The Nightmare Experience of a Useless Person

The deity chewed a couple of times, leaving shallow teeth marks on the surface of the round steamed bun, while Jiang Zhiyang wolfed it down, finishing the whole bun in just a few bites.

"Take your time eating, I'll go get back to work."

Jiang Zhiyang rolled up his sleeves and, together with Jiang Shuo, washed the dozen or so children one by one in the water, dressed them, and carried them to the large communal bed. An hour later, the room was filled with the same scent of soap.

The deity sat down by the edge of the bed and watched the naughty children obediently line up as Jiang Zhiyang gave orders.

The water in the bathtub splashed everywhere, wetting Jiang Zhiyang's clothes.

Jiang Shuo was bent over, rolling up his slipped sleeves while panting heavily.

Watching the older children work together to help Aunt Dong carry buckets of hot water from the kitchen to the inner room...

On the communal bed, several little children held hands and jumped around, while two or three little girls braided flower ropes with red thread. The older children, however, were less interested in playing and instead lay quietly, chatting or reading storybooks.

The girl who was curled up in the corner of the bed reading a storybook, judging from her height, was probably a few years younger than Jiang Zhiyang. Her thick, black hair cascaded down her shoulders, like the lush, vibrant grass and trees in summer.

Her attention was completely focused on the book. She ignored the few strands of hair that fell between her eyebrows, her eyes moving quickly as she turned the page with practiced ease.

As the night deepened amidst the hustle and bustle, the autumn wind grew cooler, seeping into the room through the slightly damp window cracks, bringing a faint chill. Fortunately, there were many people huddled together on the communal bed, and there was always a sense of warmth beside them.

The deity lay on the outermost side of the large communal bed, where several thoughtful girls squeezed in to make room for him. There was also a separate quilt for him, so he wouldn't have to share a place with them.

But the goddess couldn't sleep at all. There was no night in the realm of the living, and she had never stayed overnight in the mortal world. She couldn't close her eyes and could only see the pale moonlight, like spring water, shining into the room and onto the back of the girl beside her.

The light yellow clothes were old and worn. After repeated washing, the color faded, and the fabric became bulging and deformed. In some places, the fabric was as thin as a cicada's wing, revealing the color of the inner garment. Then, a small piece of dark yellow cloth was patched on, with messy stitches around it.

The deity shifted his position and covered the girl's back with his own blankets. Soon, the warmth beside her grew stronger.

This is life at Lok Sin Tong: poverty permeates every aspect of life. They are so poor that they can't even maintain proper gender segregation, so poor that they eat, drink, and relieve themselves in one cramped space, and so poor that every meal and every mouth must be carefully calculated.

Fortunately, the crowd is still quite large. The faint sparks gather together and ignite a small flame, which can not start a prairie fire, but can still provide warmth. It's just unknown how long even such days can last.

She felt, more profoundly than ever before, how fragile life is, and how poverty alone can kill so many people.

He didn't know how long he had been lost in thought, only that the moon had sunk a little lower and the night wind had grown a bit colder. The deity wanted to turn over, but suddenly felt that the girl beside him seemed to be trembling.

She reached out her hand, only to find the icy body trembling more and more violently. "What's wrong with you?"

Upon hearing the slightest sound, the girl could no longer hold back and began to sob repeatedly. Her upper teeth were tightly embedded in her lower lip, and saliva mixed with traces of blood streamed down her cheek. She tried her best to suppress her cries, which almost caused her to vomit.

What's wrong? Is she sick? The goddess panicked. She had never seen someone fall ill so closely before. She was trembling violently, so the goddess had to reach out and hold her body down.

Fortunately, Jiang Zhiyang noticed in time and nimbly ran to her side in a few steps. With a little effort, he pulled the girl into his arms.

It was a dark and windy night outside. The deity lit a candle, grabbed an outer garment, and hurriedly followed.

They didn't go anywhere, and there was nowhere to go in this small courtyard. Jiang Zhiyang sat on the threshold, holding the girl tightly.

"Ah Li, don't be afraid, open your mouth, open it, okay?" His voice was extremely gentle, like the first spring stream, capable of melting the frost of winter.

Ah Li refused, tears streaming down her face. Jiang Zhiyang simply rolled up his sleeves and held the cloth to Ah Li's lips, saying, "Brother's here, don't be afraid. If you want to bite, bite brother, bite brother."

A thin layer of muscle covered his forearm, taut and pale beneath Ah Li's teeth, and soon, clear veins emerged from under his skin.

"Do you have a clean handkerchief?" This question was asked to the deity, and it was asked hastily, lacking a bit of gentleness.

"Yes, yes." A purple handkerchief replaced flesh and bore the brunt of Ali's pain.

Soon, Jiang Shuo appeared carrying a bowl of medicine. Under the dim candlelight, the medicine was pitch black, steaming rapidly, and had a strong bitter smell.

"Ah Li, be good, drink your medicine, you'll feel better after you drink it, everything will be alright after you drink it."

Jiang Zhiyang coaxed her one sentence after another, and the girl was very obedient, drinking the medicine obediently, as if she had tasted this bitterness a hundred times before.

Good medicine tastes bitter. After taking the medicine, Ah Li calmed down a lot. But Jiang Zhiyang didn't relax at all. His left hand, which had been numb from being pressed down, tightened again, bringing Ah Li's face close to his slightly warm chest.

"Ah Li is such a good girl, touch this."

The familiar money bag was placed into Ali's palm, and Jiang Zhiyang gently tucked her fingers in.

"I went to see Grandma today. She's doing very well. Here's some money from Grandma for you to buy candy. Make sure you keep it safe."

The girl in his arms nodded, as if she was getting sleepy.

"Ah Li is such a good girl. Go to sleep, don't be afraid. If you can't sleep, Brother Zhiyang will stay here with you until dawn. If you fall asleep, Brother Zhiyang will cover you with a thick blanket and put the money bag under Ah Li's pillow. It will protect you and keep you safe and sound. Your brother and grandma will always be by your side."

It was a misunderstanding. It wasn't a scam; it was actually helping out and taking care of someone. It seems that the former liar has been reincarnated as a virtuous person in this life.

Jiang Zhiyang's voice was low and gentle, like a lullaby; anyone who could hear it could fall asleep peacefully.

The deity knelt on his knees, tilting his head to trace Jiang Zhiyang's features in the candlelight. His eyelashes were long, casting long shadows, and his dark, watery eyes were gentle and moving.

As if sensing the deity's fixed gaze, Jiang Zhiyang awkwardly twisted his neck. "The children here are all a little sick. They frightened my wife tonight. You should go to sleep; it's almost dawn."

"What illness?" The deity didn't intend to leave, but remained in that position, and seemed to feel a little cold, unconsciously leaning closer to Jiang Zhiyang.

"Mental illness. Normally, they are no different from ordinary people, but when it strikes, they lose control of themselves. In severe cases, they may even self-harm or commit suicide. As people say, they have gone mad."

"Are you crazy?"

"They're not crazy, they're just sick. They'll get better and better." Jiang Zhiyang lowered his head and tenderly touched A-Li's cheek. He folded the handkerchief and gently wiped the blood from A-Li's lips.

"I only ruined your handkerchief, my dear wife. I'll buy you a new one on the street when I take you home tomorrow."

Having stumbled upon the right place by chance, there was no reason for her to leave tomorrow. Moreover, looking at these children and Jiang Zhiyang, she felt a pang of reluctance.

"No need, I want to stay here."

"Stay here?" As if he'd heard something absurd, Jiang Zhiyang finally stopped looking away. He widened his eyes and met the gaze of the person in front of him. "This isn't a good place, didn't you know that?"

"But I have no home."

No home? How could such a beautiful young woman, dressed so elegantly, not have a home? She probably ran away from home in a fit of pique and is now lying through her teeth!

"Just tell me your last name, and I'll send you back to your residence tomorrow."

"I have neither a surname nor a given name."

This is the truth. Among humans, a name is a symbol of a person. It represents a family affiliation, a beautiful hope, and what distinguishes one person from another. However, gods do not need affiliation, hope, or distinction.

They don't need names, just as their names are not needed; as long as they fulfill God's duties, God exists.

"Don't be stubborn." Jiang Zhiyang said seriously, his shocked expression gone, as if he had already decided that the person in front of him was lying.

"I am God, the God of life, the God who bestows blessings upon all living beings, granting them long and prosperous lives."

God? She's clearly mentally unstable, so how can she be connected to Lok Sin Tong? Turns out she's also someone who's not quite right in the head.

In any case, she must be sent away tomorrow. After all, Leshantang can no longer afford to feed another mouth. Jiang Zhiyang calculated the accounts in the room, and his face became more worried.