For example, this morning while sunbathing, Mrs. Zhou even poured tea for her and placed it beside her.

Of course, the Mu family didn’t have any good tea leaves, just some leftover tea dust.

But it could be said that this was the most comfortable half-day for Shen Cui since she came over with the system’s tasks. Mu Er Pang’s task was to read and write, and with Master Lao Bu Yu supervising, he could complete his studies better and faster.

As Shen Cui was happily pondering how being a guardian seemed like a pretty good deal, the silent system finally spoke up, wearing a smile. “Host, you seem to have quite the imagination.”

“Is that you, Brother System?” Shen Cui noticed that his voice didn’t sound as dull as before and asked, “Have you caught up with the overtime progress?”

[Yeah,] the system replied succinctly. Then it immediately issued a task.

[System Task: As they say, ‘When three people walk together, there must be one I can learn from.’ Healthy competition can make people progress. Please choose a fellow student as a No. 1 development target for your foster care.]

[Note: The fellow student will become No. 2 development target of this system. This target can be replaced and will enjoy the benefits of system output, but the gain effect is halved.]

[Task deadline: 3 days.]

Shen Cui’s rocking chair stopped abruptly. She sat up straight from her chair, slightly surprised, and said, “So, this is the money-making task you’ve adjusted for me?”

It seemed a bit different from what she had imagined.

The system explained, [There are no qualifications or blood relations required for the No. 2 development target. You can choose freely, but since they will benefit from your development and use system output, you can also demand something in return from them.]

Ah, it’s like making them, like Huang Juren or Shanzhang, my disciples, to teach them.

[Of course, this target will also follow the imperial examination route in the future, so the system suggests that you find a talented student, not just focus on collecting money.]

[I already knew that without you saying it. I may need money, but I’m not greedy. If I choose someone unreliable, they’ll definitely corrupt our Er Pang. And I also guess that you won’t let me idle, you’ll probably issue tasks related to this person later. So, this No. 2 needs to be talented, have good character… and of course, have money to pay for the teachings.]

Shen Cui pondered with her chin in her hand. “Just relying on me, an unknown figure, going up to someone and saying I can help them improve their studies, make them read twice as efficiently, and ask them for money… would they believe it? So, I’ll have to use Master Lao’s reputation. No wonder you set ‘Choose a Famous Teacher’ as a prerequisite task.

Master Lao has already taught Er Pang, who was lagging behind many of his peers. I wonder if he’ll have time to teach another one.”

【According to the system’s analysis, a portion of No. 1 development target’s time will be spent on morning reading and calligraphy practice, during which Master Lao Bu Yu’s time can be allocated to No. 2 target.】

【Well, that’s what they say, but I’ve already taken advantage of Master Lao Bu Yu for three years as a free teacher. It doesn’t feel right to take advantage of him to teach another person. Should I split the tuition fees I receive with him? I don’t know if he would agree.】

The system remained silent. This was where Shen Cui needed to think for herself.

Shen Cui understood this, so she didn’t expect the system to teach her how to handle it. She just pondered aloud in her mind.

In the end, Shen Cui summed it up again.

The system didn’t make any explicit demands for No. 2 development target, but there were implicit requirements.

In addition to the high qualifications, good character, and financial capability to pay for tutoring, the person Shen Cui chooses as the No. 2 target also needs to have a certain level of existing learning foundation. Because even if Master Lao Bu Yu agrees, most of his time during the day still needs to be dedicated to Mu Er Pang. If another student comes along who needs to start from scratch like Mu Er Pang, Master Lao Bu Yu would definitely be overwhelmed. Though cultivating the No. 2 target is aimed at earning tuition fees, Shen Cui believes in ethical ways of acquiring wealth. She can’t just deceive people into learning without considering their learning progress.

After giving her some time to think, the system spoke again, “By the way, Host, I’ve updated the system rewards for you personally, as you mentioned yesterday. You can take a look at the store.”

Shen Cui immediately went to check, and sure enough, there was a new category in the store. Previously, there were only products that benefited the development targets, but now there was a category specifically for guardians like her to use.

As Shen Cui clicked into it, she was stunned—there was a wide variety of items, including food, drinks, entertainment, cosmetics, skincare products, common medicines, and even sanitary products like menstrual pads.

This was particularly striking to Shen Cui because all these products were modern!

There were colas, potato chips, fried chicken, barbecue, hamburgers, egg tarts, spicy hot pot, various stir-fried dishes for eating; comics, magazines, novels, playing cards, mahjong, and various board games for entertainment; makeup, skincare products, common medicines, and even items like toilet paper, mirrors, and nail clippers for daily use.

Shen Cui was dazzled by the options, feeling a strong desire, especially when she saw menstrual pads available. Her heart skipped a beat!

Since she came here, the original owner hadn’t experienced menstruation yet, but the day before, when she and Mrs. Zhou were alone at home, Mrs. Zhou was sewing menstrual belts next to her—a long strap with a small diamond-shaped piece of cloth in the middle, which could be filled with hay and wood ash.

Mrs. Zhou quickly put it away after sewing, but Shen Cui still saw it clearly.

At that moment, she remembered this matter. The original owner had used similar menstrual belts, which were not only uncomfortable but also seemed unclean and unsanitary from Shen Cui’s modern perspective. After all, in modern times, menstrual pads need to be changed every few hours, but ordinary families couldn’t possibly have dozens of menstrual belts to change constantly. Usually, one had to be used for half a day. Also, because of the prevailing thoughts at that time, such items were not openly displayed, and even Mrs. Zhou sewed them secretly, let alone the brazen display after washing them.

Shen Cui couldn’t help but sigh in her heart at how difficult it was for women in ancient times, especially when their periods came; it must have been troublesome.

Unexpectedly, now she could buy menstrual pads in the system store. While other items could be considered as improving the quality of life, this one was truly a necessity!

Moreover, the pricing given by the system was fair. It didn’t deliberately raise the price just because it was something she needed urgently. It was still priced at 10 shopping points per unit.

Regardless, the items in the store had always been of good quality and affordable. One unit could last for a month.

But this item needed to be kept in stock and could be considered a fixed monthly expense. With only 100 shopping points in her account, it suddenly seemed insufficient.

Shen Cui, who had previously felt somewhat embarrassed about increasing Master Lao Bu Yu’s workload, now could only say silently in her heart: I’m sorry, Master Lao, I really need this!

With a smile, Shen Cui stood up from the recliner and immediately began to think about the task.

But as she thought about it, she realized something was wrong. The system had first lured her with discounts to spend half her fortune, and then it told her about the system store upgrade… Was it just a coincidence, or had humanity’s morals declined?

She checked the system’s update log and found that indeed, the update had been released in the middle of the night yesterday, but she hadn’t received any notification!

Brother System, you’ve changed!