The white rose I picked up cried and said she liked me.

Outside the door, Xu Xi, unable to enter the house due to the strong smell of alcohol, stood under the eaves, silently listening to everything, and clenched her small fists in anger.

Besides her biological father, how could there be such a depraved father in this world?

The little girl was only twelve years old. She should have been holding candy, chasing the wind, and full of innocent curiosity about the world. Instead, her own father arranged for her to marry a complete stranger.

The argument inside the house grew increasingly heated, with Zhao Lin and Zheng Fengnian arguing their points and trying to persuade him to cancel the engagement.

Just then, a faint sob was caught by Xu Xi's keen little ears.

She closed her eyes, held her breath, and carefully tried to discern the source of the sound. After a moment, her gaze fell on the half-open bamboo window on the second floor.

Could it be that the little girl is in this room?

Xu Xi looked at the half-open bamboo window.

No matter what, she had to go in and check on the little girl's safety.

But a problem lies ahead: how do we get to that room?

Xu Xi frowned and pondered for a while.

Pushing the door open directly wouldn't work; the man named Zheng Fengnian was blocking the way inside, like a ruthless wall, preventing anyone from approaching the stairs leading to the second floor.

Just then, she noticed a crooked tree next to the window.

The tree was about two or three stories tall, with a thick trunk and branches that twisted and stretched outwards. One of the thickest branches reached right up to the second-floor window.

Huh? I've got it!

Xu Xi's eyes lit up, and an idea instantly formed in her mind.

She jogged quickly to the crooked tree, took a deep breath, hugged the rough trunk tightly, squeezed her legs together, and carefully climbed up step by step, using her toes to press against the grooves on the trunk.

Fortunately, she was slender and lightweight, and had enough strength from her daily training. Although she had never climbed a tree before and her movements were a bit clumsy, she didn't have to exert too much effort to climb up the thick branch.

She clung to a tree branch, carefully moving her body, trying to be as quiet as possible, and slowly approached the window.

But when she reached the top, she realized that she was still more than a meter away from the window.

Xu Xi steadied herself, gently pressed down on the tree branch beneath her to feel its load-bearing capacity, and after confirming that it was sturdy enough, slowly switched to a squatting position.

Then, she gritted her teeth, used all her strength, and leaped towards the window.

With a crisp "crack," the branch snapped off.

Using the momentum, Xu Xi lightly lunged forward, crashing into the window. She stumbled, instinctively grabbing the windowsill to steady herself and land firmly on the floor.

"Phew, that scared me to death, that scared me to death~"

She gently patted her small chest and let out a long sigh of relief.

After regaining her footing, she began to look around the dimly lit room.

The moldy wooden planks creaked, and there was a large hole in the ceiling above.

Last night, there was a light rain. Water from the roof dripped into the room through the holes, making a dripping sound.

The room was cluttered with miscellaneous items, including rice seeds, pesticides, fertilizers, and hoes, all carelessly discarded, creating a messy atmosphere.

The air was filled with a mixture of musty smells, pesticide odors, and a faint smell of blood, which made Xu Xi frown involuntarily.

Her gaze inadvertently fell on the tip of the hoe, where a trace of dried blood stained the surface.

Looking in the direction the hoe was pointing, Xu Xi's heart clenched.

In the corner, there was a tattered quilt, without a bed board, just laid directly on the wet floor, the quilt covered with stains.

On the bedding sat a little girl, curled up, head bowed, sobbing softly.

The little girl's body was covered with bruises and welts, some of which had scabbed over, while others were still open and oozing blood. The old and new wounds were intertwined, a shocking sight.

Strands of messy hair were scattered around the bed, looking more like they had been forcibly ripped off than fallen.

Hearing the creaking of the wooden planks, the little girl instinctively shrank back, her whole body trembling violently. Her voice trembled with tears as she timidly murmured, "Daddy... I'm sorry... I was wrong... I'll listen to you... Please... don't hit me."

This scene brought tears to Xu Xi's eyes.

She tiptoed over and smoothed the little girl's messy hair.

Feeling the gentle touch on her head, the little girl stiffened, trembling as she raised her head, revealing her pale and thin face, with undried tear stains on her cheeks and several clear handprints. Her lips were dry and cracked, and her eyes were filled with fear and confusion.

When she saw the unfamiliar face in front of her, she was so frightened that she jumped back two steps, hugging herself tightly and pressing her back against the wall.

"Who...who are you?"

"My name is Xu Xi, you can call me Sister Xiao Xi."

Xu Xi smiled slightly, her eyes crinkling at the corners, and blinked her large, watery eyes twice.

"Let me guess, you must be Zheng Xiaona, right?"

The little girl nodded gently, then seemed to remember something and shook her head vigorously, her eyes filled with wariness as she looked at Xu Xi.

"Shh, don't be afraid, I'm not here to arrest you."

Xu Xi made a shushing gesture, sat down next to the little girl, tore off a corner of the white shirt from under her cotton-padded jacket, and gently bandaged the wound on her arm.

"Ouch...that hurts!"

Zheng Xiaona clenched her teeth in pain, tears streaming down her dirty little face.

"Okay, okay~ Don't cry, don't cry, Xiaona is a good girl."

Xu Xi rubbed her palms together: "Ding ding ding ding~" As if by magic, she produced a fruit candy in her palm.

She tore open the candy wrapper and put it into the little girl's mouth.

"Good children get rewards."

The sweetness in my mouth seemed to alleviate some of the pain in my body.

Zheng Xiaona looked up, staring blankly at the gentle older sister in front of her.

Since her mother passed away, no one has ever treated her with such tenderness.

The unfamiliar warmth left her feeling overwhelmed.

"Don't be nervous, Xiaona. Sister Xiaoxi is a friend of Teacher Zhao and Teacher Qi."

Xu Xi gently rubbed her little face.

Upon hearing the names of Teacher Zhao and Teacher Qi, Zheng Xiaona burst into tears.

"Little...Little Stream Sister, save me...My old man wants to sell me to the man in the east of the village as a wife...I don't want to, so he...he beats me...But I don't want to marry that cripple, I want...I want to go back to school..."

Xu Xi hugged Zheng Xiaona and gently patted her thin back.

Their similar backgrounds made her feel immense sympathy for this poor little girl.

The more remote and isolated a village is, the more likely it is to develop feudalistic customs.

Leaving this little girl with her father, who is poisoned by feudal ideas and even has violent tendencies, will inevitably cause her life to wither and die sooner or later.

So, she gritted her teeth, took Zheng Xiaona's hand, and walked towards the stairs.