Ji Shuyu seemed to have already devised a plan to ruin Lin Xiumei’s reputation, but it would have to wait until she was about to leave.
Otherwise, it might cause unnecessary complications and wouldn’t be to her advantage.
She quickened her pace, needing to get home before Lin Xiumei.
Ji Shuyu hurried along, her mind working even faster than her feet.
This three hundred yuan was likely what Lin Xiumei intended to give her.
But Ji Shuyu had thought of a better plan—one that would not only skyrocket her points but also put cash back in her hands.
According to the original host’s memories, Lin Xiumei had a habit of hiding important items in a secret compartment in the bottom drawer of the chest of drawers.
The original host had seemingly stumbled upon it once as a child, but back then, she was too naive to pay it any mind.
This three hundred yuan was practically a custom-made points package for her.
It would be a waste not to take it.
Anything that would make Lin Xiumei ache with regret was something Ji Shuyu was more than willing to do.
She slipped back home before Lin Xiumei returned. The house was quiet, except for the indistinct muttering coming from the kitchen—probably Ji Guodong complaining about the unsatisfactory dinner.
Ever since she had arrived here, Ji Guodong had been rather elusive.
Ji Shuyu couldn’t be bothered to exchange even a single word with this so-called father.
Lin Xiumei hadn’t returned yet, and Ji Meiling’s room was tightly shut, likely inside painting her eyebrows and dreaming her pretty dreams.
Ji Shuyu walked straight through the living room without even glancing around and went directly to her own room.
When night deepened and the house was completely dark,
Ji Shuyu took advantage of the fact that Lin Xiumei wouldn’t lock the door at night and sneaked into the master bedroom.
She listened carefully: Ji Guodong was still snoring, and there was no movement from Ji Meiling’s room next door.
With a clear goal in mind, Ji Shuyu opened the door and went straight over, crouching down.
Using the unlocking tools she had exchanged for yesterday, she quickly picked the lock.
She reached inside and felt a thick stack of paper notes.
Without hesitation, Ji Shuyu pulled the entire stack out.
It was too dark to see clearly, but based on the thick, solid feel and the neatly aligned edges, what else could it be but money?
She swiftly tucked the money inside her clothes, close to her body. Just as she was about to close the secret compartment, her fingers accidentally brushed against something small, cold, and hard.
She grabbed it—it was a small, round metal object, seemingly an old pocket watch.
Whatever, if it could be exchanged for points, it was worth taking. She pocketed it too.
Hadn’t she heard the saying “a thief never leaves empty-handed”?
After finishing everything, she quickly restored the secret compartment, closed the drawer, and used the universal repair glue to fix the combination lock. Now, no one would be able to detect even the slightest trace.
Ji Shuyu left the master bedroom, gently closed the door, and hurried back to her room, locking it behind her.
The entire process was smooth and seamless, taking only a few dozen seconds.
She sat on the edge of the bed, turned on the light, and pulled out the money. Three stacks of “Great Unity” bills, ten notes in each stack—exactly thirty notes in total.
And then there was the pocket watch, heavy, with some pattern seemingly engraved on the cover, though it was too dark to make out clearly.
[Detected convertible item: one old-style pocket watch. Convert?]
[Detected convertible item: thirty “Great Unity” bills. Convert?]
The cold, system prompt popped up at just the right moment.
“Convert everything.”
Ji Shuyu confirmed without the slightest hesitation.
[Conversion successful! Points obtained: 3100!]
[Current total points: 3220.9!]
Just yesterday, she was agonizing over points, but today it felt like she had traded a bird rifle for a cannon.
A thrilling sense of satisfaction spread through Ji Shuyu’s entire body, though she knew three thousand points were far from enough.
She estimated that He Yuan’s return call would take about seven or eight days.
She only had one day left: tomorrow.
When Lin Xiumei gave her the money, she would have to sign the agreement consenting to go to the countryside.
Tomorrow, she still needed to go out to take care of another matter.
After Lin Xiumei handed over the things, she would also need to find a place to stay for a few days while waiting for He Yuan’s return call.
In these turbulent times, He Yuan was the only person who could offer her any security.
Suppressing her thoughts, she opened the points mall interface.
Sure enough, the previously grayed-out [Upgrade Mall] button was now glowing with a golden radiance.
Without hesitation, Ji Shuyu chose to upgrade the mall.
Now, she could finally consider herself somewhat well-off.
[Mall upgrade successful! Current level: Lv.1.]
[New functional module unlocked: Basic Intelligence (requires separate purchase of intelligence packages)]
[New functional module unlocked: Small Storage Space (1 cubic meter)]
[Points exchange rate increased to 1:15]
[Prices of some items have been reduced. Please explore on your own!]
This upgrade directly unlocked what Ji Shuyu needed most.
Those three hundred yuan were truly well spent.
“Lin Xiumei, you really are my ‘Wealth-Bestowing Granny’!”
Ji Shuyu grinned so widely she could barely close her mouth.
After exchanging some food from the system space, she immediately used her mind to open the newly unlocked 1-cubic-meter storage space.
The space wasn’t large—it resembled a transparent, square box floating in her consciousness.
She tossed in the little more than two yuan in small bills she had left in her pocket, along with the five yuan she had originally planned to keep for emergencies.
This space was quite handy. She could store the food she exchanged in it later.
After finishing all this, Ji Shuyu finally went to rest.
Early the next morning.
A shrill, hysterical scream erupted from the direction of the master bedroom.
“Which wretched thief stole my money?!!”
Ji Guodong scolded impatiently, “What are you crying for? Don’t you remember where you put the money? You probably misplaced it again!”
“How could I misplace it? It was hidden in the secret compartment! The lock was perfectly fine!”
Lin Xiumei’s voice rose sharply, teetering on the edge of breakdown.
She had gotten that three hundred yuan from Kang Yong specifically to send Ji Shuyu to the countryside. Now that the money was gone, would Ji Shuyu still be willing to go?
Ji Meiling walked out of her room, complaining sleepily, “Mom, what are you shouting about so early in the morning? Can’t you let people sleep?”
“Sleep, sleep, sleep! Is that all you know? There’s been a thief in the house!”
Lin Xiumei didn’t dare tell Ji Guodong that she had taken three hundred yuan to force Ji Shuyu to go to the countryside.
If Ji Guodong found out, he would surely press her about where she got the money.
If he discovered the truth, she wouldn’t be able to explain herself.
She continued shouting as she marched toward Ji Shuyu’s room.
Ji Shuyu leisurely put on her clothes, stood up, and smoothed her bangs in front of the mirror.
The woman in the mirror looked calm, yet there was a noticeable glow of satisfaction on her face.
She pulled open the door just as Lin Xiumei was about to barge into her room.
“Auntie, what’s wrong?”
Ji Shuyu feigned surprise, stepping aside with a tone of confusion.
“Who made you so angry so early in the morning?”
“Didn’t you hear anything last night?”
“No, I didn’t.”
Ji Shuyu frowned and shook her head, pulling her hand away as she walked toward the living room.
“I was sleeping soundly. It was your shouting that woke me up. Dad, have you called the police?”
But before Ji Guodong could respond, Ji Meiling shot a gloomy glare at Ji Shuyu.
“There are only four of us in this house. Who’s the most desperate for money? We all know who.”
“Maybe someone hid the money on purpose because they don’t want to go to the countryside?”
Hearing Ji Meiling’s words, Ji Guodong frowned. “The countryside? What countryside?”
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