ITBBS Chapter 24

In the end, under much persuasion from Shen Yao, Xu Dani selected quite a few things to take home. Only after returning did she realize that she had been fooled by that clever girl again.

…

At noon, not wanting to cook, Shen Yao took out a serving of beef rice bowl from her space to eat, along with a few duck bones to gnaw on.

She had now fully adapted to life in this era. Although it was a time of hardship with severe shortages of resources, she loved the environment here. The air was fresh and free of impurities, not like the heavily polluted air of the future.

For example, in the future, most vegetables and fruits were grown with chemical fertilizers and pesticides, while wild vegetables were sold at a high price. She remembered buying toon sprouts for a high price of 90 yuan a jin. But here, wild vegetables covered the mountains, and even the grains and vegetables were all naturally grown.

The well water in this era could be drunk directly and even had a slightly sweet taste. Decades later, due to the country’s continuous development, the well water in rural areas would no longer be drinkable. It was considered good if it could be used at all.

Ah, Shen Yao thought it might be because times were different and her state of mind had changed accordingly.

In the afternoon, Shen Yao lay on her chair reading a book. There wasn’t much sun today, but it wasn’t cold either, so she took out the original owner’s old textbooks.

Looking at the first semester of the third-year high school textbooks¹In China, the year levels are as follows: Primary School (6 years), Junior High School/Junior Middle School (3 years), Senior High School/Senior Middle School (3 years), and College (4-5 years). For the three years in high school, they can also be called the first year (freshman), second year (sophomore), and third year (senior). Mc is only 15 years old because she skipped grades, she found the content very simple, nothing like the textbooks decades later. She still remembered how difficult her own high school years had been.

With non-existent tears streaming down her face, Shen Yao recalled how hard she had studied in her previous life, thinking about her studies even during meals. Unlike the textbooks now, which were less challenging than her first-year high school material back then.

In less than an hour, she finished flipping through the third-year textbooks. There were fewer subjects now, and thanks to her cultivation, she could read ten lines at a glance, so she memorized things much faster than usual.

Shen Yao set the book aside and spaced out for a moment. She calculated that she could stay in the mountains for five to six days this time and return the day before her birthday. After all, she didn’t want to spend that day in the mountains.

Oh right, she also needed to let Auntie and the others know so they wouldn’t worry. She should also tell them about the job transfer.

Glancing at the time, it was still early. She had nothing else to do. She might as well go to Auntie’s house and hang out with Sister Xiao Qiu.

“Auntie, Sister Xiao Qiu, are you home?” Seeing that the courtyard gate was unlocked, Shen Yao stepped inside.

“Yes, coming!” As soon as she finished speaking, Shen Qiu came dashing out.

“Yao Yao’s here! Come inside quickly.”

Xu Dani shook her head and sighed at her daughter. She was hopeless, with no composure at all.

“Auntie, sorry to interrupt your work.”

“What interruption? You’re being so formal. Come inside.”

She had just been inside making a cotton-padded jacket for this girl. There wasn’t much else to do. Now that the end of the year was approaching, everyone wanted to take a good rest. After the New Year, they would have to start working hard again.

“Auntie, I just came to let you know that I’m planning to go into the mountains tomorrow to collect medicinal herbs. I might be gone for a few days.”

Shen Yao sat on a stool and told Xu Dani her purpose. She knew that if she didn’t say anything, she wouldn’t be able to explain why she was gone for several days. She had already made up her excuse: she had learned to identify medicinal herbs from an old Chinese medicine doctor and wanted to collect some herbs as a token of gratitude.

“What? You’re going into the mountains?”

Xu Dani shot up from her seat when she heard the girl was going into the deep mountains. How dare she! Even grown men were afraid to enter those mountains.

Shen Qiu also realized and looked at Shen Yao worriedly. “Yao Yao, why are you going into the mountains? There are many large predators in the deep mountains.”

Shen Yao understood their concern. Even the villagers with hunting skills refused to go in, afraid of encountering wild animals and never returning.

“Auntie, Sister Xiao Qiu, don’t worry. I’m very strong. And I’m not going into the deep mountains, just the middle outskirts.”

Xu Dani still looked frightened. How could she not be? If something happened, how would she explain it to Guilan and her husband? “Yao Yao, is there a reason you need to go into the mountains?”

Shen Yao took Xu Dani’s arm and smiled slightly. “Auntie, actually, I secretly learned to identify medicinal herbs from an old Chinese medicine doctor. Lately, he hasn’t been well and can’t collect herbs himself, so I wanted to gather some herbs to send him.”

“That makes sense, but it’s too dangerous in there. If something happens to you, a young girl, what would we do?”

Xu Dani knew one should repay kindness. Since the old man had taught Yao Yao, she should repay him. But she was still worried.

“Yao Yao, then I’ll go with you.”

Although Shen Qiu was afraid to go deep into the mountains, for Yao Yao’s sake, she would grit her teeth and go. Otherwise, Yao Yao going alone would be too dangerous.

“Auntie, Sister Xiao Qiu, I promise I’ll be careful, really. Besides, you saw how I dealt with the Ye family the other day. I can protect myself.”

Xu Dani recalled the scene of the girl smashing the big stone and felt slightly relieved. She also knew that this girl had a strong will. Once she decided on something, even ten oxen couldn’t pull her back. “Yao Yao, how many days will you be gone? And you’re really only going to the middle outskirts?”

“Auntie, maybe four or five days because I need to collect quite a lot of herbs. And yes, I’m only going to the middle outskirts. I promise I’ll come back safe and sound.”

Even if she were going to the deep mountains, could she say that? Definitely not.

“Alright then. Just come back safely.” Xu Dani had no choice but to compromise.

“I will. Oh, Auntie, there’s one more thing. The job quota in the county town, I want to transfer it. As you know, I’m going to university, so I won’t need the job.”

Shen Yao felt that now was a good time to bring it up. They could discuss it over the next few days, and by the time she got back from the mountains, they should have an answer.

Xu Dani fell silent. She knew Yao Yao was telling the truth. The county job quota was originally meant for her to take over after high school graduation, but if she continued her studies, she really wouldn’t need it.

“Yao Yao, I’ll discuss it with your uncle tonight. We’ll talk more when you get back.”

“Alright then. Auntie, Sister Xiao Qiu, I’ll head back now. I still need to prepare.”

“Okay. Remember to be very careful, you hear?” Speaking of it, she started worrying again, but she knew she couldn’t convince the girl.

“Okay, I will.” With that, Shen Yao walked out.

She needed to plan carefully and prepare all her tools and weapons in the space so she could use them in an emergency. After all, one should never fight an unprepared battle.