Although Caifeng had just been slapped, she actually felt a sense of relief.
If the “lucky child” they were talking about was truly that extraordinary—and if she was indeed the child’s biological mother—then her husband would surely not divorce her.
“Wentao, go and bring that child back,” she urged.
Liu Wentao frowned. Though his mother’s words tempted him, nothing had been confirmed yet. It would be better to first check whether the child really had that lotus birthmark on her wrist.
“Mother, don’t rush. Let me think it through.”
The village chief’s home was clearly different from the others.
It had a proper courtyard, and the house was built with bricks and tiles—standing out sharply from the simple homes in the village.
The chief’s eldest son was quite capable. He had studied for a couple of years, passed a basic exam, and now worked as a shop assistant in the county.
After leaving home in his grandfather’s arms, Su Muyao headed straight for the village chief’s house. As they arrived, the gate was wide open.
“Village Chief, are you home?” Old Man Su called out.
A voice came from inside: “Coming, coming!”
When the village chief saw it was Old Man Su—holding the “lucky child” no less—he hurried out, reaching out to take Su Muyao into his arms.
Old Man Su shifted slightly to the side. “Village Chief, I’ve come to discuss something. Let’s talk inside.”
“Ah, of course, of course.”
After they sat down, the chief’s wife brought them tea.
Seeing that the lucky child had come, the chief’s younger daughter-in-law quickly brought out a handful of roasted peanuts for her.
“Fu Bao, your grandfather needs to talk with the village chief. Do you want to come play with Auntie?”
Su Muyao shook her head seriously. “Auntie, it’s me who wants to talk to Grandpa Village Chief—not my grandpa.”
This made the young woman laugh with delight.
“Alright, alright! Our little Fu Bao has something important to say. Then Auntie will go take care of her own business.”
She left them to talk.
At Old Man Su’s signal, his granddaughter stepped forward like a little adult, puffing out her chest.
“Grandpa Village Chief, here’s the situation. Some time ago, I took a master as my teacher, and he taught me how to recognize medicinal herbs.”
The village chief was pleasantly surprised. Having a skill like that would give her more opportunities in the future.
“Our little Fu Bao is truly impressive.”
She continued, “What my grandpa means is that I can teach the villagers what I’ve learned, so everyone can gather herbs and sell them for money.”
Hearing this, the village chief immediately turned to Old Man Su. “Brother, is this really your idea?”
“It’s Fu Bao’s idea,” Old Man Su replied. “Our family shouldn’t be selfish. She may be our precious child, but she also belongs to the whole village.”
The village chief nodded vigorously. Everyone in the village was poor.
If most people had such a skill, they would hide it carefully, afraid others might find out. But the Su family was willing to share it openly and help everyone improve their lives.
“Brother, I’ll remember this kindness—and so will the entire village. From now on, your family’s matters will be the village’s top priority.”
“I’ll gather everyone tomorrow and explain the situation.”
After chatting a bit longer, Old Man Su also mentioned that his granddaughter had found ginseng in the mountains and that they might soon start building a new house.
When it was time to leave, the village chief insisted they stay for a meal, but Old Man Su politely declined.
On the way home, with Su Muyao in his arms, they saw a group of children running ahead, shouting excitedly:
“Let’s catch fish! Let’s catch fish!”
Among them were her brothers.
“Grandpa, I want to go too!” she said eagerly.
“It’s cold by the river. What if you fall in?” he replied.
“Grandpa, please! Take me with you!”
Faced with his granddaughter’s pleading, Old Man Su had no resistance at all.
“You little rascal… fine. I’ll have your father take you. But when you get there, you must behave and not run around, understand?”
Su Muyao had been born with a silver spoon in her mouth in her previous life—nannies and drivers attended to her from birth.
Her childhood had been filled with tutoring classes, enrichment courses, and extracurriculars. Her father often reminded her that one day she would inherit the family business, so she couldn’t afford to be inexperienced in anything.
Now, having been given a second chance at life, she was determined to have a proper childhood like other children—one full of freedom and fun.
After returning home, Old Man Su gave Su Sanlang a few instructions.
Sanlang tapped his daughter’s forehead gently. “You little rascal, you want to go everywhere—you’re nothing like a proper little lady.”
Remembering how cold it would be by the river, he fetched her yellow tiger-head hat from the room and tied it snugly on her head.
Carrying the fishing net and a basket, and cradling his “little dumpling” in his arms, he headed to the riverbank.
When they arrived, a thin layer of ice had formed along the misty river edge.
“The fish have probably sunk to the bottom,” Sanlang said. “Unless we row out into the middle, we won’t catch anything!”
Su Muyao was eager to try. Her spirit spring water had a special attraction for wolves—surely it would have an effect on these fish too.
“Father, let me down!”
Sanlang sighed and set her on the ground. “No running off. Just stay here and watch.”
Seeing her father start walking forward, she tugged at his pant leg. “Please, father, hold me while I try at the river! I have bait—I just want to give it a shot.”
Su Muyao opened her small space and took out a little piece of pork. Just as she was about to put it on the hook, her father snatched it away.
“Oh no, this can’t be used for fishing. I’ll fry it for you tonight instead,” he said firmly.
Seeing his resolute expression, Su Muyao realized she couldn’t use normal food. Suddenly, she had an idea: she could try the spirit spring water with a sponge. She found a small piece of sponge, cut it into tiny cubes, and soaked them in the water until fully saturated.
Sanlang watched with curiosity. He had never seen her do anything like this before.
“Little Fu Bao, what’s that?” he asked.
Su Muyao whispered mysteriously, “It’s something the fish will really like. Just wait and see.”
Sanlang laughed. “It doesn’t even look like food. Do you really think the fish will bite?” He chuckled, charmed by his clever little daughter.
Just as Su Muyao tossed the sponge into the water, a shout came from behind them:
“Look! Look! Big fish are coming!”
Sanlang looked up, and sure enough, several dark fish spines cut through the water toward them.
“Whoa, big ones!” he exclaimed.
He quickly handed his daughter to the nephews calling behind him. “You all watch your sister carefully—don’t let her wander off.”
Then he picked up the net—but it was too small to hold such huge fish.
Sanlang stomped his feet in frustration, helplessly watching several large fish eat whatever Su Muyao had tossed in shallow water, swim in circles, and then return to the depths.
Meanwhile, on the bank, Su Muyao watched as one of the fish dragged her hook away.
“Ah, ah…”
Sanlang groaned. The fish were too big, the water too cold, and he dared not wade in—it could be dangerous.
“If it were summer, we’d have caught these easily. Now…” he muttered, frustrated, thinking back to the massive fish he’d just seen.
He wished he had known the net was too small—at least he could have grabbed the line. But now, even Su Muyao’s hook had been snatched away by the fish.
“Fine, I’ll have to go home and get a bigger net,” he said, storming off toward home in frustration.