Dream Delivery System: My Delivery Jobs Keep Changing History – CH59

Chapter 59

“Sorry, please come in and have a seat. My brother is so willful; I really troubled you.” She opened the door.

“It’s fine.” Jiang Jitang knew her “sorry” was an apology for her earlier attitude, but he had never taken it to heart.

With anyone else, the child would have really been scammed.

Jiang Jitang stepped inside.

It was a two-story countryside villa. The first floor contained the kitchen, dining room, living room, guest room, and bathroom. Sitting in the living room and glancing sideways, he could see a corner of the kitchen. It already had electrical appliances, but the main energy source was still something like gas.

In the living room, two appliances stood out: a large-headed television and a similarly bulky air conditioner. A telephone hung on the wall.

His previous judgment had been off. Judging by the village school setup, he’d assumed the area was like the 1970s–80s in the C-Nation. But now it seemed there was a difference: this place resembled a developed country in the 70s–80s.

“Tea?” A cup of black tea sat on the coffee table.

Jiang Jitang returned the gaze: “Thank you.”

The gem snail had already left the fish tank. Excited, it clung to the custard-yellow diamond, chirping happily, and casually gave the previously treasured pink glass bead to the boy.

The boy’s face turned red with joy: “This gem will be really useful for the snail. It even returned a gift to me.”

“Or maybe it found something better, so it doesn’t need a replacement?” the sister teased. “Even after connecting a spiritual bridge, it still doesn’t understand its own magical beast. Really silly.”

Jiang Jitang immediately perked up: spiritual bridge? Does that mean without this bridge, you can’t understand a magical beast’s language? Then why had he understood the gem snail?

Considering this might be common knowledge in the task world, he didn’t ask aloud. He decided to try next time to see if this was a special case.

“This might be a bit forward, but my brother is a fool. He thought 1,200 yuan would buy a sufficiently hard gem. I don’t know how much you spent—what kind of gem is this?”

“Sister!” The boy frowned at being called a fool.

Jiang Jitang put down his cup: “1,200 yuan would indeed be too little for a suitable gem. But I have private channels—I can get lab-grown gems.”

“Lab-grown gems?” The sister didn’t understand.

Had lab-grown gems not appeared in this world? Or were they too expensive to circulate?

In the 1980s, when lab-grown gems first emerged, a synthetic gem cost almost as much as a natural one. Thus, the technology circulated only among elites. Perhaps it was the same in this world.

“They simulate outdoor environments, replicating gems one-to-one. Although synthetic, they have all the properties of natural gems. The only difference is they’re easier to obtain, with no other drawbacks.”

The sister was so surprised her tea almost spilled: “I’ve never heard of this. Secret technology from a big city? When I didn’t know, technology outside had already advanced this far?”

“The price of a lab-grown gem is only a tenth—or even less—of a natural one. This one is a lab-grown diamond, a ‘diamond’.”

Jiang Jitang sipped his tea as the siblings stared wide-eyed.

“Your brother needs a hard gem. Diamonds are the hardest among gems—I think it’s suitable.”

Of course it’s suitable—it’s a diamond!

They had considered buying diamonds before, but diamonds were evolution stones for many force-type magical beasts, restricted exports from the Principality of Tephira, and very expensive. Sapphires, rubies, and emeralds were similarly restricted and pricey.

Thus, the family had planned to buy second-tier tourmaline—locally sourced and reasonably priced.

The sister glanced at her grinning brother. What luck—he wasn’t scammed and met a generous benefactor.

Lab-grown gems, unheard of, were likely private experiments from top institutions. They weren’t on the market, bypassing export restrictions and enabling independent production.

She couldn’t help but feel envious!

“Tea? Cake?” The sister didn’t know what else to do. Since they didn’t appear to lack money, she poured tea and brought out small cakes. She also prepared two servings of shaved ice—one for the boy, one for the gem snail. The snail’s portion had a special jam.

So magical beasts also eat? They didn’t seem picky.

“This might be forward, but if I hadn’t taken the order, what kind of gem were you planning to buy? And your budget?” Jiang Jitang asked.

“We originally wanted domestic gems. Although limited mining quotas make them not cheap, it’s better than foreign restricted gems. Gem merchants know we have to use them, so they never lower prices, even though reserves are high…”

Their household had several magical beasts needing gems to evolve. The sister had a lot to complain about.

To evolve the gem snail, a gem with hardness above 7 was needed. 1,200 yuan wasn’t enough; the budget was around 10,000 yuan.

They were an ordinary family, annual income below 100,000 yuan. Buying magical beast eggs and raising beasts had already cost them a lot.

Jiang Jitang was secretly surprised. With similar currency purchasing power, local gem prices were several times Earth’s, let alone foreign specialties.

The reason was simple: these weren’t jewelry—they were resources promoting magical beast evolution. Mining was strictly supervised; no environmental damage, no exceeding annual quotas.

Additionally, only a few countries were modernized; most retained primitive lifestyles and resisted outsiders, making gem circulation difficult.

Under such restrictions, gem prices only rose.

Selling lab-grown gems here seemed promising—the functionality remained unaffected.

While pondering, the boy found another gift in a paper bag: “Wow.”

“!” The sister was startled: “The wings of the Light-type Magical Beast, Goddess Butterfly?!”

“Chirp-chirp!” The gem snail scrambled out of its shaved-ice bowl as fast as possible, carrying its diamond.

“Beautiful, like it, want it.”

“Almost forgot, this is a gift for the child, bought along the way,” Jiang Jitang said, appearing calm, though his mind analyzed the information.

This world also had Blue Flash Butterfly and Light Goddess Butterfly? Apparently similar types of magical beasts existed.

He noticed books on the table. Though written in pictographic symbols, he could read them—they were Magical Beast World magazines.

The cover showed a metallic rock-type magical beast with the text “Latest Evolution Form: Longyan War Chariot.”

Could it transform into machinery, like the big cat at the door?

“How can you give such expensive gifts?” The sister felt flustered. In such a short time, her mindset shifted repeatedly.

What kind of wealthy family casually gifts a fallen wing of a goddess butterfly?

Such rare beasts’ wings were seldom seen, even as fragments. Her silly brother held it in his hand; the gem snail’s intimacy with him would also increase.

“Perhaps fate,” Jiang Jitang said after finishing his tea, standing. “I should go now. Remember a five-star review.”

The siblings couldn’t stop him. They watched his figure fade into the green fields.

“Sis, this big brother is so mysterious.”

“You’ve used up all your luck to meet him.”

The sister couldn’t help pressing her hand on her head, kneading: “So jealous. Why don’t I have this luck?”

“Hehe.” The boy hugged the tank, smiling foolishly. Inside, the gem snail held a diamond in one claw, amber in the other, smiling even sillier.

Actually, Jiang Jitang hadn’t left yet. Five hours would be wasted otherwise.

He walked through vast fields with cicadas chirping, insects flying through branches. This world had magical beasts, ordinary flora and fauna, technological civilization, and magical-beast-derived wonders.

A red-and-black ladybug landed on his fingertip; he flicked it away. His gaze followed it to a leafy tree by the roadside, something glowing above.

Strange—what could it be?

His curiosity prompted him to investigate.

For Jiang Jitang, skilled at climbing since childhood, a ten-meter tree was no challenge.

He climbed, flipping leaves. The tree bore scorch marks—was it struck by lightning? His movements startled resting insects, with metallic shells reflecting sunlight—but these weren’t what he sought.

He sought something that emitted light autonomously.

Persisting, he searched carefully.

Two metallic-colored longhorn beetles fighting? Collected.
A cicada as quiet as a chicken? Collected.

Finally, he found it in a crevice of an insect nest: a nail-sized egg. A soft-shelled egg, elongated and oval, like an enlarged grain of rice.

Unnoticed, it seemed lifeless. Once observed, the pure white shell with blue-purple stripes drew attention.

Every few minutes, the egg faintly glowed, like calling for help—easily overlooked.

“This… could it be a magical beast egg? What species?” Jiang Jitang marveled.

Clutching the egg, he leapt from the tree, startling three children passing by with insect nets.

The children had just arrived, walking from knee-high grass along a muddy path, holding empty bottles with small insects inside.

“Big brother, what are you doing?” the girl in front asked, missing a front tooth.

Jiang Jitang extended his hand—an egg rested in his palm.

“Wow!”

“Wow!”

“Wow! A magical beast egg!” The children were transfixed, following his hand wherever it moved.

“Do you have magical beasts?” Jiang Jitang squatted slightly, meeting the children’s eyes. They relaxed.

“Not yet. But mom said that when I go to school next year, she’ll take me to the Magical Beast Center to buy one. Mom says wild-collected eggs vary in quality, government-issued ones are mediocre, and center-bred eggs are higher quality and more stable.”

The girl’s eyes still glimmered with desire for the egg.

“But mom says eggs from the center are too expensive, practically robbery,” another child interjected. “Mom says wild-collected eggs can be tested; those with strong vitality are usable.”

“Your mom is wrong. My mom says magical beasts are important partners; don’t skimp. Eggs from the center are better and have higher potential.”

“No! My mom says the best magical beasts aren’t in labs, they’re in the wild. Nature breeds the most potential.”

“My mom is right!”

“No! My mom is!”

The two children began arguing. The third looked around, unsure what to do.

“Hahaha.” Jiang Jitang, the mischievous adult, chuckled. The children’s friendship was unknowingly tested.

“Big brother,” the arguing girl suddenly asked, “should we buy from the center or get wild eggs?”

The argument paused; three pairs of eyes looked at him.

Alright, now the pressure was on him.

Jiang Jitang fell silent.