Chapter 109: Chen Yechu’s Warning
When Ning Xiyue heard Wang Jiandong’s words, she grew thoughtful, and Aunt Qian’s comment came back to her mind.
Could it be that the original owner’s stone bead bracelet was still hiding something unusual?
She cast a discreet glance at the stone bracelet on Ning Xiaoxiao’s wrist.
The small stones on it had been rubbed so often that they were now smooth and glossy, with a layer of patina. To the naked eye, nothing seemed different. The number of stones was still the same too — none were missing.
Although her eyes couldn’t detect anything, she still had a special “tool” — her energy-devouring system spirit. After all, it was the system spirit that had first sensed and absorbed the energy back then, and it was absolutely enthusiastic about anything energy-related.
Silently, Ning Xiyue sent a signal to the little turtle spirit that had retreated back into the system.
“System, hurry up and check if there’s any energy fluctuation on Ning Xiaoxiao. If there is, you’ll have a nice energy feast again — we can’t miss this chance.”
[Energy? Wait for me!]
The little turtle became instantly excited the moment it heard the word energy. Its lazy voice now carried the same joy as a sheep finding a field full of fresh grass. Its eyes lit up bright green, and in less than a second, it materialized in front of her. Like a radar, its two tiny eyes scanned Ning Xiaoxiao’s entire body from head to toe.
But the more it scanned, the deeper its frown became — its forehead wrinkled in confusion, and the excitement in its gaze gradually turned to puzzlement.
[Host, this is strange. I sense a trace of some unknown energy residue… but at the same time, it feels like it doesn’t exist — faint, elusive, almost unreal.]
“Focus on that bracelet on her hand,” Ning Xiyue reminded it. “Check if there’s anything you missed.”
System 3333 shook its head. [Nothing. Back then, only the one bead you took from that bracelet was a real energy core. The rest were just ordinary stones — that’s for certain.]
[For now, I can’t tell whether the faint energy I sensed on Ning Xiaoxiao was just something she picked up from outside or if it’s something genuinely abnormal. I’ll have to keep observing. If another fluctuation occurs while we’re in the same commune, I’ll definitely detect it.]
[By the way… if I do find new energy this time, can I keep it all to myself?] The little turtle looked at Ning Xiyue with a dead-serious expression, then fluttered over and grabbed her hands with its tiny claws, acting all cute and pleading. [Great Host, have mercy on your poor little system~]
Faced with such a cute little turtle begging for affection, how could Ning Xiyue refuse? Her heart melted instantly.
“Eat, eat, eat — it’s all yours. No matter what kind of energy it is, I don’t want any. Everything goes to you.”
“But, System,” she added with a bit of concern, “can other energy bodies detect you too?” She was worried about the little turtle getting ambushed or outplayed.
[Don’t worry, Host. After the system upgrade, nothing in this small world can threaten me anymore,” the turtle replied proudly, shaking its tiny head with confidence.]
Ning Xiyue felt relieved but still gave a reminder: “Alright, just stay cautious — better safe than sorry.”
Once their conversation ended, the turtle focused all its attention on watching Ning Xiaoxiao. With it keeping an eye on her, Ning Xiyue didn’t need to worry too much. She rubbed her growling stomach and headed into the kitchen to make lunch.
The other people in the commune also snapped out of their daze and went back to their tasks.
Wu Guifang frowned as she returned to the kitchen — thanks to all this drama, lunch still wasn’t done. Ever since Ning Xiaoxiao came back, there hadn’t been a moment of peace. That girl was nothing but trouble, and who knew what kind of mess she’d stir up next. Wu Guifang decided she needed to talk to the team leader about this.
Chen Yechu shot Ning Xiaoxiao a cold glare and left a harsh warning:
“Watch your mouth. If I hear you spreading nonsense again, I’ll tear that filthy mouth of yours apart.”
With that, she turned on her heel and walked straight to her own kitchen.
Yu Zhiyu also left a few stern words of warning before heading back. She ladled out half of the stewed pork with vermicelli she’d made, placed it in a bowl, and carried it over to Chen Yechu’s kitchen.
Soon, Ning Xiaoxiao was the only one left standing in the courtyard. Her eyes were full of disdain, her heart brimming with hatred. She had clearly ignored all the warnings.
“Hmph, you’ll all get what’s coming to you,” she muttered coldly before returning to her room.
Meanwhile, the little mosquito clone that Ning Xiyue’s turtle system had released — Mini Mosquito No. n — landed silently on Ning Xiaoxiao and followed her back inside.
After lunch, when they returned to their rooms for a midday rest, Chen Yechu closed the door behind them, pulled Ning Xiyue to the table, and even brought out a plate of snacks. She was clearly ready to chat about what had happened earlier.
“Xiyue, have some. I fried these potato chips myself — sprinkled them with chili powder. They’re fragrant and delicious.”
Looking at the spicy potato chips on the table, Ning Xiyue swallowed hard. It had been a long time since she’d had them, and she was craving a taste.
She went and brought a plate of five-spice sunflower seeds and two cups of water to the table, smiling.
“A good chat needs snacks and tea, right?”
“You’re always so thoughtful. Come, sit — we’ve never really sat down like this to talk.” Chen Yechu patted the bench beside her. Once Ning Xiyue sat, she urged her, “Try them, quickly.”
“Then I won’t be polite.” Ning Xiyue reached for the long-missed spicy potato chips from Guizhou. Crunch, crunch — they were just as crispy and delicious as she remembered.
If there was one flaw in her check-in system, it was that she couldn’t get any of the endless varieties of modern snacks.
She used to love these spicy chips — every time she shopped online, she’d buy several jin and keep them at home. They were cheaper and tastier than the branded packaged chips from the supermarket. She’d missed them dearly.
“Mmm, so good. They smell amazing. I’ve never had anything like this. One of these days, I’ll go to the team and trade for some potatoes too, so I can fry chips myself — maybe send some to my brother. You just fry them and then sprinkle chili powder on top, right?”
Ning Xiyue teased her a little — though it was also a subtle reminder for Chen Yechu.
Chen Yechu got the hint and smiled sweetly. “Pretty much. I can teach you when the time comes.”
“Great, thanks in advance.” Ning Xiyue grabbed another chip — opportunities like this were rare, and she wanted to savor every bite. Homemade ones never quite matched the taste of the store-bought ones.
“Here, have some sunflower seeds too.”
“Alright.” Chen Yechu cracked some seeds and started chatting.
“Xiyue, have you noticed? Ning Xiaoxiao’s changed a lot this time. The way she sits alone and stares at people — it’s downright scary. Today, I turned around by accident and caught her look. It gave me chills… like a venomous snake hiding in a sewer, watching you, plotting something nasty.”
“She has changed. But no matter how much she changes, if she dares to mess with me, she’d better be ready to get smashed with a brick.” Ning Xiyue wasn’t afraid in the slightest — if push came to shove, she’d fight.
“Right.” Chen Yechu said firmly, her respect clear in her eyes. “I should get myself a brick too, carry it as a weapon. If anyone tries to hurt me, I’ll hit them right back.”
Oops — she might have just corrupted the once-gentle heroine a little.
Ning Xiyue felt oddly proud and smiled. “By the way, what started the fight between you two today?”
“What else? Ning Xiaoxiao was standing there talking in that fake sweet-and-sour way, throwing insults and slandering my reputation. If she’s going to bully me, I’m not going to just sit and take it.”
Chen Yechu was still fuming.
“She’s clearly holding a grudge — hates us for sending her to labor reform. But she should really reflect on why she was sent there in the first place.”
“Xiyue, you should stay on guard. I noticed something else — she’s been muttering to herself, saying things that don’t make sense. And I heard her mention Wang Mazi’s name.”
At that, Chen Yechu’s face grew worried, and her voice dropped. “Wang Mazi looks like an honest man, but he’s actually rotten to the core. He likes to grope women. I’ve heard that some female educated youths have suffered because of him before. Luckily, nothing too serious happened.”
She added another warning: “If you ever run into Wang Mazi on the road, stay away. Men are always physically stronger than women — it’s too easy to get hurt.”
“Mm, I got it. You be careful too. Try not to walk alone if you can.” Ning Xiyue gave her a grateful smile, but inside, she took note of the name Wang Mazi.
