Ajiu, holding a sack of rice and clutching an ancient jade in one hand, with a handful of copper coins in the other, watched in dumbfounded amazement.
"Thank you, Miss Ajiu, thank you..." the man repeatedly expressed his gratitude.
"Ding dong, merit points increased by ten, your current total score is seventy-six points."
Ajiu blinked, surprised that there were points for this too. Good heavens, seventy-six already, and she'd be at one hundred soon.
"Sister Ajiu, don't look at me like that. Don't worry, my hands are very steady," Tuobayan said again.
"If you don't believe me, next time I'll borrow a scale from a colleague, and you can try it yourself."
"No, it's not..." Before she could explain, people began arriving outside.
The courtyard was instantly packed.
The village elder took charge, "Everyone line up, line up."
It was evident the elder had considerable influence. As soon as he spoke, a long queue formed, stretching from the courtyard all the way to the village road outside.
"This is yours, take it."
Ajiu sat by the sacks, watching the village elder's satisfied expression, and felt a lightness in her own heart.
"Ding dong, merit points increased by two, your current total score..."
"Little Yan Yan, move that bag out too," Ajiu said, worried there wouldn't be enough, though they hadn't even given out a hundred catties yet.
"Sure thing." Tuobayan moved out another half-sack.
"Ding dong, total points increased by three..."
"Miss Ajiu, I don't have any money at home. I heard I could exchange items. So... how many catties do you think this could get me?"
A young girl, about ten years old, her face flushed red, as if embarrassed, unfastened her bundle from her body. Inside was a rectangular wooden box, intricately carved.
Ajiu then noticed that this girl had no adult accompanying her; she had come alone.
The wooden box had a button. She pressed it, and the box opened, revealing several knives of varying sizes.
Ajiu stood there, stunned.
"Sister Ajiu, please exchange it for me."
While Ajiu was lost in thought, the young girl thought Ajiu was unwilling to exchange, and tears welled up in her eyes in distress.
"Miss Ajiu, just give her the exchange as a favor to this old man. This girl's life hasn't been easy. Her grandfather was a blacksmith in the city, her father was a cook, but then there was an accident, and he passed away. Only this girl and her mother are left alive, and her mother is seriously ill and bedridden. Ah..."
Ajiu finally snapped back to reality, "Then, little sister, how many catties would you like to exchange for?"
At these words, the little girl was overwhelmed and didn't know how many catties she wanted to exchange for.
"Her family only has a few fen of land. Two catties should be enough," the village elder said, mediating.
"Little Yan, two catties."
"Sure thing." Tuobayan scooped out two catties and handed them to the girl.
The girl, clutching the cloth bag, knelt on the spot, "Thank you, Sister Ajiu."
"Get up, it's no big deal."
"Ding dong..." Ajiu felt as if the system in her head couldn't keep up.
"Ding dong... ding dong..."
"Ding... ding." A multitude of dings were omitted here.
By the time everyone had received their grain, Ajiu felt the ding-dong, ding-dong sounds still echoing in her mind.
"Congratulations, your system merit points have reached one hundred and thirty. Do you wish to exchange for Level Two items?"
As this voice sounded again, Ajiu felt a ringing in her ears. Just as she was about to enter to see what items were available,
"Ah!" Cai Lihua exclaimed in shock as she stepped inside.
Beside Ajiu was a pile as high as a small mountain. In front of her lay a basket, filled with a thick stack of copper coins and some silver fragments.
"Daughter, where did all this money come from? What is this?" Cai Lihua was flustered, touching the copper coins and then looking at the pile of clothes within.
She picked one up and saw that although it had a patch, the material was still quite good.
"Daughter, did those people all receive seeds?" Meng Shaode, a sensible man, was not panicking at the moment.
"Yes, Father." Ajiu massaged her own shoulders. Just sitting there and receiving things was tiring enough.
Tuobayan saw this and quickly went to pat Ajiu's back, "Uncle, Aunt, this is great. So much grain exchanged from the officials, and so many good things, plus all this money. You must be overjoyed."
Indeed, seeing Cai Lihua smiling so widely her mouth couldn't close, and drool almost dripping, she replied, "Of course, I'm overjoyed."
"Junlan, come look. I think this can be altered for you to make a jacket. Your current clothes are too worn."
"Oh, and this too. This pot is of good quality." Cai Lihua tapped a pot on the ground a few times.
"Oh, Mother, there's a set of knives here. From the sound of the village elder's words, they seem to be for cooking." Ajiu didn't understand why cooking required so many knives.
When she brought over the bundle and opened it, Cai Lihua stared, a smile on her face.