The little baby is possessed by a divine power—just a finger flick, and a whole bag of rice appears!
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The night was born of ink and fury. A cold, relentless rain lashed against the windows of the grand manor, each gust of wind sounding like a mournful cry. Inside, the air was thick with the scent of blood and fear, a stark contrast to the opulent silks and polished mahogany. In a lavishly decorated room, a woman lay dying, her life ebbing away after the monumental effort of childbirth.
“Madam Jing,” a servant whispered, her voice trembling. “Madam… she’s dying from labor.”
Madam Jing, a woman whose face was a mask of cold indifference, barely glanced up from examining her lacquered nails. “If the chief asks when he returns, tell him the truth. Which woman giving birth doesn’t face death? It is fate.”
A short while later, the servant returned, her face ashen. “Madame Jing, after giving birth, Madam died. She died from labor.”
Madam Jing finally rose, her movements precise and devoid of emotion. She approached the newborn, a tiny girl wrapped in a simple cloth. “This girl… what’s that smell on her?”
A young maid, who had been tending to the infant, bowed her head. “Of course, it’s my floral scent. I just came down for a trial…”
Madam Jing’s eyes narrowed into cruel slits. “That woman,” she spat, referring to the deceased mother, “always looked down on me for being from the Paramount Club. Fine. Go take her daughter to the Paramount Club. Leave her at the door.”
“Yes,” the servant whispered, her heart aching for the innocent child.
And so, the newborn, a celestial being known as a flower goddess sent to the mortal realm for a trial, was unceremoniously abandoned on a cold, wet street. Her first experience of the world was the sting of rain and the echoing laughter of a world that had already discarded her. She was a princess by birth, now a foundling by circumstance.
“Anyone kind enough?” her tiny, unheard spirit cried out. “Who will take me? I’ll give them land. May fortune fill their house.”
The same wretched weather tormented the other side of the city, where poverty clung to the residents like a second skin. Xiao Muchen, a man with kindness etched into the weary lines of his face, trudged home through the mud, clutching the two meager coins he had earned after a full day of hard labor.
“This awful weather,” he sighed, his breath fogging in the cold air.
As he turned a corner, a small, whimpering sound caught his attention. There, huddled in a basket and soaked by the rain, was a baby. “Whose child is this? Why leave her here?” he murmured, his heart clenching. He looked around, but the streets were empty. The child’s fate was a cruel one, a tiny soul cast aside.
“Such a tiny kid. What a hard fate,” he said to himself. He saw the inherent goodness in the child’s eyes, a purity that shone even in the gloom. A strange feeling washed over him, a sense that this child was special. “Born poor but so kind. Take her home now. She’ll bless us with luck.”
He scooped up the basket and hurried home, but his wife’s reaction was one of practical despair. “Look at our place,” she said, gesturing to their small, bare room. “The rice jar is almost empty. Now you bring another kid home.”
“But if we leave her, she won’t survive,” Muchen pleaded.
Their eldest daughter, a quiet girl with a hidden strength, came forward. “Mom. Dad. See, she’s holding my hand,” she said softly as the baby’s tiny fingers wrapped around her own. “She doesn’t want to leave.”
Muchen’s resolve hardened. “Worst case, I’ll work the docks tomorrow. Carry more sacks. Earn her some food.”
“But we have no rice!” his wife cried.
The baby, Sui Sui, heard their plight. Though she was in a mortal form, her divine power stirred. Rice. No problem, she thought with the authority of a goddess. As the flower goddess, I say rice comes. And it comes.
A faint, shimmering light, invisible to mortal eyes, emanated from her. A moment later, Muchen’s wife gasped. “Hey dear, look quick! Where did this rice come from?”
The once-empty rice jar was now overflowing with pristine, snow-white grains.
“Of course it’s from me, the flower goddess,” Sui Sui’s spirit declared, though all they heard was a happy gurgle. “From now on, your family will just get better.”
“Dad, mom, it’s real! Snow-white rice!” their daughter exclaimed. “This little one came with her own food.”
“Heaven pities us, dear,” his wife said, her eyes filling with tears of relief. “Give her a name.”
Muchen smiled, looking down at the child who had already brought a miracle into their lives. “Okay, let’s call her Sui Sui. May she be safe every year. May the granary always be full.”
And so, Sui Sui had a family. The Xiao family, known for their kindness, had already adopted their three other children. The eldest sister, though appearing weak, was born a martial arts prodigy whose talents lay dormant. The third sister was beautiful and delicate, but considered mentally slow. The second son, Jichang, was away studying at a military academy. Now, with Sui Sui, their family was complete, and their fortunes were about to change forever.
Weeks later, trouble arrived in a crisp uniform. A local military officer, followed by two thuggish soldiers, swaggered into their humble home. “You’re Xiao Muchen,” he barked. “This month’s military fee isn’t paid yet. Planning a mutiny?”
Muchen bowed his head. “Come on, sir. I wouldn’t dare. We’re really broke.”
Just then, another man appeared, his uniform more decorated. “What are you doing?” he asked, his voice sharp.
The first officer paled. “Deputy Jiang!”
“When Deputy Xiao played with guns, you were still playing in the mud,” Jiang Danna said with a sneer, gesturing to Muchen. “Put that thing away.”
Muchen’s face lit up. “Jiang Danna, you’ve made it, kid. Now you’re with the command office. A deputy now.” But Sui Sui, nestled in her mother’s arms, sensed a dark aura around the man. Weird though. Flat face, crooked mouth. Doesn’t look like a good guy. Dad, be careful.
“So, tell me what’s going on,” Jiang Danna said, feigning concern.
“Well, it’s time to pay the military fee again. My family’s really broke,” Muchen explained.
Jiang Danna clapped him on the shoulder. “Oh, don’t worry. You don’t need to pay.” He then leaned in, his voice dropping to a venomous whisper. “If you kneel now, crawl out from under me, and call me grandpa, this money… grandpa will pay it for you.”
The air went still. Muchen’s wife gasped. “Jiang, you… you’re really a bad person,” Muchen stammered, his face burning with humiliation.
“Don’t crawl, Dad!” his eldest daughter cried out.
“If you don’t crawl, pay up,” Jiang sneered. “Your whole family. Six people in total. Thirty silver dollars. Not a penny less.”
“Wasn’t it one dollar per head last month?” Muchen’s wife protested.
“Funds are tight. Just following orders,” Jiang said smugly.
Defeated, Muchen began to lower himself. “As long as I don’t have to pay military fees, I’ll do as you say. I’ll crawl.”
My dad, the immortal, how could I let these bastards make him grovel? Sui Sui thought, her divine energy flaring. Watch me.
As Muchen tried to kneel, he found his legs wouldn’t bend. “Hey, weird. Why can’t I kneel?”
Jiang Danna’s face contorted with rage. “Xiao Muchen, you still can’t let go of your officer pride? Then let’s just do this by the book! For me! Smash it hard!” he ordered his men.
The soldiers began to wreck their meager belongings. But when they reached the rice jar, they stopped. “Deputy Chief, is it rice? Polished rice?”
“You have rice but won’t hand it over? Move it out now!” Jiang roared. But as his men tried to lift the jar, it wouldn’t budge. It was as if it were rooted to the floor.
“Useless! Can’t even move this! Get lost!” Jiang shoved them aside and tried himself. He strained, his face turning purple, but the jar remained immovable. Let you rotten egg taste power, Sui Sui thought, focusing her will. Root bind. Vine lock. All woods wrath under the green emperor!
Suddenly, Jiang Danna cried out. “My… my foot!” He collapsed to the ground, his legs numb and unresponsive. “Legs numb! Hurry! Help me up!”
His men scrambled to help him, but they too stumbled and fell, their limbs suddenly weak. After a humiliating struggle, they managed to drag their deputy out the door. “Three days later, I’ll be back!” Jiang screamed. “By then, get thirty silver coins ready, or I’ll mess things up!”
The family had bought three days, but the ordeal had taken its toll. Muchen’s wife, who had always been frail, fainted from the shock. She was burning with fever.
“I’ll go get the doctor,” Muchen said, panicked.
“Dad, we don’t have a cent left,” his daughter reminded him.
“In our yard… there are still some sweet potatoes. I’ll dig them up now. Sell them for money.”
As Muchen dug in their small, barren plot, Sui Sui worked another miracle. Sweet potatoes can’t fetch much. Sui Sui is the flower goddess. I’ll turn them into valuable herbs for Mom and Dad.
Muchen’s shovel hit something firm. He pulled it out and gasped. “Oh my god, am I seeing things? This is really fleece flower root!” The entire patch of sweet potatoes had transformed into a field of the valuable medicinal herb.
“This really is top-grade fleece flower root,” he stammered. “Recently, the pharmacy offered two silver dollars per jin!”
With this unexpected bounty, they had more than enough to pay for a doctor and the extortionate military fee.
The next day, the two older sisters took the fleece flower root to the town market. Their third sister, Sanmei, who was usually quiet and withdrawn, seemed different today. A spark of clarity shone in her eyes, another subtle gift from Sui Sui.
Their stall was immediately targeted by a shrewish woman, the same Aunt Wang who was their jealous neighbor. “Isn’t that the Xiao family girl? Even a trash picker dares to set up a stall,” she jeered. “Fleece flower root? Which graveyard did you dig that up from?”
“No, auntie. We grew them in our own field,” the eldest sister said politely.
“Grew them? Everyone knows your family is dirt poor! Don’t buy it, everyone! These are from a graveyard! You’ll die if you eat them!”
The crowd began to disperse. Just as the sisters were about to give up, Sanmei spoke, her voice clear and confident. “Stop.” She turned to Aunt Wang’s stall. “You sell fake polygonum multiflorum and you smear your peers. Looks like you have no conscience.”
Aunt Wang was stunned. “You… you crazy girl! What nonsense are you talking about?”
“Everyone, come and see,” Sanmei announced. “She uses banana root and sells it as fake polygonum. Real polygonum is bitter. Banana root is bland. Taste it.”
A customer did and confirmed it. “No taste at all!”
With a swift move, Sanmei snapped one of Aunt Wang’s roots in half, revealing its starchy, pale interior. “This really is fake!” the crowd murmured, turning on the old woman. Humiliated, Aunt Wang fled.
Sanmei, now a sharp and savvy saleswoman, took over. “Everyone, our polygonum multiflorum here is on a big sale! Only one coin per jin!”
A crowd gathered instantly. “But wait,” Sanmei clarified with a brilliant smile. “The first jin is one coin. The second jin is back to the original price of ten yuan.”
“Isn’t this a scam?” someone asked.
“Just do the math,” Sanmei explained smoothly. “Two jin from us is ten yuan and one coin. At the pharmacy next door, two jin would cost sixteen yuan! Ours is like buy one, get one free!”
Her logic was undeniable. They sold out in minutes, earning a staggering eighty yuan. As they packed up, however, their success attracted the wrong kind of attention. Young Master Bai, the lecherous son of the governor, swaggered over with his cronies.
“Made some money, huh? Don’t even think about showing respect to me?” he sneered, his eyes lingering on Sanmei. “Silly girl, you’re getting smarter. Good. Play with me, and we can forget the protection fee.”
“Take your filthy hands off her,” the eldest sister warned.
“You little thing. Pretty feisty,” he chuckled, grabbing Sanmei’s arm. “I’ll treat you well.”
“Let go of my third sister!” the eldest sister shouted, and with a speed and power that shocked everyone, she struck. She moved like a whirlwind, her seemingly weak frame exploding with the force of a trained martial artist. Young Master Bai’s thugs were on the ground groaning before they knew what hit them.
“Our family isn’t a pushover!” she declared.
Enraged, Young Master Bai pulled a knife. “You’re killing people! Murder!” he shrieked, lunging at her. Sui Sui, watching from her basket, saw him sneak up from behind. Big sis, watch out!
The eldest sister dodged, but the commotion had drawn a crowd, and worse, the police. A corrupt detective, a friend of the Bai family, arrived on the scene.
“Detective Chen, these two women stole from me and hit people!” Young Master Bai lied. A quick search, orchestrated by Bai, revealed a large bank note planted in Sui Sui’s swaddle.
“Caught red-handed! Still denying it?” the detective smirked. “They beat up my brothers. They have to pay. At least five thousand coins.”
“We can’t pay that!” the sisters cried.
“That’s fine,” Young Master Bai said, his eyes gleaming. “Give her to me as compensation,” he said, pointing at Sanmei. “My place hasn’t had new girls for a long time.”
“Debts must be paid,” the detective agreed. “Take her away.”
As his men moved to grab Sanmei, a powerful voice cut through the air. “Stop.”
A handsome young man in a military academy uniform strode forward. It was their second brother, Xiao Jichang, home from school.
“Second brother!” the sisters cried in relief.
The crowd whispered in awe. “That’s Xiao Jichang! He won the National Martial Arts Contest last year! The Marshall himself thinks highly of him!”
Detective Chen’s demeanor changed instantly. “Misunderstanding! All a misunderstanding!” he stammered, quickly releasing Sanmei.
Young Master Bai, however, was not intimidated. He was the governor’s son. “You brat, you messed with me. You have no idea how you’ll die,” he hissed at Jichang.
Jichang simply stared him down. “When the governor spoke at the military academy, he said a true man should secure fate for the people and bring peace for all generations. As the governor’s son, you bully men and harass women. Truly awful.”
Humiliated and outmatched, Young Master Bai and his cronies retreated, vowing revenge. The Xiao siblings, reunited and victorious, headed home.
At home, Jichang coughed violently, spitting up a mouthful of dark blood. Sui Sui, sensing the truth, knew what it was. No, someone poisoned second brother. He had been born with a slow-acting poison, the same one that had killed his birth mother. Sui Sui, with a gentle pulse of her power, purged the last of the toxin from his system. When he was examined by a trusted family doctor, Dr. Lou, the physician was stunned.
“Second young master, you were born with that poison. And now… it’s all gone. I didn’t expect you’d ever recover fully.”
Dr. Lou was one of the few who knew Jichang’s true identity. He was not Xiao Muchen’s son, but the long-lost eldest son of the Governor. His mother, the Governor’s first wife, had been poisoned by her own sister, Bai Fangi, who then married the Governor. Dr. Lou had rescued the infant Jichang and entrusted him to the kind Xiao family.
“Second young master,” Dr. Lou said gravely, “the commander is still looking for you. The Governor’s mansion is complicated. Now is not a good time to return.”
Jichang’s sudden recovery and the strange luck of the Xiao family—the rice, the herbs—all pointed to one source. He looked at the baby, Sui Sui, with a new understanding. She was their little lucky star.
But luck brings its own troubles. The family’s newfound prosperity, especially after a miraculous hunt where Sui Sui led them to thousand-year ginseng and other treasures, made their greedy neighbor, Aunt Wang, insanely jealous. After being caught stealing from them and publicly humiliated by one of Sui Sui’s truth spells, she sought the ultimate revenge. She had seen a notice from the Marshall’s office, a portrait of a lost baby girl, a girl who looked exactly like Sui Sui.
She stormed into the Xiao household with the corrupt detective in tow. “Folks, the Xiao family is full of thieves! Their youngest daughter was stolen!” she shrieked, holding up the notice.
The resemblance was undeniable. “This is a notice from the Marshall’s office! You even dare to steal the Marshall’s daughter!” the detective accused.
He demanded a blood test to prove kinship. The family refused, terrified of hurting the baby. “Then take thirty lashes!” the detective ordered.
“Even if I die, I’ll protect you,” Xiao Muchen whispered to Sui Sui, and stood to accept the punishment.
But as the whip came down, it felt like a gentle breeze. Sui Sui had protected him. The crowd gasped. “The heavens really do protect the Xiao family!”
“No! They gave birth to a monster!” Aunt Wang screamed, inciting the fickle villagers who had just been sharing the family’s meat and rice. “She’s a demon! We’ll execute this demon!”
As the detective raised his gun, a thunderous voice echoed through the village. “Stop! Let me see who dares!”
A troop of soldiers parted the crowd, and a man of immense authority strode forward. It was the Marshall, Sui Sui’s biological father.
“Greetings, Marshall,” the detective stammered, his face turning white.
The Marshall looked from the portrait to the baby and back again. His eyes filled with tears. “My precious girl. Look, my daughter. So smart.” He scooped her up. “Old Joe,” he said to Muchen, “thanks a lot for taking care of my daughter. But now that I’ve found her, I’ll take her home.”
The Xiao family was heartbroken, but they were powerless against the Marshall. With a tearful farewell, Sui Sui was taken to the grand Marshall’s mansion. But the little goddess had a plan. Life in the mansion was luxurious but cold. She missed the warmth of her adoptive family. So, she made herself sick. A high fever, constant vomiting—nothing the best doctors could do would help.
The Marshall, frantic with worry, finally understood. “My precious girl, I didn’t think this through. Made you uncomfortable. I’ll take you back to the Xiao family now.”
And so, Sui Sui was triumphantly returned to the arms of her true family. The Marshall, grateful and impressed by their integrity, not only allowed them to continue raising his daughter but also gifted them the town pharmacy, making Dr. Lou their resident physician and ensuring their prosperity.
With Sui Sui back, life for the Xiao family was better than ever. But Jichang was still haunted by his past. His mother’s murderer, Bai Fangi, lived a life of luxury in the Governor’s mansion.
Sui Sui decided to act. She sent a dream to the Governor, telling him his long-lost son was alive and had been adopted by a family in the herbal medicine business. The Governor, shaken by the vividness of the dream, immediately began a search.
Bai Fangi, learning of this, was terrified. She knew if Jichang was found, her own son’s position as heir would be threatened, and her past crimes might be exposed. She and her son, Young Master Bai, began their own ruthless search, intending to find and kill Jichang before the Governor could.
Their paths collided in the Xiao family’s new pharmacy. Bai Fangi, not yet recognizing Jichang, threatened and humiliated him, forcing him to kneel and clean her shoes to protect Sui Sui, whom she had taken hostage. The insult burned in Jichang’s soul, but for Sui Sui, he endured it.
Just then, the Marshall arrived, having heard of the commotion. The tense standoff was broken when Bai Fangi finally recognized Jichang. Her eyes widened with the same murderous intent she’d had years ago. “You… are Achang,” she whispered.
The Governor arrived moments later, drawn by the Marshall. The confrontation was explosive. Jichang accused Bai Fangi of murdering his mother. She, a master manipulator, twisted the story, painting herself as a grieving sister and Jichang as a delusional, vengeful boy. The Governor, a man blinded by years of her deceit, was inclined to believe her.
It seemed the villain would win again. But they had not accounted for the flower goddess in the room.
The Governor, seeking a fragile peace, invited Jichang and his adoptive family to a banquet at the Marshall’s house. Jichang, sensing a trap but knowing he had to face his destiny, agreed to go alone.
At the banquet, Bai Fangi’s plot unfolded. She had a servant plant a poison needle in a robe that Jichang was to present to his father, framing him for attempted patricide.
“You actually wanted to kill your father!” the Governor roared, the needle discovered.
Jichang was speechless, the frame perfect. But as Bai Fangi began to feign shock and sorrow, a strange, glazed look came over her eyes. Sui Sui, from afar, had cast her most powerful truth spell.
“I sent someone to plant the poison needle just to frame the eldest,” Bai Fangi said in a monotone, her own voice betraying her. She then recounted, in chilling detail, how she had slowly poisoned her own sister, Jichang’s mother, out of jealousy. “Finally, she died from the poison. I meant to kill this kid, too, but he escaped.”
The room was silent with horror. The truth, undeniable and monstrous, was laid bare.
“And you,” she said, turning to the Governor, her mind completely unbound by the spell, “he’s not your son at all,” she said, pointing to Young Master Bai. “He’s from me and my lover. Definitely not your blood.”
The final betrayal shattered the Governor completely. He ordered them both arrested. They tried to escape but were cornered. In the ensuing chaos, they “resisted arrest” and were shot dead. Justice, brutal and swift, had finally been served.
The Governor, humbled and full of regret, officially recognized Jichang as his son and heir. He saw in him the integrity and vision the nation needed. Jichang, with the support of his loving Xiao family and the protection of the Marshall, accepted his role, ready to lead.
In the quiet courtyard of the Xiao home, Sui Sui smiled. Her mortal trial was over. She had protected the innocent, punished the wicked, and set a true leader on his path. A soft, heavenly light enveloped her.
Keep kindness in your heart, a celestial voice echoed in her mind. It lights your way and warms others, too. Your mission is complete. You may return.
She looked at the family that had shown her nothing but love—her true family. She would miss them dearly, but she had given them a future filled with safety, prosperity, and honor. Her work was done. The little lucky star, the flower goddess, was going home.
