"Hoo..." A Jiu looked at the baby in her arms and finally let out a breath, slumping to the ground in exhaustion.
She had been terrified.
If this had all been a dream, she would have destroyed this little life.
Fortunately, the merit system was real, and the child's safe birth was also real.
"Ding dong, Merit points increased by ten. Your total score is ten." The system's voice pulled A Jiu back to reality.
"I... I have a son?" Uncle Wu quickly took off his outer shirt and wrapped the child in it.
The weak woman on the ground slowly opened her eyes.
Wu Dalei excitedly clutched the woman's hand, "Zhao Di, we have an heir."
A Jiu didn't linger and got up to leave the room. It wasn't for any other reason than that she had never seen a living person look so weak.
Moreover, she had only learned some introductory techniques, and if something went wrong again, she really had no confidence.
"A Jiu? Come here, what's going on in the house?" Cai Lihua stealthily beckoned A Jiu from the kitchen doorway.
Seeing that the chicken soup was ready, "Aunt Wu gave birth," A Jiu's voice was still tinged with fatigue after the tension.
In the dilapidated kitchen, fragrant steam rose from the iron pot above the half-collapsed stove.
"She gave birth? Sigh... this child is destined for a hard life from the moment they're born." Cai Lihua murmured to herself.
Little Yan Yan held half a bowl of soup, grinning from ear to ear, "Sister A Jiu, Aunt's cooking is really delicious."
"You're such a sweet talker. This isn't even that delicious, it's just that I saw there was some melted salt water left in the salt jar. With salt, it's fragrant," Cai Lihua said.
Cai Lihua snapped back to attention and mysteriously took out a bowl from under the pot lid:
"Here are two chicken legs. I plan to roast the other chicken and the rabbit, that way, they can last another day, ensuring we have something to eat tomorrow."
A Jiu took it and looked down. The chicken legs with the most meat were indeed in the bowl.
Actually, A Jiu wasn't hungry. She felt that Aunt Zhao Di needed to replenish her strength. Her ear acupuncture had merely used the technique of complementary inner and outer principles to mobilize her already scarce kidney yang energy.
Afterward, her body was depleted.
"Mom, you and Dad each take a chicken leg. I'll eat some of the less meaty parts of the chicken."
As she spoke, A Jiu used her chopsticks to pick out the tenderly stewed chicken flesh, separating a good portion of the breast and wings.
She casually asked, "Where's Dad?"
"We needed water for the chicken soup, and we've used up all the water from that puddle. Your dad went out to find more. He said there used to be water here, so he might find a place that hasn't dried up completely. If he finds it, it'll be good. If not, we'll have to continue our journey tomorrow."
"Oh." A Jiu held the soup and turned towards the wooden house next door. Now that she had grasped the patterns of the spiritual spring, she wasn't so worried about water.
Cai Lihua looked at the two chicken legs, her eyes moist. Having such a sensible and filial child made her happy.
It was truly heartless for the original owner to want to sell her.
"Girl, you mustn't. Do you know how precious this chicken soup is?"
In that room, Wu Dalei was stunned for a while after A Jiu brought over a bowl of chicken soup.
When he had asked the lady of the house for help earlier, he had said that half a bowl of soup would be enough for him and his wife to each have two sips.
He had even kowtowed three times to this stranger, his sister-in-law.
Now, the large bowl this girl was holding contained meat. Wu Dalei, who hadn't eaten for three days, was practically swallowing his tongue.
But having traveled so far, enduring so much that he had even considered killing, this was the first time he had encountered such a kind family. The kinder they were, the more he felt ashamed to accept their kindness.
"No matter how precious it is, it's not as precious as survival."
A Jiu's face showed a composure rare for her age. She pressed the chicken soup into Uncle Wu's hands:
"Even if you don't eat it, Aunt Wu needs to eat it after just giving birth."
With that, A Jiu turned and left the room.
"Ding! Merit points increased by one. Your total score is eleven." httpδ:/m.kuAisugg.nět
A Jiu's steps faltered. A bowl of chicken soup also earned points? Wasn't this too easy?
In fact, sometimes, when she encountered truly pitiable people and had the ability to help, she would do so even without the system.
A Jiu glanced into the distance, not finding her father.
She went outside and scooped up some soil from the dry riverbed, intending to plant some seeds.
However, with a wave of her hand, the dry soil simply scattered with the wind.