The Sixth Year of Qiyuan.
A wise ruler and virtuous ministers governed diligently, and with each new policy issued, the people's lives gradually returned to stability.
This year, Xia Youmi turned seven—and with it came the first major turning point of her life.
In the original novel, it was in this very year that she moved to Chang'an.
As for the specifics of how it happened—no one knew yet.
—
Outside the academy,
A girl and a dog were whiling away the time, braiding rings from grass. She leaned lazily against a big banyan tree, utterly at ease.
"Da Huang~"
Xia Youmi flashed a mischievous, granny-wolf grin.
"Look at this magnificent grass crown!"
"Woof!"
"It shows off your majestic overlord aura!"
"And if we tuck in a little yellow flower—bam, tough guy with a soft side! Irresistible!"
"Woof-woo..." Da Huang let himself be fussed over, visibly aggrieved.
He even rubbed his nose against Xia Youmi's short robe, full of puppyish charm and neediness.
"Haha, alright, alright!"
After playing around enough,
she took off the grass crown and hugged Da Huang tightly, smoothing down his fur in comfort. The scene was peaceful and heartwarming.
—
At the moment, Xia Youmi was dressed in boys' clothes—hand-me-downs from her cousins.
She had worn this way for six full years.
Her mother had tried to make her new clothes, but she refused.
One, because boys' clothing was far more practical.
Two, her uncles' house had a surplus of used clothes.
Three, in the second year of Qiyuan, both of her uncles had been conscripted into the military.
Only the elderly, women, and children were left at home. Life hadn't been easy since.
Moreover, in this world, Xia Youmi had no intention of living as a traditional woman.
Society was relatively open now. Many young women dressed like men when going out—it was trendy, not taboo.
There were even specialized shops selling such garments and accessories.
In the original novel, she was a daily crossdressing hooligan.
When out and about,
though she didn't actively hide her gender,
she also wasn't often recognized.
Only petty-minded people gossiped behind her back, reducing her valiant and pretty appearance to a "foppish dandy" or "not a proper young gentleman."
—
In recent years, the system, called "Niannian," had been diligently optimizing itself, clarifying many world rules.
For example: entering a small world didn't require following the character setup (that is, each time she entered a new world, the "original novel" would assign her a pre-existing identity whose life trajectory and personality matched her actions).
But key events or major plot points would inevitably occur—they couldn't be avoided.
As for how she reacted? Xia Youmi had the freedom to decide.
For instance, she would definitely encounter the female lead—and would definitely be falsely accused by another hooligan gang of harassing said heroine.
To avoid excessive misunderstandings,
Xia Youmi chose to follow the general trajectory of her assigned role—as long as it didn't go against her principles or tire her out too much.
Just imagine if she looked like a delicate little maiden…
And then someone accused her of harassing the female lead? That would be way too twisted to even picture.
—
Another important feature of the system—her golden finger.
You couldn't say it wasn't powerful.
For someone content with little, any unearned bonus was a gift from heaven.
Niannian, this system, was her cheat plug-in.
How did it work? Scanning and storage.
Data gathered in the future was encrypted and locked—even the system itself couldn't access it.
But anything seen through Xia Youmi's eyes could be recorded and saved.
For example:
Primer texts like Thousand Character Classic, Three Character Classic, clan members she'd met, places she'd visited…
As long as Xia Youmi earnestly looked at it (and yes, it must be earnestly—quantum reading didn't count; that just became a blurry mess in the system).
She herself wasn't gifted with photographic memory, but the system preserved it all in real-time.
She could retrieve those memories instantly whenever needed.
Basically, it was like being implanted with a memory chip.
With such a safety net, even being a "waste" in this world wouldn't be a big deal.
—
Finally—
After finishing the fifth woven grass bracelet, the academy began to stir with noise.
The girl and her dog stood up, brushing stray grass bits off their robes, and looked eagerly toward the academy gate.
Other household servants were also waiting outside for their young masters.
Scholarly youths passed by one after another—some weary, some cheerful.
Xia Youmi began to suspect her cousins had been held back. She waited over half an hour longer before spotting the Wang Family Trio.
"Brother Yi!"
"Little Ah-Mi!"
Their greetings rang out at the same time the moment they saw each other.
As usual, it was the lively Wang Shaoyi in the lead.
He now stood tall, brimming with youthful vigor—and had even developed a bit of scholarly charm.
But as soon as he opened his mouth, that illusion was shattered. At thirteen, he was still going through puberty and voice cracks.
"Little Lady."
"Brother Dazhu."
Xia Youmi greeted Wang Dazhu politely. He nodded back but didn't speak, standing beside Shaoyi and staring down at the flagstones.
That was typical of Wang Dazhu. Xia Youmi always thought the older he got, the more he resembled a sensitive mimosa plant.
Whenever he saw her, he could barely say a few words before blushing and lowering his head—like an easy target.
Thankfully, her two Wang cousins were valiant enough.
And Da Huang had already run ahead to circle around another boy.
"Woof woof!"
"Da Huang!"
Wang Shaoyan bent down and patted the dog on the head.
Then he hung his book bag around Da Huang's neck and said warmly:
"Thanks for helping us today, Da Huang."
He didn't even have to look—he knew Da Huang was now walking proudly like he'd been assigned a heroic mission.
"Brother Yan, this is for you!" Xia Youmi handed him the third grass bracelet. The other two boys had already accepted theirs and were playing with them on their wrists.
Wang Shaoyan took it with a gentle expression, then looked at her and asked:
"Little Sister, why did you come to pick us up after class today?"
He paused, then added,
"Is something urgent at home?"
Among her cousins, Wang Shaoyan was the gentlest and most perceptive, and always cut straight to the point.
And yes, she did have a mission.
Xia Youmi straightened up, her smile fading into seriousness.
"There's something important at home. Aunt was worried you might not return promptly after school."
"Mother sent me to fetch you all—she asked that you come back early so as not to delay anything."
The boys exchanged glances and instantly dropped any thoughts of goofing off.
Wang Shaoyi, being the impulsive one, had already started walking.
"Let's go!"
"We'll talk on the way. Can't be late, or Aunt will give me an earful."
"Alright!"
"Woof!"
Da Huang ran ahead to lead the way, and the Wang family group quickly followed.
Wang Dazhu used to have someone come fetch him, but after hanging out with the Wang boys a few times, he'd become much bolder.
He often joined them for the trip home.
He was also physically stronger than many classmates.
However… he'd never had to walk this fast on an empty stomach!
Still, he gritted his teeth and kept pace, not wanting to ruin their important errand.
Wang Shaoyi, ever considerate, even helped carry his book box—
But even so, Dazhu was stuck trailing behind them all the way.