Putting distant relatives in their place [loose tongues]

Hearing Chi Qing say that, the old couple cheered up a little again. That was right. They had money now; they could make a life of it either way.

That night, Chi Qing slept in the west bedroom. Listening to her parents whispering in their room to the east, occasionally punctuated by her mother's deliberately stifled laughter, she slowly drifted off to sleep.

Early the next morning, Chi Qing was woken by someone calling out to sell tofu outside. Peddlers like this often came through the countryside, driving electric three-wheelers and selling all sorts of goods over loudspeakers.

Chi Qing's first reaction on waking was to grab her phone and check her balance. Sure enough, 400,000 had arrived at midnight last night, and the system notification sounded in her mind right on cue. Thoroughly reassured, she listened to her mother happily humming as she cooked in the kitchen. It felt as though a brilliant firework had blossomed in her heart, that happiness and peace of mind impossible to suppress.

"Why didn't you sleep a little longer?" Yue Meifen asked when she saw Chi Qing come out of her room. "I couldn't sleep anymore, and I didn't want to," Chi Qing said. "Mom, I transferred another 40,000 to Dad's account." Seeing Yue Meifen about to say something, Chi Qing immediately added, "Mom, I'm just worried I'll spend it recklessly."

Chi Qing had decided that morning to transfer more money to her parents. After all, although the system should be stable, what if it froze someday? So she should still transfer some money to her parents from time to time. If the system ever malfunctioned, at least their old age would be provided for. Omitted here were the countless times the system rolled its eyes in the corner: Tch. Freeze? How could I possibly freeze? Foolish human.

Today, Yue Meifen and Chi Yongliang's emotions had settled back down, but they were noticeably more cheerful. Even Chi Yongliang's back, previously bent under the weight of life, seemed a little straighter.

"Dad, they have these really advanced electric wheelchairs overseas, the kind that can climb stairs. I'll find a way to buy you one," Chi Qing said over breakfast, looking at Chi Yongliang's worn-out crutches in the corner.

"No need. I'm still young. We can talk about it when I'm older." Chi Yongliang had never liked sitting in a wheelchair. It made him feel as though he really could no longer walk.

"All right, then I'll buy you some better crutches." Chi Qing knew what her father was thinking and did not insist.

After breakfast, Chi Qing began wandering around the house. Hmm, the fridge is too old. Buy one! An air conditioner, buy one! A washing machine, buy one! A TV, buy one! ... Buy! Buy! Buy!

Chi Qing filled an entire sheet of paper with things to buy, then tore through the various flagship stores on Taobao in a shopping frenzy, only for the whole pile of goods to cost just 55,000.

Looking at her phone balance, with nearly 305,000 still left after transferring 40,000 to her father and spending that 55,000, Chi Qing suddenly felt a sense of urgency. She wanted to hurry back and keep shopping. After all, last time she had mainly bought things for her parents; she had not even had her own turn yet.

"Oh my, our college graduate is back!" As Chi Qing stood in the courtyard thinking, a warm female voice rang out. She turned and saw a woman of about fifty walking in, wearing a headscarf and carrying a basket of vegetables.

Looking at the somewhat familiar face without knowing how to address her, Chi Qing felt a little awkward. "Qingqing, this is your Third Sister-in-law. Go on, call her Third Sister-in-law," Yue Meifen hurriedly said as she came out of the kitchen. "Oh, Third Sister-in-law, come inside and sit down." Chi Qing was a little bewildered. How was someone this old in the same generation as her? Still, she did not stumble over her words and quickly welcomed her.

"That's right, just call me Third Sister-in-law. We reckon it through my Fifth Aunt"-meaning Yue Meifen-said the woman addressed as Third Sister-in-law.

"Fifth Aunt, my mother-in-law asked me to bring you some radishes and cabbages. She was worried that after all those years away from the village, you'd have gotten rusty at farming even with these few years back. We wouldn't want you going without vegetables in winter." As she spoke, the woman addressed as Third Sister-in-law carried the vegetable basket into the kitchen.

Meanwhile, wilted cabbage leaves and spindly radish roots poked over the edge of the basket, their heads drooping...