Chapter 282: Born Sinner
“Brother White Sheep... what did you say?”
Brother White Sheep frowned at me. “The games I designed for you either win you two ‘Dao’ or leave you with nothing. So tell me, how did you earn just one?”
“I... I...” I lowered my head and told him what had happened today.
I said that my mind went completely blank the moment I saw the participants, and I had completely forgotten the contents of the notebook. But to keep the game going, I came up with a simple one on the spot. I hadn't expected to actually earn a Dao from it.
“I’m very disappointed in you.” Brother White Sheep stood up as he spoke. “You don’t have to stay here anymore.”
“Ah...?” I was terrified.
It seemed like Brother White Sheep suddenly didn’t want me anymore.
“Sheep... Brother Sheep... isn’t that a bit much...” Uncle Tiger also stood up and said, “The kid didn’t follow your plan, sure, but she still earned a ‘Dao’... and she did way better than me...”
“What I mean by ‘disappointed’...” Brother White Sheep said to Uncle Tiger, “is that she always only tells the truth. She could have easily made up an excuse to deceive me, but she didn’t. That is what disappoints me.”
“What?” I was starting to understand why Brother White Sheep was angry... Did he want me to lie to him? But why?
“Little Mouse, you won’t survive here. Go find a place to die.” Brother White Sheep said. “Death is your liberation now.”
“I... I...” His words sent a chill down my spine. I couldn’t understand how Brother White Sheep, with such a gentle voice, could say such a terrifying thing.
“Brother Sheep... why is that?” Uncle Tiger asked. “Is this damn place so bad that only liars can survive? Even if we’ve all turned into these monsters... can’t we still try our best to protect a child?”
“Did you listen to her game just now?” Brother White Sheep asked in return. “She designed such a useless game. She could die at the hands of the participants at any moment. You should all know that once a ‘game’ is designed, it can’t be changed! Those two women today had at least some conscience, but what about next time? Are we supposed to wait until we’ve grown attached to her before we let her die?”
“But... but you can’t just let her...” Uncle Tiger slowly lowered his head. They all seemed so sad.
Why were they so sad?
Could it really be like what Dad said... that I was a worthless burden?
As long as I was here... none of them could be happy.
Because I was born... Dad left, and a few years later, Mom died because of me too.
Only Grandma was willing to cook potatoes for me.
“I think Brother Sheep is right...” Brother Black Sheep also spoke up. “Letting this child live really isn’t helping her. She’s only a little over ten years old. Do you want her to witness all the ugliness of human nature?”
Uncle Snake, who was always joking around, had a very serious look in his eyes tonight. He shook his head and said, “So letting this child die is her liberation? All our hands are already stained with blood. Now we’re not even sparing a child?”
“What kind of thinking is that?” Brother Black Sheep asked. “We are the ‘Zodiacs’! In the end, we’re going to escape this place by killing people! Do you really think you’re some kind of immortal?”
The few of them were arguing fiercely. Although I didn’t fully understand what they meant, I knew it must be because of me.
“Uncles... please don’t argue...” I stood up and thanked them again. “You’ve fed me two full meals. I’m already very grateful.”
The uncles looked at me in silence. I didn’t know what they were thinking.
“This... this is the ‘Dao’ Brother White Sheep gave me during the day.” I took out the four small beads and placed them on the table. “And I also earned a pack of peanuts today...”
I took the crumpled pack of peanuts from my pocket and put it on the table too.
“I didn’t have the heart to eat them... You uncles can have them...”
Seeing that they still didn’t move, I forced a smile and said, “Uncles, please don’t argue. I’m a worthless burden... I’m really not worth you fighting over...”
I slowly backed away to the door, thanked them once more, then opened the door and went out.
It didn’t matter, really. It really didn’t matter.
This wasn’t the first time I’d been abandoned.
Dad abandoned me. The aunt and uncle who took me in also abandoned me. It really didn’t matter.
I wouldn’t be sad. I hoped the uncles wouldn’t be sad either.
They were all good people. How could they be sad because of me?
But crying with a mask on was really uncomfortable. My tears were all stuck to my face.
All my life, I had been doing the wrong things.
Being a kid was really hard. Sometimes being obedient got you praised; sometimes it got you scolded.
If I could... I hoped I could grow up tomorrow.
Walking down the corridor, I remembered the year I was four. Mom was crying and asked me to kick the stool out from under her feet. She said she didn’t dare to do it herself.
Actually, I didn’t dare either. I was so scared... but she was crying and screaming at me to kick the stool away. In the end, I did what she said.
That time I listened to her. But Mom hung there on the rope and never woke up again.
After that, no one except Grandma would come near me. They said I was a worthless burden who had killed my own mother.
Maybe my existence was destined to cause trouble for others. I needed to find a place to hide myself.
Even though I had left the room... where was I supposed to go?
I kind of missed Big Yellow from the village. Maybe Grandma and Big Yellow were the only ones in the whole world who truly liked me.
Actually, it was fine if no one wanted to be with me... I could just go to work early.
From now on, I would just live in the little warehouse. At night if I got hungry, I could go out and find something to eat. During the day, I would wait there to receive the ‘participants’...
“Ah!”
I felt like I had bumped into something. I looked up and saw two rabbit sisters.
“A human mouse...?” They looked down at me. “Whose human mouse are you? Why are you wandering the corridor late at night?”
“I...” I thought about it. I didn’t seem to belong to anyone. All of a sudden, I cried even harder. “Sisters... No, nobody wants me anymore...”
Hearing this, one of the rabbit sisters hurriedly covered my mouth and said, “Little girl... think carefully. You must have a ‘master,’ right? Who is your master?”
I knew I had already caused Brother White Sheep too much trouble. I couldn’t bother him anymore.
I shook my head, moved the rabbit sister’s hand away, and said, “Sister... I really don’t have a master. I’m going to ‘work’ now...”
She still looked flustered and tried to cover my mouth again, but the other rabbit sister spoke up: “It’s no use. She’s said it twice. The master should have heard. Send her over.”
“Sigh...” The rabbit sister who had covered my mouth suddenly had a sad look in her eyes. “Little mouse, you’re too foolish... Our master has an arrangement with the Earth Dragon... He specifically collects girls that nobody wants...”
Their master...?
Did that mean all the masters here were as kind as Brother White Sheep?
“Then... will your master give me food...?” I asked quietly. “I eat very little. Just one boiled potato a day is enough.”
“Food...” The two rabbit sisters exchanged a glance and finally sighed. “Little mouse... as long as you can be obedient... you’ll get a lot to eat every day...”
“Obedient?”
I smiled and nodded. That shouldn’t be a problem.
Ever since I was little, Grandma told me I was very obedient. So I should be able to win their master’s favor, right...?
The two rabbit sisters took me to the door of a room. This room looked different from all the others.
The door smelled very foul.
“Little mouse... Don’t hate us...” One rabbit sister whispered. “We have our own tasks too...”
Before I could say anything, they opened the door and pushed me inside. A nasty, fishy smell wafted out from within.