Chapter 10: Juanjuan, They Want to Sell You

Wang Dachui yanked Juanjuan behind him, lifted his chubby little face, and shouted, “You still dare to walk away? Who do you think you are? Acting all high and mighty—disgusting!”

He spat on the ground in contempt at the Third Brother of the Bai Family, utterly unimpressed by his posturing.

【You damn little fatty!】

【Spit?! Aaaaah! That’s disgusting!!】

Yun An stepped forward, ready to hit Dachui.

But under Juanjuan’s frightened gaze, the chubby little Dachui slapped Yun An—who was still limping and skinny as a stick—straight to the ground.

Dachui declared, “So what if you’re a year older than me? If you bully Juanjuan again, I’ll beat you every time I see you!”

Juanjuan glanced at Third Brother, who stood there silently with his head down, staring blankly at the ground. She quickly grabbed Dachui’s hand and ran off with him.

Yun An sat alone on the ground, dazed.

His mind went completely blank, replaying the scene over and over.

He had just been knocked over by an ordinary, five-year-old, chubby kid from ancient times.

And the little sister he was supposed to win over had been taken away—right in front of him!

He, Yun An!

A top-tier powerhouse who once ruled the roost in a cannibalistic Apocalypse, had just been pushed over by a five-year-old nobody!

And that wasn’t even the worst part.

In the void before him, a string of black-gold text appeared—visible only to him.

Favorability Points: -44.

Wang Dachui shared his snacks with Juanjuan, bouncing around her like a chubby little puppy.

“Juanjuan, is your Third Brother crazy or something?”

He had held it in all this time, but now he couldn’t help but ask.

Juanjuan held the snack he gave her, thoughtful as she slowly replied, “Maybe.”

She really didn’t know what was going on with her family anymore.

Sometimes she wondered if she was the one going crazy, or if it was them.

“Juanjuan, where’s your back basket?”

Only now did Dachui realize something was missing—her ever-present back basket.

Juanjuan let out a long sigh, her brows furrowed with frustration. “Third Brother has it.”

Dachui took a deep breath, planted his hands on his hips, and made a bold declaration.

“Juanjuan! Run away! Let’s stop suffering like this!”

“Look, your parents are just dragging you down. All you do at home is work!”

“You don’t even know what the adults in the village say.”

“Every time their kids act up, they say, ‘Look how lucky you are. If you had Juanjuan’s parents, you’d behave real quick!’”

Dachui was genuinely upset. He felt Juanjuan’s parents were nothing but a burden to her.

Sure, some families in the village were poor—but none of them treated their kids like this.

The adults were lazy and dumped all the work on Juanjuan. How was that fair?

As he spoke, his voice trembled with emotion, almost breaking into sobs.

“Don’t cry!”

Juanjuan quickly tried to comfort the agitated Wang Dachui.

“When I grow up a little more, I’ll leave on my own, okay?”

“I’m only four right now. I’m too young. There are kidnappers out there, people who snatch little girls to be child brides. At least at home, I still have a place of my own.”

But Dachui insisted, “You don’t get it! I just heard it from Xiaoyang—your Eldest Brother let it slip not long ago. He said they’re planning to sell you for silver!”

“That’s why I’m telling you to run! Go to town! Even if you just cook and clean for my uncle, at least he won’t hit you. He’ll even teach you to read and write!”

Juanjuan froze.

That… she really didn’t know.

Her father—was planning to sell her?

And the money they’d get from selling her… would just go to more drinking and gambling.

To say she wasn’t hurt would be a lie.

What child wouldn’t be devastated to hear their own family wanted to sell them for silver?

But…

“My parents have changed. They’re not like they used to be.”

Juanjuan looked at Dachui. “I don’t think they’d sell me.”

Aside from saying things she didn’t understand, her parents had been kind to her lately.

She could feel the warmth and goodwill from them. The whispers they shared were cheerful and affectionate.

Not like Third Brother—he was scary.

“Juanjuan.”

A gentle, harmless voice came from the side.

Juanjuan’s scalp tingled. She turned her head and saw Third Brother limping toward her with a smile, carrying her back basket.

Dachui rolled his eyes at Yun An and, fearless and full of righteous fury, strode over.

Thanks to a good appetite and solid strength, his legs were just fine. He snatched the back basket from Yun An’s hands and, while he was at it, gave him a shove to vent Juanjuan’s anger.

“Hand it over!”

Yun An stumbled from the push, nearly losing his balance.

【You damn little fatty! Once I recover, you’re the first one I’ll take out!】

【System! Get out here and explain—where the hell are my powers and physical abilities?!】

【New space? A space where I need to unlock permissions by winning people over? What a load of crap! Give me back my powers and I’ll be living large again!】

【Anyone who crosses me, I’ll crush them!】

Yun An was truly furious. No one who’d survived the Apocalypse was a softie.

Killing and bloodshed had seeped into their bones. In the Apocalypse, there was no such thing as peace.

Especially someone like Yun An—once a top-tier figure in that world—even when trying to act approachable, he couldn’t help but exude the pride of a ruler.

Right now, Juanjuan was clearly siding with Dachui.

She knew Dachui couldn’t hear the “whispers” Third Brother spoke, but she didn’t dare admit that she could.

Otherwise… she might be taken as a freak and locked away.

And if Third Brother found out, he might be the first to kill her.

Juanjuan steeled herself and stepped between Dachui and Third Brother, looking up at him nervously.

“I—I’m going to dig up some wild vegetables now. Third Brother, you can go home first!”

She stammered at first, but quickly found her rhythm and finished in one breath.

Then she grabbed Dachui and ran off again.

Third Brother, still limping and unable to give chase: …

【Just wait till my leg heals—I’ll run you both into the ground!】