Chapter 2

After the second semester of Gao Er, we both grew up a bit, and our relationship improved considerably.

Now, before we know it, we're in Gao San, and still don't get along.

"Are you crazy, Jiang Nian!" the girl crossed her arms and glared at him, "Why are you knocking on the door in broad daylight? I'm telling Li Yi—she'll beat you up!"

Jiang Nian stared at Xu Qianqian—or more precisely, at the pale blue translucent panel in front of him.

Sure enough, only he could see it.

【Reestablish contact with your estranged childhood fiancée Xu Qianqian, reward: 300 RMB (completed).】

Ehh, did it hit the account?

Xu Qianqian scolded Jiang Nian angrily, then suddenly noticed he was staring at her blankly. Her hair stood on end; she clutched her full chest and stepped back.

"Y-you're staring at me like that for what?"

Then she saw Jiang Nian ignore her, pull out his phone from his pocket, glance at it, and suddenly burst into joy. He tossed out "Eehee!" and ran off.

Watching Jiang Nian's back disappear into the apartment across the hall, Xu Qianqian sneered.

"He's got issues..."

In the living room.

Jiang Nian stared at his phone again and again, overjoyed.

His account had genuinely gained three hundred yuan—balance rose from 305.23 to 605.23; the transfer note read "Game Experience Officer Fee."

At this moment, the panel reappeared: 【At thirty-eight, you're financially destitute—unemployed, divorced, nearly all your assets gone, surviving only on parental support.】

Task: Urgent Need.

Pay off your apartment's water, electricity, and gas bills with your first reward—reward: 500 RMB.】

He figured this was a beginner task, opened the app, and started paying. He didn't rent—he just paid for his family's gas and electricity; that should count, right?

He couldn't help feeling melancholy—would his future self really sink this low?

Zzzt! Five hundred yuan credited.

So far, the system's tasks were easy. Jiang Nian checked his bank balance: he'd spent over 170 yuan on bills, leaving a total of 935.45 yuan.

He was practical. After the 500 yuan arrived, he gradually calmed down.

Two five-hundred-yuan sums were pocket change—so long as he didn't exceed five thousand a day, no one would care. But if he ever went over, it'd be trouble.

Not only could his bank account be frozen, but large transfers might trigger an investigation.

The sender showed as Tian Guang Games Co., Ltd. Jiang Nian checked—it existed, was publicly listed, and had exactly one "Game Experience Officer."

Jiang Nian wasn't stupid enough to believe this "carrot-on-a-stick" was real—modern tech couldn't even produce a wearable panel like this.

Besides, he wasn't some chief experience officer—he was just a system patch fixing a real-world bug.

In other words, the source was legitimate and legal.

Awesome.

He'd just finished checking when the system panel reappeared—another beginner task.

When you finally want to care for your parents, they are no longer there. At thirty-eight, you realize your parents have grown old. Looking back on your life, you resolve to return home, yet as you draw near your hometown, you feel hesitant, almost afraid.

Task: Cook a lavish dinner for your parents.

Reward: 800 RMB.】

Looking at the task, Jiang Nian rubbed his chin.

It was afternoon—he had time to prepare dinner; otherwise, he'd have to wait until tomorrow. School was on holiday for the anniversary, but he'd have to return for evening self-study tomorrow.

Cooking wasn't a problem—the Jiang family had no one who couldn't cook. His grandfather had once worked as a chef in a restaurant; his father and uncles all knew a few dishes.

Jiang Nian was no exception—he spent every summer without fail at his grandfather's house, picking up a few dishes bit by bit. He was a cooking noob, but his food tasted decent enough.

Since it had to be lavish, the ingredients had to be fresh.

In the afternoon, Jiang Nian went to the market and returned disappointed—nothing fresh. A bunch of middle-aged vendors, seeing he was young, tried to pass off inferior goods, first raising then lowering prices.

Sure enough, no merchant is honest—f**k. It's no wonder young people prefer supermarkets; these market folks play favorites—deserve to go out of business.

After preparing the ingredients, he got home at four.

On the kitchen's quartz countertop lay a deboned, pre-cut Yangshan chicken—40 yuan per jin, one chicken weighed six or seven jin, nearly 300 yuan total—expensive indeed.

He planned to steam it in lotus leaves—this dish had tender, firm meat and was pricey; surely that qualified as "lavish," right?

The rest would be simple: a stir-fried seasonal vegetable, a small-plate stir-fried yellow beef, smashed cucumber, roasted peanuts, and a pot of pork rib soup.

Costs skyrocketed—just ingredients for this meal ran close to 400 yuan.

Logically, a family of three couldn't finish all this. But Jiang Nian remembered his neighbor Xu Qianqian—technically, they were childhood sweethearts.

Xu Qianqian came from a single-parent household—her mother had passed away years ago.

Her father, Director Xu, was the county hospital's legendary specialist in male reproductive health—he'd castrated men and cured impotence. He always wore rimless glasses and smiled gently at everyone.

After his wife's death, he never truly recovered, drowning himself in work to numb the pain.

Over these years, as the Jiang family struggled, Old Xu quietly helped them out—both families were deeply connected.

So even though Jiang Nian's parents had been busy working and paying off debts, whenever they cooked something good, they always invited Xu Qianqian—even cutting a watermelon, they gave her the sweetest piece.

Jiang Nian was used to it—he automatically included Old Xu and Xu Qianqian's portions. Five people would eat just right: lavish, yet no waste.

In the afternoon, Li Hongmei got home from work, hurriedly tied on her apron, and rushed into the kitchen.

"Dinner'll be ready soon—go read a book, stop playing with your phone. You're almost in Gao San—I'm telling you, the college entrance exam is like crossing a narrow plank with a thousand troops charging at you."

Jiang Nian lay on the sofa, sucking on an ice pop, scrolling his phone, not even lifting his eyebrows.

"Yeah, yeah, Mom."

"You kid..." Li Hongmei wiped her hands on her apron, stepped into the kitchen, froze—staring at the warm dishes, then turned to look at Jiang Nian.

"Who made this?"

"Since Mom's sincerely asking, I'll..."

Seeing the chicken feather duster in his mother Li Hongmei's hand, Jiang Nian instantly cowered and changed his tune.

"How's my cooking?"

Upon hearing this, Li Hongmei's expression instantly became complex. It wasn't that she doubted Jiang Nian's cooking—the old man doted on his grandson and was eager to pass down all his skills to the good boy.

"Where did you get the money? This meal—Yangshan chicken, beef—it must've cost at least a few hundred?"

"Ah, it's just that… I made money playing a game," Jiang Nian said, nervously touching his face, holding his breath and staring fixedly at his mother Li Hongmei.

Li Hongmei frowned, and the atmosphere in the kitchen froze instantly.

This was pure lies—just a few hundred yuan.

Jiang Nian stood to the side, his heart pounding like a drum. He was terrified, holding his breath unconsciously—he was betting the system had fixed the bug.