Chapter 39: Six-Zero Farm System (5)

Xie Yang spent 50 points to redeem an egg.

She wanted to see if there was any difference between an egg from an alien planet and one laid by a hen on Earth.

The 50 points were deducted, and her point balance returned to the original 223.

At the same time, an egg appeared in her hand that was a size larger than a normal egg, with a shell that had a greenish-blue tint.

【This is an egg laid by a Gugu Bird on the Y-7894 Wasteland Planet.】

So it was a bird egg from an alien planet!

It actually looked quite like a pheasant egg.

Then, after going down to the countryside, she could use this egg as a pheasant egg to supplement her nutrition.

After thinking about it, Xie Yang topped up another 8 mao, bringing her point balance to 1023, and spent 50 to redeem a bag of Salt; it was whiter and had more distinct grains than the table salt sold at the Supply and Marketing Cooperative, and after dipping a little to taste it, it had no strange flavor other than being salty—it was very good edible salt!

She then spent 200 to redeem a jin of Rice, and after getting it, she found it really wasn't much different from ordinary rice; if she had to say what the difference was, it was that the color was more lustrous and the quality was more superior. In short, it was better than any state-banquet-level special supply rice she had eaten before.

Looking at it this way, the Main System really hadn't exaggerated.

She randomly picked a few more items of supplies to check their functions:

For instance, the Coal Ball; at first glance, it was no different from an ordinary coal ball, but its utilization rate was higher, and one coal ball could burn continuously for 24 hours;

Or for instance, the Cotton Cloth; at first glance, it also looked similar to ordinary cotton cloth, but it had better breathability and better softness, giving one the feeling of spending money on cotton cloth but wearing silk material...

Having seen the physical goods and read the descriptions, Xie Yang did not hesitate to top up all the remaining 3 yuan in her hand into the System Mall, and her point balance instantly rose to 3773.

It seemed like a lot, but what she could buy was still very limited.

But it didn't matter; she was going down to the countryside, so her cheap father and cheap stepmother would surely have to show some gesture.

"What? You decided to go down to the countryside?"

When eating dinner that day, the whole Xie Family was quite shocked by the topic Xie Yang casually threw out.

"Big sister, are you serious?" Xie Qi asked in disbelief.

The twins stopped the action of shoveling rice into their mouths in unison and looked at Xie Yang with faces full of disbelief.

Yesterday she was still resisting this matter of going down to the countryside with all her might, not even hesitating to ruin their mother's reputation, and today she had suddenly stopped and decided to go? Was it real or fake?

Yu Huizhu turned her head to look at her husband, and seeing his expression dazed and showing reluctance, she couldn't help but suspect if this was a scheme by her stepdaughter? Was it nothing more than wanting to arouse her husband's guilt, so as to do everything possible to keep her in the city?

The next second, however, she heard Xie Yang, who had quickly finished her meal, say: "What's real or fake about this? I've already submitted my application form, and I'm leaving on the train tomorrow afternoon."

"!!!"

The whole family was even more shocked.

She was still making a scene yesterday, and today she had already signed up and was leaving tomorrow?

How could this be so unreal!

Upon hearing that the application form had been submitted, Yu Huizhu's eyes flickered, and she said in a pitying tone:

"Oh my, Yang Yang, why did you decide so suddenly? Auntie has been asking people to keep an eye out for a job for you. Formal Worker positions are hard to find, but you can still get a Temporary Worker position if you give some money. The other party promised me they would give me word in three days at the fastest, but I didn't expect you to leave tomorrow. This..."

"It's fine, just give me the money for buying the position to take with me. I'll need to buy daily necessities when I get there, so I really do need money, and I don't have a single cent on me."

"..."

How could Yu Huizhu be willing to give it.

A Temporary Worker position cost at least three hundred yuan at its cheapest.

Don't look at the fact that a Temporary Worker's take-home pay is only about 10 yuan a month—even in the Food Factory or steel mills with better benefits, it's only 15 yuan—but after working for two or three years...

No! If one managed to become a Formal Worker halfway through, one could earn back the money spent on the position in less than two or three years.

Therefore, there were still many people willing to spend money to buy positions.

The price for private Trading had even risen to five hundred at one point, and people still bought them.

But Yu Huizhu only wanted to put on an act of generosity; she never truly wanted to buy a position for her stepdaughter.

Let alone three hundred, she wouldn't even be willing to spend thirty on her stepdaughter.

The reason she said that was nothing more than considering the future—

In two years, Xie Qi would also have to go down to the countryside when she reached the age. At that time, she would definitely have to take money to buy a position for Xie Qi. Only with today's scene could she make her husband feel that she had always treated the four children in the family equally.

After all, when Xie Yang went down to the countryside, she had also asked people everywhere to buy a position; it was Xie Yang herself who ran too fast and signed up to go down to the countryside without waiting for the family to arrange it.

Who would have thought the little wench would actually take it seriously and even say she wanted to take the money for buying the position to the countryside to spend?

Yu Huizhu was so angry that her chest ached faintly, and she took a deep breath, wanting to find a topic to gloss over this matter.

Anyway, the little wench was going down to the countryside tomorrow, so what could she do even if she didn't give it?

But as luck would have it, the Women's Director brought a cadre to the door.

Needless to say, they knew it was to mediate the rumors outside about Yu Huizhu mistreating her stepdaughter.

Yu Huizhu cursed internally, forgetting that there was still the Women's Federation hurdle to deal with.

As she stood up to host them, she said with a face full of smiles:

"Director Ni, Cadre Jiang, you are still working so late? You really have worked hard! Please, sit down! Our family's dinner was a bit slow tonight; Yang Yang signed up to go down to the countryside, and we were just discussing what things to have her bring... I was originally asking people to help her keep an eye out for a job, but before I got a reply, Yang Yang had already signed up to go down to the countryside, saying she wanted to respond to the policy call and actively accept re-education from the poor and lower-middle peasants. Look, we were just talking about letting her take the money for buying a position to the countryside to use..."

The Women's Director was stunned for a moment; why was this development different from what she had heard?

She looked at Xie Yang and asked gently: "Xiao Xie signed up to go down to the countryside? When did this happen?"

"It was just decided today. This child, she didn't even discuss it with us before running off to the Youth Office to sign up."

Yu Huizhu, fearing that Xie Yang would say something random, rushed to answer. She even took the initiative to take Xie Yang's hand and patted it with gratification:

"This child is sensible, and her father and I naturally wouldn't just watch and do nothing. The train tomorrow afternoon is a bit rushed, but fortunately, I have saved a few jin of cotton over the years. It was originally kept for sewing a new quilt for her when she gets married, but it's too hasty to make a quilt now, so I was just planning to find someone to trade it for one."

Having said this, Yu Huizhu turned her head to look at her husband: "By the way, Lao Xie, didn't you say you were going to find someone to trade for a pack of cigarettes? Let Yang Yang carry it with her later; it will be convenient if she needs to ask the local villagers for help when something comes up."

"Ah?"

Father Xie looked blank; when had he ever said he was going to trade for cigarettes?

But after all, they had been husband and wife for many years; with one look from Yu Huizhu, Father Xie understood the meaning, and he hurriedly stood up:

"Right, right, right! I'm going to the factory. Lao Wu is on the night shift today, so I'll go find him to trade for a carton of cigarettes. Director Ni, you all sit, I'll be back in a jiffy!"

Seeing that Xie Yang was leaving by train tomorrow afternoon and that her family was running around in circles for her departure, Director Ni naturally didn't stay any longer; after exchanging a few pleasantries and giving Xie Yang a few more words of advice, she left.

As for the content of this investigation...

She hadn't seen that the stepmother and daughter were getting along quite harmoniously, not at all like the rumors of them being at odds like fire and water, so there was no need to ask further.

The moment they left, Yu Huizhu immediately let her face drop and ordered Xie Qi to run fast and chase her father back.

Xie Qi was a bit dazed: "Why chase Dad? Didn't he go to the factory to find a coworker to trade for cigarettes?"

"Trade, trade! Who told him to actually trade!" Yu Huizhu gritted her back teeth and urged in a hushed voice, "Go quickly!"

Xie Yang let out a scoff and said in a drawn-out tone: "So it was all an act—then I'll go too; if I walk fast, I might still be able to catch up with Director Ni."

"!!!"

"Director Ni—" Before Yu Huizhu could react, Xie Yang rushed out of the house in a few big strides, ran toward the stairs, and shouted as she ran, "Director Ni, I have something to tell you..."

"Stop right there—"

Yu Huizhu chased after her in a fit of exasperation, but seeing the neighbors opening their doors and poking their heads out with expressions of wanting to watch the spectacle, she had no choice but to force herself to change her tone:

"Xie Yang, come back! You child! Can't I just joke with you? Alright, alright, I won't tease you anymore, come back quickly, I'll go get the money for you right now!"

Just like that, Xie Yang obtained the three hundred yuan that Yu Huizhu had claimed was for buying her a Temporary Worker position, plus the carton of Economic Cigarettes her father had traded for with his coworker.

The reason Economic Cigarettes were called Economic Cigarettes was because their price was the cheapest among cigarettes; a whole carton only cost eight or nine mao.

But they were very practical hard currency to take to the countryside to trade for favors with the local villagers.

In addition, there was a quilt made from three jin of new cotton, and a piece of blue printed cloth that could serve as both a bundle wrapper and a bed sheet.

She also managed to get a few National Grain Coupons and Industrial Coupons.

In front of her cheap father, Yu Huizhu had to give them up even if she was reluctant.

After all, in this day and age, you needed coupons everywhere you went; without coupons, you couldn't move an inch.

Moreover, Father Xie knew his wife had coupons in her hands; after all, this month's wages had just been issued, so it was impossible that they had all been spent.

This time, Yu Huizhu suffered a massive loss.