God-Tier Get Rich System – CH113

Chapter 113: Transmigrated Into a Book

Xu Huazhang lifted the fish basket to catch it. “It’s all thanks to your teaching.”

Mu Lantu: He honestly couldn’t tell whether that was praise or sarcasm.

Of course it was praise—Xu Huazhang was practically ready to let him sit on his shoulders; how could he bear to scold him?

“Comrade Mu! Comrade Xu!”

Tie Dan and Gou Dan came running at full speed, craning their necks. Their eyes practically glued to the fish basket and water bucket, not even blinking.

Mu Lantu handed them some of the sunflower seeds he hadn’t finished eating.

“Comrade Mu, next time we’ll gather two bundles of firewood for you!”

“Alright, thank you both.”

Tie Dan was quick-witted. After squatting nearby and watching for a while, he realized that there were more fish and shrimp around the spot Mu Lantu and Xu Huazhang had chosen.

“Comrade Mu, Comrade Xu, can we fish for crawfish here too?”

Xu Huazhang’s face stiffened: Always some little rascal disturbing his two-person world with his baby.

Mu Lantu quietly laughed.

“Of course you can. But when we head back, you must leave with us. You’re not allowed to stay by the river without adults nearby.”

Tie Dan and Gou Dan had heard such reminders countless times from their own parents, so they readily agreed without hesitation.

They improvised, breaking willow twigs into fishing lines. Mu Lantu gave them two pieces of cotton thread, but didn’t share his pork jerky.

Without Mu Lantu’s pork jerky as bait, the two kids dug up earthworms. Even so, they still had decent luck and caught quite a few shrimp.

Mu Lantu and Xu Huazhang caught even more, giving Tie Dan and Gou Dan a pound each, while they themselves had more than four pounds left. Half a pound of that was thanks to Wangcai the dog.

Xu Huazhang also caught three fish weighing over a pound each.

Mu Lantu caught one fish, about seven or eight ounces. After that, he kept fishing for crawfish—those bit quickly, giving him more sense of accomplishment.

By a little past ten, the sun was blazing hotter.

Mu Lantu’s clothes were soaked with sweat. Xu Huazhang put away the fishing rods.

“Lantu, shall we go home?”

Tie Dan and Gou Dan were sensible, not fussing to stay.

But Mu Lantu didn’t want to leave.

“Let’s fish a bit longer. Ten more minutes.”

Xu Huazhang quietly fanned him.

In the soft breeze, Mu Lantu smelled the sweetness of young love—and suddenly lost all desire to keep fishing.

He packed up the rod. “Let’s go home.”

The four parted ways midway.

Mu Lantu and Xu Huazhang made sure the two kids actually entered the village before heading back.

They washed their faces, then busied themselves in the backyard.

The vegetables were thriving: plump eggplants, long beans cascading like waterfalls, bright red peppers dangling like ribbons…

With a ladder at home, Xu Huazhang carried the vegetables that couldn’t fit in the yard up to the roof to dry.

The sun was strong today. Mu Lantu also brought the bedding out to dry—sunlight would remove dampness and kill germs.

After finishing up, they cooked.

Mu Lantu listed the ingredients and seasonings needed for lunch. Xu Huazhang prepped them one by one. Fire tending and cleanup afterward were also his jobs. Because of this, Mu Lantu no longer disliked cooking.

After lunch, Mu Lantu listened—no sounds next door. The new educated youths hadn’t arrived yet.

Xu Huazhang spread out the bamboo mat, lit mosquito coils, and told him to nap inside.

Mu Lantu dawdled in.

“When will we ever get electricity?”

With no fans or air conditioning, summer indoors was stiflingly hot, and the mosquitoes were a nightmare. The mosquito coils helped, but in a half-closed house, the smell became unbearable.

Xu Huazhang didn’t like summer either. Because of the heat, Mu Lantu wasn’t very enthusiastic about certain things.

“Want to stay in the county town?”

“Spending a couple of days there now and then is fine, but living there all the time isn’t convenient,” Mu Lantu sprayed some floral water on the mat. “Vegetables ripen in the garden every day. If we don’t pick them in time, they’ll get tough.”

Xu Huazhang, resting his head on one arm, gazed at him intently.

“I’ll think of a way.”

Mu Lantu waved his hand. “I was just grumbling. Better to stay low-key.”

Xu Huazhang asked, “What if I miss you?”

Meeting his burning gaze, Mu Lantu felt a current run through his body, trembling faintly.

“Shall we… bathe in the river tonight?”

Xu Huazhang frowned. The river was too dirty, and it was crowded at night.

“Tomorrow, let’s go to the county?”

Yielding to desire, Mu Lantu nodded.

Xu Huazhang leaned in, about to kiss him—when suddenly, noise erupted next door.

“Captain Xu, you there?” It was the brigade leader.

The new educated youths had arrived.

On the cart, five exhausted newcomers, worn out from the journey, perked up at the sight of three brand-new houses with neatly paved bluestone out front.

“Comrades, here we are. Come down.”

“Captain, are the conditions at our Youth Center spot really this good?”

“Are we free to choose among the three courtyards?”

The first voice was a young woman, the second a young man.

Just as Mu Lantu came out fanning himself, he overheard, pausing in his steps.

Miao Jiaze and Du Xuewen, wearing vests, baggy shorts, and clunky sandals, exchanged amused glances. Who are these people? Dreaming too big.

The four greeted the brigade leader, who laughed cheerfully.

“Those two courtyards over there were built at the Youths’ own expense. This one here is the official Youth spot, built by our brigade. If you want to build your own house, that’s fine too. Apply for land anytime. But once you return to the city, the house reverts to the brigade, no conditions attached.

“Captain Xu, I’ll leave them to you. Explain the rest yourself. I need to get this cow fed and watered.”

Xu Jincheng said, “Leave it to me. Take care on your way back.”

“Good.” The brigade leader turned to Mu Lantu and Xu Huazhang. “Comrade Mu, Comrade Xu, come by my house tonight. It’s little Minmin’s birthday, she wants to invite you both for dinner.”

Even Xu Jincheng was envious—the brigade leader clearly held Mu Lantu and Xu Huazhang in high regard.

“Of course, we’ll be there,” Mu Lantu smiled. “Your Minmin is really good at keeping secrets. She’ll definitely have a bright future. We met her this morning—she didn’t breathe a word.”

The brigade leader roared with laughter. “You flatter her! She may not amount to much, but compared to the others at home, she’s certainly the most sensible.”

The new Educated Youths whispered among themselves—Who’s Minmin?

A female educated youth smiled brightly, her voice like a lark. “Judging by the name, probably the brigade leader’s little granddaughter?”

After the brigade leader left, everyone went into the youth spot together.

Each side was sizing the other up. The old youths worried newcomers might be troublemakers; the new ones worried the veterans might be difficult. Everyone had their own thoughts.

“Hello, comrades, my name is Wang Guofu, from Chun City. I’m eighteen this year. Please take care of me!”

“My name’s Li Tie, from Yang City, twenty years old. Please look after me.”

“I’m Cai Xiufen, from Chun City, eighteen. Please take care of me.”

“Yan Xuan, from Hai City, eighteen. Nice to meet you all.”

“Hello everyone, I’m Jiang Qiaohui, from An City, eighteen. I can cook, sew, and knit sweaters—I’m pretty good. If anyone has questions in those areas, feel free to ask.”

005 suddenly exclaimed: [Host! I’ve found a problem!]

[What problem?] Mu Lantu asked casually.

[Host, you might have transmigrated into a book!]

[…Huh?]

Mu Lantu doubted his ears. He had been in this world for over a year—now it tells him he’s transmigrated into a book?

005 said timidly: [It seems like you have, but also kind of not…]

Mu Lantu was speechless, got up, and excused himself.

“Brother Xu, since Comrade Wang and the others just arrived, you must have a lot to take care of. Huazhang and I will head back.”

Xu Jincheng walked them out. “Since you two are busy tonight, let’s move the welcome party to tomorrow evening.”

Xu Huazhang said coolly, “No need to change plans for us. You all should have your fun.”

Xu Jincheng, inexplicably nervous facing Xu Huazhang, replied, “It’s not really changing for you. They’re all tired from the journey today anyway. Tomorrow is better.”

Mu Lantu tugged at Xu Huazhang’s wrist. “We’ll be going to the county tomorrow, but we’ll come back early and bring two good dishes for everyone.”

Xu Jincheng smiled. “Perfect. It’s been a long time since we had a proper feast.”

The five newcomers quietly waited for their chatter to end, but all noticed how respectful the captain was to Comrade Mu Lantu and Comrade Xu.

Mu Lantu’s eyes naturally brushed over Jiang Qiaohui’s face. His lashes lowered, hiding the flicker in his gaze. Jiang Qiaohui had been staring at him, Huazhang, and Su Qianqian for quite some time.

Back home, he lay down on the kang again, eyes closed, pretending to sleep.

[Little five, now you can explain. What’s going on?]

Xu Huazhang closed his eyes too, fanning them both.

005 said: [Host, both Zhang Jingxian and the Dongfanghong Brigade appear in a book I’ve once read—“The Cold, Aloof Educated Youth, Sweetly in My Arms.”]

The Cold, Aloof Educated Youth, Sweetly in My Arms?

Mu Lantu winced. What terrible taste little five had.

005 didn’t notice the disdain. […When those names appeared, I thought it was just coincidence. But now Jiang Qiaohui has appeared too. She also existed in the book, though just as a minor character with less than two hundred words of presence.]

[What’s that book about? And why say I might have transmigrated, but also might not have?] Mu Lantu was intrigued. He’d heard of transmigration novels, but never thought he’d end up in one himself.

005 lowered its voice further. [That was the ninety-ninth “educated youth something something” novel I skimmed through. I didn’t like it much, just glanced over. In the book, Jiang Qiaohui never went to Dongfanghong Brigade—her sister Jiang Qiaozhu did. Jiang Qiaohui went to the countryside in Donghu City instead.]

The more Mu Lantu listened, the more confused he got. That amount of information wasn’t enough to prove anything.

But he didn’t dwell. Whether transmigrated or not, it didn’t really matter.

Time to nap.

“Got it figured out?” Xu Huazhang suddenly asked.

Mu Lantu jolted, turning his head to see Xu Huazhang watching him with a smile. “You’re not asleep?”

“Your aura’s been restless,” Xu Huazhang said.

Mu Lantu turned on his side. “Do you know what I just realized?”

“What?” Xu Huazhang leaned closer.

Mu Lantu said, “We’re in a book. Do you know what that means? It means we’ve crossed into a novel world.”

Xu Huazhang looked intrigued. “Does the book have us in it? What are we like in the story?”