According to the original story, I am supposed to encounter a little girl with golden hair and steal one of her already pathetic shoes. Next, I will declare that I can use the shoe as a cradle for my future child:)
With this thought, Jiang Ting ran all around looking for the girl. He looked from the left to the right, then from the front to the back, but did not see a single girl.
Just as Jiang Ting was about to cross the street and search again, he spotted a little girl with golden hair approaching him from the opposite side. She looked to be about seven or eight years old. Her small face was pale and her jacket had several patches. She was wearing a thin pair of trousers and her feet were donned with slippers that were much too big for her and she was crossing the road.
Clip-clop-clip.
Two horse carriages rushed past along the street. "Don’t block the way!" yelled the driver spitefully as he went on his way.
The young girl darted out of the way before rushing back onto the pavement. Her slipper was dislodged, revealing her battered foot.
Just then, her foot was standing on the icy cold snow. Seeing this made Jiang Ting feel chilled to the bone.
[Notification: Host can accelerate the ending by grabbing the matchsticks in the little girl’s hands.]
The girl inhaled, tucked the matchsticks into her old apron and stood up to pick up her shoe. Her feet quickly turned red due to the cold snow.
She could not find one of her shoes, while the other had rolled to Jiang Ting’s feet.
The dilapidated slipper was right next to his foot, but Jiang Ting was conflicted.
Whether it was according to the system or the original story, he needs to do something bad now.
The girl held tightly onto her apron to prevent her matchsticks from falling, while placing the other hand and her foot into the oversized slipper.
"Would you like to buy some matches? 1 kroner for a box." Asked the girl in a childish voice.
Perhaps it was because she was on the verge of collapse, her voice was faint and weak.
Jiang Ting moved his lips, opening and closing his mouth, his mind in turmoil as he struggled with the situation.
"Aren’t you going home? It’s New Year’s Eve." Jiang Ting asked while deliberating.
The snow fell harder, the winds blew boastfully down the street. The girl’s trousers revealed a bit of her leg. Jiang Ting thought she must be freezing.
The girl hesitated, her face dropping. She held her matchsticks tighter, "My father would be furious if I didn’t sell a single matchstick. He would whip me with his horse whip... and our home..."
Home is also cold. 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢
Jiang Ting understood. Although the original story is short, it does hint at this detail. The walls of her house are cold, the roof could let in the wind, the broken parts are blocked with grass and old cloth.
Even though Jiang Ting knew all this, when it actually happened in front of him, his heart ached involuntarily.
She couldn’t find her other shoe, so she moved to the side, huddled herself into a small ball, clearly wishing to stay as far as she could from the dreadful wind.
Jiang Ting had witnessed the entire process, his hands clenched involuntarily.
If there wasn’t help from others at the orphanage, his life would have been just as bleak and miserable.
Isn’t it supposed to be a fully autonomous system? I should just go with the flow.
Thinking this, Jiang Ting’s eyes hardened. He picked up the other slipper the girl had lost from an inconspicuous corner and passed it to her.
"Put on your shoe."
Jiang Ting pulled out a pair of thick cotton gloves from his satchel and handed it to her, "Here, put these on."
Whoosh.
The wind was howling in his ear, snow was swirling around them. It made the little girl shiver as she took the gloves hesitantly. The warm touch brought a smile to her face.
"It’s so warm." The girl stuffed her frostbitten hands into the gloves and gleefully said, "Have a matchstick, it’s warm."
She pulled out a matchstick from her apron and struck it against the wall. She then carefully shielded the small flame from the wind with her other hand and passed it to Jiang Ting.
How easily she is satisfied.
"Thank you." Jiang Ting took the matchstick from her. He then took out the 50 kroner bill he’d tricked out of the kind woman and passed it to the little girl, "Sell me some matchsticks."
The little girl’s grin widened as she handed Jiang Ting a large bundle of matchsticks, "That’s sixty boxes of matchsticks. I am giving them all to you. Thank you!"
"I don’t need so many matchsticks." Jiang Ting stiffened with the realization that he would have to explain why he spent money on so many matchsticks while there was a burning fireplace at home.
"Well, I can’t take the money if I don’t sell all of them. The God of fairness is watching!" The little girl was firm and tried to return the bill to Jiang Ting.
"You should go home as soon as you sell them. It’s getting dark." Jiang Ting said, accepting the matchsticks.
If she went home now, she might not freeze to death.
The girl quickly nodded, made a praying gesture with her small hands, muttering a prayer under her breath. She then left, disappearing into the alleyway, leaving Jiang Ting and a whole lot of matchsticks behind.
Jiang Ting hunched his shoulders, feeling as if the matchsticks were extraordinarily hot in his hands.
How will he explain all this to his kind mother?
Mansion -
After sorting things out, Jiang Ting quickly returned home. The original host was probably around eight or nine years old. The mansion belonged to the original host’s mother, and his father was a slightly famous local writer who stayed all day in his study. The original host mostly stayed with his mother. She was very nice and didn’t hit or scold him, fulfilling any request he had. This probably led to the original host’s spoiled and selfish character.
They also employed a maid in the house to assist Madam Oran. At this time, the two had just finished decorating the Christmas tree and were having a chat.
"Child, show me what you hold so dear in your arms. It must be a fluffy toy or a bag of sweets, you always love these." Madam Oran exclaimed in surprise before guessing joyfully.
No, it’s the twenty-eight boxes of matches with the enchanting scent of saltpeter :)
"These are matches." Jiang Ting held the items, feeling guilty. The large fireplace not afar was particularly noticeable.
After he spoke, the room fell silent.
The only sound remaining was the crackling firewood in the fireplace.
"Well, what else did you buy? Let me look... perhaps it is..." Madam Oran, demonstrating great composure, invited the next guess.
"I bought all matches."
...
The room fell silent once again, Jiang Ting held the items, feeling insecure.
"Just take it as I lost fifty kroner." Madam Oran sighed, touching her forehead, "Let me know when the fireplace is not warm enough."
"Yes, mother."
Having passed Madam Oran’s inspection, Jiang Ting breathed a sigh of relief, and hurriedly ran upstairs, "clip-clop-clip," and returned to his room.
He hid the matches under his desk, then climbed onto his bed after washing up. Staring out at the dark sky outside his window, he fell into deep thoughts.
The midnight bell would soon toll. The little girl should be fine now, right?
The system still hadn’t made a move, even only generating a single notification. It really is a fully autonomous system.
I have changed the ending, haven’t I? Will I be trapped here in this story forever...?
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