Xiao Jingting ladled out the cooked porridge. He noticed that the little person who had been secretly watching him was staring directly at the rice bowl, his eyes unblinking.
Xiao Jingting ladled another bowl of porridge into a small bowl and beckoned to Xiao Xiaofan.
When Xiao Xiaofan saw Xiao Jingting’s gesture, he immediately shrank back in terror.
Xiao Jingting watched Xiao Xiaofan’s reaction and shook his head. Although Xiao Xiaofan’s brain had been damaged by fever, he still retained the instinct to seek benefit and avoid harm. The original owner had beaten this little guy plenty of times. Xiao Jingting rubbed his forehead—why had he transmigrated into someone who would even lay hands on such small children?
Xiao Jingting brought the porridge to the table and began eating from his bowl. The door cracked open again, and Xiao Xiaofan, unable to resist his hunger, came out again.
Xiao Jingting looked at Xiao Xiaofan’s hopeful little face and lifted him onto a chair.
Looking at Xiao Xiaofan’s patched-up clothes, Xiao Jingting felt a sourness in his heart. Xiao Xiaofan was the type who would remember food but forget beatings.
After moving here, the original owner would often bring food back home. Xiao Xiaofan, unable to resist temptation, would often run out to ask the original owner for food. If the original owner was in a good mood, he would share some food with Xiao Xiaofan. If he was in a bad mood, he would give Xiao Xiaofan a beating. And most of the time, the original owner was in a bad mood.
Xiao Xiaofan ate very quickly, one hand tightly gripping his rice bowl as if afraid it might run away.
Xiao Jingting looked at Xiao Xiaofan’s thin little face and pushed the steamed egg over to him.
Xiao Xiaofan tilted his head and cautiously glanced at Xiao Jingting. Seeing that Xiao Jingting had no reaction, Xiao Xiaofan tentatively pulled the steamed egg closer to himself. When Xiao Jingting still showed no reaction, he hurriedly used his spoon to eat every last bit of the steamed egg in the bowl.
Xiao Jingting noticed that the door moved again, and a pair of scrutinizing eyes were observing him from behind the door.
Xiao Jingting lowered his head. Although Xiao Xiaodong was young, he was quite sharp. Xiao Jingting kept his head down, not wanting to appear too out of character. From the original owner’s memories, Xiao Jingting realized this world was a very magical place—he didn’t want to be treated like a monster and burned alive.
After Xiao Xiaofan finished eating, he seemed to realize something and scurried back to his room. As soon as Xiao Xiaofan returned to his room, Xiao Jingting immediately heard the sound of the door being locked from the other side.
“Why did you go looking for him again?” Xiao Xiaodong questioned Xiao Xiaofan with dissatisfaction.
Xiao Xiaofan looked up with his little face and smiled innocently, saying, “He had good food.”
Xiao Xiaodong’s face darkened as he said, “Good food, good food—besides eating, what else do you know? Mother-father left us flatbread when he went out.”
Xiao Xiaofan clutched his chin with a troubled expression, saying, “The flatbread doesn’t taste good.”
Xiao Xiaodong bit his lip. Although the flatbread was filling, it indeed didn’t taste good. The bread was terribly coarse, eating it felt like eating sand.
“Having something to eat is already pretty good,” Xiao Xiaodong said irritably.
Xiao Xiaofan lowered his head somewhat aggrievedly, tugging at his clothes.
Xiao Xiaodong looked at Xiao Xiaofan and said, “Don’t secretly open the door anymore. What if he comes in to steal things again?”
Xiao Xiaofan nodded and said, “I understand.”
After the two little ones closed their room door, Xiao Jingting pricked up his ears to listen to the movement inside. Xiao Jingting discovered that after merging with the original owner’s soul, his hearing had become exceptionally sharp—every word the two little ones spoke reached Xiao Jingting’s ears.
When the original owner was first banished here, he still held hope that the family would remember him and take him back. He spent money lavishly without any restraint. As his money dwindled, the original owner set his sights on Xu Mu’an, barging into Xu Mu’an’s room to steal money and robbing all the savings that Xu Mu’an had managed to accumulate with great difficulty.
Xiao Jingting rubbed his forehead. Although those things weren’t done by Xiao Jingting himself, after merging with the original owner’s soul, Xiao Jingting could empathize with all of the original owner’s past actions.
“Big brother, that steamed egg was really delicious,” Xiao Xiaofan said, licking his lips.
“He spends money so recklessly, sooner or later he’ll eat through all our resources. When that time comes, we’ll be dragged down with him,” Xiao Xiaodong said angrily.
Xiao Xiaofan blinked his eyes and said, “When that time comes, will we have nothing to eat?”
Xiao Xiaodong nodded and said, “That’s right! Not only will we have nothing to eat, we’ll have nowhere to live either—sleeping on the streets.”
Xiao Xiaofan looked at Xiao Xiaodong and burst into tears with a “wah,” crying, “I don’t want that!”
Xiao Xiaofan’s crying reached Xiao Jingting’s ears, making his heart feel sour and bitter.
Xiao Jingting returned to his room and checked his possessions. When Xiao Jingting first arrived, there were twenty mu of farmland in the accounts—five mu of superior fields, six mu of middle-grade fields, and nine mu of inferior fields. Now only five mu of inferior fields remained.
Xiao Jingting scratched his head. This wastrel had squandered everything! Why did he have to transmigrate at this exact moment?
