Chapter 4

Even with her heart in turmoil, Jiang Xi kept her emotions in check.

A system!

So, did Pei Hejun know about it? What kind of system was this?

Jiang Xi pretended to touch the screen by accident, but her hand passed through it. The tearful words disappeared, replaced by another task marked as “failed.”

Jiang Xi wondered if her special sensitivity from being a book character was the reason she could see this.

She continued to help Pei’s mother turn Pei Hejun over and explained: “I heard you need to do this when turning over a patient to help with muscle circulation.”

Mother Pei slapped her head, remembering, “Yes, the doctor mentioned it before, but I forgot. Thanks to Xiaoxi!”

Mother Pei was even happier now. After taking care of her son, she pulled Jiang Xi aside and said, “You’re a good child. I’m relieved to leave the third child in your care.”

Jiang Xi smiled and replied firmly, “I will take good care of Brother Pei San!”

Mother Pei was moved to tears but didn’t say much, fearing Jiang Xi might feel shy. She knew that there were no other vegetative state patients in the area except for their third child.

Jiang Xi likely knew this from her previous inquiries. Her intention to help, along with her character, made Mother Pei very happy.

At that moment, Pei’s father called from outside, “It’s time to eat.”

Mother Pei quickly led Jiang Xi out to call her two sisters. 

In the main hall, food was already on the table, including a bowl of meat dishes. The two sisters were surprised but didn’t sit down until Jiang Xi gave the order.

Seeing this, Mother Pei urged them, “Why are you still standing there? Eat quickly!”

Jiang Xi sat down, and her two sisters followed, sitting on her right. Each had a bowl of rice and sweet potato, which smelled delicious. Jiang Xi was very hungry, having not eaten since breakfast.

Mother Pei, worried they might feel uncomfortable, kept serving them food. 

It was a rare opportunity for the three sisters to have a full meal. After dinner, Jiang Xi asked her sisters to help clear the table.

Even though Pei’s mother preferred not to let them do this, Jiang Xi was determined, so she reluctantly agreed but helped as well.

Afterward, Pei’s parents went to work. Normally, one of them would stay home, but since Jiang Xi was there, they went to work. In rural areas, work points are money, so everyone prefers to work hard to earn more money by the end of the year.

Pei’s parents didn’t delay and left openly, putting brown sugar, white sugar, and biscuits into the sisters’ room: “Take what you want. Your uncle and I will be at Liushutang ^[1]a place where people gather for work. Call us if you need anything.”

After giving their instructions and seeing Jiang Xi nod, they left, feeling more comfortable than ever.

_

Once Pei’s parents were gone, Jiang Ermei and Jiang Sanmei stared at the food in the room. Sanmei boldly asked Jiang Xi, “Sister, can I have a cookie?”

The biscuits were in a bright red package with a big biscuit shape on it.

Jiang Xi frowned and said, “No!”

Sanmei pouted but didn’t argue. She was a bit spoiled but also sensible.

Jiang Xi smiled and called them over: “Come here, both of you.”

Jiang Ermei whispered, “Sister, are we really going to live here? What about our mother?”

Jiang Xi replied, “Yes, we’ll live here. Mom can earn work points on her own, so she’ll be fine.”

This aligns with the plot. After the original owner left, her two younger sisters were sent away. It might be better for Zhang Xiuyun to live alone.

Jiang Ermei hesitated and said, “I miss our mother a little…”

At just ten years old, she was used to living with her mother and felt uneasy being away from her for the first time.

Jiang Sanmei then piped up, “Second sister, mother won’t miss you. She misses the cousins!”

Jiang Ermei fell silent, looking gloomy.

Jiang Xi, holding back laughter, thought about how her two younger sisters were different: the second sister was honest and simple, while the third was clever and more aware of their mother’s feelings.

Jiang Xi shook her head and said, “You know we can’t stay with our mother here, right?”

“Yeah!” Both nodded vigorously. Their big eyes were bright and sharp. Their mother had been taking care of their uncle’s family, and if not for their sister’s protection with Pei family’s help, they might not have survived.

Jiang Ermei asked, “What do you want to say, sister?”

Jiang Xi gently rubbed their heads and explained, “You know the Pei family can’t support us for free. I’m marrying Pei Hejun, who is in a difficult situation. The Pei family is willing to support you because of this.”

Jiang Ermei’s eyes reddened, understanding the implications. She knew that if her sister married him, it would be a tough life.

Jiang Sanmei, still confused but serious, listened carefully.

Jiang Xi continued, “Since we’re living under someone else’s roof, you should help out more. Wash clothes, cook, sweep the floor, feed the chickens, and do whatever needs to be done. This way, they won’t mind us staying here, okay?”

Jiang Sanmei responded, “I know!”

Jiang Ermei nodded, “Yes, we understand!”

They took this seriously.

Seeing their determination, Jiang Xi laughed and added, “Of course, I’ll make sure you have enough to eat. We won’t contact our mother or her family anymore. Just live peacefully here, and I’ll find a way to pay for school.”

“We can still go to school?!” The two girls were shocked and excited.

After a moment of joy, Jiang Ermei quickly shook her head and said, “No, sister, you’re already in a tough situation. How will you get the money? If Auntie knew, she’d be angry.”

“Don’t worry about that. Just listen to me and don’t touch the cookies or other things for now. Wait until I’m actually married and can make decisions, then you can have them,” Jiang Xi said, calming their anxiety and pointing to the items on the table.

For now, they were guests, and it felt awkward for them to eat Pei’s food.

Jiang Xi spoke slowly and clearly. Jiang Ermei and Jiang Sanmei understood and nodded. Although Sanmei was disappointed, her eyes were still bright with excitement about going to school.

Jiang Xi smiled and said, “Go clean the yard and feed the chickens. After that, you can play, but don’t go too far, okay?”

“Yeah!” Jiang Ermei nodded, her expression mixed with emotions.

Jiang Sanmei, excited about going to school, jumped out of bed and said, “Sister, I’ll go find earthworms. The chickens will lay more eggs if they eat them!”

_

Jiang Xi felt relieved watching her younger sisters get busy.

Most people wouldn’t agree to marry off two younger sisters, but given Pei Hejun’s special situation, Pei’s parents probably wouldn’t have allowed it otherwise.

Fortunately, the children were old enough to help. As long as they behaved and didn’t cause trouble, things would be easier.

Jiang Xi looked for a while and then went into Pei Hejun’s room.

The window was still open, and she could see a vegetable patch in the backyard. Jiang Xi sat on the edge of the bed and tentatively reached out to touch him.

There was no reaction when she touched his clothes. But when her hand touched Pei Hejun’s hand, she saw the screen from before appear again!

Jiang Xi whispered, “What on earth are you?”

A line of words appeared at the bottom: [!!! She seems to be able to see me?]

Jiang Xi narrowed her eyes at the words.

The words shook and then changed to: [Can you really see me? Can you blink?]

Jiang Xi replied, “I can see you! What are you?”

The words: [There is hope!!!]

Excited, it continued: [Hello beautiful lady, I am the Merit System, Haotong. I fell into this world due to a space-time rift. To save myself, I ran out of energy and accidentally bound myself to Pei Hejun. However, our magnetic fields don’t match, so he can’t see me and can’t complete tasks on his own.]

[The main system regularly destroys broken systems. If I don’t complete tasks for a long time, I’ll be considered scrap and destroyed! Please help me complete the tasks. I can give you points, which can be exchanged for many things you want!]

Jiang Xi spread her hands: “I don’t think I can complete the tasks.”

How can she complete tasks if she can’t even touch him?

The Merit System said calmly: [It’s okay. As long as you marry the host, we’ll form a team. Even though I’m attached to the host, touching him will let me complete tasks!]

Jiang Xi straightened up: “Really?”

System: [Of course! Don’t worry. With enough points, you can also exchange for medicine to wake the host up.]

Jiang Xi decisively said, “Show me your mall^[2]is a digital marketplace or inventory where Jiang Xi can browse and purchase items using points earned through completing tasks..”

System: [?! You know about this?]

The system seemed a bit surprised but still showed the mall and reminded: [The host has completed some tasks and has 21 points. Once you form a team, you can redeem items immediately.]

Jiang Xi glanced through the options and saw meat, vegetables, eggs, and other things at the top. These were relatively cheap, with one point per egg and 10 points for a pound of meat. More expensive items further down included medicines, both Chinese and Western, and even ginseng!

Jiang Xi was thrilled to see items like the silver needle of the miracle doctor, Hua Tuo’s notes, and Bian Que’s medical records.

As a doctor of traditional Chinese medicine, Jiang Xi was very excited.

She said decisively, “No problem. Just wait. I’ll marry Pei Hejun in the next two days.”

The system quickly responded with two words and many exclamation marks: [Benefactor!!!]

Jiang Xi chuckled, ended the chat with the system, got out of bed, turned Pei Hejun onto his back, and began massaging him.

_

For a vegetative patient, muscles can atrophy if they don’t move for a long time, so they need regular massage and exercise. 

Jiang Xi didn’t have much strength, and after the massage, she was sweating and struggling to help him sit up. Her clothes were wet, and she said to the man who seemed to be sleeping, “I’m sorry, I’m all sweaty. I hope I didn’t bother you.”

Of course, the man didn’t react. Jiang Xi didn’t expect him to; she just talked to him. A vegetative person might still respond to sound, and strong stimulation might wake them up.

Although in the plot, he didn’t wake up, and there were only a few mentions of him, Jiang Xi felt particularly sad now that she saw him in person and thought about the story.

His brothers took his money but treated him poorly. How cruel!

At that moment, Jiang Sanmei knocked on the door urgently: “Sister, someone is here, and he looks fierce!”

Jiang Xi helped Pei Hejun lie down and said, “You two stay in the room. Don’t come out unless I call you.”

The two sisters went into the house obediently. Before Jiang Xi went out, she could hear Pei’s parents arguing with someone outside.

Then a middle-aged man’s gruff voice said, “I think you’re crazy. You’d rather give the third child to an outsider! She’s here just for the third child’s pension! If you give her the money, she’ll run off and marry someone else tomorrow!”

***

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