Chapter 4

It is no longer the era of food scarcity. Zhao Wu works away from home and sends money back regularly. The family is not struggling to make ends meet; in fact, Zhao Xiaojie is fed until he is plump—the dream grandson of his grandparents.

But Zhuzhu is different. Her position in this household is unique. If she scoops a spoonful of meat or eggs and reaches for a second, Qin Meilan will start slamming her chopsticks, causing Zhuzhu to clutch her small rice bowl in both hands, never daring to reach toward the table again.

The little "bitter melon" baby is ignored in this house, raised like free-range livestock. She can go anywhere, and even if she doesn't return home at mealtime, it doesn't matter; no one worries about her going hungry.

It is mealtime now. The little girl walks with her short legs, wandering through the village alone. Occasionally, when she passes someone’s courtyard and sees other children playing together, she stops to watch.

The elders of other families often warn their children not to get too close to Zhuzhu. After all, Qin Meilan has a fierce temper and is notorious in the village for being shrewish. One cannot afford to provoke her, so they choose to avoid her.

Over time, Zhuzhu realized that no one wants to be her friend. Fortunately, she has a friend of her own now. The little dumpling holds onto the small rabbit pendant given to her by the staff member, continuing to stroll along until she sees many unfamiliar faces, tilting her head in curiosity.

The influencer "Donut," since venturing into self-media, has tried many different paths. These days, the niches for beauty and talent streamers are too saturated to stand out. A few months ago, while driving her parents back to their rural hometown, she bought sweet potatoes from an old man at the village market and recorded a vlog on a whim. Her genuine, rustic sincerity made that video go viral. Since then, Donut has carved out a new niche: the charity livestreaming route.

Coming to the remote Yongrui Village in Nancheng on an early flight was indeed for the sake of traffic. However, this streamer’s desire to help Zhuzhu is sincere, especially when she sees the little girl’s lonely figure, which makes her heart ache.

[The child is so young, and there are mountains and water in the village. Is she wandering outside alone? Don't the adults at home worry?]

[I just filmed her from afar, and I noticed she stayed very far away when passing the creek. The baby is protecting herself, isn't she...]

"Could you please help us find our way?" the streamer asked.

The little dumpling is a bit shy, staring at the stranger with wide, clear eyes, appearing timid. The village is winding and confusing; it is easy to get lost. There is no one else around. If she doesn't help, they might not find their destination for a very long time.

"Okay." Zhuzhu’s little voice is crisp as she nods.

[Critical hit! Critical hit! Little baby critical hit!]

[The streamer's team is so good at filming, the lens is so close, it feels like the baby is talking right in my ear.]

[Actually, the streamer is very gentle; she lowered her voice so as not to scare Zhuzhu.]

The livestream's popularity is not high, with fewer than a thousand viewers, but because the traffic is low, the atmosphere in the comment section is very harmonious.

As a content creator, Donut knows what netizens like to see and what questions to ask to hit their pain points and stir up discussion. She had once thought about guiding the innocent, naive remarks of the video's little protagonist to highlight her heartbreaking situation, thereby boosting the video's reach.

However, at this very moment, while crossing a mud puddle, Zhuzhu stands on her tiptoes, rolls up her pant legs, and warns the adults to be careful. She is so sensible that it doesn't seem like a child of her age. The streamer is stunned for a moment.

The girl in charge of filming wants to push the livestream along and says, "Little one, your brother—"

[No, don't!]

[I can't bear it...]

"It's alright," the streamer interrupts. "Where is your home, baby? My friends and I brought you some school supplies and pretty dresses. Can we be guests at your house?"

...

Zhuzhu has no friends and doesn't know if bringing "friends" home will get her scolded. It was other villagers who saw the strangers and ran to tell Qin Meilan. Soon after, Qin Meilan appeared.

Last night on the phone, Qin Meilan was severely reprimanded by her husband for letting the child appear on camera. But she isn't the type to wilt after being scolded, especially since the more her husband protects the little girl, the more annoyed she becomes. Today is Xiaojie’s birthday, and she didn't even want Zhuzhu in her sight, so she chased her out early in the morning.

But now, after a few neighbors close to her gave her a nudge, her heart skipped a beat. The villagers said the TV station saw the girl's good looks and came to select a young guest.

Yesterday, she had a sour face in front of the camera, which was inappropriate. If she doesn't seize the opportunity now, even if the God of Wealth arrives at her doorstep, she won't be