Transmigrating into the Famine Years with a System: I Carried My Family of Villains to Success - Chapter 2

Five days later.

The wound on Shen Qingyue’s forehead had recovered significantly. She decided to head out to collect resources to sell to the System in exchange for food.

She rose at the crack of dawn. Just as she finished washing up, she heard Liu Cuihua shouting at Shen Er’ya to assign her chores.

“Er’ya, go up the mountain and dig up some wild vegetables first. When you get back, remember to wash the clothes. In the afternoon, embroider a few more pouches so we can save money to buy meat for your brother.”

Shen Er’ya twisted the corner of her shirt, hesitating as she spoke:

“There was a flood the year before last, a locust plague last year, and a drought this year. It has been three consecutive years of famine. No household has surplus grain, and the wild vegetables on the mountain were dug up long ago.”

“Mother, can I skip digging for vegetables? Once I finish the household chores, I want to find time to visit Scholar Wang.”

Liu Cuihua took two steps forward, resting her hands on her hips. “Shen Er’ya, have your wings grown too stiff? Are you refusing to listen to me now? That Scholar Wang has high expectations but little talent. He looks down on you entirely, so stop wasting your efforts on him.”

It seemed Liu Cuihua had touched a sore spot. Shen Er’ya retorted: “Scholar Wang said he likes me and that he will marry me!”

Liu Cuihua let out a mocking chuckle. “Every time it is you sending things to Scholar Wang. I have never seen him send a single thing to our house. From where exactly do you see that he likes you?”

Shen Er’ya did not know how to argue for a moment. She could only maintain a stubborn tone: “Scholar Wang would not lie to me. I believe him!”

Liu Cuihua did not want to argue with her any further. She walked to the thatched shed where the firewood was stored, grabbed a bamboo basket, and slammed it down in front of Shen Er’ya. She spoke in a commanding tone: “Put on the basket and get up that mountain to dig for vegetables immediately!”

Liu Cuihua was biased. The original owner never did any work, and all the good things were reserved for her.

Shen Qingyue felt a bit embarrassed. She stepped forward, picked up the basket, and announced: “I will be the one digging for vegetables today.”

Liu Cuihua snatched the basket back, looking worried. “No, your body has not recovered yet. You cannot work!”

Although Shen Er’ya did not want to go, she had no intention of letting Shen Qingyue go either. She sighed internally and compromised: “Brother, usually you are unwilling to even pick up dry firewood. How could you dig for vegetables? It is better if I go.”

Shen Qingyue saw that gentle words would not move them. She had to adopt the original owner’s bully persona. She raised her voice: “What are you two babbling about? I insist on going up the mountain. It is none of your business!”

With that, she snatched the basket and slung it over her back before walking out of the courtyard.

Seeing this, Liu Cuihua hurriedly instructed Shen Er’ya: “Why are you standing there? Quick, catch up to your brother and keep a close eye on him.”

Shen Er’ya stamped her foot and hurried after Shen Qingyue.

“Brother, there really are no wild vegetables on the mountain. Just stay home and rest!”

“If it really comes down to it, I will stay up late to make more embroidery. I will definitely work hard to save money and buy meat for you.”

Shen Er’ya tried her best to persuade her.

Shen Qingyue remained silent, walking straight toward the mountain. Seeing that she could not be swayed, Shen Er’ya ran ahead and spread her arms to block Shen Qingyue’s path. She spoke firmly: “Your injury is not healed yet. Let me carry the basket, otherwise, I will not let you go!”

Seeing her resolve, Shen Qingyue had no choice but to take off the basket and hand it over. Shen Er’ya put it on her back and followed obediently by her side.

Qingshui Village sat nestled against a mountain and by a river. There was a river in front of the village, but due to the prolonged drought, the water had already dried up. Behind the village lay a continuous mountain range. The outer perimeter had already been picked clean by people, while the inner depths were inhabited by wild beasts, making it a place where ordinary people dared not tread.

For safety, Shen Qingyue only searched the outer perimeter.

In famine years, people frequently went up the mountain to search for food. On the way, they encountered Auntie Zhang from the village.

“Oh! If it isn’t Goudan? How do you have the time to come up the mountain today?” Auntie Zhang looked Shen Qingyue up and down, asking with a hint of gossip.

Usually, when villagers saw Shen Qingyue, they would avoid her at all costs. They would never initiate a greeting. Auntie Zhang, however, was a busybody whose curiosity outweighed her fear.

Hearing the name Goudan, Shen Qingyue had no desire to chat. She gave a faint “mm” in response and continued up the mountain.

Auntie Zhang maintained a smiling face while in front of Shen Qingyue, but as soon as she was far enough away, she spat heavily in her direction. “What a joke! A hoodlum who only knows how to eat, drink, and play actually thinks he can dig for vegetables!”

“I bet the Shen family is so poor they do not have a single grain left!”

“Serves them right! Let us see if the Shen family dares to bully others with their connections now.”

“I must tell the other aunts and uncles in the village this good news so they can have a laugh too.”

Shen Qingyue suddenly sneezed.

“A-choo!”

Shen Er’ya immediately rushed over to check on her, her face filled with worry and anxiety. “Brother, you didn’t catch a cold, did you? What should we do? The family has no silver left to hire a doctor. Last year, the neighbor’s third child died from a cold.”

As she spoke, Shen Er’ya’s voice began to tremble with tears.

“If you die, Father and Mother will be so heartbroken. They love you the most.”

Shen Qingyue stopped the emotional outburst. “Stop right there! I am still very much alive. Any more talk and you will be sending me to my grave. The reason I sneezed is surely because someone is badmouthing me behind my back.”

Shen Er’ya quickly covered her mouth. “It is my mouth talking nonsense. Brother will surely live for a hundred years and never fall ill.”

She paused, looking at Shen Qingyue with a trace of hesitation and sympathy. “Brother, Father and Mother love you so much. If you insist on returning to your female identity, they might agree. Then, you could marry the man you like.”

Shen Qingyue had no desire to marry. she rejected the idea:

“Even if I return to being a woman, who do you think would marry me?”

“By then, it would only make Father and Mother lose more face and attract more ridicule.”

“Life is good as it is now. Why get married?”

Shen Er’ya felt that Shen Qingyue’s words made a lot of sense, yet something felt off. “You didn’t seem to say that before.”

Shen Qingyue was not the original owner, so her thoughts were naturally different. She made up a random excuse: “People change. After walking through the gates of hell once, one sees many things more clearly.”

Shen Er’ya nodded, feeling that her brother’s words were becoming more and more logical.

The two of them wandered the outer perimeter for a long time without finding any wild vegetables. Even the elm bark had been stripped away by others.

Shen Qingyue was thirsty and hot. She sat under a tree to rest and caught a glimpse of red in the grass.

Red caps, white stalks.

It looked familiar. Was this not the famous poisonous mushroom, the Amanita muscaria?

Shen Qingyue immediately asked the System in her mind: “System, can Amanita muscaria be traded?”

A virtual screen appeared before her that only she could see. The System’s voice followed:

[Amanita muscaria detected. It can be used for medical research. Buyback price is 1 Star Credit per mushroom.]

Shen Qingyue was overjoyed. Even the smallest mosquito has meat; 1 Star Credit was better than nothing.

With her back to Shen Er’ya, she plucked a large leaf to wrap her hand, carefully pulled out three mushrooms, and thought to the system: “Sell.”