Chapter 6: A Scandal Spreading Far and Wide

After the marriage arrangements between the two families were finalized, Gu Yu left with his mother. Before departing, Gu Yu had subtly helped Ji Sisi resolve her concern regarding the twenty-four-hour expiration limit of the "Super Strength Pill." He explicitly instructed Ji Liguo and Zhu Jiahui that he would bring the bride price when they registered their marriage in three days, expressing his hope that the couple would treat his future wife well during this time. At that moment, a brilliant light sparkled in Ji Sisi’s eyes; she felt that adding one more person to her future life of comfort wouldn't be so bad after all.

Shortly after, the Dong family arrived, as Dong Pengfei and Ji Manrou had indeed been intimate the previous day. Since the entire residential compound was already buzzing with the scandal, the Dong family, eager to keep the gossip from spreading further, moved quickly to ensure their son married Ji Manrou as soon as possible. None of this concerned Ji Sisi, as Ji Manrou did not want her to have any further contact with Dong Pengfei. For her part, Ji Sisi was ready for an enjoyable outing.

Less than a hundred meters outside the county committee compound, Ji Sisi received a massive surprise. Across the street, she spotted a bank with a bright red exclamation mark hovering over it—a sight that looked quite startling.

"Ding-dong! Host, a bank check-in point has been discovered. Would you like to spend two points to check in?"

Before Ji Sisi could even answer with a "yes," she suddenly realized something: "System, are you trying to swindle me? I studied the rules yesterday; check-ins only cost one point."

"Host, that is a bank; it is naturally different from other check-in points."

"Fine, check in at the bank."

As the thought crossed her mind, a system panel appeared before her eyes with a list of instructions:
1. Items obtained after check-in are unrelated to the check-in point itself.
2. Items obtained will be stored in the system inventory, which the host can access at any time.
3. The points required for check-ins vary by location; locations are categorized as resettable or non-resettable, and this status is irreversible.
4. The attributes of the obtained items depend on the characteristics of the check-in point.
5. No one other than the host can see the check-in point markers.

After two points were deducted, Ji Sisi successfully checked in at the bank.

"Ding-dong, check-in at the bank successful. Congratulations to the host for receiving one hundred yuan."

Seeing the ten crisp, golden-hued "Big Unity" banknotes appear in her system inventory, Ji Sisi was overjoyed. In this era, the purchasing power of one hundred yuan was absolutely formidable. Furthermore, if she could "check in" money at a bank, did that mean she could check in daily necessities at the supply and marketing cooperative, or grain at the granary? These would be enough to serve as her initial capital. It was now the early 1980s, and standing at the dawn of the Reform and Opening-up, Ji Sisi felt confident that she could become a titan of her time.

"Host, the bank is a non-resettable check-in point; resetting it would require deducting additional points from the host."

A bucket of cold water was poured over Ji Sisi’s enthusiasm. Clearly, she did not have enough points. It didn't matter; there were other check-in points, and Ji Sisi understood the value of long-term planning.

The county town’s main thoroughfare consisted of two long streets intersecting in a cross. The government offices, banks, and department stores were mostly located here. There was also a large central square nearby, which represented unknown opportunities for Ji Sisi. Given the non-resettable nature of the locations and her current lack of points, she was very cautious and chose the department store as her second check-in point.

Sure enough, as she approached, she saw the eye-catching red exclamation mark. The busy passersby around her confirmed that others could not see the markers.

"Check in." She whispered to herself upon entering the department store.

"Ding-dong, check-in at the department store successful. Congratulations to the host for receiving a bolt of cotton fabric (royal blue), a jar of cold cream, a pound of White Rabbit creamy candies, two pounds of brown sugar, and a pair of leather shoes."

The haul this time was quite substantial. Since everything was safely stored in her inventory, Ji Sisi wasn't in a hurry. She took the time to leisurely browse the department store of this era; the goods looked plentiful but rather quaint. Without the system, she would have only been able to look and drool. After all, the original owner’s eighteen years at the Ji household had been truly miserable—without money or ration coupons, even going out was a hassle.

Having spent three points, Ji Sisi decided not to be too extravagant, especially since the county town wasn't particularly bustling or worth lingering in. She decided to head home.

By now, the news of the two Ji sisters swapping marriage partners had spread throughout the compound, especially since both the Gu and Dong families had come to propose that morning. Everyone knew that to marry the eldest daughter, Gu Yu had promised a bride price of one thousand yuan. Comparing this to the Dong family, who had come later...

"Have you heard?"
"What?"
"The Dong family didn't want to pay a cent in bride price at first, thinking that since the two young people had already done the deed, the Ji family would have no choice but to marry their daughter off. It was only after Dong Pengfei showed some backbone and convinced his parents that the Dong family agreed to pay a token amount of one hundred yuan."

In this era, one hundred yuan wasn't a small sum, but it depended on the family. Especially with the Gu family offering one thousand, the Dong family’s hundred looked quite pathetic. Furthermore, the amount of the bride price was a reflection of how much the groom’s family valued the bride.

There were truly no secrets in the compound. Even though the marriage terms had been discussed behind closed doors, everyone in the compound knew about it before noon. Consequently, as soon as Ji Sisi returned, she became the center of attention.

"Oh my, Sisi, you're back! Your family has fish and meat today, and your mother said she was going to cook a special meal just for you."

The neighborly auntie was incredibly enthusiastic, not only talking but also volunteering to walk Ji Sisi all the way to her door. Ji Sisi thought: *Auntie, are you being polite? I’m returning to my own home; do you think I’ve forgotten the way?*

As it turned out, there were quite a few "helpful" neighbors in the compound, all spontaneously insisting on escorting her home. They claimed that the Ji couple was too biased against their own daughter and that they were going to demand justice for the child.

"Old Zhu, we’ve brought Sisi back! Since you’ve accepted such a high bride price from the Gu family, you should treat your daughter well in the days before she marries, right?"

Zhu Jiahui thought: *Hardly necessary, and since the money hasn't arrived yet, of course we have to treat that wretched girl well.* In front of outsiders, however, Zhu Jiahui had to maintain appearances.

"Thank you all! I won't keep you any longer; you should all hurry back and cook your own meals." She then turned to her eldest daughter: "Sisi, now that you're back, go wash your hands and get ready to eat. I’ve specially prepared many of your favorite dishes."

She pulled Ji Sisi inside and shut the door, blocking the prying eyes of the crowd. Ji Sisi was led to the dining table, and to her surprise, a meal was indeed prepared and waiting for her—instead of her having to return to cook it herself.