Chirp-Chirp Plant Supply Station - Chapter 4

Grandma Lu gave Lu Linshu verbal instructions on how to prepare the chick formula.

She could have easily done it herself, as it wasn’t a difficult task. But to foster a bond between Lu Linshu and the little chick, she insisted he do everything himself.

With the stubborn little bird still clinging to his finger, Lu Linshu expressionlessly mixed the chick formula.

Throughout the process, he countless times tried to detach the little creature from his finger.

But it wouldn’t budge.

For a moment, Lu Linshu even considered asking Grandma Lu if there was any rice left.

He thought he might use it to lure the little bird off his hand.

But he quickly dismissed the idea, knowing rice wasn’t suitable for the chick’s current diet. He could only resign himself to letting the little thing keep hanging on.

He wasn’t in a great hurry, anyway.

At the dining table, Grandma Lu had mentioned that the little chick was a “Foodie Bird” and would eat on its own. He figured that once the formula was ready, the little bird would let go.

As it turned out, the little chick was indeed a Foodie Bird. However…

Even after the formula was prepared, the little chick showed no intention of letting go of his finger.

The little chick remained perched on Lu Linshu’s finger, its wings fluttering as it continued its milk-begging dance.

Its intentions were crystal clear.

Mother Lu watched the little chick and said, “A’shu, it looks like the little chick wants you to feed it.”

Lu Linshu asked, “…How do I feed it?” This was a genuine question, as he had never fed a chick before.

Grandma Lu opened her lips slightly, about to explain that when they brought Little Birdie home, they had also bought a specialized bird spoon that could be used for feeding.

But before she could answer, Lu Linshu had already moved his hand closer to the freshly prepared milk mush. In the next instant, the little creature, still clinging to his finger, stretched its neck and began a series of frantic peck-peck-peck motions.

Mother Lu watched in utter shock and let out an “Ah!”

She had never seen anyone raise a bird before and was learning for the first time that this was how they ate.

It really can eat, and it’s also incredibly clingy.

After feeding the little chick, Lu Linshu wiped the milk residue from its beak.

Meanwhile, the rest of the family had already started discussing what to name the little chick.

Lu Linshu lowered his gaze, watching the little creature that was still stubbornly clinging to his finger and had now started nibbling on his fingernail. He remained silent throughout the entire process.

He didn’t care what name everyone gave the little thing. In fact, his thoughts had remained consistent from the start.

,How to get rid of this clingy little thing.

He was unwilling to waste any time on the little chick.

Grandma Lu looked at Lu Linshu and said, “A’shu, the little chicken treasure will be your child from now on. What name do you want to give it?”

The little cub looked at Lu Linshu with wide, expectant eyes.

Lu Linshu said, “Anything.”

The little cub protested, “I don’t think ‘Anything’ is a very good name. The little sister is so cute, it’s not right to name her so casually. Uncle, you need to be serious.”

Mother Lu looked at the little cub. “A’ruo, why is the little chicken a sister?”

The little cub replied, “I think the little chicken treasure is so weak and cute, it must be a little sister.”

The next moment, they were met with the little chick’s dissatisfied chirping and squawking.

Against the background of the little chick’s noisy chatter, Lu Linshu rubbed his temples with his other hand and said, “Then let’s call her Rourou.” He took the name from the little cub’s casual remark about her being “weak and cute.”

Lu Linshu thought, She’s certainly weak, but she’s really not cute at all.

Oh.

In fact, compared to Rourou, maybe the noisier Guagua would be more suitable. But the whole family would definitely not be satisfied with that name, so Lu Linshu suppressed the suggestion.

And so, the Lu Family’s newest member, the little chick Rourou, had his name officially decided.

Mother and Father Lu had already left for the day, likely for work.

Lu Linshu, still refusing to give up, tried to pry the little chick off his hand. But as the details revealed, the little creature was completely clinging to him, refusing to let go.

Under Grandma Lu’s orders, Lu Linshu had no choice but to take the little chick up to his room.

The Lu residence was a three-story house.

The first floor was the living area for Grandfather and Grandma Lu. The second floor belonged to Father and Mother Lu, along with their eldest daughter, Lu Yutang, and their youngest, Lu Anruo. The entire third floor, however, was Lu Linshu’s private sanctuary.

Lu Linshu carried Little Birdie into the third floor.

The space was vast and bright, featuring a spacious living room connected to a separate kitchen. It was so clean and tidy that it looked almost untouched.

There were three rooms on the third floor. Lu Linshu brought the little chick into the master bedroom.

The moment they entered, the little chick stuck out his backside and let out a fresh dropping, landing right on Lu Linshu’s hand.

Little Birdie: “…”

Lu Linshu: “…”

The atmosphere suddenly turned silent.

Lu Linshu frowned.

There was a private bathroom in the bedroom.

Lu Linshu used a rag to wipe the bird droppings clean, then washed the rag and hung it up before thoroughly washing his hands.

Taking this opportunity, Lin Xichuan observed Lu Linshu’s bedroom.

The curtains in the room were closed, but light from outside filtered through them. Because the natural lighting was decent, the room remained relatively bright even with the curtains drawn.

The bedroom was very spacious, perhaps around 30 square meters including the bathroom.

The spacious bedroom held a double bed, a wooden wardrobe, and a wooden computer desk and chair. They weren’t particularly elegant, but they were practical.

On the computer desk sat a very large monitor, its screen still lit up, though Lin Xichuan couldn’t understand the content displayed on it.

Besides that, Lu Linshu’s room was filled with various electronic devices: a phone, a tablet, and…

A watch charging on the computer desk.

From these details, it seemed the Lu Family’s financial situation was quite good.

Lin Xichuan communicated with the System.

[Chatterbox, there are electronic devices here. Can you use A’shu’s devices to look into the situation here?]

[I can, Host.]

Before Lin Xichuan could even ask, Lin Diede added another line.

[But that will cost money.]

Lin Xichuan was confused. …Money?

[Yes. The system bound to you is called the Debt-Farming System. Anything you do through the system requires money.]

Lin Xichuan: “…”

He had only been a bird for three days, and he had barely gotten used to his new body. Until now, he hadn’t had the chance to fully understand the Debt-Farming System he was bound to.

The System began to explain.

System Currency: 1 Gold Coin = 100 Silver Coins = 10,000 Copper Coins.

Lin Xichuan’s current need was for the System to use the internet to gather basic information about this world.

According to the price list, a single piece of information cost 2 Copper Coins.

If he bought multiple pieces at once, there was a bulk discount: 10 pieces of information for 18 Copper Coins.

The monthly interest rate was 20%. If the debt wasn’t repaid on time, the interest rate for the second month would increase to 30% based on the total amount due from the previous month. After that, the rate would increase monthly, eventually reaching 100% interest.

Lin Xichuan did the math in his head.

Suppose he borrowed 20 Copper Coins. With a 20% interest rate, he would owe 24 Copper Coins the next month. If he couldn’t pay that back, the third month’s interest would be calculated at 30%, making the total 24 + 7.2, a staggering 31.2 Copper Coins. In the fourth month, the monthly interest rate would rise to 40%…

Lin Xichuan: “…”

As expected of the Black-Hearted Loan System, he thought. Not a single good thing about it.

I can’t spend this money.

But even though his rational mind screamed that he shouldn’t, Lin Xichuan was simply too curious about this world.

After much hesitation, he tentatively asked the System a question.

[ What’s going on in this world? ]

After incurring a debt of two copper coins, Lin Xichuan finally understood the situation.

It was currently the seventh year of the apocalypse.

The apocalypse.

The mere word “apocalypse” was enough to convey a sense of utter catastrophe.

What happened seven years ago?

Driven by overwhelming curiosity, Lin Xichuan continued to ask related questions.

Of course, this required more money.

One piece of information cost two copper coins. To the current Lin Xichuan, this was truly an astronomical price, but he was just too curious.

According to the information the System retrieved, this was indeed the same world Lin Xichuan had originally come from.

Seven years ago, Lin Xichuan had died.

When he opened his eyes again, he had transmigrated into the body of a little bird seven years later.

At the time, Lin Xichuan was twenty-two, the same age as Lu Linshu. Which meant…

On the same timeline, the current Lu Linshu should be twenty-nine.

Lin Xichuan thought, No wonder he looks so much older.

Of course, Lu Linshu’s stubble, haggard face, and the deep dark circles under his eyes all contributed to this impression.

After washing his hands, Lu Linshu got into bed with the little chick.

He lay down, his hand resting naturally on the mattress, and the little chick nestled against his fingers.

Lin Xichuan wondered, Could this be Lu Linshu’s life now?

Return to the room after eating, lie down, and sleep.

Eat, sleep, eat, sleep, lying flat and motionless. How was this any different from being a salted fish?

So decadent.

He didn’t even cut his hair or shave. No wonder his abs were gone. But at least he bathed regularly.

In the sweltering heat of midsummer, Lin Xichuan didn’t smell any sweat on Lu Linshu, which proved that while he might have neglected his shaving, he hadn’t neglected his hygiene.

As Lin Xichuan grappled with the shock of Lu Linshu’s transformation, he continued his mental conversation with the System.

Initially, Lin Xichuan hadn’t felt any sense of belonging in this world. But now, knowing that this was his world, and one that had undergone a drastic change after his death, he had countless questions.

Where’s my family?

[Sorry, the network currently only covers this one base. Your family doesn’t seem to be here, so I can’t find any information on them.]

By the time Lin Xichuan realized what he was doing, he had already asked about twenty questions using the loan system.

Oh.

And here’s the kicker: no discount.

Lin Xichuan tried to haggle with the System, hoping to get back the four copper coins’ worth of benefits. The System, however, declared with profound grief that it had failed in its negotiations and couldn’t recover the four-coin difference for him.

The little chick was a picture of utter lethargy, its entire body feeling as boneless as a wet noodle. It lay warmly in Lu Linshu’s hand, its tiny head resting against the fleshy part of his palm.

After a moment’s consideration, the little chick scrambled up from his fingers.

Lu Linshu immediately noticed the shift in its movement and focused his gaze on the bird.

The little chick waddled clumsily, its tiny feet stumbling and swaying. Though its pin-feathered body looked rather scraggly, every single wisp of down radiated an adorable, milky-sweet charm.

It was the kind of cuteness that could melt anyone’s heart.

Under Lu Linshu’s silent watch, the little chick climbed up his arm and perched on his shoulder, staring intently at his face.

The bird and the man locked eyes.

The little chick let out a few “cheeps,” but Lu Linshu remained silent.

Inside, the 27-inch computer screen glowed steadily. The light from the monitor, combined with the thin curtains that didn’t quite block out the daylight, brightened the room.

The little chick lingered on Lu Linshu’s shoulder for a brief moment before continuing its journey, waddling toward his chest.

Lu Linshu: He had never kept any pets, and until today, he never thought he had any natural affinity for animals. He couldn’t understand what was going on with the little chick Grandma Lu had brought home today.

Why was it showing such an extraordinary attachment to him?

As Lu Linshu pondered, the little chick on his chest flattened its tiny body and began to wriggle downward.

It looked just like those “creepy crawling” memes from the internet.

What is this little guy trying to do? Lu Linshu wondered.

Just as he was thinking, the little chick finally wriggled its way onto Lu Linshu’s neck, and then…

Its tiny head came to rest on Lu Linshu’s chin.

Lu Linshu’s eyes widened slightly.

The little chick thought to itself, Even though Lu Linshu hasn’t shaved, his whole body is covered in soft fuzz. Resting on my ex-boyfriend’s face doesn’t feel uncomfortable at all.

The little chick continued to wriggle.

After a moment’s thought, it walked its two tiny claws up and down Lu Linshu’s neck, searching for the perfect spot to nestle.

Finally, it found it!

A little higher up, the little bird’s beak fit perfectly between Lu Linshu’s lips.

Perfect.

The feeling of his lips was so wonderful.

The little chick grew sleepy.

I’ll just hold this position and take a nap first, it decided.

Little chick: Snuggle with Hubby.

Little chick: Cuddle with Hubby.

Little chick: Kisses for Hubby.

Little Chick: Hubby has become Daddy.

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