Chapter 43: That’s Truly Wonderful!
Reflecting on the past, is it like trying to find a sword by carving the boat after it has sailed, in the long river of time?
Luo Cong’an couldn’t answer this question.
But if she could, she would choose to stay forever in the time spent with Mister.
…
…
In the fourth year of Tianxuan, a heavy snow fell upon Guanping City.
In the years since the new emperor ascended the throne, the already harsh and heavy taxes, combined with such extreme weather, led to an unknown number of people starving to death and freezing to death.
This was especially true for the helpless beggars in the city.
Due to the heavy snow, there were almost no pedestrians on the road, and they even lost their targets for begging. They could only starve, huddle in corners, and howl, waiting for the final moments of their lives.
Luo Cong’an was one of them.
She tightened the thin, tattered clothes on her body. Only seven or eight years old, her eyes lacked the innocence and liveliness of other children her age, replaced by a deathly numbness and indifference.
The little girl leaned in a corner deep in the alley, her body cold and stiff.
She thought that if nothing unexpected happened, she probably wouldn’t survive the night.
The wind and snow at night were often more violent, and many beggars living on the streets died on such nights.
They were not worthy of sympathy, nor did anyone sympathize with them.
Because every pitiable person wandering the streets had their own detestable reasons behind it.
Just like Luo Cong’an.
From the moment she was born, she was a disaster that should not have existed.
The year she was born, her mother was too weak from a difficult childbirth and did not survive that winter.
When the news spread, neighbors came to offer condolences and comfort.
But within two years, her father also passed away, dying on the mountain while out hunting, and never returned.
Thus, many vague discussions began to center around this ignorant little girl.
People said she was an ill omen, that she had caused the deaths of her parents and destroyed a happy family.
Fortunately, her uncle stepped forward and adopted her.
But those discussions did not disappear; instead, they continued to linger around Luo Cong’an, surfacing from time to time.
Until she was six years old, the uncle who adopted her also gave up.
Because he had already obtained all the inheritance he could, she was no longer necessary to him.
Moreover, a wandering Daoist priest had come to her uncle’s house that year.
The Daoist priest stared at the little girl for a long time, then took several steps back in surprise, exclaiming that she was a demon.
The Daoist priest’s words were widely accepted by everyone.
After all, looking at her incredibly white and peculiar long hair, how could she be a normal person?
White hair and red eyes became the evidence that the little girl had personally killed her parents.
Her uncle then abandoned her as a matter of course, saving the family the need to feed one more mouth.
Although Luo Cong’an never believed she was an ill omen, her young age left her with no room to resist.
Everything could only be borne unwillingly.
Until today, she seemed to finally be on the verge of liberation.
It wouldn’t be too bad to end it early…
Luo Cong’an was thinking blankly like this when she suddenly heard the patter of footsteps approaching.
She instinctively wanted to reach out and kneel to beg, for survival is a human instinct.
After all, it was not easy to encounter someone out and about on such a snowy day.
But the next moment, she forcefully stopped herself.
She merely buried her head, which was already between her legs, even deeper.
The footsteps abruptly stopped.
Then, a gentle male voice spoke.
“Do you want to come with me?”
For a moment, Luo Cong’an thought she was so hungry that she was hallucinating.
She remained motionless.
The male voice spoke again, this time with a sigh of slight regret.
“You don’t want to?”
He asked again.
This time, Luo Cong’an heard him clearly. She suddenly looked up, and beneath her messy, foul-smelling white hair, her eyes were filled with disbelief.
She hadn’t misheard, nor was it a hallucination.
Someone was actually saying those words.
The will to die that she had just built up was immediately destroyed by an even stronger will to survive.
The little girl quickly knelt before the young man, kowtowing with all her might, repeatedly saying, “Yes, yes, please take me in, young master. I’ll do anything… I’m very capable, I can do anything you ask…”
Chen An bent down and helped her up.
Then he examined her carefully, this first female lead designated by the system.
Her hair was no longer pure white and lustrous, but rather covered in foul-smelling, rotten mud and dirt. Her eyebrows were thin and long, and her small face had many tiny nicks.
She was wearing clothes so tattered they could barely be called fabric. The exposed skin was bruised and blue from the cold, and her small body was trembling constantly.
Aside from her pair of strangely red eyes, she looked no different from other beggars.
As Chen An sized her up, Luo Cong’an also cautiously stole glances.
She pressed her feet together nervously, restlessly rubbing her fingers. Whenever she was about to meet Chen An’s gaze, she would quickly lower her head, not daring to look at him directly.
She was afraid of displeasing Chen An in some way, and him turning to leave.
After a short while, seeing that the young man was still staring blankly without speaking, the hope that had just ignited in the little girl’s heart visibly began to flicker out again.
She couldn’t help but think, yes, with her dirty appearance, how could anyone be interested?
If it were her, encountering such an ugly, smelly, broken beggar on the street, even if they didn’t say it openly, they would surely be secretly disgusted in their hearts, right?
If it were one of the masters from Zhu Yi Lane, he might even order his servants to kick her away to avoid bringing her bad luck.
After all, this was not the first time Luo Cong’an had been treated this way.
Thinking this, the light in the girl’s eyes slowly faded, returning to its initial numbness.
In this day and age, the cheapest thing was human life.
Even if someone really needed to find a servant, they wouldn’t choose a weak and useless little girl like her.
Luo Cong’an lamented her fate and moved her feet, intending to return to the corner.
Although the wall was ice-cold, it was at least something to rely on.
Suddenly, her hand was held by another.
The warm touch was very comfortable.
Luo Cong’an’s heart rate quickened slightly.
Then, Chen An spoke, his tone still gentle and calm.
He smiled, “I’m sorry, I was a little surprised just now seeing your white hair and red eyes.”
White hair, red eyes.
Luo Cong’an acutely caught these words. She lowered her head and tried to pull her hand away forcefully.
It didn’t budge.
The grip was firm.
But Luo Cong’an’s voice trembled, tinged with a hint of tears.
“I know, I’m an ill omen from birth. You don’t need to emphasize it. Let go of me…”
Her stressed and anxious reaction caused a hint of surprise to appear on Chen An’s face.
He thought for a moment and then revealed an understanding smile.
“You seem to have misunderstood.”
“What I mean is, white hair and red eyes, that’s truly… wonderful.”
(End of Chapter)
