(1) Body Parts

The original owner’s life was short and tragic.

She was nothing more than a minor character—not just compared to the glamorous people outside, but even within the Shen family, she was someone easily overlooked.

Like most girls, she was obedient and sensible. From a young age, she helped with housework, understanding her parents’ hardships. She never made them worry about her studies, excelling even with the cheapest stationery, and eventually got into university.

Xuzhou City couldn’t compare to the bustling metropolises. It only had one or two decent universities, and for the original owner to be admitted into the police academy was already an impressive achievement.

But as the saying goes, “^[1]“The squeaky wheel gets the grease” is an idiom that means the most noticeable or problematic person or thing is the one that gets attention or is dealt with first. Essentially, it … Continue readingthe squeaky wheel gets the grease.” Compared to the original owner, Shen Zhuo—who was already in high school—always ranked at the bottom of his class, skipped school, and got into fights. Yet, he was still the one the Shen family doted on the most.

The original owner never saw anything wrong with her family’s favoritism. But Shen Wanwan understood—this was gender bias, plain and simple.

Had the original owner not drowned in the river, her future would likely have been set: marrying a man who could afford a decent bride price, and then using that money to help Shen Zhuo bring a wife into the family.

When Shen Wanwan suddenly entered the kitchen, Liu Cuixia panicked for a moment, hurriedly grabbing a few empty bowls to block the watermelon behind her.

“Wanwan, you’re back! Are you hungry? There’s still some chicken and glass noodles in the pot—I can heat them up for you.”

To be fair, Liu Cuixia wasn’t outright cruel to Shen Wanwan.

For example, yesterday, Shen Pinghe’s apprentice had gifted them a whole chicken. Liu Cuixia made a chicken and glass noodle stew, and the adults only allowed themselves to eat the noodles, leaving all the meat for the children.

But of course, Shen Wanwan only got scraps—chicken bones and dry breast meat—while Shen Zhuo got all the drumsticks and wings.

The original owner never wanted her family to suffer, so she always gave away any meat she was served. In the end, Shen Zhuo always ate two drumsticks and two wings every time.

Shen Wanwan knew that the original owner still cared deeply about her family, and the Shen family didn’t exactly treat her cruelly. They just didn’t give her as much love.

Shen Wanwan couldn’t bring herself to do anything too drastic on the original owner’s behalf.

But at the same time, she couldn’t live in such an unfair household either.

She rubbed her stomach and spoke casually, “I’m not hungry. Shen Zhuo said we have watermelon at home—let’s eat it together. I’ll go bring it over.”

Liu Cuixia instinctively blocked the cupboard. “That boy talks too much! Wanwan, dear, the watermelon was from Aunt Zhao. It was just a tiny piece, and Shen Zhuo already ate it. I told him to save you some, but you know how greedy he is. He’s your little brother—just let him have it.”

“Oh? Is that so?” Shen Wanwan walked toward the cupboard, her voice carrying a deeper meaning. “Shen Zhuo didn’t save any for you? You and Dad work so hard every day. From now on, if we ever have anything good to eat, you should eat first. Shen Zhuo and I are just kids—it doesn’t matter to us.”

Her words made Liu Cuixia’s heart warm for a moment—but soon after, guilt crept in.

It wasn’t that she didn’t want to treat her granddaughter well. The family was just too poor. If they had more watermelon, she wouldn’t have only given it to Shen Zhuo.

But the truth was, there was only one small piece. Shen Zhuo hadn’t had enough yet, so she had planned to chill it in the water tank for later. She never expected Shen Wanwan to come home so soon.

After finishing her sentence, Shen Wanwan glanced around the kitchen, as if taking everything in, then walked out.

Liu Cuixia let out a sigh of relief before turning back to look at the cupboard, feeling uneasy.

Wanwan was so understanding—she always thought about her family. But she…

After leaving the kitchen, Shen Wanwan didn’t idle around. She returned to her room with a bright smile and yanked Shen Zhuo up. “Grandma said there’s still a piece left, it’s been chilled—go eat it.”

Shen Zhuo was used to this kind of treatment, so he didn’t suspect a thing and happily went to the kitchen.

The moment Liu Cuixia saw her beloved grandson, any lingering guilt she had instantly disappeared. With a beaming smile, she took Shen Zhuo’s hand and whispered, “Why did you tell your sister about the watermelon? You mustn’t blurt things out like that next time, understand? She’ll be upset if she finds out.”

As she spoke, Liu Cuixia reached into the cupboard to take out the watermelon, just about to cut another piece for Shen Zhuo—when suddenly, Shen Wanwan peeked in from the old wooden door.

Liu Cuixia’s smile froze.

Shen Zhuo, however, remained confident. “You better not try to take mine.”

Shen Wanwan ignored him and instead clapped her hands together with exaggerated delight. “Oh, so there really is more watermelon! Did Xiao Zhuo save some for me? He’s become so thoughtful! Here, let me help you cut it!”

Liu Cuixia instinctively tried to hide the watermelon. “Wanwan, dear, look, there’s not much left—it won’t make many pieces. How about… you and Xiao Zhuo share it?”

Shen Zhuo pouted. Just a moment ago, Grandma told him the watermelon was his alone.

But before he could protest, Shen Wanwan cheerfully took the watermelon from Liu Cuixia’s hands, speaking with absolute conviction. “Grandma, leave something as small as cutting watermelon to me! I’ll slice it into pieces so we can all eat together. After all, we’re family—how could we let one person hog all the good stuff?”

It was hard to tell who exactly she was directing those words at. Liu Cuixia stood there awkwardly, completely at a loss.

Meanwhile, Shen Wanwan pulled out the cutting board, placed it on the counter, and skillfully peeled the rind before chopping the watermelon into neat little cubes.

Liu Cuixia: “……”

Her granddaughter’s knife skills were excellent—but why did she have to use them like this?!

Shen Wanwan placed the neatly cut watermelon into a plate, picked up the best piece from the center, and took a bite. “Mmm, delicious! Grandma, you should try some too.”

Shen Zhuo lunged forward, hands flailing. “Me too! Me too! I haven’t had enough yet!”

Liu Cuixia looked at him with a pang of heartache and quickly waved her hands. “You two eat, I don’t like this stuff.”

The Shen family didn’t even have toothpicks, so Shen Wanwan simply used chopsticks to pick up a piece and held it to Liu Cuixia’s mouth, forcing her to eat it.

“Who doesn’t like watermelon? Grandma, I’ve already said—we’re family. We share the good times and the bad. It’s just watermelon, don’t be stingy about it.”

With that, she shoved a piece into Liu Cuixia’s mouth and pushed the ravenous Shen Zhuo away, lifting the plate high out of his reach.

“The rest is for Mom and Dad—none for you.”

Shen Zhuo let out a miserable wail. “But Mom and Dad don’t even like watermelon! How about I bring it to them instead, sis?”

Shen Wanwan raised an eyebrow. “Don’t even think about it. I’ll personally watch them finish it.”

Shen Zhuo: “……”

His sister didn’t love him anymore!!

Shen Wanwan didn’t care whether Shen Zhuo was upset or not. She only knew one thing—if she continued tolerating the Shen family’s favoritism and turned a blind eye to their excessive indulgence, the one who would suffer most in the end… would be her.

Shen Heping was still at work at the bicycle factory and hadn’t returned yet. Lin Yuying hesitated and resisted eating.

Like Liu Cuixia, she had a strong sense of self-sacrifice and always wanted to save the best for the children.

Shen Wanwan used the same method as before—watching Lin Yuying until she finished eating.

Shen Zhuo trailed behind Shen Wanwan the whole time, practically drooling.

Shen Wanwan handed him the plate. “There’s still some juice left. Drink it.”

Shen Zhuo: “……”

Did she just treat him like a stray dog scavenging for food in the trash?!

Looking at the plate with only a little leftover watermelon juice and seeds, Shen Zhuo fumed. “Shen Wanwan, this isn’t over between us!”

Still, he grabbed the plate with a scowl and stomped toward the kitchen.

After a few steps, he glanced at the remaining watermelon juice in the plate. After a brief hesitation, he lifted it to his lips and drank it all in one go.

Delicious.

From behind him, Shen Wanwan called out, “Make sure you wash the plate!”

Lin Yuying looked at her daughter in confusion. She was starting to wonder if Wanwan was acting strangely today.

In the past, Shen Wanwan never clashed with Shen Zhuo.

Just as Lin Yuying was about to ask her about it, the owner of the small convenience store at the end of the alley suddenly slammed open the Shen family’s iron gate and leaned against the doorframe, shouting, “Phone call! Phone call!”

Most families in the alley weren’t well-off, and few could afford a landline. If someone needed to be reached, they often left the store’s phone number.

The shopkeeper didn’t usually notify people unless it was something urgent.

Lin Yuying took off her apron and was about to go answer the call when the shopkeeper stopped her. “It’s not for you—it’s from the Public Security Bureau. They’re looking for Wanwan. It’s about a case, and it’s urgent! They need her to come over immediately!”