Chapter 2

When Sui Sui heard the sound for the first time, they were so frightened they closed their eyes.

Ghost!

There's a ghost in the chicken coop!

Sui Sui was very afraid, but did not dare to go out.

With eyes closed, they tightly hugged themselves out of fear; Sui Sui's small body shrank into the corner, looking weak, pitiful, and helpless.

The system looked on, feeling even more heartbroken.

【Sui Sui, don't be afraid, I'm a little friend from another world, my name is Le Le.】

Another world?

The underworld?

Sui Sui thought, indeed it's a ghost!

The system spent most of the day, finally making Sui Sui believe it was not a ghost, but a little companion who could keep her company.

The Growth Happiness System's main feature is companionship.

At the same time, caring for children's physical and mental health, allowing them to have a happy and fulfilling childhood.

【Every day you follow Le Le, studying, playing games, completing daily check-ins; at night, there will be pretty aunts or uncles coming to tell you stories and lull you to sleep.】

When talking about this, the system felt a little guilty.

Because the nightly storyteller is randomly selected; it could be an ordinary person, or possibly a historically famous big shot.

Little Sui Sui had just been soothed; the system thought it better not to scare the child.

Tell a story?

Sui Sui had never heard of this before; only after the system explained did she know that happy children can listen to stories before bed.

Somewhat envious.

Sui Sui pursed their slightly dry lips; their beautiful almond eyes blinked much less frequently.

To be honest, Sui Sui wanted such companionship.

Wanted a bedtime story.

Wanted a good friend.

Wanted a……home.

But Sui Sui didn't dare to say it.

She had no father, her mother died early, and the Shen Shen family treated her poorly; but aside from here, she had nowhere else to go.

Sui Sui did not know what happiness was, what warmth was.

She only knew that she was still alive.

That should be pretty good, right?

Listening to the little child muttering, trying to pua themselves, the system gritted its teeth in anger.

If it had a physical form, or other abilities, it really wanted to go out and beat up this family!

How could they bear to be so harsh on such an adorable little one?

The system wanted to spit out swear words, but still controlled the data flow.

Not wanting to scare Sui Sui, the system pinched its voice and began to coax.

At this point, the servants of the Jin Yang Hou mansion, after an arduous journey finally entering the village, looked at the rugged mountain road and almost jumped in anger.

But what could they do?

The old lady has been sleeping poorly lately; the ladies and concubines in the rear courtyard are doing everything they can to help calm her spirit.

The madam Guo beside the Jin Yang Hou lady, and the madam Ma beside Concubine Su, seized the opportunity to show themselves by going to pick someone up.

The two of them had previously been at odds in the mansion, but along this way they actually developed some rapport.

What use is a girl brought back from this poor, remote place?

If it weren't for the old lady……

Thinking of the old lady, the two madams gritted their teeth and endured for now.

But their haughty demeanor and contemptuous glances all revealed their disdain.

As for whether they picked up Sui Sui or Chen Manyao, they were just village girls; bringing one back was enough to report back.

They are emissaries from the Hou mansion; do they really think this family dares to fool them?

Chen Manyao was very dissatisfied with the two madams' attitude, but she is now alone and powerless, unable to do anything.

She thought: When she returns to the Hou mansion and becomes a young lady, just see if she doesn't teach this pack of dog servants a lesson!

Watching the carriage go away, Tian Cuihua still couldn't quite believe it.

Things actually went this smoothly?

This made her unconsciously recall how, when Chen Manyao was born, she gritted her teeth, spent ten copper coins, and hired a scholar to give this child a name.

Looks like this child really is destined for nobility!

Thinking of what Chen Manyao said—that as long as she could establish herself in the Hou mansion, she would look after her parents and siblings—Tian Cuihua's heart burned hot.

But she also hadn't forgotten what Chen Manyao had repeatedly urged before leaving.

Get rid of Sui Sui!

Tian Cuihua planned to, at noon when few people were in the fields, tie up Sui Sui with her husband and throw her onto the back hill.

First thing tomorrow morning they'd say the child was lost, then go to the village head to cancel the household registration.

At this moment, Tian Cuihua was quite relieved that Sui Sui's household registration had originally been under her own family.

Even if the Hou mansion later became suspicious, they wouldn't find anything.

But just thinking about how, for the sake of recognizing relatives, she had taken the jade pendant left by her sister-in-law years ago, Tian Cuihua felt waves of heartache.

It's all Sui Ya's fault, this money‑losing good‑for‑nothing!

At noon, villagers returned home to rest, and many were curious about that splendid carriage—what was going on?

Some came over to inquire, and those who had seen the morning bustle exchanged gossip.

Tian Cuihua's outward explanation was that her sister‑in‑law's husband had come to pick up the child.

Most of the villagers knew that Sui Sui was the child brought back by her sister‑in‑law.

But they hadn't seen who actually got onto the carriage in the end; it was whoever Tian Cuihua said it was.

As for closing the account?

They said Sui Sui was envious of the name Yueyao, and this aunt‑in‑law, feeling sorry for the child, decided to give her that name.

The villagers were stunned; they never expected that Chen San Niang, who had borne a child out of wedlock, would actually marry into a wealthy family.

After the villagers left, Tian Cuihua gave Chen Dalang a look; he understood, picked up a rope, and went to the chicken coop.

Sui Sui was listening to Le Le sing her a children's song when a pair of big hands grabbed her ankle and dragged her out; before she could react, she was tightly bound, and a piece of old cloth was stuffed into her mouth.

She widened her eyes in terror, trembling with fear of being beaten, and struggled violently.

Chen Dalang found her annoying, and he slapped her hard on the back of the neck.

Sui Sui felt dizzy again, and her struggling weakened.

The two of them cursed as they went to the rear mountain, not daring to go far; they reached a mountain hollow, dumped her there, and ran back.

There really are wolves in this mountain; they dare not linger.

With her mouth gagged, Sui Sui couldn't make a sound; feeling dizzy, she writhed, hoping Shen Shen and the others would take her back.

There are wolves in the rear mountain—they'll eat her!

Sui Sui's mouth muffled, she seemed to be saying: she would do more work, eat less, be obedient, and not be abandoned.

She was afraid.

Afraid of wolves, afraid of death.

After struggling for a while, the ropes binding Sui Sui's hands and feet had left black‑and‑blue marks on her skin, yet they did not cause the cruel Shen Shen pair to turn back.

Her tears had blurred her vision, and the pain in her hands and feet only later reached her brain.

Sui Sui wondered, 'Am I going to die?'

She'll die, won't she?

But she had only just made a friend.

She hadn't yet gotten to the bedtime story at night.

……

Thinking of these, Sui Sui's tears flowed even harder.

Sui Sui, crying nearly to the point of exhaustion, wondered if she could roll down the mountain.

She thought, 'If Shen Shen's home doesn't want me, I'll go live in that broken thatched hut at the village edge.'

As she twisted her body, trying to find the right angle to roll, she saw something drifting ahead.

Bang!

A loud boom rose, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Sand blew into her face, making Sui Sui's tears flow even harder; faintly, she saw that ahead seemed to be a……

A person?