In the end, it was the staff who worked themselves to the bone, driving to a nearby town to buy a pair of shoes and bring them back.
Sheng Yuxiao only allowed Li Xiaoya to leave after compensating her with the shoes.
Li Xiaoya, wearing his hoodie with its large hood pulled up, carefully skirted the puddles in the yard as she left the Village Chief's house.
She didn't even glance back at him once.
Sheng Yuxiao felt inexplicably irritated.
"Young Master Sheng," the Village Chief sidled up to him again.
Sheng Yuxiao finally turned, scanning the Village Chief's home before cursing, "What a dump."
The Village Chief: "..."
The Village Chief forced a smile: "Young Master Sheng, are you hungry? Thirsty? Would you like to watch TV? ...I even have a computer here! If you'd like to play games, that's fine too."
Sheng Yuxiao wore a sour expression: "Not interested."
As evening fell, Sheng Yuxiao's assessment of the Village Chief's dinner was: "What pig slop."
The Village Chief then brewed him a pot of tea, which the young master similarly disdained: "What dishwater."
The staff were at a loss for words.
All they could think was, the familiar Young Master Sheng had returned.
*
Li Xiaoya was sent back home.
Her grandfather was still bedridden, and for once, didn't scold her.
Li Xiaoya walked to the stove and lifted the pot lid. The potatoes inside had already gone cold. She grabbed one, peeled off a bit of skin, and ate as she walked towards her grandfather.
"Grandpa, have a potato," she said, offering him the other one.
Grandpa Li didn't take it. His cloudy old eyes were unusually bright in the dim light. His calloused hand grabbed Li Xiaoya: "Who came today? Were they from the city?"
Li Xiaoya nodded and said, "Aunt Man said they were here to film a show."
Film a show? Grandpa Li didn't know what that meant either.
He just smiled and said, "Good, good. Next time, bring them back home."
Li Xiaoya was puzzled, not understanding why.
"Listen to Grandpa. Grandpa won't sell you in the future," Grandpa Li said.
A glimmer of light flashed in Li Xiaoya's eyes, then faded. She slowly shook her head and said, "They won't come back."
Grandpa Li angrily asked, "How do you know? Did you offend them today?"
Li Xiaoya didn't speak.
She didn't know how to explain it to her grandfather.
She remembered a tattered fairy tale book she had found in the reading corner donated to the school by kind-hearted people. There was a story called "The Little Match Girl."
The tall brother who took her home, then to the Village Chief's house for a hot bath, and gave her clothes and shoes to wear.
Yes, it was as if she had struck a match, and that's why she had such a beautiful dream.
But matches go out, and beautiful dreams slip away.
So they won't come back.
Li Xiaoya finished the cold potatoes with some cold water, then asked, "Grandpa, aren't you hungry?"
Grandpa Li snorted coldly: "I'm full from all the anger you've caused me."
Li Xiaoya softly replied, "Oh."
Then there was a flurry of activity as Li Xiaoya washed her face and brushed her teeth with cold water, before crawling into her small bed to sleep.
Grandpa Li became even angrier, but then his fingers touched something hard, and he instantly calmed down.
It was what those people who called themselves a production crew had left him, saying it was compensation for Li Xiaoya's "mental anguish" or something. A total of 1,000 yuan.
1,000 yuan!
Grandpa Li narrowed his eyes, counted the bills one by one again, then tucked them into his underwear.
He was the grandfather, of course he would manage the money.
*
Sheng Yuxiao glanced at the large bed in the master bedroom.
The bed still had a mosquito net, with large peony flower-patterned sheets inside.
Sheng Yuxiao walked away in disgust, sitting on a hard wooden chair.
How the hell was he supposed to sleep here?
After sitting idle for two hours, Sheng Yuxiao thought of Li Xiaoya again.
This place was too poor.
How could there be a place this poor?
When he got back, he'd donate money here. Start with six or seven million, give Li Xiaoya a larger share.
As he thought about it, Sheng Yuxiao got angry again, standing up to kick the bed.
Damn it, who knew when he'd be able to go back.
With restlessness consuming him, Sheng Yuxiao paced the room twice before deciding to push open the door and look at the moon.
The door made no sound, and Sheng Yuxiao had only taken two steps forward when voices from the silent night carried clearly to his ears on the wind.
"This Young Master Sheng is a real handful," It was the Village Chief's voice, complaining to someone.
"Dad, have you forgotten what Qingqing said? Young Master Sheng's family has assets worth hundreds of billions! Hundreds of billions! He's not just a handful, he's our God of Wealth." A man persuaded; it was the Village Chief's Son.
Hearing this, Sheng Yuxiao almost laughed out loud.
What dreams were they having?
Even if he had money, he wouldn't share it with them.
"Sigh, Young Master Sheng is manageable, but I never expected him to run into Li Xiaoya when he entered the village," the Village Chief said worriedly.
"What?" the Village Chief's Son's voice changed pitch.
"Lower your voice!"
"Yes, yes. How could it be such a coincidence?"
"Who knows if that little girl discovered something."
"How is that possible? She's just a child, what would she understand?"
Sheng Yuxiao's expression slowly changed.
It sounded like the Village Chief's family had some nefarious plans for Li Xiaoya!
Without thinking, he took out his phone and pressed record.
"If Young Master Sheng finds out the truth..."
"Dad, you're overthinking it. So what if he knows? It's just filming a show, who would care about a little girl without parents?"
"You didn't see it. Today, Young Master Sheng was so good to Li Xiaoya, giving her his own clothes to wear, even blow-drying her hair, buying her shoes..."
The Village Chief's Son fell silent.
After a while, his voice sounded again: "You don't need to worry about this. Just make sure to keep Young Master Sheng here, ensure that he's comfortable staying at our place. As for Li Xiaoya..."
The Village Chief's Son laughed coldly: "I'll go talk to her grandfather, give him 800 yuan. That'll ensure he keeps Li Xiaoya under tight control, she'll never see Young Master Sheng's face again."
By this time, Sheng Yuxiao's fists were clenched tight.
These bastards!
What were they planning?
Even going after a child!
The Village Chief, completely unaware that Sheng Yuxiao himself had heard all this, gleefully patted his son's shoulder saying, "That college education really shows, you're so quick-witted."
Sheng Yuxiao descended two steps with a cold expression.
He wanted to punch them in the face.
But hearing the delighted laughter of the father and son, he suddenly halted his steps.
Giving them a couple of punches would be letting them off too easy...
Weren't they desperately trying to keep him here? Weren't they willing to do anything to prevent Li Xiaoya from seeing him?
How dare they scheme against him!
Sheng Yuxiao laughed coldly in his heart, then silently turned back to his room and swiftly packed his luggage.
Early the next morning, having not slept all night, the young master Sheng appeared at the Village Chief's doorstep with his suitcase in tow. The staff members were the first to be alarmed.
The staff were nearly frantic: "Young Master, are you planning to return to the city?"
Sheng Yuxiao raised an eyebrow: "No."
The staff were bewildered: "Then what are you..."
Sheng Yuxiao: "I'm changing my accommodation. Is that not allowed? I don't want to stay in this house anymore. It's too run-down."
Staff: "In this village, the Village Chief's house has the best conditions."
Sheng Yuxiao realized he hadn't phrased it correctly, so he immediately changed tack: "Think about why my mother sent me here."
The staff member cautiously answered: "For... reformation?"
Sheng Yuxiao glanced at him askance: "Exactly. By putting me in the Village Chief's house with the best conditions, are you trying to go against my mother's wishes?"
Staff: "...We... we wouldn't dare."
Sheng Yuxiao: "Let's go. Change to another house, quickly." After saying this, he tossed his suitcase aside and got into the car himself.
Seeing that he had already taken the driver's seat, the staff members were scared out of their wits.
This young master wasn't even eighteen yet. How could he drive?
"Alright, alright, we'll accompany you to change houses first." The staff followed, feeling a headache coming on.
When the Village Chief rushed over after hearing the news, he was still holding up his trousers with one hand. His belt had fallen off somewhere, leaving him in this comical state as he exclaimed in shock: "Where is Young Master Sheng going?"
"Young Master! Young Master! You can't leave!"
With a press of the accelerator, the car sped away, leaving him choking on exhaust fumes.
The Village Chief coughed while calling out miserably: "Young Master, you made an exchange with our family. You can't go anywhere else! Young Master!"
"It's all over! It's all over!"
In the car, the staff members cautiously observed Sheng Yuxiao's expression, unable to understand how the Village Chief had managed to offend him so severely in just one night.
Sheng Yuxiao sat with his eyes closed, silent, his expression fierce.
In his ears, he could still hear the conversation between the Village Chief and his son.
But the image that flashed through his mind was—
After Li Xiaoya's shoe had flown off, he had lowered his head and caught a glimpse of her foot. The back of it was covered in scratches from the thorny undergrowth. Didn't it hurt her?