Chapter 132

Through a vermilion door, An An could hear the voices of children hawking newspapers outside, and the hurried footsteps of rickshaw pullers rushing past. The world beyond was bustling with life.

One of the young servant girls seemed to notice the little master’s growing curiosity about the outside world and, terrified, dropped to her knees and kowtowed before him.

“Young Master, without the Old Madam’s permission, you absolutely must not go out. If you do, she’ll sell us all off.”

As soon as she finished speaking, another servant girl also knelt down.

Seeing this, An An scrunched up his little face and said seriously in his childish voice, “Don’t worry, I won’t go out.”

“I miss Grandma.”

The two young servant girls let out a sigh of relief upon hearing that, then picked him up and carried him back inside.

One of them even exchanged a glance with the gatekeeper, signaling him to close the door.

Thankfully, the little master wasn’t as mischievous as he had been before, insisting on going out. Otherwise, none of them would have escaped punishment.

It was early summer, and the garden was in full bloom. On the way back, An An glanced around at the flowers.

When Yang Laonainai heard from the servant girls that the little one missed her so much he didn’t even want to play outside, she laughed so hard her face was full of wrinkles.

She pulled An An into her arms, overjoyed.

That night, the wet nurse came to look after An An. He pretended to sleep for a while and successfully tricked her.

As soon as she left, An An couldn’t wait to softly call out to the System.

In this world, An An was four years old and already capable of some independent thought. The System transmitted all the plot details directly into his brain.

The original host’s surname was He, full name He Shian, with the childhood name Yao Zu. He was the only grandchild in the He family’s younger generation.

The main mission target was his grandmother, the same Yang Laonainai he had already met.

In the original timeline, Yang Laonainai had poured all her love and effort into raising him, only to end up with a good-for-nothing wastrel just like his father.

He squandered the entire family fortune. In her old age, Yang Laonainai was forced to live in a damp, tiny room, where she eventually starved to death.

The main mission goal was to avoid becoming a wastrel and to ensure Grandma lived out her twilight years in peace. The side mission was to preserve the family assets during chaotic times.

An An nodded, half-understanding. He didn’t quite grasp everything, but he was afraid the System Uncle would think he was dumb if he admitted it.

The System looked at An An’s wide-eyed, innocent expression and, after a moment of silence, said:

“Just make sure your grandma is happy.”

“Okay~”

Even though that wasn’t quite what the System had originally promised, An An was still satisfied.

In his own memories, not just his parents but even his grandparents had only ever seen him as a tool for profit.

They used the excuse of not wanting to get too attached to justify never caring about him, treating him like someone doomed to die.

Even though this world’s grandma could be a little fierce at times, he could feel her care and love. That made all the difference.

“What about Mom?”

“As long as it doesn’t upset the mission target, you can treat her kindly within reason.”

“Oh.”

The He family’s situation was extremely complicated. They had only one male heir per generation, and the relatives were all eyeing the family fortune.

In this generation, He Shian was the only grandson. Since his father was still alive, things hadn’t completely fallen apart yet.

His father had once been engaged to a childhood sweetheart, but he fell in love with Zhou Xiaoya, a laundress who worked for their household, and insisted on marrying her.

Zhou Xiaoya was the classic tragic heroine—neglected by both parents from a young age.

Most people wouldn’t feel much attachment to such a family, but she was different. She was kind-hearted and generous.

No matter how her parents and brother mistreated her, she still treated them as family and brought home all the money she earned from washing clothes.

Yang Laonainai was already displeased about the broken engagement, and things got worse when Zhou Xiaoya’s parents demanded a dowry of one thousand silver and even took one of the family’s profitable shops.

Only because her son begged and pleaded, swearing he’d marry no one else, did Yang Laonainai reluctantly agree.

After the marriage, the childhood friend who had grown up with Zhou Xiaoya attacked Young Master He out of jealousy, injuring his reproductive organs.

Even though the He family had wealth and connections to foreign doctors, Young Master He was left infertile.

Yang Laonainai was furious and wanted her son to divorce Zhou Xiaoya, but just then, Zhou Xiaoya was diagnosed as two months pregnant.

If nothing went wrong, this child would be the He family’s only bloodline.

Yang Laonainai begrudgingly allowed Zhou Xiaoya to stay, but she was never again treated as the young madam of the house. Her life was worse than that of the servant girls.

Ten months later, Zhou Xiaoya gave birth to He Shian. His childhood name, Yao Zu, was personally chosen by Yang Laonainai.

As her only grandson, she doted on him like he was her very eyes.

Perhaps it was this excessive pampering that ruined him. He grew up to be useless.

And in such chaotic times, the once-mighty He family became easy prey.

With such an incapable heir, the family’s fortune was devoured within just two years.

An An pulled the blanket up to his chin. Earlier, he had been upset seeing how Grandma treated his mother.

But now that he understood the reason, he couldn’t bring himself to defend her anymore.

His little brain couldn’t think of a good solution, and in the end, sleep overcame him.

The next morning, when An An opened his eyes, he didn’t see the usual wet nurse. Instead, he saw the woman from yesterday—his mother in this world.

Zhou Xiaoya rushed to his bedside when she saw he was awake, grabbing his little hand, her eyes red with emotion.

“Yao Zu, Mama’s knees hurt so much.”

She had knelt all night in the ancestral hall before being allowed to leave. Her legs were so weak she could barely walk, but she had forced herself to come see An An.

An An clutched the blanket and scooted back a little, his brows furrowed tightly. He had no idea what she meant by saying that to him.

“Then…”

Hearing him speak, Zhou Xiaoya’s eyes lit up with hope.

“Should An An rub them for you?” he asked tentatively, even rolling up his sleeve.

But before his hand could reach her, Zhou Xiaoya’s eyes dimmed again. After a long pause, she said softly:

“An An, Mama wants to take care of you.”

His tongue still tingled from being burned by an egg yesterday, and An An was doubtful about her ability to care for him.

Before that incident, An An had also been a pampered young master with servants to wait on him. Being looked after was something he was used to and enjoyed.

“Mama, that sounds too tiring. Better not.”

He still wanted to stick close to Grandma. Even if she didn’t say it out loud, she clearly had her opinions about his mother.

If the two of them were together, An An wouldn’t know who to comfort first.

He had just made up an excuse, but Zhou Xiaoya took it seriously and quickly replied:

“It’s not tiring at all. I don’t feel tired one bit if I can take care of Yao Zu.”

In the original story, Zhou Xiaoya had always been a simple, scatterbrained girl who willingly let her brother and parents leech off her. So it wasn’t surprising that she didn’t understand what An An was really saying.

Before she could keep trying to persuade him, footsteps sounded outside the door.

Yang Laonainai stood at the entrance, supported by the wet nurse, her gaze toward Zhou Xiaoya icy cold.

Frightened, Zhou Xiaoya pulled An An into her arms, tears streaming down her face as she pleaded:

“Mother, I beg you, please let me stay by Yao Zu’s side and take care of him. He’s still so little. He needs his mother.”

Yang Laonainai gave a look to the wet nurse behind her, who quickly stepped forward and took An An from Zhou Xiaoya’s arms.

An An didn’t resist at all. In fact, he even reached out willingly when the wet nurse approached. As they left, he waved goodbye to both his mother and grandmother.

Grandma’s sudden appearance had rescued him from a difficult situation, and the little one let out a deep sigh of relief.

After An An was taken away, Yang Laonainai ordered the door to be closed and took her seat at the head of the room.

Zhou Xiaoya was forced to kneel before her, her arm gripped tightly by the old maid.

“Take care of Yao Zu? You think you’re worthy?”

“When Yao Zu was one year old, you carelessly left him in the Li Family’s courtyard. If Miss Li hadn’t passed by, he’d have either fallen into the pond or caught a cold from the wind!”

“When he was a year and a half, you took him out shopping and let a human trafficker carry him off for half a street. If someone hadn’t stepped in, would you have ever seen him again?”

“Let’s not even talk about the past. Just yesterday, you fed him scalding hot egg custard. Then this morning you came over without even asking if he was hungry.”

“Who gave you the nerve to think you could take care of Yao Zu?”

As she spoke, Yang Laonainai stepped in front of Zhou Xiaoya and pinched her face. Her fingers, painted bright red with nail polish, looked especially menacing.

Zhou Xiaoya shook her head, tears streaming down her face, but Yang Laonainai gave her a light shove, sending her sprawling onto the cold floor.

“Stop thinking about things you have no business doing. Don’t think I don’t know what’s going on in that head of yours.”

“Whether you suddenly remembered you have a son named Yao Zu, or you’re doing this for some other reason, you know the truth in your heart.”

“Your brother got himself involved with that deadly stuff. If he dies, he deserves it.”

“If you dare get involved with him again, I’ll sell you off.”

Zhou Xiaoya looked pitiful and pale with fright after those words. Yang Laonainai adjusted the hairpin in her hair and walked out, muttering as she went:

“Yao Zu is still young, and I’ve raised him myself. If I say he doesn’t have a mother, then he was born without one.”

In the courtyard, An An was being held by a wet nurse. Another wet nurse brought over a bowl of porridge and began feeding him spoon by spoon.

An An wasn’t used to being taken care of like this. He kept reaching for the spoon, so the nurse eventually just held the bowl and let him feed himself.

Yang Laonainai stood there watching for a long time. Every time he scooped up some porridge, he would blow on it before putting it in his mouth. His serious little expression was enough to melt anyone’s heart.

After he finished eating, the wet nurse wiped his mouth with a handkerchief. An An wriggled out of her arms and ran off in one direction. The two wet nurses quickly chased after him.

“Young Master, where are you going?”

An An didn’t stop. His little legs moved as fast as they could, and he called back distractedly.

“Looking for Grandma.”

Yang Laonainai heard this and quickly walked into the courtyard, waving her handkerchief at him.

“Yao Zu, come to Grandma.”

“Grandma!”

An An’s eyes lit up as he ran toward her, hugging her legs tightly and looking up with a bright, smiling face.

“I heard from Ya Huan yesterday that you wanted to go out and play?”

When it came to anything involving Yao Zu, Yang Laonainai always took a personal interest. This little boy was her entire world now.

Ever since her son had been injured in a certain place by Zhou Xiaoya’s childhood sweetheart, he’d been a drunken wreck, locked up at home and barely functional.

Yang Laonainai’s son had also been raised by his grandmother. He didn’t return to her until he was fifteen, after his grandmother passed away. Their bond was never strong.

On top of that, he had stubbornly broken off an engagement, causing Yang Laonainai to offend a very important friend. Whatever little affection remained between mother and son had long since worn thin.

Now, Yang Laonainai only had one demand of her son: don’t die before Yao Zu turns sixteen.

The He Family needed a man to serve as the face of the household, even if it was just for appearances.

The shops and businesses were all managed by appointed stewards. As long as Yang Laonainai checked the accounts from time to time, she could hold things together until Yao Zu was old enough to help.

Until then, her son absolutely could not die.

If he did, the clan would surely use the excuse that Yao Zu was too young and had no right to inherit, and they would seize the family assets.

Thinking of this, Yang Laonainai crouched down in front of Yao Zu, gently rubbing his fluffy little head. Her gaze softened with affection.

“I do. I want Grandma to come too.”

After being locked away in that dark place for so many years, An An really didn’t like this big, gloomy house.

The He Family had a large estate that had stood for decades, with dozens of rooms. In damp weather like this, the whole place smelled of rot.

“Perfect timing. I need to check the accounts today. Come with me.”

“Okay~”

Yang Laonainai brought both wet nurses along for convenience in taking care of Yao Zu.

Back then, her husband had been in good health. She thought she’d have plenty of time to teach their son properly. Who could have imagined he would die in an accident?

At the time, their son hadn’t yet come into his own. But thankfully, he was still young enough. Yang Laonainai had forced herself to be strong and held the family together for years.

Even though rickshaws were everywhere on the streets and they saw carriages twice a month, the He Family still insisted on traveling by sedan chair or carriage.

When they arrived, An An stuck close to his grandmother. Yang Laonainai held his hand and introduced him to the various stewards.

Those shrewd stewards immediately understood her intention: she was signaling that the family business would one day be handed to the young master.

While she reviewed the accounts, An An played with an abacus nearby. When he got bored, he leaned against the window and looked outside.

They had a simple lunch there, and by the time they returned home in the evening, they had just stepped through the door when a woman rushed forward and knelt in front of Yang Laonainai, banging her head hard on the floor.

“Mother, I beg you, please give me a few silver. If my brother’s gambling debt isn’t paid, they’ll cut off his hand!”

Yang Laonainai gave a look to the wet nurse. An An, who had been lively and curious the whole way home, immediately tilted his head and pretended to fall asleep in her arms.

“Madam, the young master is already asleep.”

“Then take him away for now.”

“Mother, I’m begging you. For the sake of the grandson I gave the He Family, please help me one last time.”

Yang Laonainai gently counted the prayer beads on her wrist. Only after seeing the wet nurse carry An An away did she step in front of Zhou Xiaoya and slap her across the face.

“Didn’t you hear the nurse say An An is asleep? And you’re still making a scene here.”

“I told you last time, if you want silver, forget it.”

“But I can have my son write you a divorce letter. Then you can go sell yourself. That way you’ll have money to pay your brother’s gambling debts and keep feeding his addiction, won’t you?”

Zhou Xiaoya knelt there in utter humiliation. The He Family servants were already used to scenes like this.

“He won’t divorce me. He won’t.”

Seeing how stubborn she was, Yang Laonainai let out a cold, mocking laugh.

“If you hadn’t gone crying to that precious childhood sweetheart of yours, complaining that my son came home late every night, would he have ended up like this?”

At the time, Young Master He had just started learning to manage the family business. In the beginning, he often had to dine with stewards and ask questions, so he did come home late.

As his wife, instead of understanding his hard work, she ran off to complain to her childhood sweetheart.

Every time Yang Laonainai thought of this, she wanted to tear Zhou Xiaoya apart.

“Go kneel in the ancestral hall for three days. No food allowed.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

This time of year, the ancestral hall was especially cold and damp. Facing all those ancestral tablets, Zhou Xiaoya couldn’t stop her tears.

She opened her mouth, but didn’t know how to defend herself.

No matter what, he was still her own brother.

Even though An An had been taken far away, he could still hear some of the commotion.

That evening, while eating dinner with Grandma, he cautiously asked:

“Grandma, where’s Daddy?”

Yang Laonainai froze for a moment, holding her chopsticks. She picked up a piece of meat and placed it in his bowl without answering.

An An stuffed the meat into his mouth without hesitation, swallowed, and asked again:

“Grandma, where’s Daddy?”

His determined little face, clearly unwilling to stop until he got an answer, left Yang Laonainai helpless.

After dinner, she had two maids lead the way as they headed toward another courtyard.

As they approached, the heavy smell of alcohol filled the air. Yang Laonainai instinctively covered her nose with a handkerchief.

An An also covered his nose and mouth with his tiny hands, already feeling regret. Just then, his grandmother’s voice sounded beside him.

“Are you sure you want to go?”

They were already standing at the door when An An gave a small nod.

“Mm!”

The old maid knocked on the door. A young man inside opened it.

There were only two lanterns in the entire courtyard, casting a dim light. Ya Huan stepped forward, holding up a lantern to light the way.

Inside the house, another lantern was lit. A man was slouched beside a soft couch, surrounded by scattered wine bottles. He was completely passed out from drinking.

Young Master He had been in a state of ruin for two or three years, spending his days in a drunken haze. But thanks to the caretakers sent by Yang Laonainai, he still looked clean and well-kept. Only the despair etched into his features remained unchanged.

An An walked over and squatted beside him, reaching out to gently poke his forehead.

Young Master He slowly opened his eyes, startling An An so much that he quickly hid behind his grandmother, peeking out nervously.

The bright light in the room made it hard for Young Master He to adjust at first. His unfocused gaze stared blankly for a while before finally settling on the little one peeking out from behind his mother.

The child, delicate and well-cared-for, had chubby cheeks, fair skin, and a mouth slightly open in surprise.

“Who are you?”

The moment he spoke, the stench of alcohol hit An An’s nose. He instinctively covered his mouth and nose, muttering softly,

“So smelly.”

Before Young Master He could respond, Yang Laonainai let out a cold laugh.

“Look at you now, can’t even recognize your own son.”

That sentence made Young Master He instinctively sit up straight. He staggered to his feet and walked over to An An, squatting down to meet his gaze.

“This is Yao Zu?”

“Yes.”

Yang Laonainai replied coldly. An An reached out to smooth down his messy hair.

Young Master He had drunk too much, and his movements were sluggish. He didn’t even try to avoid the child’s touch.

An An tried several times to tidy his father’s hair, even patting it gently in hopes it would behave. But it was no use at all.

Whether he was angry at the hair or sulking at his father, An An’s little face fell.

Young Master He kept staring at An An’s face. In his memory, this little one had still been a tiny bundle wrapped in swaddling clothes. Now, in the blink of an eye, he had grown so much.

An An didn’t mind being stared at. After a while, he yawned.

“Yao Zu, it’s time to go rest.”

Yang Laonainai reminded him from the side. An An obediently walked over to her and slipped his hand into hers.

When they reached the door, he turned back to look at Young Master He and asked in a soft, milky voice,

“Daddy, can I come see you again tomorrow?”

Young Master He forced a smile and nodded.

He hadn’t smiled in so long that the expression looked stiff and unnatural, even a little frightening.

But An An didn’t mind at all. He was delighted by the answer and skipped happily down the path.

After the young master left, the servant in charge of caring for Young Master He came in and began cleaning up the wine bottles.

Just as he finished and was about to urge Young Master He to rest, he heard him speak.

“Don’t bring me any wine tomorrow morning.”

“Yes, sir.”

After leaving, Yang Laonainai showed no emotion on her face, but her heart was heavy.

No matter what, he was still her son. Even if their relationship wasn’t close, he was her flesh and blood.

He had been in this state ever since that incident, refusing to step outside. How could she not feel pain?

An An was taken back to rest by his nanny. Meanwhile, Yang Laonainai sat in her rosewood chair, unable to sleep, until the old maid who always served her came over.

“Madam, the eldest young madam fainted while kneeling in the ancestral hall. Should we call a doctor?”

“Have her carried back and call a doctor.”

“Yes, Madam.”

This matter didn’t require the old maid to handle it personally. She stayed behind to help the old lady rest, but couldn’t help bringing it up.

“Madam, what if the young master grows up and resents you for how you treated the eldest young madam?”

The old lady stared at her reflection in the mirror. With no one else around, she no longer had to pretend. Her face was lined with exhaustion and age.

“If she’s willing to cut ties with her family completely, then she can be the He family’s eldest young madam.”

“If she’s not, and Yao Zu resents me when he grows up, I’ll accept it.”

“As long as I’m alive, I won’t let her get her way.”

The old maid saw the determination in the old lady’s eyes and knew there was no use in trying to persuade her further. She simply helped the old lady to bed.

Early the next morning, An An was still half-asleep when someone shook his shoulder awake. His face was full of confusion.

He was grumpy from being woken up and kicked the person trying to pull him out of bed.

Forcing his eyes open, he saw it was Zhou Xiaoya. Her eyes were swollen like walnuts.

“Yao Zu, Grandma dotes on you so much. You must have some valuable things, right? Lend them to Mommy for a bit. When I have money, I’ll buy them back and return them to you.”

Hearing this, An An instinctively clutched the jade pendant around his neck and shook his head like a rattle drum.

“No. Mommy… are you really short on money?”

Now fully awake, An An sat cross-legged and propped his chin on his hand, ready to chat with his mother.

Maybe because he rarely felt motherly affection, even the smallest bit of attention from Zhou Xiaoya made him want to pull her back onto the right path.

“Your uncle is in debt again. And he’s using that stuff.”

“Your grandfather sold the family house, but it still wasn’t enough to pay it off.”

Thinking about her parents crammed into that tiny house while she lived comfortably in the He family, Zhou Xiaoya felt like her heart was being sliced open.

The system chose to turn a blind eye to An An’s attempt to save his mother.

If Zhou Xiaoya were truly beyond redemption, it would have stopped him.

But she wasn’t. She was just foolish, twisted by the environment she grew up in.

With Zai Zai around, maybe she could be turned around.

“In debt again?”

“Yeah. The debt collectors said if he doesn’t pay, they’ll cut off his arm.”

An An imagined the bloody scene and shivered. He pulled the blanket up to warm himself.

“Yao Zu, help Mommy just this once, okay?”

Yang Laonainai had spared no expense on this precious child. The gold bracelet on An An’s wrist and the jade around his neck were all valuable.

Selling them could indeed help. But An An wasn’t willing.

“Mommy, I want to help you too.”

An An hugged Zhou Xiaoya’s arm, ready for a heart-to-heart.

At his age, he didn’t have the words to express everything he was thinking.

So the system used some of its points to give him a half-hour boost in eloquence.

“But Mommy… think about it. Uncle likes to gamble, and he’s addicted to that stuff, right?”

“Mm.”

Ever since Zhou Xiaoya found out, she hadn’t been able to sleep. No one wanted to listen to her.

Now that An An was willing to talk about it, she was patient and didn’t rush him.

“If we sell my things to pay off his debt, the debt’s gone. But won’t he just want to gamble again?”

Normally, Zhou Xiaoya would have defended her brother and coaxed An An into giving her the money.

But now, facing this innocent little An An, she couldn’t bring herself to lie.

She knew her brother too well. Once the debt was paid, he’d just borrow more and gamble again.

And if he racked up more debt, he’d probably come back to her for help.

“What happens when I’ve sold all my things?”

A child this small, no matter how much Yang Laonainai doted on him, wouldn’t be given too many valuables.

Just these few items—once they were gone, that was it.

Zhou Xiaoya’s expression turned conflicted. She was being led by An An’s reasoning and nervously asked,

“Then what should we do?”

An An sniffled and pinched his thigh until tears welled up from the pain.

“Mommy, once the things are gone, you’ll sell Yao Zu next, right?”

“No.”

Without even thinking, Zhou Xiaoya refused outright.

The only reason she had asked Yao Zu for help was because, deep down, she believed that as the only young master of the He Family, he couldn’t possibly be short on money.

Even if she pawned something of his and claimed it was lost due to his own carelessness, the old madam wouldn’t scold him for it.

But if it meant selling him off, then Zhou Xiaoya couldn’t bear the thought. After all, he was her own son.

“No, no, absolutely not!”

“Then what should we do?”

An An’s little face scrunched up in worry as he pushed the problem back to Zhou Xiaoya.

Zhou Xiaoya opened her mouth, wanting to say that she promised her brother this would be the last time he gambled, that he’d turn over a new leaf and live a proper life.

But before the words could leave her lips, she dismissed them in her own mind.

Impossible. Even if her brother paid off his gambling debts, he would definitely go back to it. He had made the same promises to their parents the first time he got into debt.

In the end, he lost the entire family fortune, even the ancestral home, and never kept his word.

An An rested his chin in his hands and waited a long time. Only when he saw Zhou Xiaoya’s eyes begin to well with tears did he put on a hesitant look.

Zhou Xiaoya, completely at a loss, saw his expression and grabbed her son’s hand, saying:

“Yao Zu, you must have an idea, right?”

“Mom, Uncle’s addicted to that stuff. He’s addicted to gambling too. He can’t quit.”

In the past, Zhou Xiaoya would have argued, but today she almost eagerly nodded, waiting for her son’s next words.

“If he doesn’t pay back the debt, which hand are they going to cut off?”

When Zhou Xiaoya was little, her brother had already started frequenting gambling dens. She knew all too well how these things went.

There was one time when a knife had actually cut into her brother’s hand, leaving a bloody gash. It had scared her half to death.

“Right hand.”

An An clapped his hands suddenly, pretending to be thrilled.

“Mom, then isn’t that perfect?”

“Perfect?”

They were going to cut off a hand—what on earth was perfect about that? Zhou Xiaoya couldn’t see it at all.

“Look, no hand means no smoking, no gambling. No more debt, and we’ll have money again.”

Zhou Xiaoya instinctively wanted to argue, but the more she thought about it, the more she felt her son might have a point.

If her brother didn’t have his right hand, maybe he could quit that stuff. Gambling, at least, would be out of the question.

Their family had once been well-off. It was her brother who had ruined everything, dragging their elderly parents into a life of constant anxiety.

“Mom, should I sell this to help Uncle pay his debt?”

As An An spoke, he reached to take off the bracelet on his wrist, but Zhou Xiaoya quickly grabbed his hand.

“No. Keep it.”

She could borrow things from her son for now, but what would happen once everything was sold? She couldn’t actually sell her son.

Her parents would understand her intentions. When her brother finally came to his senses, he’d realize she had done it for his own good.

It was just a hand. But if she lent him money, she might lose her son entirely.

After she said this, An An seemed to hear something. He gently nudged Zhou Xiaoya and urged her:

“Mom, you should go now. I think I heard the nanny. If Grandma finds out you came, she’ll definitely punish you again.”

“Alright.”

Just that one line of concern from An An moved Zhou Xiaoya deeply. She wiped her tears, helped straighten his blanket, and then left.

After she was gone, An An adjusted the blanket again himself and drifted back to sleep.

As the only young master of the He Family, sleeping in wasn’t a big deal. The nanny didn’t dare come wake him.

Snuggled under the covers, listening to the sound of rain, An An slept soundly. He had completely forgotten that he’d promised his father last night that he’d visit today.

Young Master He, for once, had come out of his room and was pacing around the courtyard, waiting anxiously for someone to knock on the gate.

Several times he tried to go out and check, but the attendant caring for him stopped him each time.

Yang Laonainai, worried that Young Master He might get drunk and fall into the pond again, had forbidden him from leaving the courtyard. So he could only wait, growing more and more restless.

An An slept in until mid-morning. Just as he got up, the nanny pushed open the door and came in.

While changing clothes, An An rubbed his sleepy eyes and mumbled that his tummy was feeling a little hungry.

The nanny called for the maid to bring breakfast. As the young master ate, she reminded him of what he’d said yesterday about going to visit his father.

“Oh right, I said I’d go see Daddy.”

An An held the bowl in his hands and gulped down the porridge.

The System had told him that his mission was to preserve the family estate and make sure Grandma lived out her later years in happiness.

An An, with his quick little brain, had been thinking ever since about how to accomplish that.

The System’s data showed that this was a very turbulent time, and the difficulty level of the mission was quite high.

Maybe because the original host had always been a pampered young master, An An himself had become a bit lazy too.

As he toddled along behind the maid on the way to his father’s courtyard, An An’s mind was still full of thoughts on how to motivate his father to improve.

Rather than working hard himself,

It was better to hope his father would rise to greatness.

— Translator’s Notes —

• kowtowed: A traditional Chinese act of reverence or supplication, performed by kneeling and repeatedly touching one’s forehead to the ground.

• Yang Laonainai: ‘Laonainai’ is a respectful title meaning ‘old grandmother’ or ‘matriarch,’ referring to an elderly female family head who manages household affairs.

• ancestral hall: A family shrine in traditional Chinese homes dedicated to ancestor worship, featuring spirit tablets; often used for rituals, reflection, or as a place of punishment like kneeling.

• that deadly stuff: Refers to opium, a highly addictive narcotic that was widespread in early 20th-century China, leading to severe health issues, addiction, and social ruin; often smoked in dens.