Chapter 49 The Gloomy Little Poor Boy of the 1970s

Aunt Fan quickly brought over a steaming bowl of food: a bowl of thick lean meat and rice porridge, a plate of finely chopped pickles, a plump white steamed bun, and even a small bowl of stewed chicken.

For Su Wanqing, who was starving and freezing, this was an unimaginable feast, a delicacy she had never seen before.

She sat awkwardly at the spotless dining table, twisting the hem of her worn-out clothes between her fingers, afraid to touch her chopsticks. The house was too clean and too warm, while she felt so cold and dirty.

This reminded Shen Ci of Shen Huai from back then.

"Eat up, child, don't be shy. You'll feel warmer if you eat your fill," Shen Ci urged gently, placing the chopsticks in her hand.

Aunt Fan watched the thin little girl, her eyes welling up with tears. She turned away and secretly wiped them away. On New Year's Eve, whose children aren't dressed in new clothes and cuddling with their parents? But this child...

The aroma of the food eventually overcame her restraint and fear. Su Wanqing carefully picked up the steamed bun, took a small bite, and felt a lump in her throat from the soft texture and wheat aroma. She couldn't resist any longer and began to wolf it down.

She ate too quickly and choked, stretching her neck. Shen Ci quickly pushed the porridge over and gently patted her back.

"Eat slowly, eat slowly, all of this is yours."

After a bowl of hot porridge, her cold limbs and bones seemed to come alive. The immense warmth and fullness, along with the overwhelming kindness, caused Su Wanqing's emotions to completely collapse.

After finishing her last bite, she suddenly slid off the stool and knelt down on the ground with a thud, kowtowing repeatedly to Chen Ci, tears streaming down her face.

"Thank you... thank you... thank you... I... I..."

She choked up and couldn't speak a complete sentence, so she could only express her gratitude in the most primitive and clumsy way. Large tears kept streaming down her cheeks, making her face sting even more.

Shen Ci quickly helped her up.

"Get up quickly, don't rush, there's no need to do this."

Standing to the side, Shen Huai watched in silence the whole time, feeling a little uneasy. He instinctively felt it was troublesome and even considered telling his mother not to meddle and to send the person away.

Seeing his mother bring the person back and feed her, her gentle manner just like she had towards him, he felt a pang of jealousy, and the words stuck in his throat.

What worried him more was whether his mother would think he was cold-hearted and heartless. After all, he was living a comfortable life but was indifferent to those in distress.

After calming the agitated Su Wanqing down, Shen Ci helped her sit up again and asked softly.

"Good child, tell Auntie, why are you crying outside alone so late? Is something wrong?"

Mentioning her painful memories, Su Wanqing's tears streamed down her face again. She sobbed as she recounted her story in broken sentences.

She passed the high school entrance exam, but her family wouldn't let her continue her studies because she was a girl. Her parents accepted dowry from others and insisted on marrying her off to an old bachelor older than her father for money. She was locked in the house and finally managed to sneak out, only to find herself with nowhere to go, cold, hungry, and scared...

At this moment, she was not yet the shrewd and ambitious businesswoman she would become; she was just a little girl betrayed by her loved ones, desperate, and filled with fear and confusion.

Aunt Fan sighed as she listened to her words; it was truly pitiful.

Shen Ci listened patiently, feeling even more heartbroken. The so-called female lead had such a tragic family background. She took out a clean handkerchief and gently wiped away Su Wanqing's tears.

"Okay, stop crying, it's not your fault."

"Just relax here tonight, take a hot shower, and get a good night's sleep. We can talk about anything else tomorrow morning. Auntie will try to think of a solution, okay?"

Su Wanqing raised her teary eyes and looked at Shen Ci in disbelief. Finally, she nodded forcefully. Where else could she go if she didn't agree?

With such cold weather outside and nowhere to go, wouldn't she just freeze to death? Only by staying alive could she find another way out. By a blessing from heaven, she met kind people today.

Aunt Fan led the dazed Su Wanqing to the guest room. When Su Wanqing was led into the spacious and clean bathroom with a faint fragrance, and saw the clean bathtub and a pile of toiletries that she did not recognize, she froze. She didn't know where to put her hands and feet, and her fear reached its peak.

This place was too good for her, so good that it frightened her. She felt that she was filthy and didn't deserve to be here.

Only Shen Ci and her son Shen Huai remained in the living room.

Shen Huai hesitated for a moment before speaking in a low voice, his tone carrying a hint of barely perceptible unease.

"Mom...don't you...think I was too cold just now?" He was referring to his initial thought of kicking her out.

Shen Ci turned around and looked at him, but there was no hint of blame in her eyes. Instead, she smiled.

"How could that be? Mom thinks you did the right thing."

Shen Huai was stunned.

Shen Ci pulled him down to sit and patiently explained.

"Xiao Huai, you must remember this saying: When you are poor, you should cultivate your own virtue; when you are successful, you should help others."

When you lack the ability, prioritizing your own protection is not wrong, and is even wise. Helping others is a good thing, but you must first have the ability and resources to do so.

Furthermore, one must know how to discern and not indiscriminately extend compassion, otherwise it may harm oneself. This is called "without thunderous means, do not show the heart of a bodhisattva."

"You were alert today, and Mom thinks that's great."

Her words were always so kind; she never blamed him, soothing all of Shen Huai's unease and self-doubt. It turned out that his mother didn't think he was bad after all.

Is a mother simply someone who gives unconditional favoritism?

"Ding-dong! Villain rescue value +10"

Current rescue value: 55%

Darkening value -10%!

Current corruption level: 45%.

"Host, why did you save her? Her future is..." the system's voice asked, sounding puzzled.

Shen Ci responded in his heart.

"System, you showed me the future, but look at the present. Shen Huai and Su Wanqing are still just children."

They hadn't experienced that despair and betrayal yet, they hadn't become the way they were later. If fate hadn't tormented them, would they have turned out that way?

"From each other's perspective, they may have been villains in each other's lives, but at this moment, they are just two children who need help and guidance."

"Even if it wasn't Su Wanqing who collapsed in the snow today, but any child who was freezing or starving to death, I would still save them if I had the ability."

"I have so much wealth; saving lives is always better than harming them. The world may not care about one more or one less person suffering, but the child I save will care."

This little fish also cares; it's a text she once studied, and she still remembers it.

She watched her son's brow gradually relax, then looked towards the guest room with a distant gaze. It wasn't that she was being overly compassionate; rather, she had a better plan in mind.

Since Shen Huai's family relationship has already changed, what about the remaining love relationship...? Hehe, how about we make them end up as siblings, so they can never be together again?