Chapter 26: Departure, Hongqi Town

Before unlocking the system panel, Fang Mingxi had thought the trading system merely sold the items she dug up to the system itself. She never expected such a sudden and delightful surprise.

Her mind buzzing, Fang Mingxi couldn’t even think about sleeping, every time she closed her eyes, a smile threatened to escape.

Unable to sleep, she simply kept her eyes open and waited for morning.

By six a.m., Fang Mingxi pretended to be asleep before her grandparents even woke up.

Fang Bo Song and Tong Lingxian, having finished washing up, had intended to wake her. But no matter how they nudged and shook her, she didn’t stir.

Fang Mingxi mumbled in her sleep, still sound asleep, so they reluctantly gave up and instead tucked her in, letting her rest a little longer.

Tang Yao, who had rushed over excitedly to find Fang Mingxi, also looked disappointed. She had been planning to head up the mountain early today, yet Xixi was still asleep.

There was nothing they could do but wait for Fang Mingxi to wake.

The adults weren’t working today and had already planned an early trip to the mountain to chop firewood. With Fang Mingxi still asleep, only Tang Yao remained at home to keep watch.

With nothing else to do, Tang Yao dragged some straw into the house, sat on the bed, and began weaving straw sandals while waiting. But after a while, she yawned a few times and, leaning against the bed, dozed off.

Once the room fell silent, Fang Mingxi quietly opened one eye. Seeing Tang Yao sitting at the foot of the bed, she swiftly opened the system panel.

She clicked on the cart and returned to the body she had created yesterday. After confirming everything was correct, she opened the map within the bubble.

The red dot on the map lit up, and in the next instant, Fang Mingxi disappeared from the room.

“Grandma, where are we going? I want candy!”

He Lei, holding Liu Xiuhua’s hand, walked curiously beside her through the streets of Hongqi Town.

The sun was fully up now. Shadows of people moved along the streets, some heading to work, some stopping to eat, and every household wafted the aroma of cooking.

He Lei yawned as they passed the entrance of the state-run restaurant. The smell of freshly steamed buns made his stomach rumble uncontrollably.

“Grandma, I’m hungry.”

Liu Xiuhua, carrying He Xi on her back, stopped when she heard this.

She glanced at the state-run restaurant. Outside, steam rose from baskets of hot buns. Then she looked at the three who had walked with her for two hours straight.

The three siblings looked at her pitifully, rubbing their bellies. They had left home before four, walked two hours along the road from Maple Leaf Brigade to Hongqi Commune, and then from Hongqi Commune to Hongqi Town. They were truly exhausted.

Liu Xiuhua laughed and pulled out a few bills, leading them into the restaurant.

“Come on, Grandma will get you some buns.”

He Lei and He Tian immediately raised their hands in cheer. “Grandma’s the best!”

Even He Xi smiled. “Big meat buns, big meat buns! Grandma, I want a big meat bun.”

Inside the state-run restaurant, at a large window, a few people held ceramic bowls in line, each with a meal ticket, waiting their turn.

The staff inside busily collected money and handed out buns, their feet barely touching the ground.

The aroma of the meat buns filled the restaurant, making the four line-standers swallow hard.

Unable to resist, He Tian and He Lei looked around hungrily, sniffing the air, trying to savor the scent first.

They spotted an old man at a nearby table eating buns. Hot juices dripped as he bit into them, revealing green onions and minced meat.

The more they watched, the more saliva pooled in their mouths.

The old man noticed their longing stares and quickly shielded his bowl, finishing his buns as fast as he could.

Feeling ignored, the two quietly looked back at Liu Xiuhua.

She saw their expressions and affectionately ruffled their hair. When it was her turn, she returned the prepared meat ticket and instead handed over a pound of meat tickets along with six mao in cash.

“Comrade, please give me twenty meat buns. Here’s six yuan and a pound of meat tickets.”

“Grandma!” The three siblings were stunned, Grandma was buying twenty buns!

He Xi, still too young to understand numbers, didn’t react much, but He Lei and He Tian, who could, tugged at Liu Xiuhua’s sleeve. “Grandma, isn’t that too many?”

Liu Xiuhua waved it off. “What’s too many? We like meat buns, so we buy them. It’s not like we get them often, once in a while is fine.”

Besides, they would soon be selling ginseng. If the sale went well, they could make several hundred yuan. This little expense was nothing.

The staff quickly took the money and packed the steaming buns into paper bags.

Carrying three paper bags, Liu Xiuhua deliberately led the kids to sit near the old man. She opened the bags and handed each child a big meat bun.

“Here, eat. We’re not watching others eat.”

The old man: “….”

He Tian and He Lei, thrilled, held their buns and devoured them without waiting for the steam to dissipate.

“Thank you, Grandma,” they mumbled, their mouths full.

The buns were enormous, almost the size of their palms, packed with meat.

The restaurant’s chef was skilled; the meat filling, though lean, was incredibly satisfying. In just a few bites, the boys had devoured more than half their buns.

He Xi, however, ate delicately, nibbling slowly. Seeing Liu Xiuhua hadn’t taken a bite, she offered her own bun.

“Grandma, you eat.”

Liu Xiuhua turned her head and pushed it back. “I’m not eating. Xi Xi, you eat first. There’s more here after you finish.”

He Xi shook her head, pressing the bun toward Liu Xiuhua again. “Grandma, you eat. If you don’t, Xi Xi won’t either.”

The two boys swallowed and offered their remaining buns as well.

“Yes, Grandma, you eat too. We all eat together.”

Seeing her grandchildren’s thoughtfulness, Liu Xiuhua felt a warm glow in her heart. She bit a small piece from one of the buns and then encouraged them to eat quickly.

Seeing them still hesitate, she sighed. “Fine, Grandma will eat with you.” She broke a bun in half and took a large bite. “See? If Grandma eats, you all eat too. And there’s plenty more here if you want.”

Reassured, the three siblings continued eating happily.

They were so absorbed, they didn’t notice a girl with two braids passing by the window outside.

She didn’t stop, heading straight into the alley beside the state-run restaurant, then quickly turning into the innermost path.