Chapter 24: Trading Panel Unlocked

There were so few sweet potatoes that everyone decided to save them as seeds rather than eat a single bite that evening. Having consumed several of the white yams brought down from the mountain over the past few days, along with wild potatoes and other fruits, the group finally felt they could properly reward themselves after their strenuous labor.

At the dinner table, the group once again expressed their gratitude to Tang Yao and Fang Mingxi. After all, the "double harvest" season was the busiest time of the year, and if the two had not gone up the mountain to forage for food, the constant hunger would have made it impossible to earn enough work points.

Tang Yao felt quite embarrassed by the praise and shyly turned her head to look at Fang Mingxi, only to find her fast asleep in Grandma Tong’s arms. Tang Yao smiled and reached out a finger to gently hook Fang Mingxi’s pinky. It was all thanks to Xixi, she thought. Grandma had told her these past few days that she must thank Xixi properly; the fact that the family could eat their fill was entirely due to Xixi's good luck. *Xixi, you are the one everyone should be thanking most.*

Though the sleeping Fang Mingxi felt Tang Yao’s touch, she did not open her eyes, choosing instead to feign sleep. Before her, the interface was open, and she was frantically depositing the sweet potatoes from her basket into her inventory. She had originally intended to wait until her grandparents were asleep for the night, but the numbers on the little cart icon had been driving her crazy—she was desperate to unlock it and see if she would get a prize wheel. That was why she had skipped dinner, choosing to pretend to sleep while she navigated the panel.

As the sweet potatoes entered the inventory, Fang Mingxi suddenly watched the number on the little cart in the bottom right corner soar: 91, 92, 93... all the way to 99, and finally, before her excited eyes, the number broke through 100.

"Pop!"

Just like when she had collected ten catties of food for the first time, a prize wheel and two announcements appeared before her.

【Congratulations to the host for unlocking the little cart. The trading system is now open; you may proceed to Red Flag Commune to conduct trades.】
【Congratulations to the host for collecting 100 catties of species. You are now granted one lucky draw.】

The two announcements made Fang Mingxi’s heart tremble. It really was a trading system. How was she supposed to go to Red Flag Commune? How was she supposed to trade? The announcement left her itching with curiosity. She desperately wanted to click on the cart to see how the trading worked. If it was like the mountain foraging—where items were simply deposited—wouldn't she be completely lost? With her small frame, going up the mountain with Tang Yao was one thing, but going to the commune was impossible. Her status was sensitive, and she needed the team leader’s permission to leave; convincing him was another problem entirely.

Fang Mingxi forced herself to calm down, setting aside her curiosity about the trading system for a moment, and proceeded to click on the giant circular wheel.

The announcement indicated that rewards were only given upon collecting 100 catties; the previous one had been at ten. Would the next wheel appear at 1,000 catties? That was a massive goal. Unless she went up the mountain every day, used all three chances, and left nothing for Tang Yao, it would be very difficult to reach that 1,000-catty mark.

The sound of bowls and chopsticks clinking ceased—everyone had finished eating. Fang Mingxi felt her body lighten; it seemed she was being carried back to their room. She didn't let it bother her, maintaining a steady, rhythmic breathing pattern while she clicked the wheel to start the draw.

"Whoosh!"

The wheel spun, and Fang Mingxi stared unblinkingly at the prizes. This time, the rewards were different—there were many strange items, and some were even just symbols. The wheel spun three times before slowing down, dragging for another two rotations before finally settling on a section marked with the character for "Flash Sale."

【Congratulations to the host for obtaining the limited-time Flash Sale reward. This feature is permanent. The first flash sale will begin tomorrow, and flash sale items will be updated weekly thereafter.】

*Holy moly!* Fang Mingxi, still feigning sleep, shouted in her heart, nearly kicking her legs in excitement. *A flash sale! A flash sale!!!*

"Hmm? Is Xixi awake?"

Fang Bosong, just about to place her on the bed, saw Fang Mingxi’s leg move. He froze, his body half-tilted, his hands suspended in mid-air—he didn't know whether to put her down or not. Putting a child to sleep was exhausting, and now that Xixi had finally drifted off, he didn't want to look down and be met with a pair of wide-awake eyes.

Tong Lingxian, who had followed them in, hurried over. Seeing Fang Mingxi’s closed eyes, she noted that she looked extremely restless. "She’s not awake. Probably having a nightmare; her brow is furrowed like a little old person’s." She patted Fang Bosong’s back, signaling him to put her down.

Fang Bosong nodded and carefully laid her on the bed, gently sliding his hand out from beneath her head. "Xixi didn't eat much tonight. Will she be hungry later? There’s only a tiny bit of malted milk powder left. Should I boil some water and have it ready?"

Tong Lingxian nodded. "That works. We can't save that little bit anyway; better to finish it and bury the tin. I saw Wang Dazhu lurking around us today. I don't know what kind of scheme he’s cooking up. We should remind everyone later to be more careful these next few days so they don't get caught in his traps again."

At the thought of Wang Dazhu’s shifty, rat-like appearance, a flash of disgust crossed Tong Lingxian’s eyes. She had heard rumors lately that the man wasn't doing an honest day’s work and was constantly tormenting his daughter. He was also deeply misogynistic, beating his wife and children whenever he drank. The team leader had tried to mediate several times, but the man not only refused to repent, he became even more vicious, constantly calling his daughter a "money-losing commodity." If it had been the Tong Lingxian of her youth, she would have shot him dead already. Trash that looked down on women didn't deserve to walk this earth.

"Right, we definitely need to be careful. A sinister villain like Wang Dazhu won't give up just because he failed once. Let’s not go to the team leader for now, so we don't get implicated in the fallout," Fang Bosong agreed. Because of the previous incident, he hadn't been able to give away the things he had scavenged lately. As long as a pest like Wang Dazhu wasn't dealt with, no one in the house could sleep soundly.

As the two spoke in the room, they didn't notice the tension leave Fang Mingxi’s brow. After waiting a moment to ensure she was truly asleep, they blew out the kerosene lamp and, taking advantage of the lingering daylight, headed out to wash up.

Once the room was quiet, Fang Mingxi opened one eye. Seeing that it was empty, she bolted upright, knelt on the bed, and pounded the wooden board with all her might. *Ahhh! Oh, Heavens, I am the lucky charm!*

After letting it all out, Fang Mingxi collapsed back onto the bed. She wanted to close her eyes and sleep, but every time she did, she thought of the draw. She couldn't help but roll around on the bed, finally giggling uncontrollably. *A flash sale, a flash sale!*

This reward meant she would have a chance to obtain supplies every week. Although she didn't know what the items would be, it was still far better than needing 1,000 catties to trigger the wheel. Fang Mingxi realized that she truly was a blessed child—her wishes came true, and she could get whatever she wanted.

After venting her excitement, she tapped the little cart to activate the trading system. The heavy lock symbol hanging on the orange cart lit up, and a small vehicle decorated with two strings of lightbulbs was unlocked. Fang Mingxi tapped it, her vision turned white, and she instantly lost consciousness.