Chapter 8: A New Mission Emerges

[ Ding— ]

[ Congratulations, host, mission accomplished. ]

[ Today’s task is complete. Reward: 5 yuan in cash, deposited into the host’s system wallet, available for withdrawal at any time. ]

[ You have now unlocked one Beast Language skill. Please make your selection: ]

[ 1. Monkey Language 2. Crocodile Language 3. Pangolin Language ]

Before Jiang Cha even reached home, the system’s prompt arrived. She frowned as she looked at the three language options.

Are these languages a bit too unusual?

[ Selection time has elapsed. The system has automatically made a choice for you. ]

[ Congratulations, host, you have acquired Pangolin Language. ]

Jiang Cha was speechless. The system even had a time limit for choices? Oh well, she wasn’t particularly interested in any of them anyway.

Zheng Xiaozhen and Jiang Yun, upon hearing that Jiang Cha had been officially permitted to attend school, happily came out to greet her.

Even from afar, Jiang Yun’s cheerful voice rang out, “Sister, the secretary said you can go to school now! That’s wonderful!”

Zheng Xiaozhen wiped away tears as well, “Cha’er, you’ll be able to study from now on, get into a good university in the future, and leave these mountains behind.”

Their happiness for Jiang Cha was genuine, despite her having only been here a year—and most of that time spent enduring hardships.

Jiang Cha noticed their kindness and said, “Mom, once I start going to school, there won’t be anyone left to help you with the work at home. You’ll just have to wait for me to come back after class.”

Their family owned 100 square meters of land, all planted with fruit trees. The climate here was warm and humid year-round, not suitable for rice cultivation.

The largest crops were fruits. Back when Jiang Dazhu was still alive, Zheng Xiaozhen managed the fields.

The land was divided into four small plots, growing mangoes, passion fruit, bananas, and papayas.

The small size of the land meant limited yields. Selling ripe fruit in the provincial capital could bring in seven or eight yuan a month if all went well.

Zheng Xiaozhen’s eyes were red, but she still smiled, “Cha’er, don’t worry. The secretary found me a job picking tea on the mountain ahead. It pays ten yuan a month!”

Tea-picking was hard labor. Jiang Cha didn’t want Zheng Xiaozhen to do such physical work anymore and was pondering how to tell her she had plenty of money now.

Her gaze accidentally met Jiang Yun’s yearning eyes. Jiang Yun was twelve this year, the right age to enter middle school.

This village’s only school covered from elementary to high school in one place. Tuition for middle school was two yuan cheaper than high school, and aside from miscellaneous fees, it cost only about five yuan a year.

That was roughly what Jiang Cha could earn in a day.

“Mom, I can make money now. Let Xiao Yun go to school with me. Here’s eight yuan.”

Jiang Cha pulled out some scattered money from her bag. Zheng Xiaozhen’s mouth fell open, but then she grabbed Jiang Cha aside, suddenly alert.

“Cha’er, where did this money come from? You haven’t done anything wrong, have you? Don’t be foolish! Have you forgotten what happened to your father? We don’t want ill-gotten gains.”

Zheng Xiaozhen was on edge, unsure what to do. Jiang Cha gently patted her hand to reassure her.

“Don’t worry, this money is all earned properly. I can’t tell you the details, but I promise I haven’t done anything wrong. Besides, you’re getting older; don’t pick tea anymore. Our family has money now. Even in the worst months, we’ll have at least 100 yuan.”

Zheng Xiaozhen was stunned, her mouth wide open. Seeing the certainty on Jiang Cha’s face, she inexplicably believed her daughter.

Yet, she still wanted to work picking tea—having been busy her whole life, she couldn’t just stop.

Jiang Cha sighed helplessly but agreed, “Alright then, just don’t overwork yourself. Our family is the richest in this village. Don’t worry about saving money!”

Jiang Yun happily hugged Jiang Cha, “Yay! I can go to school too! I’ll be a cultured person someday!”

Jiang Cha chuckled. What was this little girl so excited about? School made her this happy?

Going to school meant preparing supplies, and those had to come from their own pocket.

Jiang Cha took Jiang Yun to the supply cooperative to buy stationery, backpacks, and other necessities. They prepared everything thoroughly, spending five yuan, which shocked the staff at the cooperative.

Spending five yuan on school supplies—so rich!

The children drooled with envy, and Jiang Yun proudly paraded her new stationery around the street, hugging it even when she went to sleep.

After what happened last night, Zhong Wanwan was much more low-key. Seeing Jiang Cha at the supply store, she quickly hid away.

Jiang Cha didn’t hold a grudge; she was busy anyway. Now that she was going to school, she wasn’t sure if she’d have time to complete her tasks.

The next day, just as dawn broke in the east, Jiang Cha was still groggy but felt as if a mountain was pressing down on her, making it hard to breathe.

“Sister, sister, we’re going to school!”

Jiang Yun was dressed neatly in a short-sleeved, cross-collared shirt and linen shorts sewn by Zheng Xiaozhen. She wore strappy little sandals and a red scarf.

She clambered onto Jiang Cha, softly calling out.

Jiang Cha was numb. Looking at the time, it wasn’t even six o’clock yet. The school hadn’t opened.

Not wanting to dampen Jiang Yun’s enthusiasm, she sleepily got up, ate the baked rice cakes Zheng Xiaozhen had prepared, and weakly slung her backpack over her shoulder before stepping out.

All the way there, Jiang Yun hummed a little tune, a stark contrast to Jiang Cha’s sour mood, who felt like a great victim, full of resentment.

As expected, the school was still closed upon their arrival.

This school, the village’s only, was tucked into the mountains. It was small, with just three tile-roofed buildings housing the elementary, middle, and high school classrooms. Between them lay an open space serving as the playground.

Only families who could afford to eat properly sent their children here, so there weren’t many students. A silver fence surrounded the school gate, locked with a big padlock.

Jiang Cha squatted by the side and took out some wafer cookies she had prepared in her backpack.

Recently, the supply cooperative had stocked imported wafers, but since they were expensive and couldn’t be bought with ration coupons—only cash—they never sold a single box.

Jiang Cha, however, bought three boxes at once. She didn’t even want to recall the looks the cooperative staff had given her—like she was some kind of monkey.

“Sister, these cookies are so delicious! I wish I hadn’t eaten those rice cakes.”

The two of them squatted by the school gate, crumbs scattered on their faces.

“These are your snacks, not meals. Remember, if you can understand the lessons, listen carefully. If not, just eat more, alright?”

Jiang Cha reminded her. While education was important, a happy childhood mattered more. She didn’t want Jiang Yun to repeat the path she had trod in her previous life.

[ Chirp chirp— ]

Suddenly, Jiang Cha felt something prickling her bottom and heard a sound like a mouse nibbling. She was so startled that the wafer cookie in her mouth dropped to the ground.

“Ah!”

She screamed and stood up, spotting an unknown creature eating the fallen wafer.

“What on earth are you?”

From Jiang Cha’s perspective, it looked like some kind of mutated rat.

[ Sister, don’t be afraid. I’m a pangolin, and I don’t bite! This cookie smells so good, nom nom! ]

Jiang Cha stepped aside and saw the creature’s true form. She instantly relaxed—it was just the pangolin from “Calabash Brothers”!