The System’s dimension was more like a parcel in a game!
With just a glance at the System dimension, Li Anquan already knew the weight of the fish he had caught!
[152 jin of crucian carp of various sizes!]
[43 jin of carp!]
[32 jin of snakehead!]
[26 jin of catfish!]
[48 jin of miscellaneous small fish!]
In just a few hours, he had harvested over 300 jin. The main credit for this went to the power of the high-tech products; the Fishing Patriarch's Equipment was indispensable.
Catfish and snakehead are both carnivorous. Although they occasionally eat carrion, they are the most delicious among these fish. However, snakehead has many bones and is only suitable for pickled fish or poached fish dishes. Since they were troublesome to prepare, Li Anquan kept only the catfish and the yellow-head catfish from the mixed catch; he bundled up all the other fish and sold them to the System.
The yellow-head catfish were likely the most expensive among the lot, but because they tasted so good, Li Anquan couldn't bear to sell them. As for the crucian carp, because of their varying sizes, the average price when sold to the mall was only three yuan, while the carp fetched only six yuan. After selling all the remaining fish to the mall, Li Anquan earned 788 yuan.
"Congratulations on selling your catch, you have earned 788 yuan. This balance can only be used for purchases within the mall and cannot be used in the real world!"
Li Anquan was momentarily stunned when he saw the message, but he didn't feel particularly disappointed. Wasn't the reason he sold items to the mall in the first place to shop there? Over 700 yuan could buy a lot of things. Although he longed to try the lottery, he didn't even have basic living supplies yet, so he opened the mall and began to sweep through it.
He purchased 100 jin of rice, costing 240 mall credits.
He purchased 50 jin of flour, costing 150 mall credits.
He purchased two sets of toiletries, costing 110 mall credits.
He purchased oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and other seasonings, costing 187 mall credits.
Money was earned quickly, but for Li Anquan, it was spent even faster. In just a few minutes, 687 yuan was gone. With only 101 mall credits left, his hands felt itchy, so he decisively clicked on the lottery. As the pointer spun rapidly, it finally stopped on "Attributes."
"Congratulations on your successful lottery draw; you have gained +1 Luck."
"Congratulations on successfully activating the Luck attribute and opening your personal attribute panel."
Name: Li Anquan
Physique: 4+2 (The standard for an adult is 10 points.)
Intelligence: 13 points (The standard for a normal person is 10 points.)
Charm: 3+1 points (Varies from person to person.)
Luck: ?+1 point.
Skills Owned: Lockpicking.
Black Tech Owned: Fishing Patriarch's Equipment.
Funds: 1302 yuan + 1 mall credit.
Looking at his panel, Li Anquan licked his lips. It seemed he still needed to work hard to make money. He had to raise his physical fitness to a level where no one in the Courtyard could bully him!
***
After returning home, the elderly Wei Jianye sat on the sofa to rest. Just now, he had let his guard make several laps around the Military Compound with his catch, infuriating his old comrades-in-arms so much they were jumping with rage. Some even planned to cut ties with him—it was simply too exasperating!
He was in an excellent mood. Just as he was drinking tea, his guard handed him a file. Wei Jianye hesitated when he saw the file; he had already guessed that it might be about his young friend, Li Anquan. The old man felt a bit anxious—many people would stop at nothing to get close to him, and he had a good impression of Li Anquan; he didn't want the boy to be one of them.
After hesitating for a long time, he still hadn't decided whether to open the file. But thinking of his promise to Li Anquan, the old man finally took out the information.
Li Anquan, 11 years old. His grandfather, Li Changsheng, sacrificed his life for the country in 1946; his father, Li Wanjin, sacrificed his life for the country in 1958; his mother, Ma Xiaojuan, passed away three days ago in an accident at the Red Star Rolling Mill. Currently, Li Anquan lives with his 7-year-old sister, Li Dujuan. His political background is clean, with no negative records. Yesterday, because his mother's compensation money was being seized by others, he went to the police and the Support-the-Military Office, and the matter had been handled appropriately.
Wei Jianye looked at the file in his hand and was filled with sympathy for the little guy he had chatted with today. The two had had a very pleasant conversation. Upon learning that there were no issues with Li Anquan’s identity, Wei Jianye decided to help the little guy from behind the scenes. He was clearly too young to take over his mother's job, so he would have to find another way. The old man sat on the sofa, lost in thought for a long time. Suddenly, his eyes lit up, and he beckoned to the guard nearby.
"This little guy, Li Anquan, perfectly meets the requirements for a 'Five-Guarantee' household application. Furthermore, his family has the status of a martyr's family. Go to his Street Office now and get this taken care of. However... don't reveal your identity; just have the Street Office notify him of his Five-Guarantee status immediately!"
After the old man gave his instructions, the guard acted immediately. The old man didn't consider it abusing his power; given Li Anquan's current situation, he fully met the criteria for the Five-Guarantee status. He just hoped the little guy would be stronger and have a better life. Little did he know, this move of his would indirectly do Li Anquan a huge favor.
***
In Li Anquan's home at the Courtyard, Li Dujuan was by the edge of the stove, drooling from the corner of her mouth and licking her lips with her little tongue every now and then; she looked as cute as could be. Li Anquan was also stunned by the fragrance of the catfish; this body wasn't his original one, and it had zero resistance to delicious food!
The aroma spread out from Li Anquan's house, and the entire front courtyard was filled with the smell of fish. Even Bang Geng and his sister Xiaodang, who were playing in the Middle Courtyard, were drawn in by the scent of the meat!
Of course, the most miserable people in the Courtyard were the Yan Fugui family. Yan Jiefang and Yan Jiedi were still at school, but the eldest son, Yan Jiecheng, was at home. At that moment, it was lunchtime. Looking at the thin cornmeal porridge in his bowl where you couldn't even see a few grains of corn, Yan Jiecheng felt like crying.
Equally miserable were the Third Aunt and Third Uncle themselves. Both were stewing in resentment, and the Third Uncle even cursed out loud, "That little brat Li Anquan is too stingy! I asked him for some fish and he wouldn't give me any!"
The Third Aunt nodded in agreement from the side, their eyes fixed on their eldest son, Yan Jiecheng. "Jiecheng, go over to his place and look around. See if you can get some fish meat back so our family can have a taste of something meaty too! Otherwise, just drink your cornmeal porridge while sniffing the smell of his fish!"
Yan Fugui didn't feel there was anything wrong with asking for something from someone he had just finished cursing. When it came to him, shame was the least valuable thing there was.
Yan Jiecheng wasn't particularly close to Li Anquan, but feeling his stomach grumble, he still walked up to Li Anquan's door. The weather was hot at noon and there were people in the house, so the door wasn't closed. Yan Jiecheng simply walked straight inside.
Looking at the fish meat on Li Anquan's table giving off an enticing aroma, and the white, fluffy rice, Yan Jiecheng felt his mouth water uncontrollably.
"Anquan, having lunch? What are you cooking? It smells so good!"