Ch 244: Guide to Running a Shop in Another World

During Du Qiuling’s second tutoring session, the goal remained to uncover the truth behind his uncle’s death.

This time, Lu Yao brought not only Bai Yi but also Xie Molin along, and Du Qiuling didn’t object.

The time they were tracing back to was three months before Du Mingyao’s death, and their perspective was no longer limited to Du Qiuling.

At this point, Du Mingyao had already started working, and like Du Qiuling, he was also a doctor.

After observing for a while, the group found Du Mingyao’s life to be simple to the point of being monotonous.

He primarily went to three places—home, the hospital, and the small supermarket downstairs from his apartment.

Most of Du Mingyao’s time was spent at the hospital; on his days off, he stayed home and rarely ventured out, maybe just to the small supermarket downstairs for some essentials. Occasionally, he would go to the hospital on his day off, but not for long.

Before they knew it, a little over half a month had passed, and they hadn’t discovered any useful clues.

Xie Molin rubbed his temples. “We’re not just going to waste three months, are we?”

Du Qiuling’s expression turned slightly serious.

The first month passed, and Du Mingyao’s life remained unchanged.

By the start of the second month, Du Mingyao took on a new patient.

The patient was a young woman hospitalized for acute appendicitis.

At first, they didn’t pay much attention to this patient, as Du Mingyao interacted with many patients daily, spanning all ages and genders.

It wasn’t until the third month that they felt something was amiss.

The female patient underwent an appendectomy and was discharged after recovery.

There were no signs of anything unusual at that time, until one day off when they saw Du Mingyao picking up flowers from a flower shop—clearly for a date.

Then they encountered Du Mingyao’s date—the same female patient who had surgery the previous month.

The couple’s intimate relationship didn’t last long; after about a week, they lost contact.

From that point until the night of Du Mingyao’s incident, his life continued as usual.

He didn’t show any signs of regret or remorse regarding the end of that relationship.

Xie Molin stroked his chin, looking at Du Qiuling. “I didn’t expect your uncle to be so open-minded.”

Du Qiuling was also surprised; he had never known his uncle had this side to him.

On the night of the incident, Du Mingyao had a surgery that lasted eight hours.

It was a rainy night, and Du Mingyao left the hospital looking exhausted, only to disappear afterward.

He never returned to his apartment, nor did he go back to the hospital.

Two months later, the news that reached them was of his death.

Du Qiuling chased after Du Mingyao through the rain, trailing for several blocks but lost him in the process.

He turned to Lu Yao. “Where did he go?”

Lu Yao shook her head. “We don’t have complete information about the two months he was missing.”

Du Qiuling’s expression darkened.

Lu Yao continued, “However, we did find the last location he visited before his death.”

The time machine activated once again, and the four of them were transported two months into the future.

They found themselves amidst the reeds by the Moyang River, and Du Qiuling’s face turned pale.

Lu Yao explained, “On the day we left your home and your uncle’s apartment, Xiaoxiao and I took a stroll along the Moyang River, collecting some samples to bring back. Once we returned to the lab, I discovered some strange markings on one of the wooden samples.”

The Moyang River flows through the entire country, with aquatic plants and trees lining its banks. In the more remote sections away from human habitation, only insects, birds, aquatic creatures, and boats were typically observed.

If large terrestrial creatures, like cats or dogs, were recorded, the light spots on the keys would differ.

Recording even larger human figures would surely result in very conspicuous light spots on the keys.

Lu Yao had crafted keys from all the samples and filtered them from largest to smallest. It took a considerable amount of time, given that the events dated back a decade, but she indeed found something.

The sky was gray and overcast, with cold raindrops falling on his face and hands, chilling to the bone.

A rustling sound came from nearby, and a tall, thin figure emerged from the brush.

Du Mingyao had lost a lot of weight; his clothes hung loosely on him, making it seem as though he was just a skeleton. His hair looked unkempt, with bangs long enough to obscure his eyes, and he had an unshaven look that conveyed a sense of despair.

He swayed as he walked to the riverbank and stood there smoking, his gaze blankly fixed on the opposite shore.

One cigarette, two cigarettes, three…

Finally, Du Mingyao rummaged through his pocket for his cigarette pack, shook it to find it empty, crumpled it up, and threw it away.

The next second, with a splash—

He never got back up.

“Uncle!” Du Qiuling rushed out and jumped in to save him.

A few minutes later, Du Qiuling was pulled back by Xie Molin, sitting dazed on the riverbank.

Lu Yao understood that this outcome was unsatisfactory, but it was indeed the truth.

Yet, she felt something was off, but she couldn’t quite pinpoint it at that moment.

Back at the Childhood Tutoring Center, Du Qiuling’s clothes were already dry.

No one spoke.

After more than ten minutes, Du Qiuling suddenly snapped back to attention. “Boss, since we found the time and place my uncle left, can we go back to stop him?”

Lu Yao had already traveled through time three times that day and was exhausted, feeling too drained to speak much.

She waved her hand and stood up. “Sorry, I’m too tired today. I need to rest.”

Du Qiuling was about to say something but was held back by Xie Molin.

Ultimately, they encountered a situation where the client was no longer satisfied with mere tutoring and wanted to explore further, even to change the past directly.

Lu Yao narrowed her eyes as she pulled off the soft blanket, collapsing onto the sofa in the break room and falling asleep in an instant.

Outside, Xie Molin and Bai Yi chatted with Du Qiuling for a while, but looking at his expression, it was clear he hadn’t absorbed any of it.

Since the boss was already resting, Du Qiuling left with a heart full of thoughts.

Before leaving, he made sure to schedule his next tutoring session.

His original aim had been to uncover the truth behind Du Mingyao’s death.

This second tutoring session had completed that goal, but he wasn’t satisfied and still wanted to discuss things with the boss.

Since Xie Molin was familiar with Lu Yao, he arranged a time for Du Qiuling to talk with her.

…

In Tianshu City.

Upon learning that the child deity would be descending the mountain, the Ji clan prepared five helicopters in advance to take the child deity, Ji Feichen, and a group of Ji clan relatives to Yaoguang City.

According to the plan, they would arrive in Yaoguang City by night at the latest.

Not far from the foot of Qianmen Mountain, the group saw the helicopters prepared by the Ji clan.

The child deity and Ji Feichen boarded one of them, and the flight took only a few minutes from takeoff to landing.

If the child deity hadn’t been on the plane, both Ji Feichen and the pilot would have plunged into the ravine.

At this point, everyone was still unaware of the gravity of the situation, thinking that the helicopter the child deity had previously taken had simply malfunctioned. They ended up having the child deity board the second, third, and fourth helicopters…

When the fourth helicopter also experienced a malfunction, the Ji clan gradually began to grasp the seriousness of the situation but only dared to steal glances at the child deity, not daring to ask directly.

Previously, the deity they served rarely left the divine palace, and there were no relevant records in the Ji clan’s ancestral texts, so they didn’t know that some deities had powers that conflicted with modern civilization.

Such traits often became apparent when the deity was still a child.

In the cold, snowy weather, the child deity stood silently for a moment and called Ji Feichen over. “It seems I was too hasty.”

Ji Feichen immediately replied, “It’s my fault for not arranging it better; the child deity shouldn’t blame themselves. Since we can’t take the helicopter, let’s take the high-speed train. How does that sound?”

Worried about the child deity’s impatience, Ji Feichen continued, “Though Tianshu and Yaoguang are at opposite ends of the polar stars and quite far apart, the high-speed train is fast enough to get us to Yaoguang by early morning.”

The child deity’s thick silver lashes blinked slowly, appearing somewhat aggrieved, as he spoke softly, “Then I’ll follow your arrangement.”

Ji Feichen immediately sent someone to book tickets, and the group headed to the high-speed train station.

The child deity and Ji Feichen shared the same vehicle, but within ten minutes of setting off, the car broke down.

Ji Feichen exchanged a glance with the driver, and the despair in their eyes was hard to conceal: “……”

The child deity… is he a vehicle killer?

Half an hour later, they confirmed it.

The child deity was indeed a transportation tool killer!

The plane, the sedan, and even the electric scooter—all had turned to scrap metal within ten minutes of starting up.

Based on this track record, the high-speed train was surely doomed as well.

In the dead of winter, the group was as anxious as ants on a hot stove, not knowing what to do.

Seeing their troubled expressions, the child deity suggested, “Why don’t you all stay behind? I can go find her on my own. I’ll reach there before dark.”

The Ji clan members looked on, their faces numb: “……”

Were they being dismissed?

They thought they were trying to help the child deity out of trouble, but in his eyes, they were the ones causing trouble.

Ji Feichen closed his eyes briefly and lowered his voice. “Lord deity, I and the others are your loyal subjects, and we cannot leave your side, no matter what.”

The child deity replied, “……Then what should we do?”

Ji Feichen asked, “How do you plan to get to Yaoguang?”

The child deity lowered his head. “By bus, of course.”

The Ji clan members sighed: “……” Sorry for the interruption.

…

Lu Yao woke up in a daze as the sun began to set, and Xie Xiaoxiao, Bai Yi, and Xie Molin were just getting off work.

Once the staff had left, Lu Yao went to the pet cafe to fetch dinner for Erxin.

Zhou Su had left a bowl of shrimp puree mixed with chicken breast for the cat, and the plump tabby was happily munching at the cat bowl, even making “chomp chomp” sounds. Lu Yao sat down at the round table with a bowl of seafood noodles, eating until she was drenched in sweat.

After dinner, Lu Yao cleaned up the dishes and brewed a pot of digestion tea, placing it on the round table.

On the table lay a notebook from Sanhua City, and Lu Yao sat down, allowing Erxin to lie on her lap and lick its paws while she checked out all the well-known research institutes across the country.

As night fell, foot traffic on the streets dwindled.

It was at this moment that Chen Jing pushed the door open and walked in.

Lu Yao closed the search page and patted Erxin, letting it hop down.

“Ms. Chen,” Lu Yao said.

Chen Jing lingered as she looked over the shelves, then her gaze dropped and met Lu Yao’s. She nodded slightly. “Boss, I went to see Hu Jiao.”

Lu Yao stood up to close the shop door and guided Chen Jing to the tutoring room, brewing her some tea. “How did it go?”

Lu Yao had established contact with Chen Jing during her last business trip to Orange City.

Compared to the mother Hu Jiao remembered, the current Chen Jing had changed significantly in demeanor and personality.

But one thing remained the same—she still didn’t like Hu Jiao.

However, compared to her younger years when she was hysterical, she now seemed to lack even the energy to be angry, leaving only indifference.

She shook her head, her tone flat. “He has already signed the agreement to become a test subject. To get him out now would require a lot of money, which we can’t afford.”

Lu Yao cradled her teacup with both hands. “Hmm… As long as you’re willing to retrieve him, I’ll figure out a way to cover the costs.”

The last time Lu Yao heard from Hu Jiao about becoming a test subject, she asked Zheng Siyu, and to retrieve Hu Jiao, it had to be a blood relative who went. That’s why Lu Yao sought out Chen Jing.

Chen Jing looked at Lu Yao as if she were foolish. “It’ll cost at least several hundred thousand, if not over a million. There’s no need to spend so much on him. His father is involved with someone else now, and we’re preparing for a divorce. We won’t be looking for him anymore.”

That child was neither considerate nor obedient; having him was like raising a white-eyed wolf.

Lu Yao remained noncommittal. “You don’t need to worry about the money; the agreement will remain as it was before. I’ll fulfill my promise, and tomorrow you’ll accompany me to the research institute.”

Chen Jing, rarely showing kindness, attempted to advise but was rebuffed. She nodded stiffly.

Lu Yao pulled out a childhood testing form from beneath the table and handed it to Chen Jing.

Chen Jing looked down at it for a moment, then picked up a pen and slowly began to fill it out.

When she first heard about the childhood tutoring, Chen Jing thought it was some sort of new scam. However, the shopkeeper had promised to help her for free on the condition that after the tutoring, she would negotiate with the research institute to get Hu Jiao out.

After seeing Hu Jiao at the research institute that morning and discussing the childhood tutoring center, Chen Jing inferred from Hu Jiao’s attitude that the tutoring center probably wasn’t a trap.

After leaving the research institute, she checked online and then came to find Lu Yao that evening.

However, Chen Jing was not optimistic about this tutoring.

She felt like a fish living in a stinking mudflat, covered in muck and filth, even her lungs filled with sludge, with no hope of turning her life around.

Originally, she wouldn’t have agreed to Lu Yao’s proposal, let alone travel all the way to Sanhua City to see Hu Jiao.

Even now, she hadn’t figured out why she came.

After experiencing the tutoring session with 52 and hearing about Xie Molin’s work history, Lu Yao wanted to get Hu Jiao out as soon as possible, not wanting to wait even a moment longer.

She didn’t want to see the person she had finally rescued fall back into the research institute’s hands.

Chen Jing pushed the completed testing form back to Lu Yao.

After reading Chen Jing’s form, Lu Yao fell silent for a moment before taking out the bone extraction tool. “Ms. Chen, I’m going to start extracting the bone.”

Chen Jing appeared calm, extending her hand and allowing Lu Yao to take the tip of her left pinky finger bone, a bit surprised. “It really doesn’t hurt at all.”

Lu Yao crafted the spirit key and handed it to Chen Jing. “We’re going back to your childhood.”

A flicker of fear passed across Chen Jing’s dazed face. She anxiously ran her fingers through her hair and covered her face. “The past I least want to revisit is my childhood. Can we not go back?”

Lu Yao pulled her hand down. “Ms. Chen, don’t be afraid.”

The key was inserted into the small silver ball, and white light enveloped the two of them.

In the blink of an eye, only Erxin, curled up in a ball, remained in the tutoring room. Its round eyes fixed on a decorative item on the table; it flicked its tail and lay back down.

In the damp little courtyard, an old woman with her hair half-up sat on a bench, a four or five-year-old girl perched on her lap.

The old woman was slapping the child, her voice crisp, cursing, “You little wretch, you dare to steal eggs! Those are for your brother; don’t you know?”

The child cried loudly from the beating.

The old woman stomped her foot, her hand hitting harder, “You still have the nerve to cry? No crying allowed!”

At that moment, another wail came from the house. The old woman dropped the little girl and quickly walked into the inner room, soon emerging with a chubby, white infant.

Chen Jing and Lu Yao, with the transparent stickers on, stood in the small courtyard.

After a recent rain, the muddy ground was wet and slippery.

The little girl had been crying alone for a long time, and after being scolded by the irritable old woman, she leaned against the leg of the bench, losing her balance and landing on her bottom, which got wet. She covered her mouth with her hands, not daring to make a sound.

Chen Jing glared at the old woman soothing the infant, gritting her teeth. “That old woman is my grandmother. She doesn’t like me; she likes the one in her arms because that’s a boy.”

The chubby baby was at the stage of starting solid foods, being fed mashed egg yolk mixed with porridge every day, with the remaining egg whites eaten by the old woman and her husband.

When Chen Jing was young, she would eye the food longingly, but the old woman never allowed her to have any.

She wasn’t an obedient child; she would sneak into the kitchen when the old woman wasn’t looking. Out of ten times, she was caught nine.

Being caught meant a beating and scolding, but over time, she grew accustomed to it.

As long as she could eat something, she didn’t mind the pain.

In the evening, Chen Jing’s grandfather returned from the mines, first going to the living room to tease the little grandson, then calling for the old woman to prepare dinner, and asking Chen Jing to fetch his wine jug.

Every night, the old man would drink a couple of glasses with a small dish of pickled vegetables.

But he had a poor tolerance for alcohol; when he got drunk, he would become violent, rambling incoherently and even resorting to physical aggression.

Every time the old man started hitting someone, the old woman would fiercely protect her little grandson, turning her back and allowing the old man to strike her.

Chen Jing would always hide under the table, too afraid to come out.

And when the old woman could no longer endure it, she would run over and pinch Chen Jing, making her cry.

The old man, irritated by the crying, would curse and threaten to hit Chen Jing, at which point the old woman would take the little grandson to the back room and lock the door.

Chen Jing tried to call her parents, who worked away from home, to complain, but she would get a scolding instead.

When she returned home, the small shopkeeper would gossip about her to her grandmother, resulting in yet another beating.

This was her childhood.

Two years later, it was time for Chen Jing to start school.

However, there was no intention to send her to school. It wasn’t until two years later, after the village officials persuaded her grandparents, that her family reluctantly sent her off with scolding.

By then, Chen Jing was two years older than her classmates and stood out as an oddity at school.

She couldn’t make friends and was often laughed at.

Chen Jing managed to get through elementary school and went to a secondary school far from home.

By the time she graduated from secondary school at fifteen, her family said they couldn’t afford to send her to university.

Chen Jing also had no desire to continue her studies; she desperately wanted to escape her cage-like home.

It was during this time that Chen Jing met Hu Jiao’s father.

At that time, Hu Jiao’s father was already working, wealthy, and charming.

To the young Chen Jing, he seemed like a prince on a white horse, utterly impossible to refuse.

Without much hesitation, she followed Hu Jiao’s father.

In the third month of their marriage, Hu Jiao’s father hit Chen Jing for the first time.

Once there was one incident, there would be more; Chen Jing endured her husband’s beatings day and night, but she could not leave him.

At that time, she still liked Hu Jiao’s father. Perhaps it was also because she felt unable to live on her own; she never thought too deeply about it.

Two years later, Chen Jing became pregnant.

Hu Jiao’s father was gentle with her for a while.

But it was also at this time that Chen Jing discovered for the first time that Hu Jiao’s father was involved with someone else.

The other person was a young girl who had just graduated from college, younger and more beautiful than her.

Chen Jing felt panic and fear in her heart.

Perhaps this was the reason she disliked Hu Jiao.

If it weren’t for the child, Hu Jiao’s father wouldn’t have strayed.

Lu Yao: “…”

After Hu Jiao was born, Chen Jing didn’t pay much attention to him; most of her thoughts were focused on trying to win back her husband.

She researched fashion and dieting to maintain her figure, becoming somewhat obsessed with vanity and beauty to a pathological degree.

It was only in recent years that she gradually became clear-headed.

She couldn’t hold on to that man.

Lu Yao took Chen Jing back through the years, jumping from her childhood to elementary school, middle school, marrying Hu Jiao’s father, enduring domestic violence, and giving birth to Hu Jiao…

Returning to the tutoring room, Chen Jing poured out her grievances from these years, completely oblivious to the shopkeeper’s complicated expression.

This woman had taken a wrong turn on every important decision of her life.

After Chen Jing paused to take a sip of water, Lu Yao sighed. “You should have left him the first time he laid a hand on you. Or even earlier, when you met him, you shouldn’t have held any illusions, trying to use a marriage to escape from a stifling life.”

Chen Jing, emotional, exploded, “So you want to say this is all my fault? What did I do wrong? Why is it all blamed on me?”

Lu Yao pressed her hand down, calming her. “That’s not what I mean. Just don’t get worked up.”

Returning to her childhood felt like reliving all the terrible past experiences; Chen Jing was unable to calm her emotions.

She thought the shopkeeper would understand her, but the result was the same as before: everyone thought she was weak, vain, and shallow, which ultimately led her to this point.

Lu Yao took the box of candy and pushed it in front of Chen Jing. “Eat something to calm down.”

The nine-grid plate contained candied fruits, cookies, nuts, and some beautifully shaped pastries.

With a variety of options and rich flavors, they were enticing.

Chen Jing couldn’t help but eat a few pieces with her hot tea, and her emotions gradually stabilized.

Chen Jing’s tutoring goals were vaguely written, as if she herself didn’t know what exactly she wanted to do.

Seizing the moment while she was eating, Lu Yao quickly listed a few tutoring plans and showed them to Chen Jing. “You can choose one.”

On the yellowed square paper, several lines of text were written in order by number.

1. To make up for the regrets of biased parents.
2. To remedy the regrets of a wrong marriage.
3. To gain the ability to live independently through tutoring.

Chen Jing looked at the options, her finger lightly tapping the second one, then she raised her gaze to observe Lu Yao’s expression.

Lu Yao remained impassive. “No need to look at me; choose according to your true feelings. Whichever option you select, I will help you achieve your goal.”

Chen Jing took a deep breath, moved her finger away from the second option, and tapped on the first one.

Lu Yao’s expression did not change.

Chen Jing lowered her eyes, contemplating for a few minutes, then said firmly, “I choose the third option.”

Lu Yao: “Are you sure?”

Chen Jing nodded.

Lu Yao exhaled, took out her key, and officially began the tutoring session.

In the misty rain of a small mountain village, Chen Jing seized the opportunity while her grandmother was inside the back room soothing her younger brother to sleep. She dashed out into the rain and ran into the kitchen, tiptoeing to reach a small bowl placed on the stove, which contained two halves of an egg white.

The little girl had straw-like, dry hair tied into two thin pigtails, wearing a dull gray apron. Her face was marked like a calico cat, with snot running down.

She couldn’t reach the bowl even on tiptoes, so she looked for a small stool.

After finding a small stool, the girl finally reached the bowl, grabbed the egg white, and dashed outside to hide behind the eaves, wolfing it down.

Leaning against the wall with her mouth still chewing, she looked up to see someone smiling warmly at her.

The little girl didn’t feel embarrassed; she didn’t know what self-esteem was, as no one had taught her that.

All she knew was that she wasn’t liked here. Whether she obeyed or disobeyed, she would get beaten, so it made no difference.

A woman carrying a brand-new suitcase stood by the roadside, waving at her. “Jingjing, why are you here all alone? Come on, let’s go home with mom.”

Chen Jing’s expression shifted, eyes wide with disbelief: “Mom?”

The little girl still didn’t move.

Lu Yao let go of the suitcase, stepped into the mud, and walked over to scoop up Chen Jing in her arms, walking along the small path back to the courtyard, asking, “What’s wrong? Can’t recognize me?”

Chen Jing felt something was off, but the sense of dissonance faded gradually with the woman’s gentle smile, and a secret joy began to rise little by little. She wrapped her small, dark hand around Lu Yao’s neck. “Mom, I missed you so much.”

Lu Yao didn’t mind, carrying her inside and then putting her down.

Chen Jing’s grandmother came out of the room holding her older grandson, and upon seeing Lu Yao, her face was one of surprise. “What are you doing back?”

For some reason, Chen Jing saw a familiar disdain on her grandmother’s face.

She looked up at her mother, only to find her still wearing a smile.

Lu Yao glanced at the younger son cradled in her grandmother’s arms, showing no intention of asking to hold him. She smiled and said, “You’ve got the older and the younger both to look after; it’s too much for you. Since the village is looking for substitute teachers, I made a call, and it turns out I fit the requirements, so I quit my job and came back.”

Chen Jing’s grandmother furrowed her brows into a row of wrinkles, her tone impatient. “What are you back for? I can handle both of them just fine. A substitute teacher in the village doesn’t pay as well as working outside. Ah, I think you should go back to work.”

Lu Yao’s expression was calm as she said, “When I came back just now, I saw Jingjing picking up dirty things to eat by the roadside. It’s too hard for you to take care of two children alone, so I’ll take care of Jingjing from now on. The school has also said that she must attend.”

After speaking, she ignored her grandmother’s resentful stomping and took Chen Jing straight out of the main room, turning into a locked side room.

She pulled out a key and unlocked the door. Inside, the bed and furniture were covered with plastic sheets, which had gathered a thick layer of dust.

Chen Jing’s parents had been working away from home for years, sending her back to her grandparents after she was born. They only returned home for a few days during the New Year.

After spending several hours cleaning the room and tidying up the bedding and clothes, Lu Yao prepared a basin of hot water for Chen Jing to wash her face and hands, and then she changed her into fresh clothes.

Chen Jing felt at a loss, but her eyes sparkled like stars.

This was her mother, and she liked her mother.

Lu Yao watched the youthful Chen Jing with tears in her eyes and couldn’t help but sigh.

Chen Jing didn’t know that in another tutoring session, Hu Jiao also called her “mom.”

What a tangled web of relationships.

Lu Yao had been back less than two days when Chen Jing noticed that her mother, like herself, wasn’t liked at home.

Her grandmother liked to scold people and often ordered her mother to do chores.

But because her mother was generous with oil and seasonings when cooking, her grandmother forbade her from cooking after that.

Lu Yao came out of the kitchen, holding two fragrant tea eggs and a large bowl of noodles, and beckoned Chen Jing to come back to the room with her.

The pair, one big and one small, sat next to the low table, sharing a bowl of noodles and each eating a tea egg.

The tea eggs were savory and more delicious than plain boiled eggs.

The eggs were bought by her mother, so her grandmother couldn’t say anything.

It was still early August, not yet time for school.

After finishing breakfast, Lu Yao picked up a small backpack and a little hoe, taking Chen Jing to the edge of the field to dig wild vegetables.

Lu Yao knew fewer types of wild vegetables than Chen Jing; she only knew to dig out fish mint.

Chen Jing flitted around like a little lark, calling for her mother to dig for wild scallions one moment and wild shepherd’s purse the next, and she even picked a cluster of fungus from an unknown tree by the roadside.

When they returned home, Lu Yao washed the fish mint and prepared it as a cold dish, also picking some wild vegetables to clean and blanch for a meal.

To be honest, wild vegetables didn’t taste very good.

But the mother and daughter still managed to eat most of it mixed with rice.

In the evening, Grandpa returned home and wanted to drink, and no one could persuade him to stop.

After a few cups, Grandpa began to slur his words, standing up and staggering toward Chen Jing and Lu Yao.

Grandma took the child and retreated into the back room.

Chen Jing clung tightly to Lu Yao’s leg, nearly crying. “Grandpa likes to hit people. Mom, let’s run away!”

Lu Yao remained seated, looking down at her. “Does Jingjing know that she has superpowers?”

Chen Jing nodded, her understanding still somewhat vague.

Lu Yao stroked her dry, yellow hair and spoke softly, “Your ability is the same as your mother’s; you can control the actions of others through words.”

The drunken old man swung his fist, aiming to hit them.

Lu Yao didn’t move, her voice cold as she said, “You’re drunk; you want to go back to the back room to sleep.”

The old man’s cloudy eyes turned, and he pivoted slowly, heading toward the back room.

Lu Yao added, “The threshold to the back room is too high. You didn’t notice and tripped over the door frame, accidentally falling and knocking yourself out.”

The next moment, the old man stumbled, failing to step over the nearly ten-centimeter-high threshold, tripping his own feet, and with a thud, he fell at the door to the back room, sinking into a drunken stupor.

Grandma stood in the doorway with the baby, looking at Lu Yao in shock.

Lu Yao looked down at Chen Jing and asked, “Are you full?”

Chen Jing nodded.

Lu Yao picked her up to wash up.

That night, the mother and daughter sat on the bed.

Chen Jing bit her lip, secretly observing Lu Yao, and said softly, “Mom, I want to be as powerful as you.”

Lu Yao hugged her tightly. “Okay, Mom will teach you.”

From that night onward, her grandparents no longer dared to make things difficult for Lu Yao.

In early September, Lu Yao began working.

During her classes, she still entrusted Chen Jing to her grandmother’s care.

After nearly a month of training, Chen Jing had already mastered the basic use of her word spirit technique and was able to stay home alone without any issues.

With Lu Yao at home, her grandfather was reluctant to drink alcohol every day, and the frequency of his drunken rages decreased. Gradually, the household became more harmonious.

Two years later, Chen Jing reached school age.

Lu Yao enrolled her in school.

This time, she didn’t delay for two years before starting school; her classmates were all of the same age. Thanks to Lu Yao’s guidance, Chen Jing’s personality underwent significant changes, and with her mother as a teacher, she got along well with her classmates.

In the fourth grade of elementary school, Chen Jing’s superpower caught the attention of a teacher who came from the city to recruit students. The teacher discussed with Lu Yao and hoped Chen Jing would attend middle school in the city, with all expenses covered.

Lu Yao resigned from her substitute teaching job and accompanied Chen Jing to the city for school.

She rented an apartment near the school and found a job nearby, balancing taking care of Chen Jing with earning some household income.

The four years of middle school were fulfilling and happy for Chen Jing.

It was hard to imagine that she had quickly escaped from that isolated rural village.

That year of high school graduation, Chen Jing’s superpower rating was an A.

Though she didn’t reach the highest rating of A+, several universities in the city contacted her by phone.

After discussing with Lu Yao, she chose her favorite one.

Three years passed in the blink of an eye, and Chen Jing successfully completed her university studies, becoming a middle school teacher.

One day, while walking down the street with her mother, she encountered a few men in suits passing by, faintly overhearing them discussing investments and clients.

Chen Jing turned to take a look.

Lu Yao asked, “What’s wrong?”

Chen Jing shook her head. “It’s nothing. Mom, let’s eat out today. I’ll take you to that little hotpot place I mentioned last time.”

Traditional small hotpots aren’t like regular boiling pots for cooking; the small copper pot can hold sliced pork belly, fatty intestines, beef, tendons, ribs, and other pre-cooked meats, all laid over bean sprouts, radishes, or winter melons.

Typically, the restaurant also offers a few types of boiled vegetables, mostly cabbage, vermicelli, and tofu.

Once the meat in the pot is finished, the boiled vegetables can be added.

Such small hotpots are usually quite cheap but incredibly satisfying.

Lu Yao and Chen Jing enjoyed the fatty intestines and ribs slathered in spicy oil, each having three bowls of rice, and when they came out, they supported each other, unable to stand upright.

Chen Jing lightly patted Lu Yao’s back, her face beaming with pride. “Delicious, right? You’re stuffed now. I’ll take you here again next time.”

At seventeen, Chen Jing’s eyes sparkled, free from any gloom.

Her life was just beginning.

This year, Lu Yao had strands of white hair and her face bore the marks of time’s erosion.

When she smiled, deep and shallow wrinkles appeared. “Jingjing, I have something to tell you.”

In the early autumn weather, having just stepped out of the warm hotpot restaurant, the cold wind brushed against Chen Jing’s face as she tugged at her scarf.

“What is it?”

“Student Chen Jing, the first tutoring session is over.”

The cold wind seeped through to her bones, shattering Chen Jing’s serene expression.

In the next second, the two were enveloped in silvery light and returned to the tutoring center.

Chen Jing gasped for breath and looked up at Lu Yao. “Mom…”

The countless memories and consciousness of living with Lu Yao merged together; over the years, Chen Jing’s life had completely followed a different path.

Now waking from this dream, recalling the chaotic reality, Chen Jing burst into tears, unable to contain herself.

If only her life could truly restart like it did in tutoring, how wonderful that would be.

She wouldn’t have dropped out of school, wouldn’t have encountered Hu Jiao, and wouldn’t have given birth to Hu Qi…

As she thought of this, Chen Jing suddenly paused, taking a sharp breath.

Hu Qi, her son.

Since giving birth to him, she had never fulfilled even a fraction of a mother’s responsibilities.

Reflecting on the past ten years of tutoring, all the things Lu Yao had done for her.

For more than a decade, Lu Yao accompanied her day in and day out, making her the center of her life. Wherever Chen Jing went to school, Lu Yao would rent a place nearby to work. It continued this way until she graduated from university and settled down, while Lu Yao’s once black hair turned white, her skin loosened, and wrinkles crept in.

Chen Jing buried her face in her arms and cried, “I don’t know how to be a mother… because no one has ever taught me.”

Her emotions were complex, regret and guilt twisting like rooted vines, spreading from her chest to her limbs, leaving her feeling completely drained.

The memories of tutoring were too beautiful, and she was unwilling to wake up.

Pulled repeatedly between the desire to awaken and the temptation to indulge, Chen Jing felt a throbbing in her temples, and a headache began to set in.

While organizing materials, Lu Yao said, “Time flies, and spilled water cannot be retrieved. Ms. Chen, you don’t need to consider Hu Jiao anymore; he has grown up. You should learn to think for yourself.”

Raising a child is not something that can be done overnight.

All the regrets of the past intertwined, and Chen Jing had been confused for over thirty years; now it felt like an even bigger mess, impossible to sort out.

She painfully cradled her head. “My mind is so chaotic.”

Lu Yao released her hand and stopped bothering her.

After four time-traveling sessions in one day, Lu Yao’s physical strength and energy were completely exhausted.

She draped a blanket over herself, leaned back in her chair, and closed her eyes to rest.

…

At the Supernatural Research Institute.

During dinner time, Hu Jiao and his roommates came out of the dormitory.

Downstairs, there was a dining hall exclusively for experimental subjects, with plenty of window seats and a wide variety of dishes—salty, spicy, sweet, and savory.

Hu Jiao thought of the seafood noodles from the childhood tutoring center and lazily walked to the noodle stall, ordering a bowl of seafood noodles, adding three shrimp and a fried egg.

The noodle stall wasn’t very crowded; Hu Jiao paid and took his receipt to wait for his order.

Suddenly, someone leaned in beside him, prompting Hu Jiao to step aside.

The person didn’t relent and leaned in again.

“Hu Jiao, I’m Subject No. 52, nice to meet you.” The young man whispered.

Hu Jiao looked bewildered, not responding.

His roommates had told him not to casually talk to test subjects with numbers.

Those with numbers had already participated in experiments and were usually tortured during their time, resulting in distorted and irritable temperaments.

And the smaller the number, the longer they had been in the research facility.

This self-proclaimed Subject No. 52 looked to be around the same age as Hu Jiao, yet his number was two digits.

Hu Jiao couldn’t help but step aside again.

52 chuckled at Hu Jiao’s wary demeanor. The stall auntie suddenly called out for the braised beef noodles and seafood noodles, and the two stepped forward to collect their meals.

Hu Jiao quickly carried his tray in the direction of his roommates, only to find that the seat he had just vacated was already taken.

These guys were so disloyal!

Hu Jiao turned around and found a spot in a corner. As soon as he sat down, 52 sat across from him.

Hu Jiao’s expression darkened, but 52 didn’t take offense. While slurping his noodles, he said, “I went to the childhood tutoring center for tutoring today too.”

52 observed Hu Jiao’s expression and continued, “The shop owner is an interesting person, and her abilities are quite fascinating.”

Hu Jiao’s frown deepened further. “What do you mean?”

Subject No. 52 leaned in and whispered, “Let me tell you some good news. Because of you, that livestream has made the owner completely famous. Not only the Supernatural Research Institute, but also some special organizations have their eyes on her. I heard you’ve been tutored multiple times, so you should understand better than I do just how appealing her abilities are.”

Hu Jiao’s expression remained calm, not as irritable and agitated as No. 52 had expected.

He was a bit confused. “What’s going on?”

Hu Jiao’s gaze slid over No. 52’s lips, his brow slightly furrowed as he calmly stated, “You’ve got grease all over your mouth.”

No. 52: “…”

After leaving the dining hall, Hu Jiao headed straight back to the dormitory, tossing and turning in bed, unable to sleep.

Because of him, Lu Yao had attracted attention.

This wasn’t unlikely.

Anyone who had experienced the childhood tutoring would know just how extraordinary Lu Yao’s abilities were.

Hu Jiao recalled overhearing gossip from his roommates about an test subject at the institute who had the ability to steal others’ powers.

And what was the intention of this experimental subject in revealing this information to him?

Hu Jiao couldn’t control his thoughts.

As the night passed, Hu Jiao hardly slept.

…

When Lu Yao woke up in the morning, she was draped in three or four blankets.

She had fallen asleep at the desk in the tutoring room, and Chen Jing across from her was still asleep.

Last night had been too exhausting, and she forgot to carry out the scheduled maintenance and upgrades. Since she and Chen Jing were sleeping in the store, the system certainly wouldn’t dare to act, so it could only be postponed until tonight.

Erxin, being clever, heard the noise from the inner room, and padded in on cat feet, rubbing against Lu Yao’s pant leg to seek affection.

This was begging for food.

As Lu Yao got up, she felt weak in her limbs. She leaned against the back of the chair for a moment, then shuffled in her slippers to scoop cat food for Erxin, adding some water. Returning to the tutoring room, she found that Chen Jing was already awake.

Chen Jing’s eyes were puffy, looking like swollen flower crabs, with her eyelids bulging and only a sliver of her eyes showing; she looked utterly pitiful.

Lu Yao went to the rest room, took some ice cubes wrapped in a towel, and handed them to Chen Jing. “Quick, put this on. You look terrible.”

Chen Jing remained calm. “It’s just from crying; it’s nothing. It’ll be fine once the swelling goes down.”

After years of experiencing violence from her family and husband, she had long grown accustomed to the physical pain.

However, the aftermath of last night’s tutoring had a strong effect on Chen Jing, and seeing Lu Yao now, she instinctively treated her like a mother, speaking in a slightly spoiled tone.

Chen Jing’s biological mother, like the women in the village, went out to work after giving birth and sent the money home, but she had no say in the household.

Chen Jing was reticent and did not dare to speak loudly in front of her mother-in-law, completely different from Lu Yao.

After Chen Jing applied the ice pack, Lu Yao took out some ointment from her personal storage and applied a thin layer to her eyelids.

The herbal-scented ointment felt cool but not painful, and in less than fifteen minutes, the swelling went down.

When Xu Xiaoxiao, Bai Yi, and Xie Molin arrived for work, Chen Jing’s eyes showed no trace of swelling.

Chen Jing looked at herself in the mirror, examining her reflection.

“Mom…”

The three employees who were eating noodles cast their gazes over.

Chen Jing hesitated and managed to say, “Uh… Shop owner, what ointment did you put on me? The effect is incredible.”

Lu Yao handed her a small tube. “This is a homemade anti-swelling ointment. I’m giving this one to you. Stop looking in the mirror and eat your noodles; we need to go to the research institute soon.”

Chen Jing readily agreed, “Okay, Mom… Shop owner.”

Before heading to the Supernatural Research Institute, Lu Yao asked Xu Xiaoxiao and Xie Molin to assist Chen Jing in conducting a simple superpower test.

The tutoring center didn’t have testing equipment, so the entire test was practical.

Chen Jing could easily control Xu Molin and Xu Xiaoxiao’s actions with her words, with the longest control lasting two minutes.

Chen Jing was incredulous. “Mom… Shop owner, has my superpower suddenly become so strong?”

Lu Yao replied, “Don’t you remember your tutoring goal?”

Chen Jing was taken aback.

So that’s how it was.

The tutoring session hadn’t been entirely a dream after all.

She had developed her abilities during the tutoring sessions, and they hadn’t disappeared after it ended.

Does this mean that the thirteen years spent living with Lu Yao weren’t merely a dream?

The ability test concluded, and Chen Jing’s tutoring session ended perfectly.

She received a completion badge issued by the childhood tutoring center.

On the way to the Supernatural Research Institute, Lu Yao brought up Hu Jiao’s tutoring: “When I was tutoring, I chatted with the younger Hu Jiao and asked if he would come with me. Guess what he said?”

Chen Jing couldn’t imagine.

Lu Yao mimicked Xiao Hu Jiao’s tone: “’I can’t leave; I’m worried about leaving Mom alone.’ That’s what he said.”

Chen Jing walked ahead in a daze, her heart not stirred, yet tears rolled down her cheeks, splashing onto her hand and feeling hot enough to make her anxious.

She looked down, feeling utterly lost.

Lu Yao didn’t say anything more, and the two walked in silence to the Supernatural Research Institute.

At the front desk, upon hearing their purpose, a call was made.

After a while, someone came out of the elevator to lead Lu Yao and Chen Jing upstairs.

The elevator stopped on the fourth floor, and they were taken into an office.

The office staff checked the various documents Chen Jing had regarding Hu Jiao—birth certificate, mother-child handbook, city resident certificate…

“Hu Jiao’s paperwork is all in order. However, he has signed a consent form, and since he has a history of misconduct that led to his being sent here, it won’t be easy to take him back,” the staff said in a very businesslike tone.

Lu Yao replied, “What are the conditions? Just say it directly.”

The staff didn’t beat around the bush: “Ten million.”

Chen Jing gasped, unable to control her expression.

This amount was far more than she had anticipated.

Lu Yao’s expression remained unchanged.

The staff’s gaze swept over Lu Yao, “…Or, you could undergo a full-body examination at our institute.”

This was practically a blatant suggestion—they were no longer pretending.

Chen Jing swallowed hard, unable to help but glance at Lu Yao.

Instead of becoming a test subject, or even undergoing experiments, simply having a full-body examination could save them ten million.

To Chen Jing, even hesitating for a second would be disrespectful to the notion of “ten million.”

The shop owner must think the same way, right?

Lu Yao smiled. “I choose the ten million.”

🛍️🛍️🛍️🛍️🛍️