Chapter 34: The Second Novice Chest

She handed the money she had set aside to the Chu woman, who looked at her with gentle eyes before taking the cash and leaving the courtyard.

Li Pinghua sat in the yard, happily counting the money over and over. When she noticed Liang Yunqing preparing to go out to look for Liang Youcai, she didn't even bother to finish counting and immediately insisted on tagging along.

"Yunqing, I'll go with you."

"Aunt, I'd better go alone. He'll just feel awkward if there are too many people around."

Liang Yunqing had no intention of letting Li Pinghua come along. If her aunt said something tactless, all the effort she had spent persuading him earlier would be wasted.

"Alright then."

Li Pinghua smacked her lips. Though she was worried about her son, she chose to trust her niece. Lately, she had developed a subconscious habit of deferring to Liang Yunqing’s lead.

Liang Yunqing stepped out of the courtyard. It was dark, though not late; every household had their oil lamps lit, and villagers sat chatting by their front gates. She circled the small paths but saw no sign of Liang Youcai.

[Host, aren't you going to open your primary treasure chest first?]

Oh, for heaven’s sake!

Liang Yunqing stopped in her tracks and slapped her forehead. How could she have forgotten about that?

Open it! Open it now! She had been waiting a whole month for this chest.

[Understood. Congratulations, Host, for completing the task. Opening the primary treasure chest now.]

[Chest opening: 17%... 64%... 99%...]

What a useless sense of ceremony, Liang Yunqing couldn't help but complain.

[Primary treasure chest successfully opened. Congratulations, Host, you have obtained the Object Identifier (can be used once every three days; scan fixed objects to survey their properties and internal structure. Success rate: 99.99%).]

What on earth is this?

Liang Yunqing, on the verge of a breakdown, crouched on the ground. She felt she needed to educate this damn system on what a "golden finger" actually was.

"007, you really don't live up to your code name! Do you even know what a golden finger is?"

[Is the host dissatisfied with this treasure chest?]

"Are you satisfied? If you like it so much, I'll give it to you! Can you let me open a different one instead?"

[Although the Object Identifier has a cooldown, it is actually quite powerful.]

"A golden finger! Do you know what a golden finger is!" Liang Yunqing shouted in her mind, nearing a mental collapse. "A golden finger means being able to see what others are thinking, knowing their affinity levels, or at the very least, giving me some special skills—medicine, martial arts, or Taoist arts would be fine! Are you really just going to rely on me to farm every single day?"

[Host... this is a farming genre novel.]

"Damn it, didn't you say the plot had already collapsed?"

[Does the host mean to say she does not wish to maintain the tone of a farming novel?]

Liang Yunqing clutched her head. She racked her brains, wondering when she had ever said she wanted farming to be the central theme.

[Then I shall apply to the main system. Please wait, Host.]

Hm? Is there hope?

Liang Yunqing immediately stood at attention, watching the system leave with eager, fawning anticipation. If she could break free from the farming plot, she could use the system to start a new life—picking up the male lead with one hand and embracing beauties with the other!

Hehehe...

Less than three minutes into her daydream, a familiar voice echoed in her mind.

[Host, I am sorry.]

Liang Yunqing’s heart went cold upon hearing this. Though disappointed, she accepted it; illusions were, after all, just illusions.

"It's fine. My expectations for you weren't high to begin with."

Having said that, she lifted her foot to continue searching for Liang Youcai, but the moment she took a step, she heard the system’s trembling voice.

[Host, when I said 'sorry,' I meant... after I submitted the application to the main system, the Host was judged to be passively resisting the plot and must be, must be...]

"What? I haven't been passive! Must be what?" Liang Yunqing was confused. Why was the system stammering?

[Hehe... must be punished with an electric shock.]

Before she could even react, a powerful surge of electricity swept through her body from the top of her head.

"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!"

She stood rooted to the spot, twitching uncontrollably, her left hand forming a six and her right hand a seven. She contorted her body into various positions until the last spark of current faded through her chest. Only then did she collapse to the ground.

Thankfully it was dark. She was scorched yellow by the shock; it would have been hard to explain if anyone had seen her.

Smoothing out her frizzy hair, Liang Yunqing truly understood the meaning of "nothing is more painful than a dead heart." She couldn't rely on this cursed system.

[Host, I am sorry.]

"It's fine. Having you is my bad luck."

Liang Yunqing rubbed her numb legs and pulled herself up. She straightened her clothes and wiped her face with her sleeve before continuing on her way. She shouldn't have asked that question. Not only did she lack the power to change the plot, but she also had to endure an electric shock. She still couldn't fathom what this "plot collapse" had to do with her, or why she was the one chosen to be here.

Forget it.

Her brain felt a bit fuzzy after the shock, but she had to find him.

"Liang Youcai! Liang Youcai!"

She followed the path to a more secluded part of the village, calling his name repeatedly.

Soon, she spotted a familiar figure by the pond. Liang Youcai stood there woodenly, not turning around even when he heard her call. Liang Yunqing walked over, took one look at his bruised and swollen face, and asked curiously, "Scholar Liang, are you here to admire the fish?"

Hearing her voice, a flicker of fear crossed his eyes, followed by endless confusion and sorrow. After a long silence, he spoke: "I always thought I was doing the right thing."

Liang Yunqing nodded, saying nothing, simply watching him quietly.

Liang Youcai stared darkly at the pond. He had been thinking a lot—of his mother, his father, his dilapidated home, and his grandmother. Before he was beaten, he truly believed he had done nothing wrong, living happily every day, drinking and making merry with his peers. Even today’s bullying and humiliation of Liang Mingxue seemed like a trivial matter to him; after all, his own parents had always behaved that way.

But hearing Liang Yunqing’s words today, he felt as if something had torn his mind apart. A multitude of alien thoughts made him feel fractured.

Is living this way truly right?

Standing by the pond, recalling a thousand memories, he felt a deep sense of agitation—a feeling of being awake, yet not quite fully so.

Liang Youcai finally tore his eyes away from the pond and looked at Liang Yunqing. His gaze was filled with questions and bewilderment. He even wanted her to slap him a few more times, to shake him awake completely.

But Liang Yunqing only looked at him quietly, her expression resilient and fearless. A breeze rippled the pond, blowing through her dry, messy hair.

"Every metamorphosis is painful," she said softly. "Changing deep-seated thoughts is incredibly difficult. Your parents can no longer do it. Your younger brother needs the guidance of an elder, and that elder is not me—it is you."

Ignoring his shocked expression, she continued, "Your current confusion and shock are merely the collision of two different ideologies. As for what kind of person you will become, that is ultimately for you to decide. Becoming a perfect person is not easy, but the true worth of a gentleman lies in his actions, not his intentions. It is not hard to be a good person."