Chapter 22: Check-in Failed

This was a live advertisement, instantly drawing the attention of many, including some passing pedestrians. Taking the opportunity, Ji Sisi said to Gu Wei, "Xiao Wei, you can earn one cent for every popsicle you sell. Do you want to give it a try?"

Excited at the prospect of earning his own money, Gu Wei was full of enthusiasm. Ji Sisi taught him how to hawk his wares: adding one cent for the sugar and mung bean popsicles, and two cents for the ice cream bars. The weather was sweltering, and the popsicles sold exceptionally well; before long, the foam cooler Gu Yu had brought over was empty.

Gu Wei counted the money with a beaming smile. His sister-in-law had already told him the cost price earlier, and after deducting the cost of the cream ice cream, he had earned fifty cents from the rest of the sales. My goodness, fifty cents in a single day! In a month, he could earn fifteen yuan—not only enough for his tuition but also for notebooks and pens.

Seeing his younger brother’s silly grin, Gu Yu rubbed his forehead. "What fifty cents? Five of that was the cost of the foam cooler your sister-in-law paid for out of her own pocket."

Ji Sisi couldn't help but smile. What a simple, earnest child; he was overjoyed just by earning fifty cents. It was nothing like some of the spoiled brats of the future, who could blow through a hundred yuan of their parents' money on a single outing.

Because Gu Yu wouldn't be able to stay home for long, Ji Sisi had to quickly help her mother-in-law and sister-in-law learn to stand on their own feet. Gu Yu understood that his wife's approach was the right one. He had previously felt that it was his duty to rely on the Gu family to take care of his mother and siblings, so he would send his stipend back home and indulge them in every way. But what had that gotten them? Ji Sisi was right: it is better to rely on oneself than on others. Only by learning to stand tall and step out into the world could they lead a good life.

Therefore, as Ji Sisi taught her family how to go out and do business, Gu Yu simply watched from the sidelines, providing help only when necessary. Ji Sisi then discussed the plan with Lin Jinghua: "Mom, let Xiao Wei go out and sell popsicles; he can keep the money he earns. I'll make tea eggs, and you and Ningning can go out to sell them. You should give Ningning a daily wage, too." This way, both children could earn their own tuition and experience the joy of self-reliance.

"A-Yu, what do you think of this?" Ji Sisi didn't forget to consult Gu Yu. After all, in name, he was the head of the household. In truth, Gu Yu was too sharp and observant, which made it inconvenient for Ji Sisi to take certain things out of her system inventory for the time being. Once Gu Yu left, her first priority would be to go to the department store and buy a bicycle.

"Hmm, that sounds like a good arrangement. Sisi, you and Mom can handle the details. I need to go out and make a phone call to contact the military unit." Lin Jinghua and Ji Sisi simply nodded, waving him off.

The tea eggs had all sold out today, and they had made quite a profit. Lin Jinghua felt filled with energy, now confident that she could earn enough to build a small house for the family. However, plots of land in the county seat were hard to come by. Ji Sisi’s idea was that it would be ideal if someone were selling a house—one with a small courtyard and two or three wings, just enough for their family to live in. Ji Sisi knew, however, that at this point in time, private real estate transactions were rare. Opportunities were hard to come by, but they were reserved for those who were prepared. Thus, the most urgent task was to earn more money.

Ji Sisi told her mother-in-law she knew where to get a large supply of eggs and immediately volunteered to go buy them. Since Lin Jinghua had been holding all the money earned today, she said at once, "Sisi, let me get the money for you."

Ji Sisi declined, "Mom, no need, I still have some money of my own." In any case, after stepping out, she would find a secluded spot to take the eggs out of her system inventory; there was no need to spend any money at all. This was why she was confident about saving up a sum of money in a short time. In reality, the income from the tea eggs today was far higher than the family realized. After all, these were eggs obtained through "checking in," making it a truly high-profit, low-cost business.

As she stepped out, before even leaving the courtyard, she saw Gu Yu, who had just left to make his call. Beside him stood a young woman. The woman was quite attractive, but the problem was the shy, adoring look in her eyes as she gazed at Gu Yu. Standing nearly 1.7 meters tall, she was striking a delicate, submissive pose next to him. If it weren't for Gu Yu’s cold and distant expression, Ji Sisi would have really wanted to walk over and knock some sense into him.

Gu Yu spotted his wife and immediately strode over, taking Ji Sisi’s hand. He turned and introduced her: "This is my wife, Ji Sisi. Sisi, this is Chu Xiao, the sister of one of my comrades."

Chu Xiao? Hearing that familiar surname, Ji Sisi’s heart skipped a beat. Then it hit her: Chu Xiao—wasn't she the vicious female supporting character in that book who was always sabotaging the heroine?

But that didn't seem right. In the book, Chu Xiao was in love with Dong Pengfei, which was why she constantly plotted against the heroine. But looking at how Chu Xiao was gazing at Gu Yu with such longing, what was going on? Wait, Ji Sisi remembered something: in the book, Gu Yu died on his wedding night. Could it be that this Miss Chu Xiao had developed a crush on Dong Pengfei only after Gu Yu’s death? That didn't seem right either; according to the book, the vicious female lead loved the male protagonist with all her heart from start to finish.

Hearing Gu Yu’s introduction, the smile on Chu Xiao’s face stiffened, but she still managed a strained greeting: "Hello, sister-in-law." The girl seemed perfectly normal; how could she be a vicious female lead? Ji Sisi temporarily put her doubts aside. Since arriving here, she had become part of a real world, and her arrival had already changed many of the book's plot points. The words in the book were one-sided and could not be compared to living, breathing people. Ji Sisi didn't intend to be confined by the book's narrative; she planned to live according to how the real world unfolded.

So, Ji Sisi shook hands with Chu Xiao in a poised, generous manner. The moment their hands touched, Ji Sisi saw a red exclamation mark appear above Chu Xiao’s head, and, quite rarely, her internal system spoke up: [Ding! Hidden check-in point triggered. Does the host wish to check in?]

Ji Sisi was stunned; she hadn't realized such a high-end feature as a "hidden check-in point" existed. The key was that the hidden check-in point was on the vicious female lead herself—what kind of cruel irony was this? She was quite excited, though. Checking in on "Gu Yu" had yielded a Strength Pill and improved her constitution. This hidden check-in point must be even more advanced. Ji Sisi rubbed her hands in excitement, wondering what this "vicious female lead" could bring her.

[Check in.]

[Ding! Check-in failed. The host must find the tag that triggers the hidden check-in point.]

Ji Sisi felt like vomiting blood—game over!