On the Matter of Finding a Wife

Su Ke emerged from Fengze Residential Park and headed straight for his family's small supermarket. For some reason, he was in a great mood, a faint smile lingering on his face.

"Mom, Dad, I'm home!" Su Ke pushed the door open and saw his parents busy at the checkout counter. He greeted them and ducked into the storage room in the back.

Now, he finally had the chance to claim his rewards. On his way home, Su Ke had checked the electronic screen within the Flower Picking System. The task to help Wei Lan out of her predicament had been completed, and there was even an additional completed task.

"Task: Help Wei Lan out of her predicament (Completed); Reward: Piano Mastery (Beginner)."

"Task: Escort Wei Lan home safely (Completed); Reward: 200 RMB."

"Please claim!"

Although he didn't know when the second task had appeared or been completed, it didn't matter. After Su Ke chose to claim them, a white light appeared in the space before him. Immediately, a stream of information surged into his mind; music theory, fingering techniques, and more took root in his deep consciousness. A warm current even suddenly flooded his hands.

His ten fingers felt as comfortable as if they were soaking in milk. Subconsciously, his fingers began to move with incredible agility. Looking down, Su Ke even had the illusion that his fingers had become much more slender.

"I never realized my fingers looked so good!" Su Ke examined his hands, turning them over and over. In an instant, he pinched his right index and middle fingers together, and two hundred-yuan bills suddenly appeared. After checking them with the store's money counter, he confirmed the reward money was perfectly legitimate. He could spend it without worry and keep it without fear.

However, Su Ke felt a pang of concern. He couldn't explain the source of this money from the Flower Picking System to his parents, yet he wanted them to know he could earn money to lighten their burden. If only he had a legitimate excuse!

If he were to tutor, he felt his current level was decent, especially with his two heavy-hitting skills: High School Math Mastery (Beginner) and High School Science Mastery (Beginner). But if he were to mislead others, the consequences would be dire.

What kind of part-time job could he do? He considered working as a promoter at a supermarket, but his schedule didn't align with the store's peak hours. After thinking for a while without a clue, he shook his head and walked out of the storage room.

His family's small supermarket wasn't large, but it carried a wide variety of goods. As he stepped out, he saw a child's electronic keyboard on a shelf nearby. It had been sitting there for a long time, unsold.

Usually, Su Ke wouldn't have noticed it, but for some reason today, as if by natural instinct, he walked straight over. Although it was just a toy keyboard, Su Ke flipped the switch and pressed his fingers onto the keys, which immediately emitted a sound.

He clenched his fists, let his fingers flutter naturally for a moment, and then a melody flowed from Su Ke's hands. Even though he didn't know the name of the piece, the tune was beautiful.

"Oh, Su Ke, since when did you know how to play the piano?" Zhang Xue looked up, watching as Su Ke played with his eyes closed, his fingers dancing across the keyboard to produce the music.

"My teacher taught me!" Su Ke stopped. He couldn't very well say he'd had a supernatural encounter. Just then, a woman walked in, saying, "I was wondering who was playing the piano. It's Su Ke! That sounds quite nice!"

Liu Mengmeng was still wearing her mobile service center uniform. When Su Ke saw her, his face flushed bright red, and the image of that black lace immediately flashed through his mind.

"Hello, Sister Liu!" He greeted her in a low voice, then quickly placed the keyboard back on the shelf, looking like a startled rabbit.

Liu Mengmeng didn't find his reaction strange at all, nor was she aware of her own wardrobe malfunction. After all, Su Ke was prone to blushing; how could such a shy boy be capable of anything untoward?

"This kid blushes every time he speaks. I don't know how he'll ever find a wife!" Su Youfu said with a laugh from the side. Although Su Ke had always been shy and introverted, parents always cherish their own children, and it didn't affect their love for him.

"Haha, your Su Ke is handsome and refined; why worry about him finding a wife? I'm sure there are plenty of girls at school chasing after him! Right, Su Ke?" Liu Mengmeng said with a smile as she picked out some vegetables from the shelf.

Su Ke couldn't handle such a scene. He stood there, red-faced, and eventually had to resort to his escape tactic: grabbing his schoolbag and fleeing in a panic.

Back home, the first thing he did was turn on the computer and log into the No. 17 High School forum. He didn't know which moderator was so annoying, but they had actually pinned the post about the "Campus Pervert." In just one day, the reply count had exceeded three hundred.

As he read through the replies one by one, Su Ke's back broke out in a cold sweat. Some people were even pinning old grudges on him. One person claimed they had been groped by the pervert last year, another swore they saw a boy touching a girl's bottom, and others were cursing the pervert with everything from rotting hands to permanent impotence. It was truly sinister and malicious.

Fortunately, the original poster hadn't spoken again. Su Ke tried to comfort himself by thinking the matter would likely blow over. After reading the thread, he had no desire to surf the web anymore.

Sitting in his chair, Su Ke muttered to himself, "I have High School Math Mastery (Beginner), High School Science Mastery (Beginner), Military Boxing Mastery, Piano Mastery (Beginner), and 500 yuan in reward money!"

If he could just improve his English and Chinese grades, the college entrance exam wouldn't be so terrifying! But what about this money? Suddenly, a vague impression flashed through his mind, as if it might solve his employment problem.

Su Ke turned off the computer, deciding to study Chinese and English first. Since the system's rewards were unpredictable, he didn't know when he might get a reward in those subjects. It was better to rely on himself.

Su Youfu and Zhang Xue walked to their front door, dragging their exhausted bodies. Before entering, they changed their expressions as if wearing masks; the weariness on their faces was instantly replaced by smiles. They didn't want their child to see their hardship, as it would only put psychological pressure on Su Ke.

"Su Ke, tell me, are there any girls at school chasing after you?" Su Youfu, still remembering Liu Mengmeng's words, asked with a chuckle as he saw Su Ke looking miserable while holding an English textbook.

"Dad!" Su Ke put down his book and sighed helplessly at his father's gossiping expression. Even Zhang Xue chimed in, "That's right, my Su Ke is so handsome, he must be popular with the girls!"

For some reason, two figures suddenly popped into Su Ke's mind: the clawing, screeching Li Feifei and the gentle, lovely Wei Lan.

He shuddered. Thinking about how he had touched Li Feifei's bottom again, she must hate him to the core by now—she probably wouldn't be satisfied even if she skinned him alive!

Wei Lan was much better.

Su Ke thought to himself.