After seeing off the unwelcome guests, the family happily resumed their meal.
Speaking of falling into the water, Su Xiaotian remembered that she had been rescued and hadn't thanked her savior yet.
"Grandpa, Grandma, it was Brother Chi who saved me. I haven't thanked him yet."
The family's expressions subtly shifted.
Chi Yiyuan was actually a decent young man with excellent upbringing.
However, his background made people instinctively want to keep their distance.
Chi Yiyuan was not from this village. He had come three years ago with his grandfather, Chi Ge, who had been sent down to the village.
Chi Ge was an old professor who now lived in a cowshed in the village.
In the past two years, the villagers said that the rest of the Chi family had gone abroad.
This news had spread widely, but no one knew if it was true.
Su Xiaotian, having lived another life, knew it was true. Apart from Chi Yiyuan and his grandfather, everyone else in the Chi family was abroad and would only return many years later.
"Last night, your father went over and sent some potatoes," Grandma Su said in a low voice.
A seven-year-old child still knew to thank her benefactor? Had someone been influencing her?
"I want to go and thank Brother Chi myself!" Su Xiaotian said, her face beaming.
Grandma Su hesitated, looking at her husband.
They were from a pure peasant background. Would it be bad to associate with the "black five categories"?
Grandpa Su paused with his chopsticks in hand. Looking at his granddaughter's innocent face, he finally nodded, granting permission.
Su Xiaotian's smile grew even brighter. She quickly ate her rice with her chopsticks, savoring every bite.
After the meal, the adults went to the fields to work, and the brothers went to school. Only Grandma Su stayed home to accompany Su Xiaotian.
Grandma Su, at her age, still had to work. However, due to her bound feet, she couldn't work in the fields. She usually did lighter tasks in places like the threshing ground and earned fewer work points.
Today, to take care of Su Xiaotian, she had taken leave and stayed home.
"Grandma, I want to sleep a little longer. You didn't sleep well last night taking care of me, so you should rest more!" Su Xiaotian said, hugging Grandma Su's arm and acting spoiled.
"Good girl, you go to sleep. Grandma isn't sleepy right now. I'll wash the clothes first," Grandma Su said, looking lovingly at her granddaughter's pretty face.
Su Xiaotian wanted to persuade her, but she knew she couldn't, so she gave up and went back to her room.
There was also a system that might bring her surprises waiting for her.
In the room, after fiddling for a while, Su Xiaotian finally figured out how to use the system's built-in library.
The books in the library could be taken out to read, but she couldn't control what type of book she took out.
At the same time, it was stated that the daily reading limit was ten hours.
She casually picked out a book. It was a storybook, not particularly exciting, but much more interesting than the books of this era.
Su Xiaotian found herself engrossed in it. When she finished the book, three hours had already passed.
Putting the book down, she recalled it carefully. The entire content of the book seemed imprinted in her mind, incredibly clear.
"Congratulations to the host for finishing the first book and receiving fifty cents." The system's sweet voice sounded in her ear again.
Besides sign-in rewards, reading could also earn money? Su Xiaotian was so happy she almost jumped up.
Fifty cents might buy a lollipop in later life, but in this era, it was not a small sum.
After all, a worker's monthly salary was only around thirty yuan.
She had only read for a while and earned fifty cents. Was it unexpected? Was it surprising?
"System, can I get a reward every time I finish a book?" she asked, her eyes shining.
"Theoretically, yes. However, the host must read with full concentration to receive monetary rewards," the system's voice was as sweet and soft as ever.
So that's how it was!
She had indeed been completely immersed in the book.
Was the system telling her that concentration was most important?
"How do I sign in? What are the rewards?" Su Xiaotian remembered it was a sign-in system and quickly asked.
"This system can only be signed in once a day. The longer you read each day, the more generous the sign-in rewards. The host can sign in before sleeping every night."
Indeed, based on the duration, choosing to sign in at night would be the most cost-effective.
But where was the money?
Suddenly, Su Xiaotian remembered this important question.
"System, where are my rewards?"
"In the small box on the host's kang. In the future, the host's sign-in rewards will also appear in the small box."
Su Xiaotian quickly looked up. On her kang was a box about two feet square. It was dusty gray, looking like an old item, with nothing unusual about it.
Why was it this small box?
Su Xiaotian didn't know.
However, this did not affect her excitement as she opened the box.
With the thrill of opening a package, Su Xiaotian opened the old wooden box.
Inside the two-foot square box, there wasn't much, only a few worn-out clothes.
On top of the neatly folded clothes were five ten-cent bills, brand new.
Wow, it's real! She was going to be rich!
The little girl was so happy she almost jumped.
But before she could jump, she carefully clutched the fifty cents in her hand.
Excitedly, she touched the fifty cents again and again, not letting a single one go.
After her excitement subsided, Su Xiaotian reluctantly put all the money back into the wooden box, preparing to continue reading.
But just as she opened the virtual library and before she could touch a book, Grandma Su's voice sounded from outside the door.
"My dear, are you awake?" Grandma Su's voice was very loving.
Su Xiaotian quickly exited the virtual library and shouted towards the door, "Grandma, I'm awake!"
Seeing the neatly folded quilt on the kang, she quickly pulled the quilt open and draped a corner over herself.
Grandma Su walked in and saw her granddaughter pulling at the corner of the quilt, looking bewildered.
"What's wrong with my good girl?" Grandma Su asked worriedly. Why did this child look so silly?
"Grandma, I had a dream!" Su Xiaotian said, her thoughts racing.
Grandma Su quickly hugged Su Xiaotian and asked anxiously, "What did you dream about? Are you scared? If you are, children get scared easily. Grandma will call back your soul!"
This child must have been frightened by falling into the water.
It was all those heartless brutes who had caused her little sweetheart to be so scared.
"Grandma, I dreamed of an old man who said he was the Dragon King. He took a liking to me when I fell into the water and wanted to help me!" Su Xiaotian said matter-of-factly, as if it were true.
Grandma Su was startled. She quickly looked outside to make sure no one was there, then patted her chest, her thumping heart finally calming down.
This child, her words were enough to scare someone to death.
"You child, you must not say such things. If anyone hears you, they'll say you're practicing feudal superstition and drag you out for criticism!" Grandma Su's tone was tinged with anxiety.