Chapter 33: Chapter Thirty-Two; Seventeenth Birthday Gift

On day N of returning to South River City, winter was approaching, and the weather in South River began to turn cool.

In South River City, many people had already started wearing long-sleeved outerwear, and even the Spirit Cage Residential Area was no exception.

When winter arrived, the cold weather and frozen outdoor environment were unsuitable for hunting, especially for low-ranking martial artists; it was like returning to primitive times, and winter was a season when people could slightly slow their pace.

Only the new members of the World Tree were relatively miserable; at this time it was precisely the winter hunting season—in short, it was the final hunt of the season and also the first collective hunting training for the new members after joining the World Tree.

After all, on Earth, the mainstream duty of martial artists is still to deal with rampant monsters.

"Chén Chén, I noticed our money seems to be running out a bit too fast!"

Chén Chén waved his hand, saying that if it referred to the deposit of 905,070,000 missing a nine, and it had been used up in just these few days, then it was indeed a bit too fast.

"How did it get used up so fast? (*)"

Jiang Yi said while taking out their smartwatch and began reviewing these days' expenses.

The two people's battle suits cost over one hundred million, the brand-new shield structures and defensive devices cost over sixty million, then the secret manual for auxiliary body techniques, the full set of home testing training equipment cost over one hundred million, the newly customized short swords and laser pistols cost 205,030,000, miscellaneous supplements cost 150,000,000, and even the brand-new automatic vacuum robot cost 800,000!

"Exactly how was all this money spent?" QAQ

The facts show that although Jiāng Jiāng is greedy for money, she actually has no awareness when spending it; previously, when she had little money, this hadn't been noticed, but this time the nine hundred million spent was entirely Jiāng Jiāng's own doing (although some guardians' lax supervision also contributed).

Chén Chén naturally wouldn't care about those billions, after all, he never needs to spend money to get what he wants.

Since becoming the Spirit of Earth, Chén Chén basically hasn't touched money himself, because he isn't interested in money… because he can create and take whatever he wants himself; the whole Earth is his, so taking anything is just natural.

As for the things Jiāng Jiāng bought, anyway the money sitting unused is useless, so we just let her spend it freely; after all, the market-price RMB value of the food Chén Chén and Jiāng Jiāng have eaten these days is roughly the same amount.

"Chén Chén, we're about to run out of money" QAQ

Jiāng Jiāng made a miserable face; when the money runs out, one has to go earn it, to earn money one must go hunting, hunting means danger, danger means one's life may not be safe, but the problem is that the money was spent by oneself……

Although many of those purchases were for Chén Chén, they were all my own plans; just because after returning a few days ago Chén Chén let me use them freely, I thought he approved of my financial ability and got carried away^.

"Alright, alright, we lived this many years before without so much money, and we still had more than eighty million."

Chén Chén said helplessly.

Chén Chén actually doesn't care how much Jiāng Jiāng spent, after all, to him money is just a number, merely a number in physical terms.

However, we still can't directly tell Jiāng Jiāng that our family's money can't be spent up, so we have to find another way to bluff our way through.

"But…… I still have an outstanding payment of one hundred million two thousand five here."

"As the saying goes, when God opens a door for you, He will surely weld the window shut; Chén Chén originally thought Jiāng Jiāng had welded shut her shooting ability, but now it seems she might also have a head for finance."

I casually transferred some money from the World Tree's finances into Chén Chén's account, then to Jiāng Jiāng's account, exactly making up the amount she was short, and her expression improved a bit.

After catching her breath, she then said:

"Chén Chén, from now on you'd better not give money to me, this spendthrift woman, otherwise it would really be too dangerous."

Jiāng Jiāng had made up her mind: even if Chén Chén forced money on her, she would stuff it in her mouth and would absolutely never touch a single cent of the family's money again.

————

"No, the orphanage did give out pocket money, although most of it was swallowed by those higher-ups, but there's still some left in hand; how come I've never seen you use any."

The orphanage where Chén Chén and Jiāng Jiāng stay is public, and it occasionally receives some social aid, including clothing, stationery, and lodging.

When the children grow a bit older, the person in charge of managing this aid in the orphanage will exchange these items for small amounts of cash, letting the orphanage's children develop a certain sense of money.

Since Jiāng Jiāng started following Chén Chén, she no longer needs to pay tribute to a gang, and in theory she could dispose of her own pocket money. But after so long, her usual snacks are all provided by Chén Chén, her pencil notebooks are used to the limit, and I've never seen her spend money on anything else.

As a competent boss, caring about the financial situation of one's subordinate is also quite reasonable and logical. (Money ran out)

"Oh, that money? I used it up long ago."

Afterward, Jiāng Jiāng brought Chén Chén to her secret base.

Everyone knows what a child's secret base is like; only Chén Chén's secret base can truly be called a secret base.

Some discarded metal parts, nicely patterned stones, discarded toys, and in the center was a large clump wrapped in several bags.

Jiāng Jiāng peeled open the bags layer by layer, only to see inside a brand-new stationery box, a red ribbon, and a red hairpin.

Just three small items, but for Jiāng Jiāng, whose weekly pocket money totals only five units, this is a considerable amount.

"You bought them, so why aren't you using them?"

"Enmmm, if I used them they'd just get old and break."

The logic is clear; at least there is logic, right?

"Things are bought to be used; if not used, they lose their value."

"Enmmm, how about I let you use them?"

Jiāng Jiāng said wistfully, after all, this money was earned by Chén Chén, so giving the purchased items to him to use is also reasonable.

In little Jiāng Jiāng's conception, this money exists because Chén Chén went out fighting and earned a reputation, so he doesn't need to pay protection fees; thus this money is naturally considered "earned" by Chén Chén.

Chén Chén rolled his eyes, saying that if they were usable he might not refuse, but among these items there's only that fan's stationery box…… barely usable, but since my usual homework is all written by Jiāng Jiāng, I really have no use for them.

"Alright, alright, just use them when I tell you to; do you understand the boss's words?"

Chén Chén said while picking up the small hairpin from the bag, intending to put it on Jiāng Jiāng, but he didn't expect her timid reaction as she stepped back half a step.

Chén Chén only thought Jiāng Jiāng was unwilling to wear it, so he said:

"Just consider it as my gift to you, that'll do."

That's how he forcibly put the hairpin on Jiāng Jiāng's head.

Jiāng Jiāng's black hair with a little red hairpin looked completely natural, matching her red eyes; the originally quiet girl gained a touch of liveliness.

Only years later did Chén Chén realize that Jiāng Jiāng stepped back that day because she thought the hairpin's pin needed to be stuck into her head.

……

In the room, recalling all this, Jiāng Jiāng felt sick with regret; she had clearly shown the trait of a spendthrift woman early on, so why does she have no memory?

But speaking of which, where did the hairpin Chén Chén gave me end up?

Since that time buying three useless items, Jiāng Jiāng has rarely made random purchases, almost always handing her money over to Chén Chén for safekeeping.

As for those three items, the ribbon was sold by Chén Chén at a high price to someone else, the stationery box was cherished and used for over two years before being lost in the disaster of that monster attack; only the red hairpin, because it was a gift from Chén Chén, has always been treasured by Jiāng Jiāng—she even brought it with her when fleeing, and after settling down she looks at it every day: before sleep, upon waking, before meals, after meals.

After Chén Chén woke up, Jiāng Jiāng's attention shifted from Chén Chén's "relics" to the weak Chén Chén herself; in a moment of inattention, the hairpin actually went missing, and it still hasn't been found to this day.

(Chén Chén: It's me who did it, after all who the fuck wears a hairpin for three years)

"Ding—"

The doorbell rang, it was exactly noon, and if nothing unexpected, it should be a delivery.

Jiāng Jiāng hurried to open the door; the projection at the doorway showed on the display next to the doorbell that it was Green City Express, which is World Tree's dedicated courier.

After this period of martial artist life, Jiāng Jiāng also changed her view of the World Tree somewhat; for the improvement of low‑level martial artists' circumstances, the after‑service became more transparent and optimized, and the service design became more considerate of martial artists.

Even as a hypothetical opponent, Jiāng Jiāng couldn't help but admit that the World Tree is far more humane than the HR Alliance; however, in Jiāng Jiāng's concept, a 'respectable enemy' and a 'hateful enemy' are actually no different.

Jiāng Jiāng's survival rule: don't develop any positive feelings toward an enemy, because that will only affect your judgment.

Only when the red name on the World Tree disappears will Jiāng Jiāng feel goodwill toward this force and toward everyone in it except Chén Chén.

So this delivery isn't mine after all.

"Chén Chén, is this your delivery?"

"Oh, it's mine; I've given you the permission, please accept it for me."

"Okay."

After completing the receipt procedure, she took hold of two packages; the iron tin box, when lifted, weighed at least four or five hundred kilograms—I don't know what Chén Chén bought—and as for the other package, Jiāng Jiāng hefted it in her hand and it felt like a few dozen kilograms.

Inside the house, Chén Chén was practicing swordplay; it looked like a simple swinging motion, but Jiāng Jiāng knew he had actually entered a remarkably advanced state—just like many swordsmen who devote their lives to a single sword and roam the world.

Just as she was about to set it down, she heard Chén Chén say:

"Open it; it's for you."

"Huh? You bought this for me? You never told me."

Jiāng Jiāng spoke while opening it.

The large iron box's exterior had three full layers of packaging, and its fingerprint lock could be opened with Jiāng Jiāng's fingerprint—indeed, it was specially bought for her.

Opening the code box, inside stood a dagger with a scarlet hilt and black blade, forty‑six centimeters long—truly the perfect length for Jiāng Jiāng.

"This is…"

"I forged this knife for you, specially made, as your seventeenth‑birthday gift."

"A birthday gift???"

"Yes."

"Um, but this is something from the World Tree, who knows…"

"Don't worry, this is the material I got from a random encounter when I went out; they say that one day when I was resting I ran to the back mountain to take a bath, which is where I usually bathe, and while I was resting, my blood seemed to trigger something, and when I went underwater to look…"

Jiāng Jiāng nodded along, feeling that Chén Chén's story sounded familiar; hearing that Chén Chén had almost fallen asleep from exhaustion but woke up due to the change in the water also relieved her a bit……

"The master I hired is also the best in the village, not someone from the World Tree; most of the material went into making this halberd of mine, and the leftover scraps became your two knives."

Jiāng Jiāng nodded, looking at the dull blade that seemed to flash a bright white sheen, and then seriously analyzed:

"I see, but based on my experience, could it be that these scraps are actually the essence? Chén Chén, why don't you melt these materials and forge a sword?"

"Alright, alright, I already said it's your birthday gift—if you don't want it, I'll give it to someone else."

Hearing that it might be given to someone else, Jiāng Jiāng reacted like a puffed‑up little cat.

"Ah! I want it, I want it, I definitely want it—who else were you planning to give it to besides me?"

Chén Chén couldn't be bothered to make up more nonsense, and Jiāng Jiāng didn't press further.

After receiving the gift, Jiāng Jiāng then added:

"Um, mainly, today isn't actually my birthday at all."

To be precise, Jiāng Jiāng is an orphan who basically doesn't know her own birthday, and she has never celebrated a birthday all these years.

"Cough cough cough, actually it's the day you were picked up and taken to the orphanage; I had someone look it up recently, so the date on your updated ID is that time."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I originally planned to wait until your eighteenth‑year coming‑of‑age ceremony to give you the gift, but… your ID shows you're already eighteen today, so I brought it over now."

Chén Chén explained.

"I see."

Jiāng Jiāng believed it; there was no need for Chén Chén to lie to herself about this, so it must be true, and saying that she opened another box.

"What is this red ribbon for?"

"Isn't it obvious? It's for tying…"

Chén Chén said while turning around, and happened to catch Jiāng Jiāng holding the ribbon that was originally meant to tie the knife to the hand, now wrapped around the back of her hair.

A breeze from the side blew past Jiāng Jiāng's cheek, moving the ribbon… moving the hairband… moving her black hair, and her slender fingers, like needles, wove the hair and hairband together.

"All right, it's for tying your hair."

Jiāng Jiāng smiled sweetly; she and Chén Chén still had such good chemistry.

"Happy birthday."

Jiāng Jiāng was still experiencing her first birthday, the first time receiving birthday wishes, and it was from the person she most wanted; she couldn't sort out her emotions, and only after a while did she reply beautifully:

"Mm."