Chapter 169 -

Chapter 169: Chapter

When they got back to the Bai residence, evening was already drawing near, and snow had started to fall slowly. As they entered, Madame Chen and Madame Zhang were seated outside eating peanuts and gossiping, watching Yimei return with the second branch and Qinqin right beside her.

"Oh, you guys finally came back," Madame Chen said, shaking her head and clicking her tongue. "Yimei, I hope you feel good about yourself, slaving away your own family."

Madame Zhang, on the other hand, just smiled and ate her peanuts in peace. She didn’t say anything, choosing not to interfere.

Yimei looked at Madame Chen. Her expression didn’t look annoyed or pissed off, but she didn’t look delighted either.

"Madame Chen, if you want to keep peacefully eating peanuts and lazing around, I really advise you not to get on my nerves."

With that, Yimei left and headed to the main courtyard with Qinqin following behind her. Madame Liu just sighed and went over to join Madame Zhang and Madame Chen, sitting down with a tired gasp.

Second Uncle Chengbang walked straight toward them and asked, "Where is my third brother?"

Madame Zhang threw a peanut into her mouth. "Don’t you dare ask me where he is, Chengbang. I know very well that my husband wouldn’t have had the mind to try kidnapping anyone. You must have been the one who convinced him to do it. You always have a way of making him do foolish things. Aren’t you tired?"

Chengbang frowned, instantly angered. "You foolish woman! How dare you talk to me like that?! Who do you think you are?!" he shouted at her as Madame Zhang stood up.

Madame Zhang hardly spoke, but not because she was a quiet person, she was simply sensible.

While Madame Chen was foul-mouthed and reckless, acting without thinking, Madame Liu was perhaps a little smarter than Madame Chen, but completely foolish when it came to her husband and children. And lastly, there was Madame Zhang.

She always observed and studied people before she struck or took action. She always appeared neutral, but the truth was, she knew how to keep her boundaries clear and her enemies closer.

She had never liked Second Uncle Chengbang for so many reasons.

"Listen, Chengbang, don’t think anyone has forgotten what you did," Madame Zhang said coldly. "You think lashing out at me will make you feel better? Then you are wasting your time. Stay away from my husband if you know what’s best for you. At least now you have a decent job—stick to it and lay low until Old Madame comes to her senses and calls us back. Do you hear me?"

Without waiting for him to reply, she turned around, picked up her remaining peanuts, and walked straight back to her own courtyard.

"You saw what she did, yet you two just sat there without doing anything?!" Chengbang shouted, turning on Madame Liu and Madame Chen. "Liu An, you useless wife!"

Madame Liu sighed and stood up, grabbing her husband by the arm and dragging him back inside before he caused another scene.

Witnessing the drama that had just occurred, Ruizhe and Xinying could only sigh.

"Since we came to this place, we haven’t had a single peaceful day," Xinying muttered bitterly.

Ruizhe looked at his sister and shook his head. "Most of this is your fault. Why did you have to go steal Yimei’s taels? Don’t you know that if such information gets to you, it’s probably fake or a trap? In your case, it was a trap. Just be thankful you weren’t sold into a brothel, the story would be completely different right now."

When Yimei entered her room, she closed the door behind her and walked inside. Zhengyu wasn’t back yet, so she finally had some quiet time to herself.

Qinqin entered carrying a basin of steaming hot water. She set it down on the washstand, handed Yimei a clean towel, and quietly stepped back out, closing the heavy wooden door behind her to give her mistress some privacy.

Once the room was completely silent, Yimei washed the icy chill of the outdoors off her face and hands. Drying herself, she walked over to the bed and sat down on the edge, closing her eyes.

Nine, open the system shop, Yimei commanded in her mind. Show me what skills or items I can buy with my 60 points.

A sharp ding! echoed inside her head, followed by Nine’s dramatic, high-pitched gasp.

[HOST! ARE YOU SERIOUS RIGHT NOW?!] Nine squealed, popping into her mental vision with arms crossed and tiny digital tears in its eyes. [Sixty points! That’s all you have! Don’t you want to complete this mission and go home at all?! Using all your precious hard-earned points like this means you’ll stay stuck in this world even longer! You should be saving them for life-or-death emergencies!]

Yimei didn’t flinch. She picked up a warm teacup from the small table, took a calm sip, and let out a soft, unimpressed sigh.

Stop nagging, Nine, Yimei replied mentally, her tone flat and completely unbothered. Staying here longer just means I get to play with these idiots a little more. Now stop wasting my time and show me the list of skills I can get for sixty points.

Nine groaned loudly, making an exaggerated dramatic flop in her consciousness. [Ugh! Host, you are unbelievable! You really just want to spend points to cause more chaos! Fine, fine! Don’t blame me when you’re broke later!]

A glowing blue system panel instantly expanded in front of Yimei’s eyes, displaying an updated list of special abilities, skill upgrades, and secret items under sixty points:

SYSTEM SHOP (60 POINTS)

[1] Martial Arts Mastery Upgrade (Intermediate) - 50 Points

- Upgrades current physical combat form, enhancing strike precision, internal energy flow, and agility.

[2] Basic Medical & Poison Identification - 45 Points

- Instantly identify common poisons, medicinal herbs, and bodily ailments upon sight or touch.

[3] Lie Detection Passive Aura (Level 1) - 60 Points

- Triggers a faint red ping in your mind whenever anyone within 5 paces speaks a direct lie.

[4] Advanced Culinary & Sauce Recipes - 30 Points

- Unlocks secret imperial-level recipes, seasoning blends, and tea preparations to maximize shop profit.

[5] Voice Mimicry & Sound Projection - 40 Points

- Allows you to replicate heard voices or project whispers over short distances to trick enemies.

[6] Secret Storage Expansion (Pocket Space) - 50 Points

- Adds an invisible 5-cubic-meter spatial inventory to store items, money, or weapons safely.

Yimei tapped her chin softly, her dark eyes scanning the glowing options with a sharp, calculating glint.

[Well?] Nine chimed in, floating over the virtual screen. [See anything you like, Host? Or are you finally coming to your senses to save your points?]

Before Yimei could answer Nine, a quiet knock sounded at her bedroom door, followed by the squeak of wooden wheels against the floorboards outside. Zhengyu had returned.