《The Whole Village Pampers the Lucky Star》 Chapter 1 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Ancient Tree Village. In a dilapidated courtyard, a woman¡¯s agonizing moans could be heard. On and off, up and down. It was the daughter-in-law of the Su family giving birth. She had been in labor for two to three hours, but there was still no sign of the child coming out. The entire courtyard was filled with her painful moans, making people very worried. At the same time, thunder rumbled in the sky and dark clouds covered the sky. A dark cloud circled above the Su family, causing the entire courtyard to turn black. The person who delivered the baby was Old Madam Su, the eldest elder of the Su family. Cold sweat kept breaking out on her forehead. Seeing her daughter-in-law in so much pain, she had no choice but to shout for her grandson outside. ¡°Xiaodong, go to the medical center in town and find a doctor!¡± When Xiaodong heard this, she ran out with all her might. However, she was shocked by the scene before her after taking a few steps. A large group of people came aggressively towards their house. Afraid they would hurt the people in the house, he ran for his life. ¡°Mom, Grandma, a large group of people are coming towards our house!¡± Half an hour ago, the fortune-teller at the east end of the village had discovered something strange in the village. Although there had been several instances of thunder and no rain in Ancient Tree Village, this time was different from usual. He left the house and saw the dark cloud. Judging by the size and color of the cloud, it did not look like a bluff. He was so happy that he forgot to close the door and chased after the dark cloud. As he walked, he realized that the dark cloud was only circling the sky above the Su family¡¯s house on the west side of the village. He was wearing a robe and almost fell several times along the way, but he still rushed towards the Su family. The villagers had noticed the oddity of the day and were now standing outside. When they saw him, they called out, but he seemed not to hear them. He just kept walking, muttering to himself. ¡°A lucky star has descended. This is a great omen!¡± ¡°The lucky star has descended upon our Ancient Tree Villagea€|¡± Many people were puzzled when they heard his words. The fortune-teller had been in Ancient Tree Village for many years. To this day, he had no wife or children. His was the only household in the east of the village. There was just one thing. He was a very good fortune-teller. Therefore, most of the people in the village followed him now with some skepticism. 10 minutes later, they finally arrived at the Su family¡¯s residence. They only saw the youngest son of the Su family shouting ¡°Mother¡± at the door. They could not hear the sounds in the house clearly. Just as they were about to find a woman to go in and take a look, they suddenly heard the cry of a baby. As the wailing grew louder, the sky grew darker. After a while, large raindrops fell from the sky and hit people. It was a little cold, but it only made them crazy with joy. ¡°It¡¯s raining. It¡¯s really raining!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. It hasn¡¯t rained in Ancient Tree Village for a long time. This is the blessing of the heavens!¡± a€|a€| The villagers looked up happily to feel the rain, afraid that this was just their imagination. The fortune-teller did not say anything from beginning to end. After waiting for a while, Old Madam Su came out with the child and stood under the roof. He walked over carefully and looked at the baby girl in her swaddling clothes. At that moment, his eyes lit up. He didn¡¯t care about anything else. He exclaimed loudly. ¡°This is Little Lucky Star. Little Lucky Star has descended. Our Ancient Tree Village is saved!¡± Everyone rushed over to take a look at the little lucky star. The baby in the swaddling clothes got startled. The cries grew louder, startling them. At this moment, the rain was getting heavier. The raindrops hit people and drenched them in no time. They watched as the dirt road outside turned muddy in a short while. There was also a lot of continuous rain that slowly flowed into the fields. Everyone was ecstatic, and they all believed the fortune-teller. It seemed that the youngest daughter of the Su family was really a lucky star. At this moment, Su Changsheng finally rushed back. When he saw so many people gathered at the door, he did not have time to ask what had happened. He just urged his son. ¡°Xiaodong, what are you waiting for? Quickly bring out a bucket to collect the rain!¡± As soon as he said that, everyone seemed to wake up from a dream and ran home to find a bucket to fill. The fortune-teller was still standing under the roof. He watched as Su Changsheng walked over and took out a wooden token. ¡°It hasn¡¯t rained in our Ancient Tree Village for more than half a year. It rained the moment your daughter was born. This is a good omen for the arrival of a lucky star. Moreover, I think her physiognomy is excellent. Take this wooden token. Remember to let her carry it at all times. It can ensure her safety.¡± Su Changsheng took the wooden token from his hand and watched as he turned around and muttered something. ¡°This daughter of yours can bring a lot of good fortune to your family. Remember to treat her well.¡± Chapter 2 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Beside the well, Xiaochun was still fighting. He had worked since he was young and was strong. Moreover, he was tall and pressed the person under him down tightly. ¡°Chen Dashan, who asked you to bully my father?¡± The person below him flushed with anger, but he still refused to let go. ¡°What did I say wrong? Your family is so poor, and you¡¯re still having another child. Others are poor individually, but your family is a nest of poor people! Your Su family is really shameless. Our entire Ancient Tree Village has been dragged down by your family!¡± Xiaochun was so angry that he was about to beat him up when he suddenly felt something wet on his face. He looked at Chen Dashan in disgust. ¡°I haven¡¯t even done anything to you, and you¡¯re already crying?¡± Chen Dashan took the opportunity to jump up. ¡°I¡¯m not crying. Don¡¯t talk nonsense. Eh, what¡¯s going on? Why is my face wet?¡± He touched his face and looked at his clothes. They were wet, too. He jumped up in joy, no longer caring that he had just been in a tussle with Xiaochun. ¡°It¡¯s raining. It¡¯s raining in our Ancient Tree Village. It¡¯s finally raining!¡± Xiaochun still did not believe what he was saying. He looked up at the sky and saw big drops of rain falling into the field, quickly absorbed. Slowly, the rain began to fall harder. He did not have time to fight for the water in the well. He quickly threw away the ladle and ran for home. Chen Dashan looked at his figure and chased after him. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to water the ground?¡± Xiaochun did not even turn around. He just responded loudly. ¡°It¡¯s raining so hard. There¡¯s no need to water the ground anymore. I¡¯m going home to see my sister!¡± Seeing his figure disappear before his eyes, Chen Dashan picked up the water ladle and placed it beside the well. Then, he went home. At this moment, the Su family¡¯s house was filled with people. Xiaochun ran into the room. Before he could say anything, he was pushed out by Su Changsheng. ¡°Where have you been? You¡¯re like a mud monkey. Use the water in the courtyard to wash yourself!¡± Xiaochun could not bear to leave. He craned her neck and looked inside. ¡°Father, where¡¯s Sister? Let me see her!¡± Su Changsheng smiled. ¡°How do you know it¡¯s a sister?¡± Xiaochun¡¯s face fell. ¡°Ah, is it a little brother then? I want a sister.¡± Seeing him like this, Su Changsheng carefully picked up the baby in the swaddling clothes and carried her to Xiaochun. ¡°See? It¡¯s a sister. Go and wash up!¡± Looking at the pinkish baby in the swaddling clothes, Xiaochun could not believe it. ¡°Is this really a sister? She¡¯s too good-looking. She¡¯s better-looking than all the young ladies in Ancient Tree Village!¡± Xiaoqiu had just returned from picking wild vegetables on the mountain and was also dirty. He was afraid that his brother would wake his sister up, so he pushed him out. ¡°Sister¡¯s asleep. Let¡¯s go outside and not disturb her.¡± Xiaochun pushed him out, still in disbelief. ¡°Brother, is that really our sister? She¡¯s too good-looking. I like her!¡± Xiaoqiu smiled back. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s our sister.¡± The rain did not stop. The brothers simply took off their clothes and washed away the dirt on their bodies. Xu Fengqiao looked at the pouring rain outside and felt ridiculously happy. She thought of the crops in the field and tightened her arms around the baby. ¡°This is good, this is good. The crops in the field are saved. Our entire family is saved!¡± The baby girl in his arms was extremely beautiful. Her facial features were as beautiful as a doll¡¯s, and her skin was fair and tender. At this moment, her eyes were wide open, and her mouth was open as she happily blew bubbles. The woman looked at her and felt herself liking her more and more. ¡°It rained the moment you were born. Let¡¯s call you Xiao Yu, ¡®yu¡¯ for rain. You can bring good luck to our family. Mom will definitely dote on you!¡± Xiao Yu, Xiao Yu¡­ Wait, who¡¯s Xiao Yu? The baby in her arms looked at the woman holding her and suddenly felt sad. She wailed. As the youngest daughter of the Rain Goddess, not only had she been harmed at a young age, but she had also been reborn as a baby now. Her biological father did not even have time to give her a name! The more she thought about her tragic fate, the sadder she became. Her sobs grew louder. Chapter 3 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Xu Fengqiao was shocked by her earth-shattering cries. ¡°Why is Xiao Yu crying non-stop?¡± Of course, Su Xiaoyu could not respond to her. She could only continue crying. Su Changsheng was also confused and worried that the child would fall ill from crying so much as soon as she was born. ¡°Child¡¯s mother, is the child hungry?¡± Only then did Xu Fengqiao remember that she had not fed her yet, so she quickly fed her. ¡°Be good and drink the milk. Don¡¯t cry after drinking it.¡± Xiaoyu suddenly stopped crying as the woman held her in her arms and she smelled the woman¡¯s fragrance. Xu Fengqiao finally heaved a sigh of relief. By the time the baby fell asleep after eating, her entire body went limp and she no longer had any strength. Su Xiaoqiu entered the room at this moment and came forward to greet her. Then, he took his sister from her arms. At this moment, Su Changsheng hurriedly walked in with a bowl of egg soup. His heart ached when he saw his wife on the bed, who was extremely weak and whose hair was drenched in sweat. He helped her up. ¡°Get up first. I made you some egg soup. Smell it. Does it smell good?¡± Xu Fengqiao smelled the fragrance and subconsciously swallowed her saliva. In this family, eggs were very rare. They barely ate it a few times a year. Although she wanted to eat it, she could not bear to when she thought of the many children at home. ¡°I¡¯m not eating. I¡¯ll just have some millet porridge. You can give it to the kids.¡± Su Xiaoqiu hugged his sister. Although he also yearned for the bowl of egg soup, he did not even look at it. ¡°Mother, it was tough for you to give birth to Sister. Hurry up and eat. You can only feed her when you have the strength.¡± Su Changsheng agreed. ¡°That¡¯s right, have it now.¡± Xu Fengqiao looked at the baby in Su Xiaoqiu¡¯s arms and smiled weakly. ¡°That¡¯s true. This sister of yours can really eat. Her appetite is bigger than yours when you were young!¡± With that, she picked up the egg soup and dug in. Her body was very weak after giving birth. Xu Fengqiao fell asleep after eating. Su Changsheng helped her clean up and left. Although it was finally raining, this rain could not solve their family¡¯s emergency. Now that there was another family member at home, even eating became a problem. He looked out at his three sons and called them together. ¡°I know that you guys can¡¯t eat your fill every day, but now that there¡¯s a younger sister in the family, our family has to be more diligent. No matter what, we can always find a way to survive!¡± Xiaochun and Xiaoqiu were in their teens, and their faces were full of vigor. ¡°Father, don¡¯t worry. We will definitely be more diligent. We will definitely let Mother and Sister live well!¡± Su Changsheng looked at their young faces and could not bear to see them like this. But in this situation, it was useless no matter how much he could not bear to. ¡°From tomorrow onwards, I¡¯ll go to the fields every day and plant those few acres of land. I¡¯ll strive to keep the family from starving. Xiaodong is the youngest. He¡¯ll be in charge of taking care of Mother and Sister when I¡¯m not at home. Xiaochun and Xiaoqiu¡­¡± ¡°Father, we¡¯ll go to town to work!¡± The two brothers said in unison, but it made Su Changsheng¡¯s heart ache even more. He looked at his three sons, who were all skin and bones, and felt even worse. ¡°Dad¡¯s useless. I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Xiaoqiu was the oldest and had the calmest personality. ¡°Father, we all know that our family¡¯s current situation is all because of Grandma¡­ We all understand, but Father, you can¡¯t let her do whatever she wants in the future.¡± The reason why the Su family was the poorest family in Ancient Tree Village was that Old Madam Su had tightly held onto the few acres of land that Old Master Su had passed down to Su Changsheng. She would rather leave it desolate than give it to him. The land that they were farming now was rented from someone else. As for money, she held it even tighter. Every time she came over, she would take this and that. Su Changsheng saw this, but every time he wanted to stop her, she would start crying. She would talk about how difficult it had been for her. Her husband had died at such a young age. Even her eldest son had left before her. Su Changsheng had always been a kind and honest person, so he always turned a blind eye. It was because of this that Xu Fengqiao suffered a lot with him. Thinking of his wife¡¯s frail appearance after giving birth, and his newborn daughter, he steeled himself and nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t be soft-hearted towards your grandmother anymore.¡± Chapter 4 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios After that day, everyone in the Su family started to get busy. Xiaochun and Xiaoqiu found a job in a restaurant in the nearest Whitewater Town. The shopkeeper was a very kind old man. When he heard about their family¡¯s situation, he expressed his sympathy. Usually, if there was anything left in the kitchen, he would ask them to bring it back. Most of the time, it was steamed buns. Sometimes, if he was lucky, he could even get a small bag of rice. Because of these things, the family¡¯s meals were no longer as difficult. Xu Fengqiao¡¯s confinement period was also not bad. They were all very grateful to the shopkeeper and worked even harder. As soon as Xu Fengqiao came out of confinement, she went to the fields with Su Changsheng, leaving Xiaodong and Xiaoyu at home. Xiaodong had just turned six this year and was at the age where he liked to play. However, his parents had repeatedly reminded him to take good care of his sister, so he did not dare to leave for even a moment. It was strange. Ever since Su Xiaoyu was born, it had been raining more and more in Ancient Tree Village. Slowly, irrigation of the fields was no longer a problem. The villagers also boldly planted rice. They had eaten too many potatoes and sweet potatoes during the dry season. They dreamed of eating rice. The stream in the village slowly flowed. The women carried the family¡¯s dirty clothes to the river to wash them every morning. The changes in the village now seemed to verify the fortune-teller¡¯s words. The young girl from the Su family was a lucky star. Moreover, she was really too good-looking. They watched as she grew day by day and became a tender little ball. All the women in the village who had daughters liked her very much. If there was anything delicious to eat, or if their daughters wore anything that did not fit them, they would bring it to her. Slowly, the little girl became the girl with the most clothes in Ancient Tree Village. She was pampered by the entire village. She grew up in the clean and pure wilderness and was even more spirited. In the blink of an eye, the little girl was already five years old. She had been pampered by her three brothers and was very pampered. She would cry at any time. However, although she was pampered, she was not delicate at all. The villagers had seen her push Chen Dashan, who was several times taller than her, to the ground¡­ It was because he had provoked Xiaodong. From then on, everyone in Ancient Tree Village understood that the little packrat was extremely protective. The parents with children all warned the brats at home not to provoke the little packrat, not even her three brothers. They were people protected by the little packrat. The fortune-teller had said that this was the lucky star of their Ancient Tree Village. They had to treat her well and not anger her. However, there were still some people who did not believe in the supernatural. They just wanted to try her out. After being warned by his father several times, Chen Dashan felt even more indignant. He felt that it was purely an anomaly that Su Xiaoyu had pushed him down previously. This matter had made the children in the village laugh at him for so long. How could he take this lying down? He waited at the field outside Su Xiaoyu¡¯s house for a long time. Seeing that the parents of the Su family had gone to the field and the two brothers of the Su family had gone out to work, he pulled his clothes and walked towards the Su family valiantly. Su Xiaoyu¡¯s ears were extremely sensitive. She walked out before Chen Dashan reached the door. Chen Dashan was standing at the entrance of the Su family¡¯s courtyard and looking at the little packrat in the courtyard. He did not know whether to enter or not. But as he thought about the purpose of his visit today, he mustered his courage and walked in. ¡°Su Xiaoyu, let me tell you. You must have ambushed me last time. That¡¯s why I fell. Everyone in the village is afraid of you, but I¡¯m not!¡± The little girl stood on the steps with her hands on her hips, not even bothering to lift her eyelids. ¡°Then tell me. What do you want?¡± Chapter 5 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Su Xiaoyu ignored his long speech and looked very lazy. She could not even be bothered to deal with him. Since the start of her memory, this Chen Dashan had always caused trouble for their family and made them unhappy. It seemed that pushing him previously was still useless. His head was still so stupid. Chen Dashan was stunned. Seeing that she did not even look at him, he felt that his pride had suffered a blow. ¡°You¡­ who are you looking down on? Don¡¯t think I won¡¯t dare to hit you!¡± Su Xiaoyu raised her eyes and finally looked up at him. ¡°Then do it. Do you need me to fall first?¡± Chen Dashan¡¯s face turned red. Just as he was about to extend his hand, he saw the little ball take a few steps towards him. His father¡¯s usual advice echoed in his ears. He subconsciously stepped back. ¡°What are you doing? Don¡¯t come over¡­¡± Su Xiaoyu looked at the shovel not far behind him and suddenly had some bad thoughts. She took two more steps toward him, her expression almost defiant. ¡°Chen Dashan, are you afraid of a five-year-old child like me?¡± Chen Dashan panicked and took two more steps back. However, he accidentally stepped on the shovel and fell on his face. His cries were so loud that Su Xiaoyu covered her ears in discomfort. After a while, seeing that no one was comforting him or pulling him up, he finally got up dejectedly. Before he left, he did not forget to say something harsh. ¡°Su Xiaoyu, I¡¯m going back to tell my father that you¡¯re a bad child. You¡¯re the worst!¡± He looked back as he walked. He was furious. However, Su Xiaoyu was still making faces at him. ¡°Go ahead, go ahead. You crybaby!¡± On the other side, Xu Fengqiao had just returned from the field when she heard a cry. She ran home anxiously, but after running a few steps, she felt that something was wrong. That cry did not seem to belong to her daughter. After half a day of work, she was exhausted. Now that she¡¯d caught her breath, her footsteps slowed. Su Xiaoyu saw her from afar and ran over. Xu Fengqiao¡¯s legs were hugged by her. Before she could ask her what the cry was about, she heard her daughter start to wheedle again. ¡°Mother, you¡¯re finally back. I¡¯ve missed you so much~¡± Xu Fengqiao¡¯s heart softened when she called her. However, after thinking about it, she still had to set rules for her. It would not do to bully others at such a young age. She held her body away, her face tight. ¡°Girl, what did Mother tell you? Don¡¯t bully others. What was that cry just now?¡± Su Xiaoyu had always loved to cry and wheedle. Now, she pouted and her eyes quickly filled with tears. Her sobs were obvious. ¡°Mother, Chen Dashan always bullies our family. I want to scare him away so that he won¡¯t dare to come again.¡± Xu Fengqiao¡¯s heart ached when she saw that she was about to cry. She quickly squatted down and picked her up. ¡°Then did you get frightened?¡± The girl stopped crying, and suddenly laughed. ¡°He¡¯s so stupid. He stepped on the shovel himself and fell. Then he cried and said that I bullied him and he had to go back and complain to his father.¡± Although the young lady had a sly smile on her face, it sounded like she really had not done anything. Xu Fengqiao touched her head and retied her two little ponytails. ¡°You¡¯re a girl. You can¡¯t always run around like your third brother.¡± But even so, Xu Fengqiao knew very well that the children in the village did not dare to play with her because of the instructions of their elders. She could only play with Xiaodong. She was a good girl who followed him to climb trees and dig out bird nests. When she came back every day, her face was as black as coal. Seeing that Xiaoyu was alone at home, Xu Fengqiao felt a headache coming on. This kid, Xiaodong, had gone wandering again. Thinking that she was going to plant seedlings with Su Changsheng in the afternoon, she was afraid that it would not be safe for Xiaoyu to be alone at home. After having lunch with her, she brought her to the fields. Chapter 6 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Su Xiaoyu rarely went to the fields and only felt that it was extremely novel. She took off her shoes and rolled up her pants to get into the field. Xiaochun and Xiaoqiu had taken leave from the restaurant owner and were busy in the field. When they saw this scene, they quickly ran over and picked up the little packrat from both sides and placed her on a relatively clean field. ¡°Sit here obediently. There are so many of us. You don¡¯t have to work.¡± The girl was indignant. ¡°I want to be with you!¡± Xiaochun, Xiaoqiu, Su Changsheng and Xu Fengqiao all turned to look at her. ¡°No need. Just sit down obediently.¡± The little girl felt extremely aggrieved. She had thought that since it was rare for her to come to the fields, she could have fun. Unexpectedly, she was still being controlled. She looked pitifully at her mother, who was usually easy to talk to, but she saw her turn her head expressionlessly. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me. This matter is non-negotiable. If it weren¡¯t for that frivolous Xiaodong who went out to play, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to bring you here. Xiaochun, go find a bigger leaf for your sister and block the sun for her.¡± Xiaochun quickly found her a lotus leaf and covered her head with it. Summer afternoons always made people sleepy. Everyone in the Su family was busy planting seedlings. The little dumpling¡¯s head was covered by the lotus leaf, and her body kept swaying back as if she was about to fall asleep. When Xu Fengqiao saw this scene, she was wondering if she should carry her back and let her take a nap when she suddenly heard a shout in the distance. ¡°Xiaoyu¡¯s mother, Xiaoyu¡¯s mother, the fortune-teller wants you to go over!¡± Xu Fengqiao was puzzled. He only asked her when she walked up to him. ¡°What does he want with me?¡± The person who came was Auntie Wu from the village. She was a widow and was usually the top gossip. She knew everything about every household in Ancient Tree Village and often went to the fortune-teller. Everyone in the village said that she wanted the fortune-teller to marry her. Auntie Wu leaned close to Xu Fengqiao and said mysteriously, ¡°He said it¡¯s something very important. He can only tell you when you arrive!¡± When Xu Fengqiao heard this, she felt that the matter was quite serious. Hence, she quickly walked up from the fields. Auntie Wu stopped her. ¡°By the way, Master asked you to bring Xiaoyu along.¡± This time, Xu Fengqiao was even more puzzled. However, looking at Auntie Wu, it was obvious that she didn¡¯t know anything. She was probably just here to pass the message. She walked over to Xiaoyu and picked her up. Then she walked to the river. ¡°Xiaoyu, wait here obediently. I¡¯ll bring you there after I wash the mud off my feet.¡± She crouched on the rock and waited obediently for her mother. A few minutes later, Xu Fengqiao walked up from the river and carried her all the way. She did not forget to continue covering her face with the lotus leaf. The sun was too hot, and her skin was too delicate to be exposed to it. Xiaoyu snuggled into her arms and closed her eyes in satisfaction when she saw that Xu Fengqiao had covered half of the lotus leaf above her own head. When she arrived at the fortune-teller¡¯s house, she saw two unfamiliar faces as soon as she walked into the central room. A woman who looked about her age was accompanied by a boy of eight or nine. The woman was dressed in rough clothes. Her face was sallow and she looked pale. On the other hand, the boy was very exquisite and beautiful. His face was fair and only Xiaoyu could compare to him. Xu Fengqiao had been in Ancient Tree Village for more than 10 years, so she was sure at a glance that they were not from Ancient Tree Village. Chapter 7 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios At this moment, the fortune-teller walked out with two yellow talismans. Xu Fengqiao was illiterate and could only watch as he placed the two talismans side by side. ¡°Xiaoyu¡¯s mother, do you remember what I told you when Xiaoyu was born? This girl is a lucky star who can bring good luck to Ancient Tree Village.¡± Xu Fengqiao was confused and only remembered to nod first. ¡°That¡¯s right. Then why did you call us here today?¡± The fortune-teller pointed at the boy beside him. ¡°These two are from a neighboring country. They came to seek refuge with us. The town has handed him over to our Ancient Tree Village and wants us to be responsible for settling them down.¡± Xu Fengqiao nodded. ¡°And then?¡± The fortune-teller glanced down at the two talismans, then looked up. ¡°There¡¯s a tribulation in this boy¡¯s life. He can¡¯t survive it by himself. He can only rely on your little girl.¡± Xu Fengqiao subconsciously hugged Su Xiaoyu tightly as alarm bells rang in her head. Could these people have designs on their Xiaoyu? Seeing her guarded look, the fortune-teller could not help but comfort her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we won¡¯t hurt Xiaoyu. She¡¯s the lucky star of our Ancient Tree Village. No one will agree to hurt her.¡± Xu Fengqiao was still worried. ¡°Xiaoyu is a girl that our family dotes on. If you want to snatch her away, our entire family will fight you to the death!¡± Seeing her like this, the fortune-teller had no choice but to let her sit down first. ¡°Xiaoyu¡¯s mother, calm down and listen to me slowly.¡± Xu Fengqiao had always trusted him. Although she was worried, she still sat down. ¡°Look, this is Xiaoyu¡¯s fate. This is that boy¡¯s. Although Xiaoyu is a lucky star who has descended to the world and her fate is extremely good¡­¡± Xu Fengqiao was anxious. ¡°But what? Will Xiaoyu encounter anything bad?¡± The fortune-teller did not hide it from her. He nodded. ¡°There¡¯s also a tribulation in Xiaoyu¡¯s life. It¡¯s the opposite of this boy¡¯s. However, I¡¯ve seen it. As long as we tie their fate together, we can safely resolve these two tribulations. They can both be safe and sound.¡± Xu Fengqiao was confused. At this moment, she only regretted not bringing Su Changsheng along. At least he knew a few words. It was easier to make a decision at a time like this. The little girl in her arms finally woke up. She opened her eyes and saw two strangers. She had never been afraid of strangers. At this moment, she struggled in Xu Fengqiao¡¯s arms and wanted to get down. Xu Fengqiao could only put her down, but she watched her walk towards the boy. ¡°Pretty Brother, what¡¯s your name?¡± The boy was more than a head taller than her and was looking down at her. He looked at the woman beside him and saw her nod at him. He watched the girl walk up to him and bent down slightly to look at her. ¡°My name is Zhao Yan.¡± She looked up, puzzled. ¡°How do you spell that?¡± Zhao Yan gestured at the table for a while, but she only shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t understand ~¡± Xu Fengqiao looked at her daughter¡¯s studious appearance and thought that when she reached school age, she would send her to school to learn something. Everyone in the village said that girls were useless in school, but she did not believe them. She only had one daughter, and she had to spoil her to death. She was still thinking about it when the fortune-teller stopped her. ¡°By the way, Xiaoyu¡¯s mother, I forgot to tell you something. Your Xiaoyu has to change her name.¡± Xu Fengqiao was puzzled. ¡°Why?¡± She thought the name sounded pretty good. The fortune-teller found a brush, dipped it in ink, and wrote a word on the paper. Ling. Chapter 8 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Xu Fengqiao naturally did not recognize it. Just as she was about to ask how to pronounce the word, she heard the boy beside her speak first. ¡°Ling, second tone.¡± The old man nodded in agreement. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s how you read it. Did you go to school?¡± The boy lowered his head and said nothing more. It was the woman who spoke. ¡°My child went to school for a few years.¡± The fortune-teller nodded in understanding. The child did not look like a child from an ordinary family. He turned to look at Xu Fengqiao. ¡°Su Ling will be her new name from now on. You have to remember that you can¡¯t call her Xiaoyu anymore.¡± Xu Fengqiao looked at the old man¡¯s serious expression and could not help but feel more convinced. She thought that the old man was naturally more cultured than her. Although she did not know this word, it sounded better than Xiaoyu. Su Ling, Su Ling, Ling¡¯er. She laughed and was about to call her when she saw that she was still standing in front of the boy. Resigned, she walked over and picked her up. ¡°Ling¡¯er, do you like this brother a lot?¡± The girl¡¯s eyes sparkled. She turned to look at Zhao Yan and nodded. ¡°Mother, I like this beautiful brother.¡± When Xu Fengqiao heard her words, she felt speechless. At such a young age, she already knew if that boy was beautiful or not. The woman beside the boy boldly walked forward and smiled at the little ball in her arms. ¡°Ling¡¯er, can you let Auntie hug you? When we settle down, you¡¯re welcome to come and play.¡± Xu Fengqiao was a little resistant. Just as she was about to refuse, she saw the little packrat reaching out to her. ¡°Sure, Ling¡¯er likes Auntie and pretty brother ~¡± The little girl¡¯s soft voice made one want to pinch her little face. The woman did not dare to be impudent. She only hugged her for a moment before returning her to Xu Fengqiao. She could see the wariness in her eyes as she watched her. When the fortune-teller saw this scene, he only smiled and said, ¡°Looks like these two children hit it off very well. Ling¡¯er¡¯s mother, don¡¯t worry. Ling¡¯er¡¯s fate is top-notch. No one can harm her.¡± Xu Fengqiao was expressionless. ¡°Didn¡¯t you just say that there was a calamity in her life?¡± The old man was stopped by her. Just as he was about to speak, he saw that she had already stood up and was walking out the door. Zhao Yan was still standing in the living room. He looked at the helpless woman beside him and only pulled her hand. ¡°We should go too.¡± The woman quickly nodded and followed him out. The village chief settled them in Auntie Wu¡¯s house at the west end of the village. Auntie Wu had been a widow since she was young and guarded the four rooms left behind by her husband. When she heard that the person was willing to pay to stay, she quickly agreed. Coincidentally, there was only a low wall between her house and the Su family¡¯s house. She could see everything that they did in the courtyard. Zhao Yan followed the woman in and watched her start to clean up the house. The house had not been occupied for too long. If he did not tidy it up properly, there was no way he could stay. At this moment, Zhao Yan was standing in the courtyard and watching Xu Fengqiao bring Su Ling home. He saw her lecturing a boy who looked his age. ¡°Where did you go this time? I told you to watch your sister at home. If you¡¯re out wandering about again, I¡¯ll whip you!¡± Xu Fengqiao hit Xiaodong¡¯s butt a few times, causing him to scream. ¡°Mother, Mother, I was wrong. Stop hitting me!¡± Xu Fengqiao only hit him for a while before stopping. She looked up and saw the person she had seen not long ago appear next door. Ever since she returned from the fortune-teller¡¯s place, she had been feeling unhappy. Now that she saw Zhao Yan, she simply ignored him. ¡°Why are you standing in the courtyard in the sun? Hurry up and go in!¡± However, Su Ling had already seen the people in the courtyard next door and quickly ran towards him. Chapter 9 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Pretty Brother, why are you here? Are you staying at Auntie Wu¡¯s house from now on?¡± Zhao Yan nodded. ¡°The village chief got us to stay here.¡± The little girl danced with joy. ¡°Then I can see you every day from now on!¡± Zhao Yan nodded and was about to speak when he saw the youth who was about his age suddenly run over with big strides. He carried Su Ling and ran into his house. If he wasn¡¯t mistaken, the young man had looked at him guardedly. It made sense. As an outsider, it made sense that he would be wary of him. However, that little girl was really an exception. She was actually so close to him. When Su Ling was carried into the room by her third brother, her legs were still kicking randomly, as if she was very resistant. Xiaodong immediately felt even angrier. Thinking of what his mother had just said to him, he felt that the kid next door was an eyesore. His sister was only a few years old. How did she know if he was beautiful? That kid was definitely not a good person. He put her on the bed and saw that she was still trying to escape. He quickly took off her shoes and threw them far away. Now she couldn¡¯t run even if she wanted to. The weather was so hot now that walking barefoot would cause blisters. Su Ling was furious and waved her arms. ¡°Third Brother!¡± At this moment, Xu Fengqiao walked in. Seeing how angry her daughter was, her heart did not soften. ¡°It¡¯s useless to call your Third Brother. I asked him to bring you back.¡± Xiaodong glanced at Xu Fengqiao in shock and disbelief. His mother was actually speaking up for him. This was really the first time. Su Ling was still puzzled. She placed her hands on her hips and remained silent. Xu Fengqiao had always been soft-hearted towards her. Seeing her like this, she felt that she had been too harsh. She sat next to her and picked her up. ¡°Girl, Mother is doing this for your own good and for the good of our family. Those two people came from unknown origins and suddenly came to our Ancient Tree Village. Who knows what they¡¯re here for? You can¡¯t get close to that little brother just because he¡¯s¡­ good-looking. This might harm you and our family.¡± Su Ling tilted her head and listened to her mother. Her eyes flickered as she suddenly raised her hand. ¡°Mother, what do you mean by unknown origins?¡± Xu Fengqiao¡¯s expression froze. How could she know what this meant? She had learned many words from Su Changsheng. Xiaodong spoke with great pride. ¡°It just means we don¡¯t know where they came from.¡± The girl nodded as if she understood. When she looked up, she still looked puzzled. ¡°The fortune-teller uncle said so. They¡¯re from a neighboring country, and they don¡¯t look like bad people.¡± Xu Fengqiao looked at her innocent and ignorant face and gave up trying to reason with her. She climbed out of bed and shouted orders at her youngest son. ¡°Xiaodong, watch her closely. Don¡¯t let her run out, and don¡¯t let her go to Auntie Wu¡¯s house next door!¡± Xiaodong agreed quickly. ¡°I understand, Mother!¡± The two of them echoed each other, leaving the confused little packrat behind. She was about to wheedle her mother into changing her mind when she saw that she was already striding out the door. The little girl¡¯s cries shook the sky. ¡°Mother, you can¡¯t lock me up!¡± Xu Fengqiao closed the door expressionlessly and did not forget to look at the courtyard next door. The courtyard next door was empty now. Xu Fengqiao thought about what had happened in less than half a day and found it unbelievable. Why was her daughter¡¯s fate tied to that boy for no reason? Furthermore, he had moved in next door to them. She hurried toward the field, thinking about discussing countermeasures with her husband and two sons. No matter who the two people next door were or what they were doing, as long as her girl was involved, it was out of the question. Chapter 10 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios In the field, the four members of the Su family were gathered together with worried expressions. Su Changsheng did not expect so much to happen after his wife left with his daughter. He felt a little frustrated. He should have gone along. Xu Fengqiao was very worried and asked for their opinions. ¡°What do you think we should do about this? The two people next door are already staying at Auntie Wu¡¯s house. Moreover, the fortune-teller said that they were arranged by the town for our village. We have to take good care of them.¡± Xiaoqiu was silent for a long time before he finally spoke. ¡°Mother, what did the fortune-teller say? Does Sister¡¯s fate being tied to that boy have any effect on her?¡± Xu Fengqiao shook her head. ¡°The old man said no. According to him, both parties will benefit if their destinies are tied together.¡± Xiaochun was an impatient boy and had already stood up. ¡°Instead of worrying so much here, we might as well go to the old master and ask him more carefully. It¡¯s not too late anyway.¡± Su Changsheng made sense, so the four of them quickly got up from the ground and went to the fortune-teller¡¯s house again. The old man had long guessed that they would come again. At this moment, he was already waiting in the courtyard. Before Su Changsheng could speak, the fortune-teller had already invited them into the main room. ¡°I knew you would come again. It¡¯s her blessing that you all dote on Su Ling so much.¡± Apart from Xu Fengqiao, the other three were still not used to the name Su Ling. ¡°Sir, we¡¯ve always respected you. You saw her when she was born. Tell me the truth. Will the appearance of that boy bring her any calamity?¡± It was rare for Su Changsheng to be so anxious, and he spoke a little quickly. The old man repeated what he had said to Xu Fengqiao and comforted him with a smile. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve always been paying attention to little Su Ling. If anything bad happens to her, I¡¯ll tell you immediately.¡± Su Changsheng nodded in disbelief. Seeing that his wife wanted to ask more, he pulled her away. Xu Fengqiao was a little unhappy to be pulled away by him. ¡°Why did you pull me away? I wanted to ask a bit more.¡± Su Changsheng¡¯s expression was a little serious. ¡°Old master has already made it clear enough to us. From the moment Girl was born, has he ever lied to us about anything? Since he already said so, we¡¯ll believe him. If we ask too much, we¡¯ll annoy him.¡± Xu Fengqiao thought about it and felt that it made sense, so she finally felt relieved. Xiaochun and Xiaoqiu did not speak along the way. When they reached the fields, Xiaochun had just rolled up his pants when he suddenly looked back at Xiaoqiu. ¡°Big Brother, do you believe what the fortune-teller said?¡± Xiaoqiu had always been a taciturn person. At this moment, he only said one word. ¡°Yes.¡± After this small episode ended, the family began to work diligently again. Seeing that it was getting dark, they got up and went home. At this moment, Su Ling and Su Xiaodong had been staring at each other for more than two hours. ¡°Third Brother, let me go out and play!¡± Xiaodong acted like a little adult and refused to budge no matter what she said. ¡°Mother said to keep an eye on you and not let you out.¡± Su Ling compromised. ¡°Third Brother, I won¡¯t go next door to look for that beautiful brother. I¡¯ll go to the back mountain to pick wild vegetables. If you¡¯re worried, follow me.¡± Xiaodong still refused. ¡°No, I¡¯ve already promised Mother.¡± The girl¡¯s hair stood on end. She threw herself on top of him and scratched at him. Chapter 11 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios As soon as Xu Fengqiao and the others walked into the courtyard, they heard Xiaodong¡¯s wails. Xiaochun and Xiaoqiu ran into the room and saw a bright bite mark on Xiaodong¡¯s arm. When they took a closer look, the little girl¡¯s hair was already in a mess. It was like a bird¡¯s nest on her head. As soon as Xiaodong saw her brothers, he started shouting for help. ¡°Big Brother, Second Brother, she bit me. Look at my arm!¡± Xiaoqiu grabbed his arm and glanced at him, then at the person beside him. The girl had her back to them at this moment. Her face was puffed up like a wooden block. Xiaoqiu comforted Xiaodong for a while before going forward to pick up the little girl. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you still angry?¡± When Su Ling saw her brother, her eyes turned red. ¡°Big Brother, Mother locked me up and won¡¯t let me out!¡± Xiaoqiu knew her sister¡¯s personality well. She was used to being wild. Locking her in was worse than letting her starve. He tried his best to comfort her. ¡°Mother is worried about you, and Xiaodong is concerned about you. You shouldn¡¯t have bitten him.¡± Su Ling had regretted it ever since she bit Xiaodong. However, she was very prideful at such a young age and did not know how to apologize. Actually, Xiaodong had already calmed down after howling. However, when he saw how angry his younger sister was and heard his elder brother reasoning with her, he looked at them as if he was watching a show. After Xiaoqiu¡¯s soft persuasion, the little girl finally calmed down. At this moment, it slowly turned around and looked at Xiaodong. ¡°Third Brother, I was wrong. I shouldn¡¯t have bitten you. I¡¯m sorry.¡± The little girl¡¯s childish voice trembled, and her eyes were ridiculously red. It looked like she was being bullied, not her being a bully. Xiaodong was a sensible person. She came down the ladder at that moment. ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay. I¡¯m not in pain anymore. Third Brother is at fault too. I shouldn¡¯t have grabbed your hair. Let me tie it for you again.¡± As he spoke, he reached out, wanting to show off his skills and give her a good hairstyle. Xiaoqiu glanced at him and rejected his kindness on behalf of Su Ling. ¡°Forget it, I¡¯ll do it. You and Xiaochun should go make dinner. Dad and Mom must be starving after a long day.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, his arm was held. ¡°Big Brother, I¡¯m hungry too ~¡± Xiaoqiu smiled. ¡°Girl, be good. You can have dinner soon.¡± With that, he urged his two younger brothers with a serious expression. ¡°Hurry up and go. Didn¡¯t you hear her say that she¡¯s hungry?¡± Xiaodong looked at his big brother, who had just been supporting him, and suddenly put on such a stern face. He sighed softly. Whatever. He was used to it. Girl was the only biological one in this family. He did not know if Big Brother and Second Brother were adopted, but he was sure they were. As expected, as soon as he walked out of the courtyard, his mother pinched his ear. ¡°Little brat, why did I hear your sister cry just now? Did you bully her? Tell me honestly!¡± Xiaodong looked like he wanted to cry. He showed her the teeth marks on his hand aggrievedly. ¡°She clearly bit me. Mom, you¡¯re too biased!¡± Xu Fengqiao looked a little embarrassed. Then, she quickly let go of his ear and rubbed it comfortingly. ¡°I was wrong, I was wrong. Don¡¯t be angry. I¡¯ll cook millet porridge for you.¡± With that, she ran into the kitchen as if someone was chasing her. Xiaodong looked aggrievedly at Xiaochun behind her. ¡°Second Brother¡­¡± Xiaochun patted his shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s okay. You get used to it.¡± Xiaodong was speechless. Chapter 12 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Dinner was prepared by Xu Fengqiao. There was a pot of millet porridge and two large steamed buns. The family shared them. Although it was porridge, millet was expensive. In the past, it was very difficult to get to eat it. Xu Fengqiao divided the two steamed buns into six portions and distributed them evenly to everyone. Xiaodong was still growing and finished it in one bite. Then, he began to eat the porridge in big mouthfuls. Su Ling looked at the steamed bun in her hand and suddenly placed it in Xiaodong¡¯s bowl. Xiaodong looked unsurprised. ¡°You¡¯re too full again, Sister?¡± Su Ling nodded and began to eat the porridge in small mouthfuls. Xiaodong did not stand on ceremony at all and finished her portion in one go. Xu Fengqiao was silent for a long time when she saw this scene. It was only when Xiaodong finished eating and left that she could not help but ask her. ¡°Girl, why do you always give the steamed buns with your brothers? Are you full enough?¡± She knew in her heart that the porridge was not filling. Even if they went to bed early at night, they would still be starving. The girl¡¯s head was buried in the bowl. She only grunted in response. It took her a moment to look up. Xu Fengqiao still could not bear it. Although her face was a little chubby, she was still extremely thin. Her arms were so thin that they could be broken by a gust of wind. Xiaoqiu knew that her sister felt bad for them. ¡°Sister, don¡¯t share it with us in the future. You¡¯re still growing. You can¡¯t always go hungry.¡± She looked at him innocently. ¡°Brother, I¡¯m the youngest and don¡¯t work. I should eat less. Besides, I¡¯m already full from the porridge.¡± Xiaochun¡¯s expression was even more awful as she exposed her mercilessly. ¡°I¡¯ve heard your stomach growl for several nights.¡± Su Ling looked at him angrily. ¡°Second Brother!¡± Su Changsheng was silent for a long time before finally speaking. ¡°Xiaoqiu is right. In the future, you can eat as much as you¡¯re given. You¡¯re not allowed to share it with others, nor are you allowed to waste it. The days are slowly getting better. One day, Father will really let you guys eat your fill!¡± The moment he said this, the atmosphere instantly became heavy. Su Ling looked at him uneasily and did not even dare to eat the porridge. Seeing her like this, Xu Fengqiao pushed Su Changsheng angrily. ¡°Why are you so fierce? You¡¯re scaring her!¡± At this moment, Su Changsheng also realized that his tone was a little harsh, and his expression became gentler. ¡°Girl, be good. After you¡¯re done eating, let your brothers bring you to the courtyard to cool off.¡± Su Ling nodded and started to eat the porridge. After a while, she put down the bowl. Su Changsheng glanced at her bowl. There was not a single rice grain left. There was a smile on his face. ¡°Good girl.¡± The girl beamed at the compliment. Seeing that her brothers had also finished eating, she pulled them into the courtyard. They crouched together in the corner of a yard, looking up at the moon. The girl looked at the moon for a while, then reached out to pick at the soil in the courtyard. Her palm, which had been fair just a moment ago, had turned black again. Xiaoqiu was about to pull her to wash her hands when he saw her suddenly look at them curiously. ¡°Big Brother, Second Brother, are you tired from working?¡± Xiaochun was a simpleton. He thought she was just curious, so he exaggerated. ¡°Of course I¡¯m tired. I have to move a lot of things every day, wash the dishes and wipe the table, and serve tea and water. It¡¯s so tiring.¡± Tears welled up in the girl¡¯s eyes as she listened to him. ¡°I¡¯m going to work with you guys too. That way, you won¡¯t have to work so hard.¡± Chapter 13 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Xiaochun and Xiaoqiu jumped at her words. Xiaoqiu knocked on Xiaochun¡¯s head with a serious expression. ¡°What nonsense are you saying to her!¡± Xiaochun realized that he had said something wrong and looked at the little girl in frustration. ¡°Second Brother was just spouting nonsense. We don¡¯t have it tough at all. The shopkeeper is very good to us. We even ate noodles. They were delicious.¡± The girl looked at him as if she did not believe him, but he persisted. ¡°Big Brother, let me go with you.¡± It was rare for X] to be so serious. No matter what he said, she didn¡¯t look like she was going to relent. Xiaochun also stood on Xiaoqiu¡¯s side, ignoring her request. ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it. Just stay at home obediently. You¡¯re not allowed to go out and run around. Don¡¯t let our parents worry. We¡¯ll bring you something delicious when we¡¯re back.¡± It was always difficult for Xiaoqiu to be so firm and ruthless to his younger sister. If he was not afraid that she would really follow them out, he would not have put on a straight face at her. Seeing that persuasion was useless, Su Ling could only give up on this idea. She walked forward and pulled her brother¡¯s arm, saying coquettishly, ¡°I¡¯m not going. I¡¯ll listen to you and stay at home obediently. Brother, smile.¡± Xiaoqiu finally relaxed when he heard her. He forced a smile. Xiaochun could not help but mock, ¡°Big Brother, your smile is uglier than crying.¡± Xiaoqiu ignored him and squatted down to look at Su Ling. ¡°You¡¯re our only sister. You don¡¯t have to worry about our family. I¡¯ll work hard to earn money and bring you delicious food every day.¡± Xiaochun chimed in, ¡°Second Brother will bring you delicious food too!¡± The girl smiled and stretched out his arms for a hug. Xiaoqiu picked her up and carried her around the yard. Xiaochun was envious and moved closer to them. ¡°Big Brother, let me carry her.¡± Xiaoqiu reluctantly placed her in his arms and reminded him. ¡°Hold on with both hands. Don¡¯t let her fall.¡± Xiaochun ignored him and ran quickly with Su Ling in her arms. The night wind was a little cold. The Sus were located at the foot of the mountain, so it was cold at night. Xu Fengqiao watched them play and walked over to remind them. ¡°It¡¯s getting late. You¡¯ve all washed yourselves, so go to bed early. You have work to do tomorrow.¡± When Xiaochun heard this, he put the little girl down and watched her walk towards Xu Fengqiao. Xu Fengqiao held her hand. ¡°Girl, are you sleepy? Mother will bring you to wash your face before sleeping.¡± The girl nodded and slumped forward. She looked like she was about to fall asleep. Xu Fengqiao hurriedly washed her face, then placed her on the bed and covered her with the blanket before leaving. The Su family had two rooms, one inside and one outside. The girl was sleeping with her brothers now. However, seeing that Su Ling was slowly growing up, the couple thought that they should give her a separate room. Otherwise, it would be inconvenient to always squeeze in with their brothers. Moreover, Xiaochun and Xiaoqiu were already at the age to get married. It wouldn¡¯t do if this continued. As she thought about it, she discussed with Su Changsheng at night. She planned to build two more huts before winter arrived. Over the years, the Su family had been living much better. Xiaochun and Xiaoqiu¡¯s salary had gone from 10 copper cash a day to 600 copper cash a month. It was already a good income. Chapter 14 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Xu Fengqiao was an impatient person. After making her decision, she wanted to finish the farm work at home as soon as possible so that she could start building the huts. There were many people in the Su family, and the location was good. The back mountain was filled with wood. Other than some necessities, they could rely on themselves. They told Xiaochun and Xiaoqiu about their plans, and they agreed. Hence, after that day, the entire family became even busier. They left early and returned late. Sometimes, even when the sky was dark, they were still not home yet. Although Xiaodong was not young anymore, his parents were worried about Su Ling, so he could only watch over her. He did not know if Xu Fengqiao¡¯s words had worked, but after that day, the little girl really did not go to the courtyard next door again. He also did not hear her mention that beautiful brother again. He breathed a sigh of relief. After watching over her for a week, he finally decided to escape and get some air. However, he did not expect that as soon as he left, Su Ling would also slip away. But she did not go to the courtyard next door. Instead, she went up the mountain with a small basket and a small pickaxe. In this season, there were all kinds of new things on the mountain. Su Ling remembered her mother¡¯s instructions and did not dare to touch those mushrooms. She only picked some wild vegetables that they usually ate. She was small and weak, and it took her a long time to fill a small basket. She stood up in satisfaction and suddenly saw a few small flowers blooming in the distance. She could not name the flowers, only that they looked good, so with a wave of her hand, the tiny flowers were uprooted. Seeing that the small basket was full, she walked towards the river in satisfaction, planning to wash the wild vegetables. Wild vegetable porridge or wild vegetable fritters were all very delicious. They usually ate them. She had just reached the river when she saw a group of people gathered around, arguing. She had always been fearless. At this moment, she put down the basket and walked forward. ¡°What are you doing!¡± The group of people turned around when they heard the noise. Su Ling saw that the person they were surrounding was the beautiful brother who lived next door. What was the name again? She scratched her head. She could not quite remember. She jogged forward. All she could see was that he was wet. He looked pathetic. Thinking about how clean he had looked the day she had met him, she could not help but feel even angrier. ¡°Chen Xiaoshan, did you bully him?¡± The leader, Chen Xiaoshan, was Chen Dashan¡¯s younger brother. He was eight years old this year. He usually ran amok with his brother, and the children of Ancient Tree Village were often bullied by them. Chen Xiaoshan was a little afraid of her and retreated timidly. ¡°I didn¡¯t. Don¡¯t talk nonsense.¡± But the children around him spoke up at the right moment. ¡°That¡¯s nonsense. You pushed him.¡± Su Ling became even angrier and walked up to him. ¡°Chen Xiaoshan, why did you push him?¡± Chen Xiaoshan did not dare to look at her, but he still said stubbornly, ¡°I just pushed him lightly. Who would have thought that he would fall so easily¡­ Su Xiaoyu, what are you doing!¡± He was pushed into the river in a sorry state. When he finally got up, he saw Su Ling smiling smugly. ¡°Let me push you gently. Don¡¯t be angry.¡± Chen Xiaoshan was so angry that he glared at her for a long time. ¡°I, I¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to complain, right? Go ahead. By the way, the fortune-teller changed my name. My name is no longer Su Xiaoyu. My name is Su Ling.¡± Chen Xiaoshan could not care less about what she said. He just ran away angrily. Su Ling helped Zhao Yan up and looked at the people around her fiercely. ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to bully him in the future!¡± Chapter 15 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios In the end, the group of children ran away. It was unknown if they understood what she meant. However, Su Ling could not care less. She looked at the vegetable basket not far away and jogged to get it. Then, she squatted down to wash it. After a while, she saw someone beside her. The young man¡¯s movements were clumsy, but the cleaning was serious. ¡°Are you going to help me wash it?¡± The young man said nothing. He just nodded. Su Ling thought that he was afraid of those troublemakers, so she patted her chest righteously. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. With me to protect you in the future, they won¡¯t dare to bully you anymore!¡± The young man looked over and remained silent when he saw her solemn expression. After a while, the wild vegetables were washed and the little girl carried the basket home. She found it strange that he kept following her. ¡°Why do you keep following me?¡± Suddenly, she patted her head as if she had just realized something. ¡°You live next door to me. I forgot.¡± The young man looked at her. ¡°Mm,¡± was all he said. When they reached her courtyard, Su Ling put down the basket and found a place to carefully plant her flowers. The flowers were a little limp from the sun. She hurried to water them, but the young man dissuaded her. ¡°You can¡¯t water it now.¡± Su Ling looked puzzled. ¡°Why?¡± The young man crouched down with her. ¡°Watering is only done in the morning and at night. The sun is so bright now, it¡¯ll die if you water it.¡± Su Ling felt that it made sense, so she gave it up. It was rare that no one was at home today, so Su Ling could not help but become bolder. ¡°Pretty Brother, can you play with me from now on?¡± Zhao Yan looked at her and was about to agree when he suddenly said something else. ¡°You didn¡¯t come to play with me before.¡± Hearing his words, Su Ling instantly felt a little ashamed. The first time she saw him, she called him Brother, but she did not look for him to play after that. He had just arrived at Ancient Tree Village, so he definitely did not have any playmates. And he had been bullied today. The thought made her glance up at him. He was so pitiful. Zhao Yan sensed the sympathy in her eyes and turned his head slightly. It was only a moment before he heard her promise. ¡°In the past, Father and Mother didn¡¯t let me go out, but now they don¡¯t watch me anymore. I¡¯ll go and play with you often in the future.¡± The young man nodded at that. But, thinking of her parents and brothers¡¯ resistance to him, he wanted to leave first. As he stood up, however, she grabbed his sleeve. ¡°Pretty Brother, shall I take you to the mountains to pick wild fruits?¡± When Zhao Yan heard her calling him brother, he guessed that she had forgotten his name. He repeated his name. ¡°My name is Zhao Yan.¡± Su Ling nodded in realization. ¡°I¡¯ll remember. Let¡¯s go pick some wild fruits now!¡± The young boy nodded, then watched her put the wild vegetables in the kitchen and set off again with the basket. There were many wild fruits on the mountain that he could not name. Some of them were especially sour, but he felt that it was very novel, so he accompanied her for a long time. The small basket was quickly filled. When the sky gradually darkened, Su Ling anxiously urged him to go down the mountain. She could not let her parents discover that she had sneaked out. And it was with Zhao Yan. She jogged along, hurrying. When she finally reached her yard, she saw her parents and brothers waiting for her. From the looks of it, Third Brother must have been beaten again. Chapter 16 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Xiaodong was especially beaten up today. After wailing for a while, he finally saw his younger sister return. ¡°Father, Mother, Sister¡¯s is back!¡± Su Changsheng looked at the door and saw his daughter standing at the door with a basket, looking afraid. He hurried forward and snatched the basket from her hand. His voice was grave. ¡°Did you go up the mountain alone again?¡± Su Ling quickly shook her head and pointed at the person beside her. ¡°I went with Zhao Yan!¡± Su Changsheng looked at the young guy beside him. He looked fair and unfamiliar. He must be the person who was bound to his daughter by fate. He did not shoo him away, just looked at him. ¡°Your name is Zhao Yan?¡± The young guy nodded. Su Changsheng continued to ask, ¡°How old are you? Where did you come from?¡± The young guy looked at him, neither servile nor overbearing. ¡°10 years old, I came from a neighboring country.¡± Seeing him like this, Su Changsheng did not continue asking. He would not understand any of the finer details as a child. Just looking at him and then looking at his 11-year-old youngest son who only knew how to run around all the time gave him a headache. ¡°I heard you went to school?¡± ¡°Yes, I went to school for a few years. I can read a bit.¡± Su Changsheng nodded and had a plan. ¡°When autumn comes, the village fortune-teller will start school. You, Girl and Xiaodong can go together then.¡± Still the young man nodded. Seeing that he did not look like a bad child, Su Changsheng let down his guard. ¡°Have dinner at my place. Girl¡¯s mother has already prepared everything.¡± The young guy quickly shook his head, but he was already pulled in first. While eating, he felt the entire Su family sizing him up. He did not say anything and continued eating his porridge. Seeing that he was only eating porridge, Su Changsheng placed some food in his bowl. ¡°Don¡¯t just eat porridge. Eat some pickles. Girl¡¯s mother made them. They taste great.¡± Zhao Yan picked up some porridge and ate it together. When he looked up, he saw that everyone was looking at him. He was not used to such a scene. Just as he was about to speak, he heard Su Ling ask him expectantly. ¡°Is it delicious? Is it delicious? My mother¡¯s food is delicious!¡± The young man nodded. ¡°It¡¯s delicious.¡± When Xu Fengqiao heard his answer, the wariness on her face was lessened. He was still a child. Maybe she was really overthinking things. After dinner, Su Ling and her brothers took a breather in the courtyard and listened to Xiaodong talk about how badly he had been beaten up today. Zhao Yan was nowhere to be seen. Su Ling turned around and did not see him. Just as she was about to ask her eldest brother, she saw him and that aunt suddenly coming over from the next door. He was holding a small plate in his hand. Su Ling stared at it until he walked up to her. He extended his hand to her, and Su Ling¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°It¡¯s candy!¡± The young guy nodded and gave her one, then shared the rest with her three brothers. Then, he handed the small plate in his hand to Su Changsheng. Su Changsheng looked at the pastry on the plate and was about to refuse when he heard the woman beside him speak. ¡°Brother Su, my child told me that you asked him to stay for dinner. I saw that he was very happy. I made this pastry myself. How about you try it?¡± When Su Changsheng heard this, he could not refuse. He first distributed the pastry to the children, then to Xu Fengqiao. He only had a little left. He tasted it. It was fragrant and sweet. At this moment, Su Ling was ridiculously happy. She placed the candy in her pocket and took a small bite of the pastry. A second later, the girl¡¯s eyes crinkled in a smile. ¡°It¡¯s so delicious!¡± Chapter 17 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Xiaodong had always been a glutton. When he heard that there was good food, he couldn¡¯t even remember the pain in his body. He had never seen such exquisite pastries, let alone eaten them. And he was not wolfing them down like he usually did. He only took a small bite. The sweetness in his mouth made him lick his mouth a few more times. He had never tasted anything so delicious! ¡°Mother, what¡¯s this? It¡¯s so delicious!¡± Xu Fengqiao took the pastry and looked at it carefully, but she could not recognize what it was. The woman spoke at the right time. ¡°This is mung bean cake. It¡¯s quite simple. If you like it, I¡¯ll make it often and bring it over to you.¡± When Su Changsheng heard this, he quickly refused. ¡°How can we do that? Mung beans are high quality ingredients. How can I let you spend that money?¡± The woman wanted to continue, but Zhao Yan pulled her sleeve. The woman looked blank for a moment, then abandoned the idea. They had just arrived. It was not good to show off too much. They were afraid of attracting attention. Originally, they had come here to cover their tracks. At the thought of this, she only smiled gently and looked at Xu Fengqiao and Su Changsheng. ¡°Brother Su, Sister-in-law Su, it¡¯s fate that we have become neighbors. My child has been rather silent since he was young. I think he and little Su Ling hit it off. If you don¡¯t have time to watch her in the future, you can put her in our house. I can help you take care of her.¡± Xu Fengqiao refused repeatedly. ¡°How can that do? That would be too troublesome for you.¡± The woman was still smiling, but her smile suddenly turned bitter. ¡°We¡¯re new here, and no one in this village is willing to talk to us. We¡¯re very grateful that you¡¯re still willing to talk to us. We still have a lot to trouble you with in the future. I¡¯ll help you as much as I can.¡± Xu Fengqiao had always been a soft-hearted person. Hearing her words at this moment, she only felt that the other lady was a pitiful person. Her previous resistance to them had mostly decreased. She stepped forward and took her hand. ¡°That would be too much trouble for all of you. Since we¡¯re neighbors, let me know if you need anything in the future. Although our family is poor, we have many people and plenty of strength!¡± The woman was overjoyed and grabbed Zhao Yan to join her in thanking them. Su Changsheng and Xu Fengqiao looked at Zhao Yan and felt that this child was too pitiful. They could not help but feel for him. The woman saw that they were looking at him much more gently and could not help but feel relieved. Only then did she remember that she had not introduced herself. ¡°By the way, my name is Wang Cuizhi. You can call me Cuizhi. Although I don¡¯t know how to do farm work, I¡¯m not bad at cooking, and have no problem with sewing and mending. Sister-in-law Su, if you need anything in the future, feel free to look for me.¡± Xu Fengqiao looked at her enthusiastic expression and could not help but feel a little overwhelmed. However, she was too embarrassed to refuse and could only agree. ¡°I¡¯d have to trouble you then.¡± The woman still smiled. ¡°No trouble. I¡¯m glad I could help you.¡± Zhao Yan stood at the side and waited patiently. When she was finally done, he tugged at her clothes. ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡± The woman turned to look at him and her smile immediately faded. ¡°Okay, okay, okay. Then we¡¯ll go back first.¡± Xu Fengqiao agreed and even sent them to the entrance of the courtyard. She watched them walk into the small courtyard next door before walking back. At this moment, Su Ling was showing off the flowers she had dug up from the mountain to her three brothers. She watered them seriously and muttered something. ¡°Zhao Yan said that I should water it again tomorrow morning. I¡¯ll remember it.¡± Xu Fengqiao heard her words and turned to look at Su Changsheng. ¡°Changsheng, why do I feel that there¡¯s something wrong with the two people next door? They don¡¯t seem like normal mother and son. Cuizhi seems to be a little afraid of Zhao Yan.¡± Chapter 18 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Su Changsheng also saw that something was wrong, but it was not his place to ask about other people¡¯s business. ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about other people¡¯s family matters. As long as they don¡¯t hurt Girl, we can get along peacefully.¡± Xu Fengqiao felt that it made sense and did not continue asking. After a while, she carried Su Ling to wash her face. She was already extremely sleepy, but she was still muttering something. ¡°Candy¡­ it¡¯s so sweet.¡± When Xu Fengqiao heard this, she felt a little down. Girl had never eaten a piece of candy since she was young. Now that she finally had one, she actually missed it even when she was asleep. She put her to bed, then went to find Xiaoqiu. ¡°Xiao Qiu, when you come back from work tomorrow, go to town and see if there are any shops selling candy. If there are, buy a few pieces.¡± With that, she placed a string of copper coins in Xiaoqiu¡¯s pocket. As if afraid that it was not enough, she placed some more. Xiaoqiu held her back, refusing to take it. ¡°Mother, I have some.¡± Xu Fengqiao¡¯s eyes turned red when she heard that. ¡°Where did you get the money? Your and Xiaochun¡¯s wages are all with me. Where did you get the money from?¡± Xiaoqiu stopped talking when he heard that. He quickly said, ¡°Then I don¡¯t want it. I¡¯ll just buy it for Brothers and Sister.¡± Xu Fengqiao¡¯s eyes turned even redder. Her voice was a little choked up, but she was very serious. ¡°There are four children in the family. Buy four pieces and each of you will get one piece. The tough days will pass. Our family will definitely get better and better!¡± Xiaoqiu rarely saw his mother like this, and he felt terrible. He agreed, then watched his mother leave. The next evening, Su Ling was still observing her flower in the courtyard when she saw her brothers return. She raced over and threw herself on top of them. ¡°Big Brother, Second Brother, you¡¯re finally back! Mom made wild vegetable fritters today. They smell so good.¡± Speaking of which, she was the one who picked the wild vegetables. The girl was a little proud. She raised her head high, looking for praise. Xiaoqiu stroked her head, then carefully took a stick of candied hawthorn from his pocket. The candied hawthorn was bright red and wrapped in a layer of hawthorn. It looked very tempting. Su Ling looked at the candied fruit for a long time, but she still did not know what it was. ¡°Big Brother, what is this?¡± Xiaoqiu handed her the candied fruit and crouched down. ¡°Sister, this is called candied hawthorn. It¡¯s delicious. Have one.¡± She carefully bit one off and carefully licked the rock candy on the surface. ¡°It¡¯s so sweet ~¡± Seeing that she liked it so much, Xiaoqiu wanted her to eat it slowly. However, she suddenly pointed at the stick of candied hawthorn and counted them one by one. ¡°One, two, three, four, five. There are five of them. Big Brother, let¡¯s have one each and give one to Zhao Yan, okay? He gave us candy yesterday.¡± Xiaoqiu did not expect her to have already made the arrangements. He could not describe how he felt. ¡°Doesn¡¯t Sister like it? Why don¡¯t you have it all?¡± The girl shook her head like a rattle. ¡°No, this one is enough for me!¡± Xiaoqiu did not say anything else. He just watched her distribute the candied hawthorns to them one by one and then run happily next door. They heard her shout. The sound was so joyous. ¡°Zhao Yan, my brother bought me candied hawthorn!¡± They watched the young guy walk out into the yard, then took that last one from her. At last the girl returned, satisfied. She was still smiling. Xiaoqiu walked into the house now and gave his mother the rest of the coins. ¡°I didn¡¯t find anyone selling candy. But I saw a vendor selling candied hawthorns, so I bought a stick. Sister liked it.¡± Xu Fengqiao had long heard the laughter in the courtyard and was very happy. She was about to ask Xiaoqiu to call the children back for dinner when he suddenly gave her the candied hawthorn. ¡°Mother, have it. I don¡¯t like sweet food.¡± Chapter 19 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Xu Fengqiao subconsciously wanted to refuse, but Xiaoqiu ran away quickly. She knew that this was filial piety on his part. After hesitating for a long while, she finally ate it with tears in her eyes. Today¡¯s dinner was very sumptuous. Xu Fengqiao made a wild vegetable fritter for everyone and filled a bowl of porridge for each of them. ¡°Everyone has to eat everything in their bowls. There¡¯s no room for leftovers.¡± Su Ling carefully raised her head. Just as she was about to tear off some of her pancake and give it to Third Brother, she was frightened by Xu Fengqiao¡¯s gaze. ¡°Girl, eat obediently. Your third brother has his own food!¡± Seeing this, Xiaodong quickly said, ¡°Yes, yes. Sister, eat it yourself. You don¡¯t have to give it to me. I have enough.¡± Helpless, Su Ling could only put away her thoughts and eat obediently. At the dining table, Xu Fengqiao spoke. ¡°Girl, you¡¯re all grown up now. We¡¯re all going to be very busy for a while. You have to be good at home and not run around. Do you understand?¡± Su Ling was puzzled. ¡°What about Third Brother?¡± Xu Fengqiao glanced at her youngest son and saw that his head was almost buried in the bowl. ¡°Your third brother isn¡¯t young anymore. From today onwards, he¡¯ll work in the fields with us. Stay at home obediently. If you¡¯re bored, you can go next door to play with Zhao Yan. But there¡¯s one thing. You¡¯re not allowed to run around. You can¡¯t go missing, understand?¡± Su Ling nodded obediently. She was already looking forward to running around the back of the mountain with Zhao Yan. Xu Fengqiao¡¯s heart softened when she saw how obedient she was. ¡°When we¡¯re done with the work in the field, we¡¯ll build two more huts and give Girl a separate room, okay?¡± Su Ling was puzzled. ¡°Why do you need to build two more huts?¡± Xu Fengqiao explained patiently, ¡°Because you¡¯re growing up and you¡¯re a girl. She can¡¯t stay with her brothers forever. Her brothers will get a wife and have children in the future.¡± ¡°What is getting a wife?¡± ¡°To find a sister-in-law for Girl.¡± Su Ling raised her head as if she was thinking seriously. ¡°With sisters-in-law, will brothers still like me?¡± As soon as she said this, Xiaoqiu instantly put down his bowl and chopsticks. ¡°Of course we will. Sister will always be our favorite.¡± Xiaochun and Xiaodong chimed in, ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. We¡¯ll always dote on you and treat you well.¡± The girl was relieved and finally agreed to Xu Fengqiao¡¯s suggestion. ¡°Mother, Girl agrees. When my brothers marry sisters-in-law in the future, I will also treat them well.¡± Xu Fengqiao rubbed her head, her eyes filled with love. ¡°Girl is so obedient.¡± After that day, everyone in the Su family left early and returned late. Su Ling was bored alone and often went to look for Zhao Yan. Zhao Yan had many books, and he could write. Su Ling was very studious and always pestered him to teach her. Unable to convince her, Zhao Yan slowly began to teach her how to read and write. Soon she learned a lot of numbers and a lot of writing. She had just started writing, and her words were all crooked and out of proportion. However, she was very excited about it. No matter what she wrote, she would show it to her parents at night. Just like that, Su Changsheng and Xu Fengqiao completely changed their views on the youth next door. They often invited him to their house for dinner. The two families slowly became familiar with each other, making Auntie Wu suspicious of them. She had known from the beginning that the two newcomers in the village were not simple. From the way they spoke, they did not look like they came from ordinary farmers¡¯ houses. Even though that woman was dressed in rough clothes like them, her words and actions could not deceive anyone. Auntie Wu tried to curry favor with them, but they were only polite to her and completely unmoved. She could not help but feel a little unhappy that she could not gain anything. Chapter 20 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios While Zhao Yan and Su Ling went to the back of the mountain, Wang Cuizhi had also gone out. She sneaked into their room and searched. Apart from some clothes, the most common items were books and brushes. How can a kid that age read so many books? She looked puzzled, but at the same time she rummaged carefully through the clothes to see if she could find anything valuable. The rent they offered was not even enough to fill the gaps between her teeth. She was a widow and had no man to rely on. She had to find more money. As she searched, she turned and saw someone suddenly standing in the doorway. Zhao Yan stood quietly at the door and watched her. Auntie Wu felt a little guilty. Just as she was about to speak, she was interrupted by Su Ling¡¯s scream. ¡°Auntie Wu, what are you doing? Are you stealing something?!¡± Auntie Wu¡¯s face alternated between green and white. She quickly put the clothes back and shook her head desperately. ¡°Girl, Auntie Wu isn¡¯t stealing anything. Auntie Wu just wants to see if they have any clothes that need to be washed so that I can help them wash them.¡± Although Su Ling was young, she was not stupid. She did not believe her at all. ¡°You¡¯re lying. You¡¯re stealing. I see you¡¯ve been going through your clothes and touching your pockets!¡± Auntie Wu saw that she could not fool her. She went pale and wanted to cover her mouth. However, the young guy stood in front of Su Ling first, preventing her from touching her. She looked at Zhao Yan and felt a little guilty. ¡°Zhao Yan, Auntie Wu really didn¡¯t want to steal your things. Can you not tell your mother?¡± Zhao Yan remained silent, but Su Ling¡¯s shout had already attracted many people. They were all gathered at the door and looking at the scene inside. In the crowd, Chen Dashan and Chen Xiaoshan were also watching the commotion. When Auntie Wu saw them, her expression turned even worse. They were the village chief¡¯s sons. If they saw her, the village chief would know. She was the one who begged the village chief to let the two of them rent this place. She did not have the ability to survive, and she did not want to tire herself out. This rent could be considered an income. The villagers discussed animatedly. Su Ling told them about the scene she had just seen. ¡°I saw everything. Auntie Wu has been rummaging through their clothes. She must be stealing!¡± Auntie Wu did not have a good reputation in the village. When her husband was still alive, she was a lazy person. Now that her husband was gone, she was still like this. Everyone was discussing and criticizing her. She was embarrassed and angry. She took a step forward and wanted Su Ling to shut up. Xiaoqiu arrived at this moment and picked Su Ling up. He looked at her hand in midair. ¡°Auntie Wu, why? Are you going to attack my sister after she told the truth?¡± Auntie Wu immediately became even angrier, and the accusations from the surrounding people became even more intense. ¡°You still have the cheek to hit someone when you¡¯re discovered stealing. You¡¯re really embarrassing our Ancient Tree Village!¡± ¡°Once Little Lucky Star came, she brought so many good things to our Ancient Tree Village. She actually wanted to hit her!¡± Su Ling nestled in her brother¡¯s arms and looked at him. She immediately understood. She sniffed twice, then started to wail. As soon as she cried, the sky immediately darkened and rain fell. Everyone was shocked. Then, they quickly reacted. This lucky star was frightened by Auntie Wu. For a moment, they were even angrier. All kinds of accusations made Auntie Wu not dare to speak again. Seeing this, Chen Dashan hurriedly went back to inform his father. The village chief did not dare to delay at all and soon arrived. When the village chief arrived, Auntie Wu¡¯s face turned even paler. She did not dare to speak anymore. Chapter 21 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The village chief had heard about this farce from his son on the way here. He had a headache. Auntie Wu had married into Ancient Tree Village a few years ago and had never been ¡®clean¡¯. Many people in the village did not like her. It was only because she had restrained herself a little in the past few years and coupled with her pleading that he let Zhao Yan and the others stay at her house. Logically speaking, the rent they offered was considered high in this town. Unexpectedly, she was still not satisfied¡­ Disappointed, he walked through the crowd to Auntie Wu. ¡°What did I tell you? These are important guests handed over to us by the town. I even repeatedly instructed you to take good care of them. Is this how you take care of them?¡± Auntie Wu¡¯s face was pale and she could not speak for a moment. The village chief shook his head. ¡°Forget it. After what happened, your family definitely can¡¯t stay here anymore. I see that there¡¯s some empty land in the back of the mountain. Divide it out and build a house for this mother and son.¡± The village chief moved very quickly and was already instructing Chen Dashan to get people to measure the land. Auntie Wu could no longer cry. She desperately pulled at the village chief¡¯s clothes. ¡°Don¡¯t. You¡¯re pushing me to my death!¡± The village chief shook off her hand expressionlessly and said coldly. ¡°As long as you want to live, you can always find a way out. If you¡¯re lazy like this, no matter how much wealth you have, it will be exhausted by you.¡± With that, he walked straight out. The crowd was no longer in the mood to watch the farce and followed him out. After a few steps, the village chief suddenly turned around. He looked at the eldest son of the Su family and had an idea. ¡°Xiaoqiu, it will take some time to build a house. Can you ask your parents to let them stay at your house for a while? Let them leave after the house is built. I¡¯ll get them to pay you the rent.¡± Xiaoqiu was surprised and could not decide. ¡°I have to talk to Father and Mother about this.¡± At this moment, Wang Cuizhi finally returned from outside. She had gone to town and bought some cloth. The group gathered around her and told her what had just happened. She listened for a while and finally understood. She looked at Auntie Wu, who was pale in the distance, and said gently, ¡°We¡¯ll listen to the village chief¡¯s arrangements.¡± At this moment, Xiaoqiu had already carried Su Ling to the fields and told her parents what the village chief was thinking. Su Changsheng was silent for a moment before agreeing. ¡°Auntie Wu did such a thing. She¡¯s really embarrassing our Ancient Tree Village. This child is really pitiful. Doesn¡¯t our family have a woodshed? Let¡¯s clean it up and let them stay there first. What do you think?¡± Xu Fengqiao had no objections and nodded in agreement. Xiaoqiu hurriedly went to the village chief¡¯s house and expressed his parents¡¯ thoughts to him. That afternoon, Wang Cuizhi packed her things and officially moved into the Su family with Zhao Yan. Su Ling was naturally overjoyed. She kept going in and out of the woodshed and even helped to sprinkle water and sweep the floor. After being praised by Wang Cuizhi a few times, her tail was wagging. Su Changsheng and Xu Fengqiao returned in the evening. Seeing that they had already cleaned up the woodshed, they heaved a sigh of relief. The rent they gave was more than Xiaochun and Xiaoqiu¡¯s monthly salary combined. After receiving so much money, they wanted to help them do more things. Dinner was prepared by Xu Fengqiao. She cooked white rice and made two dishes for the first time. It had been a long time since the Su family had proper food. Basically, they only had wild vegetables and porridge every day. Everyone ate happily. In the end, not a single grain of rice was left, and the dishes were all eaten. Xu Fengqiao was originally quite nervous. Seeing that they were all getting used to it, she was finally relieved. However, at night, Wang Cuizhi secretly found her and gave her some money. Chapter 22 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Xu Fengqiao was shocked and subconsciously wanted to return the money to her. Wang Cuizhi held her hand and sat in the courtyard. She said gently, ¡°Sister-in-law Su, I know your family¡¯s situation. It¡¯s difficult to live with so many children. As soon as we came, you had two more mouths to eat. This is the money for the food you provide for us. Take it.¡± Xu Fengqiao still refused. ¡°You¡¯ve already given me enough rent. How can I still ask for your money¡­¡± However, Wang Cuizhi only tightened her grip on her hand and her expression turned serious. ¡°If you don¡¯t accept it, you¡¯re looking down on me. This is the rightful amount for us to give. Previously, when we were next door, we gave more than this. In the end, the child still ate porridge every meal and suffered.¡± Xu Fengqiao was surprised to hear her say that. With that amount of money, they could eat rice and still have extra cash to spare. Auntie Wu actually fed them porridge every meal¡­ She thought about that and finally stopped refusing. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll accept this money. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll cook in different ways in the future. I guarantee that you¡¯ll be full and comfortable!¡± Wang Cuizhi only smiled. ¡°There¡¯s no need to go through so much trouble. It¡¯s fine as long as the child can eat his fill.¡± Seeing that she was so insistent, Xu Fengqiao could only agree. However, she thought that she had to do come up with more variety in the future. At this moment, she confirmed her previous guess. The two people next door were definitely not simple. How could an ordinary person take out so much money at once? Wang Cuizhi returned to the woodshed and closed the door. ¡°Did they accept it?¡± Wang Cuizhi closed the door tightly and walked towards him. ¡°They did. I tried everything I could to convince them to accept it.¡± The young guy made a small sound of agreement and said nothing more. After that day, Su Ling realized that many changes had happened in the family. She ate more and more white rice. Her mother even cooked in different ways. She was full every day and her stomach was getting rounder. The three brothers knew that they were riding on Zhao Yan¡¯s coattails and would usually take care of him. Sometimes, they would even bring him a portion of whatever food they bought. The young guy was very respectful and polite. He would accept it every time, but he would always think of other ways to return it. Wang Cuizhi also became familiar with them day by day. One day, she suddenly called them all to the woodshed and measured their figures. Xiaodong and Xiaochun were both carefree people. Only Xiaoqiu understood her intentions. When they were all gone, he stayed. ¡°Auntie Wang, are you going to make clothes for us?¡± When Wang Cuizhi heard his question, she seemed a little surprised. Then, she smiled and nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s too much trouble for us to live here. Besides, you all went to help our family build a new house. You treated us well, so we naturally have to repay you.¡± Xiaoqiu shook his head with a solemn expression. ¡°This is what we should do. You don¡¯t have to make it for us. Just make it for Zhao Yan alone. We have clothes to wear.¡± Wang Cuizhi took a large pair of scissors and cut off a large piece of cloth. As if she did not hear him at all, she only smiled and looked up. ¡°Xiaoqiu, can you help me call Su Ling? I specially bought a pink cloth to make clothes for her. She will definitely like it.¡± Xiaoqiu looked at the cloth in her hand. Even if he did not know the quality of the fabric, he could tell that the cloth she was holding was not something they could afford. Xu Fengqiao rarely made new clothes for them. Moreover, Xiaochun usually wore the clothes Xiaoqiu had outgrown, and Xiaodong wore what Xiaochun had outgrown. Only Sister had a lot of clothes, but they were all sent by aunties in the village who had daughters. He had never seen her in new clothes. Chapter 23 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios He thought to himself that if Sister knew that she could get to wear new clothes, she would definitely be overjoyed. She was so pink and cute. If she wore this pink dress, she would definitely be even cuter. With that thought in mind, he did not say anything else. He just nodded and left. Su Ling jogged in and almost fell. Wang Cuizhi was shocked. Just as she was about to help her up, she saw that she had already stood up again and was walking towards her step by step. She had never had a daughter in her life. Every time she saw Su Ling, her heart would soften. Su Ling walked forward, but not too close. Her mother had told her that she could not get too close to adults when they were using scissors, or she would bleed. The little girl stood warily in front of her, its voice babyish. ¡°Auntie, why did you call me here?¡± Wang Cuizhi put down the scissors in her hand and stretched out her hands. Su Ling immediately walked up and was hugged by her. ¡°How about Auntie make a new dress for little Su Ling?¡± The girl tilted her head as if carefully considering her words. ¡°New clothes?¡± Wang Cuizhi nodded. ¡°Stand properly. I¡¯ll take your measurements. When the new clothing is ready in a few days, I¡¯ll call you, okay?¡± The girl danced with joy, her eyes smiling. ¡°Yay, thank you, Auntie.¡± Wang Cuizhi touched her head and tied up her messy hair again. Su Ling obediently let her tie her hair without any resistance. Ever since they moved in, Su Ling had already gotten used to it. This aunt was like her mother. She was especially good to her and could do more tricks than her mother. Wang Cuizhi helped her tie her hair and placed her on the ground. ¡°Su Ling, can you help Auntie take a look at where Zhao Yan is? He hasn¡¯t been back all morning.¡± Su Ling stood obediently in front of her. ¡°Zhao Yan went to catch fish!¡± Wang Cuizhi was a little surprised. How could he do such a thing? In the past, he never had to do any work. He always got what he wanted. She set her things aside, then rose. ¡°Su Ling, bring Auntie to take a look. Auntie is a little worried.¡± Su Ling frowned as if she was in a difficult position. ¡°But Zhao Yan won¡¯t let me go.¡± Wang Cuizhi was stunned, not quite understanding why he did this. However, the little girl quickly put on a sly smile. ¡°But it doesn¡¯t matter. We¡¯ll go secretly and not let him see us.¡± Wang Cuizhi nodded and followed her to the river. By the river, a group of people had gathered and were jeering. ¡°No way. You can¡¯t even catch fish!¡± ¡°Where did you come from? All the children in our Ancient Tree Village know how to pick bird nests and go into the river to catch fish. Why don¡¯t you know anything!¡± ¡°Forget it, forget it. Come on up. If you can¡¯t catch it, so be it. We won¡¯t laugh at you!¡± Chen Dashan stood at the front and looked at the red-faced youth. He had long found him an eyesore. He did not know where this wild child came from, but he actually obtained Su Ling¡¯s favor and was together with her every day. It was more than he could have imagined. Every time Su Ling saw him, she would be fierce. When Wang Cuizhi saw this scene, her expression turned ugly. Just as she was about to walk forward, Su Ling grabbed her hand. ¡°Auntie, I have an idea.¡± With that, she squeezed through the crowd and stood in front of Chen Dashan. Chapter 24 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The girl¡¯s expression was serious. He placed his hands on his hips and looked menacing. ¡°Chen Dashan!¡± Chen Dashan was shocked by her shout. When he saw her, he could not help but feel a little afraid. It was strange. Su Ling was as thin as a bean sprout and wasn¡¯t tall, but he was very afraid of her. He thought that with so many people watching behind him, he could not lose in terms of aura, so he raised his voice as well. ¡°What are you doing!¡± Su Ling walked forward and pushed him hard. He was caught off guard and was about to fall to the ground. Fortunately, someone supported him. He was anxious and angry. He pointed at her and shouted questions. ¡°Why are you pushing me again? You¡¯re being unreasonable!¡± Su Ling looked into his eyes fearlessly. ¡°I told you before, don¡¯t mess with my family.¡± When Chen Dashan heard her words, he instantly became even angrier. ¡°Su Ling, aren¡¯t you ashamed? He¡¯s not from your family!¡± Su Ling went down the river. ¡°Zhao Yan is living in my house now. He¡¯s my family. Don¡¯t bully him, or I¡¯ll push you.¡± The little girl¡¯s tone was light, but it was full of threat. Chen Dashan¡¯s face alternated between green and white, and he could not say a complete sentence for a long time. He wanted to turn around and leave, but he felt that it was too embarrassing. Hence, he turned around and spoke loudly to her. ¡°We¡¯ll see. I¡¯ll definitely be back!¡± The girl only shrugged at that, not even looking at him. Chen Dashan¡¯s face was filled with anger and embarrassment. In the end, he fled. As soon as he left, his lackeys also left. For a moment, only Su Ling and Zhao Yan were left by the river. Su Ling looked at the wooden bucket that Zhao Yan had brought. There was nothing inside. Now she knew why he had not let her come with him. He was embarrassed. However, she was a very magnanimous and understanding young lady. She could not help but pat him on the back as he stood up straight. ¡°That¡¯s not how you catch fish. You have to bend down a little and attack when you see it. Fish swim very quickly and can easily slip away.¡± Zhao Yan nodded as if he understood. Then, he bent his back a little as she said and stared intently at the fish swimming back and forth in the small river. He did not say a word, and his expression was very serious. Su Ling looked at him from the side and was quiet. Finally, the young man quickly reached out and fished into the river. A medium-sized trout struggled desperately in his hand. Su Ling became excited and hurriedly urged, ¡°Quick, put it in the bucket!¡± Zhao Yan was also very happy at this moment. A rare look of joy appeared on his face. Wang Cuizhi watched from the side for a while before leaving quietly. With Su Ling around, he would not be bullied. He would be protected by such a little bundle. She had not expected that. But wasn¡¯t all this a good sign? She thought to herself. She planned to go back quickly and make new clothes for them. In the following time, under Su Ling¡¯s guidance, Zhao Yan caught three to four fish. Although they were not big, they were enough to make him happy for a long time. Seeing that it was noon, Su Ling urged him to go back. ¡°We should go back. Otherwise, Father, Mother, and Auntie will be worried.¡± Zhao Yan nodded in agreement. He looked at the fish swimming happily in the bucket and was delighted. He had never done anything like this before. In the past, he had always been urged to read and write. He had never been so close to nature. So catching fish was such a joyous activity, he thought. Chapter 25 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios On the way back, Su Ling could not help but ask him. ¡°Chen Dashan and the others bullied you. Why didn¡¯t you retaliate?¡± He did not fight back when he was beaten or scolded. That was why they were so arrogant. The young man lowered his head in silence, lost in thought. Su Ling thought that she had said something wrong and could not help but panic. She was also anxious to express that she just did not want to see him being bullied. ¡°I just¡­ don¡¯t want to see others bullying you. How about this? I¡¯ll follow you wherever you go in the future. That way, they won¡¯t dare to bully you.¡± The young guy lowered his head and did not speak, but this made Su Ling even more flustered. She ran ahead of him, grabbing at his shirt. ¡°Zhao Yan, Zhao Yan, please talk to me¡­¡± The young guy looked down at her and finally said, ¡°Okay.¡± That afternoon, Xu Fengqiao cleaned the fish they brought back and cooked a pot of fish soup. The fish soup was fresh. Although there was nothing more to season it, it was still a rare delicacy. Usually, most of the fish they caught would be sold for money. Perhaps it was because it was not easy for him to catch it, but Zhao Yan ate a lot that day. Even Wang Cuizhi was a little shocked. He was usually a man of few words and spoke and did things like an adult. He had never been like this before. She watched in silence, waiting for him to return to the woodshed before calling out to him. ¡°Your Highness, we¡¯re in a remote place now. It¡¯s impossible for those people to discover us. You don¡¯t have to tolerate everything. This ser-¡­ my heart hurts when I see this!¡± The young guy was silent. After a long time, he said only one word. Endure. He had been used to enduring since the moment he was born. Now that everything had yet to be settled and his mother was still suffering in the palace, he did not dare to make a scene. He was afraid that those people would discover his traces and capture him to threaten his mother. All he could do now was endure. And one day, he would make those people who bullied him today pay back tenfold or a hundredfold. Wang Cuizhi saw the malicious glint in his eyes and decisively kept quiet. Every time he looked like this, she knew that he was missing the empress in the palace again. But now¡­ With a deep sigh, she walked out of the woodshed and into the yard. Su Ling was playing in the courtyard. When she saw her coming out, she quickly ran over. ¡°Auntie, why did this flower turn yellow? Is she going to die?¡± Wang Cuizhi was pulled over by her and saw the small flowers in the corner of the small courtyard. Their leaves had already turned yellow. It looked like there was nothing they could do. She could not bear to see her disappointed, so she squatted down to comfort her. ¡°Little Su Ling, it might be because the weather is too hot, so they died from the sun. Auntie will bring you to pick more, okay?¡± Su Ling agreed happily and went to look for the pickaxe and basket. After she was done with the basket and hoe, she was about to pull Wang Cuizhi up the mountain when she turned around. Before Wang Cuizhi could ask her what she was going to do, she ran towards the woodshed. ¡°Zhao Yan, let¡¯s go to the mountain together!¡± The little girl¡¯s smile was so warm and bright that he could not help but look up at her. Almost the moment she spoke, Zhao Yan felt the haze in his heart suddenly disappear. He stood up and followed her out. ¡°Okay.¡± Su Ling was overjoyed. She held his hand with one hand and Wang Cuizhi¡¯s hand with the other as they went up the mountain. Chapter 26 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios It was a rare cloudy day. It was much cooler than usual, but when they walked up the mountain, they felt even cooler. This was Wang Cuizhi¡¯s first time on the mountain, and she was brought along by the little girl the entire time. Along the way, they saw many beautiful flowers. Wang Cuizhi imitated her actions and carefully dug them up by the roots and placed them in the basket. As they walked, Su Ling saw that the small basket was almost full. She was very happy and chattered to them about where to plant the flowers. Before they went down the mountain, she was attracted by something. She walked over, knelt down, sniffed, and suddenly smiled. ¡°It smells good.¡± Wang Cuizhi squatted down with her and took a closer look. She asked uncertainly, ¡°Is this wild onion?¡± Su Ling nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. This is delicious for scrambled eggs!¡± Thinking of this, she suddenly said mysteriously, ¡°I saw Mother buy a lot of eggs yesterday and cover them with straw, but I still saw them!¡± When Wang Cuizhi saw her mischievous appearance, she could not help but pat her head. Su Ling frowned as if she was unhappy. Wang Cuizhi was at a loss. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did Auntie do something wrong?¡± The girl looked at her and pouted. ¡°Auntie, you just dug up flowers. You haven¡¯t washed your hands yet.¡± Wang Cuizhi was stunned for a moment before she suddenly laughed loudly. ¡°Yes, yes, yes. Auntie is wrong. Auntie will wash her hands before touching little Su Ling¡¯s head.¡± Su Ling nodded and did not say anything else. Then, she squatted down and carefully dug the wild onions. The wild onions were tender and she accidentally broke them. After all, she was still too young and could not control her strength well, so she broke several of them at once. She was getting upset now. She puffed up her cheeks and stood by sulking. Wang Cuizhi held back her laughter and squatted down to dig for wild onions. She controlled her strength just right and soon dug up a lot. Su Ling smiled again and looked at Wang Cuizhi with admiration. ¡°Auntie is so awesome ~¡± Wang Cuizhi felt a little smug from her praise. She looked at the youth behind her and handed over the small pickaxe. ¡°Zhao Yan, why don¡¯t you try it too?¡± The young man said nothing, but took the pickaxe from her hand. His movements were even more clumsy than Su Ling¡¯s, and he was a little strong. He broke many of them at once. The girl¡¯s face was wrinkled and he looked like he was about to cry. Wang Cuizhi couldn¡¯t stand it anymore and quickly brought the pickaxe over. Zhao Yan stood behind them helplessly. He looked at Su Ling for a long time and finally took out a candy from his pocket. He walked toward her, palm open. ¡°Here¡¯s some candy. Don¡¯t cry.¡± Su Ling was immediately attracted by the candy. She happily took it, opened it, and put it in her mouth. ¡°It¡¯s so sweet ~¡± Seeing that she had regained her smile, Zhao Yan finally felt relieved. Then, he followed them to the river to wash the wild onions. When they reached the river, Wang Cuizhi was in charge of washing the wild onions. The two children stood at the side. Su Ling looked at Zhao Yan with sparkling eyes. ¡°Zhao Yan, why do you have so much candy?¡± The young man was silent for a moment before he spoke. ¡°My mother gave it to me.¡± Su Ling looked at Wang Cuizhi, who was still busy by the river, and nodded. Auntie was nice. She liked Auntie. Meanwhile, Wang Cuizhi was completely unaware of all this. She only returned with a basket after washing up. ¡°Let¡¯s go back. After we give the wild onions to your mother, shall I plant flowers with you?¡± As she spoke, she looked at Zhao Yan. The young guy quickly said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll join you.¡± Chapter 27 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Su Ling naturally agreed and followed them home happily. Xu Fengqiao, Su Changsheng, and the others were still busy in the field. There was no one at home. Su Ling looked at the foot of the mountain and was a little happy. ¡°Auntie, is your house going to be done building soon?¡± Wang Cuizhi followed her gaze and nodded with a smile. ¡°That¡¯s right. When our house is built, can we invite little Su Ling to be our guest?¡± Su Ling quickly nodded. Suddenly, she seemed to have thought of something and walked over to hug her leg. ¡°Auntie, after the new house is built, will I still have mung bean cake to eat?¡± The girl¡¯s eyes sparkled as he stared at her. Wang Cuizhi felt her heart soften and quickly agreed. ¡°Yes, yes! When our new house is built, Auntie will make mung bean cake for Su Ling!¡± Su Ling smiled in satisfaction before leading her to the place where she had planted the flowers. ¡°Auntie, let¡¯s plant flowers together~¡± Wang Cuizhi agreed and planted the flowers with her. After planting the flowers, Wang Cuizhi looked at the sky worriedly as the sky turned dark. ¡°It¡¯s so dark today. Is it going to rain again?¡± The girl was shocked now. Her eyes darted around. ¡°Auntie, how did you know?¡± Wang Cuizhi was stunned. ¡°Know what?¡± The girl continued, ¡°That it¡¯s going to rain.¡± Wang Cuizhi¡¯s eyes were a little blank. ¡°Auntie guessed it. It¡¯s getting dark. It should be raining soon.¡± The girl nodded thoughtfully at her words, then closed her eyes. In an instant, the dark clouds in the sky dissipated, and the sky became clear again. Wang Cuizhi looked at the sky in disbelief. Then, she suddenly recalled the rumor in the village. Everyone said that the little girl was a little lucky star. If she cried, it would rain. But from the looks of it, Little Lucky Star was much more powerful than they had imagined. She was very surprised and sounded extremely shocked. ¡°Ah, why did the dark clouds disperse again? Is it no longer raining?¡± The girl shook her head, looking serious. ¡°Nope.¡± Wang Cuizhi was a little confused. ¡°Then¡­ it will still rain?¡± The girl nodded, then pulled her under the roof. As expected, it started to rain after a while. However, the rain this time was not heavy. It was considered gentle compared to the heavy rain earlier. The little girl looked at the freshly planted flowers in the courtyard with satisfaction and joy. ¡°Alright, this way, there¡¯s no need to water the plants. The vegetables in the field can also be watered.¡± Wang Cuizhi was even more shocked when she heard this. She suddenly believed the rumors in the village. Could it be that this little girl was really a lucky star that had descended to the mortal world? At this moment, the people in the ground were also very happy to see the rain. In the past few years, as the rainfall increased, the crops in Ancient Tree Village had also grown well. Some villagers picked them and sold them in the town, while others exchanged them for things. In short, their lives at home had improved a lot. There were no more abandoned fields in the village, and the living conditions of every family were getting better and better. Even the Su family, who used to be the poorest, no longer had to worry about food and clothing. At this moment, they looked at the raindrops falling from the sky and were very grateful to the little lucky star. However, they still had to tease him. Someone called Su Changsheng from afar. ¡°Old Su, it¡¯s raining again today. Don¡¯t tell me your girl is crying again?¡± Chapter 28 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Su Changsheng ignored him. However, most of the work in the field had been done. All that was left was to water the ground. Now that there was no need to water the ground, he and Xu Fengqiao decided to go back early. When they got home, they saw the three children standing in the courtyard. Xiaodong even reached out to catch the rain under the eaves. Xu Fengqiao looked at his wet clothes and was a little angry. ¡°Xiaodong, where did you go to play again? Look, your clothes are wet!¡± When Xiaodong heard Xu Fengqiao¡¯s voice, he hurriedly ran into the room and locked the door tightly. Xu Fengqiao chased under the roof and was pulled back by the little girl. Xu Fengqiao¡¯s anger dissipated when she saw her, and her voice subconsciously softened. She knelt down, then picked her up. ¡°Girl, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Su Ling pointed to the kitchen and Xu Fengqiao walked in. She saw, with some surprise, the cleaned wild onions in the basket. ¡°Did Girl pick this?¡± The girl shook her head honestly. ¡°No, there¡¯s also Auntie and Zhao Yan. The three of us picked them together.¡± Hearing the voice, Wang Cuizhi also looked in and saw Xu Fengqiao smiling and nodding at her. Seeing that her mother was in a good mood, the girl began to make requests. ¡°Mother, I want to eat wild onion scrambled eggs ~¡± The moment she said this, Xu Fengqiao¡¯s eyelids trembled. ¡°Where will we get the eggs from?¡± The girl was instantly unhappy. She pointed to where she had hidden the eggs. ¡°I saw everything. Mother covered the eggs with straw.¡± Xu Fengqiao was a little annoyed. She thought about how she had not done a good job of keeping it a secret. She pretended to be stern. ¡°Girl, eggs are expensive things. We can¡¯t eat them often.¡± Su Ling refused to listen and tugged at her clothes, swaying around. ¡°I want, I want, I want to eat it. Mother ~¡± Xu Fengqiao was at her wit¡¯s end. Just as she was about to agree, she saw Wang Cuizhi walk in. ¡°Sister-in-law Su, make it for the children so that they can nourish themselves. Besides, Zhao Yan likes this dish too.¡± When Xu Fengqiao heard her words, she had no reason to refuse. She agreed, then could not help but scratch the tip of Su Ling¡¯s nose. ¡°You glutton, were you already planning how to eat these eggs?¡± Su Ling just smiled but did not say anything. After she put her down, she went out to play with Zhao Yan. In the evening, when Xu Fengqiao was cooking dinner, Su Ling sneaked in again. Xu Fengqiao was making scrambled eggs with wild onions in the pot. The little girl was not even as tall as the stove, so she carried a small stool and looked at it seriously. Xu Fengqiao smiled helplessly and let her watch for a while. In the end, she was afraid that she would fall, so she carried her down. The girl clung to her leg as soon as he landed, as if he wanted to cling to her. Xu Fengqiao was not impatient at all. She stirred the vegetables in the pot and suddenly thought of something. She lowered her head to look at her. ¡°Girl, do you want Mother to make this dish because Zhao Yan likes it?¡± She knew her daughter too well. She might be greedy, but she never pestered her to do anything. When she heard Wang Cuizhi¡¯s words earlier, she had some doubts, but now she was certain. Because the girl nodded very openly. ¡°Yes, and didn¡¯t you say so yourself, Mother? They¡¯re our guests. We have to make sure they eat well.¡± Xu Fengqiao could not refute her words. She could only smile and reply, ¡°Yes, Girl makes sense.¡± Chapter 29 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Time passed quickly. In the blink of an eye, it was late August. More than half of Zhao Yan¡¯s house had been built. Wang Cuizhi was a sensible person. She would pay anyone who came to help. The salary was higher than what ordinary people would pay. Later on, more and more people came to help. Su Changsheng¡¯s family often came to help, but they would never ask for money. They only said that the rent and food they gave were enough. Seeing that they were really unwilling to accept it, Wang Cuizhi could only give up. However, at the end of summer, she made a few new sets of clothes for the four children of the Su family. The three boys¡¯ were blue and gray, but Su Ling¡¯s was different. Wang Cuizhi made her a pink one, a green one, and a sky blue one. Because Xiaoqiu said that Su Ling had never had new clothes, Wang Cuizhi wanted to compensate her in this way. Wang Cuizhi¡¯s skills were very good. In the entire Ancient Tree Village, there was no one better than her at needlework. The fabric she chose was very high-quality, and the clothes she made were also very exquisite. The little girl was so happy that she hugged it to sleep at night. She also began to look forward to autumn every day, looking forward to wearing new clothes. Because of this, Xu Fengqiao was even more grateful to them and worked harder to help. The house already had a rough outline. The next step was to pour mortar and repair the courtyard walls. Su Ling went to see it every day. She watched as the house took shape and gradually became complete. She was extremely happy. Even though she knew they were leaving after the house was built, she was still happy for them. Although they were outsiders, with a house, they could set up a home in Ancient Tree Village. After a few more days, a message came from the village. The fortune-teller would open the school on the last day of the month. Parents with children in the village were already preparing tuition fees, but they were told that it was free. The fortune-teller had always been a casual person. Although he did not work as hard as they did, he did not have to worry about food and drink. They were all very grateful and took better care of him. Sometimes, they would bring him some good food. On this day, Su Ling was urged by Xu Fengqiao to come to the fortune-teller¡¯s house. In her arms was an egg that her mother had asked her to give to the fortune-teller. Her mother said that one had to be grateful. Master did not want money to teach them to read for free. She had to be grateful to him. So she had brought this egg, which was considered expensive and rare even for the villagers, and brought it to him. Master took her egg and smiled at her. ¡°You¡¯re giving me an egg. Does Little Su Ling have some?¡± Su Ling was licking her fingers and did not hear him at all. The eggs smelled so good. However, they had just eaten wild onion scrambled eggs some time ago. Her mother would definitely not cook for her anymore. The fortune-teller Master crouched down when she said nothing. ¡°Little Su Ling?¡± Su Ling finally came back to her senses and opened her mouth. ¡°Ah.¡± The fortune-teller pointed to the egg in his hand, still smiling. ¡°Little Su Ling, do you have eggs?¡± Su Ling shook her head, then nodded quickly. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve had eggs before. Eggs taste good.¡± Seeing this, the fortune-teller wanted to break open half of it and give it to her, but Su Ling hurriedly retreated. Her mother had said that this egg had to be given to Master. She could not eat it secretly. She would go back and smell it. She had always been obedient, so even if Master took the initiative to share it with her, she could not accept it. ¡°I¡¯m going home first. Remember to eat egg!¡± The little figure ran as fast as it could, and soon reached the path. Chapter 30 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios After returning home, Xu Fengqiao hugged her and smelled her for a long time. The little girl looked proud. ¡°Mommy, I didn¡¯t eat it secretly~¡± Xu Fengqiao nodded. ¡°Girl is very good. Mother will reward you.¡± Su Ling¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°What reward?¡± Xu Fengqiao made a shushing expression at her and took out an egg. The egg was warm, as if it had been kept warm by her body heat. Su Ling looked at her in shock. ¡°Egg?!¡± Didn¡¯t her mother say that she only cooked one and repeatedly reminded her not to eat it secretly? Xu Fengqiao saw her confusion and helped her peel the egg. ¡°Girl has been very obedient recently. This is Mother¡¯s reward for you.¡± Su Ling was stunned. Then, she suddenly thought hard. Her mother said that she had been very obedient recently. Was it because she had not gone to the mountains to dig out bird nests? That was because she had been working as a small supervisor at Zhao Yan¡¯s house recently. She wanted to see their house built. This was a very fulfilling thing for her. Xu Fengqiao peeled the egg and fed it to her. Su Ling chewed it in small bites before swallowing it. Seeing this, Xu Fengqiao wanted to continue feeding her the rest, but the little girl pushed her hand. Xu Fengqiao was puzzled. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? It¡¯s not delicious?¡± The girl looked at her. ¡°Mother, eat too.¡± Xu Fengqiao refused and continued to feed her. However, the little girl was also very stubborn and refused to open her mouth no matter what. ¡°Mother won¡¯t eat it, and neither will I.¡± Her mother did not eat the scrambled eggs with wild onions the last time either. Her heart ached too much for her eggs. She saw them as treasures. Su Ling had asked her father before. Her mother had bought these for Zhao Yan and the others. Wang Cuizhi had given them a lot of money for food, so she wanted them to eat better. However, Su Ling also felt sorry for her mother, so no matter what, she had to let her have a taste today. Xu Fengqiao looked at her helplessly. ¡°Girl, Mother doesn¡¯t like eggs.¡± ¡°Mother is lying. Father said that Mother likes egg soup the most. How can you not like eggs?¡± The little girl¡¯s serious expression made Xu Fengqiao speechless. She understood that this was her intention, but she really could not bear to part with it. ¡°Why don¡¯t you give this half to your brothers?¡± Girl had always been good to her brothers. She would definitely agree, she thought. However, the little girl still disagreed. ¡°No, I want to give it to Mother. Mother, just eat it~¡± The little bundle hugged her leg and began to wheedle again. Xu Fengqiao had no choice but to eat the other half of the egg. It tasted so good. She had not eaten eggs in so long she had almost forgotten how they tasted. Seeing that she had finally eaten, the clouds on Su Ling¡¯s face finally cleared up. Then, she went out happily. Zhao Yan¡¯s house next door was surrounded by people. She saw Zhao Yan standing in the courtyard and ran towards him. ¡°Zhao Yan, how¡¯s your house going?¡± Zhao Yan turned around to look at her. ¡°It¡¯s almost finished. We can move in next month.¡± Su Ling was very happy and refused to let go of his hand. Suddenly she thought of something. Her face was serious. ¡°Zhao Yan, if you move into your own house, will you still come and play with me often?¡± The young guy nodded gently. ¡°We will.¡± The girl continued to ask, ¡°So will you go to school with me?¡± Zhao Yan could not help but rub her head. ¡°I will.¡± The little girl was instantly happy. Seeing that there was no need for anyone to supervise this place anymore, she happily pulled Zhao Yan up the mountain. Chapter 31 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Before Zhao Yan came to Ancient Tree Village, he had never gone to the mountains. His life had always been deep in the palace, and the people he saw every day were the same. When he arrived at Ancient Tree Village and met Su Ling, he realized that the world was huge. He gradually got used to climbing trees and fishing in the river with her. Every day was very fulfilling. However, he did not dare to put down his studies. He remembered the teacher¡¯s words at all times. He read and wrote every day. Coincidentally, the teacher in the village was about to open a school, so he could go and learn something. Actually, he had some doubts about what this teacher was teaching. After all, his students were too many and too mixed. If he was teaching from the beginning¡­ Then it would not do much for his studies. However, he still agreed to go because he did not want to disappoint Su Ling. They came to the forest and sat down to rest when they were tired. When they were thirsty, they drank spring water. He loved the sound of birds chirping in the forest. It was the sound of freedom. It was also the sound he had once most looked forward to hearing. But now that he finally had it, he could not be happy. His mother was still in the deep palace, facing those crazy, ruthless women every day. He could not help worrying. However, he could not go back now. He could only hide in the wilderness. Only then could his mother fight them without any distractions. As he was thinking, someone suddenly grabbed the corner of his shirt. He looked down at the girl¡¯s crumpled face. ¡°What are you thinking? I¡¯ve been calling you for half a day and you¡¯ve been ignoring me.¡± He snapped out of it. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Su Ling pointed at the tree in front of them. ¡°I want to pick that fruit, but I can¡¯t reach it. Mother doesn¡¯t let me climb trees anymore.¡± Zhao Yan looked at the height of the fruit and suddenly squatted down to pick her up. The little bundle was instantly much taller as he picked her up. She reached out and finally plucked it. She plucked a lot and filled her pockets before letting him put her down. Su Ling handed him one. He took it and put it in his mouth. In the next second, he spat it out. ¡°What is this? It¡¯s so sour.¡± Su Ling smiled gloatingly. ¡°This is wild apricot. How is it? Is it sour?¡± He had never eaten anything so sour, and winced. ¡°How sour.¡± However, Su Ling seemed to be used to it. She ate it in big mouthfuls as if she did not find it sour at all. ¡°You¡¯ll get used to it. This is actually very delicious.¡± Zhao Yan doubted her words. She wanted to hand it to him later, but he refused. Su Ling did not force him. She just dragged him around for a while before digging back a lot of wildflowers. After her tireless efforts, more than half of the Su family¡¯s small courtyard was filled with flowers, making the vegetables planted by Xu Fengqiao look very out of place. They were not dissatisfied with how much Su Ling liked flowers. They would only discuss with her occasionally and ask her to leave a piece for them to plant some onions and garlic sprouts. After all, these were things that were often needed for cooking. The little girl agreed readily. On the same day, they divided their territories and made an agreement with Xu Fengqiao that neither party could cross the line. Xu Fengqiao felt a headache when she saw that she had only given her a small area, but she reluctantly agreed. Zhao Yan often planted flowers and watered them with her. Occasionally, when she forgot, he would help her water them. He had asked her a few times why she liked flowers so much. The girl mumbled for a long time but could not explain herself. In the end, she only said one sentence. ¡°Flowers are beautiful, so I like it!¡± Chapter 32 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios In the blink of an eye, it was the end of August. The school started by the fortune-teller finally officially opened. Xu Fengqiao finally sent the two kids away. Although Xiaodong was already 11 years old today, he had a mischievous personality and was always running about. As for Su Ling, other than tending to her flowers every day, she would even run crazily on the mountain. It was really worrying. The night before school, Wang Cuizhi knocked on the Su couple¡¯s door. ¡°Brother Su, Sister-in-law Su, it¡¯s me.¡± Su Changsheng hurriedly opened the door, only to see Wang Cuizhi holding two cloth bags. He could not tell what the cloth bag was made of, but it looked very sturdy. It must be of good quality. Wang Cuizhi handed it to him, but he refused to take it. ¡°Cuizhi, what are you doing?¡± Wang Cuizhi simply placed it on the table. Instead of walking in, she retreated to the door. ¡°Brother Su, this is the cloth bag I made for Su Ling and Xiaodong. They can carry it when they go to school. It¡¯s more convenient this way.¡± Xu Fengqiao had also put on her clothes and got out of bed. When she saw the things on the table, she picked them up and took a closer look. The fabric was thick and the stitches were fine. It was obviously a high quality thing. She was surprised. She had not expected her to prepare this for them. ¡°Cuizhi, you¡¯re really considerate. I thank you on behalf of the children.¡± Wang Cuizhi smiled shyly and left after exchanging a few pleasantries. After she left, the couple looked at the two cloth bags in a daze. How could the children in the village have such good bags? Most of them just picked any carrier and went. She originally wanted to prepare a bag for the two children, but she did not have the time and could not bear to part with the money. Unexpectedly, Wang Cuizhi thought of all these and even sent them over when it was dark. She did not let the children know. Xu Fengqiao was very grateful to her. She looked at her husband, who insisted on sending the cloth bag back, and stopped him. ¡°Cuizhi means well. If you send it back just like that, she will feel uncomfortable.¡± Su Changsheng had always been an honest person. ¡°But¡­ this will cost a lot of money, right?¡± Xu Fengqiao pulled him back to the bed. After thinking for a while, she nudged him. ¡°How about this, the fields won¡¯t be too busy after this. I can go alone. Go next door and help. It¡¯s almost autumn. It¡¯s best if their house is built early so that the child doesn¡¯t get cold.¡± Winter in the mountains was exceptionally cold. Ancient Tree Village was located at the foot of the mountain, and it was piercing cold in winter. Su Changsheng felt that it made sense, so he went next door to help after breakfast the next morning. When Wang Cuizhi saw him, she was a little surprised. She was worried that he neglected the work in the fields and wanted him to go back. However, Su Changsheng was stubborn. No matter what she said, he refused to leave. The field was not busy. Xu Fengqiao had instructed him to come. Wang Cuizhi had no choice but to busy herself handing them some food and water. In the evening, Wang Cuizhi saw that the sun was about to set and hurriedly paid the people who came to help. Su Changsheng refused to accept it no matter what she said. In the end, he even strode back to his house. Wang Cuizhi could not help but feel happy when she saw that her house was getting better and better. It wasn¡¯t until she heard a tinkling laugh in the distance that she looked out. Xiaodong, Su Ling, and Zhao Yan had returned with their cloth bags. Chapter 33 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Su Changsheng also heard the sound in the distance and walked out of the house. When Su Ling saw him from afar, she ran over and wheedled. Su Changsheng had already changed into clean clothes, so he carried her up with ease. ¡°Girl, how do you feel on the first day of school?¡± Su Ling happily told him what she had seen in the school today and even took out the words she had written. She looked proud and tilted her head back. ¡°Master even praised me. I¡¯m the youngest in the school, but I know as much as they do!¡± Su Changsheng looked at the crooked words on the paper and was happy. He could not help but touch her head. After a while, he finally noticed his youngest son not far away. ¡°Xiaodong, come here.¡± Reluctantly, Xiaodong walked toward him. He felt suddenly aggrieved by his father¡¯s loving expression. ¡°Father, Master hit my palm. Look, my hand is red!¡± He reached out to him and saw the heartache in Su Changsheng¡¯s eyes. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Master doesn¡¯t look like someone who would physically punish a student.¡± Su Ling was covering her mouth and snickering. Seeing her like this, Su Changsheng put her down. He knelt down and looked at her seriously. ¡°Girl, tell me, why did Master hit your third brother?¡± Su Ling had always felt sorry for her three brothers and would usually share more food with them. However, at this moment, she was gloating. It was really strange. Su Ling looked at Xiaodong, who was eyeing her covetously. After hesitating for a while and confirming that he did not dare to attack her, she asked Su Changsheng to go closer. As expected, Su Changsheng leaned over and heard her say, ¡°Third Brother fell asleep in class!¡± When Su Changsheng heard this, he was furious. Seeing that Xiaodong still wanted to run, he picked him up. ¡°What did Father tell you? I asked you to go to school to learn things and to read. What¡¯s wrong with you? How can you fall asleep in class?¡± Su Xiaodong immediately felt guilty. His legs flailed in the air as he begged for mercy. ¡°Father, Father, I was wrong. Don¡¯t be angry. I won¡¯t do it again.¡± Su Changsheng finally put him down, his expression still serious. ¡°Xiaodong, you¡¯re 11 years old this year. You can¡¯t even read as much as your sister. Think about what you¡¯ll do in the future. Do you want to live like me and guard the crops in the fields every day? Your eldest brother and second brother can still read a few words after attending school for a few years. They can also find work in town. What about you? What are you going to do in the future?¡± Su Changsheng looked at him with a pained expression. Not daring to speak or cry, Xiaodong turned to his sister for help. Su Ling received his pleading gaze and decided to help him. ¡°Father, I¡¯ll keep an eye on Third Brother from now on. I won¡¯t let him sleep in class. Don¡¯t be angry.¡± Seeing how sensible and obedient his daughter was, Su Changsheng¡¯s anger gradually dissipated, but he still worried. Xiaoqiu was sensible and steady. He never worried him when he did things. Xiaochun was not a lazy person. He also had some business acumen and would not be a problem in the future. Little Su Ling was smart and learned things quickly. Even if she could not achieve much in the future, life would not be a problem. But it was this youngest son who gave him a headache. He was used to being wild. In the past, he was unwilling to follow his brothers to school and ran around the village every day. Now, he could not read a word. After thinking about it, he decided that he had to go to the fortune-teller¡¯s house and ask him to help control him. He did not want to raise him to be a good-for-nothing. Chapter 34 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Xiaodong watched as Su Changsheng ignored him and walked out. He was dumbfounded. He looked at Su Ling with a panicked expression. ¡°Sister, does Father not want to talk to me anymore? Is he really angry with me?¡± It was rare for Su Ling to see him like this, so she comforted him kindly. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Father will calm down soon. But you can¡¯t sleep in class in the future!¡± Xiaodong agreed quickly, nodding his head like a chicken pecking at rice. ¡°I¡¯ll never sleep again.¡± He was so afraid that his father would be angry. Zhao Yan stood at the side and watched them talk. He stood up and walked towards the woodshed. Su Ling jogged over. ¡°Zhao Yan, it¡¯s too dark in the woodshed. Let¡¯s write in the courtyard.¡± Zhao Yan was stunned for a moment before he agreed. With the two of them as an example, Xiaodong followed suit. When Xu Fengqiao returned from the fields, she saw the three children sitting at the door writing. She was overjoyed. After putting down her things, she walked over. Master had taught the first four lines of the Three-Character Classic today and told them to write it a few more times when they returned. They were to memorize it tomorrow. Su Ling stopped after writing two crooked words. She could not remember how to write the character ¡°Chu¡±. Zhao Yan glanced at it and handed her the copy he had written. Su Ling took a look and immediately understood. Then, she did not continue referring to his and continued writing. When Xu Fengqiao saw this scene, the corners of her mouth curled up. When she looked at Xiaodong again, her face immediately fell. Good lad. He was still struggling with the first word. It was just those two strokes and he wrote crookedly. He wrote the word seven or eight times. It looked like he had forgotten what the next word was. Xu Fengqiao sighed deeply. Just as she was about to speak, she heard the little girl sigh. She clearly looked cute and adorable, but at this moment, she sighed like an adult. This contrast made people want to pinch her little face. Xu Fengqiao resisted the urge to pinch her face and watched as she wrote ¡°Zhi¡± on a piece of paper before handing it to Xiaodong. ¡°Third Brother, haven¡¯t I taught you many times? Why have you forgotten again?¡± Xiaodong scratched his head in embarrassment. He was too embarrassed to speak. As if to remember better, he wrote ¡°Zhi¡± many times again. Seeing how serious they were, Xu Fengqiao quietly left, planning to prepare dinner first. She came to the kitchen and saw that Wang Cuizhi had already prepared dinner. The rice was simmering in the pot, and there was a bowl of egg soup steaming on it. Xu Fengqiao looked at the bowl of egg soup. Her heart ached, but she had to force a smile. Then, she looked at the other dishes. For the first time, Wang Cuizhi even made stir-fried garlic sprouts with meat. The garlic sprouts were planted in the courtyard by Xu Fengqiao. The meat must have been bought by Wang Cuizhi. The price of meat was especially high now. The Su family had not eaten meat for more than half a year. Xu Fengqiao¡¯s heart ached for Wang Cuizhi¡¯s money. She wanted to have a good talk with her and plan the following days. At this moment, Wang Cuizhi happened to enter the kitchen. When she saw Xu Fengqiao, she pulled her with an excited expression. ¡°Sister-in-law Su, you¡¯re finally back. Let me tell you a piece of good news. Remember that I asked the village chief to sell my embroidery in town? I thought that it would be good to sell it for some money to supplement the family. Unexpectedly, the village chief told me that there¡¯s a wife in town who especially likes my embroidery and asked me to send it to her directly after I¡¯m done embroidering it. She gave me more money than others. I thought that it had been a long time since I ate meat at home, so I bought some to satisfy the children¡¯s cravings.¡± After Xu Fengqiao heard her words, she immediately understood and stopped persuading her. Chapter 35 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios During dinner, the children in the house were especially happy. It had been more than half a year since there was meat at home. Even eggs could only be eaten once in a long time, let alone meat. This time, there was not only meat but also eggs. They were all as happy as if it was the new year. Wang Cuizhi made a full bowl of meat, but she did not eat it at all. When Xu Fengqiao asked, she only said that she did not like meat. Zhao Yan looked at her and then put two pieces in her bowl. ¡°Eat. You¡¯ll have strength after eating meat.¡± Xu Fengqiao echoed, ¡°That¡¯s right. There¡¯s so much. There¡¯s enough for the children.¡± At this moment, Xiaodong¡¯s mouth was full of oil and he was still sticking his chopsticks into the bowl. Su Changsheng glared at him. He was so frightened that he immediately retracted his chopsticks. Xiaochun and Xiaoqiu also ate very little. They reached for the meat initially, but stopped touching their chopsticks after a while. Seeing how restrained they were, Wang Cuizhi suddenly smiled. ¡°Eat it. It¡¯s so hot. It¡¯ll go bad if you don¡¯t. It¡¯s such a good thing. It would be a pity if it goes bad.¡± With that, she put two pieces in each child¡¯s bowl before looking down at her food. Just like that, the entire bowl of meat was wiped clean. In the end, Xiaodong even ate it all with white rice mixed with the oil at the bottom of the bowl. In the evening, the three children did their homework in the central room. Xiaochun and Xiaoqiu were cooling themselves in the yard. They had bought something good in town today and wanted to bring it to them later. Su Ling would definitely be happy to see it. When they were finally done, Xiaochun strode in first. ¡°Sister, guess what Second Brother bought you?¡± Su Ling¡¯s eyes lit up and she started to make bold guesses. ¡°Is it candy?¡± Xiaochun did not beat around the bush with her. He took out a sculpted candy from behind him. The little bundle could not hide the joy on her face. She had never eaten a sculpted candy before. Some of the children in the village had eaten sculpted candy when they followed their parents to town. When they returned, they flaunted them. Although Su Ling said that she ¡®did not like it¡¯, she had actually been envious for a long time. She watched eagerly as Xiaochun handed her the sculpted candy, then took an anxious bite. Everyone heard a crisp sound. Then, they saw the little packrat suddenly cover his mouth, looking like she was about to cry. Xiaoqiu happened to walk in and rushed forward. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Sister?¡± Su Ling took her hand away. There was some blood in her mouth. As soon as she saw the blood, she burst into tears. The crying attracted the attention of the three adults in the house. They all ran over to look. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? What¡¯s wrong? Why is Girl crying?¡± Su Ling pitifully showed them her hand. There was blood on it. Xu Fengqiao panicked and ran over to take a closer look. She thought that she had bitten her tongue, but when she opened her mouth to take a look, it turned out that one of her teeth had loosened. It looked like it was going to fall off soon. Xu Fengqiao heaved a sigh of relief and asked Su Changsheng to find a thread. At this moment, Wang Cuizhi had already understood and hurriedly ran to get a thread she used to sew her clothes. Xu Fengqiao hugged Su Ling and made her open her mouth. Su Ling was so afraid that she kept crying. Wang Cuizhi wrapped a thread around her loose tooth and signaled Zhao Yan with her eyes to distract Su Ling. Zhao Yan was stunned for a moment, then suddenly cried out. ¡°Look, there are stars in the sky!¡± As expected, Su Ling¡¯s gaze was attracted. Wang Cuizhi tugged lightly and the tooth fell off. When Su Ling reacted, one of her teeth was placed in front of her. She studied it carefully, then reached out to touch the missing tooth in her mouth. It seemed a little strange. It felt like something was missing. Su Changsheng walked out first, not forgetting to call her. ¡°Girl, come quickly. Let¡¯s throw this tooth onto the roof!¡± Chapter 36 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Su Ling hurriedly ran out and saw that her father was eager to throw it onto the roof. She was a little puzzled. ¡°Father, why are we throwing our teeth onto the roof?¡± Su Changsheng was stunned and could not say anything. ¡°That¡¯s what everyone does anyway. Your three brothers¡¯ teeth were thrown onto the roof when their teeth fell out.¡± Su Ling nodded as if she understood. Seeing that she agreed, Su Changsheng threw it up hard and watched it land steadily on the roof. He was a little happy and picked Su Ling up. ¡°Our Girl has grown up! Our Girl has grown up!¡± Su Ling giggled in his arms. It took her a moment to remember the sculpted candy had been left out. Although she was missing a tooth, she still could not resist her passion for candy. She asked Su Changsheng to put her down, then ran back to the central room and picked up the sugar figurine. Everyone watched her hold the sugar figure for a long moment, muttering under her breath. As they got closer, they heard her clearly. ¡°I¡¯ll just eat a little, just a little¡­¡± With that, she carefully broke off a piece and turned to see Xiaodong, who was already eyeing her covetously. She did not know whether to laugh or cry. ¡°Third Brother, why are you¡ª¡± Xiaodong looked at her and smiled. She was getting ridiculously greedy. ¡°Girl, give Third Brother a taste too.¡± Su Ling handed the sculpted candy to him and did not forget to remind him. ¡°You can¡¯t finish it. Zhao Yan wants it too.¡± Zhao Yan quickly refused. ¡°No, I¡¯m good.¡± The boy glared at him sternly. ¡°If I say you want it, you want it!¡± Zhao Yan pursed his lips and did not say anything else. Wang Cuizhi watched their interaction and did not say anything. She only felt warmth in her heart. Zhao Yan did not have many playmates since he was young. He was always as mature as an adult. Su Ling¡¯s appearance made him truly return to being a child. Xiaodong did as she said. He only broke a little before handing it to Zhao Yan. ¡°I meant what I said. I only broke a little off it.¡± Su Ling nodded in satisfaction, then watched as Zhao Yan looked at the candy, not knowing how to start on it. He had lived in the deep palace since he was young and had never eaten this thing. Su Ling thought that he was embarrassed. She broke off a piece and handed it to him before handing it to Xiaochun. It was just a medium-sized candy. In the end, everyone got a taste of it. It was sweet, like they were feeling now. It was already autumn and the night wind was getting cold. Everyone stayed in the courtyard for a while before returning to their houses. The next morning, the three children went to school early after breakfast, while Xiaochun and Xiaoqiu went to town to work. The shopkeeper was good to them. He taught Xiaoqiu how to settle accounts so Xiaoqiu learned another skill. He rarely did odd jobs anymore and was in charge of settling accounts most of the time. As Xiaochun had some business acumen, the shopkeeper arranged for him to buy the ingredients needed every day. As a result, their wages increased and became two taels a month. Xu Fengqiao was naturally overjoyed. Their income could bring a tremendous change to the family. Compared to the days when they ate wild vegetable porridge every meal, their lives were much better now. Seeing that Wang Cuizhi and Zhao Yan¡¯s house next door was already in the final stages, Su Changsheng also discussed with the village chief about building two more huts for themselves. The village chief naturally had no objections. That piece of land was left to him by Su Changsheng¡¯s father and did not belong to the village. Su Changsheng only told him out of courtesy. Su Changsheng found someone to measure the land and buy the materials. Soon, he was ready. Chapter 37 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios As the two huts of the Su family were slowly built, the villagers had no choice but to treat them differently. In the past, they were the poorest family in the village and everyone could trample on them. Now, they were living quite well. Everyone was jealous, especially when they saw someone who had always been inferior to them suddenly living so much better than them. And Auntie Wu was the first to bear the brunt. Her husband was dead, and she had no children. Now, she did not even have that considerable rent. She would never know how to farm, so she could only think of other ways to earn money. Seeing that Wang Cuizhi and Zhao Yan¡¯s house was about to be built, she often went over to take a walk, hoping that she would give her some work on account of their past relationship. However, what she had done had already nailed her to the pillar of shame. How could Wang Cuizhi be willing to use her? And how dare she use her. Someone like her might just cause trouble if they were angry, and make her pay for it. Although she had money, she was unwilling to give it to her for nothing. Auntie Wu had been hanging around her for three days. Seeing how determined she was, she was a little anxious. ¡°Zhao Yan¡¯s mother, what happened before was all a misunderstanding. Look, we¡¯re all neighbors. I don¡¯t have any children now. Just let me do some work. You can even give me less money!¡± Although Wang Cuizhi looked easy to talk to, she was not someone who would be easily swayed. She had grown up in the deep palace. Although she had not seen many people like Auntie Wu, she had seen many people who were better than her. They did not care about her at all. ¡°Auntie Wu, there¡¯s really no need. Look, I¡¯m almost done. Moreover, there are so many people working. There¡¯s really no need. You can go back.¡± Despite her polite words, she was disgusted. Auntie Wu did not want to give up and continued. ¡°Cuizhi, I have no children. Just take pity on me. I only want half of someone else¡¯s salary. What do you think?¡± Wang Cuizhi still refused. ¡°There¡¯s really no need. Go back. My small temple can¡¯t accommodate a great Buddha like you.¡± As soon as she said this, even if she really exposed the previous matter, Auntie Wu still did not give up. ¡°See what I said? It was all a misunderstanding. I really wasn¡¯t trying to steal anything from you guys.¡± With that, she took the broom beside her and wanted to sweep the floor, but Wang Cuizhi snatched it away. ¡°My Zhao Yan and Su Ling saw what happened with their own eyes. I don¡¯t want to argue with you anymore. Don¡¯t come again in the future. I don¡¯t need you.¡± Auntie Wu was anxious and embarrassed. ¡°They¡¯re still children and don¡¯t know anything. How can you listen to them!¡± Wang Cuizhi¡¯s usually kind smile had disappeared at some point, and her expression looked a little sinister. ¡°If I don¡¯t believe my own child, do you think I¡¯ll believe you? I won¡¯t argue with you about how many things you took from me in the past, but I advise you to leave now, or I¡¯ll go find the village chief.¡± At this moment, those who worked in her house could not stand it anymore and echoed. ¡°Auntie Wu, how do you still have the cheek to come? Who would dare to use someone like you? Who knows what else you might steal?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, and Zhao Yan and Su Ling are still two little children. You¡¯re still saying such mean things about them. Really¡­¡± Everyone started to criticize Auntie Wu¡¯s crimes. They even dug out all the things that she had done in the past. Auntie Wu had never had a good reputation in this village. Everyone turned a blind eye to her for the sake of harmony in the neighborhood. They did not expect her to be so shameless. Auntie Wu was furious. She wiped her tears and left. Before she left, she even glanced at Wang Cuizhi. Her gaze seemed to be laced with poison as she looked at Wang Cuizhi, who felt uncomfortable as if she had been bitten by a poisonous snake. Chapter 38 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios After Auntie Wu walked away, someone started to comfort her. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Auntie Wu is like this. She likes to take advantage of others and is not very clean. In the future, if you see her, stay away from her. She¡¯s very vengeful.¡± Wang Cuizhi did not take her to heart at all. She only looked at their concerned expressions and nodded. She picked up the broom and swept the courtyard, but she was still thinking about telling Zhao Yan about this. One had to be wary of others. Even in the countryside, there would still be some scheming. In the past, she was the one who protected the empress in the palace. She was not afraid of these things at all. However, Zhao Yan was still a child. By evening, the help had left. She took a closer look at the house. The house was basically finished, and the roof had been laid today. They could move in soon. She looked around and was very satisfied. She had enough money on hand, so she bought a large piece of land at the foot of the mountain. The villagers found it strange. Xu Fengqiao had also asked her why she bought such a big plot of land. Although the land in Ancient Tree Village was not worth much, it still cost a lot of money. Wang Cuizhi only smiled mysteriously and said that it was very useful for herself. She went into the house and looked around all three rooms. The south-facing rooms had plenty of sunshine and were warm in winter. The north-facing room was also cool in the summer. She planned for herself and Zhao Yan to have their own rooms, and to put some things in the other room. Occasionally, she could even use it to entertain guests. Further out, the central room was also very spacious and well lit. Satisfied, she walked out and saw that the three children had returned from school. She walked towards them happily, then squatted down and picked up Su Ling. The little girl was small and smelled like milk. She hugged her and refused to let go. She was about to say something when she saw her pointing at her yard, curious. ¡°Auntie, your courtyard is so big. Your house is also so big.¡± Wang Cuizhi smiled very gently. ¡°Auntie plans to raise some chickens in the courtyard. This way, there will be a lot of eggs. In the future, you can eat eggs every day.¡± Su Ling was very excited when she heard this. ¡°Really? Can I really eat eggs every day?¡± Xu Fengqiao walked out with a reproachful expression. ¡°Girl, how can you eat eggs every day? If you sell the eggs on the streets, you can buy a lot of things.¡± Wang Cuizhi looked at the girl in her arms and smiled to comfort her. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Auntie will leave one for little Su Ling every day. I guarantee that you can eat it every day, okay?¡± Su Ling was overjoyed and kissed Wang Cuizhi on the cheek. Xu Fengqiao looked at how close her daughter was to Wang Cuizhi and was a little jealous, but she still said. ¡°Cuizhi, don¡¯t spoil her like this. When the time comes, she¡¯ll be too pampered and delicate.¡± Wang Cuizhi just looked at her and smiled. ¡°It¡¯s fine. This child and I hit it off. I like her very much. Besides, Girl has always been very obedient, right?¡± Su Ling stuck out her head proudly in her arms. ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. I have always been very obedient. Mother is spouting nonsense.¡± Xu Fengqiao looked at her fearless appearance and could not help but feel a headache. At this moment, Su Changsheng also returned from the field. Everyone went to the kitchen and started dinner. At the dining table, Su Changsheng asked Wang Cuizhi about the date of moving and agreed to help them move together. Wang Cuizhi refused a few times, but in the end, she agreed. Chapter 39 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios In the blink of an eye, it was the middle of September. Wang Cuizhi and Su Changsheng had agreed to move the day before the Mid-Autumn Festival. The new house was almost cleaned up. Xu Fengqiao went to take a look a few times and even accompanied Wang Cuizhi to the town to buy some things. By the day of the move, the kids had gone to school, and a few adults had stayed home and moved. Wang Cuizhi and Zhao Yan did not have many things. The three adults walked back and forth a few times before they were done. After moving, Su Changsheng looked at their empty courtyard thoughtfully. ¡°Cuizhi, you said that you want to raise chickens in the courtyard. Do you want me to buy them for you?¡± Wang Cuizhi was a little embarrassed. ¡°How can I do that? Why don¡¯t you tell me where it is? I¡¯ll go myself.¡± Su Changsheng seemed to be a little dissatisfied with her polite words. ¡°We¡¯re all neighbors. Besides, you¡¯ve helped our family so much. Don¡¯t refuse such a simple thing.¡± Xu Fengqiao also chimed in, ¡°That¡¯s right. Changsheng is familiar with that person, so he can get it for cheaper.¡± Speaking of which, Xu Fengqiao had previously thought of raising chickens in the courtyard. However, Su Ling treasured her flowers so much, and the courtyard was only so big. There was really no space. Seeing this, Wang Cuizhi could only agree and give Su Changsheng the money. Su Changsheng did not want it and only said that she could give it to him after he had bought it. Wang Cuizhi was in a difficult position. She knew that even if he bought it back, he would not want her money. However, this was not a small sum. She wanted to find another time to secretly give it to Xu Fengqiao. In the evening, Xiaochun and Xiaoqiu returned. Wang Cuizhi pulled Xiaochun to a place and spoke softly. ¡°Xiaochun, Auntie wants to ask you a favor.¡± Xiaochun was confused. He scratched his head and asked, ¡°What is it?¡± Wang Cuizhi pointed at her courtyard. ¡°Look, my courtyard is so empty. I¡¯m thinking of planting some flowers in the courtyard. Can you help me bring back a few packets of flower seeds tomorrow?¡± Xiaochun understood what she meant and readily agreed. He was usually in charge of buying ingredients for the restaurant, so he knew where to buy flowers. Wang Cuizhi was very happy to see this. This time, she decisively stuffed the silver into his hand and turned to leave, not giving him a chance to refuse. Xiaochun scratched his head, still in a daze. When he was about to chase after her, he saw that Wang Cuizhi had already returned to the kitchen and was blinking at him. So at the table, he held back his voice. Su Ling was a little distracted during the meal because she knew that Wang Cuizhi and Zhao Yan would be returning to her house tonight and would not eat with them in the future. Xu Fengqiao could tell that she was not in the right state of mind. She was usually very proactive when it came to eating. But now, she was holding her chopsticks and did not eat for a long time. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Girl? Are you feeling unwell?¡± The girl shook his head, looking troubled. Wang Cuizhi guessed her thoughts and asked gently, ¡°Is Girl a little sad that Zhao Yan and I are moving away?¡± Su Ling nodded, then quickly shook her head. She was not a little sad. She was very sad. Although she could still see them every day, she felt that something was different. During this period of time, she had actually treated them as family. Wang Cuizhi did not ask about her strange actions and only said gently, ¡°Tomorrow is the Mid-Autumn Festival. This is the first time we¡¯re celebrating in Ancient Tree Village. Auntie will make mooncakes for you tomorrow, okay?¡± Chapter 40 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Hearing such a new term, Su Ling could not be bothered to be sad anymore. She raised her head and asked curiously. ¡°What¡¯s a mooncake?¡± Wang Cuizhi was a little stunned. She subconsciously looked at Su Changsheng and Xu Fengqiao and saw that their expressions were a little ugly. She immediately understood that life in the Su family had never been good. It was difficult to even eat a full meal, let alone eat mooncakes. She did not ask any questions and only spoke to Su Ling very patiently. ¡°Mooncake is like a sweet pastry. It¡¯s very delicious.¡± Su Ling was puzzled. ¡°Is it the same as mung bean cake?¡± Wang Cuizhi shook her head and suddenly realized that she did not know how to describe it to her. ¡°It¡¯s different, but it¡¯s still delicious. You will know when Auntie makes it tomorrow.¡± Su Ling nodded happily with an expectant expression. After dinner, Wang Cuizhi stopped Xu Fengqiao. ¡°Sister-in-law Su, Zhao Yan and I have been eating with you guys during this period of time. It¡¯s too much trouble for you guys. I¡¯ll cook dinner tomorrow. You guys can come over and eat together, okay?¡± Xu Fengqiao knew that this was her intention and naturally had no reason to refuse. She nodded in agreement. Then, Wang Cuizhi brought Zhao Yan home, and Su Ling followed them. Zhao Yan walked into his house and turned around to see the little packrat standing by the door. ¡°Why don¡¯t you come in?¡± Only then did the little girl slowly walk in, looking very surprised. ¡°Zhao Yan, your room is so big.¡± Zhao Yan did not say anything. He just carried her to the bed. ¡°Have you finished your homework?¡± Su Ling shook her head. Of course, it was unfinished. She had dinner as soon as she put down the cloth bag and came over after dinner. ¡°Go and get it. We¡¯ll do it together.¡± Su Ling swung her legs reluctantly. ¡°But we don¡¯t have to go to school tomorrow. Master said that we have a day off.¡± Zhao Yan did not say anything. He just asked her. ¡°Then you want to play?¡± Su Ling nodded with an expectant expression. Zhao Yan glanced at her. ¡°I¡¯ll play with you when you¡¯re done with your homework.¡± Su Ling¡¯s face quickly fell. Just as she was about to run home to get her cloth bag, she saw Wang Cuizhi standing in front of the door. ¡°Girl, are you looking for this? Auntie has already brought it over for you.¡± Su Ling took it and thanked her before leaving. For the rest of the time, Zhao Yan and Su Ling were busy doing their homework while Xiaodong ran around her courtyard alone. When her homework was finally done, Zhao Yan brought her to the courtyard to play. The courtyard was still bare, but it was just right for them to play. Zhao Yan had never known that he could be so lively. He could run many rounds around the courtyard. All because he had someone with him, of course. Su Ling¡¯s laughter floated in the small courtyard, crisp and loud, lingering in his ears for a long time. After a while, Su Ling began to feel sleepy. At first, she tried hard to open her eyes, but in the end, she could not hold on anymore and swayed as if she was about to fall. Zhao Yan supported her and then looked at the person beside her. ¡°Send her back.¡± Wang Cuizhi agreed and carried her back to the Su family. Xu Fengqiao placed her on the bed and covered her with the blanket before leaving. Wang Cuizhi was still waiting outside the door. Xu Fengqiao was a little puzzled, but she still walked towards her. ¡°Cuizhi, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Wang Cuizhi smiled. ¡°It¡¯s like this. There are still some materials left for my family to build a house. Aren¡¯t you guys building a house now? I¡¯m thinking of bringing it over for you. You can use it too.¡± Xu Fengqiao was shocked. That wood was not a small sum of money.