Volume 1, Chapter 7: This Is a Sure Thing

No one had expected this scene, nor did anyone imagine that Liu Qiaohui, who had always been known for her utter cowardice, would one day hold a kitchen knife to her own throat.

The village head’s face turned deathly pale in an instant. Despite the snow covering the ground, beads of sweat began to break out on his forehead. His speech became stuttered and incoherent.

"Liu Qiaohui, what are you doing? Put... put the knife down!"

"Don't push me! Don't push me!"

"Fine! Fine! I won't push you, just put the knife down! Put it down!"

Almost everyone present dared not even breathe. Even Mrs. Jia, who was notoriously overbearing and had never once looked at Liu Qiaohui with anything but contempt, stood there with her mouth agape, staring at the scene in stunned silence.

Everyone was wondering the same thing: was it really worth it for a child who had absolutely no blood relation to her?

The most shocked of all, however, was Ye Ling, who lay inside the basket.

*Born but not raised, a severed finger can repay the debt; born and raised, a severed head can repay the debt; not born but raised, the debt can never be repaid.*

Up until this moment, Ye Ling would have considered herself and Liu Qiaohui to be nothing more than strangers. Yet, for her sake, this woman had held a blade to her own throat.

As drops of crimson blood slowly seeped out, Ye Ling could not find the words to describe how she felt. In her previous life, she was an orphan who grew up in an orphanage. Since childhood, she had yearned for maternal love, but until her tragic death at the age of thirty, she had never known what it felt like.

But now! Yes, right now! She felt she had truly experienced what maternal love was! It was so magnificent! Truly so magnificent! She would sacrifice herself for her.

At this moment, Ye Ling wanted to live more than ever before. She would change, she would grow up, and she would fulfill the System’s requirements to ensure that Liu Qiaohui lived a life better than anyone else’s.

Her heart ached to cry, but Ye Ling knew she could not...

Liu Qiaohui’s hands were trembling, her face deathly pale, yet one hand remained tightly clutched around the basket holding Ye Ling, terrified that her shaking might cause the baby to fall to the ground.

"Leave! All of you, leave! Go!"

The village head did not hesitate to disperse the crowd. No one dared to stir up any more trouble at such a moment. The vast courtyard became so quiet that only the sound of footsteps could be heard. It was then that the village head signaled to a young man standing beside him, who immediately seized the opportunity to snatch the kitchen knife from Liu Qiaohui’s throat.

Liu Qiaohui collapsed onto the ground, letting out a sharp cry. The village head let out a long breath, his face quickly hardening back into his usual cold, authoritative expression.

"Liu Qiaohui, do you have any idea what you were just doing?"

Liu Qiaohui did not answer; she just kept shedding tears.

The village head glanced at Ye Ling in the basket, then looked at Mrs. Jia, who was still sitting on the ground with no intention of moving. He pursed his lips, as if having made a firm decision, and tapped his pipe twice against the stool. He then spoke, word by word: "Liu Qiaohui, I have been the village head for many years and have always been fair. You are a woman, so I won't hold this against you, but I cannot risk the lives of the entire village. I won't force you further after this scene, but you have only two choices: either hand this child over to me, or you take your two children and leave this village. Whatever happens to you in the wide world beyond is your own business. Three days—I give you three days. After three days, I don't care if you hold a knife to your throat or pull any other tricks; I will take this child and find her another place to go!"

The crowd dispersed quickly. The entire courtyard fell into an eerie silence. Mrs. Jia left without saying a word. Shen Cuilan left without even glancing back. Only Li Gai'er stayed to help the collapsed Liu Qiaohui to her feet.

Liu Qiaohui, her body limp and weak, had no idea how she had returned to her room or how she had regained her senses. After drinking a cup of hot water, her first reaction was to pull the quiet, uncomplaining Ye Ling from the basket into a tight embrace, ignoring even her own son.

"Qiaohui! The baby is fine! She's fine!"

"As long as she's fine, as long as she's fine!"

With a face as white as snow and large, melancholic eyes, the baby looked at Liu Qiaohui—the woman who had risked her life to protect her—with pure gratitude.

Li Gai'er let out a long sigh. She glanced at little Zhuangzi, who sat there with a runny nose, seemingly aware of the situation despite his silence. Even though she knew she shouldn't, she couldn't help but ask, "Qiaohui, what are you going to do now?"

Liu Qiaohui pursed her lips, her face filled with resolve. "I will never hand the child over! And I will not leave the village!"

"Then what will you do?"

Li Gai'er could see from Liu Qiaohui’s eyes that she had already found her answer, but Liu Qiaohui remained silent. After a long while, seeming to have recovered slightly, she finally spoke: "Sister-in-law, thank you so much for today. If it weren't for you, the baby would have been taken away!"

"I just felt sorry for the child! Never mind me; you are a widow alone, being bullied by the whole village—how will you survive in the future? The village head only gave you three days. Qiaohui, listen to me: if it really comes to it, take the children to my parents' place to hide. Once the storm passes, we can come back!"

Liu Qiaohui did not answer, only offering her thanks to Li Gai'er.

By the time Li Gai'er left, the sky had turned completely dark. Although Ye Ling had no appetite, she drank every drop of the milk Li Gai'er had brought. She had to grow up! She had to fulfill the System’s requirements! She had to ensure that Liu Qiaohui—the mother who had neither borne nor raised her—lived a life better than anyone else’s.

After finishing the milk, bright characters appeared before her eyes once again:

*System completion progress: 2/300.*

...

Everyone knew that the Liu household would surely suffer from insomnia that night. But no one knew that they were not the only ones; Mrs. Jia and the austere village head were also wide awake.

The village head, surnamed Gao, had a family of eight: three daughters, three sons, and his elderly wife. Under the dim oil lamp, the faces of all eight were illuminated.

"Father, are you really going to drive the widow Liu out?"

It was the eldest son who spoke. He had an honest-looking face and asked with great caution, fearing he might offend his father's authority.

"Is it a bad thing to drive her out?"

The question stunned his eldest son.

"Father, what do you mean by that?"

The village head took a deep drag of his pipe and rapped it against the table where the oil lamp sat.

"Sigh! I know it’s a bit heartless, but what can I do? There are eight of us living in this one small house. You’ve seen the widow's house, haven't you? If she leaves because of that child, won't her place be empty? That’s a large courtyard with three main rooms! If I find a way to buy it, won't our family stop being so cramped?"

The seven of them were stunned for a moment, then dawned with realization, their faces lighting up with smiles. The three daughters were especially radiant.

"Father! Is this true? Does that mean we won't have to sleep in the woodshed anymore?"

The village head tapped his second daughter’s head lightly with his pipe: "Silly girl, with so many rooms, do you think I’d let you keep sleeping in the woodshed?"

"Father! That’s wonderful! When can we move in?"

"What's the rush? This has to be done slowly!"

Although a flicker of disappointment crossed the daughters' faces, there was finally a glimmer of hope. However, the village head’s wife immediately poured cold water on their excitement.

"Husband, I don't think this will be so easy. Even if the widow leaves because of the child, doesn't she have an eldest son? And what about Mrs. Jia? Everyone in the village knows how much she has been coveting that courtyard. By rights, it should be hers!"

Seven pairs of disappointed eyes turned back to the village head.

The village head responded bluntly: "Hmph, ridiculous. If I can drive the widow away, I can do the same to Mrs. Jia. If she behaves, fine; but if she dares to ruin my plans, I have my own ways to deal with her!"

"Father! I believe in you, this will surely succeed!"

"Yes! Father, whether your sons can get wives in the future depends on this!"

The village head looked at his children and took another drag of his pipe: "Don't worry. She’s just a widow; she can't defy the heavens. Before the year is out... I will make sure you all move in!! It will happen!!"