The scar on the little girl's face wasn't large; it just seemed she hadn't dealt with it properly. With proper repair, she could easily recover.
Shu Yu helped her up and asked her, "What's your name? Is your dad called Lu Erbai?"
The little girl nodded blankly, still pondering what she had said.
After a long moment, she realized and quickly said in a soft voice, "I, I'm called Sanya."
"Sanya, can you take me to your house?" Shu Yu picked up the basket from the ground.
Sanya immediately reached for it, "I'll carry it."
"No need, I can walk faster holding it." Unless there was an unexpected development, this girl was likely her own sister.
Sanya still wanted to take it, but then she looked at her dirty little hands and then at Shu Yu's clean and tidy clothes, and ultimately, she retracted her hand.
Shu Yu handed a piece of malt candy to the kid she had pointed to earlier; as for the others, given their bear-like behavior just now, not even half a piece for them.
That child jumped three feet high with joy, shoved the malt candy into his mouth without a word, and then exhaled with satisfaction, "Tasty."
The other children looked at him enviously, each directing their eager gazes onto Shu Yu.
Even Sanya's gaze uncontrollably wandered when she saw the candy in the child's mouth.
Shu Yu handed her one too, and Sanya blinked, shook her head rapidly, and hurried towards home, "I, I will take you to my house now."
Shu Yu smiled; the little girl could really resist temptation.
Following behind, Sanya walked quite a distance before suddenly remembering to ask, "Sister, what are you going to do at my house? Do you know, my dad?"
Her voice was so slight, as if asking this question might anger her. As soon as she finished, she quickly lowered her head, not daring to look at her.
Shu Yu, carrying pig fodder in one hand and snacks and meat in the other, replied, "Your dad helped me before. I just found out where he lives and came to see him."
Sanya uttered an "Oh," looked up at her again, and not paying attention, 'plop' she fell to the ground again.
Shu Yu frowned slightly; this child seemed too prone to falling.
There could be many reasons for a child to fall, but given Sanya's appearance, the most likely was malnutrition and a calcium deficiency.
Sanya, as if accustomed to it, got up swiftly, looking somewhat panic-stricken, "I'm, I'm sorry."
"Why are you apologizing to me?"
Sanya froze; yes, why apologize?
Probably because she was already used to it. The words "I'm sorry" were what she said the most on a daily basis.
Shu Yu couldn't help but think of her own childhood Shu Yu, who also often apologized to Mrs. Xue. In fact, when she first saw Sanya, she had no doubts about her own origins.
The young Shu Yu and the current Sanya were exactly alike; back then, she was equally starved and cold, frail and weak, just like a replica of Sanya.
Looking at Sanya before her, Shu Yu just couldn't harden her heart.
Even if she had indeed been sold by her birth parents when she was little, it had nothing to do with this little girl.
Shu Yu stuffed the malt candy directly into her mouth. The little girl's eyes widened in disbelief, the sweetness in her mouth making her feel like she was dreaming.
She wanted to say something, but Shu Yu quickly said, "Don't let it fall out, or it'll be wasted."
Sanya hurriedly covered her mouth, gazing with wide, round eyes. After a moment, the corners of her eyes curled up slightly, and her eyebrows revealed her joy, "…so sweet."
Shu Yu couldn't help but smile, "Let's go, lead the way ahead."