Chapter 73: I Really Struck Dumb Luck

Chapter 73: Chapter 73: I Really Struck Dumb Luck

Little Bao had fallen asleep hugging the big tiger, with the big brown bear behind her. The fire in the stove CRACKLED and ROARED, making the entire room as warm as spring. The sleeping girl’s face was flushed with heat, and the frostbite on her cheeks had faded to faint marks after applying the ointment.

"Father, Mother, you should go to bed early too. With the stove trapping the heat tonight, you’ll definitely get a good night’s sleep."

After sorting through the scavenged items, Yun Zhen decided not to disturb her parents and daughter any longer.

Yun Xiu put away the stove’s diagrams. He added a few pieces of coal into the stove and used a branch to lower the fire-sealing cover inside. The instructions on the diagrams claimed this would keep the heat going overnight. In the morning, they just had to lift the cover and toss in some kindling to reignite the embers.

Tonight, he had also pulled the straw out from the cracks around the door. The diagrams warned that if the fire-sealing cover was used, they must leave a gap for ventilation. Otherwise, the smoke wouldn’t be able to escape, and breathing it in would kill them.

Yun Old Lady’s heart ached for her daughter. "Zhen Niang, I’ll remember what you just told me. You should go rest too. Running back and forth between the two worlds these past few days must have exhausted you. Now that everyone has food and clothes, you need to make sure you get enough rest."

Yun Zhen smiled. "Don’t worry, Mother. I don’t actually feel tired."

She wasn’t lying. Ever since she first traveled to that other world, she felt her physical stamina had increased. Even though she worked every day and shuttling between the two worlds was occasionally tiring, the fatigue was temporary. She always bounced back after a short rest. Yun Zhen guessed it was either because she was finally well-fed and warmly dressed, which improved her health, or perhaps it was the bracelet’s doing.

She looked at the accumulated ash on the floor and reminded her parents, "Let’s not build open fires in the house anymore. We have the stove for heating and candles for light now. Open fires produce too much heavy smoke; it chokes the throat and makes people dizzy."

Yun Xiu nodded. "We’ll listen to you."

Yun Old Lady agreed as well.

Yun Zhen then asked them, "Is there anything else the village urgently needs right now? I’ll prioritize buying rice, flour, and cotton whenever I have spare cash. Crocheting is a profitable business, so we can’t let our supply of material kits run out. I’ll also gradually equip the rest of the village with stoves. What else do you think the village lacks?"

Yun Old Lady thought for a moment. "Now that food, water, and clothing are taken care of, it seems there’s no urgent shortage of anything."

Yun Xiu added, "Just buy whatever you see fit. Everyone is content as long as they have food and drink. The village doesn’t lack any absolute necessities anymore, and we don’t know what kind of things the Immortal Realm has anyway."

Since there were no urgent needs, she would just buy things according to her own preferences.

"Father, Mother, get some rest. I’m heading over there now."

Yun Zhen returned to her dormitory. While washing up, she noticed the various products used for washing hair, bathing, and doing laundry.

She thought, "The village is covered in ice and snow right now. Washing hair or bathing would make people sick, but I can buy some toothbrushes and toothpaste to take back. I’ll check out the clearance mini-mart tomorrow."

Yun Zhen had personally experienced the convenience of toothbrushes and toothpaste. Waking up in the morning or after eating something with a strong flavor, brushing with a toothbrush and a bit of toothpaste not only got rid of the smell but even made speaking feel fresher.

She had a wonderful night’s sleep.

The next day, after eating breakfast in the cafeteria, she headed to Mr. Gao’s place for her class.

"MEOW—" A faint cat’s cry came from by her feet.

Yun Zhen looked down and saw the small calico cat she had encountered the day before. It didn’t look well—likely starved and half-frozen from wandering outside. Its previously clean fur was now matted with muddy water, frozen into clumps of ice. It still hadn’t found its way home.

"MEOW!" The kitten cried at her feet, its large eyes fixed on her right pocket.

Yun Zhen patted the steamed bun in her pocket. "You have a sharp nose, figuring out I brought a bun."

She had been leaving early and returning late these past few days. Although Brother Yang’s restaurant provided a meal at noon, she still got hungry over the long hours. Reluctant to spend money on food, she had made it a habit to stuff a steamed bun or plain mantou into her pocket during breakfast to nibble on when she got hungry. Today, just like the previous two days, she had a meat bun in her pocket. Perhaps because it was still warm, the scent had wafted out and caught the attention of the starving kitten, who was now begging her for food.

Unable to bear it, Yun Zhen took the bun out of her pocket, tore off half the dough and meat, and offered it. "Here, eat up. One look and anyone can tell you’re a pampered pet from a wealthy family. How have you still not found your way home?"

The moment the bun was set down, the kitten pounced on it and with a CHOMP, took a huge bite. It tore off a large chunk and swallowed it without even chewing, letting out a protective GROWL from the back of its throat.

Yun Zhen was puzzled. Shouldn’t cats and dogs be able to rely on their sense of smell to find familiar people or places? How could it get lost?

The kitten devoured the food in massive bites. Half a bun wasn’t enough, and it meowed at her again. Yun Zhen gave it the other half. "Eat slowly. Once you’re done, go look around and see if you can find your home."

The kitten raised its head, as if responding to her. "MEOW—"

Hm? Yun Zhen froze. Of course, she hadn’t understood cat language. Rather, she had just noticed a small black dot on the kitten’s mouth. It wasn’t big, but it was very distinct.

She took a sharp breath.

Yesterday, Li Mei had told her that someone posted a lost cat notice online, offering a 30,000-yuan reward for finding it! The cat’s identifying features were: a small calico with a black dot on its mouth!

It was a perfect match.

She muttered to herself, "Did I really just stumble into blind luck?"

She found it hard to believe, but then she subconsciously thought about her own heaven-defying luck recently. Maybe, just maybe, it was highly probable... that it was true!

She reached out and cautiously petted the kitten.

"MEOW..." Perhaps feeling obliged after eating her food, the kitten docilely allowed her to pet it. After finishing the bun, it even rolled over, exposing its belly for her to rub.

Now Yun Zhen saw it clearly. There really was a conspicuous black dot at the corner of its mouth.

Yun Zhen picked it up, feeling both nervous and excited. She wondered, "How can I confirm if it’s the cat mentioned online? And if it is, how do I contact its owner and get the 30,000-yuan reward?"

It was urgent! So urgent she could die of anxiety! But she still had to go to class right now, so she could only turn back and settle the kitten in her dormitory.

The kitten was very well-behaved, curling up next to the heating pipe and falling fast asleep.

Yun Zhen returned to the cafeteria to grab another bun for her rations, then finally headed to Mr. Gao’s place for class.

During the lesson, her mind wandered so much that Mr. Gao asked her out of concern, "Yun Zhen, are you feeling unwell? Why do you seem so distracted?"

Yun Zhen shook her head. "I’m fine, Mr. Gao. I probably just didn’t sleep well."

Seeing that she was alright, Mr. Gao didn’t press further.

But Yun Zhen couldn’t calm her racing heart. Mr. Gao, Brother Zhao, Sister Lin, Sister Huang, Li Mei... who should she tell that there might be a 30,000-yuan reward lying in her dormitory? If she really got the money, she planned to use it to buy stoves and coal for the village. If others found out, would it cause unnecessary trouble?

This dilemma troubled her all the way until the afternoon when she went to Sister-in-law Liu’s vegetable stall to sort produce.

Li Mei noticed her odd behavior and asked with concern, "Yun Zhen, why are you so absent-minded? Did you have insomnia again like last time?"

Yun Zhen snapped back to reality. "No, I didn’t. I just ate too much for lunch and feel a little drowsy."

Yun Zhen and Li Mei were already quite familiar with each other. Li Mei knew she worked two jobs a day and that the restaurant provided her with one meal.

Li Mei yawned. "Hearing you say that makes me a bit sleepy too."

Sister-in-law Liu overheard them and smiled. "If you’re sleepy, get up and walk around. Help me unload the vegetables from the back of the truck."

Yun Zhen and Li Mei went to help Sister-in-law Liu move the vegetables.

By the time her shift ended, Yun Zhen had made up her mind. She would just risk it! She decided to tell Brother Zhao. Brother Zhao had a trustworthy character, and he definitely had a way to contact the kitten’s owner.

If she kept hesitating, what if she couldn’t get the reward? With her personal abilities alone, she would certainly miss out on this sudden windfall of immense wealth!