"This is absolutely ridiculous..."
"First, they lure people to the mines with high salaries, then hike up the prices of essentials, and use brothels and protection fees from gangs to claw back the wages..."
"The pay might be high, but damn, a withered, pathetic cabbage costs 25 Xia Country coins. Even what I fish out of the market trash bin is fresher."
Looking at the details on the wishlist display, showcasing how the trio of Miyel manipulates market prices in a city where average salary is only a few thousand, yet they've inflated prices to an astronomical level, Ansheng couldn't help but be dumbfounded.
Putting aside the anti-monopoly laws, are there no iron mines in those Northern mines?
Can't forge a guillotine, yet can't forge an iron rod?
Oh, right... Even if they could, it wouldn't matter; the Miyel trio are Guardian Level Spirit Beasts, and since they are artificially bred spirit beasts, without treasures like fighter jets and bombers, there's no way to eliminate them.
Just Miyel alone has a Wish Power of +9.
No matter what additional factors are considered, the terrifying capabilities of Miyel should not be underestimated.
Put her in a man-made damp environment, and Miyel alone could paralyze an entire regular army.
"Capitalist landlords, there are no people, just these unidentified monsters..."
Ansheng suddenly found himself kind of understanding why Old Lin was so pessimistic about the future world.
Even before everything had started, he was already looking for a way out for the Lin Clan.
"Smack—"
Just as.
Master Fuli was about to ponder over the philosophy of greedy capitalism, waves suddenly rippled across his backside. Ah Qing placed her little hand on Master Fuli's behind, vigorously kneading it.
"Eek?"
The little fox opened its eyes in slight confusion and looked towards the side, where Ah Qing lay on her side, with a playful grin on her cheeks: "Why are you touching my butt so early in the morning?"
"I've got good news!"
Ah Qing adjusted her position on the bed, resting her shoulder against the soft backrest, lifted her arm, tapped the little fox's nose with a proud expression, and said:
"Just last night...."
"The September live stream salary came through! After taxes, it's a full forty thousand! Including the thirty thousand Sister Zhiyu gave me. I'm practically a little rich lady now!"
Chen Zhiyu transferred two hundred thousand to Ah Qing, saying it was a marketing fee for helping with some advertisements.
But Ah Qing felt it was too much, and since they had been friends for so long, she returned one hundred ninety thousand to Chen Zhiyu, just covering the cost of the fries.
But Chen Zhiyu wasn't happy about it either; in such matters, both father and son were clear-cut about money, no taking advantage of friends.
They talked for a long time on the phone, and Ah Qing accepted thirty thousand, along with a blind box to be received during the winter vacation.
As for what's in the blind box, Chen Zhiyu didn't say, only that Ah Qing would find out when she returns for the holidays.
"But... I still owe Momo thirty thousand. Out of the forty thousand, Xiaolan, you have half."
After the pride, Ah Qing murmured quietly, suddenly feeling she wasn't as wealthy as she thought, deflating a bit.
"You earned forty thousand just from stream rewards?" Ansheng, hearing Ah Qing say this, couldn't help but be slightly taken aback.
Streamer income typically includes rewards, merchandise, advertising, and signing fees.
Ah Qing hadn't signed any contracts or done ads and only had her family's little tea shop for selling goods.
If Ansheng remembers correctly, the tax rate in the entertainment industry is quite high, up to 45% at most.
Ah Qing didn't even tap into the major sources of streamer income, didn't participate in ranking competitions, just streamed her outdoor daily life, yet managed to earn forty thousand a month.
"Ah Qing, you're amazing!"
"Forty thousand a month, at this rate, won't our family hit the small goal of earning half a million a year?" The little fox looked at Ah Qing with amazement and let out a soft whimper.
Though he had seen the wealth of the Lin Clan, and seen foreign nobles lavish with their spending, Ansheng had worked before.
He understood the concept of money.
Ah Qing earning forty thousand through her own streaming is truly impressive.
"Of course!"
Seeing the fox's eyes full of admiration and astonishment, Ah Qing's spirits rose again, patting the little fox's head with confidence, "Stick with me, you'll never lose out. I'll add a roast whole lamb in your bowl later."
"Oh right, there'll also be shrimp later; I heard from Youyou they come from the Northern saline-alkali waters."
Ah Qing hugged the little fox, a broad smile on her face, speaking about today's plans.
Yesterday, due to the cattle and sheep selling, they paused their Northern sightseeing, but today, Youyou assured they wouldn't encounter any unexpected problems, planning to enjoy a whole day.
The schedule was already arranged last night.
Today's theme is a journey into the grasslands, highlighting the experience of natural landscapes and small animals, with a side of shrimp fishing.
Tang You initially said she wanted to do something wild, like driving in uninhabited areas and watching prairie wolves eat cake.
But Ah Qing considered it and decided to hold off on that for now.
She wanted to stream today, and Youyou indicated those activities were obviously risky.
Youyou naturally had no fear of those dangers; her equipment was comprehensive, and even if faced with danger, she could call for a rescue team with a single phone call.
At worst, she could negotiate with the wolf pack or ask directions from the mice.
Agriculture students, with full survival experience in the wild, fear no risk of getting stuck in uninhabited areas.
But it's different for the stream's audience friends.
Ah Qing wanted to show everyone the natural scenery, not integrate the audience into nature itself.
"........"
Hearing Ah Qing's travel plan, the little fox recalled the alpaca they encountered yesterday, pouted a bit, and wasn't much interested in trading verbal banter.
"Yay... I, for one, am looking forward to it! I can't wait to see those little animal friends!"
Ah Qing: "....."
That whimper... why does it sound so perfunctory?
Wait... this posture, is Xiaolan planning to roll over and go back to sleep?
"Xiaolan, wake up! We need to go out!"
"Yawn~" The little fox yawned, wagging its big bushy tail leisurely on its backside.
"......"
Ah Qing, with a face full of black lines, carried the fox strip out of the door.
"What's up with the little fox?" Momo, yawning, looked toward Ah Qing and the softly whining little fox emerging from the bedroom.
"Xiaolan said that after he got back last night, someone kept reciting the Great Compassion Mantra all night, keeping him from sleeping well." Ah Qing looked down at the little fox sleeping soundly in her arms, speaking with a hint of helplessness: "But I feel he was out having fun until late last night before he went to bed."
"Great Compassion Mantra...."
Tang You, hearing this, was taken aback and subconsciously looked toward the sunken courtyard outside the floor-to-ceiling window.
It seems... the little fox wasn't lying. If cursing with a melody counts as scripture, then yes, someone recites the sutra every night.
The elderly sleep very little; Tang You's grandpa usually sleeps around eleven or twelve, wakes up at three or four, and takes a nap in the afternoon for an hour or two.
His nightly sleep is about five to six hours.
"Grandpa! Stop playing your CF already! Your shouts can be heard upstairs!"
"What? Grandson and grandpa duo queue?"
In the soundproof room, Tang Jian Country took off his headphones and shouted back toward the upstairs courtyard.
Tang You, Ah Qing, Momo, Lingren: "....."
"I think I understand now why your grandpa says his blood pressure is high." Lingren remarked, sarcastically.