Chapter 18: The Interstellar Being Laughs at the System (An Open Invitation to Fellow Readers to Create a New World Together)
“Ding! Since the host, our little precious one, cannot openly use the basic knowledge learned in the system space, this system is now issuing a new task.”
Before Yi Rongkun could say a word, the system continued, “Little precious, you must officially enroll in school within three days. Upon successful enrollment, the system will reward the host with a special eye-friendly lamp.”
“And a variety of snacks as well.”
“If the task is not completed, the system will punish you by forbidding you from eating candy for three days.”
“Ah!?”
Yi Rongkun didn’t quite understand most of what was said, but she clearly grasped the part about not being allowed to eat candy for three days.
She gasped in surprise and protested pitifully, “Tung Tung, that’s not fair! My candy—if mom gives it to me, I’ll eat it, and you’re not allowed to take it away.”
The system replied, “Even if you eat it, you won’t taste the sweetness of the candy. It will taste as awful as eating a candle.”
“Waaah… I don’t want that.”
Yi Rongkun immediately burst into tears. “Tung Tung is bullying me! Tung Tung is mean!”
The system softened its tone, “...Little precious, don’t cry. If you go to school like your second sister and third brother, then you can have candy.”
Never having encountered such a difficult host, the system panicked slightly and quickly coaxed her gently.
“Little precious, be good. Just ask your parents to take you to school.”
“Hey, youngest, why are you crying?”
Liu Guoxiang, who was washing clothes outside, heard her little daughter crying in the room and quickly cleaned her hands before rushing in.
Wiping her hands on her apron, she hurried in without slowing her pace. “Oh my, who upset my little sister? Why are you crying so hard?”
“Mom, I want to go to school. You have to take me to school.”
Hearing her mother’s voice, Yi Rongkun ran toward her with short little legs, crying as she expressed her wishes.
She finally had sweet candy to eat and didn’t want to go three days without it.
“Waaah… Mom, Tung Tung is bullying me. He told me to go to school like second sister and third brother, or else I can’t have candy. Waaah…”
“I don’t want to go without candy.”
[Oh no, the system has made our little precious cry again.]
[The system is so cruel! How can it be so harsh on a child? Not being able to eat candy is such a terrible thing.]
[So tell me, is it the system that has psychological scars, or is it our little precious who does?]
[Hahaha… I guess both sides have some psychological scars. Do you think the system regrets binding itself to such a tiny little one?]
…
“Sweetheart, don’t cry. Tell mommy, what exactly did Tung Tung say to you?”
Liu Guoxiang listened carefully to her daughter’s words and realized that going to school was a must; otherwise, her daughter wouldn’t get any good things.
She didn’t care much about good or bad things, but making her little girl cry was something she didn’t like.
Yi Rongkun nestled in her mother’s arms, sobbing as she tried to explain the new task issued by the system.
If it weren’t for Liu Guoxiang’s deep understanding of her own child, she wouldn’t have been able to make sense of what was being conveyed.
Thankfully, Liu Guoxiang knew her child very well.
“All right, all right, don’t be afraid. You still have three days.”
Liu Guoxiang comforted her daughter while gently patting her back. “Mommy will sew you a school bag tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow, Daddy will take you to school, okay?”
“What day is the day after tomorrow?”
Sniffling and wiping her tears, Yi Rongkun asked anxiously, “Will it be past the three days?”
“No, today will pass, then tomorrow comes, and then the day after tomorrow.”
Liu Guoxiang patiently explained what day after tomorrow meant. “Counting, only two days will have passed. There’s still one day left before three days.”
“There’s plenty of time, don’t worry.”
“Mommy is the best.”
After hearing her mother’s explanation, Yi Rongkun finally felt reassured and hugged her mother’s neck, clinging affectionately for a while. “Little sister loves mommy the most.”
“Mommy loves my little one, too.”
Liu Guoxiang dotingly rubbed her little head. “Be good and play in your room. Mommy still has to do the laundry.”
“Okay.”
Reluctantly, Yi Rongkun let go of her mother, looking at her with hopeful eyes, wanting her to stay and play.
But knowing how busy her mother was every day, she shut her mouth tight and didn’t say what was on her mind.
Faced with her daughter’s hopeful gaze, Liu Guoxiang almost gave in, wanting to drop everything and stay with her.
But she knew she couldn’t, so she pretended not to understand the look and reminded, “Be good. Mommy will call Shichun and Tianwen for you.”
After saying that, she turned quickly and left the room, soon calling out, “Shichun, Tianwen, come back and play with little aunt.”
The brother and sister playing in the courtyard heard their grandmother’s voice and obediently ran back. “Grandma, we’re back!”
The siblings had been strong and healthy since childhood. While their little aunt couldn’t yet walk or talk, the siblings were already running around everywhere.
The family often reminded the siblings to take good care of their little aunt, so they sometimes took her out to play.
Especially these past few days, with tasty treats following the little aunt around, the siblings hadn’t run off early in the morning to play with their friends.
“Hmm, your little aunt is in the room. Go find her and play.”
Seeing her grandchildren come back obediently, Liu Guoxiang felt particularly happy. She quickly filled a bowl with warm water, stirred in some milk powder, and brought it inside.
“Play in the room and don’t run around. Grandma made you something tasty to drink.”
She carefully placed the bowl on a box. “The three of you share it. No fighting.”
“Okay.”
The siblings smelled the milky fragrance and swallowed hard, refraining from fighting over it.
After Grandma left the room, Shichun looked longingly at his little aunt and said, “Little aunt, you drink first. When you’re done, my brother and I will drink.”
The siblings swallowed hard and endured, trying not to snatch the drink. Their adorable behavior melted the hearts of the viewers in the interstellar livestream.
“Oh my, I can’t take it! I want to steal the little precious and her two little ones and raise them at home.”
“Hey, do you have candy at your place for the little precious? No? Then don’t even think about it. The system said she’d be punished with no candy for three days, and she already cried. Imagine the consequences.”
“Honestly, these little ones are just too cute. I wish I could have two this adorable.”
“Don’t even think about it. Scientists have proven that interstellar offspring are naturally fierce because of radiation.”
“Luckily, we have enough force to keep these little rascals in check. Otherwise, who knows if human civilization’s flame would be extinguished?”
“I’m curious how the little precious will handle this bowl of milk. I want to taste it, too. What does the milk the elders drink taste like?”
…
Many comments appeared almost simultaneously, so not every one could be read clearly.
Yi Rongkun, smelling the milk, couldn’t help but swallow her saliva.
It smelled so good, even better than milk candy.