TYH-DCI | Chapter 6 — She Came, She Saw

Hearing the sound of dishes being cleared outside the door, Jiang Lai stood up and carried her empty plate out.

The moment the tightly shut door opened, the Jiang family tensed up at once.

Wang Cuihua’s expression darkened immediately.

Being repeatedly challenged by a daughter she had always looked down upon was something she could not tolerate.

But Jiang Fuhai said nothing.

And because of that, no one else dared to act out.

The living room fell into an uneasy silence, broken only by the soft clinking of bowls and chopsticks.

Without waiting for instructions, Jiang Ya obediently got up to wash the dishes.

Jiang Lai glanced at the subdued Wang Cuihua and let out a cold laugh.

So this was it.

The Jiang family had always known.

Especially the head of the household—Jiang Fuhai.

One word from him could have changed everything.

But no one ever spoke.

No one ever intervened.

They all chose silence.

And silence… was also a form of harm.

Wasn’t this emotional neglect?

Wasn’t this family bullying?

Fortunately—

she had arrived.

And she had seen it all.

From now on, she would live as Jiang Lai—and she would not repeat that life.

That night, the Jiang household lights went out early.

Jiang Lai lay on her makeshift bedding and fell asleep quickly.

She wasn’t afraid of retaliation.

Wang Cuihua cared too much about reputation. Even if she disliked Jiang Lai, she would not leave visible injuries.

Not in this era.

Not where every household was struggling to survive.

As for Jiang Ya and Jiang Tianshi—

they wouldn’t dare escalate things after Jiang Fuhai had spoken.

The matter was already settled.

No one was foolish enough to reopen it.

The next morning.

Jiang Lai woke the moment she heard movement from the main room.

She rolled up her bedding quickly.

After washing up and preparing to leave, a voice called out behind her.

“Lai Lai.”

It was Jiang Fuhai.

“You’re leaving for the countryside tomorrow,” he said mildly. “Your mother has indeed been harsh on you all these years… but don’t hate her. She hasn’t had it easy either.”

He reached into his pocket and took out ten yuan, placing it into her hand.

“Go have a good breakfast at the state-run restaurant. It’s my fault—I wasn’t capable enough.”

Jiang Lai’s eyes stung.

But not with gratitude.

It was absurd.

Truly absurd.

So this was her life?

So all those years of endurance meant nothing at all?

In the end, it was always the one who cried who got the candy.

Then—

something shifted inside her.

A faint, almost imperceptible release.

The lingering emotions of the original Jiang Lai dissipated.

What remained was clarity.

Complete clarity.

Now there was only one Jiang Lai.

Fully and entirely herself.

She exhaled slowly and accepted the money.

Free money was still money.

And this was the first time she had ever received anything from Jiang Fuhai.

How rare.

She looked at him.

Kind face. Gentle tone. The image of a “reliable father.”

Anyone would think so.

But Jiang Lai only sneered inwardly.

A beneficiary who maintained the system.

People like him were more dangerous than those who showed cruelty openly.

Because they never had to act—

only wait.

His words made it sound like everything stemmed from Wang Cuihua alone.

But if he truly had intervened earlier, would things have become this bad?

Silence was complicity.

And now this “kindness” was nothing more than damage control dressed as paternal care.

A token gesture meant to soften guilt and preserve authority.

Jiang Lai said a few perfunctory words, then left.

Behind her, Jiang Fuhai felt satisfied.

He believed the situation was still under control.

Still the same obedient daughter who would be moved by a single piece of candy.

He was wrong.

Things had already changed.

After breakfast, Jiang Lai headed toward the black market from the previous day.

The lookout at the alley entrance recognized her immediately.

His eyes lit up.

He handed the shift to someone else and led her deeper inside, stopping at a small house.

He opened the door.

“Come in and take a look,” he said.

But Jiang Lai didn’t move.

“Bring the goods out,” she said calmly. “I’ll wait here.”

The man chuckled but didn’t insist.

He went inside.

After yesterday’s transaction, he already treated her as a major customer.

So he had prepared more stock than usual.

Even if she couldn’t use it all, he could always resell the surplus.

No loss.

Soon, he returned carrying a basket of eggs.

Then he went back in and dragged out a sack of rice and a smaller bag of noodles.

He placed everything down.

“Two hundred eggs. Twenty jin of rice. Five jin of noodles,” he said.

Including the handling fee, the total was thirty yuan.

That was nearly a full month’s wage for an ordinary worker.

Still—thank you, System.

And speaking of the system—

she hadn’t signed in yet today.

She instructed the man to move the goods to a quieter exit of the alley, then dismissed him with the excuse that someone from her family would pick them up.

The exit was shaded by tall trees—quiet and secluded.

Perfect.

With a thought, everything disappeared into her spatial storage.

Fortunately, time inside the space was frozen.

Otherwise, the eggs alone would have spoiled.

“System, sign in,” she said inwardly.

『SIGN-IN INITIATED』

A soft, cheerful voice responded immediately.

【Ding! Successful sign-in. Special reward: ten seaside houses in Peng City fishing village, three gold bars, and 200 yuan in cash.】

【Property deeds have been processed via system intervention. No disputes will arise.】

【Certificates stored in system space. Please retrieve them at any time.】

Hearing “Peng City fishing village,” Jiang Lai froze.

“…Fishing village?”

The system’s tone turned slightly proud.

【Correct, Host! The future Special Economic Zone fishing village!】

For a moment, Jiang Lai lost composure.

“AHHH—System!! I love you!! You’re the best!!”

The system paused, slightly embarrassed but still serious.

【As your system, I will naturally provide the best support.】

【If there are future S-rank sign-ins, better rewards will be issued.】

【I spoil you.】