Volume One, Chapter One: The Real Daughter Is the Big Boss 1

Page 1 of 3

“Do you want to get rich overnight?”
“Do you want to wake up every morning and worry about how to spend your money?”
“The Squander System—making your every wish come true.”

A young girl opened her eyes on a grassy slope and glanced around, seeing not a soul in sight. Lazily, she rolled over and closed her eyes again.

“You are penniless and suffering from hunger and cold. If you bind with me, you’ll become the richest person in the world.”

She covered her ears with her hands, trying in vain to block out the incessant chirping of the childish female voice.

So noisy!

She’d finally waited for a sunny day to bask in the sun, yet someone kept talking to her, and she couldn’t even find where the voice was coming from.

Besides, was she really suffering from hunger and cold?

She’d just been eager to get outside and sunbathe, so she skipped a meal, that’s all!

“I’ll give you one more chance. Just say the word to bind, and I’ll immediately give you a hundred taels of silver.”

The girl clutched her head and simply flopped down onto the slope.

“Detected host’s persistent silence; following the principle that silence means consent, the Squander System is at your service.”

“Ding—binding successful.”

At last, the girl lying on the ground lifted her head.

“What exactly are you?”

“Greetings, Host An Qianqian. I am the Squander System. You are now bound to me. Next, we will travel to countless worlds on missions.”

“I’m not going.”

Isn’t sunbathing wonderful enough? Why must she be dragged from one world to another for no reason?

But her refusal was useless. An Qianqian suddenly saw stars before her eyes, and when she opened them again, she found a rusty hoe in her hand. Next to her, a middle-aged man lay drunken and sprawled on the field embankment, his snoring louder than thunder.

“Send me back.” An Qianqian’s voice was cold.

“Complete your mission, Host, and you’ll have a chance to return.”

An Qianqian ignored it, surveyed her surroundings, and spotted a crooked-necked tree nearby. Without another word, she dashed over and rammed herself into its sturdy branch.

A dull thud, and her world went black.

When she opened her eyes again, she was back at the starting scene—holding a battered hoe, standing in the field, not even a trace of pain left.

“Don’t waste your efforts, Host~ If you die before finishing your mission, the world simply restarts. Fail to complete it, and you’ll be trapped here forever.”

What kind of thing was this?

It could even force her to work?

An Qianqian was annoyed for a second, then clicked her tongue. Fine, not worth the effort.

“All right, what mission do you want me to complete?”

Since she couldn’t leave, she might as well see what this Squander System was all about. Sooner or later, she would drag it out from hiding!

“Of course, they’re squandering missions! Depending on your situation, we’ll set up multiple squandering tasks in each world. Every time you complete one, you get a reward. The more extravagantly you squander, the bigger the reward.”

“What are the rewards?”

“They depend on your mission performance. Simply put, if you spend ten taels of silver, you might receive ten or a hundred times the reward—or maybe less.”

“If you hand out large sums of money so recklessly, won’t you disrupt the world’s balance?”

Page 2 of 3

“Not at all. The Squander System exists to maintain stability and will not disrupt the operation of these small worlds. Just squander as you wish—I’ll handle the rest.”

“Understood. What’s the current situation?”

“We’ve now arrived in ancient times. Though you’re currently a penniless, malnourished little bean sprout, don’t worry, Host. Go wild—money is no issue. Now let me transmit the relevant memories and circumstances of this world to you.”

An Qianqian felt as if something was being stuffed into her mind. In a flash, she regained clarity and understood her current predicament.

The original host was fourteen, a native of Shang Kingdom, the lost daughter of the Marquis of Honor’s household. Today, the Marquis’s estate would send people to Dazhu Village to bring her home. However, her foster mother, Madam Wang, planned to send her own daughter, Qin Xiaohua, in her place, to enjoy a life of luxury. As for the original, a mere stumbling block, she would be sold to a brothel the next day, where she would eventually die of illness.

“And the mission?”

“Host, please squander one hundred taels of silver within half an hour, and successfully ensure you are the one brought back by the Marquis’s people. The silver is already in your system space, ready for use. If you wish to communicate with me, just think the words in your mind.”

An Qianqian sent her consciousness inward and indeed saw a pure white space holding a hundred taels of silver.

“What happens if I fail to complete the mission?”

“The penalty is tenfold! If you still don’t complete it, the penalty keeps multiplying by ten.”

“So, if I don’t spend the hundred taels in half an hour, I’ll have to spend a thousand next time?”

“That’s right, Host!”

“Fine, got it. Exchange all one hundred taels for small silver pieces, each worth one tael.”

“Certainly, Host.”

In the blink of an eye, the silver in the space was transformed into small tael ingots, neatly arrayed in a glimmering heap.

A faint smile tugged at An Qianqian’s lips; she looked almost satisfied.

She tugged at her threadbare hemp clothes, patched up her nearly ruined straw sandals, and set off.

“Where does the village chief live?”

“Just walk straight ahead for eight hundred meters. But Host, the Marquis’s people are about to reach your foster mother’s house. Why not go home first? What if they mistake Qin Xiaohua for you and take her away?”

An Qianqian ignored the system and headed straight for the village chief’s house.

“Host…”

The Squander System babbled on endlessly, but An Qianqian let every word go in one ear and out the other, not bothering to respond.

Meanwhile, at the Qin household—

Madam Wu from the Marquis’s estate arrived with maids and servants in tow.

Madam Wang pressed her daughter Qin Xiaohua’s hand, a fawning smile pasted on her face, pushing her forward.

“Madam, look—this is the girl I found at the temple all those years ago. We’ve raised her with the utmost care, never mistreated her once.”

Qin Xiaohua, though domineering in the village, wilted before the imposing aura of these wealthy household servants. Her haughtiness evaporated, replaced by inexplicable nerves.

She kept her head down, timid, until Madam Wang discreetly tugged her sleeve, forcing her to lift her head reluctantly.

Madam Wu’s gaze swept over Qin Xiaohua, her brows twitching almost imperceptibly.

The girl was tidy, but her features were flat, her cheekbones a bit prominent—nothing like the deep-set eyes and bold brows of the Marquis’s family. Madam Wu had assisted at the birth all those years ago; she remembered the baby with lively, upturned eyes, brimming with spirit—nothing like this plain, awkward child.

“Madam Wang, you’ve certainly gone to great lengths.”

Madam Wu withdrew her gaze, her tone cooling. “But I’ve had a long journey and would like to rest and have some hot tea. Since it’s been so many years, I’d also like to ask a few more details about the past.”

Madam Wang’s heart skipped a beat, though her smile didn’t falter. “Of course! Please, have a seat, Madam. I’ll prepare some tea at once!”

Page 3 of 3

Under the table, she pinched Qin Xiaohua, signaling her to keep quiet.

The villagers had already noticed the Marquis’s carriages parked outside the Qin house. They craned their necks over the wall, gossiping in low voices that carried halfway across the village.

“What luck has come to the Qin family?”

“Judging by that procession, something big must have happened!”

Meanwhile—

At the village chief’s house.

An Qianqian spread out one hundred taels in small silver ingots across the table, the gleaming pile dazzling the eyes.

The village chief’s hand hovered above the silver, then drew back as he nervously rubbed his palms, Adam’s apple bobbing. After a long moment, he asked, “So… the Marquis’s estate is here to fetch you?”

An Qianqian sat on a low stool, giving only a slight nod, her eyes barely lifting.

The chief’s gaze was glued to the silver ingots.

“So you mean, if the villagers come with me to the Qin house and speak the truth, all this silver belongs to the village?”

A hundred taels!

Even divided among everyone, each household would get two or three—enough to buy two stones of rice.

The chief understood perfectly. He’d already heard rumors about today’s events, but seeing how the visitors were all dressed in imposing finery, he’d thought it best to steer clear.

But now things were different. Qianqian had slammed the money right down in front of him!

Still, he was puzzled. The girl had always been so beaten down at home—how could she have saved up so much?

Oh!

He realized at once—this must have come from the Marquis’s estate! They wanted them to vouch for her, to give the real daughter a way back in.

He glanced at An Qianqian. Huh, her demeanor was completely different today—nothing like the meek, silent child she’d been. He figured she must know she was about to return to a grand home, so even her posture had changed.

“Well? Are you going or not?” An Qianqian’s tone was flat.

The chief gritted his teeth and glanced outside. The Qin house was already swarming with people. If he went to “tell the truth” now, he’d not only get silver but also curry favor with the Marquis’s estate—only a fool would refuse.

He slapped his thigh. “Let’s do it! Wait here, I’ll gather everyone!”

He scooped the silver into his bundle, afraid An Qianqian might change her mind.

The chief moved fast. In less than fifteen minutes, the entire village—men, women, young and old—had crowded outside the Qin house, nearly blocking the entrance.

Madam Wang, carrying a bowl of tea to the table, glanced out and saw the sea of heads. Grabbing a broom from the corner, she shrieked at the crowd:

“You lazy loafers! What are you doing at my door? If you offend the honored guests, will you bear the consequences? Get lost at once!”

An Qianqian stood at the edge of the courtyard, the village chief with his bundle at the front. He scanned the main hall and saw, as expected, several maids and servants clustered around an imposing old madam.

“Wang, you have guests in your house—why didn’t you say so?” the chief called, lifting his chin.

“My family business is none of your concern! You beggars—if you don’t leave, I’ll set the dogs on you!”

Madam Wu in the main hall heard her clearly. She paused with her tea, then called out:

“Madam Wang, please, don’t be so hasty.”