Once, I wanted to be a good person

Miao Miao looked to the left.

Then, she looked to the right.

No one seemed to be outside the house.

Miao Miao relaxed a little. The person who followed her last night seemed to have left.

Miao Miao quietly closed the door and went to her bed. She lifted the thin, worn, and patched mattress. Then, from under the mattress, she took out the 2,000 Rini worth of notes that Mr. Devil had given her the day before yesterday.

Then, she rolled up the sleeves of her slightly oversized clothes.

There was a small, close-fitting pocket in the inside of the sleeve that she had obviously sewn herself.

She took out a needle and thread from the small box beside her bed. After counting the money and confirming that there were no problems, she cautiously put the money in her pocket. Then, she carefully stitched the pocket shut to avoid the money from falling out.

How would she take out the money when she used it?

She had sown the pocket such that as long as she flipped her sleeve and pulled one side of the thread, the entire thing would unravel.

After doing all this, Miao Miao unbuttoned her gray clothes. Then, she picked up the belt that she had undone last night before going to bed and wrapped it tightly around herself.

Even though her body was thin, her chest was still taking shape. Very quickly, her chest was wrapped and flattened.

After buttoning up her clothes, she became that ordinary girl again.

When she was done, she went to the bed and touched the floor. She tapped her face a few times before wiping some dust on her face. This hid her plain and neat face.

Afterward, she spread out her tied hair and carefully ruffled the hair in the front part of her forehead, making her hair look messy.

With this outfit, coupled with the fact that she often lowered her head and wrapped her chest, as well as the loose and inconspicuous clothes, she became the most inconspicuous and dirty girl in the slums.

After living in the slums for so many years and being taught by a few kind-hearted aunts, Miao Miao's survival skills were considered complete.

Coupled with the help of her neighbors, she, a teenage girl, could barely survive in this cruel world.

After finishing all the protection work, Miao Miao pushed open the door to her house and lowered her head. Then, she walked out of the alley, planning to buy the blue crystal for Mr. Devil.

However, she had only taken a few steps when she looked up and was shocked.

This was because at the end of the alley, three burly men in gray clothes were leaning against the wall. As they chatted, they used their peripheral vision to scan the people walking nearby.

They looked like idle ruffians in a slum.

However, Miao Miao knew that before yesterday, these people had not been wandering in her area.

They were the few people who had followed her all the way here.

Seeing these people, Miao Miao couldn't help but feel a little afraid.

She wanted to turn back, but she was worried that the other party would follow her home.

She wanted to take a detour, but she was worried that it would arouse the other party's suspicion.

In addition, she had to buy the blue crystal today. Therefore, although Miao Miao was worried, after hesitating for a moment, she still held onto the hope that she would be lucky and walked over silently with her head lowered.

The three ruffians didn't react as she walked past them. They continued to laugh and chat.

Seeing that the other party did not recognize her, Miao Miao heaved a sigh of relief. Then, she quickened her pace and continued walking.

However, what she didn't see was that behind her, the three ruffians looked at each other. Then, they raised their eyebrows and exchanged glances.

…

She walked all the way to the "shopping street" in the slums.

Although it was called a "shopping street", it was actually a street with four or five shops in the slums.

On the way to the "shopping street", Miao Miao looked back from time to time. After confirming that no one was following her, she was finally relieved.

Miao Miao went to the sundry shop where she had asked about the blue crystal yesterday. She opened the door and walked in.

The owner was a sharp-faced, slightly wretched-looking older man.

When he saw Miao Miao, he narrowed his eyes and observed her. He grinned, revealing two black teeth. "Little girl? Are you here to buy a blue crystal?"

Miao Miao saw his gaze and lowered her head slightly, letting her hair cover her face.

The, she asked quietly, "Do you have the blue crystal yet?"

The wretched shopkeeper nodded, then opened a counter drawer and took out a small box.

He opened the box. Inside were crystals of various colors in plastic bags.

He rummaged around and pulled out a plastic bag containing a pure blue crystal.

Then, he put it on the table and grinned. "That'll be 1,500 Rini."

Miao Miao was shocked to hear the price that he offered.

Then, she looked up involuntarily and asked meekly, "Isn't it 1,200 Rini?"

The older man studied her face carefully as he chuckled. "The purchase price went up."

When Miao Miao heard this, she lowered her head and touched her sleeve. Then, she asked timidly, "In that case, can it be cheaper?"

"Cheaper…?" The old man looked her up and down. "It's not impossible."

Miao Miao's eyes lit up slightly.

Then, she heard the old man say wretchedly, "Come here and let me touch you. I'll give you a discount of 50 Rini."

Miao Miao was stunned. Then, her face turned red and then white. After a moment, she looked down, rolled up her sleeves, unwrapped the cloth bag, and took out 1,500 Rini. She put it on the table. "Here, 1,500 Rini."

Then, she was about to reach for the blue crystal.