Saving System: Calm Down, My Fleeing Host!-Chapter 22: The Plan

While Cheng Xiaoxiao’s mind was racing, the screen in front lit up.

Beep!

System Coin: 23 coins

Then another sound, beep!

System Coin: 53 coins

"Host, the host just received two portions of Gratitude Points, look, we have money now, we have 53 coins!"

Cheng Xiaoxiao’s eyes lit up too. Yes, she still has the System Mall; as long as she works hard on tasks, with money she can buy more good things—how could she worry about not supporting a family?

It’s not yet time for despair; she must hurry to earn money and hoard supplies.

"Host, you received some energy here, take a look at your compression warehouse, it can be opened now." The system was happy, the host now has her own warehouse.

Cheng Xiaoxiao looked at the screen, in the lower right corner a small package-like icon lit up, with small words below: Compression Warehouse 10 cubic meters.

"So I have 10 cubic meters of storage space to use, right!" Great, she just needed this.

"It should be the energy provided by the person saved, never mind that person for now, time is tight, she needs to be quick to save herself."

"Yes, host, you got this!"

At this moment, Erya ran in joyfully, "Sis, auntie has woken up."

"Okay, let’s go see her!" she said, getting up and putting on her shoes.

The room where her aunt was staying was her big brother’s; since he wasn’t there anymore, letting her aunt stay was nothing, but joining the army... alive without a trace, dead without a body, who knows if the original big brother was really dead.

Entering the room, a group of people, including the uncle and others were there, all surrounding the bed, offering words of comfort to Cheng Chudong—a scene warm and touching.

Looking at the thin, emaciated woman lying on the bed, repeatedly saying words of gratitude and remorse, crying and laughing, pulling at her painful wound, but she didn’t care.

Cheng Chudong, who was waiting for death, never expected to see her daughter again, see her brothers, and have a day when she escaped the wolf’s den—emotions mixed with joy and sorrow, though her body was broken, she still wanted to live, wanting to spend more time with her daughter; if she died, what would happen to her daughter? She dared not think, but that day’s events were so sudden, she had no time to make arrangements, so she was left waiting to die.

Thankfully, thankfully, she still has two brothers who don’t resent her, willing to accept her—it was all her misunderstanding before.

"Auntie, feeling better? You can’t be too emotional, pulling at the wound is not good," Cheng Xiaoxiao thought it looked painful.

Cheng Chudong steadied her emotions, "Thank you, Xiaoxiao, I heard you came up with the idea to save me, it was me who was narrow-minded before, it won’t happen again."

"Okay, no problem, auntie should quickly heal, we still have a long time ahead, in the future you’ll see the two sisters get married, right?" Cheng Xiaoxiao teased.

"Yes, now you just focus on recovering." Aunt chimed in as well.

"Right, now that everyone’s here, I’ll say something about the herbal medicine—before I thought we would start as a family, but this time, seeing the villagers were so kind and helped us greatly, let’s involve the whole village!"

Previously, she thought their family would pioneer the development, then guide the village to grow herbal medicine, making the business sustainable; now it’s not needed at all, they must clear the mountain’s herbs with the fastest speed.

"Isn’t it inappropriate? Now the mountain has only so many herbs, if all picked at once, how will we..." Cheng Hao didn’t want to be selfish, after all, the village helped their family, but if openly shared, he was a bit reluctant.

Liu Family also said, "Exactly, we’ve barely started living better, how can we let others benefit."

Mr. Cheng said gloomily, "Xiaoxiao, can’t we reveal later?" Now the sister needs long-term medication, two daughters plus two nieces, son needs schooling—it’s a lot of pressure.

Cheng Xiaoxiao was surprised, others’ objections were expected, but to see her honest father disagree too.

"She looked up at her father." Suddenly she understood, both families were under great pressure, finally able to change, none wanted to miss the chance, especially Mr. Cheng as head of the family, with great responsibility and stress but lacking strength.

Looking at his daughter staring at him, Mr. Cheng suddenly lost the courage to say anything, upset greatly—it was his ineffectiveness leading to his daughter’s difficulty, "Dad, just talking, whatever Xiaoxiao wants to do, dad supports you."

Turning back, scanning the crowd, how to begin reasonably? Not in times of disaster, who’s willing to share, quietly making wealth—isn’t that sweet?

"First, the village helped us, we must give back."

"Second, now’s the best season to pick herbs, missing it, maybe next year, we few won’t collect much, better to benefit everyone and build goodwill."

"Third, aunt needs long-term medication, Brother Jia and Brother Ran need tuition, taxes paid after harvest; how much can we really keep, so accumulating silver quickly is the safest."

"Owing the village a favor, worst case we treat them to a meal, and leftover after harvest not much, we can eat less, wild vegetables are fine too." Though Xiaoxiao was reasonable, Liu Family was still a bit reluctant.

"Don’t worry Aunt, we’ll store more silver this year, once herbs are gone, they’re gone, next year I still have ways to earn money." Persuading this group accustomed to poverty, she felt heartbroken—ah! so difficult.

Seeing Cheng Xiaoxiao resolute, likely with a plan already, Cheng Hao spoke, "Dad, Uncle let’s proceed as Xiaoxiao said! You know when she took a loss? Isn’t it said money is earned, not saved? Why are we timid, lacking even this bit of courage? How can we go further?"

After hearing, everyone remained silent.

Cheng Xiaoxiao gave a thumbs-up to Second Brother, so awesome! Scholars are different, said things more logically than her, more convincing.

Cheng Hao smiled slightly at Cheng Xiaoxiao, his sister becoming more assertive, increasingly unreadable.

Why does Second Brother’s smile seem meaningful? Has he discovered something? Scholars are indeed sly.

Ah! She also wanted to proceed gradually, slowly assimilating, originally planned as such, but ended so high-profile, actual situations didn’t allow! Suspect then suspect, soon everyone’s life is at risk, who’ll care for this.

"We support Sis." Erya and Brother Jia said in unison.

Cheng Jia tugged his father’s sleeve, "Dad, let’s support Sis! Sis is the smartest person, listening to her definitely won’t be wrong."

Mr. Cheng felt amused and exasperated, did he say he opposed?

Cheng Qiang asserted with grand authority, "Then let’s do this! Since Xiaoxiao and Ah Hao find it feasible, we shouldn’t hinder."

"Second brother, invite the village head tomorrow, Eldest Brother invites Uncle Beiniu, Second Brother invites Clan Leader, to discuss together at home, tomorrow we as a village, earn together."

At this moment, Cheng Qiang finally had some patriarch authority.

Everyone nodded, Cheng Xiaoxiao sighed in relief, finally communicated thoroughly.