[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-rebirth-slice-of-life-cultivation":3,"chapter-rebirth-slice-of-life-cultivation-rebirth-slice-of-life-cultivation-chapter-973":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Rebirth: Slice-of-life Cultivation",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":20,"prevChapterSlug":21,"totalChapters":22,"novelImage":23},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":16,"volume":17,"translator":18,"content_hash":19},549802,797,"Chapter 973: 563: Facing It Directly","rebirth-slice-of-life-cultivation-chapter-973",973,"\u003Cp>Chapter 973: Chapter 563: Facing It Directly\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Night, outside Fourth Middle School, rental apartment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Miao Zhe messaged Lu Qiqi: “What skincare product did you say was good for blackheads last time?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Qiqi replied instantly: “The 0.5% salicylic acid pads I recommended last time are good. If you stick to it, you’ll see results in one or two months.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you want better results, you could actually go to a beauty salon for some treatments.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Miao Zhe: “Is it really useful to go to a beauty salon for treatments?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Qiqi replied: “Of course, it is effective. Otherwise, why would all those wealthy women go if it weren’t? Are they all throwing money away foolishly?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Miao Zhe: “Alright, I’ll think about it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After finishing the chat, Miao Zhe took out his wallet and counted his savings—over 300 yuan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Including more than 800 yuan in his bank account, it might be a decent amount for an ordinary high school student, but Miao Zhe needs it for skincare, fashion, and even plans to visit a beauty salon…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Yun Ni comes to see him in the future, he can’t let her spend money. The money he currently has is just a drop in the bucket.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Miao Zhe’s gaze was steadfast. Coming from a single-parent family, his mom ran a small clothing store, making not much more than a working-class income. He didn’t want his family to know about his online relationship for now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, Miao Zhe had to rely on himself to work hard and earn money.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He could earn a little from his deskmate Wu Xiaoqi, like writing self-reflections for him, but unfortunately, Wu Xiaoqi didn’t get into trouble every day…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qi Tianheng from Class 2 was wealthy. Miao Zhe taught them to fold little stars and earned 100 yuan, but such opportunities were as rare as with Wu Xiaoqi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had to think of other ways, a stable way to make money.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although Miao Zhe was quiet in class, it didn’t mean he knew nothing about what’s going on. On the contrary, his sensitive heart made him very observant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The top earner in class was probably Geng Lu, who made two to three thousand a month by drawing online.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unfortunately, Miao Zhe couldn’t learn such professional skills.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xue Yuantong was also impressive, earning scholarships easily, which Miao Zhe couldn’t emulate either.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unable to think of anything, Miao Zhe went online to search for ways high school students could make money and checked local forums in Yuzhou.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An ad seeking a lost pet caught his attention: “Brown Labrador, notch on the right ear, lost near the park in Dacheng District, reward 500 yuan for the finder! Please call: 1385526…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Miao Zhe was about to skip it when he suddenly remembered something Hu Jun had said in their class group.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Why not give it a try?’ Miao Zhe pondered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saturday, after lunch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the street outside the school gate, two ordinary-looking boys walked shoulder to shoulder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A glasses-wearing, short and thin boy said: “Hu Jun, are you confident?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The other taller, sturdier boy with slightly dark skin fiddled with his ‘Magic Artifact’:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Depends on the situation.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This morning, Hu Jun was planning to go to the young lady at the salon for a head wash at noon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just thinking about the young lady’s gentle touch and charming smile made Hu Jun restless, but a wash cost 7 yuan, nearly as much as a meal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For Hu Jun, a kid from a rural background, 7 yuan was quite a burden.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, he not only had to patronize the young lady at the salon but also the middle-aged lady at the fried tofu stall and the caring divorced sister at the Oden place…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everything required payment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was unfortunate that Hu Jun didn’t have enough money, and his frequency of visits was too low, leaving the elder sisters always lamenting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Hu Jun had more money, he would do more than just head washing at the salon!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wanted to do things others couldn’t!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like the 50-yuan stress-relief head massage!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So when Miao Zhe approached him, Hu Jun agreed without hesitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Hu Jun passed by the familiar fruit stand, he took a deep breath, inhaling the rich scent of fruits—banana, pineapple, mango.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This fragrance was eternal, always present, penetrating deep into his lungs, intoxicating him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hu Jun had passed by many fruit stands but never encountered such a strong aroma.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was because the fruit stand’s owner was a plump young lady.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Miao Zhe and Hu Jun, both poor students, chose to take the bus to Dacheng District.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fifteen minutes later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hu Jun gazed at the park before him. It was already the end of October, and the willow leaves were yellowing but still gracefully swaying like a woman with lingering charm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The not-so-bright sunlight shone through the clouds, falling on the autumn-clad flora.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Miao Zhe showed his phone screen: “It’s this dog.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hu Jun took one look and remembered it in his heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He crushed the pre-prepared sachet in his sleeve: “Let’s go, search the park once, and if we can’t find it, we’ll go back.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The invisible fragrance enveloped Hu Jun as he and Miao Zhe walked along the park’s stone paths, covering every small path, finally reaching the artificial river. Suddenly, they heard a sharp dog bark from below.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Afternoon, back row.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Duan Shigang saw Ma Shicheng focused on gaming, oblivious to the world outside the window, and was puzzled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the past, in terms of neglecting studies, he was the strongest in the class, but after transferring to Class 8, he found someone even more extreme.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Xiaoqi, who played basketball every day, Cui Yu, Meng Gui, who watched shows before and after class, and Zhang Chi, who pondered ways to make money every day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to them, Duan Shigang felt he was working really hard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Bro, I’ve been here for months now, and every time I see you, you’re gaming?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ma Shicheng: “Life is short, enjoy it while you can.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Duan Shigang: “But don’t you study?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ma Shicheng: “Can’t study.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Longlong: “My Brother Ma has realized the true essence of life—play heartily. Don’t stress yourself just because others are working hard. Otherwise, you’ll end up neither studying well nor playing well!”\u003C\u002Fp>",1046,"2026-05-30T14:40:08.762Z","2026-06-01T04:31:29.709Z",1,"novelbin.me","9133e092f6754a9a6abdd6628bf74c8a09e6d14f09723991c00ba9e318262c58","rebirth-slice-of-life-cultivation-chapter-974","rebirth-slice-of-life-cultivation-chapter-972",1809,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Frebirth-slice-of-life-cultivation-cover.jpg"]