The timeline system has gone awry; they insist that steamed buns are a magic pill.

"I need to wash the sheets and the blankets..."

Li Qingqiu was furious. The smell was just too strong. He didn't even know how he fell asleep. He didn't care anymore. He had to take a shower even if it snowed. And he was so itchy. He had to take a shower. He couldn't take it anymore.

For breakfast, Li Qingqiu was numb. It was another coarse, throat-scratching mixed grain porridge, plus steamed sweet potato chips that were a bit hard to chew and had a slightly bitter taste. After finishing the meal, Li Qingqiu's eyes were lifeless. "I want to go home. I suddenly crave my mom's terrible cooking."

"Third Brother, be careful with your hat, don't get it dirty."

After finishing his meal, Li Qingshi tidied himself up and prepared to return to the commune. Before leaving, he reluctantly handed his cadre hat to Li Qingqiu. Li Qingqiu took the hat listlessly and casually put it on his head to cover the gauze. "It's dirty. I'll wash it for you later."

"No need, I'll wash it myself."

Li Qingshi was taken aback. He dared not ask his third brother to help wash his hat, for fear of ruining it. Li Qingmei, who was standing nearby, scoffed when she heard Li Qingqiu say he would wash his fourth brother's hat. He was too lazy to even wash his own shoes, all he did was talk.

*Ding-dong*, Li Qingqiu paused. The system update was complete. Here it comes, here it comes! I'm going to cultivate immortality! "Mom, I'm going back to my room to pack."

"Pack up properly, they'll be coming over soon."

Shi Lanhua spoke with some lingering concern. "Xiao Mei, go to your brother's room later and tend to him. Sprinkle plenty of the 666 powder, lest someone else bites it while looking after him."

Li Qingqiu shuddered, realizing that there were fleas in his room.

No wonder my whole body is itchy. I've been bitten all night. What a disaster! Li Qingqiu, you deserve to die! He cursed his predecessor fiercely. Li Qingqiu hurriedly said, "Take more." Insecticide, from a 21st-century young man, even though he was incredibly lazy, he couldn't stand the fleas all over his bed.

As for the others, Li Qingqiu had no time to pay attention. The system had been updated, and as a cultivator, why would he care about his family? He was about to take off. This lousy place was none of his business; whoever wanted to stay could stay there.

Back inside, Li Qingqiu closed the door and immediately brought up the system screen.

Host: Li Qingqiu

Cultivation Sect: Collateral Branch of the Li Clan Cultivation Family

Cultivation Techniques: Basic Immortal Cultivation Methods (Beginner Level)

Cultivation Technique: Spirit Plant Cultivation Technique (Beginner)

Magical artifact: None

Elixir: Agar-agar nutmeg pills (two)

Physical condition: 6

Agility: 7

Power: 6

Spirit: 8

...The check-in function module is pending update, and the points-based lottery is pending update...

Li Qingqiu, a collateral descendant of the Li family's cultivation clan, was dumbfounded. Could it be that Lijia'ao was a cultivation clan? This seemed a bit off; there was no trace of cultivation in his predecessor's memories. Oh well, never mind.

"Extracting agar-necked nutmeg".

First, he wanted to take the pill. The thought of the elixir still excited Li Qingqiu, but when the pill appeared in his hand, he felt it was almost too hot. "Why does this pill look like a freshly steamed meat bun?"

"They look alike, and they smell alike too!"

Li Qingqiu was dumbfounded. Finally, he gritted his teeth, stomped his foot, and took a bite. This taste... this tastes exactly like a meat bun. It's not like this. "Hallucination, it must be a hallucination. Maybe my head was broken yesterday, and my sense of taste is acting up. No, I'll try it again." Li Qingqiu took two more bites. That's right, it still tastes like a meat bun. There's no difference. Although the meat is a little more fragrant, the taste of the meat bun hasn't changed much.

"Damn it, stop messing around! Where's the elixir? How did it turn into a meat bun?" Li Qingqiu was a bit confused. Looking at the remaining meat bun, he knew there must be a mistake. He put it back into the system's built-in storage shelf, and it showed that it was indeed still the Agar Nutmeg Pill.

"I……."

Li Qingqiu had a bad feeling. This system couldn't do the splits anymore; it must be a mistake. Try again! I don't believe it. How could a system lie? This is unscientific. "Agar-agar nutmeg pill, yes, yes, it definitely works. It's just that alchemists like to play tricks on people, making the pill look like a meat bun. I was overthinking it. Maybe I'll take off in a bit."

"Knock knock knock".

"You're here?"

Li Qingqiu subconsciously put the agar-agar and nutmeg pills back on the storage shelf, went to the door, and opened the somewhat dilapidated wooden door. Standing outside was an elderly white-haired woman wearing a patched gray-white coat, looking at him with a loving expression, especially distressed by the blood-soaked towel wrapped around her head. "Oh dear, who the hell hit you so hard? Does it still hurt? Let me see."

"Grandma, it's okay, it doesn't hurt anymore."

In Li Qingqiu's memory, the original owner's grandmother doted on him. She would always save the best food and toys for him. Of all her grandsons, she loved him the most, this unreliable, lazy, and good-for-nothing boy, which was quite surprising.

"It's alright now."

Han Lishi shakily took out a small cloth bag and handed it to Li Qingqiu. "Grandma, I've brought you four eggs and a dollar. Put them away quickly. I've cooked these eggs and milk for you. Eat them to nourish yourself. I heard your child bled quite a bit yesterday."

Li Qingqiu was somewhat moved. He knew that in those days, families weren't allowed to raise many chickens and ducks. His grandmother's family only raised two hens, and with the weather getting colder, the hens were laying fewer eggs. These four eggs would probably take several days to accumulate.

His grandmother usually wouldn't eat it herself, saving it to exchange for money to buy lamp oil and salt. Li Qingqiu subconsciously wanted to refuse, but thinking of the original owner's personality, he finally accepted it. "Grandma, when I'm capable, I'll buy you meat to eat."

"Okay, okay."

Han Li grinned happily, her only two remaining teeth crooked from smiling. It was all worth the pain; she heard they were going to buy her meat. "Grandma just heard from your mother that you're going on a date today. Keep this money safe; buy some candy for her later."

"I understand."

Li Qingqiu muttered to himself, "Looking for a partner? What a joke! I'm not interested. I'm preparing to cultivate immortality; I don't need to be heartless, but I can't be too sentimental." Helping his grandmother into the courtyard, Li Qingqiu didn't notice that his second sister-in-law, Lin Xiu, looked rather unhappy and was muttering something to herself—that was none of his business.

"Mother, what brings you here?"

Li Fuhai and Shi Lanhua quickly helped Han Lishi sit down, as Han Lishi was an elderly woman with bound feet and walking was not very convenient for her. Han Lishi smiled and waved her hand. "I came to take a look. The young man is looking for a partner. Why didn't you tell me about such an important matter?"

"Mother, it didn't work out, did it?"

Shi Lanhua is feisty, but she is very filial to her mother-in-law, calling her "Mom" all the time. She often sends her mother-in-law any good food or drink she can get. Her mother-in-law has always been biased towards her family, especially her third son.

"When is this person arriving?"

"We're almost there."

The matchmaker was supposed to come early in the morning, and judging by the time, she's probably on her way now. These days, people usually walk for short distances, since bicycles are such a luxury item that even a brigade might not have many, or some brigades might not have any at all.

"Who is it?"

"The girl from Zhangjiazhai Brigade in Niutouling, her father is the deputy brigade leader, and her three older brothers are all cadres. The girl is also a good worker. I heard that she has even gone into the mountains with her father to hunt wild boar. She is very strong."

Shi Lanhua was very satisfied. When she married, she would definitely look for a capable and strong woman to make a living. With Lao San's personality, he was generally not easy to control. She would have to find someone who could keep him in check, and this woman was just right.

Li Qingqiu shuddered at the thought of this woman going into the mountains to hunt wild boar. He imagined her arms to be three feet thick and her face to resemble Li Kui's. He wondered how she could dare to go into the mountains to hunt wild boar. "Is she kidding me?" Li Qingqiu thought to himself. "Who would want this woman? They must have a death wish."

"She's here, she's here, Auntie San is here."

As they were talking, Li Xianye and Li Xianqing from the second brother's family rushed into the yard with Li Xianshu, the youngest daughter of the eldest brother Li Qingchun, shouting and yelling.

"They're here! Quick, let's go out and greet them."

Aside from Grandma, Li Fuhai, and Shi Lanhua, her future mother-in-law, everyone else left the courtyard. Li Qingqiu originally didn't want to go, but she was quite curious about what a girl who could hunt wild boars would be like, so she went out the door anyway.

A smiling woman in her fifties or sixties, wearing a gray-blue jacket, cotton trousers tucked into cloth shoes, led a tall girl with two braids into the room. The girl was probably about 1.7 meters tall.

By today's standards, he's quite tall. Li Qingqiu muttered that he's probably almost as tall as the original owner of this body. The original owner was actually quite tall, around 1.75 meters. He was the tallest of the four sons in his family. In his memory, Shi Lanhua often nagged him about his height, saying that he must have eaten a lot of good food to grow so tall.

As for whether Li Qingqiu is real or fake, no one knows. However, he is of average height. Compared to his eldest brother, he is probably less than 1.7 meters tall, and his second brother is about the same. His fourth brother is at most a little over 1.7 meters tall. As for appearance, the whole family is average, except for Li Qingqiu, who is considered somewhat handsome.

Because of his handsome features and tall stature, Li Qingqiu often recalled being teased by many older women and aunties, who would jokingly call him a fair-skinned young man who had suddenly appeared out of the remote mountain village.

"Cough cough cough." Li Qingqiu quickly made way for the person to enter the courtyard.

"Sister-in-law Wang, come into the yard quickly."

Shi Lan greeted the matchmaker at the gate, glancing out of the corner of her eye at the young woman who followed her in. This girl looked really strong and tall, almost a head taller than her. She would definitely be good at working. What a good girl.

Shi Lanhua glanced at her third son, wondering if his physique could handle it. If it worked out, she would have to advise him to be more careful and not to always think about getting pregnant by women, lest he ruin his health.

The tall girl with twin braids was not at all reserved. Before entering the courtyard, she looked around and glanced at Li Qingqiu one last time before striding into the courtyard.

"Please sit down, young lady."

Not to mention Shi Lanhua, Grandma Han Li was also very satisfied with Zhang's daughter. With that figure and that bottom, she looked like she could bear children and work.

"No need to sit."

Zhang Qingya looked around the courtyard, then finally glanced at Li Qingqiu. "I'm here on behalf of my sister to look after the house. My sister has to take care of the children and doesn't have time to come..."

What does "taking care of children" mean?

Upon hearing this, not only were Shi Lanhua and the others stunned, but Li Qingqiu was also a little taken aback. The matchmaker, Aunt Wang, however, seemed somewhat embarrassed. "Well, Lanhua, I didn't explain clearly. The woman who's arranging the marriage for your third son is Zhang's eldest sister; her husband died a few years ago..."

"What? Her husband died? Isn't that a widow?"

Shi Lanhua couldn't sit still any longer. What a joke! Her third son was a young and promising man. How could he possibly marry a widow? Besides, widows are said to bring bad luck to their husbands. And judging from his tone, he even had a child. How could that be acceptable? Absolutely not. Only a bastard would raise a child for an outsider.

"What's wrong with being a widow?"

Zhang Qingya was displeased and pouted. Her older sister was quite good-looking and had a good personality. Not to mention Li Laosan, who was so unreliable, she would be a good match for someone better. "If my sister hadn't met your third brother and been bewitched by him, my father wouldn't have even agreed to the marriage. I just heard at the intersection that your third brother got into a fight over a meat bun yesterday and even got his head broken. What a good-for-nothing."

"I came here just to say, on behalf of my sister, that we should call it off this time. This little chick is too small for my family. He would get his head smashed in a fight. He's a real piece of trash."

Zhang Qingya glanced disdainfully at Li Qingqiu, whose head had been broken. What a pretty boy! He's useless in a fight. Her sister can hunt wild boars; how could this piece of trash be worthy of her? Li Qingqiu was annoyed. "No, what kind of look is that? What did I do? I haven't even said anything yet! Don't even mention your sister, I wouldn't even look at you. You're such a rude little brat."

[System task triggered—Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river; the direct descendant of a cultivation family comes to break off her engagement, the host is filled with indignation… The task requires the host to stand up and loudly proclaim, “Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river; never underestimate a young man’s potential…” Completing this series of tasks will earn 1000 points.]

"I……."

Li Qingqiu nearly spat out a mouthful of blood. "System, what the hell are you doing? What are you calling me? Do you think this is a novel about breaking off an engagement?" "Fine, fine, anyway, I don't want to go on blind dates," Li Qingqiu said calmly, glancing at the tall Zhang Qingya.

"Now that you've finished speaking, I'd like to say a few words as well."

Li Qingqiu's voice rang out, and everyone turned to look. "I don't know your sister, and besides, let alone your sister taking care of a child, I wouldn't even look at you. If I, Li Qingqiu, am going to marry a wife, she must at least be a city person, an educated woman."

[After completing the "Thirty Years East of the River, Thirty Years West of the River" and "Don't Underestimate the Young" prerequisite quests and making bold statements, the host's declaration of marrying a prodigy from the immortal sect triggers a special cultivation physique—Lazy Eater. The host obtains the Lazy Eater Cultivation Method. The system has been updated with a sign-in and points lottery function. Practicing the Lazy Eater Method for one hour daily grants one sign-in opportunity.]

[System update: Added check-in and points-based lottery modules; task module under update...]

No, this is it? What other nonsense is this? And what's with all this boasting and marrying a prodigy from a celestial sect? I said I married a city girl, how did this become a prodigy from a celestial sect? System, what are you doing? Li Qingqiu completely ignored the stunned crowd, thinking to himself, "System, what's going on? This is getting more and more strange."

"What nonsense are you talking about?"

Shi Lanhua couldn't help but pat her son a few times. "Someone like you, even a widow wouldn't want you. You want to marry a city girl? Don't make a fool of yourself!" When everyone reacted, they looked at Li Qingqiu with strange eyes. The eldest sister-in-law lowered her head and didn't say anything. The second sister-in-law, Lin Xiu, pouted. The youngest sister, Li Qingmei, couldn't bear to look at her third brother. "A city girl, huh? Matchmakers from all around won't dare to arrange marriages for you anymore."

The commune's fight over steamed buns has ruined her reputation. She already had a reputation for being lazy and gluttonous, and now it's even worse. Li Qingmei is worried about whether it will affect her reputation. Will matchmakers still dare to come to her door to propose marriage?

Zhang Qingya couldn't help but laugh. "Hahaha, is this guy crazy? A city girl, huh? He's probably just angry and embarrassed. He dares to talk such big words. "I'm dying of laughter. My sister was right to break off this engagement. If you can marry a city girl, I'll warm you some wine as an apology, I'll even be your concubine."

[Triggered the Dual Cultivation Partner Quest. The host needs to form a Daoist partnership with someone within six months. Sign-in points will be doubled, cultivation resources will be doubled...] Li Qingqiu was dumbfounded. System, what is this thing? Dual Cultivation Partner? Are you kidding me?

Forget it, let's wait until the system update is complete before looking into it. As for now, let's hurry up and get rid of this matchmaker and that rude wild girl, Zhang Qingya. "An apology will suffice. As for being a brat like you, forget it."

"You, fine, you just wait."

Zhang Qingya's face was ugly. Who did he think he was? He was lazy and good-for-nothing, his reputation was terrible, and he even got his head smashed while fighting over a steamed bun. He was a complete waste of a fighting dog.

"Third brother, what nonsense are you talking about?"

Shi Lanhua was filled with helplessness. What was she going to do with this child? "This is terrible, Aunt Wang, what should we do?"

"Lanhua, I really have no choice. I'll return these two yuan to you. Don't come looking for me again." As she spoke, Wang the matchmaker took out two yuan and handed it to Shi Lanhua. She really had no choice. She dared not accept the money. This was so outrageous. What kind of city girl, what kind of cultured person, would dare to make such a request even in her wildest dreams?

"Aunt Wang, can you think of another idea?"

Shi Lanhua was really worried about her third son. Two yuan was all it took to hire a matchmaker who would normally only cost three or five mao, but now the matchmaker wouldn't even do it for two yuan.

"I really have no choice with your third son. I've been running around like crazy these past two years, and finally someone has taken a liking to him. Although she's a widow, she's in good health and will definitely give birth to a son. But yesterday, your third son got into a fight over a steamed bun. Tell me, what kind of mess is this? She's not happy, and there's nothing I can do." Matchmaker Wang spread her hands, knowing she really couldn't earn this money.

Shi Lan Hua reluctantly accepted the two yuan, picked out fifty cents, and handed it back to Matchmaker Wang. "Thank you for making this trip. Please use this to buy a bowl of tea."

"Alright, fine, I'll keep an eye out for you later."

With the five cents in hand, Aunt Wang's attitude softened somewhat. She said a few polite words and quickly left.

"Ugh, can't you just stay put for once? Now look what's happened."

Shi Lanhua couldn't help but pat Li Qingqiu a few times. "Now look what's happened! Even the matchmaker doesn't want to arrange a marriage anymore. What are we going to do?" Li Qingmei, standing nearby, pouted. "Mom is so biased. She's spent at least ten yuan on this marriage proposal for my third brother."

She wanted to go to the city to participate in job recruitment, but she wouldn't agree to pay even two yuan. However, for her third brother's marriage proposal, she was willing to pay several two-yuan sums. Li Qingmei looked down on Li Qingqiu even more. Similarly, her second sister-in-law, Lin Xiu, was also worried. In the end, her mother still favored her third son. Her son, Xianle, was not young either, but her mother never seemed to care about him.

Although the eldest sister-in-law didn't say anything, a closer look revealed a different meaning in her eyes. After all, her son Xian'an was fifteen years old, almost of marriageable age. Li Qingqiu's matchmaking didn't end with Zhang Qingya's departure. The sixth aunt, who had overheard the whole thing, had already returned to the team and started spreading the word.

"He really dares to dream of marrying a city girl."

"Hahaha, let alone city girls, even widows wouldn't look at him."

It was snowing that day, and there was nothing much going on. Everyone gathered at Qinghui's house, and a group of old women started talking without any restraint, since Shilan Hua wasn't there.

"Of course, what kind of good family would want to marry someone as lazy and good-for-nothing as him? They'd fight tooth and nail for a steamed bun."

Li Qinghui's wife, Meng Lan, said with a smile as she sewed shoe soles, and the other women laughed and echoed her. "If you ask me, why not just find a refugee? Maybe he'd be willing to marry someone just to have something to eat."

"Oh dear, don't talk nonsense like that, or your Aunt Lanhua will get angry."

Wang Xiuju patted her daughter-in-law and said, "Why do you always talk so much? But this third son of Shi Lanhua's family is really unreliable."

"Mother, I'll just tell you the truth. Tell me, apart from those who fled famine, what decent girl would want to be with him?"

"That's for sure. If you ask me, we should seriously look for a place to escape famine."

Achoo! Li Qingqiu sneezed. Who was talking about him? He got up and opened the door, only to find his younger sister, Li Qingmei. "What is it?"

"Mom asked me to get you some 666 powder."

Without saying a word, Li Qingmei threw the paper packet onto the bed and left without even stepping into the room. Li Qingqiu muttered to himself, "That brat. Oh well, let's tidy up first. Killing the bugs is the priority."

[Complete one hour of Lazy Eating Method practice to sign in once]

"Check-in?"

The system update is complete. Li Qingqiu opened the system and glanced at the basic interface. There was a new special physique and cultivation techniques.

[Sign-in successful. Signed in at a basic level cave. Received one packet of Six God Insect Killer Powder and gained 1 point.]

"A basic cave dwelling? Is it like my own little hut?"

Li Qingqiu increasingly felt that there was something wrong with the system; it seemed like the system had really gone awry.

[System task: Clear the new cave and kill the bloodthirsty poisonous insects to earn +1 point]

Li Qingqiu accepted the quest and retrieved the Six God Insect Killer Powder he had just obtained. It seemed similar to the Six DDT powder Li Qingmei had given him. "No way, could the bloodthirsty poisonous insects be fleas? And this Six God Insect Killer Powder is actually Six DDT powder?"