Chapter Three: System Space

Lin Sangqian was startled. "What is that?"
"Little Pup, what's wrong with you?" Liao Shuxia asked in surprise.
"Dad, Mom, can't you see it?" Lin Sangqian blinked. "So much rice, flour, oil! Vegetables and fruit!"
Lin Hongda worriedly touched her forehead. "Is the child so hungry she's become silly? But she doesn't have a fever..."
"I get it!" Lin Sangqian said excitedly. "I must have a system space!"
"Really? Like in the novels?" Liao Shuxia became just as happy. In her spare time, apart from sewing, her favorite thing was reading novels—president stories, farming stories; she’d probably read hundreds.
So as soon as Lin Sangqian mentioned it, she understood immediately, but Lin Hongda was left baffled.
"Yes! Don't worry, let me take a look first..."
Lin Sangqian's gaze wandered around the warehouse. Suddenly, she noticed a large, square screen hanging on one of the walls, with a single line written on it.
"Starting points: thirty."
"Starting points? I see. To take things from here, I must need points. But how do I earn them?"
Immediately, another line appeared on the screen: "For every good deed done, corresponding points will be added. When points reach one thousand, the exchange system will be opened, allowing the exchange of goods from other spaces."
"So, I need to do good deeds," Lin Sangqian nodded in understanding. "This system space is quite kind; I like it. And I can exchange things from other spaces! That means, with enough points, I won't just be able to get food."
Another line appeared on the screen: "For every handsome man you win over, you receive one thousand points directly."
Lin Sangqian: "?"
Was the reward for winning over a handsome man really that high?
But...what counted as winning someone over?
However, the screen seemed to malfunction and showed nothing further.
"Little Pup, see if you can take out something to eat?"
Yes, that was the most pressing matter now.
Lin Sangqian saw that every item in the warehouse had a small sign in front of it with a price.
Rice and flour were three points per pound, oil was five points a barrel, a chicken seven points each, pork, beef, and mutton eight points per pound. Various vegetables were four points for a bunch or a basket, and scallions, ginger, garlic, and seasonings were cheap—just one point for a lot.

She drew a sharp breath. "The things here aren't cheap; I only have thirty starting points..."
After some thought, Lin Sangqian took a pound each of rice and flour, a barrel of oil, one prepared chicken, a basket of mushrooms, a bundle of bok choy, and various seasonings.
In an instant, all these items appeared before the three of them.
Lin Hongda jumped in fright. "What? Where did these things come from?"
Liao Shuxia, however, was overjoyed. "It's real! Little Pup, you're amazing. From now on, you're my idol!"
Lin Sangqian looked at her points, now down to three, and felt a pang of heartache.
Still, the things she'd just brought out would probably last the family a few days.
Tomorrow, she would go out and do good deeds!
She silently thought about closing the system space, and sure enough, the warehouse vanished from her view.
Lin Hongda and Liao Shuxia counted the supplies. Liao Shuxia said, "Tonight we can make chicken stew with mushrooms, and tomorrow...we can use the flour to make pancakes!"
"Dad, Mom, we have to ration this carefully," Lin Sangqian reminded them.
"Don't worry. When we were young, our family was very poor. Though life got better later, we never forgot how to economize," Lin Hongda assured her.
"Sweetheart, are you cooking or am I?" Liao Shuxia looked at her expectantly.
Although Liao Shuxia was a housewife, her cooking was rather mediocre.
Lin Sangqian, on the other hand, though not often in the kitchen due to her work as a doctor, was renowned among all who had tasted her food—her skills rivaled a seven-star chef.
"The brothers are still at home. Let's not let them find out," Lin Sangqian whispered. "After all, the original owner of this body couldn't cook."
Seeing the disappointment on her parents' faces, Lin Sangqian relented. "Alright. We'll just say I'm helping you. Anyway, the boys won't be watching the kitchen all the time."
"Great!"
In truth, Lin Sangqian hadn't expected the three of them to adapt so quickly to her transmigration.
But on second thought, since they had come, they might as well make the best of it. They were supposed to be dead, but not only had they survived, they'd become young again—why not embrace it?
She and her parents carried the ingredients to the kitchen. The so-called kitchen was really just a small room with a makeshift stove, but it had all the necessary utensils.
The kitchen was quite clean, and with a quick tidy-up, they were ready to cook.

Lin Hongda was clueless about kitchen matters and was promptly shooed out by the mother and daughter.
Hearing the commotion, the three brothers came in from their room. At the sight of rice and flour, their eyes widened; when they saw the barrel of oil and the chicken, their jaws dropped.
"Mother, where did all this come from? There's even a chicken!" Lin Wenyan exclaimed in disbelief.
A chicken now sold for dozens of coins!
Liao Shuxia was at a loss for words, stammering for a long time without coming up with an explanation. Lin Sangqian had a flash of inspiration and said, "These were just sent over by Mother's friend."
"Mother, since when do you have such generous friends?" Lin Beitao swallowed excitedly.
It had been at least a year since he'd eaten meat!
The restaurant where they worked had a stingy owner who withheld wages, treated them poorly, and didn’t even allow them to eat leftovers.
"You don't know her. My friend's family is well-off," Liao Shuxia replied with a cheerful laugh. "You boys go on now—I'll have dinner ready soon! Qianqian can help me here."
"Mother, don't make little sister do this, let me help," Lin Yanbei stepped forward.
"We can help too," Lin Wenyan and Lin Beitao echoed.
Lin Sangqian lowered her head, composing herself. When she looked up again, her eyes were brimming with tears.
"Brothers, you work so hard outside already. Now that you're finally home, how can I let you do these chores? Don't worry, I'm older now and can help out too! Please, let me do it!"
"Little sister..." The three brothers' noses tingled with emotion, not expecting their ten-year-old sister to be so considerate.
"Brothers!"
"Little sister!"
Liao Shuxia: "?"
Is this a melodrama?
Finally managing to send the three brothers away, Lin Sangqian and Liao Shuxia rolled up their sleeves, ready to begin.
"This chicken is really nice," Liao Shuxia sighed. "It's as if it was just slaughtered and plucked, it's so clean!"