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Chapter 8: The Mall
Perhaps it was the subtle connection of blood ties, but from the very first glance, Song Ziyi had taken a liking to Song Yun. When she said she was his sister, he believed it without hesitation. Now, seeing her cry, he couldn’t hold back his own tears. He kept shaking his head, “It’s okay, I’m fine, sis.”
Song Yun pulled Ziyi into her arms, and her tears flowed even more freely. The deep regret that had tormented her for so many years suddenly found a crack through which it could be released. Her emotions momentarily overwhelmed her.
After a long while, she calmed herself, let go of the small boy in her arms, and choked out, “From now on, as long as I’m here, I’ll always protect you.”
Song Ziyi nodded heavily. “I’ll protect you too, Sis.”
The siblings looked at each other and suddenly broke into smiles through their tears. Song Yun pulled out a clean handkerchief and wiped Ziyi’s face. “Look at you, a little dirty kitten.”
Song Ziyi laughed too. “You’re calling me that? You’re a kitten too!”
“Did Song Zhenzhen really give you to this family without taking money?” Song Yun asked.
Song Ziyi shook his head, eyes lowered and filled with disappointment. “She didn’t take money. At first, this family didn’t want me. She gave them ten yuan, and only then did they agree to keep me.” He had never thought that Song Zhenzhen could be so heartless. Even if they weren’t biological siblings, they had lived together for so long. What difference was there?
Song Yun was deeply disappointed. Since Song Zhenzhen hadn’t accepted money, it didn’t count as human trafficking—at most it was foster care. Reporting it to the police would be useless.
What a pity.
Now that her mood had relaxed, Song Yun finally had the presence of mind to take a good look around. The lush green landscape jolted her memory—she’d nearly forgotten her gathering system.
“Uncle, please stop for a moment!” she called loudly.
The donkey cart stopped at the roadside to graze. Song Yun claimed she needed to use the bathroom and walked behind a small dirt mound. She activated the system’s scanning function and quickly scanned every familiar or unfamiliar plant around. Most were weeds, not worth much, but there were many varieties. Soon she had earned 85 star coins, and even found two edible wild vegetables worth 30 star coins each, making another 60 star coins. Together, that made 115, plus the 15 coins from a previous transaction—she now had a total of 130 star coins.
She had originally hoped to find herbs to treat Ziyi’s wounds, but there were none.
Song Yun returned from behind the mound and called to Song Ziyi, who had just finished on the other side, and they got back on the donkey cart.
By the time they returned to the city, it was already dark. Song Yun paid the agreed-upon fare, then made a stop at a nearby community clinic, where she bought a bottle of purple medicine. Given the limited medical conditions of the time, and that Ziyi’s injuries weren’t considered serious, that was all the doctor gave her.
After applying the medicine at the clinic, Song Yun took Ziyi to the nearest guesthouse.
Because she had a referral letter, checking in went smoothly. She got a double room with two small metal-framed beds, a worn desk, and a wooden stool. The setup was simple, but for Song Yun and Ziyi right now, it was already a great refuge.
After all the chaos, both of them were starving, especially Ziyi—he hadn’t eaten properly since the day before. He was now so weak he could barely stand.
But at this hour, the state-owned restaurant was already closed.
Song Yun told the little guy to rest while she borrowed an enamel mug from the front desk and asked for warm water. She then spent 10 star coins in the system mall to exchange for a 10ml bottle of low-grade nutrient solution. She squeezed a third of it into the mug and tucked the rest in her pocket.
According to the description, the low-grade nutrient solution not only provided a sense of fullness but also enhanced physical health and immunity—a great deal at 10 star coins.
Ziyi took a sip and found it sweet. Then he drank half the mug in one go. The terrible hunger he’d been enduring disappeared, and strength returned to his limbs. Even the pain from his injuries eased significantly. He couldn’t tell if it was the medicine—or just the sugar water.
“Sis, is this sugar water?” he asked.
Song Yun nodded. “Yes, I bought some sugar. You were feeling weak because of low blood sugar. You feel better now after drinking it, don’t you?”
Ziyi nodded eagerly. “Yes! I feel strong now, and I’m not hungry anymore.”
Song Yun stroked his soft, fine hair with guilt on her face. “It’s too late now, and we can’t get any food. Tomorrow morning, I’ll take you to the state restaurant for a proper breakfast.”
Ziyi’s eyes lit up, but then he remembered something, and his smile dimmed. “I wonder how Mom and Dad are doing now. Do they have food to eat?” At eight years old, he wasn’t completely clueless. Even if he hadn’t understood what happened at first, recent events had made everything clear.
Song Yun held his little hand. “I already know where our parents are. I’ll take you to find them in a few days.”
“Really? We can really find them?” He was still just a kid—his joy was written all over his face.
Song Yun smiled. “Of course. But you must promise me something: when we get there, if there are outsiders around, you must pretend not to know them. If our relationship is exposed, it’ll bring a huge amount of trouble for them and for us.”
Ziyi nodded firmly. “I understand. I’ll listen to everything you say.”
Looking at her obedient and sensible little brother, Song Yun’s heart softened completely. She handed the mug to him again. “Have a little more.”
Ziyi shook his head. “I won’t. Sis, you drink it.” He had noticed her chapped lips and could hear her stomach growling. He knew she must be just as hungry and thirsty.
Seeing that his complexion had returned to normal, Song Yun didn’t insist. She finished the rest of the mug herself.
The moment she drank it, she was surprised. Just a third of the nutrient solution had such a strong feeling of fullness, and her fatigue vanished like it had never existed.
If low-grade nutrient solution was already this effective, what about mid- or high-grade versions?
After lights out, Song Yun turned her back to Ziyi and eagerly opened the gathering system, browsing through the mall carefully for the first time.
She hadn’t looked closely before. Now she realized the mall’s interface, though simple, had a wide range of goods—clothing, food, shelter, and transportation. Some items clearly didn’t belong in this era, such as flying devices, special protective suits, and capsule houses. Their prices were outrageously high—so high she didn’t even bother to count the zeroes.
She focused on things she could potentially afford:
Song Yun stared at the description of the high-grade nutrient solution, her eyes burning. “Instantly awaken bodily functions”… isn’t that basically bringing someone back from the dead? That’s a miracle drug!
Next, she looked at the medicines:
Though expensive, their effects far surpassed anything available on Earth. By that standard, they were actually worth it.
She then glanced at tools:
Looking at her available balance of 80 star coins, she sighed. For now, other than low-grade nutrient solution, she could afford nothing else.
Just as she was about to close the system, she noticed something at the very end of the list—a new category:
Storage Items.