Tan You was the type to follow one instruction at a time. She quickly read through all the mission details. But Tan You didn't understand. "System, how do I complete the mission?"
Tan You felt the system seem to pause for a moment. "Once the host is ready, inform the system. The system will transport the host into the mission. At that time, the host will become the client and will live out the client's life, whether it be long or short."
Tan You thought for a moment, trying to make sense of its words with her limited experience. "Is it like I'll be a character in a TV show? When I become her, what will I do?"
System: "That's more or less what it means."
Tan You still had questions. "But you just said it's not my physical self that goes. So how do I go? And can I come back?"
System: "The system will transport the host's soul into the client's body. No matter how long the host spends there, only a single moment will have passed in the real world."
Tan You was amazed. "Then... doesn't that mean I'll have a lot of time? Immortality?"
System: "In a sense, you could say that. But here's a friendly reminder: the host must pay attention to their safety during the mission. If the host perishes in the mission world, it will also affect your body in the real world."
Tan You nodded. "I understand. I won't go now. I'm not ready yet, and it's not a good time for me to go."
The system didn't rush Tan You. "Alright. But is there something else you need to do right now?"
Tan You said sheepishly, "My parents are leaving for C State to work again tomorrow. I want to wait until after they've left to start the mission. Besides, I want to study the mission details more carefully. I want to do my very best. Doesn't it just have to be within three days? As long as I leave within three days, it's fine."
The system understood. "Okay, we'll talk again when you're ready."
Tan You: "System, you're the best. I just want to earn more energy so I can increase my Intelligence Value."
The system stirred. 'On the forums, the senior systems all say their hosts are especially good at pushing them around. How did I end up with a host who's so easy to please? She just believes whatever I say?'
At this thought, the little system felt a bit smug. 'Alright, since my host is so well-behaved, I'll do my best to help her too!'
As the human and the system talked, Tan You's sleepiness completely vanished. Like a child with a new toy, she studied the first mission over and over.
It wasn't until around five in the morning that Tan You finally felt she had thoroughly studied the first client's life story. After reading it dozens of times, Tan You had a general idea of what she should do once she arrived in that world.
She wanted to discuss these things with the system, but while it was fine to talk about other matters, the moment the mission was involved, the system couldn't say anything, repeating the same line over and over: "Please complete the mission independently, Host."
At that time, Tan You didn't yet understand that her little system, which had fallen from the sky, was just a useless little thing. Of course, perhaps it was because she didn't understand that she found it perfectly normal. 'If I have to rely on myself, then I'll rely on myself. I'll just have to work harder, won't I?'
Her mind was on the mission, but upon hearing a noise from the room to the west, Tan You swiftly knelt down on the cattail hassock again. Cheng Wenhui pushed the door open, saw Tan You kneeling properly, and nodded in satisfaction.
"Get up. Wash your face, then go do the laundry."
Tan You immediately stood up. Without saying anything to Cheng Wenhui, she went to the well, expertly drew water, mixed in washing powder, and began to wash the clothes. These were all chores she was used to, and her movements were clearly practiced.
Children in the countryside almost all had to do these things from a young age: raising chickens, feeding ducks, cooking, washing clothes, cleaning the house, and so on. Tan You had been doing them her whole life and never resisted. If she did resist, she would only end up with a reputation for being lazy.
Cheng Wenhui wasn't idle either; she went to the kitchen to cook. Summer breakfast was easy to make. A large pot of congee and a few flatbreads could last them from morning until evening.
But that was only when the weather was mild. If it was too hot, the breakfast made in the morning would spoil by mid-afternoon. The Tan family was one of the poorest in the village; they didn't have major appliances like a refrigerator or a washing machine.
Tan You squatted by the well, huffing and puffing as she scrubbed the clothes. A large basin full of them—her parents' and her sister's. Yesterday, she had been punished by kneeling and hadn't gotten to wash up. 'After Mom and Dad leave, I'll have to boil some water and take a bath.'
With these thoughts in her mind, Tan You expertly rinsed the clothes. By the time she started hanging them up to dry, Cheng Wenhui had finished making breakfast. Tan Yue, Tan Lin, and her grandparents were all awake by then.
Cheng Wenhui moved the breakfast to a folding table outside. Tan You got the bowls and chopsticks from the cupboard, helped serve her elders their breakfast, and only then sat down at the table.
Seeing that everyone was present, Cheng Wenhui spoke. "We're leaving for C State after breakfast. Tan Yue is coming with us. We'll be back before school starts."
"You're staying home this summer vacation. If anything comes up with your school, call me." She directed this at Tan You, her gaze cold. She was clearly still angry about Tan You's high school entrance exam results.
Tan You just nodded. She was already a person of few words at home, and no one was willing to listen seriously to what she had to say anyway. After all, in their eyes, every word she spoke would eventually be turned into a weapon to criticize and attack her.
Cheng Wenhui paid no mind to Tan You's attitude. "You did terribly on your entrance exam this time. You were just two points short, and now you might not even get into high school. At your age, if you don't study, what do you plan to do? Factories won't even hire you. You'll have no choice but to come back and farm."
"And your eyesight is bad. You can't even tell the difference between rice shoots and weeds when you're weeding the fields. Besides studying, what else can you do?" Cheng Wenhui began her daily lecture.
Previously, Tan You would have found this annoying, since her mother always said the same things. But after carefully reading the first client's story last night, Tan You suddenly took these words to heart.
Of course, she wasn't very good at expressing herself. Even if her thoughts had changed, she wouldn't show it, so she just continued to nod.
Cheng Wenhui sighed. "I won't say any more. You're already sixteen. Foreigners become independent after they turn eighteen. When you turn eighteen, we won't take care of you anymore either."
Tan You looked up at Cheng Wenhui. She had a very literal-minded personality and naturally took her mother's words as the truth.
Tan Lin spoke up as well. "Your mother isn't wrong. Foreigners work to support themselves after they become adults. Our family will do the same. When you're an adult, you'll earn money to support yourself."
"Also, think about how much money you've cost the family over the years. Even if we calculate it at ten thousand a year, we've raised you for so many years. You'll have to pay us back for all of it."
Tan You tightened her grip on her chopsticks but remained silent. Her personality was more like her grandfather, Tan Deming's—she was naturally taciturn, rarely showed any expression, and no one could tell what she was feeling, no matter how much turmoil was inside her.