Chapter 17: The Useless Space

Under Jiang Dai’s nervous gaze,
the physician frowned slightly and let out a puzzled “Hmm,” saying nothing more.

The hearts of the onlookers sank.
Jiang Dai’s heart sank even deeper.

【I’m not afraid of anything else, but when an old traditional doctor frowns and stays silent, it’s never good. Could Er Mao really be dying?】
【No, no, I’m a transmigrator. Since I’ve crossed over, my family shouldn’t be in danger—that’s how it usually works.】

“How… how is my Er Mao?” Jiang Dai asked, her voice trembling. This time, it wasn’t an act—she was genuinely scared.

Juanjuan took a few steps forward and held her mother’s hand.
“Mother, Brother will be fine.”

She didn’t dare say she could hear Third Brother’s whispers, but she truly wanted to comfort her mother at that moment.
Third Brother would be alright.

Compared to Eldest Brother and Second Brother, Juanjuan instinctively felt closer to her mother.

Jiang Dai gripped her youngest daughter’s hand tightly. She didn’t have deep feelings for this third son,
but he was still a human life. How could she stand by indifferently and watch a child die? That wouldn’t be worthy of a 21st-century Chinese person!

“His pulse is weak, but there’s something strange about it. I can’t quite put my finger on it,” the physician said.

“Will he die?” Jiang Dai asked the most critical question.

The physician shook his head. “He won’t die, but this pulse…”

Jiang Dai breathed a sigh of relief. As long as he wouldn’t die, it was fine.

Wang Xi, Hua Ni’er’s father, spoke up, “How much silver will it take, at minimum, to cure him?”

Since Er Mao wouldn’t die, they needed to resolve this with the least amount of silver.

Although the last two years had seen favorable weather and lighter taxes, and every household could save a little silver if they worked hard and had good harvests,
that didn’t mean they were willing to give their silver to the Bai Family scoundrels.

Who wouldn’t want more silver? The more, the better.

“According to the prescription, it’ll take about two taels of silver for the medicine until he recovers. And during this time, he’ll need proper nutrition and nourishing food,” the physician said truthfully.

The Village Head immediately decided, “Then three taels of silver should settle this. Wang Xi, Bai Tian, what do you think?”

Wang Xi was still unwilling.

Bai Tian said, “No, he’ll cover the medicine costs. Our Er Mao must recover fully, and the nourishments can’t be lacking either!”

Wang Xi roared, “Three taels of silver! Take it or leave it!”

Did they think they could extort his family? If Er Mao never got better, would he have to keep spending silver forever?

Just as Jiang Dai was about to say something, she felt a hand tugging at her sleeve.

Thinking it was Juanjuan, she instinctively said, “Juanjuan, wait a moment.”

“Mother, it wasn’t me.”

Juanjuan’s childish voice came through. Jiang Dai looked down at the hand gripping her sleeve. “It’s Third Brother.”

“Er Mao!”

Jiang Dai looked at the little boy who had weakly opened his eyes, feeling nothing but pity for him.

“It’s alright, Mother is here!”

“Mother… *cough cough*…”

Er Mao shakily reached out his hand, looking quite well-behaved as he said, “I… *cough*… I’m fine.”

But the way he looked was anything but fine.

“Three taels of silver, not a coin more! Three taels…”

Wang Xi grew angrier as he spoke, twisting Hua Ni’er’s ear and dragging her away.

“Dad, it hurts!”

“Mom… waaah!”

Hua Ni’er was scared into crying. On top of that, she knew her family had to pay three taels of silver because of her, and the guilt and fear overwhelmed her.

In contrast to Hua Ni’er’s tearful departure, the Bai Family was different.

“Come, Dad will carry you home.”

Bai Tian crouched down and carefully lifted Er Mao onto his back.

“Village Head, could I trouble you to help collect the silver?”

The kind and amiable Village Head nodded.

That rascal Bai Tian had really turned over a new leaf. Good for him!

One less troublemaker in the village!

The Village Head was about to smile contentedly when he heard Bai Tian grit his teeth and say:

“Otherwise, I’m afraid if I go myself, I might not be able to stop myself from beating them to death.”

The Village Head’s smile died before it could even form.

…

Under the bright sun, the Bai Family made their way home.

Bai Tian carried the blood-spitting Er Mao on his back.

Jiang Dai held the hand of her well-behaved, thoughtful little daughter.

Behind them followed Goudan and Da Mao.

The family walked slowly home.

Juanjuan couldn’t help but look around, and a wave of sadness suddenly washed over her.

A scene like this—the whole family walking quietly together—had never appeared in her memories before.

This was the first time.

But it was no longer the same parents and brothers as before.

Juanjuan tightened her grip on her mother’s hand and looked up carefully at her.

She looked the same, but selfishly, Juanjuan preferred this version of her mother.

Juanjuan felt she wasn’t a good child.

Her original parents and brothers might already be dead, yet she wasn’t sad—instead, she liked her current parents and brothers.

She didn’t know if this was right or wrong. It seemed both right and wrong at the same time.

“Juanjuan.”

A soft, gentle voice called out.

Juanjuan snapped out of her thoughts and saw her mother had stopped walking, looking at her tenderly.

Juanjuan watched as her mother raised her hand, her fair and slender index finger gently touching Juanjuan’s forehead.

“Juanjuan, you can tell Mother anything that’s on your mind.”

Jiang Dai looked at the little girl in front of her.

She was small, well-behaved, and capable, with beautiful eyes that resembled a puppy’s—innocent and round.

But for some reason, they always seemed moist, carrying a trace of inescapable sorrow. Despite her young age, she already possessed a maturity beyond her years.

Jiang Dai didn’t overthink it. She bent down and picked the little girl up.

Perhaps it was out of pity.

“Come, Mother will carry our Juanjuan.”

Jiang Dai lifted Juanjuan but didn’t forget the two step-sons behind her.

“Do you two want a carry too?” Jiang Dai asked.

The eldest son spoke up, “No.”

The second son shook his head, politely declining.

At first, Juanjuan felt a little uncomfortable being held.

But gradually, she relaxed her body, cautiously wrapped her arms around her mother’s neck, and finally settled into a comfortable position nestled against her mother’s neck.

The child lay quietly, listening to the birds chirping, the sound of her parents walking, and… the sound of her family whispering.

Eldest Brother: 【As if I’d want Mother to carry me? Just the thought gives me goosebumps.】
【Me, a thousand-year-old cultivator, wanting to be carried? Hilarious!】

Second Brother: 【Mom and Dad really are different from how I remember.】

Third Brother: 【System! Check Favourability!】
【-22, tch, not bad! Even negative numbers can unlock the space, though it only gives one piece of compressed biscuit or two raw sweet potatoes.】
【When we get home, I’ll secretly toss the sweet potatoes into the yard so Mom and Dad can roast them.】

Juanjuan listened and couldn’t help but glance at Third Brother, who was pretending to be unconscious.

She couldn’t help but think…

The most mysterious one in the family seemed to be Third Brother.

Everything he said was beyond her understanding, but it sounded impressive.

So when she saw her mother happily running over holding two things,
muttering, “Juanjuan, light a fire! Let’s roast sweet potatoes!”

Juanjuan was somewhat prepared.

The little girl stood on her tiptoes, looking at the two oddly shaped long objects in her mother’s hands.

“Is this… sweet potato?”

Jiang Dai: “Huh? You didn’t know?”

Juanjuan looked up, bewildered, as if to say, “Should I have known?”

But Jiang Dai was overjoyed.

【Juanjuan doesn’t know about sweet potatoes? Does that mean people here don’t know sweet potatoes are edible?】