Chapter 2: A Bare Home, Borrowing Money

Gu Yi’s face remained expressionless as she slowly uttered three words.

“Go to hell.”

Lin Shi’s eyes widened, her face flushed with anger.

Could it be that Gu Jiayi, this little girl, had become possessed? How did she suddenly change so much! She was cursing now, and even slapped her hands.

However, she could no longer control the situation like before, this little wretch was beyond caring!

Fuming with rage, Lin Shi’s hands trembled, and after a long pause, she cursed, “You little bitch, the little pest, nobody wants your entire family!”

While scolding, she turned around to leave.

“Ouch!”

A stone appeared out of nowhere, suddenly landing at her feet, causing her to trip and fall face-first onto the ground.

Gu Yi had clearly seen it. It was Dalang who had kicked the stone beside him, causing her to stumble.

Hurting the enemy a thousand, but injuring oneself eight hundred, Dalang’s face turned pale, and it seemed his leg injury had worsened.

“Damned bad luck! You’re all a bunch of troublemakers! Stay away from me!” Lin Shi continued cursing, limping away.

“Let’s go,” Gu Yi said softly.

Noticing the surprise on Dalang and Wang Yulan’s faces, she explained, “Mother, Dalang, let’s just live our lives well from now on and stop bothering with the people from the old house!”

Wang Yulan and Dalang quickly nodded in agreement.

Her heart was even lighter upon hearing her daughter’s words. It seemed that Yi’er truly wanted to live a better life.

The three of them continued their way home.

The small stone house they were assigned was not far from the seaside, only about two hundred steps away.

Sometimes, when the wind blew, they could smell the faint, salty scent of the sea.

They soon arrived at the small stone house.

One couldn’t deny that the Gu family had no shortage of good looks—Dalang was as if carved from jade, and the younger two were also extremely beautiful.

The little sister was sitting on the doorstep, wailing, “Mother, Sister…”

Wang Yulan called out, “Sister’s back!”

The little sister rushed over and threw herself into Gu Yi’s arms, her eyes filled with tears. “Sister, I’m scared… Second Aunt…”

The little sister had just turned four. She had been terrified during their escape and had become withdrawn, unable to speak in front of outsiders. Only with family would she say a few words.

It seemed that Lin Shi had triggered her fear earlier.

Poor child.

“I’m not going to die, little sister, don’t listen to others’ nonsense. As long as we’re together, we have nothing to fear,” Gu Yi said, her heart sighing.

The five of them—three little ones, the original host around thirteen or fourteen years old, and the frail mother—shared the common trait of being skinny, their bodies nothing but bones.

It was truly a miracle that they hadn’t perished on their journey of exile.

The little sister clung tightly to Gu Yi’s leg, wailing as though afraid she might disappear again.

“Little sister, let’s go inside first,” Gu Yi said softly.

Once inside the house, the first impression was of emptiness, the kind that could only be described as poverty-stricken.

The house, though small, somehow felt even larger.

The furniture was old, one of the chairs had a broken leg, and the only cabinet was broken. The blanket was gray and dusty.

It was truly poor.

The eight-year-old second brother, lying on the bed, had a pale complexion. When he saw them return, he first stared at Gu Yi, then turned over to lie with his back to them.

He muttered, “It’s not like you were the only one abandoned by that old witch. I haven’t even tried to die, but you’re already running off to find death. How did I end up with such a stupid big sister?”

He had been ill on the way to exile, constantly plagued by one illness after another. Upon reaching the exile land, he developed severe diarrhea, his strength draining, barely able to crawl out of bed, feeling as though death would be a relief.

He hadn’t died yet!

“Second, how can you speak like that?” Wang Yulan frowned, reproaching him.

Second brother retorted, “What did I say wrong? I’ve been following that old woman around, unable to distinguish who is who, and now, I get abandoned by her and left by the door to jump into the sea. Isn’t that stupid?”

“Shut up!” Wang Yulan shouted.

The little sister jumped in shock, and Dalang quickly pulled her into his arms.

“Second, your eldest sister has changed! Don’t speak like that anymore!” Wang Yulan held Gu Yi’s hand, concern written all over her face. “Yi’er, don’t mind him. He speaks harshly, but his heart is soft.”

If the original host had been subjected to such insults, she would have probably turned pale and been unable to handle it.

Gu Yi, however, felt no offense. In a way, he hadn’t spoken incorrectly.

Instead, her heart warmed. The original host wasn’t so unlucky after all—at least her mother unconditionally loved her, and even though her second brother might harbor some grudges, he still regarded her as family.

She smiled, “Mother, I’m fine. I know second brother has a sharp tongue, but he’s my brother, and I won’t hold it against him.”

Wang Yulan felt relieved and couldn’t help but smile.

“Who has a sharp tongue?” Second brother, lying in bed, glared, angrily swearing, wanting to climb out of bed.

Unfortunately, his body was too weak, and his voice was soft, lacking any real force.

“Stay in bed! Don’t get up! Your sister doesn’t mind, so what are you doing causing trouble?” Wang Yulan quickly helped him back onto the bed.

She was exhausted, her heart broken.

The second brother had diarrhea since they arrived, Dalang’s leg was injured, and the eldest daughter had gone so far as to try to jump into the sea. Luckily, nothing major had happened in the end.

When the second brother’s strength gave out, he collapsed back onto the bed, feeling utterly miserable.

Wang Yulan sighed, “Being sick all the time is not a solution. What should we do?”

There was no physician, and they had no money. Going back to the old Gu family would only result in being scolded.

Why were those people so heartless?

Gu Yi observed second brother’s face, sitting at the edge of the bed and holding his hand.

“Let go of me!” second brother shouted, but his body remained limp, unable to resist.

He was the skinniest in the family, his body just a skeleton.

Gu Yi checked his pulse, examined his complexion, and, without regard for his protests, examined his eyes and mouth.

“Yi’er, what are you doing?” Wang Yulan asked, confused.

Gu Yi replied, “Second brother is suffering from the new environment; it’s quite serious. He needs to adapt to the climate here. It would be best if he could take some medicine.”

She began pressing on some acupoints on second brother’s body.

“Pressing these acupoints will make him feel better.”

Wang Yulan, her eyes wide with astonishment, asked, “Yi’er, when did you learn all this?”

Gu Yi’s hand trembled slightly as she lowered her gaze.

After a moment, she replied, “I read many medical books when I was at home. When I almost drowned earlier, it all suddenly came to me.”

Wang Yulan looked thoughtful, then choked out, “You’ve awakened, this is a blessing from heaven, Yi’er. We’ll get through this, won’t we?”

Gu Yi nodded seriously.

Having taken over the original host’s body, she was determined to protect her family.

“Ha! I don’t believe you suddenly came to your senses. You knew from those medical books that I was sick—you did it on purpose!” Second Brother shouted angrily.

Gu Yi looked at him without the slightest expression.

Second Brother shrank back a little.

He didn’t know why, but even though she had never hit him before, he kept feeling like at any moment she might slap him across the face.

Gu Yi let out a cold, chilling smile. Reaching out, she patted his cheek. “Kid, so you do know you’re annoying, hm? At least you’re self-aware.”

Second Brother’s face turned dark. He held in his anger and buried his face into the quilt.

Gu Yi yanked the quilt away. “Mother, let me teach you—press this acupoint here.”

Second Brother still didn’t want to cooperate, until Little Sister climbed onto the bed and pinned him down. “Se—cond—Bro—ther, you—need—to—get—treated.”

Eldest Brother added, “Even Little Sister understands that! If you won’t cooperate, you’re the one who’ll suffer. Big Sister won’t be the one in pain.”

Second Brother gave a snort, but finally lay down obediently.

After mother and daughter pressed for a while, Second Brother’s complexion visibly improved.

“Yi’er, go get some rest. You’ve worn yourself out today.”

“Alright, I’ll sleep for a bit.”

Gu Yi was utterly exhausted. The moment she lay down on the bed, her head hit the pillow and she drifted straight into a deep sleep.

She had a dream—yet it wasn’t exactly a dream. It was the original host’s memories from more than ten years of life.

Like a lantern show flashing past, one scene after another swept through her mind—sorrow, despair, fleeting moments of joy and happiness. She was submerged in it all.

She slept for about an hour.

When she woke, the sky and sea outside the window still stretched into one endless, brilliant blue.

She had been born in a modern-day fishing village, her parents making a living by casting their nets out at sea.

But later, the waters became heavily polluted. Fish died off in massive numbers, and those who ate them fell gravely ill.

From then on, she had never gone back to the shore—never again swam freely in the ocean like a fish.

In the era she came from, the environment had been devastated beyond repair.

But here, everything was pristine—like a paradise she thought could only exist in dreams.

She stretched lazily, then leaned on the windowsill, palm brushing the cool surface of the stone. For a moment, she froze.

This new world felt so real, every sensation vivid. Her body responded with a rush of dopamine, a quiet, genuine joy spreading through her entire being.

Today, she had fully become Gu Jiayi.

“Gurgle, gurgle.”

Gu Yi: “…”

She pressed a hand to her stomach—the hunger gnawed so deeply it seemed to echo straight into her soul.

So hungry. She just wanted to eat.

The kitchen was right next to the bedroom. Gu Yi rushed over, only for the light in her eyes to dim little by little.

The stove was bare. A few chipped bowls lay about. On the floor, a handful of firewood was scattered in disarray. Inside a small bucket were only the lifeless shells of a few oysters.

That was it—nothing but an empty stove, and not even proper tools left to cook with.

She drew a long breath, forcing down the heavy swell of emotions. She had to think. Think of a way to earn money, fill their bellies, and support the family.

She hurried to the next room. “Where’s Mother?”