Chapter 9: The System Belonging to Jiang Rou  

On the other side.  

After teasing the old man, Jiang Rou felt delighted and walked into the bedroom with a lighthearted step.  

Inside the room, the two children were already in bed, fast asleep.  

The originally small, neatly folded quilts were now spread out, carefully covering both of them.  

Their shoes were placed beside the bed—dusty and worn, yet arranged neatly side by side.  

The disciplined lifestyle that Zhou Zhongshan had brought back from the military unit had silently influenced the two children.  

But—!  

How could they just sleep like this?!  

Did they not bathe? Not wash their feet?  

Not wash their hands? Not brush their teeth?  

How could they be so unhygienic?  

Jiang Rou thought about Zhou Xiaochuan and Zhou Xiaohua’s tragic circumstances—no father, no mother, and even despised by their grandparents on both sides.  

And then there was Zhou Zhongshan, a single man raising two children alone.  

He probably only focused on feeding them daily and had never taken the time to teach them the essential knowledge of proper hygiene.  

No wonder they were always dirty, looking like little soot-covered balls.  

This wouldn’t do!  

Such bad habits had to be corrected.  

If children carried too many germs on their bodies or had parasites in their stomachs, no matter how much they ate, they wouldn’t gain weight. Worse yet, they might not grow tall in the future.  

For girls, being a little short could still be considered petite and adorable.  

But for boys—being short was practically a third-degree disability!  

Just like Zhou Zhongshan—over 1.9 meters tall, with broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and an exceptionally well-proportioned physique. Adding in those impossibly long legs, that was what true handsomeness looked like!  

As Jiang Rou’s thoughts wandered, they somehow circled back to Zhou Zhongshan once again.  

Unwanted thoughts resurfaced yet again.

She shook her head, trying to rid herself of the chaotic thoughts.  

Then, she walked to the bedside and glanced at the two children.  

However—  

As soon as the sound of footsteps brushing against the floor echoed, Zhou Xiaochuan, who had already closed his eyes, suddenly lifted his head.  

His small figure appeared fragile.  

But his eyes—pitch black and deep—glared at Jiang Rou, filled with an ominous, dangerous intensity.  

The little wolf cub, who had remained silent the entire night, now protectively shielded the small Zhou Xiaohua, keeping a close watch on Jiang Rou. Finally, he spoke.  

“You can’t bully my sister! Dad said he’s sending you away tomorrow! You can’t make us leave! It’s impossible!”  

He gritted his teeth as if baring them in a snarl.  

But, after all, he was only six years old—his body was tiny, and his voice thin.  

Even though his gaze was fierce, to Jiang Rou, it only seemed like an empty display of bravado from a child.  

Yet, Zhou Xiaochuan’s hoarse, desperate words made Jiang Rou’s heart tighten with a sour ache.  

These two children had a tragic background, enduring cold looks from an early age and never having enough sense of security.  

Being so small, they couldn’t protect themselves, so they had to grow sharp thorns to defend against the world.  

Words like “kicked out of the house” were definitely not something a child should say.  

It was highly likely that Xu Chunxiang had instilled such thoughts in them.  

“Do you think you’re Zhou Zhongshan’s real children? When he has his own children, he’ll surely throw you out, make you leave…”  

“Zhou Zhongshan is already in his thirties. He’s probably eager to get married, and once he does, he’ll have his own children…”  

“Stepmothers don’t like children. When that happens, they’ll abuse you. You’ll have no food to eat and will only go hungry…”  

Jiang Rou could guess these arguments even without trying.  

She found them utterly absurd and laughable in her mind.

Zhou Zhongshan had once personally stated that for the sake of these two children, he would willingly never have his own biological children in this lifetime.  

But such things were beyond the understanding of a six-year-old like Zhou Xiaochuan.  

The little child only wanted to use a forced display of ferocity to protect himself and his sister.  

A little wolf cub like this—covered in sharp thorns—could not be approached easily before he was fully tamed.  

Otherwise, one would only end up wounded by his claws.  

Jiang Rou was in no hurry. She did not take another step toward the two children.  

Instead, she spoke softly.  

“Sleep peacefully. I don’t intend to drive you away. This is your home, and Zhou Zhongshan is your father. No one can make you leave.”  

After saying this, Jiang Rou turned around and switched off the bedroom light.  

In an instant, the room was swallowed by darkness.  

This kind of darkness felt like a protective veil.  

Zhou Xiaochuan withdrew his gaze and lowered his head slightly.  

He saw Zhou Xiaohua peeking out from under the blanket, half of her small face visible. Her large, watery eyes were filled with worry as she looked at her brother.  

Her tiny hand, hidden beneath the blanket, clutched Zhou Xiaochuan’s hand tightly, refusing to let go.  

Her expression seemed to say silently, Brother, I’m scared.  

Zhou Xiaohua was a little mute, but Zhou Xiaochuan could understand his sister’s unspoken words.  

He pulled up the blanket and gently patted Zhou Xiaohua’s chest.  

In a voice so soft that only the two of them could hear, he whispered,  

“Xiaohua, don’t be scared. Brother is here. I will protect you. No one can hurt you. Brother will help you sleep. Be good, close your eyes.”  

Zhou Xiaohua gave a small nod.  

She scooted closer to Zhou Xiaochuan before finally closing her eyes.  

Zhou Xiaochuan’s hand continued to softly pat the blanket over his sister, one gentle motion after another.

Jiang Rou thought to herself.  

Hmph!  

She would not believe a single word of those deceitful claims!  

…  

Jiang Rou heard subtle movements from where the two children were, but she did not turn to look.  

At this moment, she had a more important matter to attend to.  

That afternoon, while bathing in the communal washroom, Jiang Rou discovered a jade pendant on the Original Owner’s body.  

The pendant was a small circular ring, resembling a ring in shape.  

The jade was murky and not transparent at all, appearing to be of poor quality.  

It was precisely because of this that the pendant had escaped the greedy hands of the Real Heiress, Jiang Xiu’er, unscathed.  

Even now, the jade pendant still hung around Jiang Rou’s neck on a red string.  

When Jiang Rou first discovered the pendant, she had been both shocked and delighted.  

Because in her past life, she had owned an identical jade pendant!  

It had been with her since the day she was born.  

Beyond sharing the same name, Jiang Rou and the Original Owner now had yet another similarity.  

There had to be some supernatural reason behind her transmigration into this world.  

Moreover, there was an even more crucial factor—this jade pendant was far from worthless. Hidden within it was a mystical shopping system!  

Jiang Rou had uncovered this secret by accident in her past life.  

In the darkness, Jiang Rou lay down on the bed, covering herself with the blanket that belonged to Zhou Zhongshan. The faint scent of a man lingered on it.  

Beside her pillow lay the military jacket that Zhou Zhongshan had entrusted to her earlier.

When Zhou Zhongshan left, his mind was in disarray from Jiang Rou’s kiss, and he had completely forgotten about his military jacket.  

Jiang Rou wore it the entire night, only taking it off before going to sleep.  

Under the covers, she held the jade pendant in one hand, while the other bore a small wound she had inflicted earlier.  

It was a tiny puncture wound from a needle. With a light press, a drop of bright red blood instantly welled up.  

Using the moonlight streaming in from the window, she carefully let the drop of blood fall onto the jade pendant.  

In an instant, the fresh blood was absorbed by the pendant.  

Red lines briefly emerged within its intricate patterns before slowly fading away.  

Once the blood had been fully absorbed, the once murky and dull jade pendant suddenly became translucent and radiant, as pure and clear as the moon in the sky.  

At that moment, Jiang Rou was momentarily blinded by a dazzling flash of white light.  

When she opened her eyes again, she found herself in another space, and a familiar mechanical voice echoed in her ears.  

【Blood match successful. DNA verification complete…】  

【Blood contract established…】  

【System space is being constructed. Loading…】  

【Loading… Please wait…】  

【Ding!】  

【Loading complete!】  

【Dear Master, welcome to the Space System. Your Tao Duoduo Mall has been activated and is now ready for use at any time.】  

Even though Jiang Rou had mentally prepared herself, she still could not suppress her excitement upon hearing the system’s notification.  

Her Space System was back!!!  

The core operating program of this Space System was called “Tao Duoduo Mall.”  

Unlike the mystical treasure spaces commonly found in historical or farming novels, Jiang Rou’s system did not contain spiritual spring water, fertile farmland for cultivation, or medicinal fields that could produce rare herbs.

However, Tao Duoduo Mall was still an incredibly powerful golden finger.  

The system’s marketplace function was akin to a combination of Taobao and Pinduoduo.  

Jiang Rou could search for anything she wanted in this mall—food, clothing, household items, and even civilian or military supplies.  

As long as she had money, she could buy anything.  

The most remarkable aspect of the System Mall was that there was no need to wait for delivery.  

The moment the payment was completed, the purchased items would instantly appear in the system’s designated storage space, ready for Jiang Rou to retrieve at any time.  

Since the System Mall allowed purchases, it naturally also allowed sales.  

In her past life, Jiang Rou had opened a small shop within Tao Duoduo Mall, where she sold handcrafted items she had personally made.  

Her business had flourished, earning her a considerable sum of money.  

On the very night she transmigrated, her account balance had just reached a solid one million!  

One million!!!  

Jiang Rou felt a pang of distress just thinking about it. She had no idea whether the money was still there.  

With that thought, she swiftly navigated through the Tao Duoduo Mall interface.  

Skillfully, she jumped to the personal account balance page…