Chapter 2

DouDou was thrown into the woodshed. With a loud bang, the door slammed shut and was locked from the outside. Liu Chunhua chased away the neighbors who had come to watch the commotion, then sent her older daughter inside to redo her hair and makeup. Turning toward the woodshed, she shouted: “Stay right there!” “If you dare come out and ruin your sister's chance, I'll break your legs!” Soon, there was no sound from outside. DouDou slowly crawled to the corner of the wall. Trembling, she added the final mark to the countless drawings covering the walls. Ma had just used up her last chance. She thought about it for a moment. It was time to leave. “Auntie, DouDou wants a new Ma.” She cried as she spoke to the livestream system. “A new Ma who will cherish me and love me.” ＊＊ Meanwhile, at a temple on the mountaintop— Inside the prayer hall, a beautiful woman kneeling on a prayer mat and reciting Buddhist scriptures suddenly clutched her chest. Beads of sweat the size of beans appeared on her forehead. “Madam!” Her maid, Xiaohong, hurried over to check on her and called for help. A monk who heard the commotion rushed over and immediately took the woman's pulse. But the woman suddenly grabbed his wrist, tears streaming down her face. “Little Master, my heart suddenly started hurting so badly. Could it be that a mother and daughter are connected by heart? Is my daughter suffering in the underworld right now?” The monk froze, sighing inwardly. The woman before him was named Xue Lingshan, the noble madam who had been carried into the Governor's Mansion in an elaborate bridal sedan chair. With a prestigious maternal family and an immensely powerful husband's family, she had once been the center of attention. But five years ago, she had suffered complications during pregnancy, and the baby girl who had already nearly formed completely had been stillborn. From that day onward, Xue Lingshan had been devastated and lost all will to live. Almost every month, the monks at the temple would see her praying for her daughter. She would kneel before the Buddha for an entire day at a time. “Madam, your sorrow has been weighing heavily on your heart, and your spleen and lungs are weak. You cannot continue kneeling for such long periods. Please return home for today.” Xue Lingshan wanted to insist, but the pain in her chest grew increasingly severe. She had no choice but to stand and slowly make her way outside with Xiaohong supporting her. Xiaohong was deeply worried and softly tried to comfort her. “Madam, your sincerity must have moved the immortals in heaven long ago. Perhaps after some more time, they will allow Fifth Miss to be reborn and become your daughter once again!” Xue Lingshan, however, remained pessimistic. “The eminent monk said that my child was the reincarnation of a koi fairy. My mortal body couldn't bear her destiny, so I couldn't keep her.” “I…” Xue Lingshan raised a hand to wipe away her tears. “I've already lost her forever.” Just then, a voice called out from behind them. “Madam, please wait!” Xue Lingshan turned around. The monk from earlier was hurrying down the steps toward them, his face filled with joy. “The abbot has a message for you.” Xue Lingshan was startled. “The abbot?” She had worshiped at this temple for five years but had never once met the abbot. Rumor had it that this accomplished monk was already halfway to becoming an immortal and had long withdrawn from worldly affairs. For some reason, Xue Lingshan suddenly felt nervous. “Little Master, please tell me quickly.” The monk's smile grew even wider. “Congratulations, Madam. Your unwavering devotion has finally received an answer! The abbot was moved by your sincerity and just performed a divination for you. He discovered that your bond with your daughter has not yet ended!” The words seemed to drift down from the heavens. Xue Lingshan staggered backward, nearly losing her balance. Her heart pounded so violently that it felt as though it might leap straight out of her throat. She turned toward Xiaohong and saw that the maid was equally ecstatic. The monk handed her a brown envelope with both hands. The moment the monk left, Xue Lingshan could no longer wait. With her heart pounding like a drum, she hurriedly tore open the envelope. “Liujia Village, fifty kilometers away. Liu Chunhua's residence.” “What does this mean?” Xue Lingshan asked anxiously. Xiaohong stared at the message in confusion and shook her head. Then, suddenly realizing something, she cried out: “Could Fifth Miss have already been reincarnated? Does the abbot mean for you to go there and find her?!” The moment Xue Lingshan heard this, every bit of pain in her body seemed to disappear. Just moments ago, she had been struggling to walk. Now she didn't care about anything else. She lifted her skirt and ran straight toward the parking lot. “Quick—” Her heart, which had been dead for five years, had suddenly come alive again! Terrified that even a second's delay might cause her to lose her daughter once more, she shouted: “Get to Liujia Village as fast as possible! Immediately!” One hour later. Liu Chunhua had been anxiously waiting at home and finally saw the manager from the Shanghai auction house arrive. But when she spotted the approaching vehicles from a distance, something seemed off. A thick cloud of dust billowed behind the wheels, while the roar of engines was deafening. Several gleaming black luxury cars were heading straight toward them. …It was only an auction house selecting female workers. Was there really a need for such a grand spectacle? When the convoy came to a stop, Liu Chunhua was even more frightened and instinctively took half a step backward. The doors of the vehicles behind the lead car opened. Several highly trained soldiers jumped out from both sides. More than a dozen soldiers formed two orderly lines around the luxury car, each holding a long rifle against their chest, their weapons gleaming coldly. When Liu Chunhua saw the auction house manager step out of one of the cars, she finally breathed a sigh of relief and nervously went forward to greet him. “M-Manager, what's going on? Why are there so many soldiers?” The manager's face was filled with delight. “You've struck it big! Originally, I was only here to select a female worker, but a distinguished person wants to adopt a daughter. She asked me to bring her here to meet your daughter!” “Adopt a daughter?!” Liu Chunhua could hardly believe her ears. The unexpected blessing was almost enough to make her dizzy. She had never imagined that such an incredible opportunity could ever fall into her lap! In her eyes, the manager already held an important position in such a lavish establishment and was someone she could never hope to encounter in her lifetime. Yet this very person was now repeatedly referring to someone else as a distinguished person. Just how important must that person be?! Looking at the convoy again, Liu Chunhua realized that the vehicles appeared to be military cars. Her heart began to race with excitement, and she asked eagerly: “Who exactly is in the car?” The manager immediately warned her. “Shh! Don't pry into the affairs of important people. Just answer whatever you're asked later.” Liu Chunhua gave an ingratiating smile and repeatedly nodded. “I understand. I understand.” She followed the manager to the rear passenger window of the lead car. The manager bent down and lightly knocked on the window. Two seconds later, the window lowered a few centimeters, and a cold female voice came from inside. “You're Liu Chunhua?” “Yes.” “I heard you have a daughter who wants to work at the auction house?” “Yes!” “What month was she born?” “In the dead of winter.” “…” Silence filled the car for several seconds. Then the woman's voice suddenly rose with excitement. “Good. Good! Hurry and bring her out to meet me.” “She's still getting dressed…” Liu Chunhua failed to notice the subtle change in the woman's tone and hurriedly continued, “I'll go inside and urge her to come out. It won't take much of your time.” “Wait!” Perhaps it was just Liu Chunhua's imagination, but the distinguished woman's voice inside the car suddenly became much gentler, as though she were afraid of startling something fragile. “Don't rush her. Let her take her time. There's no need to hurry. I can wait in the car while she gets ready. I have plenty of time.” Liu Chunhua was astonished. She respectfully agreed before stepping aside. Not long afterward, the manager came over and warmly said: “Sister-in-law Liu, once you're wealthy and successful, don't forget to invite me over for a get-together.” Liu Chunhua was both flattered and overwhelmed. If she had a tail, it would have been wagging proudly in the sky! It was all thanks to her obedient and sensible older daughter that she could share in such good fortune. Nothing like that ungrateful, useless younger daughter… At the thought of DouDou, Liu Chunhua glanced unhappily at the tightly locked woodshed door, feeling a deep sense of regret. If only her stepdaughter were her biological daughter. How wonderful that would be. Meanwhile— Inside the car, Xue Lingshan was so excited that she could barely sit still. She grabbed Xiaohong's hand. “When I lost my baby, it was during the twelfth lunar month!” Xiaohong's eyes reddened as she nodded firmly. Her madam had grieved for Fifth Miss for five years, unable to eat or sleep properly. Now that there was finally hope, Xiaohong was genuinely happy for her. “The abbot said Fifth Miss is here, so she must be here. There can't be any mistake!” Inside the military car, the two of them excitedly imagined the reunion. They even cried through several handkerchiefs while waiting. At long last, the farmhouse door opened. They leaned forward and saw the young girl standing in the doorway. Both women's expressions changed drastically. “No… This isn't right…” The color drained from Xue Lingshan's face. “I lost my baby five years ago. Even if my daughter has already been reincarnated, she should only be five years old.” But the girl standing outside was clearly already in her teens! The ages didn't match at all! Liu Chunhua and her stepdaughter were completely unaware that, just one door away, the atmosphere inside the military car had already frozen. When they reached the car, Liu Chunhua nudged her stepdaughter with her elbow and desperately signaled with her eyes. The girl was quick-witted. She immediately flashed a sweet smile toward the car window and called in a delicate voice: “Ma~” “…” If Xue Lingshan had merely felt indifferent toward the girl before, that single “Ma” instantly filled her with overwhelming disgust, making her feel as though she might vomit up everything she'd eaten the night before. How dare just anyone call her Ma? She didn't even know where her real daughter was suffering! Xue Lingshan's expression turned cold. In a frigid voice, she said: “You're so young, yet you have no shame. How dare you call someone that? Do you not want your tongue anymore?” Her reprimand struck like a thunderclap. Liu Chunhua and her stepdaughter were so frightened that they nearly lost their wits. They had no idea what they had done wrong. Fortunately, Xue Lingshan continued: “Roll up your sleeve and put your arm through the car window. Let me see.” The stepdaughter obediently did as she was told. Xue Lingshan had actually already lost hope, but she still clung to one final trace of possibility. Her daughter had a cinnabar birthmark on the inside of her forearm, shaped like a little rabbit. Five years ago, when she personally buried her daughter, she had even erected a tombstone shaped like a little rabbit. She prayed desperately. But the arm reaching into the car was completely clean, without the slightest trace of a birthmark. It was the final blow that broke the camel's back. Xue Lingshan was overcome with grief and could barely breathe. She tightly closed her eyes. “You are not my daughter.” “...!” The stepdaughter immediately panicked and turned toward Liu Chunhua. Liu Chunhua was equally frantic, her face twisting with anxiety. How could this happen? How could she let the opportunity that had already fallen into her hands slip away?! “Madam, please take another look!” The stepdaughter didn't want to miss this chance to rise to the top in one step either. She forced a flattering smile onto her face. “I'm very obedient. If you take me as your goddaughter, I promise you won't regret it!” The more noisy and ingratiating the girl became, the more disgusted Xue Lingshan felt. “Leave,” she ordered the driver. The engine had just started when Xue Lingshan suddenly shouted: “Wait!” She opened the car door herself and stepped onto the muddy road in her embroidered shoes. Her expression was blank as she stared at the woodshed door. Without even realizing it, she took several steps closer, wanting to see it more clearly— At the lower left corner of the battered wooden door was a little rabbit drawn in charcoal. The crude drawing was unmistakably the work of a young child, its simple shape oddly adorable. Xue Lingshan's fingernails dug into her palms. She turned to the nervous mother and daughter and spoke in a dry, trembling voice: “Does your family… have an even younger daughter?”