Her Cultivation Diary

The new hires won't be arriving that quickly, but Liu Ning has already gotten used to prioritizing efficiency. As the rain subsided in the evening, Aunt Lianhua suddenly said,

"The kid from the security team on the mountain said he wants to rent my house for 1,200 a year."

"Hmm?" The Song Family members became interested: "Is it your house, or your mother-in-law's house?"

Aunt Lianhua laughed, "Of course, it's my mother-in-law's house. That house stands alone, so it's convenient to live in."

A lot of houses in the village are like this—the homes that the older generation lived in would slowly be parceled out as their children grew up and got married.

And the married children would tear down the old house and rebuild it.

So, it's common to see such families in the village—on one side, there's a small old house, but it's fully equipped.

On the other side, it's been rebuilt, significantly larger in size and a bit more modern.

The house Aunt Lianhua mentioned is exactly such an old house.

Originally, her mother-in-law lived there, but after being paralyzed, she was moved over here for easier care.

The family gradually dispersed, and she and her daughter relied on each other there, and it's been years since anyone lived there.

Wu Lan pondered, "I think you should rent it! Anyway, that old house is just sitting there, and without people living in it, houses decay quickly. It's better to rent it out; 1,200 bucks is still money."

Aunt Lianhua nodded in agreement, "That's what I thought too. I'll talk it over with my mother-in-law tonight—by the way, Tantan, Liu Ning said his cousin is renting the house to work here. Is that true?"

Song Tan nodded, "Yes, she collects vegetables at night. Her child is only half a year old, so she can't find work while taking care of the baby."

"Taking care of a child, huh..." Aunt Lianhua murmured, seemingly making a decision in her heart.

So the next day, when Liu Liu squeezed onto the train with her suitcase, she received a message from her cousin—

"I've secured the house rental. There's a village-to-village bus in the village, and you'll see it as soon as you leave the train station. Have you packed everything?"

Liu Liu let out a surprised "Ah," clearly not expecting such efficiency. But she's heard that her cousin received several thousands in subsidies every year after demobilization, and now his job offers excellent benefits...

Could it be a scam?

She hasn't seen Liu Ning for two or three years, and now she harbored some doubts.

But moments later, Liu Ning sent over the rental contract and even took photos of the house:

"Clean it up today, and once you come, just tidy the bed and you can move in right away."

The contract looked formal, and the house indeed had the style of the old houses in the village.

Would someone go this far into detail if it were really a scam?

Liu Liu felt a slight sense of relief.

A moment later, she messaged back: "Then when I arrive, I'll give you the rent money."

But Liu Ning refused outright: "No need. You need the money right now; a little over a thousand is easily messed around with in travel costs."

"The job here is pretty good. Although the salary is only 1,300, the food is good, and you sleep well, you have energy during the day to do some other work too."

"There's quite a bit of money to be made."

Despite being a naturally silent person, he forced out these words, not knowing what else to say, and just left it at that.

But Liu Liu, being naturally meticulous, pondered over his words for a long time—

In the village, what extra work could be done during the day?

Could it be that this village is a vegetable base, where one could earn a bit by doing transport and sorting during the day?

But if that were the case, would it really only take two or three hours a night?

She was caught in a state of confusion and uncertainty.

...

The train was scheduled to arrive at about 6 in the morning, a time when Liu Ning was still on night duty and couldn't meet her in the urban area.

But when Liu Liu got off at the village entrance with her child, he just happened to be off duty.

Chen Yuan straightforwardly handed over the tricycle keys: "Help them settle in early; don't miss breakfast."

Liu Ning nodded, rode the tricycle, and soon saw the helpless and wandering mother and daughter standing by the roadside at the village entrance.

He couldn't help but sigh, then shouted loudly, "Sis!"

Seeing him like this, Liu Liu was surprised: "Liu Ning?! Why do I feel like you've gained weight..."

He hadn't just gained weight; he seemed different than before—his spirit and energy had changed.

Liu Ning: … The reduced exercise intensity but improved diet leading to rapid weight gain was a sore point for their entire security team!

He steered clear of this alarming topic and instead took all of Liu Liu's heavy suitcase and backpack, then looked at the well-behaved Ran Ran staring at him.

He then frowned: "Why does she look so skinny?"

And looking at Liu Liu—her postpartum weight gain hadn't subsided, yet her complexion was sallow, and she looked exhausted, not much better herself.

Liu Ning took a slow breath, urging, "Quickly get in the car. After we take the luggage back, I'll take you to the cafeteria for breakfast—eat more."

"And for Ran Ran, they steamed egg custard this morning, let her have a taste—can she eat egg custard now?"

"Yes!" Liu Liu brightened up, "Your meals are really good! Starting the day with egg custard!"

"But bringing Ran Ran along..."

She hesitated: They promised room and board, but not for an extra child!

But Liu Ning said, "Our captain spoke to the boss; he said the kids under three can eat as they please."

"Not just egg custard for the kid, you should eat more too... At the end of the month, the boss needs tea picking; it's 150 a day—you can probably bring the kid along for that!"

"In summer, there's fruit picking, packing and shipping, also grass harvesting, mat weaving, wheat cutting..."

"All these jobs need people, but if you're unhealthy and can't work, or lack proper nutrition, you'll watch a lot of money fly by!"

Liu Liu: ...

Forget about summer or fall that's too far away; she eagerly asked instead, "Tea picking really 150 a day? Would carrying my child be a problem?"

Liu Ning replied matter-of-factly, "As long as you pick no less than the others—didn't you used to be a tea picker?"

Liu Liu's confidence immediately soared: "Yes! I'm fast at tea picking. Back then it was paid by the pound, and I always earned the most each day!"

The tricycle flew along the undulating hills towards the cafeteria, and Liu Liu, with one arm around her child and the other gripping the handle tightly, silently calculated in her heart—

"150 a day, 4,500 a month, plus 1,300 for collecting vegetables..."

Though unsure if her stamina would hold out, these weren't laborious tasks; they were even easier than her previous city job!

After all, she had to get up at dawn when she used to sell vegetables at a stall.

Determined, Liu Liu decided—in each of the three meals a day, she must eat more, and never let it hinder her ability to earn!