Chapter Twelve: Give It a Try Too

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“Presence—that’s what presence is,” the young woman chimed in.

Madam Xu immediately nodded: “Right, right, it’s exactly that kind of presence. We’ve seen this kind of presence before in Miss Chen of the Chen family.”

“Have you all forgotten what Bai Shuan looked like?” the old village chief scolded irritably. “Before, you said Bai Shuan didn’t look like a Bai family member. Wasn’t he? You who saw Bai Shu and his wife bring the child home dare to say he’s not one of the Bai family?”

“Uh.”

“Well…”

Bai Mianmian’s father was truly an oddity among the Bai sisters.

Although he was mistreated by his parents and bullied by his sisters from childhood, there was no trace of suffering on his face.

Thin to the bone, he gave off an ethereal, otherworldly aura, like a fallen immortal.

“Times have changed. Don’t forget, these children only have each other now!” the old village chief sighed. “Just yesterday I heard that Old Madam Bai made the children carry plowheads without giving them food!”

Every cause has its effect.

In the old village chief’s eyes, Bai Mianmian was simply learning to resist!

“If you find it strange, try acting like Old Madam Bai.

Those who suffer constant abuse without learning to fight back don’t survive.

The village has seen enough such examples!”

The young woman exchanged glances with the women around her, reluctantly admitting that Bai Mianmian had reason for her transformation.

Everyone clings to life and fears death.

If one lingers long on the edge of death, they might not only dare to hit their elders but even kill them.

“Members of the Bai family don’t look like they’ve been beaten,” someone suddenly said. “If they were beaten, would they still be running around the village asking for help everywhere?”

“I didn’t believe it at first either, but now something’s happened to Uncle Fengxian!”

“Me too, I only believed it after something happened here.”

“But Uncle Fengxian’s family was indeed woken up by Old Granny Jinhua, wasn’t it?”

The conversation circled back again.

The old village chief frowned.

“I’ve always told you to watch and think carefully.

Was our family brought back by her shamanistic rituals?

No, we were awakened by the fragrant talisman water she spat out.

If you don’t believe me, buy some sedatives and see whether shamanic dances or water sprinkling awakens you.”

“Sedatives?” The crowd was puzzled.

The old village chief exhaled deeply: “Looks like our village has been targeted.”

“Then what? What are we going to do?”

“What should we do?”

Compared to the possible loss of property in the village, what really happened to Bai Mianmian seemed less important.

“You all go home quickly and check if anything is missing.

If something is, speak up.

If not, wait for the men to finish work and come discuss a plan with me.”

The crowd stirred, but before they could leave, a frantic voice called out.

“Old man! Old man!”

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“Stop shouting like that.” The old village chief glared sternly.

Madam Zhang’s tears fell: “Fubao, Fubao can’t be found anywhere!”

Bai Mianmian’s arrival was impeccably timed—just as Old Granny Jinhua was waking up the Zhang family members.

Upon waking, the old village chief was immediately surrounded by the Bai family recounting their grievances, leaving no chance to check on his own.

Only now did he learn his granddaughter was missing.

“Have you looked behind the woodpile?”

“Yes, even on the kitchen beams!

Nothing. There’s not even a shadow of Fubao!”

“Don’t panic. Our precious girl is sensible; she wouldn’t make us worry.”

The old village chief comforted his wife as best he could.

But Madam Zhang, who doted on her granddaughter, could not calm down.

“Could she have been stolen?”

Someone with a loose tongue said this.

Madam Zhang’s cloudy eyes glanced over, but the speaker noticed nothing unusual and continued: “Why else would they sedate her?

It’s probably because someone overheard Fubao’s good fortune.

They have… wait, why are you looking at me like that?”

The woman, belatedly aware, turned her gaze along with those beside her.

Immediately, Madam Zhang’s eyes burned with irritation.

“Auntie! I was just rambling, don’t take it seriously.

Fubao’s always been lucky.

This kind of thing, any of us might face, but not Fubao.

She’s a blessed child.”

“They say great misfortune is followed by great fortune. This might not be a bad thing.

Uncle Fengxian’s wife, you…”

The speaker had meant to offer some comfort but ended up making things worse.

Everyone watched helplessly as Madam Zhang’s breathing became rapid, her eyes rolled back, and she collapsed.

“Old lady!”

The old village chief panicked, calling for his sons and daughters-in-law.

“Why do you have such a loose tongue? Knowing how much Aunt Zhang cares for Fubao and still saying that—whether true or not, you can’t just say such things!” someone scolded.

The old village chief’s sister-in-law immediately put her hands on her hips: “What nonsense are you talking? Our Fubao is lucky and won’t meet any bad people.”

The Zhang family was a major clan in Hexi village.

All those surnamed Zhang shared the same roots.

Soon, the group searching for Fubao scattered, and the matter of her disappearance supplanted any memory of the Bai family troubles.

Meanwhile, at the Bai household, Old Madam Bai knelt in the courtyard, crying and lamenting.

“Wah—what sin have I committed!

Why does Heaven punish me so?

I’ve lived a good life, saved money with difficulty.

How could that damned girl take it all and squander it?”

“Oh, Heaven!

This life is unbearable.

Take us all—old and young—please!”

“Mother, are you going to eat lunch or not?

We didn’t eat breakfast, and if we skip lunch too, we’ll starve.” Bai Datian suddenly asked, complaining casually.

“If you ask me, Grandma brought this on herself.

My father told her to sell those three unlucky stars, but she wouldn’t agree.

Now look, Grandpa’s having to give them away.

Even if she wanted to sell, it’s too late!”

Old Madam Bai was about to retort but stopped, her gaze slowly shifting toward her husband.

Old Bai’s lips twitched into a cruel smile.

“I dare to give them away, but those Zhangs wouldn’t dare take them.

You go to the city and talk it over with Fat Granny Jiang.”

When Bai Mianmian reached the door, Old Bai was speaking.

To avoid upsetting him, she hesitated before pushing the door open.

Creak.

The old wooden door seemed unusually captivating at that moment.

The instant Bai Mianmian’s figure came into view, the elders’ and adults’ backs tingled with unease.

The younger ones, however, were different—they only looked forward to the show, imagining Bai Mianmian being taken away by Fat Granny Jiang, crying and begging her parents and grandparents.

“You damned girl, stealing grandma’s money and still daring to come back!”

Bai Datian was roused by the shouted insult, clenching his fists and rushing toward Bai Mianmian.

She tilted her head, licked her lips, then in a flash faster than thunder, stepped on Bai Datian’s foot.

Bai Datian was stunned.

He shouted for her to let him go.

Bai Mianmian released him—then knocked him down again.

Released, then knocked down.

Old Madam Bai and the others watched this wrestling match unfold.

Bai Mianmian fell; Bai Datian provided the drama.

“Great, great, great… fairy!”

Finally, Little Mrs. Zhou couldn’t bear to see her beloved son as a punching bag and pleaded.

“Great Fairy, please don’t hold a grudge. Don’t stoop to his level.”