Zhaozhao froze. What did… do something big mean?
The system’s voice sounded slightly smug as it rang out, 【Just now, you saved a life, so your merit increased greatly, and the energy bar rose by a large amount. Now, there is not only enough to send you back, there is some left over too. So, I thought of a wonderful idea. Hehe, I guarantee I’ll make these people who fail to recognize Mount Tai[1]有眼不识泰山 (yǒu yǎn bù shí Tài Shān) – literally “have eyes but fail to recognize Mount Tai.” It describes someone who cannot recognize a truly important or capable person. jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3335958_1_1').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3335958_1_1', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], }); remember this for the rest of their lives.】
Zhaozhao could not help but press her lips together. A-Shan just said, said it would send her back now? Could she go back now?
She suddenly became nervous. But she still did not know what her Father and Mother were like. A-Shan hadn’t had time to tell her.
Zhaozhao wanted to ask, but the system had already started over there.
【Zhaozhao, in a moment, whatever I say, you just say along with me, understood?】
Zhaozhao instinctively replied, 【Understood.】
【Very good. Wait a moment.】
After the system finished giving its instructions, the golden light around Zhaozhao suddenly grew greatly brighter. The villagers, who were already stunned by this sudden burst of light, drew in an even sharper breath.
“What is going on? Why is this wretched girl, why is this wretched girl giving off golden light?”
“Yeah. It looks like auspicious light shining everywhere. Wasn’t she… wasn’t she a jinx?”
“Can a jinx give off this kind of light? This looks more like… an immortal’s means.”
The villagers swallowed hard, their hearts uneasy and extremely panicked.
Madam Zheng and her husband, along with Old Man Lin and the others who had originally been trying to snatch Zhaozhao away, were even more terrified, their eyes widening in fear as they did not dare move at all.
Even Lin Lan could not help but tremble, her voice very small, “Zha, Zhaozhao, you…”
At this moment, someone suddenly spoke up, “Look, look above Zhaozhao’s head. This golden light is coming from it.”
‘Whoosh!’ Everyone raised their heads, and even Zhaozhao could not help but tilt up her little head. Then everyone saw a huge Sky Screen[2]天幕 (tiānmù) – literally “sky screen,” referring to a screen-like partition or curtain suspended in the sky. jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3335958_1_2').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3335958_1_2', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], }); hanging in the sky. The light from the Sky Screen happened to fall squarely onto Zhaozhao, without deviating to either side, which made her look as though she were draped in golden light.
The villagers drew in a cold breath, “What is this thing? How could this suddenly appear in the sky?”
“A divine miracle. This is a divine miracle ah!!”
“It is the light it gives off that is shining onto Zhaozhao.”
“A strange celestial phenomenon has appeared, and divine light shines everywhere. Something major must happen, only it is unknown whether it is a blessing or a disaster.” The village scholar who had studied suddenly spoke up, then looked toward Zhaozhao.
“So this divine light shining everywhere is coming from that thing in the sky, and has nothing to do with this girl at all, right? She just happens to be standing here.” Madam Zheng came back to her senses and hurriedly spoke loudly, though her voice trembled and she had not the slightest bit of confidence.
Of course, she hoped the divine light had nothing to do with Zhaozhao. Whether it was a blessing or a disaster, neither would be a good thing for her.
Some villagers thought it made sense. Perhaps Zhaozhao had merely happened to be standing beneath the golden light.
The system snorted at this moment and said to Zhaozhao, 【Walk a few steps to the side.】
Zhaozhao patted the arm Lin Lan had wrapped around her, “Lin Lan Jiejie, put me down ba.”
Lin Lan put her down. After leaving the warmth of her embrace, Zhaozhao felt a little cold again.
But she endured it and followed A-Shan’s words, walking more than ten steps to the side.
Then, the villagers looked on in horror as the divine light draped over her also moved to the side. Zhaozhao stopped, and it stopped too.
The villagers, “…”
This divine light can move. It can move ah!!
Some of the more timid ones were already so frightened that they directly knelt on the ground, “May Buddha bless us. May Buddha bless us.”
Once one person knelt down, there was a second and a third. In just a short moment, half of the villagers present had knelt down.
The village chief was still holding himself upright, but inwardly, he was also panicking like crazy. He tried to speak, “Little Zhaozhao, you…”
He thought his voice was loud, but in reality, as though he was afraid of frightening her, only he himself could hear it.
Seeing that the situation had more or less heated up enough, the system immediately said to Zhaozhao, 【Alright, that’s enough. Zhaozhao, go stand on that stone.】
Zhaozhao obediently stood on the large stone at the entrance of the Lin family’s home. She was clearly young and thin and weak, yet under the illumination of the divine light, she seemed as though she were looking down upon everyone.
As the system had instructed, she swept her gaze over the villagers once, and finally her eyes fell on Lin Lan. She smiled and said, “Lin Lan Jiejie, I’m leaving.”
The instant she spoke, everyone shut their mouths, and the entire scene fell silent.
Along with Zhaozhao’s words, everyone’s gazes also fell onto Lin Lan.
Lin Lan swallowed, making sure she was not experiencing an auditory hallucination. Coming back to her senses, she hurriedly asked, “Leaving? Where are you going?”
“To return to the place I should return to.” Zhaozhao’s voice was very childish, but at this moment, it carried a somewhat unfathomable air, “I originally was not a person of this small world. I am a person from another world. I came here to undergo my tribulation.”[3]渡劫 (dù jié) – a traditional Daoist/Buddhist-influenced term referring to undergoing a heavenly trial or tribulation, often in order to advance or attain a higher state. jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3335958_1_3').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3335958_1_3', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], });
Zhaozhao secretly asked the system in her mind, 【A-Shan, what does “undergo my tribulation” mean ah?】
【That’s not the important part. Just say what I say.】
Zhaozhao nodded and continued, “Now that I have saved your little sister, my merit has reached completion. It is time for me to leave.”
Lin Lan could not help but step forward, “Zhaozhao, are you an immortal child?”
“I am not an immortal child. I am only from a very, very, very faraway place.” Zhaozhao said, “Lin Lan Jiejie, good people receive good rewards. You helped me so much. Even if I leave, I will still pray for blessings for you. I hope your whole life goes smoothly.”
Many people looked at Lin Lan and Father Lin with eyes full of envy. Although Zhaozhao denied that she was an immortal child, they had already decided in their hearts that she was one. A very faraway place, was that not the immortal realm?
Having received the immortal child’s blessing, the Lin family would probably prosper from now on.
However, Zhaozhao’s ‘blessing’ was not over yet. She looked toward the other people behind the crowd, “And Grandfather Zhou, Uncle Dashan, Aunt Yu, Liangping Ge, Daya… thank you for taking care of me these past two years. You all have to be well. I will never forget all of you.”
She pointed out, one by one, the people who had helped her during these two years. Although most of the people in the village had decided that she was a jinx and kept their distance from her, there were still a few who, like Lin Lan Jiejie, would give her things to eat, speak up for her, and help her carry firewood and pick chestnuts. She remembered all of them and had made marks on the ground of the woodshed.
Originally, she had thought that once she grew up and had the ability, she would repay them. But the system said it was going to send her away, so she would never have the chance to repay them in the future.
Thinking of this, Zhaozhao felt somewhat guilty.
The people whose names she called out could not help but step forward and stand beside Lin Lan. The looks they gave Zhaozhao were complicated, happy, and relieved.
Meanwhile, Hu Laifu and Madam Zheng, who were not far away, had faces as pale as death as they looked at the girl whom they usually beat and scolded as they pleased in disbelief.
No. This was not real. This stinking girl must be pretending to be a supernatural being and playing tricks.
The other villagers who had bullied Zhaozhao in the past also began to tremble. At this moment, they regretted the things they had done to Zhaozhao immensely. If they had known, even if they had occasionally given her one or two hard mantou out of charity, that would have counted as taking care of her too, and they surely would have received a blessing.
But Zhaozhao’s words were not finished yet. She slowly moved her gaze, ultimately looking toward Hu Laifu and Madam Zheng.
References[+]