When Lin Ning entered the house, the Lin family members were all present, glaring at her with anger. Lin Yong, especially, looked comical with his head wrapped in bandages, resembling a mummy.

Lin Ning chuckled, finding the sight amusing.

Lin Mother, furious, shouted, “You’re laughing? Why didn’t you cook? And why did you smash the pots?”

“For no particular reason. I just don’t want to cook anymore. Starting today, I’m done serving you all. I’m going out to earn my own money!”

Lin Yong scoffed. “Lin Ning, you’re useless. What money can you earn? Stay at home and do your chores. In a few days, marry into the Feng family and live a proper life there.”

What a nasty mouth and condescending attitude. He needs a lesson.

Lin Ning dashed to Lin Yong and punched him hard in the mouth several times. “That’s for your big mouth! Say that again, I dare you!”

Caught off guard, Lin Yong took the blows squarely. “Ah! My tooth—”

He spat out a front tooth along with blood. The rest of the family panicked.

“Lin Ning, stop!”

Lin Ning jumped back and shouted, “See that? Anyone else dares cross me, they’ll get the same!”

Faced with her sudden aggression, no one dared to provoke her further.

Lin Mother demanded, “Lin Ning, what exactly do you want?”

“I won’t marry Feng Tianqi! I won’t serve you! And I’ve worked for you for years. I deserve compensation. Pay me!”

Mentioning money made Lin Mother snap. Lin Yong needed a house for his marriage, and Lin Qiao would need a dowry. The family’s finances were already tight. Now Lin Ning not only refused to cooperate but even demanded money? What a headache!

“Compensation? There’s no money!”

“No money? Then why do Lin Yong and Lin Qiao get money, and I don’t?”

“How are you the same as them? They work and earn money. You just stay at home and do nothing.”

Realizing she’d misspoken, Lin Mother quickly tried to soften her tone. “Lin Ning, I didn’t mean it like that. The family is just short on funds right now. Please try to understand…”

“I’m done understanding! Why is it always me who has to be considerate? Give me money!”

“Tell me, what do you even need money for?” Lin Mother stalled, unwilling to hand over cash.

Lin Ning stormed into the kitchen, grabbed a cleaver, and swung it at the table. A corner flew off as she roared, “Are you giving me the money or not?”

The gleaming blade terrified the family, and they pressed themselves against the wall.

“Lin Ning, calm down! Let’s talk this out!”

“Give me the money, and I’ll talk nicely!”

Lin Father barked, “Stop arguing! Just give it to her!”

“Fifty! No, give me fifty yuan!”

Too scared to negotiate, Lin Mother fetched five ten-yuan bills and placed them on the table. Lin Ning stuffed the money into her pocket, threw the knife onto the ground, and kicked the door open as she left.

After Lin Ning left, Lin Qiao muttered, “Mom, why didn’t you just give her the money earlier? Now look at the mess.”

“Give her money? No way! If I give her money today, will she demand more tomorrow? You don’t understand how expensive life is. If we give her money, where will we get the money for your brother’s house or your dowry?”

Realizing her own interests were at stake, Lin Qiao said no more.

Lin Yong also complained, “We shouldn’t have given Lin Ning any money. Now that she has it, she’ll just fly off. Without money, she’d have no choice but to stay home.”

Lin Father consoled them. “Don’t worry. She has nowhere to go. She’ll wander for a bit and come back eventually. No one is to go looking for her. This time, we must teach her a lesson.”

Lin Ning ran several kilometers without stopping. She had no intention of returning to that stifling house. There was nothing there for her, not even a proper place to sleep.

The Lin family’s home had two bedrooms and a living room. Lin Father and Lin Mother shared one bedroom, Lin Yong had the other, Lin Qiao stayed in a dormitory, and Lin Ning slept in the living room on a makeshift bed of three benches. There was nothing worth holding onto.

After wandering around, Lin Ning decided to find a place to stay. But the only options were state-run guesthouses, which required either a street committee letter of introduction or a household registration book.

In 1982, identity cards weren’t yet implemented, and traveling required these documents. Without them, Lin Ning truly had nowhere to go, as her father had said.

Lin Ning’s transmigration came with three skills:

1. Recollection of Cannon Fodder’s Memories
2. Extraordinary Combat Skills
3. Redemption System

She activated the system, only to find that all options were grayed out and unavailable.

The system abided by strict rules:

No items unavailable in the current world could be redeemed.

Anything that defied the logic of this world was prohibited.

All currency spent had to be earned within the world, or the heavens would erase her.

With the system useless, Lin Ning shut it off. She’d have to rely on herself to survive.

After walking for a while, Lin Ning spotted a dimly lit sign reading “People’s Bathhouse.”

Her eyes brightened. A bathhouse! She could spend the night there.

Inside was a small lobby with two doors: one labeled “Men’s Section” and the other “Women’s Section.” Behind a reddish-brown counter, a middle-aged woman knitted while occasionally working.

The woman glanced at the clock on the wall and said, “It’s 11 PM. We’re about to close. Come back tomorrow.”

“Ma’am, I don’t have anywhere to stay. Could I bathe here and spend the night?”

“That’s against the rules. We can’t let guests stay overnight.”

Before Lin Ning could argue further, a worried woman rushed out of the Women’s Section.

“Sister Hong, Old Seven fainted again. Come quickly!”

The woman behind the counter—whom the other called Sister Hong—put down her knitting and hurried inside. Lin Ning followed.

Inside, a woman lay on a bed wearing a tank top and shorts. Her face was pale, and her eyes were tightly shut.

“She’s fainted from exhaustion again,” Sister Hong said. “She needs something sweet. Does anyone have sugar—white sugar, brown sugar, or candy?”

The others shook their heads. In 1982, sugar was a scarce commodity and not easy to come by.

Lin Ning reached into her pocket and pulled out two fruit candies, remnants of the original owner’s stash. “Will these do?”

“They’ll do. Give them here.”

Sister Hong unwrapped the candies and placed them in the woman’s mouth. “Old Seven, suck on these. You’ll feel better soon.”

The woman slowly regained consciousness, breathing a long sigh of relief. “Sister Hong, sorry for the trouble.”

“Thank this young lady. Her candies saved you. Otherwise, where could we have found sugar this late at night?”

The woman thanked Lin Ning profusely.

Sister Hong turned serious. “Old Seven, you need to quit. You’ve fainted twice in just ten days. If something happens to you, we’ll have to shut down.”

The woman nodded weakly. She couldn’t risk her health anymore and decided to resign in the morning.

Realizing this meant a job vacancy, Lin Ning’s eyes lit up. “Sister Hong, can I do it?”