Chapter 3: That precious treasure will become a star and protect you.
She hugged Su Bao tightly, took two steps back, and swallowed hard.
"Su Bao, why...why didn't you let your aunt go over just now!" Madam Qian looked at the small, thin girl in her arms and couldn't help but ask.
Little Su Bao quickly lowered her head, her body trembling slightly, but her lips remained tightly closed, refusing to utter a single word.
She was afraid that Qian would dislike her, as Qian resembled her mother, and she didn't want to be hated by Qian.
When I used to talk about these things with my older siblings...
They'll definitely hit me, and call me a little jinx!
If this gentle aunt knew what she was going to see, would she hit her too?
Little Su Bao was both scared and uneasy. She clenched her little hands tightly together, lowered her head, and dared not look at Qian Shi.
Seeing how frightened the little girl was, Mrs. Qian felt a pang of sympathy and reached out to pat her hair.
"I'm...I'm sorry...I was wrong!"
Little Su Bao thought that Qian Shi was going to hit her, so she curled up in fear, wishing she could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.
She covered her face, leaving her back exposed, as if letting Qian hit her back.
Qian's hand froze in mid-air, and she felt a pang of inexplicable heartache.
What exactly did this child go through?
"Su Bao did nothing wrong! She just helped her aunt. Su Bao is great!"
Qian slowly placed her hand on Su Bao's head and gently stroked her hair.
Trying to comfort this sensitive child.
Su Bao stopped trembling, and her big, wet eyes peeked out from between her fingers.
Qian's hands were warm, just like her mother's.
"Su Bao...isn't she...a jinx?"
She spoke in a childish voice, her eyes filled with doubt and confusion.
When she was two years old, her mother turned into a star, and she could no longer see her mother. Life in the Lan family became increasingly difficult.
She lowered her head and spoke in a voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz.
“They all say Su Bao is a jinx, and her grandparents don’t like her either.”
"My older brothers and sisters say that Su Bao killed Mother, but Su Bao didn't kill Mother!"
“Mother said that when people die, they become stars and protect their precious children. Su Bao is Mother’s precious child, and Mother is also Su Bao’s precious child.”
"Mommy said she would become the brightest star and always protect Su Bao."
"But Su Bao doesn't want Mommy to become a star. Su Bao wants Mommy to hug her... Su Bao wants to protect Mommy."
"Su Bao also wants to die, so she can become a star and protect her mother!"
"Oh, Auntie, when can Su Bao die? When can she turn into a star!"
Qian stared blankly at Su Bao, her heart aching with each murmur of the child.
She hugged Su Bao, tears streaming down her face.
Su Bao's mother is dead. She had just cursed Su Bao's parents. Qian Shi felt terrible.
"Why are you crying, Auntie? How about when Su Bao becomes a star, I'll protect you too, okay..." The little baby was anxious, wiping Qian's face haphazardly with his little hands.
Qian's heart melted, and she held Su Bao tightly.
"What about your father? What about the rest of your family?" Madam Qian asked with heartache.
“Su Bao… doesn’t have a father…”
Little Su Bao lowered her head even further, her voice filled with disappointment: "They said Su Bao is a bastard, and Mother said Father is a great hero, and that Father will definitely come back to find Su Bao and Mother..."
Qian's heart ached even more. Looking at Su Bao, she didn't know how to comfort her for a moment.
Xiao Su Bao's voice was so soft that it was almost inaudible; Qian Shi had to get close to hear it.
"Grandma and Grandpa don't want Su Bao anymore, my older brother and sister, and Grandpa don't want Su Bao either. Su Bao has no home anymore..." Little Su Bao clutched her clothes tightly.
She took out a money pouch from her bosom: "Auntie, I eat very little. This is the money my mother-in-law left me. Please give it all to me... Please don't send me away... I'm very obedient and can work..."
Mrs. Qian felt so heartbroken she didn't know how to describe it, and she patted Su Bao's back.
I wanted to beat those who spoke such nasty words to her. How could they be so heartless to treat such a young child like that?
Suppressing her anger, Madam Qian grabbed a small stool from the side, placed the little one on the stool, and then looked at her seriously and began to speak.
"You're not a jinx, you're a lucky star. They don't want you, but your auntie does. From now on, you can stay at your auntie's house and be your auntie's daughter, okay?"
Su Bao's eyes suddenly lit up, and she asked in a small voice, "Can...can I...be Auntie's daughter?"
"Okay!" Madam Qian said gently, stroking the soft hair at her temples.
She had been longing for a daughter, but her husband died before she could have one. Now that she had a daughter, and didn't even have to give birth herself, she was overjoyed.
Hearing Qian Shi's words, Su Bao's eyes lit up, and she raised her little hand, quickly saying, "Su Bao promises to eat little and do a lot. Su Bao can sweep the floor, raise chickens, and grow vegetables... Su Bao can even exchange her dowry money for Auntie when she grows up..."
The little girl is four and a half years old this year, but she looks only two or three years old.
The words made Qian feel both heartbroken and distressed. What kind of environment did this child grow up in?
After Su Bao's mother died, the little girl spent most of her time living in the most remote courtyard of the Lan family.
A mute old woman took her in, but the old woman had a bad temper and didn't care much about her.
But Xiao Su Bao still prefers the mute old woman; at least the mute old woman won't scold her or hit her randomly.
The mute old woman still raised chickens and grew vegetables, but after she turned into a star, her life became difficult.
They all said she was a jinx, and no one wanted to take care of her. Everyone bullied her, even the big black dog in the family bullied Su Bao.
Everyone said she wasn't a member of the Lan family and told her to get out, but her mother said this was her home!
But now, they don't want her anymore. Su Bao felt sad and tears streamed down her face.
Looking at her sensible child, Madam Qian felt a pang of sorrow. How could someone be so heartless as to abandon her at such a young age!
Don't say they're too poor to raise the child; the fabric on this child's clothes looks quite nice, definitely not something you'd find in their little village.
"You don't have to do anything. From now on, you're my only daughter. Leave everything to your mother, okay?"
As she spoke gently, Ms. Qian reached out and pulled the baby into her arms, trying to warm her with her own body heat.
Little Su Bao's eyes were full of light. She looked at Qian Shi and felt that Qian Shi looked a lot like her mother.
She seemed to see her own mother smiling and nodding at her.
She instinctively reached out and touched Qian's face, calling out affectionately, "Mother..."
That soft voice broke Qian's defenses.
"Oh, my dear daughter!"
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