Chapter 11: Growth

Time quickly passed, and it was now August. Shuxin had blossomed into a young lady, with sparkling eyes, a graceful figure, and a slender waist.

Shuxin admiringly looked at herself in the mirror. With her small, oval face, large eyes, red lips, and beautiful features, she truly was the belle of the village, much more refined than before.

Now that she was not short of food, she had surreptitiously opened several small stoves to indulge herself, and her body had benefited from the good nutrition. She was in a perfect state—slim in clothes but with a delightful figure when undressed.

At 16 years old, she had begun working in the fields to earn family points. With her strength, earning full points every day was a piece of cake. However, she was not satisfied. Although she could now eat her fill, she wanted to improve her quality of life.

In their society, being a worker was something to be proud of, and she planned to look for a job soon. She wanted to have her own source of income for the things she brought home and to make her family proud—after all, as a high school student, she should make the most of her education, especially considering the tuition her grandma had paid for her.

In this rural area where girls typically did not pursue education, she was one of the few who had completed high school. Coming from a different world, she understood that only education could lead her further, and she would never allow herself to be seen as uneducated.

When she was ready to continue her studies, she begged her grandma to let her go to school with her brother. Grandma Liu adored her and eventually agreed after a bit of coaxing.

In recent days, Shuxin had been bringing various things home from her trips—sometimes wild chickens or rabbits, and sometimes valuable mountain goods. The Liu family had some extra money, and it didn’t bother Grandma Liu to give Shuxin a few coins for school.

As a growing young woman, she certainly could not fall behind the younger kids. When it came to elementary school, she didn’t follow the traditional path—she started in the first grade, then quickly skipped ahead to the fifth grade. After spending some time in middle school, she managed to get into a key high school in the city. The middle and high schools in her county operated on a dual system, so it only took her four years to graduate from high school.

Grandma Liu was incredibly proud to have a student in the family. Shuxin was the only one from the village to attend a key school, and during that time, the Liu family walked with their heads held high.

While studying in the county, Shuxin occasionally exchanged space-related items for money. Now, she had more money than her entire family combined. She sold some grain and meat from time to time, and just a few days ago, she had dug up two ginseng roots in the mountains. She kept the larger one in her space as a seed and sold the smaller one for cash.

Speaking of her space, her abilities had been improving lately, and the area of her space had expanded as well. Initially, she had grown grains, which had sufficed for over ten days. After discovering that eggs and sugar were the common currency in her county while studying, she began planting sugarcane to produce brown sugar, using a method she learned from books in the library.

Shuxin not only collected recipes for making brown sugar but also copied down useful information from books in the library. She gathered knowledge on various subjects, including food, clothing, living, and culture. Her abilities allowed her to enhance her body, develop her mind, and improve her memory, making it easy for her to memorize content, so copying books was not a problem. Her time studying in the county was fulfilling.

The space did not adhere to seasonal changes, and she could plant regardless of the weather. Her second batch of sugarcane was about to be harvested, so she planned to plant another crop today before taking a break. She estimated that she already had a thousand pounds of brown sugar, and with the remaining two batches, she would have around seventeen hundred pounds—enough for several days.

The next morning, Shuxin got up and washed up. Grandma Liu came out with breakfast, and seeing Shuxin awake, quickly handed her some eggs for her to eat. Shuxin accepted them gratefully and finished them in no time.

Currently, in the Liu family, there is the labor force of Shuxin. This year, she will definitely contribute a significant amount to the grain distribution. Therefore, Grandma Liu prepares an egg for Shuxin every day to supplement her nutrition, while the others, well, they share one. Grandma Liu feels sorry for her granddaughter, and naturally, she knows that Shuxin is capable; she can earn a full quota of work points every day and often brings meat home. Other people wouldn’t voice any objections upon finding out.

The Liu family indeed wouldn’t gossip. Grandpa Liu thinks that it’s only right to help his granddaughter after laboring so hard; Aunt Liu believes that it’s not unreasonable for someone who can earn that much to eat well. Taking her eldest son as an example, he’s four years older than his younger sister but can’t work as well as she does; it’s only fair he eats what’s left. As for Liu Dad and Liu Mom, there’s no need to mention, she’s their own daughter.

Shuxin went out with her grandfather and said while walking, “Grandpa, I’m planning to go to the city for a trip soon to see if there are any suitable job opportunities.”

“Alright, as long as you have a plan, go ahead. If you don’t, don’t feel discouraged; you’re strong, and you can earn more food than the second generation.”

Grandpa Liu knows that his granddaughter is capable. In the countryside, it’s impossible to keep a golden phoenix locked away, but he worries about her facing setbacks and tries to comfort her.

When Liu Dad and Liu Mom heard Shuxin’s conversation with Grandpa Liu, they didn’t comment. They had no ability to help their daughter and could only ensure they didn’t hold her back.

Looking at his sensible daughter and then at his son, who wasn’t eager to work in front, Liu Dad felt angry and slapped his son on the head.

“Dad, why are you hitting me?” Liu Jianguo, who was walking beside them, felt wronged.

“What’s wrong with that? I’m your father; do I need to pick a day to hit you?”

The Liu family watched this scene and laughed, showing no signs of wanting to intervene. Shuxin’s cousin, Liu Jianjun, and younger cousin, Liu Jianhong, understood Liu Jianguo’s plight because whenever their parents thought of how capable Shuxin was, they’d find an excuse to beat them.

Shuxin didn’t care about their silly antics. After finishing her work in the field, she quickly went to the team leader to receive today’s tasks, trying to complete all her work for the day in the morning so she could head into the mountains in the afternoon.

In a couple of days, she was going to county town to tidy up some items in the cave in the mountains. Previously, she set up a temporary base in the mountains to avoid being discovered by the Liu family, and over the years, she had filled it up with items. She planned to work in the city and wouldn’t spend much time in the village, so she had to collect the things she had accumulated over the years. Otherwise, if someone discovered them, it would be disappointing to have someone else benefit from her efforts.

In the afternoon, Shuxin arrived at the cave, packing the dried wild chickens and rabbits hanging on the walls into her space, and organized her pots and pans back into her space. That big pot was something she found previously, and its quality was good. Buying a new one now would cost about ten dollars and would require industrial vouchers. She left some other inexpensive items in the cave for future use when she went into the mountains.

After exploring the mountains, she also gathered a bunch of medicinal herbs, ginseng, and then carried a full backpack down the mountain, covering it with a layer of wild vegetables for concealment.

On her way down, she encountered her cousin Shulan, who was gathering pigweed. She helped lighten Shulan’s load by taking two handfuls of pigweed, tossing them back onto the backpack with ease.

Shulan was eighteen this year and had been told not to work in the fields when her engagement was arranged; she usually stayed at home to help Grandma Liu with household chores.