Page 273

Shanpo swiftly scooped the dessert into a bag, responding to the neighbor's jest with a retort, "Of course I'm eager, who wouldn't be when everyone is so kind? Which merchant doesn't wish to sell out all their goods every day?"

Next to her, Min Xiaohui clutched his bowl of sweet soup, lifting his emaciated little face, "M-Master, y-you c-can't..."

His words were cut short as his face flushed red.

"Sure," Chu Yuening replied with a gentle smile on her fair face, "You can take it back with you."

Seeing that the master had allowed him to bring the dessert to his sister, a hint of joy finally appeared on Min Xiaohui's worried face. He carefully cradled the bowl and rushed to the front, eager to guide the way.

Realizing that the sweet liquid was spilling due to his movements, he adjusted his pace to small steps. This way, even if he walked hastily, the dessert wouldn't spill and go to waste.

"M-Master, this way," he stammered.

Feeling that they were walking too slowly, Chu Yuening scanned the street, "Where do you live? We'll take a taxi."

A taxi?

Min Xiaohui's mouth gaped in surprise. Taxis were expensive.

He shook his head. "I walked here. I don't know the way a taxi would take."

"Surely you'll know the way when we get home, right?" Chu Yuening hailed a red taxi. Seeing Min Xiaohui nod, they both got in.

The cab pulled over at the edge of an abandoned village.

As soon as Chu Yuening stepped out, Min Xiaohui, holding the sweet soup, led the way, saying, "It's just up ahead."

At noon, every household was cooking, and white smoke rose from their chimneys.

With Min Xiaohui's arrival, several dogs ran out barking. In response, Min Xiaohui turned back to pat their heads before continuing forward.

Curious villagers emerged from the surroundings, chatter erupting as they saw Min Xiaohui leading a beautiful woman who looked like a model straight out of a television show.

A middle-aged couple pushed their way through the crowd.

The middle-aged woman, dressed in a floral-printed shirt, approached warmly and asked, "Miss, what's your relationship with the Min family? Their feng shui doesn't seem good. You'd better not get too close."

"It's for your own good," the middle-aged man added. "They've been so unlucky, with all those suicides by jumping from buildings. Now even Min Xiaomin is threatening to jump. It's as if they've attracted some sort of impure spirit."

Chu Yuening pressed her earlobe, finding the couple rather noisy. She said, "I'm a feng shui master. Any issues will be apparent after my assessment."

Upon hearing the term 'feng shui master,' Gong Jinzhi halted in her steps, seemingly startled.

"Miss, their family has major problems," Min Yan attempted to add, but Gong Jinzhi stepped on his foot, causing him to wince in pain. "Oi, you nagging woman."

Gong Jinzhi covered her mouth. "Oops, I wasn't looking where I was going."

She then shot a glance at Min Yan, who promptly swallowed his words.

Upon learning that Chu Yuening was a feng shui master, the other villagers crowded around them.

"You're an expert? That's fantastic!"

"The Min family is really cursed. Ever since Grandpa Min passed away, the couple from the main house tried to jump off a building together, leaving the two siblings to fend for each other. Now, Xiao Min is also threatening to jump."

"Don't mention Xiao Min; aren't the two children from the second branch following suit?"

"Min Xiaohui stammers too. I wonder what misfortune the Min family has brought upon themselves."

"Master, we all know the Mins are financially strained, yet you still came to help. You truly are a kind-hearted person."

Chuckling at the villagers' compliments, Chu Yuening simply smiled and followed Min Xiaohui into an old house, one with a classic style that stood in contrast to the newer concrete homes built by other villagers. The Mins still used mud bricks for their dwelling.

Upon entering, they found themselves in a courtyard.

She observed her surroundings and asked, "What's the relationship between that couple and your family?"

"That... That's my uncle and aunt," Min Xiaohui stuttered out the explanation.

It took some time for Chu Yuening to grasp the intricacies of Min Xiaohui's family tree.

Min Yan's father and Min Xiaohui's grandfather were brothers. Min Xiaohui's grandfather had two sons: one was Min Xiaohui's father, and the other was his own brother.

The brother's two sons had both tragically died from jumping off buildings, while Min Xiaohui only had an older sister. Occasionally, the uncle would provide money for Min Xiaohui, but most of the time, he preferred not to return to this place filled with sorrow.

"Here we are." Min Xiaohui paused with the bowl of sweet water beside a small room in the courtyard.

The wooden door creaked open easily.

Inside the room, the sound of rope scraping against wood echoed.

"Big Sister, I'm back," Min Xiaohui entered cautiously, holding the bowl carefully.

The room was dimly lit and carried a chill and dampness. In the center, a chair held a girl with braided hair, about fifteen or sixteen years old, bound to it.

Upon seeing someone enter, Min Xiaomin ceased her struggling and released her grip on the ropes. Her hair clung to her forehead with sweat, and her emaciated face indicated poor nutrition. "Little Hui, help me untie these ropes. The vegetables in the field need watering."

As she spoke, she licked her cracked, dry lips. "I promise I won't jump off the building anymore."

"O... Okay..."

Min Xiaohui placed the bowl on the ground and began to untangle the ropes around Xiaomin's body. "Big... Big Sister, if... if you want to jump, you... you have to tell me."

Once the ropes were untangled.

Min Xiaohui picked up the sweetened water and passed it to Chu Yuening. "It's from... Master."

Min Xiaomin took the sweetened water, thanked Chu Yuening, then sipped it cautiously. Afterward, she passed it back to Min Xiaohui.

The siblings relied on each other, struggling with poverty to the point that they couldn't even afford adequate meals. They no longer cared about sharing saliva through their food.

Once the siblings finished eating, Chu Yuening observed Min Xiaomin rubbing her wrist and asked, "Why did you want to jump off the building?"

Confused, Min Xiaomin's braids swayed as she shook her head. "I'm not sure. I've never felt this way before. Ever since Elder Uncle's son, Xing Ge, and Hong Di jumped to their deaths, I started having this urge to jump too."