Chapter 2: The Mystery Box Draw

Summer’s sun was vicious, burning so hard against the skin that it hurt. Su Xiaoyun’s basket held only two or three wild greens, and at this rate she would not even starve to death—she might as well be roasted alive first.

A vine whip lashed across her calf, and a sharp sting shot through her in an instant. Su Xiaoyun drew in a breath.

Before she could even bend down to look, a voice rang in her ear.

The Daily Blind Box Lottery System has successfully bound. I am System 007. The host may silently recite “blind box lottery” to receive a mysterious gift pack.

What system?

Blind box lottery?

The host’s needs have been detected. Arranging today’s blind box lottery now.

The next second, three exquisite boxes appeared before Su Xiaoyun. Possessed by some strange impulse, she picked one at random.

Congratulations, host, on obtaining one catty of corn grits and one one-catty grain ration coupon.

Stored for the host in system space. The host may withdraw them at any time.

It really gave her something? This system was that miraculous?

Su Xiaoyun closed her eyes and entered the system space. It was so vast she could not see the end of it at a glance.

Looking at the corn grits and ration coupon inside, she swallowed and, with a thought, opened her eyes again. The corn grits that had been in the cloth sack were already in her hand.

She had actually taken them out.

“Wait, 007, are there any limits to this lottery? Like having to complete some impossible task, or going and winning over some villain or another?”

No need. The host only needs to stay alive each day in order to draw.

Just staying alive?

There was such a good thing?

Su Xiaoyun nodded with satisfaction. “Then what exactly is in these blind boxes?”

From a prize of a hundred billion to a hundred-square-meter villa, down to all kinds of vouchers, flour, and food—the host will draw whatever fate allows.

When the host reaches twenty draws, a guaranteed gift pack will be awarded. Its contents will be decided according to the host’s needs.

Su Xiaoyun looked down at the corn grits in her hand: “...”

Her luck was still nothing to boast about, but at least after twenty draws there was a safety net. At the very least, she would not have to go hungry.

Carrying the corn grits, Su Xiaoyun returned to the communal dormitory.

The educated youths who had come down to the countryside all lived here. Two people shared a room, and aside from two crude wooden beds, there was nothing else inside. Clothes were stuffed into hemp sacks and shoved under the bed.

Meals were usually cooked in the makeshift stove shed built in the yard.

Her roommate was from Lin'an, and her name was Feng Wanqing.

Her mother had died of illness, and her maternal grandfather was a capitalist. Someone reported that her grandfather had illegal ties with overseas contacts, and her father, unwilling to be implicated, cut ties with her and pushed her out to fend for herself.

So she had been sent down for reform, two years earlier than the original owner.

The two of them could be said to share the same miserable fate, both cast aside by their families.

The difference was that the original owner was hopelessly in love, while Feng Wanqing was exceedingly clear-headed.

Feng Wanqing had warned the original owner more than once to keep away from Zhou Xuejun, but she would not listen, sending him food and drink without pause.

When Feng Wanqing saw Su Xiaoyun return to the dormitory, she clicked her tongue and came over. “Su Xiaoyun, I heard about what happened at noon today. Did you finally get your head squeezed by a door and wake up all at once?”

“Mm-hm, I know I was wrong!” Su Xiaoyun nodded along. “In this countryside, you’re the only one who truly treats me well. Wanqing, you’re the best!”

She knew Feng Wanqing only had a sharp tongue, but a good heart.

More than once, when the original owner had fainted from hunger, it was Feng Wanqing who looked after her, even lending her the ration coupons she had saved so hard to collect.

But the original owner had turned around and given them all to Zhou Xuejun, never repaying a single one.

That was also why, after she had transmigrated into this book, she could no longer bring herself to ask Feng Wanqing for food.

She simply had no face left.

Holding Su Xiaoyun’s hand, Feng Wanqing sighed helplessly. “Xiaoyun, there’s nothing to be afraid of. If Zhou Xuejun dares not return the things he owes you, I’ll go with you to complain to the party secretary, and let the secretary stand up for you. Let’s see how he continues to make a living in the village after that!”

Su Xiaoyun smiled. After a moment, she said, “Thank you, Wanqing.”

At that, a faint smile also appeared on Feng Wanqing’s face.

In the latter half of the day, after supper, Su Xiaoyun went to work in the fields with Feng Wanqing.

At harvest time, the heat was especially oppressive. By the time Su Xiaoyun reached the fields, fine beads of sweat had already formed on her forehead.

One of the brigade members handed her a sickle. “Xiaoyun, you’ll be working with Jin Yue. That acre over there is yours. You have to finish cutting it this afternoon.”

“Okay.”

Su Xiaoyun took the sickle. The poisonous sun beat down on her body, and she raised a hand to block the glare.

When she reached that acre, she did not see Yang Jinyue.

After looking around for a long time, she finally spotted Yang Jinyue, dressed in a light blue floral dress, neat and fresh, with two braids, sitting in the shade and sipping mung bean soup with an expression of utter enjoyment.

Normally, Yang Jinyue passed her words to Zhou Xuejun, and Zhou Xuejun passed them on to Su Xiaoyun.

Every time, they said that when grain and money were divided, Su Xiaoyun would get a little more, but every time it came to nothing.

Su Xiaoyun was so hungry she could not even get a proper meal, and after asking a few times, Zhou Xuejun had cursed her for being petty and unreasonable.

Su Xiaoyun gave a cold laugh and, gripping the sickle, focused on her own work. After she finished her share, she put the sickle away and went to the shade beneath the old pagoda tree to get some mung bean soup.

When Yang Jinyue saw Su Xiaoyun coming over, she stood up and made conversation. “Xiaoyun, I heard you and Brother Xuejun had a fight because of me?”

Su Xiaoyun glanced at her but said nothing.

Yang Jinyue went on. “Brother Xuejun is only feeling sorry for me. Don’t take it to heart. He actually still likes you. He’s just stubborn by nature. If you soften a bit, it’ll be fine. I even heard Brother Xuejun say two days ago that he wanted to drink malted milk powder. Buy him a tin and send it over, and he’ll definitely forgive you.”

As she said this, Yang Jinyue even licked her lips.

A tin of malted milk powder was worth a whole month’s wages for Su Xiaoyun. Yang Jinyue really had the nerve to ask.

This was probably not what Zhou Xuejun wanted to drink at all. It was Yang Jinyue who wanted it.

Su Xiaoyun said, “What kind of thing is he, and he deserves it?”

The smile on Yang Jinyue’s face instantly froze.

Before, she had sweet-talked Su Xiaoyun by saying she would help match her with Zhou Xuejun, and Su Xiaoyun had obeyed her every word. How dared she talk back to her today?

Yang Jinyue said aggrievedly, “I’m only giving you advice, Xiaoyun. How can you talk like that?”

Su Xiaoyun gave a cold snort. Before she could say anything, several young women came over to stand up for Yang Jinyue.

“Jinyue, stop talking to someone like Su Xiaoyun. You know perfectly well what sort of person she is.”

“Exactly. Su Xiaoyun has bad conduct. Only you are kind enough to say a few words to her.”

Yang Jinyue put on a troubled expression. “Don’t say that about Xiaoyun. She’s actually quite a nice person. Maybe all those rumors outside are just gossip?”

The rumors outside about Su Xiaoyun were all spread by Yang Jinyue through others, and now she was putting on the act of a good person here.

Su Xiaoyun truly admired Yang Jinyue’s acting. No wonder the original owner had been fooled so completely.

The few young women even felt sorry for Yang Jinyue. “Jinyue, you really are too kind.”

Then they shot Su Xiaoyun a look of open disdain.