He was truly just a wild child without a mother or father. Like the wild grass on the roadside, he was trampled upon. But when spring came, he still stubbornly blossomed with tender green leaves. Perhaps children like him are cared for by fate itself. So even when he gobbled the steamed dumplings down in almost one bite, he wasn’t choked, nor did he gag. Then he picked up the second dumpling and devoured it ravenously. How delicious it was, a taste he would never forget for the rest of his life. In a few minutes, he had eaten all the steamed dumplings brought by Xiao Gu Qiaoqiao. Seeing that he had finished all the dumplings, Xiao Gu Qiaoqiao’s eyes and brows were filled with delight, clearly very happy. Then she tidied up the two pieces of cotton cloth, asking cheerfully, "Are you full?" He nodded and finally spoke the first words since Qiaoqiao entered the room, "...I’m full, truly delicious." "Of course, my mom’s steamed dumplings are the best in the world. Your stepmother is obviously hopeless, must cook things that taste like pig food." The little girl didn’t forget to take the chance to belittle the stepmother who had scolded her today. Apparently, the little girl held grudges. He actually wanted to tell her, that growing up, this was his first time eating dumplings. He also wanted to tell her. Since he was seven, almost all the meals at home were cooked by him. But he couldn’t figure out how to start. He simply pressed his lips together, staring dazedly at the little girl in front of him. Xiao Gu Qiaoqiao glanced around; being so young, she might not quite understand some things, but she knew this house was very cold. It was not like the warm bed back at her home. Xiao Gu Qiaoqiao asked softly, "Have you always lived here?" "Yes, I have always lived here." "But it’s so cold here..." the little girl widened her eyes. "It’s fine, I’m not afraid of the cold." "That won’t do, I’ll tell my grandpa when I get back, he’ll think of a way to help you," Xiao Gu Qiaoqiao said earnestly. "No need..." he thought for a moment and spoke with difficulty. At this moment, he finally felt the stinging pain from the cut in his mouth from yesterday, but he still endured it, managing a slight smile, "The dumplings are really delicious, thank you!" He didn’t know how to say any other words of thanks. Xiao Gu Qiaoqiao waved her hand nonchalantly, then said mysteriously, "As long as there’s delicious food at my house, I’ll bring it to you, just for you, and you must grow big and tall quickly so your stepmother won’t dare to hit you anymore when that time comes." He didn’t say a word. Simply stared fixedly at the little girl before him. Xiao Gu Qiaoqiao further promised seriously, "I’m telling the truth, you believe me." "But how long will that take?" he asked hesitantly. He seemed unable to wait for that day to come. The little girl then touched her head, seemingly finding the question profound, unsure of how to answer. But she was clever, her bright eyes darting around, then she pointed outside the woodshed at those crabapple trees in the distance in the Gu Family’s yard, "You see those crabapple trees, they were planted by my grandpa when I was born. Grandpa said that in the blink of an eye, they grew this tall, and we’ve been eating their fruits for years now. You’re just like those crabapple trees." ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ novel✶fire.net He knew those fruit trees. In autumn, they were full of red crabapples. If only he were a crabapple tree in the Gu Family’s yard...