Summary: Li Su, who was infertile and divorced, accidentally came across a system. She travelled through world after world and finally fulfilled her wish to be a mother. But why was it that the children the system assigned her were so weird?

But it didn't matter, because I am your mother!

Content Tags: Face-slapping, quick transmigration, transmigration into a book, happy ending.

Chapter 1 – Rescuing The Black-Hearted (part 1)

Li Su felt there was something wrong. She opened her eyes and found that she was in a small, dark room. She couldn't even see her hands.

After panicking briefly, Li Su calmed herself down. It all felt real. No way! Shouldn't she be dead? How could she be here?

Li Su thought calmly. Her parents had passed away unexpectedly when she was in first grade. None of her relatives wanted to adopt her, so she was sent to an orphanage. She didn't want to remember what she experienced while she was growing up. She thought that when she grew up, she would get married and live a happy life with a fairy tale ending. In the end, her husband cheated on her. She then calmly found a private investigator and collected evidence. After tearing him a new one, they divorced and her husband left the house. She sent the passionate video of the mistress and her husband to the mistress's parents and co-workers. The mistress's mother was angered greatly and was admitted to the hospital while the mistress's father kicked the mistress, causing the mistress to have a miscarriage. The mistress lost her job and her child.

Li Su felt sad for the mistress after hearing of her miscarriage because she liked children. But it was only momentary. Each to their own. What did it have to do with her?

She didn't care about who was in the right and who was in the wrong regarding this marriage. However, she clearly remembered that when she left the estate, she had saved a child who was crossing the road. As a result, she was hit by a car. Now, where was she?

"Welcome to the Good Mother System. I am your guide, 57321," said a mechanical voice.

"Who is speaking? Who are you? Where is this place?" Li Su asked, surprised.

"This is the Good Mother System. I am your guide, 57321. Your original body has died in a car accident. You are very lucky to be picked by the system. As long as you complete the task and collect enough time and space fragments, you can be reborn into a parallel world. Your parents will live well, and you can become a mother like you wished and have a happy family," 57321 said enticingly, with an emotionless voice.

Although 57321's voice sounded hollow, what it said was enticing. She had no hope of having a happy family. She had known her ex-husband for 10 years and they were married for 5 years. In the end, he cheated. He said that it was because he wanted a child and they couldn't have one.

But Li Su knew these were all excuses. It was an excuse men used when they changed their hearts.

But her parents could be reborn and she could still be a mother. These two conditions were really tempting.

"What should I do?" Li Su asked unconsciously.

When this system was first established, it was due to the resentment people harboured in their hearts. They believed that some people weren't worthy of being parents. The system has chosen some worlds for you, all containing neglectful parents. This leads to the children having twisted personalities. You need to correct their three views1 and at the same time, learn how to be a qualified parent. If you complete the task well, then the system will give you a space and time fragment. When you collect all the fragments, you can be reborn in a parallel world," 57321 said.

Li Su laughed. "Correct their three views? Are you sure that my three views are correct?"

57321 was stunned. It quickly retrieved Li Su's life. After reading through it, it was silent. Looking at LI Su's 30 years of life, it seemed that her three views were questionable. However, it was difficult to find someone who met the conditions of the system. If it were to give up now, then when would it be activated?

These days, the ones who had the opportunity to be selected by the system were people who would rather choose systems that were related to love, a happy life, becoming beautiful, becoming a movie queen, or becoming the first love of an overbearing president/CEO type of thing. This kind of good mother system wasn't something that would have been chosen.

"Err… You can change the mission objective. For example, how about preventing the target from becoming twisted? You can do what you want for the rest of it. How does that sound?" 57321 thought about it for a long time, but it still didn't want to give up.

Li Su could tell from 57321's response that there was still a lot of room for discussion.

"I am a weak woman who doesn't have the strength to truss a chicken. I can't do it."

57321 gritted its teeth and said, "This won't be a problem. As the lucky person, the system will give you corresponding benefits. You can use the lucky wheel to draw from a lottery. You will get to keep whatever ability you get. These conditions should be good enough for you2."

Li Su smiled, satisfied. This was almost right.

Seeing that she had no objections, 57321 breathed a sigh of relief. A large turntable appeared in front of Li Su, with many alluring things written on it, such as 'space', 'spiritual spring', 'spiritual field', 'special eyes', and many more.

Li Su felt calm in her heart. Sure enough, there was welfare for quick transmigration. She thought about it for a while, then reached out to turn the turntable. She nervously watched the pointer move across the words, where it finally landed on 'this column is as powerful as a cow'.

Li Su: 囧 What the hell was this 'powerful as a cow'?

57321 did not wait for Li Su to speak and immediately said, "Congratulations, you have now gained the power which lets you be as powerful as a cow. Okay, now you can start your first world."

Before she could object, she was sucked into a black hole that came out of nowhere.

When she woke up, she found that her surroundings had changed again. Li Su did not panic. She calmly sat upright and looked around her. At the same time, she received the story introduction in her head.

The setting was a very cliché story about a Cinderella marrying into a wealthy family and living happily ever after. The host has a poor family background, but she constantly strives to become stronger. She was simple, beautiful, innocent, and kind. She liked cats and dogs. There was a crowd of seductive bitches who served as a foil, allowing her to stand out from the masses.

The male lead fell in love with the female lead at first sight, hid his identity, and pursued the female lead relentlessly. During this period, they experienced various misunderstandings before the truth came to light. The male and female leads then got married and lived happily ever after.

Li Su's mission did not involve the male or female lead, but the second female lead, who was the female lead's good friend. They grew up together. Unlike the female lead's kind and innocent personality, the second female lead was a certified green tea3." She was vicious and black-hearted!

After the second female lead learned the real identity of the male lead, she used a lot of vicious methods in order to replace her friend and marry into a wealthy family. She even pushed the male and female lead apart, creating various misunderstandings for the male lead. She drugged the male lead and became pregnant with his child. She then told the female lead that the male lead forced her, causing the female lead to misunderstand and break up with a broken heart. But, her desire to be a mother cost her. She ended up miscarrying the child and blamed the female lead. The second female lead wanted to ruin the female lead's innocence, among other things. In order to hide all of these secrets, she ended up killing a lot of people.

Of course, the second female lead's plots did not succeed in the end. The many misunderstandings were resolved and the true face of the second female lead was revealed.

She ended up in a miserable state. She was sold to a Vietnamese brothel and died a miserable death.

Li Su had transmigrated into the body of the grandmother of the second female lead, Bai Qing Qing. Coincidentally, the grandmother was also named Li Su.

Li Su had seen the plot, so she knew what life Bai Qing Qing had whilst growing up. It wasn't a surprise that Bai Qing Qing turned out to be so cruel.

Bai Qing Qing's personality had a lot to do with the environment she grew up in.

Bai Qing Qing's father, Bai Yun Shan, was a factory worker. Her mother, Wang Fang, was a traditional housewife. She took care of the elderly members of the family, as well as the children. While their family was not rich, they could still live well.

Later, Bai Yun Shan had gone to work after drinking and suffered an accident. His right hand was chopped off by the machine. The factory lost money and fired him. Wang Fang had no choice but to go work as a nanny in order to earn money to support the family. As Wang Fang had a gentle personality and a good work ethic, families liked her a lot. Over time, Wang Fang's salary increased, higher than that of Bai Yun Shan. People gossiped. Bai Yun Shan felt resentful and turned to alcohol and gambling. When he was drunk, he beat Wang Fang to vent his anger.

When Bai Yun Shan started beating Wang Fang, Bai Qing Qing was afraid and rushed to ask her father to not beat her mother. However, Bai Yun Shan beat her along with her mother. When she went to beg her grandmother, her grandmother didn't care.

Bai Yun Shan ended up drinking and gambling more. Wang Fang's monthly salary wasn't enough for Bai Yun Shan, so he forced Wang Fang to sell herself and continued to gamble with that money.

Wang Fang was a weak woman. Under such circumstances, she had no choice but to cry. One day, Bai Yun Shan had wagered his daughter, Bai Qing Qing, and lost the bet. The other party came to the door to take Bai Qing Qing away.

Wang Fang refused to let them, even if it cost her life. She put her arms around Bai Qing Qing, kneeled on the ground, and begged Bai Yun Shan and Li Su. She begged them not to sell her daughter and said that she would work hard to make money in the future.

Bai Yun Shan kicked her in the chest and Li Su didn't even look at her. "We don't need your mother. My son can just find another one and give me a fat grandson."

Wang Fang had hit her head hard, but nobody paid any attention to her. Finally, Wang Fang died at the door to the house. Bai Qing Qing hugged her mother's blood-stained body. Ever since that moment, Bai Qing Qing had changed.

Later, a fire broke out at the Bai family. The drunk Bai Yun Shan and Li Su, who somehow had a broken leg, were burned alive. Only Bai Qing Qing escaped, but she had burned her back.

The neighbourhood pitied Bai Qing Qing and rushed to help her, especially the Chen family. Although their family was poor, they still took Bai Qing Qing home and raised her as a daughter. Bai Qing Qing was sensible. She studied hard and rushed to help with the household chores in her free time. Before her true face had been exposed, she was a good daughter in the hearts of the Chen family, and a good friend and sister to Chen Tian Tian.

Seeing all of this, Li Su shook her head helplessly.

At this moment, there was a sudden movement outside, and the door opened. Immediately after, a man's voice cursed out, "Damn! Where's the money? Give it here quickly!"

Wang Fang's cowardly voice was heard. "Husband, you can't use this money. This is for Qing Qing's tuition. How can you take Qing Qing's tuition money?"

"Go away!" Bai Yun Shan yelled. The sound of colliding objects could be heard, mixed with Wang Fang's cries.

Bai Qing Qing cried out, "Daddy, don't hit mummy! Mummy, let go. I'm not going to school, I'm not going to school! Mummy!"

Li Su shook her head and walked out of the room. She saw the chaos in the yard. She secretly located a rod in the corner and walked over to pick it up. She then walked towards Bai Yun Shan and Wang Fang. When Bai Qing Qing saw her, she stared at her. Was grandma going to beat her mummy to death?

Li Su hit Bai Yun Shan's leg with the rod. The rod snapped in half.

Bai Yun Shan looked back at her incredulously. "Mom!" Then he pitched forward as his legs bent and hit the ground.

Li Su carried the remaining rod and looked at the mother-daughter pair who were huddled on the ground. "Look here. I broke his leg. Let's see how he goes out to gamble and drink now!"

1.(三觀) literally '3 views' – this is broken down into the 'view of the world' (世界觀), 'your view on life' (人生觀), and 'the way you value things' (價值觀)↩

2.(這樣總行了) – thank you, lazymountain, for a proper translation!↩

3.(綠茶) – a 'green tea' is a woman who dresses and acts in a certain way in order to portray herself as pure and innocent, but is a gold-digger who will bitch or sleep her way to the top. They're also obsessed with their image, particularly on social media. ↩

Chapter 2- Rescuing the Black-Hearted (part 2)

Wang Fang and Bai Qing Qing withdrew on the ground and stared stupidly, unable to believe their eyes.

When Bai Yun Shan fell, he knocked his head and passed out.

Li Su threw away the broken rod. "Why are you sitting around in a daze? Quickly, carry that person back!"

Wang Fang returned to her senses and released Bai Qing Qing. She then stepped forward to help. The two of them dragged Bai Yun Shan back inside.

Bai Qing Qing sat alone on the ground and didn't get up for a long time. She stared at the broken rod and then at the blood on the ground. She couldn't believe what just happened.

Her grandma, the one who treated her dad so well, just broke his leg with his rod. Did that really happen?

"Damn girl, get in." A familiar voice called out and Bai Qing Qing shrank before quickly getting up.

After Bai Qing Qing entered, she unconsciously walked over to her mother's side and held her mother's sleeve.

Wang Fang also subconsciously protected Bai Qing Qing by standing in front of her.

Li Su looked at the mother-daughter pair and shook her head helplessly.

Wang Fang and Bai Qing Qing became more nervous at this action.

Li Su moved a stool and sat down. "Take a seat. Today, we will have a good talk."

Wang Fang didn't dare to sit. Li Su patted the table. "Sit down!" Wang Fang then hesitantly sat down.

When Li Su saw this, she shook her head. Wang Fang had such a cowardly temperament. No wonder she ended up like that. Later on, Wang Fang ended up being the breadwinner of the Bai family, but was still bullied by Bai Yun Shan. She was too cowardly.

"Since Yun Shan's accident, I sat on the sidelines and watched. I wanted to see what your plans for the future were. Fang, at last you have done something good, standing up and supporting this household," said Li Su.

Wang Fang couldn't believe her ears. This was the first time her mother-in-law praised her. She had always been scolded before, saying that she was useless and that she could not give birth to a son. She was also told that she was bad luck for Bai Yun Shan.

"But what happened after? Bai Yun Shan is a scoundrel! Are you an idiot? He is your man! He is drinking and gambling. Shouldn't you discipline him? You don't know how to resist him when he comes back drunk and beats you. You're lucky he hasn't killed you," Li Su continued to curse.

A trace of unhappiness flashed through Bai Qing Qing's eyes. She wanted to rush out and say something, but was held back by Wang Fang. Wang Fang lowered her head and said, "What mum said is that I'm not good."

"Of course you aren't!" Her original character was like this. Li Su didn't want to change her character all at once as it would make people suspicious. She could only change slowly and within a limited range. "I watched on coldly and realised it was impossible to count on you. If we were to count on you, this family will fall apart sooner or later. From now on, give me your salary. I will take care of this family!"

Bai Qing Qing snorted coldly. She had first thought that the sun had risen in the west, but it turned out that it wasn't so. However, if grandma wanted the money, she could have just told her mum to hand it over. Her mum wouldn't refuse. Why did she come here and break dad's leg?

Wang Fang had a weak temperament. She was used to doing what her husband and mother-in-law said. Now that someone was willing to come forward, she was naturally willing.

"Okay, I will listen to mother."

"Tch, look at your pathetic appearance. If you don't listen to me, you will be beaten to death by your man sooner or later!" Li Su said disdainfully.

Li Su looked back at Bai Yun Shan, who was lying on the bed, and cursed. "This idiot, letting him lie down like this. Why did I give birth to such a good-for-nothing! Only his hand has been disabled, not his entire person. Who owes him money? He can earn a few hundred yuan a month from picking up scraps outside. No matter how bad it was, he could still make some sort of income by showing people the door. But no, he wasted it drinking and gambling. In just a few months, the twenty thousand yuan the factory compensated him with is all gone. If murder wasn't a crime, I would have stuffed him back into his mother's belly!"

Wang Fang was a little awkward and couldn't stand idly by.

But Bai Qing Qing was furious when she heard those words. For the first time, she found that her ignorant, vulgar grandmother had said some beautiful words.

"The same can be said of you. As they say, whether the husband is good depends on his wife. Good for you! What he says goes! If he asks you for money, you'll give it to him. If he hits you, you just cry. What are you doing with your hands? You only know how to take it and you don't know how to fight back! You need to be like me, who broke his leg. Can he go out to drink and gamble now?" Li Su turned around and scolded Wang Fang again.

Wang Fang lowered her head, as if feeling guilty. Everything her mother-in-law said was right.

'Fight back?' Bai Qing Qing muttered in her heart. How could her mother have the guts to?

"Fine, ignore this idiot. Let me ask you, how much money is left?" asked Li Su.

Wang Fang glanced at her husband lying on the bed. She was a little worried about the injury on his forehead. She took out a few banknotes. "Mum, there is only four hundred and eighty yuan left. Yun Shan took the rest of the money. This money is for Qing Qing's studies." Mum can't take this money. But she didn't dare to say the last few words.

"How much is Qing Qing's tuition?" Li Su asked. She didn't know how much things cost now. Before, her host was a person who liked to relax and hated to work. When her husband was around, she depended on him. When her husband died, she depended on her son. She didn't care about outside matters.

"It costs three hundred and eighty. I want to buy Qing Qing clothes with the remaining one hundred yuan. She hasn't gotten new clothes for several years. Mum, in twenty days, I will be able to get this month's salary, and then I will have money," Wang Fang whispered.

Li Su looked at Bai Qing Qing's worn-out clothes and nodded. "Okay, take the money and sign-up the damn girl, then go buy some clothes and shoes. Don't buy anything fancy. They're expensive and don't look good."

"Yes, mum. Thank you, mum. I will definitely work hard and make more money. I will take another job," Wang Fang said excitedly.

"Just do this job well. Clean yourself up and don't let people look down on you! If you lose the job, this family will have nothing to eat," Li Su said as she waved.

"I know, mum. What about Yun Shan?" Wang Fang glanced at her husband worriedly.

"Don't worry. He won't die. I'll get Doctor Zhang to take a look at him later." Li Su looked at Bai Yun Shan with disgust. If murder wasn't a crime, then she would have killed him already.

"Mum, let Qing Qing go. She is very fast," Wang Fang said quickly upon hearing that. She pushed Bai Qing Qing forward.

Bai Qing Qing was a little reluctant. "If your dad is really disabled, your mother will have to serve him," Li Su said,

As soon as Li Su finished speaking, Bai Qing Qing ran off in a hurry.

Wang Fang looked at Li Su's face, scared that she would be angry.

Li Su ignored her. She was thinking about what she should do in the future.

After a while, Li Su spoke. "I think it's good. You can be a nanny and save the money you earn. Qing Qing can use it for school in the future. Having the family count on you and this good-for-nothing isn't good. We will still need to count on Qing Qing. As for this good-for-nothing, when his legs have healed, I will take him out to pick up scraps. Anyway, make some money to supplement this family."

Li Su understood that, in order to prevent Bai Qing Qing from turning black, she must first give her a normal family environment. The first thing she had to deal with was Bai Yun Shan.

As for how to transform Bai Yun Shan, Li Su had no plans. For such a scumbag who was addicted to drinking, gambling, and beating his wife, Li Su had decided to use force to suppress him. This body was only fifty years old and her bones were very healthy. It wouldn't be a problem to live for another thirty years. By then, Bai Yun Shan would be an old man and Bai Qing Qing would be able to deal with him.

Li Su liked children a lot, but she liked the soft and gluttonous children, not a rough guy like Bai Yun Shan. Therefore, she had no love or sympathy for Bai Yun Shan. It didn't matter if he died!

"How can I let you do this kind of thing, mum? I should work a few more jobs!" Wang Fang protested subconsciously.

Li Su rolled her eyes. "You've learned to talk back!"

Bai Qing Qing stood at the door, speechless. She wondered if it had always been like this and she hadn't been observant enough. It was clear that grandma was doing this for the sake of mum, but the way she said it made people uncomfortable. Maybe it was the same as before and she had just misunderstood her grandma?

"Why didn't you go in? Wasn't your dad injured?" Zhang Yuan asked, holding a medicine box.

"Oh, grandpa Zhang, please come in. Grandma, grandpa Zhang is here," Bai Qing Qing said hurriedly.

The first thing Zhang Yuan saw after he entered the door was Wang Fang with bruises around the corners of her eyes. He frowned. Did little Bai drink and beat his wife? But this time, little Wang had actually resisted.

"Uncle Zhang is here. Quickly, come in. Could you please show Yun Shan to uncle Zhang?" Wang Fang still had some affection for Bai Yun Shan. After all, they had been married for a few years, and Bai Yun Shan was still very good to her.

Zhang Yuan nodded to Li Su, then walked to the bed to check on Bai Yun Shan. He had no affection for the old madam of the Bai family.

"His leg is broken. He will need a splint and a cast. It'll take a few months to heal. As for his head injury, it is not a big problem. It just needs some medicine and bandages." Zhang Yuan frowned. Little Wang's attack was a bit ruthless. She actually broke his legs.

"It will take a few months for it to get better? I'll still take him out to pick up scraps." Li Su frowned.

"That won't do. It will hurt for a hundred days. At least three months of rest is required." Zhang Yuan was a little surprised. Did he hear right? Old madam Li, who had always regarded her only son as a treasure, said she wanted Bai Yun Shan to pick up scraps?

"What would happen if he didn't rest?" Li Su didn't want to raise a lazy-ass.

"If you don't let him rest, then he may be lame later," said Zhang Yuan.

"Then that's fine. A lame leg won't affect him from picking up scraps." Li Su waved her hand and decided this happily.

Wang Fang, Bai Qing Qing, and Zhang Yuan looked at each other.

Chapter 3- Rescuing the Black-Hearted (part 3)

Wang Fang whispered, "Mum, isn't this great?"

"Why are you still distressed? Don't you think he beat you enough? You, you are born to be beaten!" Li Su said disdainfully.

"I didn't mean that," Wang Fang said as she lowered her head.

"Let me tell you, when a man hits you for the first time, you have to beat him to the ground so he won't dare try it again! Besides, it doesn't matter if he has a lame leg, he can still pick up scraps. If not, he can beg for food. He can always do something. I'm telling you that men cannot get used to knowing things. As the saying goes, a husband that is used to things is like a killer, so men should be disciplined!" Li Su spouted some nonsense.

Wang Fang didn't hear her and Zhang Yuan had no idea what she was talking about, but when Bai Qing Qing heard it, her eyes lit up.

Zhang Yuan was afraid that this was not appropriate for a child, so he hurriedly pulled Bai Qing Qing out of the room. "Qing Qing, come back with grandpa to get the splint and plaster."

The two of them walked out of the house. When Zhang Yuan saw Bai Qing Qing's thoughtful expression, he said, "Qing Qing, don't listen to your grandma's nonsense. Let me tell you, grandpa Zhang has lived for fifty-eight years, but I have not heard such a thing before."

"But grandpa Zhang, I think that what my grandma said was very reasonable." Bai Qing Qing's eyes lit up. "I understand why grandma was indifferent to family matters before. She wanted to test my mum. My mother ended up being too soft and disappointed grandma, so she ended up dealing with it herself. Grandpa Zhang, you should have seen my grandma today. She was so cool today! She broke my dad's leg. She is so cool! Grandma is wonderful!"

Zhang Yuan was dumbfounded. "You mean your father's leg was broken by your grandma?"

"Yeah! My grandma is a person with great wisdom. I think what she said makes sense. I have to remember it carefully!" Bai Qing Qing said excitedly.

Zhang Yuan blinked. Was this the same Li Su that he knew? The Li Su he knew was gluttonous and lazy. She liked to take things easy and avoided hard work. How come this image didn't match the intelligent person Qing Qing said she was? Also, didn't Li Su treasure her son? How was she so willing to break Bai Yun Shan's leg?

"Your father's leg was really broken by your grandma?" Zhang Yuan still couldn't digest this fact, even until he had returned to the Bai house with his tools.

"Yeah! My grandma also said that if murder wasn't illegal, she would have stuffed my dad back into her womb a long time ago. My grandma also said she wouldn't have wanted to treat my dad had he not had the chance of being paralysed and requiring someone to take care of him. My grandma also said that my dad is trash!" Bai Qing Qing said excitedly. She felt that her grandma was definitely right! It turned out her grandma had been hiding her real thoughts all along!

On seeing Bai Qing Qing's excited expression, Zhang Yuan couldn't help but hold his forehead. It's over. Someone as pure as Qing Qing was led astray by old lady Li Su!

As Zhang Yuan treated Bai Yun Shan, Bai Yun Shan woke up from the pain. On waking, Bai Yun Shan yelled all sorts of profanities at him.

Li Su was angry and slapped him. "If you curse again, then this old lady will cut your tongue out!"

Bai Yun Shan was beaten senseless. He couldn't recall a time his mum had laid a hand upon him! He remembered the rod on his legs and looked at Li Su, cowering. "Mum, are you possessed?"

Li Su went over and slapped him again. "Mum. You know that I am your mum! Who are you cursing? So what if I broke your leg? If you think you have the ability to get revenge on me, just try it! You piece of trash! So what if your hand is useless? You can make a living by picking up scraps. Instead, you drink and gamble! This old woman gave you a few months. You have indulged enough and now it's time to move on. You still rely on your wife to support you, and you beat her. You can live with yourself like this?!" After she finished speaking, she slapped him again.

Zhong Yuan looked up from splinting Bai Yun Shan's leg and glanced at Li Su. It was hard to believe that this old woman had come to her senses. There was no way.

Bai Qing Qing watched with joy. She was inwardly cheering on her grandma, cheering for her to hit him a harder and a few more times!

On the other hand, Wang Fang couldn't stand it anymore and rushed over to protect Bai Yun Shan with her body. "Mum, mum, don't hit him. Yun Shan is injured. Don't hit him."

Li Su looked at this desperate thing. "And you. Look what he's done to you and you still want to protect him! You're really useless!"

Although Bai Qing Qing didn't want to admit it, she still inwardly agreed with her grandma's words. Her mummy's personality was too weak. If she had half the courage of her grandma, then she wouldn't have been bullied by her dad like that.

It was a pity that Bai Yun Shan didn't care about Wang Fang's worry and pushed her away. "Damn, get away from me!" His stomach hurt!

Li Su slapped him. "Still cursing?"

Bai Yun Shan held his face, his expression pained. "Mum, she was pressing on my stomach."

"What's wrong with her pressing on your stomach? Your stomach is just fat. Your wife loves and protects you, but instead you treat her terribly! I think you deserve to be hit!" Li Su looked around. Bai Qing Qing handed over the feather duster.

Wang Fang looked at her daughter with surprise. "Qing Qing, what are you doing?"

Li Su glanced over approvingly. She was indeed the second female lead. She was clever ever since she was young. Li Su then took the feather duster and smacked Bai Yun Shan.

Bai Yun Shan howled with pain. He wanted to struggle, but Zhang Yuan threatened him, saying, "You can't move your leg. If you do, then you'll be disabled!"

Bai Yun Shan ended up holding his head in both hands and was beaten resignedly.

After a while, Li Su got tired of hitting him. She put the feather duster down. "This old woman is warning you. If you say something unclean again, this old woman will beat you again. Are we clear?"

Bai Yun Shan felt wronged. If he didn't believe it before, he definitely would now. After all, he still felt a lot of pain. When did his mum get so strong?

"Mum, you've changed!" She wasn't like this before. He missed his mother from before. Bai Yun Shan grieved.

"Hmph. If this old woman didn't change, then this family would be destroyed by you!" Li Su exclaimed angrily. "I didn't discipline you well before, so you turned out to be a waste. But, it doesn't matter. You are still young. You can still change your ways!"

Bai Yun Shan's eyes darkened. "Mum, what if you can't change it?" He was already thirty!

"Hmph. If I can't change it, then I'll keep hitting!" Li Su sneered and broke the feather duster with one hand!

Bai Yun Shan passed out.

Li Su glanced at him with disgust. "How useless! Okay, damn girl, go back to sleep or you won't grow. There's no need to watch this anymore.

When Li Su said this previously, Bai Qing Qing only felt humiliated and angry. But when she listened to it now, she heard a touch of affection.

"I know, grandma. I'll go wash up. Grandma, would you like some hot water? I can fetch some for you to wash up." Bai Qing Qing had a smile on her face.

Li Su showed a rare smile before it disappeared. "No need. I'll do it myself. I say, what is the point of always defending that good-for-nothing? If you have time, then look after your daughter. She is a little older and clumsy. Are you not afraid of her scalding herself with hot water?!"

Wang Fang watched and wiped away the tears after hearing Li Su's words. "Yes, I will go now."

She then hurried out with Bai Qing Qing.

Zhang Yuan handled Bai Yun Shan's broken leg and left behind a few bottles of medicine. "How much will this cost?" asked Li Su. She remembered that the original host had some personal money, but not a lot.

"One hundred and twenty," Zhang Yuan said.

Li Su frowned. It was so expensive. She blamed this good-for-nothing. Oh well, she couldn't let him lie down and recover comfortably. She would drag him to the overpass tomorrow to beg for food. Although Li Su felt distressed, she handed over 120 yuan.

Zhang Yuan was a little surprised. After looking at Li Su for a few moments, he turned around and headed back. On the way back, Zhang Yuan was silent. He was not as innocent as Bai Qing Qing. He had known Li Su for decades and knew that Li Su was not what Bai Qing Qing thought. Li Su didn't have the brains nor the ability to conceal things like this.

If this Li Su was not the Li Su he knew, then who was she? If it wasn't some supernatural power… Zhang Yuan quickly returned to his senses and chanted inwardly.

However, perhaps it didn't matter what was going on. Li Su's change might be a good thing. At the very least, it would be a good thing for the Bai family.

Wang Fang hurriedly sent Bai Qing Qing to bed and returned to Bai Yun Shan's room. Sure enough, Li Su had gone to sleep. Wang Fang had brought hot water to scrub Bai Yun Shan's body.

While Wang Fang did this, Bai Yun Shan had woken up. When he saw Wang Fang, he subconsciously raised his hand, wanting to hit her. But, as soon as he raised his hand, the pain on his body and face reminded him of the events that happened earlier, and he put his hand down angrily.

Wang Fang was so moved that Bai Yun Shan still had her in his heart.

"Do you think there is something wrong with mum?" Bai Yun Shan asked.

Something wrong? What was wrong? She thought that she was the same. Wang Fang shook her head.

Bai Yun Shan waited for Wang Fang with dislike. Talking to this stupid woman was just a waste of breath. He still had doubts since the difference in his mother's attitude was like night and day. Since he had been her son for thirty years, if he didn't know his mother's character, then he was an idiot.

No, this mum was definitely not his original mum! What was going on? Did someone get reincarnated into her body? Or was her brain broken?

Bai Yun Shan stayed up all night contemplating. Finally, he fell asleep at about 5 to 6 in the morning.

In the early morning, Wang Fang was preparing to go to work. She glanced at Bai Yun Shan worriedly and then at Li Su, who was eating breakfast. She didn't dare to say anything before she left.

After eating breakfast and washing the dishes, Li Su thought for a moment before calling out to Bai Qing Qing, "Go borrow a flatbed tricycle and come back."

"Grandma, why do you need to borrow a flatbed tricycle?" Bai Qing Qing asked.

"I am making your dad go to the overpass to beg for food," said Li Su. "Should he just lie at home and do nothing for the few months that he is recuperating?"

Bai Qing Qing laughed. She didn't think that what her grandma would follow through with what she said before. "Will people give money?"

"At any rate, idling is idling. You need to remember that our family does not raise idle people!" Li Su said seriously.

Chapter 4 – Rescuing the Black-Hearted (part 4)

After Bai Qing Qing borrowed the flatbed tricycle, Li Su used the strength of 962 tigers to shove Bai Yun Shan onto the flatbed tricycle. Li Su was tired. "He's so fat!"

Afterwards, she looked at Bai Qing Qing. "You shouldn't go. Do your homework and don't run around. Don't walk with strangers, okay? If you are bored, then go find your classmates to play with. Your mum has prepared lunch for you. You know how to heat it up. If I come back and find that the kitchen has burned down, I'll break your legs!"

"Grandma, I'll go with you!" said Bai Qing Qing as she watched Li Su change into a tattered dress.

"We are going to beg for food. You're just a little girl. Isn't the most important thing saving face? Don't bother," Li Su said blankly. "I am already old, so something like face is worthless to me. Okay, that's it. I'm leaving. Close the door!"

Even though grandma was as harsh as ever, it was for her own good!

Bai Qing Qing didn't want to stay at home alone. The events that happened over the last 2 days were like a roller coaster. She really needed to share this with someone. So, she packed her schoolbag and went to the house of her best friend, Chen Tian Tian.

"Qing Qing, have you come to play with Tian Tian? Go in, Tian Tian is inside!" It was Mother Chen who opened the door and let her in. She was a gentle woman who smiled at Bai Qing Qing.

"Thank you, Mother Chen," Bai Qing Qing greeted politely.

"Tian Tian!"

"Qing Qing!"

When the two good friends were together, they would talk non-stop. Bai Qing Qing told Chen Tian Tian what had happened in the last 2 days.

Chen Tian Tian bit her lip. "Does it matter how your grandma changed? Isn't this a good thing? I really want to have a grandma too!"

"Do you think so, Tian Tian? I also think that my grandma has become too good now. I like the current grandma!" Bai Qing Qing was actually a little jealous of Chen Tian Tian. They were the same age and had a similar family background. The current Chen family wasn't as good as the previous Bai family, but why was the family atmosphere of the Chen family so good? Although Father Chen was reticent, he took good care of his wife and doted on his daughter. Mother Chen was gentle like water, but she was a decisive woman. As for Tian Tian, she was a good girl who grew up under the love and care of her parents.

Unlike herself. When she compared herself to Tian Tian, nothing was as good as Tian Tian.

But now it was different. She had an awesome grandma! Bai Qing Qing felt that things had finally balanced out. She was excited.

Bai Qing Qing had lunch with the Chen family. Although the Chen family was poor, the atmosphere surrounding the family was good. In the past, Bai Qing Qing was jealous, but now she wasn't. She remembered when she had breakfast with grandma this morning. Although grandma didn't speak, she had put delicious food into her bowl.

Grandma also cared about me. Grandma has a sharp mouth but a soft heart and didn't know how to express herself. That must be it! Bai Qing Qing was filled with joy.

Around 6 o'clock, Wang Fang cooked dinner for her employer's family and then hurried back home, even though her employer wanted her to stay. She was very worried. She didn't know if Yun Shan took his medicine on time.

When she got back, she found that only Bai Qing Qing was at home doing homework.

"Where is your dad? And your grandma?" Wang Fang was so scared that she almost fainted.

"This morning, grandma took dad out…" Bai Qing Qing said.

Li Su's voice interrupted as she called from outside, "Open the door!"

Wang Fang and Bai Qing Qing hurriedly went to open the door. There stood Li Su with Bai Yun Shan. They helped move Bai Yun Shan to the bed and Bai Qing Qing went to return the flatbed tricycle. Li Su then sat down and drank some water. Although she wasn't tired at all, she had to pretend she was.

"Mum, what is going on?" Wang Fang was very distressed upon seeing Bai Yun Shan's pale face.

"It's fine. I took him to the overpass to beg for food. This guy is too fat. If he was skinnier, it would have had a better effect. We will change the place tomorrow and go to the next town." Li Su wiped the corners of her mouth. Was it easy being a mother? For the sake of her XXXX son, there were 10,000 easy ways to make money, but she chose the most tiring one.

"Wh-what? Begging?" Wang Fang couldn't believe her ears.

"Yeah. When I went out this morning, I forgot to bring the painkillers. This guy was in pain, so he yelled. The effect was pretty good. Many people thought we were liars at first, but when they heard him yelling, they believed us," Li Su said happily.

"Grandma, how much money did you make in a day?" Bai Qing Qing asked excitedly.

"Not much." Li Su took out a stack of banknotes from her pocket. People in the 1990s were still very simple. If it weren't for the fact that they couldn't make it, nobody would go on the streets and beg for food. Therefore, nobody doubted them. Unlike in the 21st century, where begging had become a profession. People's kindness had been taken advantage of too many times that they were now numb to it.

"So much!" Bai Qing Qing's eyes lit up. "Grandma, I will go with you tomorrow. I am a child so others will sympathise with us more."

"Qing Qing, what are you talking about? This is deceiving people! How can you do such a thing?" Wang Fang was very angry.

Li Su glanced over and Wang Fang immediately stopped talking. Li Su then turned to look at Bai Qing Qing. "Begging on the street is not an easy thing. You have to endure the disgust in people's eyes. Can you bear it?"

Bai Qing Qing thought for a moment before she nodded solemnly. "I can bear it."

Li Su smiled. "Forget it. I will take your dad to the street to beg for food. I just want your dad to show some value. He shouldn't get used to staying at home doing nothing. Plus, what your mum said makes sense. After all, we are deceiving people. Children should not deceive people. I'll wait for your dad's legs to heal, I will take him to go pick up scraps. If you are willing to go with us, then you can come."

"Mum!" Wang Fang yelled weakly. "I can do a few more jobs, so don't make Yun Shan and Qing Qing suffer."

"Were you kicked in the head by a donkey? How is this suffering? This is exercise! Why, do you want to let this cripple drink and gamble? How much is too much for you?!" Li Su scolded mercilessly.

"But Yun Shan's leg is still injured," Wang Fang said, as if unable to bear it.

"When his legs have healed, can you control him?" Li Su asked as she rolled her eyes.

Bai Qing Qing also looked serious. "Mum, I think what grandma said is reasonable. Didn't grandma already say it? From now on, grandma will manage the family. You should just listen to grandma. Dad is grandma's own son. Could grandma harm him? There is a saying that to love someone is to be responsible for them and do things for their own good. Grandma is doing this for dad's own good. Mum, don't you want dad to reform himself so we can live as before?"

Wang Fang had always been a submissive person, not saying much. Now that her daughter had the same mindset, she had nothing to say. "This… So it's like this. Then, we'll listen to mum. Just… Mum, just take the painkillers tomorrow when you go out. And, what do you want to eat for lunch, mum?"

"Oh, there were some kind people who brought two steamed buns, and someone else gave us a bottle of water," said Li Su. Some kind people did actually give some steamed buns and water, but she couldn't eat the dry steamed buns, so she secretly went to buy a roast chicken to gnaw on.

"How can I let you do that? Mum, how can you eat steamed buns!" Wang Fang teared up immediately. "I will cook some food for mum to take tomorrow."

"Are you stupid? If we are begging, then the more pitiful we look, the better! If we bring food with us, then who would believe us?!" Li Su cursed.

If Bai Qing Qing heard such words in the past, then she would have been full of indignation. She would have thought that her grandma was humiliating her mum. But now, Bai Qing Qing thought that her grandma made sense.

"It is hard work for grandma," said Bai Qing Qing.

Li Su glanced at Bai Qing Qing. "You are feeling distressed for your grandma? It means that you still have a conscience. Girl, come here. Do you blame your grandma for the treatment you and your mum received before?"

"I know that you did it for our own good. You wanted to train us, but we let you down," Bai Qing Qing said righteously.

Li Su felt that this girl was quite advanced for her age. She couldn't see her turning black-hearted in the future. But, how old was she? She had to be careful. She was just a little girl, so it was natural for her psychological state to change over time. She had not yet started to darken.

"It's good that you know. I am old and will die sooner or later. How you live in the future will depend on you. If your mother is like this, then you can't count on her. Qing Qing, our family will need to depend on you in the future. You need to study hard, go to a good university, find a good job, and show us some consideration in the future. As for your dad… Don't worry. Before I die, I will reform him. I will not let him drag you down."

This time, not only was Wang Fang moved to tears, but also Bai Qing Qing. It turned out that her grandma had such good intentions. She had misunderstood her previously! "Grandma, don't worry. I will definitely study hard and make a lot of money in the future so that you can live a good life!"

Li Su laughed and thought that, so long as Bai Qing Qing didn't become black-hearted, then it would be of great help to her.

There was a harmonious atmosphere among the three of them. Bai Yun Shan, who was lying on the bed, woke up hungry. "Man, I'm hungry and thirsty. Get me something quickly."

Wang Fang didn't have time to wipe away her tears before she rushed over. "Yun Shan, are you hungry? What do you want to eat? Is it okay if I cook a bowl of egg noodles for you?"

Bai Yun Shan opened his mouth to curse, as was his habit. Just as he was about to speak, he saw the old witch who had possessed his mother's body look at him coldly. Bai Yun Shan was so frightened that he couldn't speak.

The old witch was cruel. His leg hurt and she didn't give him painkillers. She even went so far as to secretly pinch him so that he would cry out in pain. For lunch, she went to eat roast chicken while he had to have the dry steamed buns.

Of course he knew. He could smell the roast chicken.

Those events made him certain that this old witch was definitely not his mother. His mother could not bear to do this to him.

But, the difference in power between them was too great. He couldn't beat the old witch. Currently, it seemed that Wang Fang and that damned girl were fooled by the old witch. Nobody was helping him, so he could only swallow his anger and wait.

Hmph, he would wait for his legs to heal. Hmph!

Bai Yun Shan was angry. "I don't want to eat egg noodles. I want to eat roast chicken!"

Chapter 5 – Rescuing the Black-Hearted (part 5)

"You want to eat roast chicken? Fang'er, just give him a bowl of clean water. Indulge him!" Li Su exclaimed angrily.

"You…" This old witch! The remaining 3 words were swallowed after seeing Li Su raise her hand.

"Yun Shan, mum is doing this for your own good. Your leg is injured, so you can't eat something greasy like roast chicken. Tomorrow morning, I will go to the market and buy some bones to make some soup for you, okay?" Wang Fang persuaded softly.

"I want to eat roast chicken!" Bai Yun Shan would not be polite to Wang Fang. He coveted the roast chicken after smelling it all afternoon. No. He was going to eat roast chicken tonight!

Wang Fang hesitated. "But where can I buy roast chicken for tonight? I can buy chicken to stew for soup tomorrow, okay?"

"I want to eat roast chicken! What part of roast chicken do you not understand? Idiot!" Bai Yun Shan roared.

"Eat your grandmother!" Li Su took out half a steamed bun from her pocket and shoved it into Bai Yun Shan's mouth. "Do you dare to say that again? This old woman will cut out your tongue!"

Bai Yun Shan almost choked to death. Wang Fang removed the steamed bun. Bai Yun Shan glared at Li Su angrily without saying a word.

Bai Qing Qing inwardly applauded at this scene. Her dad dared to yell at mum. If he had the ability, then he should yell at grandma. Grandma would slap him to death! "Mum, you should go to the kitchen to cook noodles for dad!"

Wang Fang stood up. "Mum, you guys didn't eat dinner. I will cook more noodles!"

"Mm. Go. Get two eggs. One is for you and the other is for Qing Qing. This good-for-nothing is not allowed to eat eggs!" said Li Su.

"Why? Didn't I also make money today?" Bai Yun Shan retorted when he heard that he wasn't getting roast chicken or eggs.

As soon as he spoke, he regretted it. He feared that the old witch would get angry and attack him again!

Unexpectedly, Li Su was thoughtful. "What you said makes sense. At least you earned eighty-odd yuan today. Fang'er, I will give him an egg later."

Wang Fang happily agreed. She turned and went to the kitchen.

Bai Yun Shan smiled triumphantly, then blanched. What was he feeling triumphant about? When did he fall to the point where he was happy to eat an egg, really!

When Ba Xi looked up at Li Su, he quickly lowered his head. Fine, this situation was not so bad. He endured this.

The next day, Li Su took Bai Yun Shan to another place to continue to beg for food. Today's luck was not as good as he made 50 yuan. But, Li Su was not discouraged. She didn't expect to get rich from just begging. She just wanted to have Bai Yun Shan suffer for a bit.

A few days later, Bai Qing Qing started school. After school started, lunch was a problem. She couldn't deal with it like she did previously.

Wang Fang and Li Su discussed this matter. Wang Fang said she would come back at noon to cook for Qing Qing.

Li Su thought about it for a while, but then refused. "No, your family is good, but you don't know how to tell good from bad, so I will go."

Bai Yun Shan heard this as he lay on the bed. The old witch was going to cook for that damn girl. Did that mean he didn't need to go out and beg for food in the future? He was, indeed, miserable.

Wang Fang thought about it. Since she was now the main source of income for the family, she had to keep working. Her employer's eldest sister was already a bit unhappy about her family matters. "Then I will be troubling mum."

Wang Fang also thought that Li Su wouldn't take Bai Yun Shan out to beg, so she was happy.

But, early next morning, Li Su sent Bai Qing Qing away and took Bai Yun Shan out. She took out an enamel cup and placed it in front of Bai Yun Shan. "If you lose money, then this old woman won't let you have anything to eat tonight!"

"No. What are you going to do?" Bai Yun Shan asked with blinking eyes.

"I'll return to cook for your daughter. I'll come back when she finishes her meal. If someone gives you money, you better collect it!" Li Su stared at him.

"That… Then you're leaving me here alone? What am I going to eat for lunch?!" Bai Yun Shan asked as he leaned against the big tree by the overpass.

"What, you want me to take you back and bring you back out here after you finish eating? Do I look like I have nothing better to do?" Li Su rolled her eyes.

"Aren't you afraid that something might happen to me?" Bai Yun Shan roared. This old witch was awful!

"Tch. You're a big man. What could happen?" Li Su said disdainfully. If he was a woman, then she would be worried. Why should she worry about a big man like him? Besides, the people nowadays were quite honest, so there shouldn't be a problem.

However, Li Su still looked around. She found a thin branch. "Here, keep this for self-defence. Don't worry. I will be back after I eat!"

She then patted his behind and walked away.

Bai Yun Shan was left stunned. This old witch really left him here! It was too much! He wanted to rant, rant! Damn! Who could he rant to? He was so angry!"

Bai Yun Shan gripped his sleeve and cried.

The people walking by saw him like this, his right hand useless, his left leg in a cast, and he was crying so badly. They felt pity for him and threw some money into the enamel cup in front of him.

Bai Yun Shan cried even more upon seeing this. Dad, come and take the old witch who has possessed mum's body away! Your son is suffering because of her!

Bai Qing Qing and Chen Tian Tian held hands and came back from school. "Qing Qing, why don't you come over for lunch?" Chen Tian Tian asked seriously.

Bai Qing Qing shook her head. "My grandma will cook lunch for me. Don't worry. We will go to school together after."

Chen Tian Tian nodded. "Okay, I'll come find you then."

Bai Qing Qing saw Chen Tian Tian off, and then entered her house nervously. She was not sure whether her grandma would cook for her.

But as soon as she opened the door, she could smell food. Bai Qing Qing was immediately happy. "Grandma!"

"Why are you shouting so loudly now? Are you calling for spirits?!" Li Su came out of the kitchen angrily, a spatula in her hand. "Hurry up! Put down your bag, wash your hands, and get the dishes!"

Bai Qing Qing put down her bag and washed her hands with a smile on her face. "Hey, grandma, where is dad?"

"Your dad is still there. I have to return after I finish eating," replied Li Su.

"Ah? What will he eat for lunch?" Bai Qing Qing wondered.

"When I went to the market to get some vegetables, I bought him some meat buns."

For the first time, Bai Qing Qing sympathised with her dad.

After a while, the food was ready. Bai Qing Qing looked at it. It was a few simple dishes, hot and sour shredded potato1, stir-fried vegetables2, braised chicken wings3, and meatball soup4. "Eat quickly!"

"Mm, grandma should eat more." Bai Qing Qing first served Li Su, giving her a braised chicken wing.

Bai Qing Qing took a bite of the chicken wing and her eyes lit up. She never knew that her grandma's cooking was so delicious. "Grandma, how did you make these chicken wings? They're delicious!"

"If it is delicious, then you should eat more. No need to speak nonsense!" Li Su stared at her. These were Coca Cola chicken wings. A bottle of coke costs 3 yuan, while 600 g of chicken costs 5 yuan!

After quickly finishing her meal, Bai Qing Qing helped Li Su clean up. "Grandma, I'll wash these bowls. You can go to dad."

"Will you be fine at home alone?" Li Su asked as she filled a bottle with cold boiled water and held two meat buns.

"Don't worry, grandma. I'll be fine."

While Bai Qing Qing was only 8 years old, she was used to housework and was very smart.

"Okay, then I'll go. Be careful and lock the door," said Li Su.

"I know, grandma!"

Li Su hurried out.

Bai Qing Qing was halfway through washing the dishes when she heard someone knock on the door. She thought it was because her grandma had forgotten something, so she ran to open the door.

It was Zhang Yuan who knocked.

"Grandpa Zhang, what's wrong?" Bai Qing Qing asked in surprise.

"Oh, I'm here to look at your dad's leg." Zhang Yuan frowned. "How can a little kid wash the dishes? Where is your grandma?" He thought that Li Su had changed for the better, it turned out she hadn't.

"My dad isn't at home. Grandpa Zhang should come back tonight. My grandma isn't at home either," said Bai Qing Qing.

"Not at home?" Zhang Yuan's eyes widened. Did Li Su really take Bai Yun Shan out to beg?

"Mm. My grandma took my dad to the next town to beg for food. My grandma said that she will use my dad to the fullest, and that the family does not raise idle people. Grandpa Zhan, are you okay? I'm going to wash the dishes," Bai Qing Qing said seriously.

Zhang Yuan laughed. "Then I'll come back tonight!" He then left.

Li Su returned in a hurry. Bai Yun Shan was almost dried up. He was hungry, thirsty, and dried out by the sun. "Why did you come here!" Bai Yun Shan said irritably.

Li Su took out two meat buns from her pocket and unscrewed the cap on the bottle of water. "Eat quickly!"

Bai Yun Shan was upset. He figured that since they were in public, she wouldn't dare to hurt him. He became bolder and cursed.

Li Su didn't say a word. She just remembered this. She would wait until they returned, then she would teach him a lesson!

But the people passing by couldn't stand by anymore. "Why are you like this? Your mum isn't eating or drinking, but she brought two meat buns and water for you. You're still like this? Really!"

The passer-by pulled Li Su aside. "Old lady, here is fifty yuan. You can use it to buy something delicious to eat and drink. Don't worry about your son. He's so fat anyway."

Li Su hurriedly refused with an honest and simple appearance. "No, I can't ask for your money."

That passer-by couldn't help but put the fifty yuan into Li Su's pocket. Although Li Su's three views weren't correct, she didn't want to abuse the kindness of others.

"Good boy. Good people are rewarded. I have taken your intentions to heart, but I really can't take your money. If you really want to give me money, just give one yuan. I can't ask for more," Li Su insisted as she forcibly returned the money.

The passer-by was touched. "Auntie, you are so kind. If my mother was still alive, she would be the same as you." He then stopped insisting and took 10 yuan from his pocket and shoved it into Li Su's hand. "Auntie, you can't refuse this money anymore."

He then bowed his head and walked away with tears.

Chapter 6 – Rescuing the Black-Hearted (part 6)

Bai Yun Shan felt incredulous as he watched the scene unfold. Was that young bastard blind? How could he think that the old witch was a good person? How was he not a filial son?

Fine. If he looked back at how things were before, he was a little bit unfilial, but his mother didn't care. As long as his mother was happy, then nothing else mattered.

When Li Su returned, Bai Yun Shan was about to sneer at her. However, he caught Li Su's cold gaze, so he lowered his head and nibbled on the bun.

When they returned at night, Li Su deliberately chose a rugged road to push a confused Bai Yun Shan along.

By the time he got home, Bai Yun Shan felt dead tired. He didn't even have the strength to curse. He knew that this old woman was purposefully making him suffer. It must be!

Wang Fang had to wait for her employer's family to finish eating dinner before she could pack up and return. She usually returned at around 8 pm. Bai Qing Qing normally went to Chen Tian Tian's house to do homework, so nobody else was at home.

Li Su had thrown Bai Yun Shan on the bed. Yes, she threw him!

Li Su patted her hands and ignored Bai Yun Shan's frightened gaze. "Be honest with me, or I'll beat you to death!" She raised her fist.

Bai Yun Shan swallowed and nodded vigorously. He didn't dare to go against her, he didn't! Where did this monster come from? So scary!

Li Su quickly stir-fried a few dishes. After she finished the last dish, Bai Qing Qing returned. "Have you finished your homework? Wash your hands and eat quickly."

"Yes, grandma. I'll help you," Bai Qing Qing said with a smile.

Li Su and Bai Qing Qing sat opposite each other. "Grandma, where is my dad?"

"He is lying down in the room. Leave him alone!" Li Su said angrily.

"By the way, grandpa Zhang came by during the day and said he wanted to take a look at dad's legs. I told him to come back at night," said Bai Qing Qing.

"Oh, your dad's legs are fine. He doesn't need to come. He only needs to come when it's time to remove the cast." Li Su didn't plan on letting his legs fully heal. Although she had the power of a cow, Wang Fang and Bai Qing Qing were small and weak. Just to be safe, it was better to make him have a limp.

Bai Qing Qing did not want her father's legs to get better. She was afraid that when he recovered, he would beat up her mum again. It would be good if they could always be like this.

At 7:50 pm, Wang Fang hurriedly returned. Bai Qing Qing was reviewing her homework and Li Su was counting money.

Wang Fang put her things down and entered the room. "Yun Shan, have you eaten? If not, what do you want to eat? Noodles? Okay. I bought some stewed beef. Should I make you some beef noodles?"

Before Bai Yun Shan could say anything, Li Su raised her head and said, "Beef is too fatty. He can't eat it! There are some tomato scrambled eggs on the table. You can cook noodles with that for him."

Wang Fang came out from the room boldly and asked, "Mum, will you get Yun Shan something to eat tomorrow?"

Li Su raised her head and glanced at her. "Why? After I serve your little one, do I have to serve the big one?"

Wang Fang didn't dare to say anything immediately, and instead turned around to go to the kitchen.

Bai Qing Qing watched the scene from the sidelines and couldn't help but smile inwardly. With mother's temperament, she was always controlled by grandma! She was also so soft-hearted. It had only been a few days of peace and quiet. Had she already forgotten how dad beat her up?

Bai Qing Qing felt helpless about her mother's temperament. She loved her mother and wanted to protect her, but deep down she disliked her mother's weak temperament. She still prefers her grandma. When she grows up, she will become a person like grandma!

If Li Su heard her thoughts, she wouldn't know whether she should laugh or cry. Because of her intervention, Bai Qing Qing hadn't turned black-hearted, but she embarked on a stranger road. However, these were things that would be recounted later.

Time passed. One month later, Zhang Yuan went to the Bai house to remove the cast from Bai Yun Shan. Wang Fang had taken leave today and stood aside, excited. She also helped Bai Yun Shan to walk around.

Bai Yun Shan was also very excited. He had finally regained his freedom. The first thing he had to do was to leave this place and escape the clutches of this old witch!

But after taking a few steps, Bai Yun Shan's face darkened. He found that he seemed to have a limp. He pushed Wang Fang away and took a few steps forward. His face darkened. He really had a limp.

Wang Fang covered her face and wept. "Uncle Zhang, how could this happen? Why does Yun Shan have a limp?"

Zhang Yuan glanced at Li Su, who stood innocently next to him. "I said that he should rest and recover." He was implying that if Bai Yun Shan didn't take good care of himself, then he couldn't do anything about it.

Bai Yun Shan stared at Li Su bitterly. Li Su snorted. "Isn't it just a lame leg? How does it matter? It's not the first time. Isn't your right hand also disabled?"

"Mum, don't say that!" Wang Fang said quickly as she watched Bai Yun Shan's face get darker.

"Look at you. Last time your hand was useless, so you took to alcohol and gambling. What are you going to do this time with a lame leg? Let me warn you, you better not get up to anything, otherwise I don't mind breaking your leg again!" Li Su said threateningly.

Bai Yun Shan shuddered when he recalled the pain of his broken leg and the pain that lasted more than a month.

Zhang Yuan lowered his head and cleared his throat to remind people that he was still there. "If there is nothing wrong, I will head back first. Come find me if you have any questions."

Li Su didn't speak much. She didn't really like the old man, even if he was quite gentle and elegant.

Wang Fang wiped away her tears and sent Zhang Yuan off.

Bai Yun Shan sat on the stool, looking gloomy. After a moment, Wang Fang entered. He looked at her and said, "Give me the money. I have something to do!"

Wang Fang glanced at Li Su. "I don't have any money. All the money is with mum."

Li Su snorted. "So embarrassing to ask for money. Let's settle the account. While you were injured, a total of three people came asking for you to repay your debt. I calculated it and the total was seven thousand, seven hundred and eighty yuan. This month, you made a total of five hundred and ninety yuan. This isn't enough. How do you plan on making money to pay off your gambling debts?!"

Bai Yun Shan's expression changed drastically and Wang Fang looked at Bai Yun Shan incredulously. "Seven thousand, seven hundred and eighty yuan! How could it be that much?!" Her monthly salary was only 1300 yuan! This was already pretty good money in their town. Yun Shan had only earned 1000 yuan a month.

"Speak! How do you plan on paying back the money?" Li Su asked.

Bai Yun Shan didn't say a word.

Wang Fang quickly figured it out. "Mum, my salary from these past two months is more than two thousand. At the most, in half a year, I can pay off the gambling debt."

"Your brain has an issue! You get paid the same amount every month. Except for the necessities, I save the rest. This money is for Qing Qing's future schooling. Nobody is allowed to use it! Did you forget everything I told you before? Hah! You can't rely on this man. The only one you can rely on is Qing Qing, and yet you still want to help him pay back his gambling debts. You wouldn't be able to pay it back even if you sold yourself! Li Su cursed as she pointed at Wang Fang.

"But, but those gambling debts…" Wang Fang whispered.

"Whoever got themselves into the debt will pay for it!" Li Su said as she stared at Bai Yun Shan.

"But, Yun Shan is…" Wang Fang whispered.

"And you, what do you intend on doing?" Li Su asked, her eyes fixed on Bai Yun Shan.

Bai Yun Shan felt cold under Li Su's gaze. He just wanted to take the money to go and gamble. He forgot he still owed a lot of money! If he went to the casino now, the debt collectors would definitely find him. What should he do?

"Hmph! Your pig brain can't figure anything out!" Li Su glanced at Bai Yun Shan with disgust. "I have talked to those people and they will give you half a year to pay off these debts. No interest will be charged during this period. So, from now on, you will make some money to pay off your gambling debts!"

Bai Yun Shan looked at Li Su in surprise. Were those people so easy to talk to? He was not going to be charged interest? Was that possible? Wasn't it impossible? Maybe they were all convinced by this old witch?

But then why didn't this old witch just ask them not to collect debts? She made it clear that she wanted him to suffer.

However, if this old witch could even beat those thugs, then how could he escape?

"I… I… I am going to the streets to beg again?" Bai Yun Shan didn't know what he could do. When he thought about it, he could only come up with this method. It didn't take much effort to sit there and cry a few times before someone would give him money. It was good.

"You want to beg? Why don't you die?! How can you be so lazy? Have you even thought that your daughter may be ashamed of having a beggar for a dad? Aren't you useless?! Aren't you?! I should just kill you!" After hearing what Bai Yun Shan said, Li Su picked up the feather duster next to her and whipped Bai Yun Shan's head.

Bai Yun Shan felt extremely wronged and wanted to avoid it, but his right hand was useless and now his legs weren't very flexible. He suffered a few blows from the feather duster.

Wang Fang wanted to go and protect him, but Bai Qing Qing held her back. Why would she go to stop it? It had only been a few months and he had already wasted the 20000 yuan pension, and he still owed so much money! He didn't even think about grandma, mum, or herself before he gambled. He didn't spare a thought for his family.

Bai Qing Qing stubbornly pulled Wang Fang's sleeves to prevent her from stepping forward, while also cheering for her grandma in her heart. She wanted her grandma to hit him harder and a few more times. It would be better to beat him up so he couldn't get out of bed again.

After a while, Li Su felt tired. She put the feather duster down and sat on the stool, panting. Bai Qing Qing immediately let go of Wang Fang's hand and ran to pour Li Su some tea. She then massaged her shoulders and back attentively.

Bai Yun Shan was very angry when he saw the little white-eyed wolf1."

Wang Fang ran over with tears to see where Bai Yun Shan was injured, but Bai Yun Shan impatiently pushed her away.

1Someone who bites the hand who feeds them.

Chapter 7 – Rescuing the Black-Hearted (part 7)

"Then what do you suggest?" Bai Yun Shan asked grimly.

"I have figured it out. There are two roads ahead of you. The first is the hardware factory. It needs someone to look after the warehouse. There are two shifts, eight hundred a month. If you take the night shifts, there is a subsidy of two hundred yuan. If you choose to work the night shifts, you can get one thousand yuan a month. You can sleep in the morning and then come out with me in the afternoon to make money. This way, you will be able to almost pay off the debt in half a year. Even if it is not enough, you can use the family's money to make up for it," Li Su said.

"I won't do that! Even if I work the night shift, I still have to go out and pick up scraps? I won't do it. It is too embarrassing!" Bai Yun Shan retorted immediately. "What is the other way?"

"There is another way. It's simple and you can quickly make money." Li Su's eyes were cold. "I heard that in the big cities, there are organ sellers. The money will come quickly. A kidney is worth tens of thousands of yuan. Or, you can sell blood, but selling blood doesn't get you money fast. Do you want to try it?"

Bai Yun Shan was dumbfounded. "What? Selling my kidney? I won't do it!"

"You could go work, but you claim to be too tired. You could sell your kidneys, but you are reluctant to do so. Then, what do you want? Do you expect a pie to drop from the sky? Why don't you go to the sky!" Li Su raised her hand, wanting to hit him again.

Bai Yun Shan was so scared that he hugged his head. "Don't hit, don't hit! I will choose the first one. Can I choose the first one?" Bai Yun Shan is a self-preserving person, and he was terrified thinking about someone cutting him open to get his kidney. Besides, it was watching a storehouse, wasn't it? There was no need to do any physical work. As for picking up scraps, it was for food and he didn't care about it anymore.

Wang Fang looked at Bai Yun Shan with tears in her eyes, making him embarrassed.

"Then it's been decided. Let him get cleaned up and I will take him to the hardware factory in the afternoon," said Li Su.

Wang Fang quickly pulled Bai Yun Shan down.

"Grandma, are you also going?" Bai Qing Qing asked when she heard that something was wrong.

"I'm not going. Who would want to go with this good-for-nothing! This opportunity for your dad was just happenstance," Li Su said disdainfully. The hardware factory owner happened to see her deal with those people who had come to ask for the debt to be repaid. He was shocked. It so happened that the items in the factory were often stolen, so the owner of the hardware factory asked her to go. Li Su had been wondering what she should do about Bai Yun Shan. After she thought about it, she agreed, but she proposed taking her son with her and only receiving a single person's salary.

The boss agreed without thinking.

Li Su always wanted to make sure that Bai Yun Shan was nearby, or else he would fly off as soon as she left him. In addition, she was only in her early fifties and her body was very good.

"Qing Qing, grandma is doing this all for your sake. I need to keep an eye on your father because, according to your dad's temperament, he needs to be tightly controlled!" Li Su said earnestly.

Bai Qing Qing was moved to tears. "Grandma, I know. Don't worry. I will definitely study hard and go to a good university when I grow up. I will find a good job and let grandma live a good life. Grandma, after school I will go with you to pick up scraps and earn money. You can handle all the money I make in the future."

"Good. Grandma will wait to enjoy your efforts! As for picking up scraps, forget about it. There's no need to have people laugh at you." Li Su thought in her heart, 'as long as you don't turn black-hearted, don't fight the male and female lead, and don't do things that hurt others, then she would be satisfied'.

"If they want to laugh, then let them laugh. I would be making money using my abilities. What is there to make fun of? Don't worry, it won't affect my studies," Bai Qing Qing said seriously.

Li Su thought about it. No matter how poor they were, she didn't want to let the child suffer. However, because of their family situation… Perhaps she should let the child do something. "Aren't you afraid of losing face in front of your friends?"

"No. Grandma, Tian Tian is also helping her mother at home. Her mother is not healthy and can't go to work, so she goes to the factory to do a bit of work. Tian Tian will help her mother after she finishes her homework." The Bai Qing Qing from before might feel ashamed, but now that she understood this was all for family, she didn't feel ashamed.

"Good child. You are a lot better than your dad!" Li Su touched Bai Qing Qing's head and then took 10 yuan from her pocket. "Take this. Don't you need to pay to go to the park for your field trip for school?"

"Grandma, how do you know? I don't want to go. I want to stay home and read more." Bai Qing Qing's eyes flashed with joy, but she still refused sensibly.

"Do you think I wouldn't know if you didn't say anything? Take it! The Chen family is not much better off than us, but Chen Tian Tian is also going, so you should as well. I will give you another ten yuan to buy something to eat. We don't need to worry about money. Our family is still fine." Li Su smiled. Children were not originally conceited. As long as they were guided well, they would grow up to be sensible.

Bai Qing Qing also wanted to go on the field trip with her classmates. She hadn't participated in any class activities before. In the beginning, it was because her grandma did not want to spend money. Later, it was because her family didn't have money. Now, her family still owed a lot of money.

"Take it. Are you not going to listen to your grandma?" Li Su said with a straight face.

Bai Qing Qing thought about it for a while. She really wanted to go on the field trip with her classmates, so she took the 10 yuan. "Grandma, ten yuan is enough. When the time comes, I can bring some water and rice balls from home," said Bai Qing Qing. She would not accept the additional 10 yuan.

Li Su didn't force it when she saw that Bai Qing Qing insisted on not taking it.

When Bai Qing Qing went to bed, she held the 10 yuan excitedly.

The next day, Bai Qing Qing found the teacher and paid the expense for the field trip. The teacher was a little surprised. She knew about the Bai family's situation, but she didn't say anything. She just smiled and accepted the money, recording Bai Qing Qing's name on the list.

When she returned to her seat, Chen Tian Tian held out her hand and said excitedly, "That's great! Qing Qing, let's play together! My mother said that when the time comes, she will cook something for us to share. Qing Qing, I am so happy!"

Bai Qing Qing nodded. She smiled and held Chen Tian Tian's hand.

In the early morning of the day of the field trip, Wang Fang was busy in the kitchen. She was frying an egg, preparing some rice balls, and bottling some water for her daughter. She even bought two apples yesterday for her daughter.

"No hurry. If it is cold and dry, how is she supposed to eat it? Here, this is what I bought for the girl. Give it to her later. I'm going back to sleep. Why are you standing there in a daze? Get some sleep and then go to work in the afternoon!" Li Su handed the plastic bag to Wang Fang before she turned to shout impatiently at Bai Yun Shan.

Bai Yun Shan looked at the plastic bag, salivating. This old witch was actually willing to buy so much delicious food for that damn girl.

"By the way, there are two of everything. Qing Qing and the girl from the Chen family can both eat since the Chen family takes good care of Qing Qing. You have to be conscientious!" said Li Su.

Wang Fang opened the bag and saw two bottles of orange-flavoured soda, some small cakes, and milk candy. "This costs a lot of money! Mum, why did you buy this? It is better to pay off Yun Shan's debts if you have money."

LI Su glanced over and Wang Fang didn't dare to say anything else. She bowed her head and said, "I know."

Bai Yun Shan looked at the fried egg and swallowed. "In that case, let me eat the egg. I didn't eat enough this morning!"

"You ate two steamed buns and a bowl of porridge this morning. You say you haven't eaten enough yet? Are you a pig?" Li Su twisted Bai Yun Shan's ear and cursed. "Save it for Qing Qing's breakfast."

She then took Bai Yun Shan away.

Bai Yun Shan had seen how the old witch treated thieves who tried to steal from the factory several times. After she caught the perpetrator, there was a fight. After that, she took off their clothes and hung the clothes on the roof beams before sending them to the police station at dawn. Ever since the old witch started working at the factory, the losses had been greatly reduced. The boss had already rewarded the old witch with hundreds of yuan.

Bai Yun Shan felt that the old witch had been fairly light on him recently. He also understood that he was a decoration and that the old witch was the one who was doing all the work.

Many times on the way to work, he met his former creditors. When those people saw the old witch behind him, they all looked scared of being beaten and hid.

Whenever he thought about it, Bai Yun Shan shuddered. Now he did not dare to talk back to the old witch anymore.

He couldn't afford to!

Bai Qing Qing got up. After washing up, she went to the kitchen to get her lunch. Wang Fang handed her the plastic bag. "This is what your grandma bought you. You should share it with Tian Tian. Your grandma said that the Chen family looks after you on weekdays, so we should also be courteous."

Bai Qing Qing opened the plastic bag and looked inside. Her eyes were red. Inside were small cakes, orange-flavoured soda, and apples.

"Your grandma has treated you so well these days. This cost a lot of money. I fried you an egg for lunch, but since you don't need it, you can eat it for breakfast! Hurry up, don't be late. The car won't wait for long!" But Bai Qing Qing wasn't really listening to what Wang Fang said.

The contents of the bag might not be as good as what her richer classmates ate, but they were the best her family could give her.

Bai Qing Qing was so moved. She held the plastic bag tightly. "Thank you, mum. You should eat this egg yourself since you work hard every day."

Wang Fang touched Bai Qing Qing's head and smiled. "Okay, this is what your grandma left you. Your dad didn't eat it. You should eat it quickly. Go to school as soon as you finish. Don't dally."

Bai Qing Qing nodded and hurriedly ate breakfast. After, she rushed to the Chen house. When Chen Tian Tian came out, she excitedly pulled Chen Tian Tian. "Tian Tian, look. This is from my grandma!"

Chen Tian Tian's eyes widened in surprise when she saw the items. The soda and cake cost at least 20 or 30 yuan. "How come your grandma was so willing to buy those?"

"My grandma has always been nice to me," Bai Qing Qing said with a smile. "By the way, my grandma said that we should share. Tian Tian, let's share it then!"

Chen Tian Tian smiled and said, "My mother has also prepared delicious food for me. Take a look." She then opened her bag and took out her lunch box. There was kimbap1."

"Wow, the colours are nice. They look delicious. Tian Tian, your mother's craftsmanship is very good." Bai Qing Qing was a little envious. Her mother didn't do such things. Even if she could prepare rice balls, they were plain.

But it didn't matter. She still had her grandma.

"Let's share it!" Bai Qing Qing said with a smile.

Chen Tian Tian also nodded happily.

1(紫菜包飯) kimbap – like Korean sushi. Probably looks something like this.↩

Chapter 8 – Rescuing the Black-Hearted (part 8)

Time flew by. Half a year passed by in a blink of an eye. The Bai family finally paid off Bai Yun Shan's gambling debt. They breathed a sigh of relief, especially Bai Yun Shan. After paying off his debt, he could finally straighten his back.

"So, the gambling debt has finally been paid off and next month's salary…" Bai Yun Shan said crookedly. He didn't want to gamble. In fact, in the past six months, he couldn't bear not gambling, so he snuck into the casino to try it out. But, Li Su found out and beat him up on the street.

After several hits, Bai Yun Shan didn't dare to return to the casino. His fingers were itching to do something, so he ended up playing 'Fight The Landlord'1 with the idle guys in town, but they weren't allowed to play for money, otherwise there would be another beating.

Li Su glanced at him. "Do you know what's going on with your job? If it wasn't for this old lady, do you think people would want you?"

"But didn't I catch a thief last month?" After more than half a year, Bai Yun Shan had figured out Li Su's temper. As long as he didn't beat others, curse, or cause trouble, she wouldn't do anything to him. Therefore, Bai Yun Shan gradually started to talk back to Li Su.

"That was pure luck!"2."

"That doesn't matter. I finally caught one! Besides, I am a big man. I can't have no money. That's ridiculous!" Bai Yun Shan shouted.

"Why do you want money? Do you want to drink with your friends? Don't be absurd! Stop dreaming. Since you have the time, collect scraps. Make more money, enrol Qing Qing in a special class, like learning an instrument or learning how to dance," said Li Su.

Bai Qing Qing's eyes lit up. Dance? Musical instrument? There were some students in her class who could dance or play the violin or piano. When the school organised a performance, they always went on stage and got a lot of applause, unlike her. Apart from her studies, she didn't know anything special. She could only sing in a choir.

Wang Fang objected before Bai Yun Shan could say anything. "Mum, the children can just study a good book at home. Why do they need to learn these things? With regards to the money, it is better to buy clothes for Yun Shan."

"You are a short-sighted person. What do you know! A person who reads blindly with no hobbies will end up studying to death. Even if such a person was admitted to a good university, they would be a nerd who could only study. What would be the point? It is always good to learn something else!" Li Su decided, too impatient to explain it to them.

"Thank you, grandma!" Bai Qing Qing said excitedly.

"Don't get too excited. No matter what you choose, you need to know that once you decide to learn it, you can't give up halfway! No matter how busy you get or how hard it gets, you have to stick with it. You can't lack perseverance!"3 Li Su warned. Later generations paid attention to their children's education and enrolled them in these special classes, but few of them could stick to it. Most of them couldn't stand the difficult practice every day, so they gave up halfway.

She didn't know whether Bai Qing Qing could go through with it. She thought about Bai Qing Qing's temperament and compared it to the one in the book. She figured that she should be able to persevere.

"Don't worry, grandma. I will study hard!" Bai Qing Qing promised earnestly. She knew how hard it was to earn money. No matter how hard it got or how tired she was, she would definitely continue.

"Mm. Let's not pick up scraps on Sunday. We should go to the Children's Palace to take a look and see which one you want to learn!" said Li Su.

"Mm, I will." Bai Qing Qing knew this was a hard-won opportunity, so she would cherish it.

Bai Yun Shan rolled his eyes when he saw this. The old witch was used to buying people's hearts. Suddenly, a banknote floated in front of him.

"Here is ten yuan as pocket money. I don't care how you spend it, but if you dare to gamble with it, I will break your leg!" Li Su threatened.

Bai Yun Shan's eyes lit up. He smiled and accepted the 10 yuan.

"From now on, as long as you stay safe and don't do anything to trouble me, you will be given seventy yuan as pocket money per month. But, you can't gamble, do you hear?!" Li Su said again.

"Hehe, I heard you. I promise not to gamble!" Bai Yun Shan was very happy to hear that he would receive 70 yuan a month. He took the 10 yuan to a small shop and bought a pack of cigarettes. As soon as he left, he lit one and smoked it.

"Yo, isn't it Older Brother Bai? It's been a long time!" Upon seeing Bai Yun Shan, one of the two young men's eyes lit up.

"What are you doing? Are you looking for a fight? Did you forget his old lady?" The other man held the person with a look of horror. The two then lowered their heads, said a few words, then ran away.

Bai Yun Shan recognised those two people. They were the friends he had made from the casino before. He was a little moved. He touched his pocket and felt that he only had 5 yuan left. The casino wouldn't let him in when he had that little money, along with the old witch's reputation.

Then maybe he should buy a lottery ticket? If he won the big prize, then he could leave here quietly. When that time came, he would be free of the old woman!

Bai Yun Shan thought that it was a good idea. He couldn't wait to go to the lottery shop next door. He bought two tickets and looked forward to winning the jackpot.

Someone soon told Li Su about Bai Yun Shan's actions. It took a long time for Li Su to restore the relationship between her family and the neighbours. People didn't understand her at first, but later on, they thought that Li Su's son was absurd, his wife was cowardly, her granddaughter was young, and Li Su herself was old and yet still had to take care of this family. They couldn't help but sympathise with her and help the Bai family out secretly.

Li Su was used to dealing with this kind of relationship, so it didn't take long for her to have a harmonious relationship with the neighbours.

Therefore, when the old lady from the Wang family next door saw that Bai Yun Shan had gone to the lottery shop, she immediately went to the Bai family to tell Li Su.

Li Su thanked the lady and filled a plate with Wang Fang's side dishes. "Thank you, older sister. Here are some side dishes that my daughter-in-law made. The hot and sour soup is delicious. I heard that your granddaughter-in-law is pregnant. Take this back and let her eat it. If you like it, I can send some more over."

Old lady Wang laughed. Although this was a small gesture, the important thing was the feelings behind it. "Then I won't be polite. Alas, my Little Lan is picky. After she became pregnant, she always wants to eat something sour and complains that the pickles at home aren't sour enough."

"If she likes to eat sour things, then she will have a boy. If she likes to eat spicy things, then she will have a girl.4 This is a good omen! Older sister, you are blessed. Your children and grandchildren are filial and capable. You will soon have four generations! What a blessing!" Li Su coaxed old lady Wang with a smile.

As soon as she turned around, Wang Fang greeted her with a sad face. "Mum, what can I do?" It seems it wasn't easy to stop gambling since he bought lottery tickets. Someone who was addicted to the lottery was no different from a gambler. Wasn't old Wang's family on the street because her son was addicted to the lottery and her family was broken?

"What are you afraid of? As long as you don't give him money secretly, then where would he get money to buy lottery tickets?" Li Su glared at Wang Fang.

"I really haven't given any money to Yun Shan recently. I gave all of it to mum. There is nothing left," Wang Fang whispered. Before the Mid-Autumn festival, her employer had given her an extra 200 yuan for her good performance. She thought that Yun Shan had been working hard recently, so she secretly gave him that money. As a result, her mother-in-law found out and let loose a torrent of abuse, and Yun Shan was beaten again.

Wang Fang was so scared that she dared not to give money secretly anymore.

"Just remember not to be soft-hearted. Men become bad when they have money!" It wasn't that Li Su was hard on Wang Fang. It's just that Wang Fang was brainless and she had to remind her every so often or she would forget.

Fortunately, the neighbours now knew about their family situation. Now that they saw the mother-in-law teaching her daughter-in-law, they no longer blindly accused Li Su. Wang Fang was good, but she was too soft-hearted. If it wasn't for Li Su's support, this home would have broken apart a long time ago.

After Li Su scolded her daughter-in-law, she still felt a bit angry. She wondered if she could find a reason to beat Bai Yun Shan so she could vent her anger.

When she transmigrated here, she happened to arrive at the time where her menopause was the worst. Menopause, insomnia, night sweats, and many other symptoms made her original bad temper worse. This also explained why the original body could sit back and watch all the evil deeds her son had done to her daughter-in-law and granddaughter. The mentality was distorted and it was natural to see others in a bad light.

Fortunately, Li Su transmigrated. Of course, Li Su couldn't resist the normal physiological changes, but she could relieve her inner emotions by hitting and cursing others. Of course, the target of all of these was Bai Yun Shan.

Li Su was thinking. Suddenly, Bai Yun Shan returned. "Why did you go?" Li Su felt her hands were itchy, so she looked around for something convenient.

"No… Nothing! I went to buy a pack of cigarettes!" Perhaps it was because Bai Yun Shan had experience from being beaten for a long time that he noticed the old witch's mood was bad. He moved towards the door, trying to escape, even though he knew it was useless. The old witch's body was really good. She could chase someone for eight streets chasing without being out of breath.

Unfortunately, it was too late. Li Su had picked up the broom by the wall and hit him in the face.

Bai Yun Shan held his head. "Ah, why? Why did you hit me!"

"You don't want to say. You are so capable. You stopped gambling, but bought lottery tickets instead. Are you thinking about getting rich overnight? You severely overestimate yourself!5 Do you have that kind of luck?! There are so many people who buy lottery tickets. How many people get rich from the lottery? I see that you've been misbehaving!" Li Su said as she hit him.

"I bought two lottery tickets for four yuan!" Bai Yun Shan felt very wronged. He knew that a neighbour had seen him do so and had told the old witch.

"What's wrong with just four yuan? Today it is four yuan. Tomorrow it could be forty yuan, and the day after tomorrow could be four hundred! This is a bottomless pit! Bai Yun Shan, let me tell you that I am not going to enable your bad habit. If you dare to step into the lottery shop again, this old lady will cripple your other leg as well!" Li Su stopped after roaring the last sentence.

After loosening her muscles and bones, she felt refreshed!

1.(斗地主) Fight The Landlord, aka Dou Di Zhu, is a card game. It's pretty fun. wiki/Dou_dizhu↩

2.(瞎貓碰上了死耗子) She actually says 'that's a blind cat bumping into a dead mouse'. So, he was just lucky.↩

3.(不能三天打魚兩天曬網) another idiom. It translates to 'go fishing for three days and dry the nets for two', which means to lack perseverance.↩

4.(酸兒辣女) this is a widely circulated rumour for expecting mothers. It is said that if the expectant mother likes to eat sour things, then she will have a boy. If she likes to eat spicy things, then she will have a girl.↩

5.(你也不撒泡尿照照自己) literally translates to "you urinate yourself and take a picture". I checked online and it is apparently a rude way to say that someone is overestimating themselves

Chapter 9 – Rescuing the Black-Hearted (part 9)

Li Su was refreshed, leaving Bai Yun Shan to stand there yelling.

Wang Fang took the medicine box, pulled Bai Yun Shan over to sit on a stool, and applied medicine to his wound. "You should know what your mother's temper is like. Why would you hide? Just let mother release her anger. Isn't it over now? The more you hide it, the angrier your mother will be, and the more you will suffer. Why bother?"

Bai Yun Shan grimaced in pain. "Shut up!"

"Bai Yun Shan!" There was a roar from the room. Bai Yun Shan lowered his head immediately and said nothing.

Wang Fang couldn't help but laugh. "Don't be angry with your mother. Mum beats you for your own good. Mum is right. Beating and scolding someone is love. Not beating or scolding someone is a curse. I think what mum says is very reasonable. Don't you think our days have more and more prospects?"

Rubbish prospects! Bai Yun Shan muttered inwardly. You and mum have prospects, but what about me? Life is full of suffering, but when can I be saved?!1"

"You. It wouldn't hurt to listen to mum more in the future," Wang Fang nagged.

Bai Yun Shan glared at her, irritated. How could he be so blind to marry such a fool?!

A few days later, it was Sunday. Li Su had planned to take Bai Qing Qing to the local Children's Palace today. Wang Fang was resting today and so she tagged along. Bai Yun Shan didn't want to go. He just got off his night shift and wanted to sleep. Li Su was stunned. "Sleep, sleep, sleep. Are you a pig? All you do is sleep. You slept like a dead pig last night. You wouldn't even wake up if thunder struck! We must go together today!"

Bai Yun Shan followed reluctantly after being scolded. When they went out, they met Chen Tian Tian and her mother. The Chen family had heard that Bai Qing Qing was going to learn a special skill. After the couple discussed it, they gritted their teeth and decided to let their daughter learn one as well.

"That's good. If it's convenient, the two kids can go together and the parents can pick them up and drop them off," Li Su said with a smile. She had a good impression of the Chen family. At the beginning, the two were good to Bai Qing Qing, but Bai Qing Qing's views on life were already distorted at that time, so she ignored the Chen family's good intentions. Later, when they learned that the male lead had sold Bai Qing Qing to a foreign brothel, they couldn't bear it. Bai Qing Qing had died in a foreign country. It was the Chen family who brought her ashes back to the country to be buried.

"Mm, I'm afraid I will need to trouble you when the time comes. Her father is working and I am not in good shape." Mother Chen was a gentle woman.

"That's fine. We need to thank you for your help with Qing Qing," Li Su said with a smile, and continued to talk to Mother Chen, but Wang Fang followed the two of them in silence.

After wandering around and watching for a while, as well as attending a few minutes of the classes, the two girls got together and talked for a while. Finally, Bai Qing Qing chose calligraphy and Chen Tian Tian chose to learn the bamboo flute.2"

Wang Fang and Bai Yun Shan didn't react much, but Li Su and Mother Chen smiled, satisfied. In fact, they could see that both of the girls were interested in instruments like the piano and violin, but chose calligraphy and the bamboo flute due to their families' financial situation. Calligraphy and bamboo flute classes didn't cost too much.

Although it was distressing to see the girls' maturity, this was the only way for the Bai and Chen family to be able to let their child learn a special skill.

Li Su nodded. "Okay, then that's settled. But, I will remind you that since you have chosen this, you must stick with it and never give it up halfway!"

Bai Qing Qing and Chen Tian Tian glanced at each other before nodding.

The next step was to register them for the class and pay.

After paying the fee, Wang Fang finally said something, distressed. "This year's tuition will cost more than one thousand. There are also the costs of paper, pens, and other things. How can it cost one or two thousand a year? As Qing Qing progresses through school, the tuition fee and other expenses will only continue to grow. Qing Qing will spend three to four thousand a year alone. It is too expensive."

Bai Qing Qing was originally excited, but after hearing her mother's words, she calmed down. She would be lying if she said she wasn't sad. She always thought that, in this family, the one who loved her the most was her mother. Nowadays, her grandma and dad don't say anything, but her mum…

"Qing Qing is your only child. If you have money and you don't spend it on her, then who are you going to spend it on? This wastrel?" Li Su asked, her eyes narrowed.

Wang Fang stopped talking immediately and Bai Yun Shan frowned. "Why did you bring me up again? I didn't say anything?"

Mother Chen said softly, "No matter how hard things are for you, you can't let your children suffer. No matter how poor you are, you can't have poor education. We adults have worked hard for the sake of the children."

"You are even reluctant to invest in the child's education. You fool!" Li Su said irritably.

Mother Chen smiled slightly and reached out to touch Bai Qing Qing's hair. Fortunately, there was still a sensible person in the Bai family, otherwise this child's life would be too tragic.

Time flew by, and ten years had passed in the blink of an eye. Although the Bai family was often in disarray, the days passed by. Because of her hard work and good reputation in housekeeping, Wang Fang was given a salary increase. Now, Wang Fang's salary was around 2500 yuan.

Bai Yun Shan was still a good-for-nothing. The only improvement was that he had been beaten into submission by Li Su and didn't dare to cause trouble anymore. However, ten years later, his salary had risen. He now received about 2000 yuan a month. Since Li Su saw that he was still honest and devoted to work, Li Su gradually relaxed a bit and no longer accompanied him to work every day.

However, Bai Yun Shan's monthly allowance was still 70 yuan. Bai Qing Qing's monthly living expenses were more than Bai Yun Shan's. Bai Yun Shan protested numerous times, but they were ignored by Li Su.

Bai Qing Qing and Chen Tian Tian had also been admitted to university. They couldn't bear to leave their families, so they didn't go to a university far away. They chose to go to a local university since they could go home every week. Because of this, Li Su was upset and scolded Bai Qing Qing for being a good-for-nothing. But, Bai Qing Qing had long seen through Li Su and knew that Li Su was gentle despite her mean appearance. She didn't care about Li Su's words at all.

Bai Qing Qing and Chen Tian Tian had similar thoughts. Mother Chen had a weak body and Father Chen had to go to work. Chen Tian Tian did not worry about her home and neither did Bai Qing Qing. Bai Qing Qing was used to living under the control of her mighty grandma. She didn't want to leave at all!

Li Su thought that the plot should start soon! What was the name of the male lead? Was it Jiang Rui Qi? He should appear soon. Where did he and the female lead first meet?

"Grandma, I won't go back with Tian Tian this weekend. A senior sister helped us find a part-time job near the university. Tian Tian and I are going to have a look this weekend, so we will come back next weekend," Bai Qing Qing said over the phone.

Li Su nodded. "Okay. You two be careful. Don't get deceived. Call if you need anything."

After she hung up the phone, Wang Fang sighed. "This child should just study hard. What kind of work is she going to do? Isn't the eight hundred yuan enough for her monthly living expenses? It must be so she can accompany Tian Tian."

"You don't know the Chen family's situation. Tian Tian's mother has been getting worse in recent years. She needs money to see a doctor, for the medicine, and for someone to take care of her. Tian Tian is a filial child and wants to help the family lighten the burden. What's wrong with that? As for Qing Qing, even though our family can afford it, it is good for her to go get some experience. There is nothing to worry about," Li Su said impatiently.

Wang Fang didn't dare to refute her. She stood to the side.

"Go and call Bai Yun Shan for dinner. What time is it? He's still sleeping?" said Li Su.

"Mum, let Yun Shan sleep a bit longer. He has worked hard on his night shift," Wang Fang said with a smile.

Li Su glared at her and didn't want to talk to the idiot anymore.

At the local university, Bai Qing Qing hung up and smiled and Chen Tian Tian. "She said it was okay."

Chen Tian Tian was a little embarrassed. "Since you're accompanying me, you can't go home this weekend. Qing Qing, thank you."

"What are you talking about? What is our relationship? There's no need to say such things. But, my grandma said that we should be careful about getting deceived," Bai Qing Qing said as she took Chen Tian Tian's hand.

Chen Tian Tian nodded. "Mm, thank you for being by my side, otherwise I would be a little scared."

"There's two of us. If something is really wrong, then we should run. Let's prepare well. So, like this…" Bai Qing Qing quietly spoke in Chen Tian Tian's ear.

Chen Tian Tian nodded repeatedly. "Okay, I'll listen to you!"

In fact, Chen Tian Tian felt that there was something wrong with this offer. She just had to be a model and have her picture taken. Could it give her that much money? But she really needed money right now and she wanted to try it out just in case it was true!

But at the same time, she was also afraid. What if it was a scam? Fortunately, Qing Qing was with her. It was her blessing to have a good sister like Qing Qing.

Chen Tian Tian thought to herself as she leaned on Bai Qing Qing's shoulder.

On Saturday, Chen Tian Tian and Bai Qing Qing went to the studio that their senior sister mentioned. They walked around for a long time before finding the place in a deep alley.

When Chen Tian Tian saw the location, she was a little frightened and tightly clutched Bai Qing Qing's hand. "Qing Qing, let's go back. I'm afraid. I think it's fine to work part-time in a milk tea shop." Although the salary wasn't very high, it was safe. It was clear that here, however, was not a good place.

Bai Qing Qing felt this way as well. She nodded and said, "Let's go!"

The two hurried back while holding hands. Suddenly, they heard a sound in a nearby alley.

"Qing Qing, listen. Is there someone over there?" Chen Tian Tian grabbed Bai Qing Qing.

Bai Qing Qing listened attentively. "It seems there is someone there. You stay here. I'll go and look." Since she followed Li Su since childhood, she had been greatly influenced by Li Su and was more daring and bolder.

"No, I can't let you go alone. What if it is a bad person? I'll go with you." Although Chen Tian Tian was shaking in fear, she still held onto Bai Qing Qing's hand firmly.

Bai Qing Qing smiled. "Okay, let's go together."

1. (苦海無邊,還不知道什麼時候才能靠岸!) The first part is the start of an idiom (苦海無邊,回頭是岸) which means that 'only enlightenment can allow one to shed off the abyss of worldly suffering, so repent and be saved'. The first part refers to the 'boundless sea of bitterness'. Bai Yun Shan then asks when he can 'reach the shore' as to 'be saved'. At least, this is my understanding of it.↩

2.(笛子) bamboo flute

Chapter 10 – Rescuing the Black-Hearted (part 10)

Bai Qing Qing quietly pulled Chen Tian Tian into the alley. There lay a man who was clutching his stomach with a pool of blood on the ground next to him.

Chen Tian Tian was so scared that her face had paled. She stubbornly pulled Bai Qing Qing's clothes. "What do we do, Qing Qing? There's blood!"

Bai Qing Qing had never seen such a sight before, so she was a little scared. "Tian Tian, you wait here and I'll go call for an ambulance. Remember, just hide here. Watch from a distance and don't go close. Wait for my call!"

Chen Tian Tian was very scared, but she also knew that she couldn't run when she was scared. She could only ask Bai Qing Qing to go and call. She took Bai Qing Qing's hand. "Qing Qing, come back soon. I'm afraid."

"Mm. While you are hiding here, don't move or talk, okay?" Bai Qing Qing asked.

"I know. Come back soon." Chen Tian Tian was obviously terrified, but she pretended to be calm.

Bai Qing Qing nodded and glanced at the person lying there before she ran out.

Chen Tian Tian watched Bai Qing Qing leave before turning to look at the person lying there. After waiting for a while, she still didn't see anyone. Then, she heard his voice getting weaker. Chen Tian Tian was a little worried. She wasn't sure how long he had been lying there or for how long he had been bleeding. Could he last until the ambulance arrived?

Chen Tian Tian looked around and saw that nobody was around. She carefully thought about it, then quietly walked over to the man and did her best to endure the sight of blood as she checked the man's wound. As soon as she stretched out her hand, she was caught.

Chen Tian Tian turned pale from fright and she raised her head abruptly. She met the person's eyes and her voice was trembling.

"I… I… I am not a bad person. You…"

"Who are you?" Jiang Rui Qi asked weakly.

"Qing Qing and I passed by here. When we heard a sound, we came to investigate and found you. Qing Qing has already gone to call for an ambulance. Wait a minute," Chen Tian Tian said as she lowered her head.

Jiang Rui Qi was suspicious. This was a remote alley and normal people rarely came in this direction. She was a girl, so what was she doing here?

Bai Qig Qing finished the phone call and hurried back. She happened to see this scene and immediately ran over angrily. She pulled Jiang Rui Qi's hand off and grabbed Chen Tian Tian's hand. "What are you doing, you damn hooligan!" She then stood protectively in front of Chen Tian Tian. "Tian Tian, are you okay? He didn't do anything to you, did he?"

Chen Tian Tian shook her head. "It's okay, Qing Qing. He didn't do anything to me. He just thought I was a bad person. By the way, did you make the call?"

"Yeah, they said they'd be here in about twenty minutes." Bai Qing Qing looked at Chen Tian Tian carefully and saw that she really was fine. Worried, she looked at Jiang Rui Qi. "Don't mistake a good person for a bad one.1" If it wasn't for Tian Tian's kindness today, you could have died and nobody would have known where you were. Okay, Tian Tian, the ambulance is on their way. Let's go!"

Chen Tian Tian glanced at Jiang Rui Qi. "Let it be, Qing Qing. Good people finish last. Let's wait for the ambulance to come. His face is pale, so if we leave and the ambulance doesn't arrive, what will happen to him? I will be uneasy."

"Aiya, you are too kind. Fine, I'll wait with you. Let's go over there to wait, away from him." Bai Qing Qing rolled her eyes, then pulled Chen Tian Tian to stand far away.

Jiang Rui Qi lost too much blood and felt dizzy, but he still remained vigilant. He didn't dare to let his guard down in front of these two unknown girls.

The horn of the ambulance sounded 15 minutes later. Bai Qing Qing's eyes lit up and she pulled Chen Tian Tian out of the alley. "This way, this way!"

Chen Tian Tian was dragged by Bai Qing Qing. She looked back at Jiang Rui Qi.

Three days later, Jiang Rui Qi was recuperating in the ward. "Second Young Master, I have found the people you want to investigate. Here is their information."

Jiang Rui Qi took the folder and opened it. The first page was the little white rabbit-like girl he met that day, Chen Tian Tian? Tian Tian? He remembered that her companion called her that.

"I did find that the two of them passed by there unintentionally. They were originally going to apply for a job at a so-called studio. Perhaps it was luck that they noticed something was wrong and ran away. In fact, that job was not a real studio. That place would take naked pictures of the girls and manipulate them into engaging in pornographic activities," said Secretary Che.

"By the way, the eldest young master and the chairman and his wife already know about your injury. The madam was very sad and wanted to come see you, but was persuaded by the chairman. The president said that he will give you one month to deal with all the pertinent things, then you have to go back as soon as possible. As for the Cheng family, the president says that he will deal with it," Secretary Che continued.

"I am not going back." Jiang Rui Qi had read the information in his hand. "Secretary Che, please help me with the procedures. I'm going to W University to study. I will talk to eldest brother."

Secretary Che's eyes widened. "Second Young Master, what are you saying?" According to his understanding of Second Young Master, shouldn't he have gone for revenge first? Why did he want to go to W University to study? Did he not remember that he purchased a degree from C University?

Could it be?

Secretary Che looked at the folder and immediately understood. It seemed that the second young master was tired of the exotic delicacies and wanted to try the home-cooked dishes. Was that Bai Qing Qing or Chen Tian Tian? He figured it was Chen Tian Tian. Bai Qing Qing was a bold girl and shouldn't be the second young master's type.

"Yes, I understand. Second Young Master doesn't need to worry." Secretary Che was responsible for cleaning up the second young master's messes. Fortunately, he was paid well by the president, so he was willing to clean up all the second young master's messes.

Bai Qing Qing and Chen Tian Tian didn't think too much about the matter that day. They were busy working part-time at a fried chicken shop every night from 6-10 pm.

Jiang Rui Qi had found out when Chen Tian Tian worked and had a break. He went to the town of W University, wanting to see Chen Tian Tian. It would be even better if he could meet her.

He happened to see a drunk man pestering Chen Tian Tian. Jiang Rui Qi's eyes lit up. He was about to rush in to be the hero who saved the beauty and show off his masculine charm when that tomboy took a baseball bat out from her bag and hit the drunk man two or three times before the man fled.

Jiang Rui Qi's expression darkened. Why was she everywhere?!

He saw Chen Tian Tian smile and pull at Bai Qing Qing, acting spoiled. "Qing Qing, you are awesome! It's so good to have you around!"

Bai Qing Qing touched Chen Tian Tian's hair and the two walked side by side.

Jiang Rui Qi stood under a tree and watched Bai Qing Qing's figure as she walked away. He had a hunch that this woman would get in the way of him chasing his girlfriend. She was the kind who couldn't be moved!

A week later, a new student arrived at Chen Tian Tian's class. The counsellor announced that he had taken a two-month leave for various reasons.

Chen Tian Tian looked up and saw that it was the man in the alley that day.

After class, Jiang Rui Qi went over to Chen Tian Tian. "Hello, Tian Tian? I heard your friend call you that day. My name is Jiang Rui Qi. I think I still owe you a thank you."

Chen Tian Tian was a little embarrassed. "Hi, there's no need for thanks. We are classmates. By the way, is your injury okay?"

"It's not a big deal. I just need some rest and can't do vigorous exercise," Jiang Rui Qi said with a smile.

"Then you shouldn't be in a hurry to come to school. You should recover first," Chen Tian Tian said, concerned.

"I wanted to see you sooner and thank you in person," Jiang Rui Qi said affectionately as he stared into Chen Tian Tian's eyes.

Chen Tian Tian thought that this sounded a bit strange. Before she could think about it more, Bai Qing Qing had arrived and was standing next to the door of her classroom. "Tian Tian, can we go to the bathroom?" Bai Qing Qing and Chen Tian Tian were both in the Chinese department, but they didn't have every class together.

"Okay, I'm coming." Chen Tian Tian immediately left Jiang Rui Qi behind. She ran over to Bai Qing Qing and held her arm, and the two of them walked away affectionately.

"Who is that person? Does he want to chase you?"

"Oh, it is a coincidence that the new student in our class is the one we met that day. He thanked me."

"Tch. I made the call. Why didn't he thank me? I guess he fell in love with you and wanted to get close to chase you. You should stay away from him. You are so stupid. Don't get fooled."

Those sounds from the distance made Jiang Rui Qi's face blacken.

A few girls leaned over. "Student Jiang, hello. I am…"

"Get lost!" Jiang Rui Qi was not kind to them and cursed at the girls to go away. Making themselves look good in public and for their own vanity… College students today were really something!

At this moment, a boy smiled and came over. "Student Jiang, was it? Is Classmate Jiang in love with Chen Tian Tian? Hehe, let me advise you. Chen Tian Tian is a little pure and simple, but her friend Bai Qing Qing is not a pushover. She has a gentle appearance and good calligraphy, so the advisor of this class and several professors like her a lot. But this girl has a mean mouth and fiercely protects Chen Tian Tian. She is just like a mother hen protecting a chick. The key point is that Chen Tian Tian listens to her. Classmate, let me advise you that, if you want to chase Chen Tian Tian, you have to get past Bai Qing Qing first."

Jiang Rui Qi glanced at him and sneered. Did college students nowadays have so many eyes? Don't think that he didn't know what this guy's aim was. It was nothing more than a wealthy kid coming over to get close to him. He had seen many people like this.

He knew the relationship between Chen Tian Tian and Bai Qing Qing better than anyone else. There was no need for this guy to interfere here.

Jiang Rui Qi didn't even look at the man. He just turned around and left.

The boy was angry. "I hope you never manage to catch Chen Tian Tian in your life!" He saw that Jiang Rui Qi was a rich, well-dressed man, so he was willing to get close to him. But, the most important thing was that he was interested in Bai Qing Qing, but he didn't dare to confess.

But Jiang Rui Qi's attitude… It was good to have money!

1.(狗咬呂洞賓) Here, BQQ says that he shouldn't "snarl and snap at Lü Dong Bin" (one of the Eight Immortals), which means to not mistake a good person for a bad one