Luo Chuan followed the same pattern, visiting all the neighbors who had helped him before. He left gifts and paid back the money he owed, using the same excuse as before.
His grandma was strong-willed and didn't want to owe anyone favors, so he’d say things like, “Grandma is too stubborn to accept help.”
After trying it a few times, he discovered that this excuse worked exceptionally well, and most people accepted his gifts and repayment.
Among these neighbors were the Dali Jiao family and the other three members of Daxing Village's F4, especially Tu Jun's father, Tu Fu, who had been extremely helpful.
As for Lao Gou Tu Jun, Luo Shenxi, and the others, Luo Chuan didn't care much. They had known each other for over a decade, and he felt no sense of novelty or excitement about being the protagonist.
By the time he had finished visiting all the neighbors, it was already four or five in the afternoon. The constant walking had made Luo Chuan sweat profusely, and the thick cotton coat only made him feel uncomfortable.
He returned home and immediately took off his cotton jacket. He took a long, hot shower, feeling completely relaxed.
After showering, Luo Chuan went to the kitchen and put the steamed buns he had left earlier back into the steamer. When they were almost done, he heated some oil in a pan. With a sizzling sound, he poured the already whisked eggs into the pan.
He scrambled the eggs, and the yellow liquid quickly solidified. Just before taking them off the heat, he sprinkled a pinch of salt over the eggs and then put them on a plate.
This very simple dish of scrambled eggs was done.
However, after putting the eggs on the plate, Luo Chuan didn't rush to eat. He stood there dumbfounded because the system had sent a prompt.
【Cooking +7】
The Cooking skill on the panel had changed from Cooking LV1:83/100 to Cooking LV1:90/100.
Looking at the increase in Cooking experience, Luo Chuan reflected on his previous actions and realized he had an intuitive feeling that he could make the scrambled eggs even better.
After thinking for a moment, Luo Chuan set aside the previously cooked eggs and took out another egg to scramble it again.
He wanted to verify his hunch, and he was also curious to see what changes would happen when the Cooking skill leveled up to LV2.
A few minutes later, another plate of scrambled eggs was ready. The system sent a prompt:
【Cooking +6】
“Let’s do this again.”
【Cooking +5】
【Cooking LV2: 1/1000】
The Cooking skill had leveled up. A series of home-cooked recipes suddenly appeared in Luo Chuan's mind. Though they were just regular home-cooked dishes, they were enough for everyday life. At least he wouldn't have to eat scrambled eggs every day....
Besides, the taste of the three batches of scrambled eggs was clearly different, with noticeable improvement.
Of course, Luo Chuan's gains didn't stop there.
【Cooking Level Up to LV2, Reward: One Secret Braised Meat Recipe】
A long list of ingredients for braised meat suddenly appeared in Luo Chuan's mind. He rubbed his teeth in excitement.
“System, I’m not saying you’re bad, but other people’s systems give them big mansions, sports cars, or at least millions of cash. You just give me a braised meat recipe? That doesn’t match your status.”
“Do you have any other rewards? Don’t hide them, let’s see them.”
System: “.....”
Seeing that the system didn’t respond, Luo Chuan relentlessly continued,
“Since you don't give me money, shouldn't you give me the reward I should have received for reaching LV2 before?”
Still, there was no reaction. After trying several times, Luo Chuan finally gave up, realizing that his system was just a stingy old greedy beast.
“Forget it, forget it. Even if you gave me a Lamborghini, I wouldn’t dare drive it. It’s good to be grounded... very good.”
Luo Chuan comforted himself with tears in his eyes.
During dinner, Luo Chuan fiercely finished all the scrambled eggs and then locked himself in his room. He wanted to try again to see if he could find a bug and get more rewards.
There was no other way. Though Luo Chuan could live off the money Luo Ning left behind for a while, what about after that?
The bottom line was that he needed to find a way to make money.
The next morning, a tired Luo Chuan sat up in bed, roused by the noisy alarm clock, and walked into the bathroom like a zombie.
The cold water finally woke him up.
After a simple wash and brushing his teeth, Luo Chuan changed clothes, put on his sneakers, and ran towards the back mountain.
Looking at his posture, it was clear that he had made no progress the previous night.
Last night, Luo Chuan had tried to actively increase skills to get system rewards. He had tried singing, painting, calligraphy, and a variety of other common skills, but to no avail. He toiled until the middle of the night, but failed to unlock a single new skill.
For a while, he even thought that skills would never appear again.
After thinking hard, Luo Chuan realized that he had been going in the wrong direction. He couldn't just sing a few songs and call himself a singer, or make a few scribbles and call himself a painter.
Luo Chuan, who didn't even know basic music notation or drawing lines, how could he make the system generate skills?
Therefore, ultimately, Luo Chuan needed to take the initiative to learn and understand.
Later, Luo Chuan also figured out that although his system wouldn't give him cash directly, every step he took was stable, not a castle in the sky that would crumble at the slightest touch. It was something he had control over.
The existence of the system simply accelerated this process. It was like a silent teacher, who wouldn’t urge you but wouldn’t allow you to cheat. And if you performed well, you would get small rewards. That would motivate you, wouldn't it?
After realizing he couldn't find bugs, Luo Chuan didn’t give up. He decided to find another way to earn rewards from his current abilities.
Running was one of his chosen targets.
Besides earning rewards, Luo Chuan also planned to strengthen his body. He couldn’t stay so frail.
He didn’t expect to be able to fight ten men by himself, or charge into battle like Zhao Yun, but he at least wanted to be able to defend himself against hooligans.
Daxing Village was located on the edge of the city, and the security wasn't as good as in the city. Even if it was just for safety, Luo Chuan had to improve his fitness.