Chapter 5
Ling Meng returned home in a good mood and went to her mother's room to tell her about Ling Yue's discharge from the hospital.
"That dead girl is being discharged already? Are her injuries healed?" Yang Xiner stopped painting her nails and looked surprised. Although she had not gone to see the dead girl, she knew her injuries were very serious, with fifty percent of her body burned, and even her face was ruined.
Ling Meng smiled as she picked up an apple slice from the fruit platter on the table and put it in her mouth. "How is that possible? I asked the doctor, and he said her injuries would take at least another month to be discharged, and even if she gets better, she will have ugly scars in the future." Thinking that Ling Yue would have to live with an ugly face from now on made her happy. Every time she heard others praise Ling Yue for her beauty, she would be jealous and want to ruin her face. Now her dream had finally come true. Moreover, the Ling family had given up on Ling Yue, so she would be the young miss of the Ling family from now on.
"Then why is she in such a hurry to be discharged?" Yang Xiner could not figure it out.
"She's run out of money to pay her medical bills!" Ling Meng said happily. Grandpa had ordered that from now on, no one in the Ling family was allowed to take care of Ling Yue's affairs anymore, nor was Ling Yue allowed to step back into the Ling family. The Ling family had completely abandoned Ling Yue this time, lacking only an announcement to sever ties with her.
"Serves her right!" Yang Xiner admired her nicely painted nails and smiled satisfiedly. She had always disliked that dead girl Ling Yue because her face looked seventy to eighty percent like her dead mother's. Every time she saw her, she would think of Ling Yue's mother.
"Mom, call Uncle Zhang and tell him to instruct all the hospitals in Jing City not to admit that dead girl. Don't even change her medicine for her, let her die from the pain." Otherwise, she would have wasted her money.
"Okay." Yang Xiner smiled and nodded. Her daughter was as clever as her.
"Also, Mom, can you ask Dad to announce cutting ties with Ling Yue?" As long as the Ling family made an announcement, Ling Yue would be completely unrelated to them.
"This..." Of course, Yang Xiner wanted it too, but it required the old master's approval. Although the dead girl was disfigured, she still had the Ling family blood running through her veins after all.
"Mom!" Ling Meng shook Yang Xiner's arm coquettishly.
Yang Xiner glanced at Ling Meng indulgently. "Alright, I'll talk to your dad about it tonight."
"Mom is the best!" Ling Meng kissed Yang Xiner happily on the cheek. As long as the Ling family announced severing ties with Ling Yue, she would be the legitimate young miss of the Ling family.
In the afternoon after Granny Xu left to buy daily necessities, Ling Yue also went out.
She walked out of the alley and soon found the used bookstore Granny Xu had mentioned.
There was a sign hanging on the door of the used bookstore that read, "Used Book Rental: 1 Yuan Per Day".
Walking into the used bookstore, a middle-aged woman wearing black-rimmed glasses was organizing the bookshelves, and two young men were inside, one leaning against a bookshelf reading, and the other browsing for books.
Seeing Ling Yue with gauze wrapped around her face walk in, all three people's gazes turned to her at the same time.
Ling Yue ignored their stares and walked to one of the bookshelves. Although this used bookstore only had some old books on its shelves, there were many categories—old magazines, all kinds of romance novels, economics, history, medicine, and more.
Ling Yue picked up a book, quickly flipped through it, and put it back on the shelf before continuing to the next book. She had an excellent memory and could remember every book she skimmed.
Seeing Ling Yue pick up and flip through one book after another but not seeming to actually read them, the used bookstore owner approached her and said, "What kind of books are you looking for? Let me help you find some." In her store, people could buy books, rent them, or read them in the store. However, few people chose to read in the store—most would rent books to take home and return after finishing them. Renting books only required a 10 Yuan deposit.
"No need, I'm just browsing randomly." Ling Yue placed the book in her hand back on the shelf and moved on to the next.
Hearing this, the used bookstore owner stopped bothering Ling Yue. As long as she didn't damage any books, it was fine.
Unknowingly, the afternoon slipped away until Granny Xu, who had gone to buy daily necessities, came to find her. Only then did Ling Yue realize how late it was. She returned the book in her hand to the shelf.
In one afternoon, she had read many books and basically understood this world—it was the late 1990s here, and the Internet had just emerged in China. She felt that the Internet would continue to develop in the future and become intricately linked to people's lives.
When she had money, she would go to an internet cafe to see if she could find any business opportunities online. Since she had come to this world, she had to work hard to earn money and improve her life. No matter which world she was in, only with power and money could she stand at the pinnacle of the world and have a say.
"Young Miss, I finally found you!" Granny Xu came home after buying daily necessities. Not seeing Ling Yue, she was scared to death. She rushed out to look for her, thinking that Ling Yue had asked about the used bookstore before. Finding her there, Granny Xu heaved a sigh of relief. As long as the young miss was alright, nothing else mattered.
Ling Yue smiled apologetically. "Granny Xu, I'm sorry for worrying you."
"As long as you're fine. Do your wounds still hurt?" What Granny Xu worried most about now was Ling Yue's injuries.
"They don't hurt anymore. Let's go home." Ling Yue took Granny Xu's hand and walked in the direction of their home.
Granny Xu didn't dare touch Ling Yue's hand but let her hold it anyway.
Back home, Granny Xu immediately went to the kitchen. She had bought some rice and vegetables just now. "Young Miss, I'll go make dinner. Rest for a while."
"Okay." Ling Yue knew Granny Xu definitely wouldn't let her help, so she didn't follow her into the kitchen.
Sitting in the living room, Ling Yue propped her chin up in thought about what she needed to do next. What she needed most now was money, and the fastest way to make money was the stock market. However, she would need capital for stocks and an understanding of the market.
Antiques and gambling on stones were other options, but those also required money. Where could she earn money from?
"Young Miss, dinner is ready." Granny Xu carried the dishes out from the kitchen.
"Coming." Ling Yue snapped back to reality and got up to take the dishes from Granny Xu.
"Don't move. Be careful of your injuries." Granny Xu avoided Ling Yue's hands and set the food down on the table herself.
Ling Yue shrugged helplessly. Sigh, another useless day.
After dinner, when Granny Xu had finished cleaning up and gone back to her room, Ling Yue went out to the yard and sat under a tree to start absorbing the Power of the Stars.
As she activated her cultivation technique, strands of stellar power gradually converged towards her. Looking closely, one could see specks of blue light seeping out from under her bandages.
Ling Yue stayed in that state until she could no longer sense the Power of the Stars. Then she exited her cultivation trance, opened her eyes, stood up and brushed the dust off herself before returning to her room. Her wounds were now seventy to eighty percent healed.