A ragged cub at the beginning

The early autumn sunshine poured into the room with its warm feeling. A slender woman was lying on the floor beside the bed with a white gauze curtain.

This is a very heroic face, with thick and dark eyebrows, high eyebrows, straight nose, plump lips, and smooth and clear facial lines.

Perhaps it was the dazzling sunlight that caused her eyelids to tremble and she slowly opened her eyes. Her narrow, almond-shaped eyes were still a little dazed, but when she saw the surroundings, her eyes suddenly widened.

"What is this place?" Tang Xu frowned slightly. She felt at a loss in this completely unfamiliar room. She rubbed her swollen forehead and climbed onto the bed to sit back.

What was she doing just now?

By the way, she had a heart attack and went into surgery.

Where is this? She raised her hand, and the clothes she was wearing looked like Hanfu.

Before I could figure anything out, memories that didn't belong to me exploded in my mind.

Tang Xu, the 25th generation disciple of Tang Family Castle.

She was injured during a mission and was rescued by Ye Shaoqing. Ye Shaoqing took care of her meticulously, and Tang Xu, who had been trained as a killer since childhood, was trained every day when she opened her eyes. She had never been treated so gently and considerately by someone, and it seemed understandable that she was moved by Ye Shaoqing after spending so much time together.

I thought they were in love, but after Ye Shaoqing discovered her feelings, he confessed that he had a fiancée and would be getting married soon. His care for her was just the doctor's intention, and he hoped she would not misunderstand.

After Tang Xu returned to Tangjiabao in a daze, although the mission was completed, she failed to return in time, and was punished after returning.

She was locked up in the water dungeon for a month, and was whipped twenty times every day when she opened her eyes. She didn't care at all, as this kind of punishment was commonplace for people like them.

After the punishment, she was assigned a new task, and when she was scouting the place, she saw Ye Shaoqing again. She was overwhelmed by a strong sense of unwillingness, and she left her partner behind and chased after Ye Shaoqing.

Ye Shaoqing came to see his sweetheart, a gentle and beautiful girl. She spoke softly and even when she was angry, she looked pitiful.

Tang Xu touched her hair, where several poison needles were hidden. She could ensure that no one would notice and send them into the girl's body. She would die quietly, and it would not even be discovered that she was poisoned.

Or kill Ye Shaoqing, but she hesitated.

She didn't know what was wrong with her. To her, the difference between human life being difficult to kill and not difficult to kill was just that. But now she felt very strange. She didn't want to kill anyone, nor did she want to leave. She followed Ye Shaoqing and his wife around all day, watching them live in harmony.

She was envious, but she didn't know what she was envious of. Just watching, she felt peaceful in her heart.

One day, she found herself being followed. The Tang Sect's people finally found her. Disciples who defected never had a good ending. She followed the two disciples from the Punishment Hall all the way and led them far to the next city before killing them.

When she returned to Ye Shaoqing's house, there were only corpses on the ground. The doorman, the housekeeper, the servant, the maid, the wet nurse, all 53 people in the house, not one was missing. The couple died in the child's room. Tang Xu felt as if her heart was being tightly squeezed by a hand. She reached out her hand and wanted to touch Ye Shaoqing.

He opened his eyes, and they were still warm, as if they were smiling. Even though his face was blue and he was dying, "Tang, girl, I know you've always been here. Help me, my child, save him, please, please..."

Tang Xu gritted her teeth and nodded, and saw Ye Shaoqing lowering his eyes and looking under the bed. She moved the couple to the bed. The child was wrapped tightly and was sleeping soundly at the moment. The blood dripping from his parents did not stain him at all.

Tang Xu walked to the living room, which was very spacious. A red solid wood eight-immortal table stood firmly in the middle of the living room, surrounded by several round stools. She walked over and squatted down. She saw a child with a hemp rope tied around his neck. His name was Ye Qiyue, and he was over four years old.

The little boy sat on the floor, leaning against the table leg, his hands hugging his knees, his clothes dusty. His messy hair hadn't been washed for a long time, and his whole face showed only one blank eye, which shrank when he saw her. He squeezed back slightly, but there was an unmovable table leg behind him.

Tang Xu simply couldn't imagine how this child had grown to be four years old. The original owner didn't know how to raise a child. She would feed him when she remembered. If she didn't remember, he would starve. She would carry him on her back when she was escaping, and she basically ignored him the rest of the time. In addition to avoiding being hunted down, the original owner also had to investigate the murderer who killed the Ye family.

It was fine at first, but as time went on, something seemed to be wrong with the original owner. She became more and more irritable, hiding from place to place and carrying a burden, and she could not find any clues about the Ye family's affairs. She began to vent her anger on the child, but when Ye Qiyue was beaten, he just hugged her legs and cried for his mother. She regretted it and bought him a roast chicken.

But after venting once, she seemed to become addicted. Over and over again, she regretted it less and less, and started to be more ruthless.

After a few times, Ye Qiyue stopped hugging her and crying. Every time the original owner went crazy, he would curl up and hug himself tightly. His clear and innocent eyes seemed to be stained with shadows, and fear was no longer visible, only numbness and death.

The child was lucky enough to live to the age of four, but he was very small and thin, with dull eyes and an expressionless face.

Tang Xu walked over and squatted down with a distressed look on his face, untying the rope. He reached out and hugged the trembling child, smoothing the hair off his face. "Don't be afraid, no one will beat you anymore."

The child was so light that it felt like holding a skeleton in my arms. He also had a bad odor, like the smell of a garbage can that had been stagnant for a long time.

Ye Qiyue trembled when he was picked up. He clenched his hands twice and pinched the clothes on his chest. His mother was very different today. Her hands were so gentle when she held him. He wanted to look up at her, but he was still scared when he remembered that she looked like she wanted to eat him.

It stinks so bad, Tang Xu sniffed it twice and felt a little breathless. She thought, I should take a bath first.

The kitchen was in the yard, but the original owner didn't cook much. "You sit here first."

There is still half a bundle of firewood in the woodshed, and there is a well in the yard. Wash the pot and fill it with water. There is a small stick on the stove, which is the legendary lighter in ancient times - the fire stick.

Tang Xu blew on it and a spark lit up, then he started a fire. He then busily dug out a large wooden tub and washed it. The sun was shining brightly, so it shouldn't be too cold to take a bath in the yard, right?

But she searched the house but couldn't find the child's clothes. The house was rented two months ago. The two had been running for their lives, and the original owner didn't have many clothes. She searched her body and took out a purse. The money was stolen on the road. There were some small change and copper coins in it, and a fifty-liang silver note, which was enough to get by for a while.

"July, I'm going out to buy some things. You..." She carried the little guy back to the living room, "Don't start a fire in the kitchen."

Ye Qiyue sat on the stool obediently. He was not used to this and wanted to hide himself. He thought it would be great if there was a dark place where no one could see him. He liked the box where he put his clothes and felt safe hiding in it. He looked up and saw that his mother had left. He quietly climbed down the stool and hid under the table. The feeling of being surrounded by something made him feel at ease.

When she got out of the door, she saw an alley with several children playing sepak takraw. Most of the people here were from ordinary families running small businesses. The yard that the original owner rented was at the end of the alley. Tang Xu felt as if she didn't know what day it was. She had traveled through time and space and was reborn. Before she could even sigh, she had a child to take care of.

There was no time to think about it, as the water was still boiling in the house. She stopped a child and said, "Little kid, I want to ask you, where can I buy clothes around here?"

Fang Zijun took two steps back holding the ball. Seeing that it was a beautiful sister, he was no longer afraid. "Go out, there's one on the right!"

"Thank you." Tang Xu touched his head, looked at his cute face with his head tilted back, and said, "I'll bring you some candy later."

Fang Zijun's eyes lit up and he immediately threw the ball to his companion, "Really? I'll take you there! I know where the candy is!"

The little girl next to him walked up and grabbed the corner of Fang Zijun's clothes, "Brother Jun! You can't go with strangers!"

"She's not a stranger!" Fang Zijun disagreed. How could such a beautiful sister, who gave candy, be a bad person? "I know her. She lives over there!"

"You can't go! I'm going to tell your mother!" Zhao Yunniang threatened with a stern face.

Fang Zijun struggled for a bit, but failed to shake off Yunniang's hand. He suddenly became annoyed, "You're so annoying! I know Aunt Wang from the cloth shop! She's not going far!"

"Okay, okay, stop arguing." Tang Xu was afraid that the two children would fight, so she quickly said, "I'll be back after buying the things, soon, you wait for me here." After that, she left in a hurry. She heard the argument of several children behind her, and she shook her head with amusement.

Turn right at the alley entrance, and you'll see Zhou's Cloth Shop across the street. There were not many people in the shop at this time, and a woman was embroidering with an embroidery frame behind the counter. Seeing the customer coming in, Wang Xiaofang greeted with a smile: "Good afternoon, what do you want?"

"Hello, do you have any clothes for children?" Tang Xu looked around and saw all kinds of fabrics displayed outside, but no ready-made clothes.

"Is this ready-made clothing? How tall is the child? Is it a boy or a girl?" Wang Xiaofang walked out from the counter and asked.

Tang Xu frowned and thought about it. She didn't look carefully just now. Maybe it was up to her thigh? She raised her hand and compared. "This high, boy."

"Yes, wait a minute." Wang Xiaofang went to the back and brought out two sets of clothes. "Not many people buy ready-made clothes. We only have these two sets in the store. If you are not in a hurry, you can give us the size and we will make it in two or three days."

"Then let's get a set first, this blue one." Tang Xu picked out a set, thinking about bringing the child to have it custom-made later, as he didn't know if the finished set would be suitable.

"Okay, this dress is made of cotton, with both lining and outer layer. It's not expensive, just one hundred and fifty cents." Wang Xiaofang took the dress apart and showed it to you.

Tang Xu reached out and touched it. Actually, she couldn't feel anything, but it felt soft and not prickly. "Okay, put it away."

Wang Xiaofang took the money. It was rare to see such a straightforward customer. She agreed with a smile on her face, "Okay, okay." After putting it on, she said, "If there is anything that doesn't fit, just bring your child here and I'll make it for you."

I didn't expect there would be after-sales service. Tang Xu was also very satisfied and nodded with a smile, "Okay, thank you."

"Have fun." Wang Xiaofang smiled and saw the person out.

"By the way, is there any place selling candied haws nearby?" Tang Xu asked, thinking about what he had just promised.

Wang Xiaofang is still a loving child, thinking, and gave her directions, "Yes, look at that steamed bun shop, turn left at the intersection, there is a candied haws vendor."

"Thank you." Tang Xu walked along the road and saw a candied haws seller. They were two coins a string. He originally wanted to buy two strings, one for July and one for the kid who pointed the way. But there were five kids in the alley, and it seemed a bit pitiful to have only one kid eat, so he simply bought six strings.

Seeing that the sun had risen directly overhead, there was no vegetable at home and no time to buy any, I simply bought four big buns as a makeshift lunch.

When she reached the entrance of the alley, she saw five children squatting in a row, their hands on their faces. When she saw her, Fang Zijun stood up and jumped, then rushed over first, "Sister! I knew you wouldn't lie to me!"

Tang Xu said with a smile: "How do you know I won't lie to you?"

"You are so beautiful, you will definitely not lie!" Fang Zijun stood on tiptoe and looked at the candied haws in her hand, his mouth drooling wildly.

"Here, with your group..." Tang Xu looked at the expectant little faces, thought of the scene just now, and teased: "Little frogs, share it, one string each, don't fight."

"Thank you, sister!" Fang Zijun took the candied haws happily when he saw them. He gave them to Zhao Yunniang first, muttering, "See, I was right, how could a beautiful sister be a bad person and a liar?"

Zhao Yunniang's mouth was blocked by the candied haws, and she only snorted softly.

When he got home, Qiyue crawled under the table again. It seemed that the table gave him a sense of security. He leaned against the table legs and hugged his knees. When he saw Tang Xu, he shrank his neck and squeezed back.

Tang Xu's heart softened and he waved his hand, "Come in July and eat buns."

July arched his back forward, then hesitated for a while before crawling out.

too skinny.

Tang Xu had never seen such a thin child. Nowadays, all children are chubby. Even if they are not fat, they still have baby fat. When you clench your little hands, they are like a small bun. "Oh, it's a little dirty. Let's go wash our hands."

As she spoke, she walked into the kitchen, and heard the sound of boiling water in the pot. She put the things down, scooped some water to wash the little guy's hands, and then stuffed him with a bun and asked him to sit down and eat.

She found a bucket and scooped out the hot water and poured it into the large wooden basin outside. She didn't add any cold water yet, and would add more after the buns were finished, so that it wouldn't get cold. She continued to add water to the pot in the kitchen, because the child was too dirty and it was probably impossible to wash him clean in one go.

When I finished my work and looked back, I saw that July had already finished eating the buns and was now staring at her fingers in a daze.

"There's more." She gave him another one. She thought two would be enough for a child of his age, and she could eat two herself. Unexpectedly, before she finished her first, July gobbled up another one, looking as ferocious as a puppy snatching food on the roadside.

Tang Xu was stunned for a moment, and put the last bun in his hand. "Eat slowly, don't choke."

After eating the buns, Tang Xu peeled off July's skin. The black ones were new wounds, the purple ones with reddish hues were in the healing stage, and the green ones were almost healed... She had never known that a person could have so many scars, and on a four-year-old child at that.

She gritted her teeth and with trembling hands put the person into the wooden tub with adjusted water temperature. The warm sunlight shining on her body made her feel a little dry, but her heart felt cold.

If she hadn't come, how long would the child live? Even if he managed to grow up, what would he look like? A cowardly, self-deprecating, bullied weakling? Or a gloomy, sick, and crazy person?

Did she come here to save this child? But she had never raised a child before. She was not sure what kind of child she would raise.

"It hurts..." A faint cry of pain interrupted her thoughts, and she realized that the nail of the child's little toe was crumbling, with only a piece of skin and flesh sticking to it, and underneath was a red, swollen and ulcerated toe that was unrecognizable. The wound was sensitive to heat and water, and July's legs were shaking in pain when soaking in warm water.

Tang Xu didn't know what to do for a moment, and tears suddenly welled up in his eyes. It hurt so much just looking at it!

It took her a while to remember that the wound couldn't get wet, so she quickly fished the foot out. It depends on the doctor. If the nail is to be pulled out, then should the rotten flesh...be scraped off? Just thinking about it, Tang Xu shuddered.

She calmed down and decided to take a shower first. She was already halfway through. After washing three times, Qiyue finally looked like a human. After changing into clean clothes, he looked like a pretty boy. She thought of Ye Shaoqing and his wife. Although Qiyue's smiling eyes were dull, they were exactly the same as his father's. His nose and mouth were more like his mother's, delicate and beautiful.

There were only two inconspicuous red spots on his beautiful lips. That was because the original owner disliked his noise and wanted to sew his mouth shut. Tang Xu closed his eyes, unable to bear to look at those memories. When the original owner sewed the first stitch, Qiyue cried so hard that her throat was unable to make a sound. After the second stitch, she fainted. This scared the original owner and she stopped this cruel practice.

After drying his hair, he couldn't comb it, so Tang Xu found a pair of scissors and cut his hair short to the ears, like the white dragon in Spirited Away.

It’s so great that I don’t have to go through the ten months of pregnancy and the pain of childbirth, and I can have many beautiful sons.

If this happened in modern times, all those friends would be extremely envious.

She thought optimistically.