.
"In that case… shouldn't she help Aunt Yulan first?"
The moment these words were spoken, Li Yulan's eyes lit up.
A spark of greed and excitement flickered across her face.
Only she knew how desperate she was to marry into the county and obtain an urban household registration.
At twenty-five years old, she was already considered a leftover woman in the village.
Yet she had stubbornly refused every rural match arranged for her.
She would rather endure gossip and ridicule than marry an ordinary farmer.
Her dream had always been to become a city woman.
Now, hearing Zhao Hongmei's suggestion, the possibility suddenly seemed within reach.
Her heart began to pound.
Without hesitation, she turned toward her father.
"Father!" she said eagerly.
"Hongmei is right."
Her voice carried unmistakable excitement.
"Those supplies could be used as a gift."
She leaned forward slightly.
"Didn't you say before that you found a suitable man for me in the county? The one working at the steel factory?"
Her eyes shone brightly.
"If we present these supplies to his family, wouldn't they be more willing to agree to the marriage?"
However, before Li Changfu could respond, someone gave a cold snort.
Sun Guifeng folded her arms and looked at Li Yulan with obvious disdain.
"Yulan, how can you be so greedy?"
Her tone was dripping with sarcasm.
"You are already an old unmarried woman. Staying unmarried for another year won't make much difference."
Her lips curved mockingly.
"Don't forget that we have two students in the family preparing for the college entrance examination."
She emphasized each word deliberately.
"Father and Mother have always dreamed of producing a university student from our Li family."
Her gaze flicked toward Li Guofu before settling back on Li Yulan.
"So for now, those supplies should naturally be reserved for Guofu…"
She paused with a slight smile.
"…and for my Xiaojun."
"Sun Guifeng, what do you mean by old unmarried woman?"
Li Yulan's voice rose sharply, shrill with fury. Her face flushed red, and all semblance of restraint vanished. In her anger, she did not even bother to address Sun Guifeng with the respect due to an elder sister-in-law.
"How dare you label me like that? And what did you just say—our Li family? Since when did this family become yours? The supplies and money we are talking about belong to the Li family, not the Zhao family."
She sneered coldly.
"If you truly considered yourself part of this household, you wouldn't have kept your husband's allowance all to yourself these past years.So don't even think about taking anything for Zhao Xiaojun. If you want to nourish him, then use your own money."
Sun Guifeng's face turned pale with anger.
"You—!"
She let out a shrill cry, her voice trembling with indignation.
"Li Yulan, don't cross the line!"
Her eyes flashed angrily.
"How can you say we are not part of the Li family? And if you want to draw such a clear boundary between us, why don't you first ask Father and Mother whether they will even allow us to separate from the household?"
Her tone turned scornful.
"After all, my Xiaojun has the highest chance of entering university next year."
A proud smile crept across her lips.
"He will be the phoenix rising from this muddy village, And you are nothing but an aging, unmarried woman."
She let out a cold laugh.
The insult struck like a slap.
Li Yulan's eyes widened in rage. With a furious shriek, ready to retort.
But before the quarrel could escalate further, Li Changfu's thunderous voice cut across the courtyard.
"Enough!"
His command echoed sharply against the courtyard walls.
"Both of you, stop causing trouble!"
His brows knitted together in anger.
"Is this the time to argue about such matters? And what nonsense are you all talking about—taking those supplies back? Do you think it will be that easy? I will not repeat myself. No one is to make a move right now."
Then his eyes landed squarely on Wang Chunhua.
"Especially you."
His voice carried a clear warning.
"Keep your schemes to yourself. Do not try anything reckless that might backfire on this family."
Wang Chunhua instantly exploded.
"What do you mean we shouldn't do anything? Are we supposed to swallow this humiliation?"
She gestured angrily toward Li Guofu.
"Look at my son! Look how brutally he's been beaten! And you tell me to sit quietly?"
Then she turned toward Li Changfu, her eyes blazing with old resentment.
"When I first entered the Li household, I wanted to send Li Guoqiang to my distant relatives who had no children of their own."
Her voice trembled with anger.
"But you stopped me. You forced me to raise him and promised that he would be filial to me in the future. So tell me now—what is your promise worth?"
Her voice rose again.
"What did I gain from raising someone else's child? Not only can I not enjoy any benefits now, even my own children must suffer!"
Everyone fell quiet.
Li Changfu's face darkened.
He did not answer immediately.
Deep down, he understood his wife's resentment. In truth, there was some justification in her complaints.
Yet as the head of the household, he could not allow himself to act impulsively.
Especially not now.
To be honest, he too felt tempted by the supplies Chen Meilan's family had bought. Who would not crave such food in these lean years?
But temptation alone could not dictate his decisions. One careless move could bring disaster upon the entire family.
He sighed heavily.
Instead of replying to Wang Chunhua, he turned his gaze toward another figure standing quietly behind Li Guosheng.
"Third daughter-in-law," he said slowly.
"What do you think we should do now?"
At those words, the everyone fell into sudden silence.
Even Wang Chunhua stopped speaking.
All eyes gradually turned toward the same direction.
Behind Li Guosheng stood a woman in a faded yet carefully arranged blue cotton jacket.
Her posture was straight, her chin slightly lifted as if she were accustomed to standing above others.
This woman was Zhang Xiuli.
Her appearance was not particularly beautiful. Her features were ordinary, even somewhat shrewd.
Yet she always maintained an appearance of neatness and composure, as though she were someone educated and cultured.
In truth, she was merely the daughter of the brigade leader from a neighboring village.
From the moment she married into the Li family, she had never hidden the faint disdain she felt for her husband and his family.
Li Guosheng was painfully simple-minded. In her eyes, he was a dull ox pulling a plow.
Yet despite her arrogance, even the members of the Li family had to admit one thing.
Behind her calm demeanor lay a ruthless and calculating mind.
It was precisely for this reason that Li Changfu had insisted that his third son marry her.
He knew Guosheng was too straightforward.
So he deliberately chose a wife who was cunning.
Although Zhang Xiuli often behaved like a modest scholar's daughter, everyone in the Li household knew that beneath that façade was a woman capable of frightening cruelty.
Now, under the watchful eyes of the entire family, Zhang Xiuli slowly lifted her gaze.
Her expression remained calm.
Then she spoke.
"Father is right," she said evenly.
"Now is not the time for us to make any direct move. After all, the other side currently holds the advantage."
She paused briefly before continuing.
"If we want to win this game…"
Her lips curved faintly.
"…we must first remove the key factor."
Several people frowned in confusion.
Zhang Xiuli's eyes darkened slightly.
"Li Shuying," she said quietly.
"That girl is the variable in this situation."
A cold light flickered in her gaze.
"So the first thing we should do…"
"…is eliminate her influence."
The courtyard fell into stunned silence.
Only Li Changfu remained composed.
His brows slowly furrowed.
"And how do you propose we do that?" he asked gravely.
Zhang Xiuli smirked and said, "Control her."
On the other side of the village, the Li siblings waited for a long time.
The dim evening light gradually faded from the courtyard, and the smoke from the communal kitchen began to rise in thin grey spirals across the rooftop. One by one, villagers passed along the dirt paths carrying bowls and chopsticks, heading toward the production team's canteen for supper.
Yet no one from the main Li household appeared at their place to cause trouble.
Li Jianguo finally let out a long breath he had been holding for hours.
"It seems… they won't come today," he murmured.
Li Shuying also felt a knot loosen inside her chest. For a moment she even wondered if perhaps Li Guofu had been too embarrassed to admit that he had been beaten by her.
After all, such a humiliation would be difficult for any man to confess.
However, Li Jianhua did not share their optimism.
He stood quietly near the doorway, his brows faintly furrowed. Although he said nothing to dampen his younger siblings' spirits, a lingering worry remained in his heart.
He knew the temper of the people in the main household all too well.
Silence from them rarely meant forgiveness.
More often, it meant they were waiting.
When Chen Meilan returned home from the fields that evening, the first thing she noticed was the unusual exitment in the house.
The moment she stepped through the door, her children eagerly surrounded her.
"Mother, look!"
"We bought oil!"
"And flour!"
"There's even wild boar meat!"
Their excited voices overlapped like sparrows chirping at dawn.
Chen Meilan froze.
Her gaze fell upon the table.
For a moment, she thought she was seeing things.
Such things had rarely appeared in their home over the past decade.
Her heart tightened.
Her first instinct was unease.
So much money… all spent on food…
But when she looked at the bright faces of her children—eyes shining with excitement—her words stopped in her throat.
Instead, she simply smiled.
After all, it had been nearly ten years since their home had seen such good food.
And the money had come from their father's allowance.
For once, she did not want her children to feel that even this small happiness required restraint.
So she said nothing.
Late that night, after the house had fallen silent, Li Shuying lay quietly on her bed.
The faint moonlight filtering through the paper window cast pale shadows across the room.
Once she was certain everyone had fallen asleep, she slowly closed her eyes.
In the next moment, she slipped into the system space.
When her vision cleared, she was standing once again inside the familiar control room.
Her heart began to race.
Quickly, she moved toward the glowing control panel.
Until now, she had only been guessing whether selling crops from the system space in the real world would provide experience points for upgrading the farm.
Yesterday, when she planted the radishes, the farm had still been at Level 0.
Upgrading the space was extremely important.
Without higher levels, she would never unlock the supplies she desperately needed.
Taking a steady breath, she opened the personal information panel.
The moment the screen appeared—
Her eyes widened.
"It worked!"
Her voice rang out in delighted disbelief.
"It really worked!"
A notification flashed across the screen.
[Congratulations!]
Farm Space has upgraded to Level 2.
New features unlocked:
Two additional farmland plots unlocked...
New crops available: Corn and Sweet Potato...
One new shade unlocked in the Ranch section....
Livestock available: Rabbits...
Li Shuying clasped her hands together in excitement.
She had not expected such a rapid upgrade.
Just by selling a batch of radishes in the real world, the farm had already advanced to Level 2.
The discovery filled her with genuine joy.
Without wasting another moment, she immediately began working.
First, she harvested the fully grown radishes and bundled hay, transferring them into the warehouse.
Next, she walked to the ranch area and fed the chickens before storing the fresh eggs.
Then she returned to the farmland.
There were now four plots of land available.
With practiced efficiency, she began planting:
One plot for hay.
One for radishes.
One for corn.
One for sweet potatoes.
Finally, she opened the ranch shop and purchased two rabbits—one male and one female—and placed them into the newly unlocked shade.
Watching the small animals hop about the enclosure, Li Shuying let out a quiet sigh.
If only the system could upgrade faster…
If she could unlock wheat in the crop section and pigs in the ranch before the Mid-Autumn Festival, everything would be much easier.
Because if her memory from her previous life was correct—
Her father would be returning home this year for the festival.
In her previous life, that Mid-Autumn Festival had been the last one they ever spent together.
Only half a year later, the conspiracy had begun.
Soon after that…
Her father had been executed.
The thought pierced her heart like a needle.
Many details were still unclear.
Even now, she did not fully understand how Zhao Hongmei had orchestrated everything behind the scenes.
But one thing she knew with absolute certainty.
She would never allow history to repeat itself.
Her previous life now felt like a distant nightmare.
This new life was her chance to change everything.
She felt deep guilt for having doubted her father in the past.
In this life, she wanted to make up for all her regrets.
This Mid-Autumn Festival would be the first time she saw her father again in nearly sixty years.
Though time had blurred many of her memories, she still remembered his warm eyes—the way he used to look at her with quiet tenderness.
This year, she wanted to celebrate the festival properly with her family.
Not just meat buns.
She would buy mooncakes as well.
They would celebrate Mid-Autumn like never before.
This year, her family would not have to choke down coarse corn buns and water as they had every year before.
This year would be different.
She also wanted to prepare pickled vegetables, cure pork meat, and render lard so her father could take supplies back to the military compound.
But to do all that—
She needed the system space to upgrade quickly.
And therein lay the problem.
Now she understood that selling farm produce in the real world was the key to gaining experience points.
But private trade in these times was dangerous.
Even the black market had its limits.
If she sold goods too frequently in black market, people would become suspicious.
Selling crops every day would certainly attract unwanted attention.
Yet with each level, the experience required for upgrades would increase.
Which meant she would need to sell even more.
Upgrading the farm space would become far more difficult than it had been when she played it as a virtual game in her previous life.
Li Shuying sighed softly.
"One step at a time," she murmured to herself.
With that, she exited the system space.
She returned to her small room.
Outside, the autumn night was quiet. The distant barking of dogs echoed faintly through the village.
Li Shuying turned onto her side beneath the thin quilt.
Before long, sleep gradually overtook her.
Tomorrow she would return to school—
And she knew very well that another set of challenges awaited her there.