Chapter 2: The Mountain-Harvest Trading Game

The sudden vision struck Fang Mingxi hard, leaving her dazed for the entire night.

Sacrifice… who would be the one to sacrifice?

Seeing the grief on Grandpa and Grandma’s faces, it wasn’t hard to imagine that the person in the letter must have been one of their relatives. Most likely, it was the father in this body or perhaps an uncle or aunt.

Which one of them had made the sacrifice?

A sudden answer surged in Fang Mingxi’s mind, and strangely, she felt certain of it. Could it be Dad? Otherwise, why would Grandma clutch her so tightly and refuse to let go?

“Xixi, Grandma’s back.”

Tong Lingxian entered the room after finishing dinner with everyone outside. She looked up and saw Fang Mingxi sitting dumbly on the bed, not even sucking on her favorite pacifier. Her eyes were vacant, as if her soul had been lost.

Her heart tightened. She immediately went forward and picked up Fang Mingxi. “Xixi, don’t scare Grandma. What’s wrong with you?”

Fang Mingxi snapped back to reality, clutching Tong Lingxian’s collar. She opened her mouth, wanting to speak but her throat felt as if it had been glued shut. She couldn’t get a single word out. Helplessly, she leaned in and planted a kiss on Tong Lingxian’s cheek instead.

“Bo~”

Dad… Grandma… where’s my dad?

Startled by the sudden kiss, Tong Lingxian froze for a moment before her anxiety melted away. She slipped her hands under Fang Mingxi’s arms and lifted her, returning the kiss with gusto.

“Bo~”

“Xixi has even learned to kiss Grandma. Such a good girl.”

Fang Mingxi “….”

No, Grandma. I was trying to ask where my parents were.

She stared at Tong Lingxian, observing her reaction. Seeing her pause in surprise, Fang Mingxi turned toward Fang Bo Song, who had just finished washing the dishes, and asked, “Bo Song, is there something on my face?”

Fang Bo Song looked at her carefully, then shook his head. “No. Why do you ask?”

Tong Lingxian recounted what had just happened, emphasizing that her granddaughter had kissed her.

Fang Bo Song chuckled. At eight months old, it was the first time his granddaughter had shown affection to someone.

He walked over and took Fang Mingxi into his arms. “Xixi, you can’t favor one over the other.”

Fang Mingxi gathered strength in her throat, sinking her breath into her stomach, and called out one clear word:

“Dad~”

The moment the word left her mouth, she was shocked. Even Tong Lingxian and Fang Bo Song froze.

Tong Lingxian quickly asked, “Xixi, what did you just say? Did you call Dad?”

Fang Bo Song’s hand holding Fang Mingxi trembled. He stared at her in disbelief.

Fang Mingxi tried again, channeling the same feeling as before, sinking her breath into her stomach. “Mo…mo…ma…Mom, Mommy.”

It wasn’t an illusion. It wasn’t a mistake. Xixi could now call Mom and Dad.

Tong Lingxian’s eyes reddened. “Xiao Jing… Ruoruo… Xixi can call Mom and Dad now.”

Xiao Jing? Ruoruo? Fang Mingxi perked up her ears.

Fang Bo Song fell silent. “Xiao Jing and Ruoruo have been missing for so long… we don’t even know the situation.”

Tong Lingxian asked, “Bo Song, do you think they might…”

“Impossible.” Fang Bo Song interrupted immediately. “Lingxian, Xiao Jing and Ruoruo are not ordinary people. They hold key positions in the army. If anything had happened, the others would have made sure we knew.”

“No news is the best news. All we have to do is wait quietly. Coming here has at least temporarily kept us out of their reach; otherwise, the two of us would only become targets.”

He lowered his gaze toward Fang Mingxi, who was staring at him intently, and gently stroked her head. “Xixi is still so small. She couldn’t withstand their methods. If something went wrong… if she were hurt, like catching a high fever again, we couldn’t bear it.”

He and his wife had both been underground operatives. They knew the twists and turns of this world. If their son and daughter-in-law suddenly disappeared, there was an 80% chance they were on a special mission.

If they returned safely, but Xixi were harmed, Fang Bo Song couldn’t even imagine the consequences.

Tong Lingxian lowered her gaze and gave a bitter smile. “Those wretched people, attacking us is one thing, but even targeting a baby? Our in-laws probably can’t protect themselves either. I just hope they’re not in the same situation as us.”

In-laws!

Grandma and Grandpa, could they also be in danger?

Fang Mingxi urgently looked at Tong Lingxian. Grandma, what’s going on at home? Finish your sentence. Don’t leave me hanging.

She cooed twice, trying to catch their attention. But the two of them tacitly ended the conversation, finished their simple washing, and took Fang Mingxi to bed.

Fang Mingxi didn’t really want to sleep, but she couldn’t resist the needs of a baby. Once the kerosene lamp was out, her eyelids drooped, and she fell asleep.

…

The next morning, Fang Mingxi woke to bright daylight. The bed beside her had long gone cold. Grandpa and Grandma had left without her noticing.

At the foot of the bed sat the little girl from yesterday. After spending the night together, Fang Mingxi now knew her name:

Tang Yao.

Tang Yao sat quietly, weaving a grass rope. But today, the rope had taken shape. Upon closer inspection, Fang Mingxi realized she was making a pair of straw shoes.

Fang Mingxi was instantly impressed. A six-year-old girl could weave straw shoes at six, she herself was still playing in the mud.

Without disturbing Tang Yao, Fang Mingxi reopened her interface.

Last night’s events had given her a sense of urgency. The sacrifice in the vision was confirmed to be her parents. Both were soldiers, she just didn’t know which one.

Combined with the information Grandpa and Grandma had given last night, there was a hidden enemy targeting the Fang family. They had attacked while her parents were away, even aiming at her, the little infant.

To temporarily escape the crisis, Grandpa and Grandma had chosen to come here. But no calculation had predicted that the real Fang Mingxi would die, and she, transported from the 21st century, would take her place.

Moreover, Grandma and Grandpa might face the same danger, but they had yet to be relocated.

The surrounding threat was suffocating. Fang Mingxi felt the weight of it all.

She couldn’t pretend it didn’t concern her. Since she had taken over someone else’s body, she had to shoulder the responsibilities that came with it.

According to the vision, one of her parents would sacrifice themselves when she was around two or three years old. That meant at least two more years, a window, perhaps enough time to act.

Right now, the Mountain-Harvest Trading Game was her only lifeline. She needed to understand its rules thoroughly.

She activated the interface, it still displayed yesterday’s screen.

Fang Mingxi gritted her teeth and pressed “Explore,” holding her breath for the next scene.

One minute passed. Two minutes. Five minutes. Nothing changed.

Hmm?

Fang Mingxi poked at the interface. What’s going on? Why isn’t it moving?

She studied it again and finally saw a few lines at the bottom:

[Please select a deployment location.]

[Maple Leaf Mountain]

[Note: Only one choice is allowed per day. Once chosen, it cannot be changed.]

Deployment location!?

Fang Mingxi’s breath quickened. Deployment? Could the game be deployed in the real world?

Suppressing her excitement, she selected a location.

[Host has selected Maple Leaf Mountain. Deployment location confirmed. The forest is being deployed.]

[Deployment complete. Host, please explore the forest as soon as possible. Timing starts the moment the host enters Maple Leaf Mountain.]

Success!

The in-game forest had been deployed at Maple Leaf Mountain—both real and virtual merged. Fang Mingxi just had to explore it herself.

She raised her arms in triumph, itching to jump up and down.

Mountain-Harvest Trading Game, I love you.

This system was surprisingly user-friendly. Exploring in reality was much easier than conjuring items out of thin air.

But there was one problem, how could she go out with her tiny arms and legs?

Fang Mingxi looked at Tang Yao again. Maybe… she could take her outside?