Chapter 2: A Stolen Life
Chapter 2: A Stolen Life
Upon hearing the voice, Suisui shut her eyes in fright.
A spirit!
There's a spirit in the chicken coop! Suisui was terrified, yet she dared not leave.
With her eyes closed, she hugged herself tightly, her small frame curling up in a corner, looking fragile, pitiful, and helpless.
The system's heart ached even more at the sight.
【Suisui, don't be scared. I'm a little friend from another realm, and my name is Lele.】
Another realm?
The underworld? Suisui thought. So, it's a spirit!
It took the system half a day to finally convince Suisui that it wasn't a spirit but a companion who could stay by her side.
The Happy Growth System primarily offers companionship.
At the same time, it cares for the child's mental and physical health, ensuring they have a joyful and fulfilling childhood.
【From now on, you'll follow Lele every day. You'll learn, play games, complete daily check-ins, and at night, a beautiful aunt or uncle will come and tell you stories to lull you to sleep.】
The system felt a bit guilty as it mentioned this.
Because the storytellers for the nightly routine were randomly selected, and it could be an ordinary person or a famous figure from history.
Seeing that little Suisui had just calmed down, the system thought it best not to scare the child further.
Storytelling?
Suisui had never heard of such a thing, and it was only after the system explained it to her that she realized that fortunate children could listen to stories before bed.
She couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy.
Suisui pressed her slightly dry lips together, and the blinking of her beautiful apricot eyes slowed.
To be honest, Suisui yearned for such companionship.
She wanted bedtime stories.
She wanted a best friend.
She wanted a... home.
But Suisui dared not say these things aloud.
She had no father, and her mother had passed away early on. Her aunt's family wasn't kind to her, but aside from this place, she had nowhere else to go.
Suisui didn't know what happiness or warmth felt like.
She only knew that she was still alive.
Perhaps that was enough?
Listening to the little girl muttering to herself, the system was so angry that it wanted to bite its teeth.
If it had a physical form or other abilities, it would have gone out and turned this family upside down!
How could they be so heartless to such an adorable child?
The system wanted to curse, but it managed to control the flow of data.
Not wanting to scare Suisui, the system softened its voice and continued to coax her.
At this moment, the servants of the Jin Manor, who had finally arrived in the village after a long journey, looked at the rugged mountain road and felt like stomping their feet in frustration.
But what could they do?
The elderly madam hadn't been sleeping well lately, and the maidservants in the backyard were doing their best to help soothe her spirits.
Guo Pozi, the maid beside the Jin Manor's Furen, and Ma Pozi, the maid beside Su Furen, had seized the opportunity to come and fetch someone, hoping to impress their mistresses.
The two maids, who had been competing in the manor, somehow found common ground during this journey.
What use is there in bringing back a girl from this remote and impoverished place?
If it weren't for the elderly madam...
Thinking of the elderly madam, the two maids gritted their teeth and temporarily endured the situation.
However, their arrogant posture and disdainful gaze spoke volumes about their contempt.
Whether they were here to fetch Suisui or Chen Yuyao, in their eyes, they were both mere village girls, and picking up either one would suffice to check off the task.
They were servants of the manor, after all, and these villagers wouldn't dare to trifle with them.
Chen Yuyao was very displeased with the attitudes of the two maids, but she was currently alone and powerless to do anything.
She thought: Once I return to the manor and become the young miss, I'll teach these insolent servants a lesson!
As the carriage drove away, Tian Cuihua still found it hard to believe.
How could things have gone so smoothly?
This made her reminisce about the past, when Chen Yuyao was born. She had gritted her teeth and spent ten coppers to find a scholar to give this child a name.
It seemed that this child was truly destined for greatness!
Tian Cuihua's heart warmed at the thought of what Chen Yuyao had said. As long as she stood her ground in the manor, she would be able to care for her parents and brothers.
However, she had not forgotten Chen Yuyao's repeated instructions before she left.
Get rid of Suisui!
Tian Cuihua intended to take advantage of the midday break when most villagers were resting in their homes to deal with Suisui along with her husband. They would bind her, take her to the back mountain, and dispose of her there.
Tomorrow morning, they would claim that the child had gone missing and then go to the headman to have her name removed from the household registry.
At that moment, Tian Cuihua was grateful that Suisui's household registration had been under her name initially.
Even if the manor were to become suspicious in the future, they wouldn't be able to find anything.
However, thinking about how she had taken her late aunt's jade pendant for the recognition earlier pained her heart.
Blame it on that good-for-nothing Suisui!
Around noon, curious villagers gathered around the extravagant carriage, wondering what it was doing there. Some who had witnessed the morning's commotion shared what they knew.
Tian Cuihua's explanation to the villagers was that the child's father had come to take her away.
Most villagers were aware that Suisui was brought back by her aunt. However, none of them had actually seen who got into the carriage, so they had to take Tian Cuihua's word for it.
As for the matter of removing Suisui's name from the household registry?
Well, they could say that Suisui was jealous of Chen Yuyao's name, and as her caring aunt, she took it upon herself to give that name to her.
The villagers were shocked by this revelation, never expecting that Chen San Niang, who had given birth unwed, had actually managed to climb the social ladder.
After the villagers left, Tian Cuihua exchanged glances with Chen Da Lang, and he understood her intention. Chen Da Lang then grabbed a rope and headed towards the chicken coop.
Suisui, who had been listening to Lele singing her a lullaby, was suddenly grabbed by a large hand and dragged out. Before she could react, she was tightly bound and had an old piece of cloth stuffed into her mouth.
Her eyes widened in fear, and despite the dizziness, she struggled violently.
Chen Da Lang found her annoying and slapped her hard on the back of her neck.
Suisui's head spun from the blow, and her struggles weakened.
The two of them, cursing under their breath, went towards the back mountain but didn't dare to venture too far. They reached a valley and left her there before running back.
There were actually wolves in those mountains, and they didn't dare to linger.
Suisui, with her mouth stuffed, couldn't call for help. She struggled with her dizziness, twisting her body and making muffled sounds as if pleading with them to take her back.
She was terrified of the wolves in the back mountain, and she didn't want to be left there!
Suisui's mouth moved as if she were saying that she would do more work and eat less, that she would be obedient and not cause any more trouble.
She was scared.
Scared of the wolves and scared of dying.
She twisted and turned for what felt like an eternity, and the ropes binding her hands and feet had left bruises, but her heartless aunt and uncle didn't turn back.
Her vision blurred with tears, and the pain in her hands and feet finally registered in her brain.
Was she going to die?
Probably.
But she had just made a friend.
She hadn't even waited for the bedtime story yet.
...
Thinking of all this, Suisui's tears flowed uncontrollably.
Suisui, crying until she was almost exhausted, wanted to try if she could roll downhill.
She thought that if her aunt and uncle didn't want her, she would go and live in that dilapidated thatched cottage at the edge of the village.
As she twisted and turned, trying to find the right angle to roll, she saw something floating in front of her.
Boom!
A loud noise startled her, and a cloud of dust rose.
The dust stung her eyes, making her tears flow even more. Through her blurry vision, she could barely make out a figure in front of her...
A person?
(End of Chapter)
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