Shen Moxi's mouth fell open in an O of astonishment at the luminous pearl that had suddenly appeared.
"Y-you... you have a space?" Shen Moxi pointed at Song Qi in surprise.
Song Qi raised an eyebrow at her. "You even know about spaces?"
"Of course! I've seen them on TV and read about them in novels, so I know about them. I heard spaces are really magical. Not only can they hold lots of things, some even have spirit springs and spirit pets, and you can grow medicinal herbs, spirit fruits, spirit trees, and things like that. People can even go inside!" Shen Moxi spoke animatedly.
"Heh, you certainly know quite a bit. That's right. Mine is a soul space, bound directly to my soul, so it came along with me when I arrived here." Song Qi smiled and nodded.
"That's incredible. I finally get to see a real space. Amazing!" Shen Moxi gave him a thumbs-up with a smile.
Remembering her own Xiao Tao, Shen Moxi frowned. "I brought a system with me too, but it's a trading system. I need things to trade for money before I can exchange it for things inside. It's such a headache."
Song Qi looked at her in puzzlement. "A trading system? What is that?"
"It's a shopping platform, like the auction houses where you come from. You put valuable items inside, and the system appraises them. Then the proceeds from the auction are deposited into your system account, and you can buy things you need from what's available inside. It has everything-food, clothes, housing, transportation. You can also consign other things for sale, such as the natural, pollution-free seafood and vegetables we happen to have in this era." Shen Moxi gave him a rough explanation.
"Oh, I see. That's quite magical and convenient." Song Qi understood, then looked at her again. "Judging by this house, this family probably isn't very well-off, is it?"
"Right. In this era, the eighties, things are only just starting to take off, so there are lots and lots of poor people. But there are even more business opportunities. So if the two of us work hard, we won't have to worry about not making money. Our lives will definitely keep getting better." Shen Moxi patted her chest confidently.
"Take this. Didn't you say yours could auction things? Auction this luminous pearl and see how much money from this place you can get, then buy some daily necessities." Song Qi handed her the luminous pearl.
"Huh? Auction it?" Shen Moxi's eyes widened, then she shook her head hard and pushed it back into his hand. "No, no, keep it. This is an antique here. In a few decades, it'll be worth a fortune."
"Little girl, I have plenty of valuable treasures, and quite a few more luminous pearls too. Don't worry. The most important thing right now is to get ourselves living comfortably first, isn't it?" Song Qi smiled and handed it back.
"Really? Since you have plenty more, I can stop worrying. All right, once we've got the auction money and you're better, we'll go out and have a look around, and find a business that makes money." Shen Moxi stroked the luminous pearl and looked at him with a cheerful smile.
She called to Xiao Tao in her mind. Xiao Tao, hurry up and come out. I've brought you something good. A huge surprise!
"Master, what good thing have you got?" Xiao Tao's mechanical voice rang out.
"I got a luminous pearl. How much could it sell for in the system auction?" Shen Moxi said excitedly.
"What?! A luminous pearl? How could there be a luminous pearl in this era? Master, are you pulling my leg?" Xiao Tao shrieked in disbelief.
"Oh, keep it down. Why would I lie to you? I'll put the luminous pearl in the auction cabinet, and you can identify it yourself." Shen Moxi inwardly rolled her eyes. Hmph, there's another earth-shattering secret you don't know about. This is a huge bug. Haha, I love it so much.
The luminous pearl in Shen Moxi's hand vanished instantly, then appeared in the auction cabinet. "All right, hurry up and identify it, then put it up for auction. Remember to get me a higher price. I need the proceeds to start a business."
Song Qi was startled for a moment when he saw the luminous pearl suddenly disappear from Shen Moxi's hand. It seemed this trading system was quite powerful too. With it, at least they wouldn't have to worry about food and drink for now. Since he had come here and couldn't go back, he would slowly adapt to the living environment here.
Shen Moxi came back to her senses and saw Song Qi staring into space. She waved a hand in front of his eyes. "What are you spacing out about?"
Song Qi snapped out of it and smiled. "I was just thinking how impressive your trading system is. We don't have abilities like that where I come from."
"Of course. It's one of a kind." Shen Moxi scratched her head and looked at him. "Since you have a space, are there any precious spirit fruits, spirit springs, medicinal herbs, or things like that inside? Wouldn't you get better if you had some?"
"Yes. I'll tend to my condition in a bit. I should recover by tomorrow. I'm a little weak now because my soul hasn't completely integrated with this body yet." Song Qi nodded.
"Okay, then. Get some rest and take care of yourself first. Once you're better tomorrow, I'll take you out for a look around so you can learn about this era. I've never seen it either, and I'm really curious about what this era is like." Shen Moxi nodded.
Just then, there was a knock at the door, and Huang Yushan called from outside, "Moxi, the food's ready."
With that, the door was pushed open, and Huang Yushan walked in carrying a wooden tray holding two large bowls of chicken soup, two large steamed white-flour buns, and a small plate of pickled vegetables.
"Aunt Shan, let me." Shen Moxi immediately scrambled off the kang, went over to take the tray, and set it on the little tea table beside the head of the kang. "Aunt Shan, this chicken soup smells so good."
"Then have plenty. Both of you need to build up your strength. There's more in the pot. Once you finish, I'll ladle you another bowl." After saying this with a smile, Huang Yushan glanced at Song Qi and sighed inwardly. "Go ahead and eat. Your uncle and I will be right outside. Just call us if you need anything."
"Okay, Aunt Shan. Go and eat. We can manage on our own." Shen Moxi nodded.
Once Huang Yushan had gone out and closed the door, Shen Moxi looked at Song Qi and scratched her head worriedly. "You still can't get down. How about I move this little table onto the kang so we can eat?"
Song Qi looked and could only nod. "All right. We'll make do for now. I'll be fine tomorrow."
Shen Moxi helped Song Qi sit up and propped a pillow behind his back. She pulled off the quilt covering him, folded it, and put it in the corner, then found a large sheet of newspaper to spread in the middle of the kang before moving the little tea table onto it.
"Whew, done. Let's eat. I've been hungry for ages." Shen Moxi handed Song Qi a pair of chopsticks, broke off half a steamed bun, and began wolfing down her food.
"Mmm, delicious. It's been stewed until the flavor's soaked right in. These pickles are good too-crunchy and refreshing. They really go well with the meal." Shen Moxi praised the food as she ate.
Song Qi, meanwhile, ate slowly and gracefully, as though he were enjoying some exquisite, lavish feast. He was a pleasure to watch.
As she watched him, Shen Moxi couldn't help slowing down too, inwardly scorning herself. You really are a reincarnated hungry ghost. Why are you eating so fast? You've thrown away all your dignity in front of a handsome guy.
"Tasty, right?" Shen Moxi looked up and asked with a grin.
"Yes, quite good." Song Qi nodded. "It tastes like family. I haven't had that in hundreds of years."
Shen Moxi: ...