Conditions

"I... I need money!"

Under the gaze of these people, Taozi felt immense pressure, but she still spoke firmly, "I need a lot of money—so much money! I'll do anything!"

Aunt Li studied the girl before her with sharp eyes, scrutinizing her up and down as if appraising an object.

In the dimly lit room, Aunt Li sat on the sofa with her legs crossed, flanked by a row of burly, tattooed men who smirked at Taozi. The haze of cigarette smoke intensified the oppressive atmosphere, making Taozi’s heart pound violently.

Was this what bars were like? So terrifying?

"Come here," Aunt Li said, her tone indifferent.

Taozi stepped forward.

"Closer."

"O-okay."

Aunt Li reached out and placed a hand on Taozi’s face, though her gaze was more like that of someone inspecting merchandise rather than a person. Her fingers trailed downward slowly.

Taozi gulped, trembling uncontrollably, but she clenched her teeth and didn’t resist—until Aunt Li’s hand reached her chest. With a startled cry, Taozi recoiled. "N-no! Stop!"

But in the next second, Aunt Li raised her hand and slapped Taozi hard across the face.

Smack!

Taozi stumbled to the ground, clutching her cheek as she stared at Aunt Li in fear.

Aunt Li exhaled smoke leisurely before speaking. "You can’t even handle this? The things men will do to you will be far worse."

The surrounding men burst into laughter, their eyes filled with suggestive amusement.

"Go back and focus on your studies. Graduating from Yinshan Academy can land you a decent job," Aunt Li said, tapping ash from her cigarette before taking another slow drag. The movement revealed a scar on her arm, twisted like a centipede.

"As a student, you should know what’s right and wrong. You still have a bright future ahead."

Taozi wobbled to her feet. "I—I can do it! I’m prepared!"

"Oh?" Aunt Li raised an eyebrow, surprised by the determination in Taozi’s eyes.

There was something strange about it. The girl was small and frail, yet she gave off an unshakable resolve.

"What a charming look. How long has it been since I’ve seen one like this?" Aunt Li mused before beckoning Taozi again.

"Come here."

This time, Taozi stepped even closer.

If she could really earn money—if she could really help her sisters—then what did a little humiliation matter?

She wasn’t afraid. Even so, her body still trembled slightly.

"Interesting. A rare find," Aunt Li murmured, pinching Taozi’s chin before running her fingers over the spot she had just slapped.

"Does it hurt?"

"It does! But it’s fine!" Taozi insisted. "You can slap me more if you want!"

Aunt Li smirked, then laughed as if genuinely entertained. "What a funny little thing. Here, bring a chair."

"Right away, boss." One of the men pulled up a chair and pushed Taozi into it.

Taozi didn’t know what else they had in store, but the naive girl believed that enduring to the end would get her what she wanted.

Her fists clenched quietly.

"Can you drink?"

"Y-yes!" Taozi answered immediately, though she had barely touched alcohol before. The only time she’d ever drunk anything was a sip of beer at a graduation party.

"Get her a drink."

"On it."

A woman with green ponytail brought over a bottle—a low-alcohol fruit cocktail, its bright colors making it look like poison to Taozi.

"Drink it."

"O-okay!" Taozi took the glass and downed it in one gulp.

Instead of the bitter taste of beer, it was sweet, almost like juice.

"It’s... sweet?"

"Now, why do you need money?" Aunt Li asked. "Debts?"

"N-no." Taozi hesitated, unwilling to air her family’s dirty laundry. She settled on a flimsy excuse. "A... a family member is sick."

Aunt Li, sharp as she was, saw right through the lie. But she only chuckled. "Tsk tsk. If you won’t tell the truth, you can leave right now~"

Panicked, Taozi stammered before finally spilling the truth.

When the men heard her story, they exchanged glances.

This girl...

Had it that bad?

They weren’t saints, but even they wouldn’t exploit their own family like that. Her parents were practically squeezing this scrawny girl dry.

"My parents think once I’m married, I won’t be part of the family anymore... So they want me to work and earn as much as possible before then. They won’t let me study..."

Aunt Li smoked in silence. Now it made sense why the girl was so thin and small—malnourished, likely from never having enough to eat.

"You still had to do farm work, yet you got into Yinshan Academy under those conditions?"

"Y-yes."

"How high are the admission scores for out-of-town students?"

"Five seventy."

"What did you score?"

"Six forty." Taozi sounded almost embarrassed. "I... I’m bad at English. Only got eighty-something."

Aunt Li fell quiet for a moment.

"What’s six forty mean?" she asked one of the men.

"I scored three twenty in my college exams," one replied.

"Wasted that big body of yours."

"Boss, what about your education—"

"I graduated from a proper first-tier university," Aunt Li said, prompting stunned looks from the men.

"Just kidding~" She covered her mouth with a laugh.

The tension eased slightly.

Listening to their banter, Taozi realized they didn’t seem as scary anymore.

Even if her face still stung.

"How many sisters do you have?" Aunt Li suddenly asked.

"Huh?" Taozi blinked. "Three. Including me, four girls."

Aunt Li pulled out a card, her eyes glinting. "There’s two hundred thousand in here. I can solve your problem in one go."

Taozi stared at the card, speechless.

This time, she didn’t refuse. Instead, she asked, "What... do I have to give in return?"

Her gaze was unwavering.

For her sisters, she was willing to sacrifice everything.

"Simple. Two conditions." Aunt Li held up a finger. "First, you’ll work at this bar—just as a bartender with Little Lv, and you’ll learn a few things from me."

She raised a second finger. "Second, become my goddaughter."

"Goddaughter?" Taozi was momentarily stunned.

"That’s right. Go home and think about it." Aunt Li rested her chin on her hand, smiling.

But Taozi didn’t need time. Right then and there, she dropped to her knees and kowtowed three times, her forehead thudding against the floor.

"If you’ll have me... from now on, I’ll be your daughter!"