Chapter 4: I Don’t Believe It!

The Lin couple happily weighed the goods. They sold them to the restaurant for five coins per pound, and Song Anning’s batch weighed just over five and a half pounds. Lin Dafu counted out seventeen copper coins and handed them to her.

Having collected some from the villagers today and gathered more from their own family’s mountain foraging, he stood to make a tidy profit. His gaze toward Song Anning couldn’t help but change.

“Anning, here’s seventeen coins. Count them. If you bring such good finds in the future, Grandpa will give you the highest price.”

“Alright.”

Song Anning counted the money, her excitement palpable. This was her first earnings since arriving here. Combined with the forty-nine coins from the system’s recycling, she’d made sixty-six coins in half an afternoon.

Hmm, an auspicious number and a good start.

An inexplicable sense of accomplishment washed over her. No matter the era, money earned by one’s own hands was the most reassuring to spend.

While Song Anning was chatting with the Lin couple, Song Zeyuan had dragged his younger sister, running until they were out of breath. From afar, they spotted a crowd gathered under the banyan tree and immediately sensed trouble.

“Brother, do you think… do you think Elder Sister caused a scene at the Lin household?”

Song Zeyuan wasn’t sure either. When their elder sister got stubborn, no one could reason with her. If she’d broken anything, they wouldn’t be able to pay for it even if they sold themselves.

The two youngsters pushed through the crowd anxiously, squeezing into the Lin family’s courtyard, only to find their elder sister happily sorting wild herbs with Grandma Lin while chatting and laughing. The villagers watching wore expressions of envy.

Wait—those wild herbs were gathered by their sister?

“A’Yuan, your sister really made a name for herself today! She earned quite a bit selling wild herbs. Make sure she buys you some meat…”

Hearing the woman’s envious remark, Song Zeyuan understood somewhat. He stared blankly at Song Anning until she finished her task and waved at them.

“A’Yuan, A’Yue, let’s go home…”

Song Anning shouldered her basket, bid farewell to the Lin family, and took each child’s hand as they walked home. Song Zeyuan and Song Anyue still couldn’t quite believe it and finally asked:

“Elder Sister, did you really gather all those wild herbs? They looked so fresh.”

“Yep! Sold them for seventeen coins. I’ll make something delicious for you.”

Song Anning pulled out a handful of coins from her pouch and jingled them in her palm. The two youngsters’ eyes sparkled as they stared at the coins—the clinking sound was like heavenly music to them.

Elder Sister really was different now. She didn’t steal anymore and had even earned money. The air itself seemed sweeter as they walked home.

No—they couldn’t let Elder Sister go up the mountain alone. Starting tomorrow, they’d go with her. Their family’s life was bound to get better.

The two children silently made this resolution. Halfway home, Song Anning stopped by Aunt Guihua’s place to buy two eggs and three pounds of cornmeal, spending ten coins in total.

While selling the wild herbs earlier, she had set aside a handful, planning to make cornmeal pancakes and wild herb egg drop soup. How delightful…

Just as they neared home, their path was blocked.

Standing in their way was the protagonist’s grandmother—not her biological one. The original host’s real grandmother had passed away during a famine after giving birth to her father and uncle, leaving her grandfather to remarry this Mrs. Zhang, who bore him another son and daughter. A year ago, her father and uncle had moved out to live separately, leading to the current situation.

The old woman clutched a tattered cloth bag, radiating hostility as she glared venomously at Song Anning.

“You wretched girl, stealing again, stealing again!

You’ve completely shamed the Song family! I’ll beat this idiot out of you!”

Only then did Song Anning notice the thorny wooden stick hidden behind the old woman. Seeing the rod about to strike her, Song Anning turned and fled.

Damn the original host—what sins you’ve committed…

Poor Song Anning’s body had never done manual labor and was still plump, making it impossible to outrun the elderly woman who worked year-round.

She was caught before going far. Mrs. Zhang gripped the back of Song Anning’s neck but ultimately couldn’t bring herself to hit her, her eyes filled with disappointment:

“Anning, your father wasn’t my birth son, but I still raised him for over twenty years. When your father and eldest brother had their accident, your grandpa and I couldn’t sleep night after night. Your grandpa and your second uncle would wander the mountains whenever they could—you saw all this.

But… those still alive must keep living. Your mother is ill, these two little ones are just starting to understand things, and your grandpa and I are getting old. Aside from bringing some food, we can’t help much. This family still depends on you.

Every household has its own life to live. If you can’t stand on your own, who can you expect to help you forever?

Listen to Grandma, alright? Stop stealing. Take care of the little ones and live properly.”

Mrs. Zhang had said these words many times before, but the original host had stubbornly continued her ways, sometimes even cursing at Mrs. Zhang when beaten too harshly.

This time, however, Mrs. Zhang heard a different reply.

“Alright.

Grandma, I won’t steal anymore. I’ll live properly…”

“I don’t believe you.”

“…”

Song Anning’s mind screamed internally: “Aaaah! Such a heartfelt promise, and all I get is ‘I don’t believe you’!”

Meanwhile, the system in her head laughed like a fool: “Ahahahaha, this is killing me! Your grandma isn’t buying your excuses—better head up the mountain and prove it with actions~”

Seeing their elder sister cornered, the two little ones rushed to help:

“Grandma, you have to believe her! Elder Sister really has changed, really, really changed! She even went up the mountain to dig wild herbs this afternoon. Look at her hands—they’re covered in blisters!”

“We just came back from Grandpa Lin’s place. Elder Sister sold the wild herbs and got a lot of coins!”

Song Zeyuan, afraid Mrs. Zhang wouldn’t believe them, even shook Song Anning’s little pouch for emphasis.

“R-really?

Anning, this money… you earned it from selling wild herbs?”

The grip on Song Anning’s neck loosened slightly, and she quickly straightened up, emptying the coins from her pocket.

“I spent ten coins on eggs and cornmeal. The remaining seven are all here. Grandma, believe me just this once—just once. If I steal again, you can beat me to death.”

The old woman said nothing, only reaching out to touch the coins before tightly grasping Song Anning’s hand. Silent tears streamed down her face.

“Grandma, don’t cry! You can ask Grandpa Lin—I really earned this from digging wild herbs, not stealing.”

Mrs. Zhang turned her face away, wiping her tears, her voice choked with emotion:

“Grandma’s crying from happiness. My eldest granddaughter has stopped stealing… and can even earn money to support the family now.”

But the more she wiped, the more the tears fell, uncontrollable—tears of joy for Song Anning’s change, but also of heartache for these children.

Song Zeyuan and Song Anyue rushed forward, clinging to Mrs. Zhang’s legs and burying their faces in her pants, sobbing along with her.

The evening breeze swept across the fields, carrying away the past and scattering the sorrow between grandmother and grandchildren. Mrs. Zhang steadied herself and spoke slowly:

“It’s all in the past now. As for what you owe, your grandfather and your second uncle have discussed it. Each family will contribute one tael of silver, and the rest you’ll have to repay yourself.”

Song Anning shook her head. Over the years, taxes had been increasing annually, and every household was struggling. Saving up one tael of silver would take several months. Only because Banyue Village was nestled against the mountains could they barely scrape by.

“Little uncle is still studying, and second uncle’s family has many children. Anning made her own mistakes and should bear the consequences herself. What’s owed will be repaid bit by bit—there will come a day when it’s all settled.”

Mrs. Zhang laughed and cried at these words, reaching out to tuck a loose strand of hair behind Song Anning’s ear. “To hear you say such things… you’ve grown up. How did my granddaughter grow up all of a sudden?

I believe in you, Anning. One last time.

It’s getting late—go on home now.”

As she spoke, she handed Song Anning a cloth bag that had been tossed on the ground. “A few pounds of coarse grains and some duck eggs—take them home to eat.”

“No, I’ve earned money—”

Mrs. Zhang waved her off, leaning on her wooden cane as she turned to leave.

“We’re family—no need to fuss over a few pounds of grain. Your grandmother is still waiting for you to support her in her old age…”