Chapter 54: Chapter 54: The Cost Is a Bit High

Grandma Wen held the hundred-million-yuan bill, a complicated feeling in her heart.

But she insisted on finishing all the food on the offering table.

’This girl’s cooking is far more delicious than anything down below. Has she taken that step?’

Grandma Wen looked toward Wen Ying’s room. The wooden door was shut tight, but it was as if she could see right through it to Wen Ying sleeping on the bed. In just a few days, Grandma Wen felt her granddaughter had matured and grown up a lot.

Grandma Wen silently watched Wen Ying for about an hour.

With her eyes closed, Wen Ying saw Grandma Wen before her. She was wearing a slightly old-fashioned long gown. Her face was a little dry, but she still looked kind and gentle—the same familiar face from her memories. She was silent, and it seemed both of them were silent.

「An hour passed just like that.」

"Oh, Little Ying, this money will last Grandma a very long time. You don’t need to worry about me. Grandma is doing just fine down below. You have to protect yourself."

Grandma Wen suddenly said this just as she was leaving.

Wen Ying opened her eyes, then fell asleep half an hour later.

When she woke up, it was already six in the morning.

Wen Ying tidied up the backyard and saw a Copper Coin on the offering table. This Copper Coin had been left by Grandma Wen. It looked a bit like the one Uncle Zhang had given her, but upon closer inspection, a small character inscribed on it was different.

Wen Ying put the Copper Coin away in an envelope.

She meditated in the yard for an hour. The Spiritual Energy she had used up yesterday seemed to have recovered, and her body was filled with a surging power. Wen Ying could feel that her cultivation had improved slightly.

She cooked millet porridge, steamed the meat buns she bought yesterday, and made a cold cucumber salad.

After breakfast, Wen Ying took out the stack of spirit money and got to work.

She could inscribe one bill every three minutes, which was quite fast. But by the time she finished ten, her forehead was covered in fine beads of sweat. She was clearly exhausted, and a large portion of her Spiritual Energy had been consumed.

’I knew it would take a lot out of me, but I didn’t think it would be this much.’

Wen Ying put the remaining bills away and wrapped the ten finished ones separately.

It was already ten in the morning when Aunt Zhang arrived with breakfast again. Wen Ying didn’t refuse. Although she had already eaten, her stomach was empty now, and she was truly famished.

"Little Ying, this breakfast... Why do you look so tired? Didn’t you rest well?"

"Aunt Zhang, these ten are ready for now. The rest will take me some more time."

As soon as Wen Ying said that, Aunt Zhang basically understood what was going on. "How much are they?"

"Ten thousand," Wen Ying said, looking at Aunt Zhang seriously.

’In truth, you couldn’t even buy these for a hundred thousand!’

’Wealthy people would be willing to pay millions for the amount of Spiritual Energy she had just consumed!’

So she watched Aunt Zhang. If she saw even a hint that the woman thought she was being greedy, she wouldn’t inscribe the rest.

Aunt Zhang just looked slightly surprised for a moment. "How about a bank transfer? I’ll have my husband send it to you. He has your account number, right? So, to do all of them, it’ll be a hundred thousand, correct?"

Wen Ying nodded. "One hundred thousand."

"Alright, I’ll have your Uncle Zhang transfer it all to you right now."

Aunt Zhang bustled off. Less than ten minutes later, Wen Ying received a text message on her phone: a deposit of two hundred thousand yuan.

They had clearly paid double.

Uncle Zhang came to the clinic with his wife. "Little Ying, your aunt told me everything. This takes a huge toll on you. We know that price was already a friends-and-family discount. Your aunt and I will remember your kindness. From now on, just come eat at our place!"

Wen Ying could tell they were being sincere, but she still refused.

She wasn’t sure she would have a fixed time to eat at Uncle Zhang’s house every day. Besides, a little distance is good for relationships. If they were together every day, some conflict might arise, and she disliked even minor friction.

"Then at least once a month! You can’t refuse this time, or it means you’re looking down on your Uncle Zhang!" Uncle Zhang pretended to be angry as he looked at Wen Ying. This time, she agreed.

’Once a month wasn’t too much. She could make time for that.’

’She no longer had any relatives in this world. It would be nice to have some family.’

"Uncle, Aunt Zhang, here are the ten finished bills. You can take them home first. The rest of the process is no different from a regular tomb-sweeping ceremony. Just proceed as you normally would, but make sure to go to bed early that night."

"Alright. Take your time with the rest. I’m not in a hurry. It’ll probably take the old man a long time to spend this one billion anyway," Uncle Zhang said with a laugh. "Don’t wear yourself out."

Wen Ying didn’t expect that at lunchtime, Aunt Zhang would bring over a meal just for her.

It was braised eggplant over rice, with a container of stir-fried pork and a seaweed egg drop soup.

"You can’t refuse today. I won’t come tomorrow, how about that?"

Wen Ying accepted.

"Hello, excuse me, is this Wen’s Psychological Clinic? Are you Doctor Wen Ying?" A man in a suit and leather shoes stood outside the door, holding a gift box and peering into the clinic with a smile.

Aunt Zhang heard the voice and looked over. "Who are you? What do you want with our Little Ying?"

"Hello, hello! I’m from Shark Platform. You must be Doctor Wen’s... elder relative?"

Wen Ying just sat to the side, watching them exchange pleasantries. ’Hello? Can’t they see the person they’re talking about is right here?’

"Is Shark Platform here to discuss signing a contract with me?"

Zhao Yu looked shocked, but then understanding dawned on him. He had been following Wen Ying’s livestream for a long time, so he had a good idea of what kind of person she was. "Doctor Wen, you’re truly amazing. You figured it out before I even said anything. As expected of our platform’s top streamer." 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

"What’s a Shark Platform? What do you want to sign Little Ying for? This isn’t some kind of scam, is it? You look like a sharp young man; you can’t be involved in that sort of thing! And don’t think Little Ying doesn’t have a family. We’re all her family here!" Aunt Zhang was being very protective.

"Ma’am, you’ve misunderstood. I’m here to sign a contract with Doctor Wen. It’s a good thing, definitely not a scam."

"Little Ying, is that true?" Aunt Zhang turned her head to ask Wen Ying.

She clearly didn’t trust this sharp-looking man from the city.

"It’s true. He can’t fool me. Aunt Zhang, have you forgotten my profession?"

Aunt Zhang slapped her forehead. "That’s right, how could I forget? Well, I’ll let you get to it. If you need anything, just call for your Uncle, you hear?"

After Aunt Zhang left, Wen Ying looked at the contract without saying a word.

Zhao Yu was actually quite nervous. The contract offered an 80-20 revenue split, with Wen Ying taking 80 percent and the platform taking 20. It also included a base salary of one million a year, but it came with a condition: Wen Ying had to stream on their platform at least twice a month.

As Wen Ying flipped through the contract a second time, Zhao Yu spoke up. "Doctor Wen, if there’s anything you’re not satisfied with, please feel free to bring it up. We can discuss it. How does that sound?"

"The contract seems fine. As long as it doesn’t restrict me, I’m good. The money is quite a lot, so I’ll accept."

Zhao Yu listened to Wen Ying’s words, his eyes falling on the hundred-million-yuan bills sitting on the nearby table.