Era: Starting with the struggle to refuse being taken advantage of

Chapter 2 The Heavenly Reward System
Just as Wang Chengpeng was lost in his memories, he heard his mother Liu Chunhua's affectionate voice calling out to him:
"Son, did you reach a conclusion when you went to the Liu family today?"

How much dowry does the Liu family want?

It's no wonder Liu Chunhua was so eager; in this day and age, marriage is a major event for a family.

Normally, a matchmaker or elder would be needed to make the negotiations, but in order to control Wang Chengpeng, the Liu family only agreed to let Wang Chengpeng make the negotiations himself.

And that was exactly the case. Wang Chengpeng, a naive young man blinded by love, was no match for these old foxes and was quickly tricked into agreeing to extremely exaggerated conditions.

Wang Chengpeng didn't hide anything and directly stated the results of today's discussion:

"Mother, the Liu family wants three turns and one sound, five hundred yuan."

"And they insisted that not a single penny less!"

"How could that be?" Upon hearing Wang Chengpeng's words, Liu Chunhua stood frozen in place, muttering to herself:

"Is Liu Yanran some kind of pampered young lady? How could she ask for such an outrageous dowry? Nobody in the surrounding area could afford that price!"

Although she felt the Liu family's demands for the bride price were extremely unreasonable, for the sake of her son, Liu Chunhua ultimately patted her chest and assured them:
"Son, don't worry. Since you and Yanran are truly in love, your mother will do anything to clear away any obstacles for you."

A prophecy.

In her previous life, Liu Chunhua was burdened by the bride price because she was keeping her promise, wasting her life and ending up dying young.

Looking at his mother's face, which was somewhat rough but still very young, Wang Chengpeng thought to himself that being reborn was truly wonderful.

This time, I must change my parents' fate and make them live a happy life.

Such a significant matter requires careful consideration. To avoid worrying Wang Chengpeng, Liu Chunhua said:

"Son, go out for a stroll first. When you come back tonight, I guarantee you'll hear the good news you've been waiting for."

Knowing that his mother wanted to discuss it with the family, Wang Chengpeng did not refuse and once again set off on the village path.

To completely separate from vampires, there must be a reason, and tonight is the perfect time to finalize the plan to split up.

Moreover, behaving too abnormally could easily arouse suspicion from family members who know them well.

Breathing in the fresh air, Wang Chengpeng kept scanning his surroundings, looking for any possible turning point.

The paths crisscross, and the sounds of chickens and dogs fill the air—a beautiful rural scene, only lacking in human presence.

In those days when work points were still recorded, almost all able-bodied people in the family were working, and very few people would loiter during work hours.

If it weren't for discussing marriage proposals with the Liu family, Wang Chengpeng would be working in the fields right now.

The year's plan starts in spring; the efforts we make now will determine our future harvest.

Feeling the tranquility of Wangjia Village, looking at the green mountains and clear waters, and breathing in the fresh air, Wang Chengpeng felt extremely comfortable.

He hadn't experienced this feeling of being completely immersed in nature for far too long.

After industry developed, although living conditions improved, it was impossible to find such a comfortable living environment again.

During a spring outing, a plump grass carp leaped out of the water, its scales shimmering beautifully in the sunlight.

Looking towards the grass carp, the river water is clear, and shrimp and turtles can be seen faintly in the water.

They are nature's finest gifts, delicacies unique to this era.

As the saying goes, "those who live near mountains live off the mountains, and those who live near water live off the water," but Wang Chengpeng had no intention of harming these grass carp.

Putting aside the fact that fishing is time-consuming and laborious, Wang Chengpeng cannot do anything to these aquatic products simply because they belong to the collective.

Unauthorized fishing? At the very least, it's theft; at worst, it's exploiting communism—a serious crime in this day and age.

Occasionally, some children would catch small fish and shrimp to take home in their spare time, which was a way to slightly improve the family's meals. Looking at the rocks on the shore, Wang Chengpeng's playful mood was aroused, and he picked up a piece and threw it.

In this era of scarcity, children had little entertainment, and toys were practically nonexistent.

In this context, some simple and fun games emerged, and skipping stones is one of them.

Wang Chengpeng became the king of the younger generation of kids precisely because of his unique skill of "seven-drifting" (a type of stunt involving seven different movements).

With a graceful arc, the stone sank to the bottom instantly, without making a ripple.

Having not skipped stones for a long time, how could Wang Chengpeng possibly still have the skill he used to have? It was only natural that the stone sank into the river.

Just as if he were to take the college entrance exam now, he would never achieve the same score as before.

Just as Wang Chengpeng was filled with regret, thinking to himself that he could never go back, a voice suddenly echoed in his mind:
"Ding, the system has been activated as the host has begun to work hard."

"As long as the host works hard, he can accumulate proficiency. Once the proficiency reaches a certain level, the relevant skills can be improved."

"Ding! The host failed to skip stones once. Proficiency +1. Current proficiency: 1/100!"

Upon hearing the system's prompt, Wang Chengpeng's eyes lit up. He hadn't expected that he would not only be reborn but also obtain a system.

Hard work pays off? There's nothing better than that.

I thought I would miss the college entrance exam again and have regrets again, but I didn't expect that a turning point had quietly arrived.

With a few months left until the college entrance examination, with systematic assistance, it's entirely possible to relearn everything.

The college entrance examination is the path that most easily changes the fate of ordinary people, and I absolutely cannot miss it.

Thinking of this, Wang Chengpeng's eyes became even more determined.

This time, he not only wants to do better than in his previous life, but he also absolutely will not give up the hard-won opportunity to go to university because of some ungrateful person.

He is determined to work hard and pave a bright future for himself!
Thinking of this, Wang Chengpeng picked up another stone and skipped it across the water.

I still need to test the power of the Heavenly Rewards Diligence system.

Proficiency +1, Proficiency +1, ..., Proficiency +1!

"Ding, congratulations to the host for reaching 100 proficiency in skipping stones. Your skipping skills have been improved."

As the system notification sounded, Wang Chengpeng had a flash of inspiration and instantly mastered an even better skipping technique.

Looking at the ground again, it was still the same stone, but in Wang Chengpeng's eyes it looked very different.

Not all stones are suitable for skipping stones!
After a quick selection, Wang Chengpeng had a perfectly shaped stone in his hand.

As Wang Chengpeng gradually exerted force with his right hand, the stone shot out, leaping rapidly across the water's surface, and surprisingly, it skipped nine stones in a row.

The "Heaven Rewards Diligence" system is indeed reliable; a mere level upgrade has improved Wang Chengpeng's skipping skills to such an extent.

Under these circumstances, he is even more confident about this year's college entrance examination.

At the same time, I decided to visit the village's former educated youth settlement when I had time, to see if I could borrow some books from the former educated youth.

Once my grades improve, I can not only ace the college entrance exam, but also seize a business opportunity that can make me rich.

This is the advantage of having foresight!

However, just as Wang Chengpeng was preparing to leave Xiaohe in obscurity, a startled cry suddenly rang out behind him:
"Pengzi, that's impressive! It's the legendary nine consecutive drifts, absolutely awesome!"

(End of this chapter)