Chapter 11 Ways to Make Money
But after this afternoon's encounter, Aunt Niu had developed a favorable impression of Su He, so she quickly said, "Gambling rumors spread like wildfire, but none of you have actually seen it with your own eyes.
Besides, Su He's family isn't as badly off as you say.
Yesterday afternoon, when my old man was coming back from the fields, he happened to run into Su He gathering firewood from the mountain.
She'd gathered so much and couldn't carry it all at once, so she asked my old man for help. She even gave him half a pound of pork afterward as thanks."
The moment Aunt Niu finished, the other women burst into chatter.
"Half a pound of pork? She just gave it to your family?"
"Half a pound of pork—that would cost quite a bit to buy, right? Wow, what kind of family just hands out pork like that? Such a waste!"
"Guess the rumors aren't true after all."
"Did you eat the meat?"
"Wouldn't the meat go bad in this heat?"
As their remarks got crazier, Aunt Niu couldn't help but roll her eyes.
"We cooked and ate it yesterday—still fresh.
And this afternoon, I went to Su He's place and brought her some vegetables from my garden.
Really, you've gotta see it to believe it. Su He's truly good—sweet with her kids, too."
Aunt Niu's constant praise made it clear just how much her impression of Su He had improved after meeting her.
Meanwhile, Wu Yanhua, who had been standing to the side, remained silent, seemingly unwilling to speak.
No matter how much better Su He got, Wu Yanhua still couldn't stand her.
The idea of Su He's chubby body with her tall, handsome son made Wu Yanhua's blood boil.
But it'd been ages since she'd seen her grandkids. They were her son's kids—like it or not, she had to visit.
Su He had no clue about the village gossip. Even if she had known, she wouldn't have cared.
The original owner's rep was so bad, no rumor could shock her.
After dinner, Su He put on clean sheets and fresh quilt covers.
Then, after washing and bathing the two children, she carried them to bed.
Thrilled by the new sheets and quilts (and the cute patterns!), the kids were over the moon.
"Mom, this bed's so comfy!" Niu Niu said happily, rolling around on the bed.
"How about you sleep with me from now on?" Su He sat by the bed, smiling at the children.
"Yes! I love sleeping with you," Niu Niu cheered.
"Me too!" Zai Zai piped up.
Letting the kids sleep with her helped them grow closer. Plus, their room was stuffy and windowless.
How could children live in that dark, airless room for long? It's not good for their health, both physical and mental.
After leaving the kids to play on the bed by themselves, Su He went to take a shower.
When she returned to the room after her shower, just as she expected, the two kids had fallen asleep again.
Now the room finally looked presentable. Though it was an earthen house, Su He had cleaned it immaculately, and the bed was neat and tidy with a brand-new quilt cover.
Su He didn't go to bed immediately. Having taken a nap in the afternoon, she was still wide awake. Besides, back in her old life, she never went to bed before 11 or 12 at night, and now it wasn't even 9 o'clock yet.
Grabbing a stool, Su He sat at the doorway and took in the view outside.
In the countryside now, the moon was big and round, the stars were numerous, and the fields were brightly illuminated. It was a scene you'd never see in the big city.
What a shame she didn't have a phone to capture this moment.
She still had to find a way to make money first. No matter how nice the countryside was, she was determined to send the two kids to the city for schooling in the future.
The education system in the countryside was too backward, and Su He knew the three of them wouldn't stay here for long.
Now, earning money was critical—ideally, she could buy a house in the capital.
After all, housing prices would rise to unprecedented heights in the future, with those in the capital seeing the most dramatic increases.
But unfortunately, she was completely broke.
Sigh!
Suddenly, her eyes fell on the sprawling vegetable patch in the backyard.
Starting tomorrow, she'd begin tilling and planting unusual crops—those she could sell later.
Speaking of rare fruits in this era, durian was the rarest. Currently, no one in the north was selling durians. What if she could grow them? Just thinking about it made Su He's pulse quicken.
Now was the time to check the space—maybe it could surprise her?
Su He entered the space directly and called for the customer service rep.
"Hello, this is Customer Service 423. How may I assist you?"
"I'd like to ask if you sell durian tree saplings here," Su He inquired.
"Yes, but the prices vary greatly," the customer service rep replied.
"How so?"
"Ordinary durian tree saplings are very cheap, costing just ten to twenty points.
But ordinary durian tree saplings are extremely vulnerable to climate conditions, soil quality, altitude, and other factors, making them difficult to survive.
The Fire Durian Sapling, developed through the latest research in the civilized world, is different.
Not only is it unaffected by these factors, but its growth cycle is also much shorter.
It bears fruit in just a few months, allowing durian lovers to have all the durian they want.
Its taste is almost the same as ordinary durians—just the seeds are somewhat pricier."
Upon hearing this, Su He felt a private thrill. If this was really the case, it would be hard for her not to hit the jackpot!
"How many points does a Fire Durian Sapling cost?" Su He jumped in.
"One Fire Durian Sapling costs a thousand points," the support agent replied.
"That's crazy expensive!"
She only had just over a hundred points left, and buying saplings would mean purchasing dozens at once to plant.
"What kind of stuff can I trade in for points?" Su He sighed. Surely there must be many things from this era that the system considers valuable?
"We recommend looking for items unique to your era, or nearly extinct plants and herbs.
We can provide you with a scout bot for just a hundred points. It can scan within a ten-mile radius and locate items that can be exchanged for points."
A whole hundred points?!
She only had a hundred points left.
"How long will it work for with a hundred points?" Su He asked.
"24 hours."
Su He: ...
This system is such a rip-off—just a scout bot for 24 hours costs a hundred points.
But how can one make money without taking risks? So!
"Fine! Please book a scout bot for me, starting at eight tomorrow morning." Su He bit the bullet and spent another hundred points on the system to reserve a bot for the next morning.
She'd need to turn in early. Tomorrow, she had to wake up early to make breakfast for the kids, then hit the mountains to go treasure hunting.
Even if she had to turn these mountains inside out, she was dead set on finding something the system would pay top dollar for!