Chapter Twenty-Three: Rights to Use the Spatial Warehouse

At this moment, Zhang Qiang and Zhang Chao no longer needed to shout. Both stopped their actions in unison. The tiger was truly dead. Judging by their limited experience in slaughtering pigs, this tiger had been dead for quite some time.

"How could you be so wicked?" Zhang Qiang’s eyes turned red, fueled by lingering fear. "Did my daughter wipe out your whole family or dig up your ancestral graves that you would go as far as leading a tiger to her?"

Bai Mianmian just watched them coldly, saying nothing.

"Dad! Third Uncle, Fourth Uncle..." the little chubby girl said, looking awkward. She had been startled, certainly, but only for a split second—not a moment longer. "I’ll go get you some water; you should rest."

"Don't," Zhang Chao interjected. "Where there is one, there could be another. It wouldn't be good if we ran into its companions."

The little chubby girl withdrew the step she had taken, and the eyes of the Zhang brothers turned toward Bai Mianmian. She adjusted her posture, looking down at them from her vantage point.

"Adult tigers are solitary animals."

"You’re no hunter, so how would you know if it was an adult?" Zhang Yuan retorted angrily.

She flicked her tongue against her teeth, stood up, and simply walked away.

The logging area where the Zhang family had been was now empty. After regaining her composure, Old Mother Zhang had sent her daughters-in-law and grandchildren down the hillside. It wasn't that she didn't worry about her granddaughter, but she understood better that women and children would only hinder her three sons; their presence would only make matters worse.

And so, Bai Mianmian helped herself to the Zhang family's water. Regardless of who had drunk from it before, she picked it up and gulped it down. Old Mother Zhang had specifically instructed that water be drawn for her precious granddaughter, and the newest, most beautiful gourd among them had been prepared especially for her.

The plain boiled water inside contained not a trace of spiritual energy. The other gourds, however, had all been steeped with spirit jade.

'System,' Bai Mianmian fumed. After drinking the so-called "spirit water," her rebellious fire burned bright once more. Normal cold water, when consumed in large quantities, usually left one feeling chilled in the stomach. But this water, infused with spiritual energy, was different. After the initial crispness in her throat, a warm current spread rapidly through her body, and as this warmth dissipated, so did the fatigue and pain in her bones and flesh.

Spiritual energy was practically a divine medicine! It truly lived up to the saying "a cure for every ailment."

'You might as well just kill me.'

The system ignored her.

'This tree is nice. It’s perfect for hanging.' She fetched a rope, looped it over a tree branch, and tucked her head in, looking every bit the part of someone truly seeking death. Yet, the system remained silent from start to finish.

"Hey!" Did it really think she wouldn't dare?

Who was Bai Mianmian? A former heir to the Bai family. A ruthless woman who, following a single kidnapping, spent ten years transforming herself from a soft, delicate beauty into a "hardcore Barbie." With the road ahead uncertain and the outcome unknown, how could she possibly continue to labor for nothing?

'The system has approved an application for storage space access for you.' As her vital signs dipped once more, the system displayed its response in frustration.

It was right after the system made its stance known that the Zhang brothers and Zhang Huilan appeared. Seeing the girl hanging motionless from the tree branch, the four of them were struck with terror. Zhang Yuan, who had been the most vocal in his scolding earlier, was the fastest; he pulled Bai Mianmian down in a few quick movements.

"Cough, cough, cough..."

"Drink some water," Zhang Huilan said, quickly handing over a water gourd. It was the one her own family drank from. Bai Mianmian, having already filled her stomach with water, didn't want any more, but with it pressed to her lips, she couldn't refuse. She took a few more gulps.

"What are you doing? If you want to die, can't you go somewhere far away? Why right in front of my house? Are you saying my daughter hasn't suffered enough because of you?" Zhang Qiang was genuinely distressed, his chest tight with frustration. No matter how his brothers questioned her, the child wouldn't say a word.

"Today, you are going to give me a straight answer."

Bai Mianmian lazily lifted her eyelids to look at him.

"Dad!" Zhang Huilan chided. In that instant, all her previous thoughts vanished. No matter how wicked this girl was, she was just a young girl her own age. If she were in her shoes, she couldn't be sure if she would behave any differently, and the treasure she now held was obtained through her connection.

"I don't blame you for wanting to harm me, but I must make it clear: that day, I didn't say anything intentionally. I am truly grateful for what you did that day, and I sympathize with what you've been through."

Bai Mianmian: "..."

She didn't know whether to call herself lucky or unlucky. The system clearly didn't want her to die and have to start all over again. But it was truly trash. It said it could grant her a storage space—a space that could store items and keep them in a constant state of time. However, she had to pay rent to use it. One mu of land farmed for one cubic meter of space.

'Please remember, Host, that you are a villainous supporting character. The most the system can secure for you is that all produce belongs to the Host.'

Bai Mianmian: 'Should I thank you?'

'You're welcome.' It slipped away, knowing when to retreat.

Bai Mianmian gritted her teeth. A villainous supporting character is still a human being! To think it would discriminate against a villainous character.

"Wuwu... what did I do wrong? Why is everyone picking on me? I don't want to be a villain, but can someone think about me for once! I have no father... my mother doesn't want me anymore, and everyone in the Bai family wants me dead... I just wanted to make things easier for myself, I just wanted to vent..."

She rolled over and pounded the ground, her complaints sounding both melodic and sorrowful.

Zhang Huilan felt even more guilty. "I don't blame you. If it were me, I’d have resentment too. Besides, you didn't actually hurt me. That tiger only startled me. Really, it was just a fright, and once that passed, I wasn't even afraid anymore."

"Fubao!" her old father, Zhang Qiang, protested.

Zhang Huilan turned her head, looking earnest. "Dad! I know you care about me, but there are some things you don't know, so don't speak nonsense."

Zhang Qiang blinked, taking deep breaths, and ultimately swallowed his frustration. "I'm going to notify the others."

By now, the people who had been logging on the mountain who could run had already fled, and those with enough courage were approaching. As Zhang Qiang turned around, he saw the crowd.

"Brother Qiang, is everything alright?"

"It's fine, just lucky..."

After some discussion, everyone decided to head down the mountain. No one could be certain if the tiger was an adult or a cub, and no one dared to claim they could run faster than Bai Mianmian or be as lucky as Zhang Huilan. When someone mentioned the price of the tiger, showing a hint of envy, Zhang Qiang immediately made his stance clear.

"This is a rare, once-in-a-lifetime find. It would be a pity to sell it. We'll split the bones and meat among the families. As for the pelt, the girl in my family was scared out of her wits, so we'll make a tiger-skin cushion for her."

By rights, since the Zhang brothers had struck the killing blow, the tiger belonged to them. But the system had just given her a storage space. Without spirit treasures, couldn't she at least have a storage space?

"Wait, you said how are you splitting it?" Bai Mianmian picked at her ear, acting as if she hadn't understood.

Zhang Qiang wasn't stupid; he knew what she meant. "You didn't kill the tiger. To put it bluntly, we even saved you. If you aren't going to show gratitude for saving your life, the least you can do is not interfere with how we split this tiger."

"Did I ask you to save me?" she asked first.

"..."

Everyone was stunned. Did they need permission to save someone? In that situation, they found it terrifying just to hear about it—did she even have the chance to ask?