TDU Chapter 282
Chapter 282 Sin by Nature
"White Goat gege... what did you say?"
White Goat gege furrowed his brows and fixed me with a stern gaze. “The game I devised for you was meant to either win you two {Dào} or nothing at all. Tell me, then—how did you come to earn a single {Dào}?”
"I—I..." I lowered my head and told him what happened today.
I said that when I saw people, my mind went blank, and I completely forgot the content on the note. But in order to keep the game going, I quickly came up with a simple game, and unexpectedly, I actually earned one.
"I’m very disappointed in you," White Goat gege stood up and said. “There is no need for you to remain here any longer.”
"Ah...?" I was terrified.
White Goat gege suddenly didn’t want me anymore.
"Goat... Goat ge... that’s a bit harsh, isn’t it?" Mister Tiger also stood up and said, "This child didn’t follow your plan, but she still earned a {Dào}... and she’s done much better than I have..."
"The {disappointment} I speak of..." White Goat gege said to Mister Tiger, "is that she always tells the truth. She clearly could have made up an excuse to fool me, but she didn't — and that’s what disappoints me."
"What?" I think I started to understand why White Goat gege was angry... He seemed to want me to lie to him? But why?
"Mortal Mouse, you won’t survive here. Go find a place to die," White Goat gege said. "Dying now would be a release for you."
"I—I..." Those words sent a chill down my spine. I couldn’t understand why White Goat gege, whose voice sounded so gentle, would say such terrifying things.
"Goat ge... Why?" Mister Tiger asked. "Is lying truly the only way to live in this cursed place? Even if we've fallen to this wretched state... we can still fight to protect a child!"
"Did you fail to understand her game?" White Goat gege retorted. "She set up a game so fragile that she could die at any moment by a participant’s hand. You should all be aware that a {game} can't be changed once it's finalized! Those two women showed a shred of humanity today — but what about afterward? Are we supposed to bond with her, only to send her off to die?"
"Bu–But… we can’t just let her..." Mister Tiger slowly lowered his head.
They both seemed so sad.
But why?
Could it really be like what my dad said... that I’m a {money-draining wretch}? That as long as I stay.. they’ll never be happy?
My birth caused dad to leave, and a few years later, mom died because of me.
Only grandma was willing to cook potatoes for me.
"I think Goat ge has a point..." Mister Black Goat also spoke up. "Keeping this child alive isn’t helping her. She’s just over ten. Do you really want her to witness the worst of humanity?"
Mister Snake, who usually smiled and joked, now had a somber expression in his eyes. He shook his head and said, "So, letting this child die is her release? Our hands are already stained with blood, and now we won’t even spare a child?"
"What do you mean by this?" Mister Black Goat asked. "We are {Earthly Branches}! Ultimately, we have to kill to escape! Do you really consider yourself a deity?"
They all argued fiercely. Though I didn’t quite understand their words, I could tell it was because of me.
"Misters...please don’t argue anymore..." I stood up, thanked them again, "You’ve fed me two full meals, and I’m really grateful to all of you."
The misters looked at me in silence, and I didn’t know what they were thinking.
"This... this is the {Dào} White Goat gege gave me during the day," I took out the four little orbs and placed them on the table. "Also, I earned a bag of peanuts today..."
I took out the crumpled bag of peanuts from my pocket and placed it on the table.
"I couldn’t bear to eat....so you can have it, misters..."
Seeing that none of them moved, I smiled at them and said, "Misters, please don’t argue anymore. I’m just a {money-draining wretch}... I’m really not worth fighting over..."
I slowly backed towards the door, thanked them one last time, then opened the door and walked out.
It was fine, it really was...
This isn’t the first time I’ve been abandoned.
My dad abandoned me, the aunt and uncle who adopted me abandoned me too. It’s really okay...
I won’t be sad, and I hope the misters won’t be sad either.
They’re good people; how could they be sad because of me?
But crying with a mask on feels really awful, my tears were sticking to my face.
My entire life has been filled with mistakes.
Being a child is really hard. Sometimes, when you’re sensible, you’re praised; other times, when you’re sensible, you’re scolded.
If I could, I wish I could grow up tomorrow.
As I walked down the hallway, I remembered when I was four years old, and my mom cried and asked me to kick the chair under her feet. She said she was too scared to do it herself.
I was actually also very scared, I felt terrified... but my mom cried and begged me to kick the chair, and in the end, I did as she asked.
That time, I listened to her, but my mom never woke up after hanging from the rope.
Since then, aside from grandma, no one else has wanted to be near me. They said I was a {money-draining wretch} who killed my own mother.
Perhaps my existence was destined to cause trouble for others, and I need to find a place to hide myself.
Even though I left the room... where should I go?
I kind of miss Goldie from the village. Maybe only grandma and Goldie truly like me in this world.
Maybe it’s better not to be accompanied by anyone... I can go to work earlier.
From now on, I’ll just live in the small warehouse. If I get hungry at night, I’ll go out to find something to eat, and during the day, I’ll be there to welcome {participants}...
"Ah!" I accidentally ran into something, and when I looked up, I saw two rabbit jiejies."
"A Mortal Mouse...?" They looked down at me. "Whose Mortal Mouse are you? Why are you wandering the hallway so late at night?"
"I..." I thought for a moment. I didn’t seem to belong to anyone, and in an instant, I started crying harder. "Jiejie, no... no one wants me..."
One of the rabbit jiejies quickly covered my mouth and said, "Little girl... think carefully. You must have a {mentor}, right? Who is your mentor?"
I knew I had already caused too much trouble for White Goat gege. I couldn’t keep bothering him.
I shook my head, gently pushing the rabbit jiejie’s hand away, and said, "Jiejie... I really don’t have a mentor. I’m about to go to {work} now..."
That same jiejie still looked frantic and tried to cover my mouth again, but the other rabbit jiejie spoke up. "It’s no use. She’s said it twice already. Our mentor must have heard her. Let’s take her there."
"Sigh..." The rabbit jiejie who had been covering my mouth suddenly showed a look of sadness in her eyes. "Little mouse, you’re so silly... Our mentor has already made arrangements with Terrestrial Dragon... He specifically takes in girls that nobody wants..."
Their mentor...?
Could the mentors here be as kind as White Goat gege?
"Then... will jiejies’ mentor give me food...?" I asked softly. "I don’t eat much, just a boiled potato a day is enough."
"Food..." The two rabbit jiejies exchanged glances, and after a sigh, they spoke. "Little mouse... if you can be sensible... you’ll get a lot of food every day..."
‘Sensible?’ I smiled and nodded. This shouldn’t be too hard.
Since I was little, grandma always told me I was very sensible, so I should be able to make their mentor like me, right...?
The two rabbit jiejies led me to the door of a room. This room seemed different from the others.
The door here smelled terrible.
"Little mouse... don’t hold it against us." one of the rabbit jiejies said softly. "We have our own obligations as well..."
Before I could reply, they opened the door and pushed me inside. A horrible, fishy smell wafted from within.
TL Note: 😭😭😭😭😭
