Transmigrating into the Famine Years with a System: I Carried My Family of Villains to Success - Chapter 3

[Recycled Amanita muscaria x3. Total: 3 Star Credits.]

After a crisp system notification, Shen Qingyue’s account balance showed 3 Star Credits.

The smile on her face was impossible to suppress. This System was truly a wonderful thing, far more convenient than any modern trading platform. However, searching for recyclable items one by one was a bit of a hassle.

Shen Qingyue’s mind raced as she asked: “System, do you have an automatic detection function for recyclable items?”

[Yes, Host. To activate the automatic detection function within a hundred-meter radius, you only need 1,000 Star Credits. Would you like to activate it?]

Shen Qingyue certainly wanted to, but she lacked the funds. She asked tentatively: “Can I buy it on credit?”

The System replied bluntly: [No.]

Shen Qingyue shrugged. She would have to stick to manual searching for now and wait until she had gathered a thousand Credits.

Shen Er’ya took out a water skin, drank a little, and turned to look at Shen Qingyue with confusion. “Brother, what are you doing standing in the grass? There are so many mosquitoes in this spot.”

Shen Qingyue turned around. Seeing Shen Er’ya, she suddenly had an idea. “Er’ya, you are familiar with the outer perimeter. Have you seen any red poisonous mushrooms?”

Shen Er’ya asked cautiously: “What do you want poisonous mushrooms for?”

Shen Qingyue guessed her thoughts. She patted her sister’s shoulder and said solemnly: “Rest assured, I have other uses for them. I will absolutely not harm anyone.”

Fearing Shen Er’ya might not agree, she added: “If you do not take me to find them, I will tell Mother about you secretly meeting Scholar Wang.”

Shen Er’ya panicked and agreed: “I will take you. But we have a deal: you cannot use them to hurt people, and you cannot hurt chickens or dogs either.”

“I know. Hurry up.” Shen Qingyue urged her forward.

Along the way, Shen Qingyue not only found 15 more Amanita muscaria mushrooms but also discovered 2 Pulsatilla plants and 3 Pinellia tubers. She sold them for a total of 31 Credits. Adding the previous 3, her account now held 34 Star Credits.

With Credits, she could buy food. But how could she bring the food out in a logical way?

Shen Qingyue scanned the area. Her gaze landed on a cave, and an idea took root.

“Er’ya, I am going over there to relieve myself. Wait for me a moment,” Shen Qingyue said, pointing toward the cave.

“Alright, I will wait here,” Shen Er’ya nodded obediently.

Shen Qingyue walked to the mouth of the cave and looked around carefully. After confirming no one was there, she purchased 2 pounds of coarse rice, 2 pounds of polished rice, 1 pound of millet, 2 pounds of white flour, and 5 eggs from the System Mall. The total cost was 31 Credits.

With only 3 Credits left in her account, Shen Qingyue was a pauper once again.

There was no use overthinking it. She needed to get home and eat a full meal; her stomach was growling incessantly. She walked back to Shen Er’ya and lowered her voice: “I found some food in that cave.”

Shen Er’ya looked incredulous. “Brother, you are joking, right? What kind of idiot would store precious grain in a cave? And a shallow cave at that, without worrying someone would find it and take it.”

Shen Qingyue did not explain. Instead, she pulled Shen Er’ya into the cave.

Shen Er’ya’s eyes sparkled as she stared at the small pile of food. There really was food! There really was an idiot!

Feeling like a thief, Shen Er’ya looked around nervously and whispered: “Brother, can we really take this food?”

Shen Qingyue corrected her: “We are not taking it. We are finding it.”

Shen Er’ya was not someone overflowing with misplaced sympathy. Survival in a famine was difficult. If one stumbled upon food in the mountains, it was finders keepers.

She quickly stuffed the food into her basket and carefully covered it with weeds to hide it from prying eyes. Once finished, the two headed down the mountain.

Thinking about the upcoming meal, Shen Er’ya walked as if her feet were winged. Her speed was incredible, as if she wanted to fly home in a single second.

Auntie Zhang saw the siblings’ brisk pace and suspected they had found a treasure. She blocked their path, her heart itching with curiosity. “Goudan, what good things did you find to be in such a hurry?”

Shen Qingyue’s eyes narrowed, and her bully aura flared up. “You are on the mountain every day; would you not know if there were good things? You are blocking my path. Are you trying to invite me to your house for dinner?”

As she spoke, she stared directly at Auntie Zhang, as if she might actually show up at her house the next moment.

Shen Qingyue was a notorious bully. She was capable of things others wouldn’t dare to do. Auntie Zhang took a terrified step back and bolted. “I just remembered I have things to do at home. I will be going now!”

Shen Qingyue glanced at the woman’s frantic retreating figure. To avoid further trouble, she slowed her pace slightly. They encountered no more nosy people and returned home smoothly.

Just as she stepped into the courtyard, she saw Liu Cuihua carrying a bowl of wild vegetable gruel that was even thinner than yesterday’s. The grains of rice were few and far between, mixed with bits of wild herbs.

Liu Cuihua met her, saying distressedly: “Goudan, you must be hungry after going up the mountain. Come and drink some gruel.”

Shen Qingyue knew this bowl of gruel was one of the last remaining rations in the house. The whole family was hungry, yet they had specifically saved it for her. Despite the gruel looking terrible, she felt a small flicker of emotion.

Shen Qingyue smiled and signaled for them to follow her inside. Liu Cuihua and Shen Dabiao were confused, but they followed her into the house anyway. Shen Er’ya followed beside them, a red-cheeked smile on her face.

In front of her family, Shen Qingyue brushed away the weeds in the basket. The rice, flour, and eggs met their eyes.

Liu Cuihua’s eyes widened. “Where did this food come from?”

“I found it all in a cave.” Shen Qingyue took out the eggs and grain and gestured to Liu Cuihua. “Mother, go cook. We are going to eat our fill today!”

The sound of growling stomachs echoed through the room. The entire family was starving. Liu Cuihua did not delay a moment longer. She grabbed the basket and headed for the kitchen. “I will go cook right now.”

Food was precious, and food during a famine was even more so. Liu Cuihua originally planned to mix the coarse rice with millet to make porridge, but Shen Qingyue stopped her.

“Cook one pound of polished rice and fry a plate of eggs,” Shen Qingyue stated plainly.

“That is such an extravagant way to eat. This food will only last three days at most,” Liu Cuihua said, feeling pained at the thought of using the grain so quickly.

“Do as I say. I will find a way to get more food,” Shen Qingyue replied. she truly did not want to drink watery porridge every day.

Left with no choice, Liu Cuihua followed her instructions. Half an hour later, a plate of golden fried eggs sat on the table along with a large bowl of white rice for each person. The air was thick with the fragrance of rice and eggs.

The four of them sat around the table, their mouths nearly watering. Shen Qingyue was truly hungry and urged them: “Do not just stare. Pick up your chopsticks and eat!”

The family did not stand on ceremony and began eating in large gulps. As someone used to delicacies, Shen Qingyue discovered for the first time just how delicious plain white rice could be.

She would keep up the hard work. Next time, she would aim for meat.