Chapter 3: 03 Official launch of the check-in system
Just at that moment, the system transmitted its rules into Lin Tang's ears.
So, this was a sign-in system!
She could sign in once every day at midnight.
She could randomly receive item rewards and points rewards.
There was a chance to draw a lottery once a month.
Lotteries were also available during festivals and holidays.
The prizes were random and included various skills such as cooking, driving, and farming, as well as points that could be exchanged for items, and tangible goods like bicycles, cars, sewing machines, and grain.
They had everything one could think of!
There was nothing you could think of that wasn't inside.
The items and points gained from lotteries and sign-ins would be automatically saved in the System Space for use at any time.
The system had a Mall, but it required 100 points to open.
Lin Tang looked at the system panel—
[Name: Lin Tang]
[Gender: Female]
[Age: 16]
[Total Points: 0]
Those points, they felt like an insult.
Tragic!
And, not a very reliable feeling.
Lin Tang looked at the transparent screen before her, her face slightly stiff, with traces of disbelief in her expression.
"Points, zero?"
"Persistent sign-ins will bring points rewards, please keep signing in," the system's voice was without a ripple.
Lin Tang: "..." She felt something swiftly passing over her heart and completely lost the desire to speak.
Forget it, it's not important anymore.
The important thing was, if she didn't eat soon, she would starve to death.
The door creaked.
Li Xiuli entered.
She was short, about 1.55 meters tall.
Quite thin, with eyes not particularly large, a mole above her mouth, and an air of efficiency about her.
She wore a grey plaid top and what looked like cumbersome black trousers.
Covered in patches upon patches, her face looked very old.
"Tangtang, you must have been anxious!" Li Xiuli, seeing Lin Tang's moist eyes, showed a trace of a smile on her weathered face and spoke gently.
"...Mother!" Lin Tang, suppressing the excitement in her heart, with eyes reddening, said to her mother.
Li Xiuli saw the white cloth on her daughter's head, and her own eyes reddened too.
Handing over the food she brought, "Ai! Eat quickly, my girl must be starving!"
Only then did Lin Tang see something blackish in her hand.
Right, food was especially scarce at this time.
She ended up accidentally killing Wang Zhaodi after climbing the mountain to look for food because she couldn't find enough to eat.
"What's wrong? Eat quickly," her mother urged, seeing Lin Tang staring at the bowl but not eating in a hurry.
The child must be very hungry!
Lin Tang took the bowl and wolfed down the food.
She couldn't taste a thing.
Watching her finish, Li Xiuli somehow produced an egg and gave it to her.
"Tangtang, take this egg, you've lost so much blood, you need to nourish yourself well."
She had originally planned to make an Egg Custard for her daughter.
But the eggs at home had just been traded away yesterday, and this egg was even a gift from her uncle's wife!
With that, she tidied up the bowl and chopsticks and left.
Lin Tang watched her mother's retreating figure, tears dropping down like rain, her chest heaving with emotion.
It took a while before she could calm herself down.
Li Xiuli had just gone when Lin Family's three brothers finished their workday.
Hearing from their mother that their sister had woken up, they came to see her.
"Tangtang, how are you? I heard from mom that you've awakened, so I came to see you," said Eldest Brother, Lin Qingshan.
"Sister, look what Third Brother has brought you?" Third Brother, Lin Qingmu, said excitedly, holding a bunch of red fruits in his hand.
As for Second Brother, Lin Qingshui, he followed his brothers, his eyes filled with worry as he looked at Lin Tang.
The three Lin brothers followed their family's head, Lin Lu.
They were tall, with well-proportioned faces, only dark and thin; otherwise, they'd be considered handsome young men.
Lin Tang looked at her brothers in a row, her reddened eyes brimming with smiles.
"... Eldest Brother, Second Brother, Third Brother..."
More than twenty years of lonely life.
Suddenly being back with family, she didn't quite know what to do with herself!
The clear, moist eyes of the young girl softened the hearts of the three Lin brothers, and smiles spread across their lean, dark faces.
"Third Brother, how did I end up at home after I fainted?" With a full stomach, Lin Tang gathered enough energy to think about what had happened, and asked.
At the mention of this incident, Lin Qingmu's face turned a shade darker.
He patted his sister's shoulder and said, "Shuanzi was coming back from gathering firewood and saw you had fainted. He told me, and I carried you back home."
After a pause, he continued, "Wang Zhaodi cracked open your head. Her family paid a fine of one dollar, and Wang Zhaodi was punished to pick up cow dung for a month."
At that time, one dollar was not a small amount.
Wang Zhaodi's mother was nearly driven mad with anger and gave Wang Zhaodi a severe beating, leaving her with a bruised nose and a swollen face.
"Picking up dung?" Lin Tang murmured.
Thinking she wasn't satisfied with the punishment, Lin Qingmu hastily consoled her, "She has paid a fine, and it didn't lead to irreparable consequences, so the community could only impose a lighter punishment.
The work of collecting dung is tough; her hard days are still to come! Don't worry, Third Brother will find a way to avenge you."
Eldest Brother, Lin Qingshan, also advised, "Wang Zhaodi caused her family to lose a large sum of money for nothing. Wu Chunhua gave her a beating almost to death. Once she recovers, I'll help you beat her again."
"Wang Zhaodi wouldn't just accept the punishment without a fuss, right?" Lin Tang felt that Wang Zhaodi didn't seem like an honest person and probably wouldn't accept the punishment without argument.
Lin Qingshui let out a cold laugh, his face darkening as he said, "She was unwilling, but she couldn't withstand the evidence. Tang Kairui saw everything, leaving no room for Wang Zhaodi's excuses – she had to accept the punishment whether she liked it or not."
Mentioning Tang Kairui, a glint of envy crossed Lin Qingshui's eyes.
The children of the wealthy, dressed well and occasionally enjoying meat, were truly enviable.
Lin Tang, having heard the details, nodded in satisfaction.
As for revenge, she didn't rely on her three brothers; she would take her own revenge.
-
That night, at the Liu Family.
Liu Dazhu, having returned from the county to his home, learned that his son had called off the marriage with the Lin Family and was almost furious enough to faint.
He immediately grabbed a broom and started beating Liu Guohui, shouting, "You rotten kid, did you even inform me before calling off this marriage? You're stomping my reputation into the ground!"
Saying this, 'thwack, thwack, thwack,' he struck Liu Guohui's back repeatedly.
"That's for forgetting where you come from!" He hit him hard on the shoulder with the broom.
"That's for being ungrateful!" With a 'smack,' he hit his behind.
"Do you have any idea if it wasn't for Lin Tang's dad, I wouldn't be alive today! How could you, this stinking brat, lead a good life?!" Liu Dazhu gasped in fury.
Of course, Liu Guohui wouldn't just stand there to be beaten; he kept his eyes on his father, trying to dodge the hits.
But the room was too small, and eventually, he did get hit a few times, crying out in pain.
"Dad, am I even your biological son? You might as well just beat me to death.
So what if Lin Tang's dad saved you? Why must I end up with Lin Tang anyhow?"
"I simply don't like her; I'm annoyed just seeing her,
Now that the marriage is called off and the people offended, even if you beat me to death, it won't change a thing."
Chapter 4: Picked up wild chicken eggs
```
"If I were to marry a city girl, it would bring honor to the whole family.
Besides, I'm about to be officially employed as a worker. What about Lin Tang?
She's just a naive country girl, a little village maiden, she's not good enough for me. I deserve so much better!
Even my mother agrees with breaking off the engagement. I have nothing to do with Lin Tang anymore, and I will find someone a thousand times better than her!"
Muttering discontentedly, Liu Guohui took advantage of Liu Dazhu's distraction and whooshed out of the house.
Liu Dazhu was so angry that his chest hurt. He sat on the stool, head slightly lowered, his expression indecipherable.
Seeing her husband looking as if he had been struck, Yang Chunfang guiltily poured a cup of water.
Yet her mouth showed no mercy, "What's wrong? Do you want to beat me up too? If Guohui doesn't like Lin Tang, what can you do about it?"
"Besides, it's a new era now. What's wrong with the young people wanting to choose their own partners?"
"That Lin Tang girl is so dim-witted. I've been dissatisfied with her for a long time. It's quite good that I've put up with her until now. What else do you want?"
Her son was about to become a worker, and then he would find a worker's wife.
Her family would then have two stable iron rice bowls.
Liu Dazhu glanced at his wife and shook his head.
Women, long hair but short on insight.
Even if they were to break off the engagement, it should be done personally by the parents visiting the other family, not quietly behind closed doors.
Is it good to make a scene out of this?
"I can't reason with you. Don't meddle in this matter, I will go talk to Old Lin tomorrow."
Even if the relationship couldn't be mended, it shouldn't turn sour.
The Lin family was, after all, one of the well-off households in the village!
-
Lin Tang's head was injured, and she had been ordered by her family to rest at home, with no chance to step out of the house.
After dinner, it soon reached midnight.
She signed in excitedly.
"Ding, sign-in successful. Congratulations to the host for obtaining the good luck buff, duration twenty-four hours."
Good luck buff?
Could it be a human-shaped koi luck charm?
If it weren't so late now, she'd be dying to go out and try her luck.
She fell asleep with excitement in her heart.
When she woke up, it was already broad daylight.
Days were getting longer early in the year.
Lin Tang didn't know what time it was.
Since she was awake, she had no desire to sleep, so she simply got up.
She washed her face by memory.
Looking at the tattered towel and the worn toothbrush that was almost bristleless, Lin Tang was silently speechless.
"It seems I have a long way to go!"
At this time, even mice would disdain to visit her home.
Lin Tang didn't care about breakfast anymore and went straight out to try her luck.
She still remembered the good luck buff she got last night.
The Shuangshan Brigade wasn't small, and the population was not sparse.
Lin was a big surname, and each household was related to others.
Not many people were wandering around the brigade at this time because the villagers had all gone to work.
Passing through low adobe houses, Lin Tang wandered from the brigade down to the foot of the mountain.
"Tangtang, why are you here? Is your head injury alright? Why aren't you resting at home?" a thin woman saw her and asked with concern.
This woman was Zhao Honghua, who grew up with Li Xiuli.
Both had married into the Shuangshan Brigade.
Lin Tang smiled and replied, "Aunt Honghua! I'm just out for a stroll, I'll go back in a while."
Zhao Honghua moved her lips, her voice soft and gentle.
"Alright then, just be careful and don't stay out for too long."
She felt that the Lin Tang before her seemed like a different person.
Lin Tang, the young lady, was actually looking people in the eye when speaking to them now.
```
Moreover, nowadays everyone is struggling to get enough to eat, preferring to lie down than stand if they could...
And yet she actually ventured out?
Perhaps hunger had driven her out in search of food, Zhao Honghua thought helplessly.
Alas! In these times, when will we ever have our fill?
After a brief exchange, Zhao Honghua quickly hurried back to her home.
Lin Tang watched her leave, looking so thin as if a gust of wind could blow her away, and sighed inwardly.
Her mother and brothers were also just skin and bones; probably everyone else in the village was the same.
Life was tough for everyone these days!
As these thoughts flashed through her mind, Lin Tang decided to take a walk up the mountain.
She had barely taken a few steps when she heard a 'crunch', as if something... had broken.
"Huh?" She voiced her surprise.
Curious, Lin Tang crouched down and turned over the leaves and branches covering the ground.
Round, grain-patterned wild chicken eggs came into view.
"They're wild chicken eggs!" What good fortune.
A flash of joy appeared in her eyes, and the corners of her mouth turned up in a smile.
Carefully counting, she found nearly a dozen wild chicken eggs, apart from the one she had accidentally crushed.
Thinking of fried eggs, egg custard, egg dumplings...
Lin Tang's stomach, chronically short of nutrition, rumbled hungrily as she swallowed hard.
She took off her jacket and wrapped up the wild chicken eggs.
She was about to continue her search when she heard the voices of several local ruffians from the village.
To avoid unnecessary conflict, Lin Tang turned and went straight back home.
Upon reaching the entrance, she encountered the three Lin brothers returning from work.
"Tangtang, why did you go out? Is your head still hurting?" Lin Qingmu saw Lin Tang and asked with a face full of concern.
"It's fine now." Lin Tang's eyes curved into crescents, and she said happily, "Third brother, I found some wild chicken eggs."
The three Lin brothers looked bewildered, clearly not believing her.
Where in the village could one find chicken eggs?
If there were any, they would have long been collected by others.
Lin Qingmu thought his sister was delirious with hunger and looked at Lin Tang with heartache.
It seemed he'd have to head back to the mountains later, even if only to pick some sour fruits.
Unaware of her brothers' thoughts, Lin Tang handed the jacket wrapped with eggs to Third Brother Lin.
Lin Qingmu looked at the lumpy garment, his pupils constricting, hardly daring to believe.
Could it be real?
Upon opening it, his eyes emitted an extremely bright light.
"Hisss~~ So many wild chicken eggs!! Tangtang, you're really lucky." Lin Qingmu praised sincerely.
Not like him, who had never even found a bird's egg.
Lin Qingshan and Lin Qingshui, the other two brothers, were also shocked, looking at the round wild chicken eggs and swallowing reflexively.
They had been busy in the fields since early morning, not even stopping to drink a sip of water.
And now, weren't they just craving it?
Not to mention, in an era where it was hard even to eat one's fill, chicken eggs were a treasure.
The last time the three brothers had tasted an egg was months ago.
It wasn't that there were no eggs at home.
It's just that there were many kids at home.
And they needed to be traded for money and other necessities.
How could they, strong men, compete for them?
"Qingmu is right, sister, you are indeed lucky to have found so many at once when others would be overjoyed just to find one or two," Elder Brother Lin said with vicarious pride.
Lin Qingshui's face was filled with anticipation as he swallowed hard, saying, "Having found so many for nothing, I wonder if Mother will be generous enough to fry a couple for us. My stomach is so empty, I'm dying for a taste!"
"Sure!" Lin Tang nodded, "I'll go talk to Mother."
Li Xiuli heard voices but saw no one enter and called out directly.
"What are you talking about at the door? If you have something to say, come inside and say it."
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
200+ Power
Ranking 
130 Power
stone 
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