Chapter 3 – Tingting (Part 1)

The system suddenly spoke up:

“Host, that’s not right. Parents have the obligation to raise their children. How can they demand repayment?”

Tan You’s spirits lifted a little. “But they’ve always said that. I’m used to it.”

It was the first time someone had stood on her side. Her fondness for the system rose sharply.

She had no intention of arguing with Tan Lin. The shadow he cast on her was too heavy. Growing up under his beatings, she had learned one thing—never contradict him. Let him say whatever he wanted; whether she believed it or not was her own secret.

At the table, the only one happily eating was seven-year-old Tan Yue. She was too young to understand the adults’ words, and as always, she stuck close to her elder sister Tan You.

After breakfast, Cheng Wenhui and Tan Lin began packing. They had rushed back from C Province yesterday upon hearing Tan You’s exam results, just to discuss her high school prospects. Now, with nothing more to say, they were heading back.

Before meeting the system, Tan You had never fully grasped the importance of education. But after seeing the life of her first client, she understood—it was everything for a child from a poor family.

The Tan family owned little, so their luggage was simple. The clothes Tan You had washed in the morning were stuffed directly into plastic bags to be rewashed once they reached C City.

Little Tan Yue cried and clung to Tan You, unwilling to leave her behind. But in the end, a child’s will couldn’t fight against her parents. Tearful and pouting, she was dragged away.

As soon as her parents and sister departed, Tan You hurried into the kitchen. After scrubbing pots and bowls, she boiled a large pot of hot water. Kneeling all night had left her sweaty and uncomfortable—she desperately needed a wash.

Her grandmother said nothing. With a straw hat on her head, the old woman went straight to the rice fields. Tan Deming, the grandfather, stayed behind, lounging in the shade and smoking, as if the world had nothing to do with him.

After hanging out the washed clothes, Tan You could no longer suppress her excitement. What she wanted most now was [energy points]—the key to the lottery, and the chance to boost her [intelligence stat].

Each time people told her she was hopeless at science, it broke her inside.

Back in her west room, Tan Deming only glanced at her and said nothing. He knew she’d been kneeling all night; if she wanted to sleep now, so be it.

Lying on her bed, Tan You touched the glowing ring on her finger.

“System, are you there?”

“I am. Host, do you wish to depart?” The pale-white light sphere appeared before her once more.

“Yes.” Tan You clenched her fists. This would be her first mission, her first step into an unfamiliar world. She was nervous—of course she was—but the thought of earning energy, of one day becoming truly smart, filled her with courage.

Sensing her determination, the system shivered faintly. [If she finishes the mission and finds out I lied… will she hold me accountable?]

Forget it. Delay as long as possible. Future problems could wait.

“Beginning transmission. Host, please stay safe.” A halo of light surrounded the sphere.

“I’ll be careful!” Tan You promised earnestly. “I’ll definitely come back alive!”

The moment the words left her lips, her body fell still on the bed, eyes closed. Her soul, however, was already carried away—into her first mission world.

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Perhaps because it was her first mission—or perhaps sheer luck—she arrived in the dead of night. Everyone was asleep. Calm and collected, Tan You didn’t rush to rest. Instead, she began sifting through **Han Tingting’s** memories.

Her memory was strong. Faces, voices—once seen or heard, she rarely forgot. And so she quickly pieced together her new identity: she had become Han Tingting at age fifteen.

Fifteen… Tan You sighed softly. This was the turning point. Han Tingting had not yet been forced to leave school. For now, she still had the chance to continue her studies.

But the shadow was looming.

Compulsory nine-year education didn’t always mean much in rural areas. Not every child made it through middle school. Teachers who only cared about grades often pressured weaker students to drop out.

Han Tingting was one of them. Sensitive by nature and performing poorly in class, she drew no teacher’s support. With her family’s struggles weighing her down, her grades had slipped to nearly the bottom.

By the first semester of her second year, her homeroom teacher had already called her mother in—an unspoken message delivered clearly enough: “Don’t bother letting her continue. With results like this, there’s no future in studying anyway.”

Schools wanted better averages. And so, to secure their records, they drove out those who dragged them down. Han Tingting was one such sacrifice.

And what future awaited a fifteen-year-old girl pushed out of school? Factories refused to hire children. Beyond that, only hardship lay ahead.

Remembering Han Tingting’s entire life, Tan You pressed a hand to her chest. Compared to her, she suddenly felt lucky. Her own parents might hurt her with words, but at least they still insisted she study.

Putting those thoughts aside, Tan You quickly drew up her first plan: **make sure Han Tingting wasn’t forced to leave school**. To do that, there was only one path—improve her grades.

Middle school content… Tan You pursed her lips. She had just gone through the high school entrance exam. If she went back to review junior high again—she should manage it, right?

With that thought, she finally drifted off to sleep.

By dawn, rustling noises woke her. Not even six o'clock yet. She sat up in bed, clutching her blanket. Around her, roommates stirred.

This wasn’t a school dormitory, but a local boarding house. Many families near the school had turned their homes into lodgings for students.

A few empty rooms, a handful of beds—no license, no taxes, yet plenty of profit each semester. And so, Han Tingting’s current life began here.

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