Chapter 1: Crossing

“Mother… brother… don’t go… don’t leave Niannian and father…” “Wuwuwu… mother, brother…” Shen Zhi lowered her eyes to look at the little doll who was clinging to her legs and crying her heart out. Her hair was dry and yellow, her skin was dark, and her little face had no flesh at all.

 A pair of beautiful big eyes were embedded in her small face, but Shen Zhi didn’t find them pretty, only eerie. She was wearing a sleeveless coarse hemp shirt of an indistinguishable color and a pair of small trousers with several holes. The two little arms exposed were black and thin like two small firewood sticks. It had just rained, and her bare feet were stepping on the muddy ground, so dirty that her toes were indistinguishable. Shen Zhi’s lips were tightly pursed, and her heart was so oppressed that she couldn’t breathe. She had transmigrated.

 A string of memories that didn’t belong to her flooded her mind. It turned out that this little doll was the three-year-old son of her current body. And her husband was paralyzed in bed, in order not to be a burden, she deliberately starved her husband, until today she found her husband had died, she wanted to leave her youngest son and go back to her mother’s house to remarry. This youngest son was born with difficulty, the fortune teller said that this child was a jinx to her, so as soon as the man died, the original owner couldn’t wait to get rid of this little drag.

“Mother… don’t leave Niannian… Niannian and father can not eat, Niannian will pick wild vegetables for father to eat, we won’t waste food…” The little doll sobbed and promised her. Shen Zhi bit her lip, this original owner was really not a human being! “Wuwuwu… mother… please… please…” The little guy kowtowed to her, his little head “dong dong dong” hitting the stone slab, the sound made Shen Zhi’s heart tighten. “Don’t kowtow, get up.” She bent down to pick him up, but before she could touch the little guy, a flash of blue suddenly appeared in front of her eyes.

The next moment, the little guy had already fallen heavily to the ground. He lay motionless on the ground, mewing softly. Shen Zhi’s eyes trembled violently, she looked at the blue shadow in shock. It was a little fat boy about five years old. He was white and plump, and he was still wearing a blue brocade short shirt that rural people couldn’t bear to buy, a world apart from the little dirty boy’s attire. This was the original owner’s eldest son, who was spoiled beyond compare. “Mother! Look! I kicked away the little ghost! Let’s go!” The little fat boy laughed triumphantly and arrogantly. Shen Zhi glanced at the little dirty boy who was clutching his stomach and couldn’t get up, then looked at the little brat in front of her, and her anger trembled.

 “Ssss… mother! Why are you pulling my ear! It hurts! Ah!” She grabbed the little brat’s ear and gave him a hard squeeze, “Who told you to kick him? He’s your brother!” As soon as she said this, the little dirty boy who was in pain and sweating cold, raised his head in disbelief, staring at her blankly. “Wuwuwu… he’s not my brother! He’s a little ghost! He’s a death-bringing ghost!” The little brat cried very loudly, and he even resented Shen Zhi, after all, Shen Zhi never beat him. In a fit of anger, he kicked her hard, “Bad mother! You’re a shrew! You’re shameless!

I’m going to kill you!” He used a lot of force, not a spoiled tantrum. The pain in the bones below his knees was excruciating, Shen Zhi subconsciously groaned. “

Humph! Serves you right! You didn’t listen to me! You pulled my ear!” The little brat took the opportunity to kick her again. Shen Zhi couldn’t dodge it, and she fell to the ground with a bang. “Bad brother! Don’t bully mother!” The little dirty boy didn’t know when he had moved to their side, he hugged the little brat, and bit him on the leg. “Ah! Little ghost, I’ll beat you to death! Beat you to death!” Seeing the little dirty boy being knocked down by the little brat, and picking up a stone to smash his head, Shen Zhi was scared white.

 She pushed the little brat away, “Chu Jinzhou! Stop!” She roared, the little brat was full of resentment. Even though Shen Zhi grew up in an orphanage and had seen many bad children, she was still frightened by his expression. She paused for a moment, then squatted down and carefully examined the little dirty boy, “What’s wrong? Does it hurt?” “Did he kick your stomach just now?” The little dirty boy stared at her blankly, his round eyes were clear and bright, reflecting Shen Zhi’s anxious appearance at this moment. Shen Zhi carefully touched his stomach. “

Hiss…” Seeing him frown, her face darkened. Chu Jinzhou saw her caring for the little dirty boy, his fists clenched tightly. Stealing his mother… this is his mother! Suddenly, the little dirty boy was kicked again. This time he couldn’t hold it back, his little mouth pouted, he sobbed pitifully. His voice was very small and soft. Shen Zhi took a deep breath, her eyes fell on Chu Jinzhou, cold and icy. The next moment, Chu Jinzhou’s cry erupted in the courtyard.

The little dirty boy’s cry stopped abruptly; his watery eyes widened. Shen Zhi held Chu Jinzhou in one hand, and slapped him on the butt several times, “If you dare to hit your brother again, next time it won’t be just a few slaps, I’ll tie you up and beat you with a bamboo pole!” Chu Jinzhou cried until his face turned red. Shen Zhi threw him to the ground, picked up the still surprised little dirty boy and went back to the house. Chu Jinnian’s body was tense, in his memory, he had never been held by his mother. His mother’s embrace was so warm, so warm.

 As she walked, Shen Zhi’s eyelashes trembled, this little guy was really rough to hold. Entering the house, Shen Zhi knew for the first time what it meant to be poor, the main room only had a table and a few broken chairs. There was even a faint light coming through the roof, well, even the roof was leaking.

Shen Zhi sighed after taking a look around, “Let’s take it slow.” Coming back to her senses, she took off the tattered hemp clothes from Chu Jinnian. The bones under his skin were all protruding. Shen Zhi stared at his little ribs for a while before touching the spot where he had been kicked, asking softly, “Does it hurt here?” Chu Jinnian shook his little head.

“If it hurts, tell me, I’ll take you to see a doctor.”

The little guy opened his mouth, then pouted. “I won’t let him bully you again. If he hits you, you tell me, I will…” “Wuu…” Before she could finish, the little guy threw himself into her arms, hugging her tightly, “Mother…” Shen Zhi was startled, her tense body gradually relaxed. She gently patted his back, “Good boy, don’t cry.” Shen Zhi sighed in her heart.

Coming to this strange dynasty, the father of these two children was already dead. Since she had become their mother, she would raise them. After all, this little guy was quite well-behaved. As for the little brat outside… she would see if she could teach him well.

“Mother… don’t throw away Niannian and father…” After crying for a while, the little guy blinked his tearful big eyes, begging. “We won’t eat, not at all!” “I won’t throw you away.” “Then mother don’t leave, Niannian can pick wild fruits, there are many in the mountains!”

 He wiped his tears and said eagerly, “There are wild peaches! There are wild berries, and wild vegetables, I can pick them all!” Shen Zhi didn’t say anything, his voice gradually lowered. “Mother won’t leave, it’s just that you’re only three years old.” Shen Zhi said, “Don’t go up the mountain alone in the future, or you’ll be eaten by tigers.”

“No! There are no tigers! I go every day!” “Anyway, you’re not allowed to go!” The little guy hung his head, not daring to retort, but in his heart he was thinking about what he would pick in the mountains today, what he could pick. But as he thought about it, he couldn’t help but raise his head and sneak a glance at Shen Zhi. Mother… hugged him… she didn’t throw him away.

She was going to run away with his brother, but he hugged her and coaxed her for a while, and she listened to him. Moreover, mother actually beat his brother! This was something that would never have happened before! The little guy’s heart was pounding, would mother help them if his brother bullied him and his father in the future? He was speculating, but suddenly he remembered something, and quickly got out of Shen Zhi’s arms, “Father!”