Chapter Fourteen: Enduring the System

The territory of the Great Yu Kingdom was vast, and its national strength had once been at its peak. However, in recent years, affairs at court had become numerous. The border was tense. Taxes increased year by year. This year’s poll tax had reached a new high, hitting three taels per head.

The eldest branch of the family, with two workers, could earn over eight taels of silver annually from the Chen household, yet they had to pay the poll tax for two men and one woman, Little Zhou. Combined, it was just enough.

The youngest branch, however, was different. Bai Bao was the only laborer employed, and Madam Feng did not embroider handkerchiefs or make necklaces, so they couldn’t gather much money. If the elders did not intervene, the youngest branch would have no choice but to take their own lives next year.

“Mother, do you mean to separate the households?” Little Zhou asked with great excitement.

Madam Feng was stunned. Fortunately, Granny Bai cast a cold glance at Little Zhou and ignored her.

This was a rare opportunity. Little Zhou was not about to give up so easily and quickly followed up.

“Mother, to be honest, I’ve long felt guilty toward my younger brother. He’s already a father and has responsibilities. To push the pressure of marrying off Da Qian onto him is really unfair...”

The two elders of the Bai family had only intended to admonish their daughters-in-law but inadvertently stirred some ambitions. The elders were even more dispirited.

Meanwhile, Bai Mianmian had left the house and headed west, crossing private forests. Before nightfall, she arrived at a sturdy wooden house built by villagers for logging purposes.

Only upon entering this novel’s world did she truly understand the hardships of common folk in a feudal society!

River West Village was backed by mountains, but the nearby mountains all belonged to private owners. Not to mention cutting wood in private forests—even picking a single fruit was forbidden! Taking anything without the owner’s permission was theft, a grave crime that could cost a life.

Though the village was near the mountains, villagers had to walk more than twenty miles around to gather firewood, circumventing the nearby mountain peaks!

“Did you bind me because you valued my outdoor survival skills?” she wondered.

Alert and cautious, Bai Mianmian saw no valuable medicinal herbs along the way, so she didn’t gather any. After tidying up a bit, she gathered some dry grass to make a bed.

“The host is overthinking,” the system remarked.

“And what am I supposed to think?” she asked.

“You should consider how to buy land adjacent to the female lead’s and exploit her family’s resources.”

“Do you think I can buy land with this little money?”

“Reminder: this is a farming world.”

Bai Mianmian was speechless. Even if she wanted to farm, she needed land. The Bai family had no land property. She was unwilling to pay rent. In this world, taxes and rent were heavy burdens. The problem was, crop yields were low—barely 160 jin per mu (about 60 kilograms per acre). After a year’s hard work, the harvest was barely over sixty jin. She could not accept that.

Bai Mianmian’s plan was to enter the mountains to find something to trade for money.

After securing enough for food and clothing, she would see what to do next.

The system, however, clearly did not want to make things easy for her.

At dawn the next day, she set out again to search. She climbed mountain after mountain but found no medicinal herbs and not a single wild chicken, rabbit, or deer.

“System, explain yourself!” she demanded.

The system remained silent, utterly ignoring her.

Bai Mianmian grew annoyed. The only ration she had brought was a single steamed bun. Was she supposed to return empty-handed?

“Fine, I quit. Let it be. I won’t give in to this dream anymore. It’s just choking me to death—nothing to fuss over.”

She gave up utterly, lying by the stream to sleep soundly.

The problem was, she didn’t move the next day either, just lying there, turning and tossing, ignoring her growling hunger.

The system remained patient, not intervening.

But after three days of sleep, her physiological signs began to decline.

“Host, you’re playing the female lead’s lucky life’s contrast script. Opportunities like marrying into a wealthy family or gaining fortune in the mountains aren’t meant for you.”

“Host, if the system erases you, you’ll have nothing.”

“Do you think the system doesn’t dare?”

“Do you think the system can’t handle you?”

The system became unsettled, even panicked.

Bai Mianmian, however, feigned deafness.

The system had not resorted to electric shocks or time rewinds. Its understanding of this host ultimately forced it to concede.

“The system will strive to grant you an opportunity. Whether you seize it depends on you.”

“Hmph, hmph...”

As if suddenly hearing a sound after deafness, the strange isolated world regained vitality.

A wild boar stood across the stream from Bai Mianmian.

“Pant, pant...”

Perhaps unaware of her danger, the boar drank some water then staggered away.

Suddenly, Bai Mianmian rolled over and sat up awkwardly, weakened.

“You tricked the system,” it accused.

“I’m not eating,” she declared.

While the woman calmly ate her dry bun with the stream water, the system finally realized what was going on and spoke up.

She threw the half-eaten bun into the water, watching it float away down the stream.

“What exactly do you want?”

“Give me sugar.”

Sugar would help her recover energy quickly. “A box of compressed biscuits would work too.”

The system nearly lost it.

“Please adjust your attitude, host.”

“I’ll lie down and wait. You know I’ve lived in various wild jungles and naturally don’t respond to force.”

She wasn’t threatening when she said the system could erase her.

When a person no longer fears death...

“Do you think the system can only deal with you?”

“Try messing with my family.”

“The system isn’t allowed to assist the host directly. It can only provide opportunities for the host to strive for.”

Perhaps never having met such a stubborn, ruthless host, the system vanished.

Bai Mianmian didn’t rush but kept her gaze on the clear stream.

“Splash.”

The pleasant sound of water accompanied the sudden appearance of a plump fish, which she swiftly dispatched with a knife.

A carp of about three jin flipped onto its back.

“Give me fire.”

“I’m not eating.”

She was about to throw the fish away.

The system finally exploded, “Don’t be so excessive!”

“You could make me go hungry; why can’t I make you?”

“Crash!”

Sudden thunder roared, lightning flashed.

Bai Mianmian turned her stiff neck toward the blazing dry wood by the stream.

Was this fire a bit excessive?

“The system is really amazing.”

It vanished again.

She just wanted to see how far she could push the system.

She had no objection to how it borrowed the fire.

After cleaning the fish and arranging some charcoal embers, she slowly began roasting it.

Full and rested, she waited half a day for her strength to return.

“Where’s the boar?”

Finally recalling it, Bai Mianmian grabbed her machete.

The system flickered across the screen.

“It’s fine. You can scold me all you want. I have a strong tolerance and won’t be bothered by a few harsh words.”

“Snort, snort...”

The wild boar returned, not knowing why it wanted water again.

“Crack!”

The boar’s eyes widened as it stared fixedly at the machete embedded in its forehead.

Bai Mianmian waited as the boar bled out, then removed her shoes, waded into the water, and carried it back.

“You have already drawn upon your last bit of luck. The system hopes you will work hard in the future.”