Chapter 9: Simply Beyond Belief

Shi Yufen was only around forty, yet she looked indescribably old. Deep wrinkles crisscrossed her face, and streaks of white gleamed in her hair. The hands she used to stifle her coughs were thin and delicate, like brittle twigs.

Yet a smile always adorned her face. No matter how difficult life became, Shi Yufen greeted her daughter with a beaming countenance.

Seeing the medicine and congee that Qingqing had brought back, she was pleasantly surprised. "Qingqing, did your boss finally pay your wages?"

Shi Qingqing didn't want to add to her mother's worries, but she couldn't exactly explain where the money had come from. How could she tell her mother that a broken phone had practically fallen from the sky, and now she could grab red envelopes for cash? Such a fantastical story—if she hadn't experienced it herself, she wouldn't have believed it either.

"Yes, just a little bit. But mom, you don't need to concern yourself with money matters. The most important thing is for you to get well. After all, health is the foundation of everything."

Shi Yufen's eyes shimmered with grateful tears. With the family in such dire straits, she blamed herself for failing her daughter. Qingqing had grown up without a father; Shi Yufen had thought she could raise her daughter alone, but reality proved otherwise…

Fortunately, Qingqing was sensible and kind-hearted.

With a gentle smile, Shi Yufen said, "Alright, Mama will listen to you. I will get better as soon as I can."

"I also bought a bowl of vegetable and lean pork congee. Take your medicine and eat the congee while it's hot. If you don't eat, you'll get sick even if you're not ill now..."

"If my daughter bought it for me, of course I’ll eat it. But this bowl is too big for me alone. Come, go fetch a bowl from the kitchen—we'll share," Shi Yufen replied with a nod.

The twenty-yuan bowl of congee was truly generous in portion. To save money, Qingqing had eaten nothing but pickled vegetables for days, and now her mouth watered just thinking about it. The mother and daughter chatted and laughed as they shared the congee.

"Qingqing, you have school tomorrow. Don't stay up too late with your online side job. Once I'm better, I'll be able to support the both of us," Shi Yufen reminded her gently.

"I know, Mom! You love me best," Qingqing replied, blowing her mother a playful kiss.

Though the two had lived in poverty for years, they made the best of it and found joy in the little things. This was a kind of carefree existence in its own right.

Once her mother had lain down to rest, Qingqing tiptoed out of the room. The living room was cramped, but there was a balcony with just enough space in the corner for an old desk, where a computer sat. It had been a birthday gift from her cousin last year.

Qingqing didn’t turn on the computer; there was no work to be done today anyway. What she wanted, more than anything, was to snatch red envelopes! Her fingers were practically itching with anticipation.

Red envelopes, here I come! I’ll grab and grab and grab…

She turned on her phone, the screen flickered to life, and she logged into QQ.

She searched for that extravagant group—The Four Young Lords—hoping to snag a few more generous red envelopes.

But the group had vanished!

She was certain she hadn’t left it. She would never quit such a lavish group unless the owner kicked her, and if that had happened, she would have gotten a notification.

But there was nothing. The group had simply disappeared, as if by magic.

How peculiar.

Then another thought struck her—she hadn’t even connected to WiFi. How was she online?

And the strangest thing of all! Her phone’s battery had been at 5% before, but now, it showed 80%.

She hadn’t charged it at all. She’d planned to dig out the charger for her old phone and plug it in before bed.

But apparently, there was no need.

Qingqing was utterly baffled.

This phone was simply beyond all comprehension.