Hu Jiaojiao’s face, which was originally full of anticipation, froze upon hearing Long Zhong’s words.

The book had only mentioned that the original owner abused the cubs, but it didn’t go into such detail. She hadn’t realized that the original owner was even more vicious than described.

Cursing inwardly, Hu Jiaojiao thought, “This original owner really was something else.”

After pondering for a moment, she reluctantly compromised. “I’ll head back to make dinner. You guys wash up and come home early. Don’t make me worry.”

Beast cubs were not as delicate as human children. Even though they were only six years old, their hands-on abilities surpassed those of human children much older. Besides, the original owner had never taken care of them, so the cubs had already mastered the necessary life skills.

There was a small river beside the mud pit, so Hu Jiaojiao wasn’t concerned that the cubs would encounter any danger.

With that, she turned and walked away, leaving the cubs behind, staring in disbelief at her retreating figure.

Long Ling’er stood dumbfounded. “She… she really didn’t hit us…”

The second brother, Long Xiu, helped Long Zhong and Long Ling’er up, but his expression remained dark. “I don’t believe a word of it. She’s definitely trying to trick us, so she can lock us up and beat us later.”

“But today she drove the bullies away and didn’t scold us. Maybe she’s changed?” Long Ling’er’s eyes sparkled with hope.

She dreamed of having a gentle mother.

Their eldest brother, Long Yu, looked stern. “Ling’er, that wicked woman is full of tricks. Don’t trust her.”

“But I’m so hungry. If only I hadn’t let them take that piece of meat, we’d have something to eat tonight,” Long Ling’er said, lowering her head in disappointment.

“Hold on. Dad will be back tomorrow, and he’ll bring us food,” Long Yu said, clenching his fists, though his voice was full of helplessness.

He needed to grow up faster, to get stronger, so he could go hunting and protect his younger siblings.

Thinking about the food they would have tomorrow, the cubs stopped dwelling on the matter and, dragging their tired bodies, went to the river to wash up. After bathing, they put on their damp animal-skin clothes and loitered near the house, reluctant to go inside.

Meanwhile, Hu Jiaojiao had already reached the front of the house.

The original owner’s house was a simple, square wooden cabin, its walls stuffed with moss and mud, and its roof covered with thatch. Outside was a small yard enclosed by a fence. On the left side of the yard was a pile of straw and wood—supplies the cubs had chopped from the forest during the day.

The original owner not only abused the cubs and deprived them of food and drink but also forced them to do heavy labor. If they didn’t finish their tasks, they were beaten.

Thinking of the cubs’ small, pitiful figures, Hu Jiaojiao cursed the original owner once more in her heart. She could only hope to make up for the original owner’s wrongs; otherwise, when the cubs grew up, she would be the one to suffer.

Hurriedly, she stepped inside, looking for something to cook for dinner.

But what she found inside left her stunned.

Was this a pigsty?

The house was filled with an unbearable stench, a mixture of rotten food and urine that nearly made Hu Jiaojiao vomit.

Looking around, she saw that apart from a bed made of grass and animal skins, the only thing in the house was a pile of waste to the left of the entrance.

Words like “poverty-stricken” or “barely furnished” didn’t even begin to describe the state of this house!

Hu Jiaojiao’s eyes twitched in disbelief.

The original owner was not only cruel but also incredibly lazy. There was no way she could cook in a place like this—she could hardly stand being here for even a second longer.

After mustering a great deal of mental strength, Hu Jiaojiao found a stick and some ash from outside, covering the waste. Then, she propped open the door to let the house air out. She wrapped the waste in large leaves she’d plucked from outside and took it far from the house to dispose of it.

By the time Hu Jiaojiao had cleaned the place, more than half an hour had passed. She collapsed onto the animal skins, wiping sweat from her forehead. Just as she was about to feel a sense of accomplishment, she was struck by another harsh realization.

There was no food in the house!

The original owner’s main source of food had been the villain and her parents and brother. But now, there wasn’t a scrap of meat left in the house—it had all been eaten. Hu Jiaojiao remembered that the last piece of meat had been snatched away by those brats. At the time, she was too angry to chase after them to take it back.

As for the villain, the original owner had despised him for being a loser, refusing to let him stay in the house. He now lived in the forest, only returning occasionally to deliver food.

Hu Jiaojiao had no idea when he would be back.

“Damn it!”

“Am I really going to starve alongside the cubs on my first day here?”

Other people get powers when they transmigrate into novels, but I get nothing! Worse still, I’m stuck as a universally despised side character. Is the universe just trying to make me suffer?

Just as Hu Jiaojiao was cursing the mess the original owner had left her, the scene in front of her suddenly shifted.

The dilapidated cabin vanished, replaced by an unfamiliar space.

“What’s happening? Where am I?” Hu Jiaojiao stood frozen in place.

Surrounded by endless darkness, she found herself staring at row upon row of neatly organized shelves stretching into the void, so far that she couldn’t see where they ended.

Looking closer, she realized that the shelves were filled with all kinds of food—meat, fish, poultry, pots, pans, grains, oils, and seasonings. It was even better stocked than a supermarket!

Having worked up quite an appetite after all her cleaning, Hu Jiaojiao couldn’t help but salivate at the sight of so much food. An idea popped into her head.

Could this be the space containing hundreds of billions of supplies from the novels?

“Is this the cheat the heavens gave me for transmigrating into this book?”

“Oh, heavens! I love you so much!” she cheered, immediately heading to the shelves to select food.

The first shelf was filled with kitchen supplies and food—exactly what Hu Jiaojiao needed right now. Thinking of the cubs, who were practically skin and bones, she grabbed some pork belly.

“The cubs are way too skinny. Just lean meat won’t do; they need some fat to build up their strength.” With all this food at her disposal, she was confident she could feed the cubs until they were plump and healthy!

Since there was only one of each item on the shelf, Hu Jiaojiao wasn’t stingy. After all, with so many shelves full of food, she might as well enjoy it. If she didn’t live long enough to eat it all, wouldn’t that be a waste?

The slab of pork belly she took was about 10 pounds. Luckily, she was in a beastman’s body, so carrying it wasn’t an issue. But just as she removed the pork, another identical slab appeared on the shelf where the first one had been.

Hu Jiaojiao blinked in surprise.

The shelf could restock itself!

Delighted, she grabbed two more slabs of pork belly, a 50-pound sack of rice, some pots and pans, and seasonings. With a single thought, everything returned to the wooden cabin with her.

The cabin had no windows, and the smell inside still hadn’t dissipated. Although Hu Jiaojiao wasn’t fond of the place, she didn’t want to burn it down while cooking and end up homeless.

She quickly moved everything to the yard, piled some flat stones together to make a simple stove, and began preparing the meal.