Chapter 63: Good Children Don’t Waste Food

Chapter 63: Good Children Must Not Waste Food

"Baby..."

Amidst a faint, lingering scent of blood, "Mother" stretched out her slender limbs and torso, resembling a giant spider swathed in fabric. With her hands planted on either side of Xiao Luo, she asked softly, "What are you doing?"

Xiao Luo's heart skipped a beat, and she instinctively wanted to turn around to look.

But her neck only twisted slightly before freezing stiffly in place.

Since "Mother" was embracing her from behind, she didn’t dare to turn her head, afraid of coming face-to-face with "Mother's" pale, swollen face and the grotesque, gnarled black sutures that ran through her eyes like centipedes.

"M-Mom..."

Xiao Luo forced herself to relax, putting on her usual obedient act. She moved her arms away from the desk and showed "Mother" the scrap paper. "The teacher gave us a problem before school ended. I’ve been stuck on it forever, but I still don’t quite get it."

In the center of the scrap paper was indeed a series of mathematical equations—something Xiao Luo had actually written during math class earlier that day. But she lied, claiming she had just been working on it, hoping to deceive "Mother."

As for the information she had jotted down from the forum earlier, the cautious Xiao Luo had disguised it as a series of nonsense scribbles, tucked away in an inconspicuous corner of the paper.

Black hair spilled down further, like a dark curtain obscuring the side of Xiao Luo’s face—"Mother" had leaned in closer, her invisible stare scanning the scrap paper.

Xiao Luo’s cheeks were repeatedly brushed by soft strands of hair, sending a creepy tickling feeling through her. But she didn’t dare move, not even to breathe, forcing herself to endure in silence.

The wait lasted only five seconds, yet it felt endless, suffocating her with tension.

Finally, "Mother" withdrew her gaze, slowly straightening her deeply hunched upper body. The strands of black hair that had draped over Xiao Luo gradually lifted away.

"Good girl," "Mother" said, seemingly convinced by Xiao Luo’s explanation, her tone laced with satisfaction. "Studying is important, but don’t overwork yourself. If you don’t understand something, you can ask your teacher tomorrow."

Letting out a tiny breath, Xiao Luo nodded like a bobblehead. "I understand. Thank you, Mom."

"Dinner is ready. Let’s eat first."

As she spoke, "Mother" affectionately stroked Xiao Luo’s head. Her fingers, twig-like and skeletal, felt cold and hard as they scraped against her scalp.

Even through her hair, Xiao Luo felt her skin crawl.

Obediently putting away the paper and pen, Xiao Luo followed "Mother" to the dining table. The meal was already laid out—two meat dishes, one vegetable dish, and a soup. Steam rose from the plates, carrying an enticing aroma.

—Especially the braised spare ribs, drenched in glossy, pungent sauce that coated the large chunks of meat in a sickly bright red hue.

In some places where the ribs had been chopped, the red flesh revealed stark white bone beneath, creating a gruesome contrast.

Staring at the ribs, Xiao Luo suddenly recalled the sound of "Mother" violently chopping meat in the kitchen earlier.

*Chop!... Chop! Chop!*

The image of fresh, raw meat being split open by a cleaver, tendons and cartilage severed, blood splattering everywhere, flashed through her mind, turning her stomach.

She couldn’t help but think—this plate of ribs… looked way too much like human rib meat.

"Father," who had just returned home, was already seated at the table. His hulking frame loomed like a mountain, radiating silent menace as he sat in the shadows.

Like "Mother," his facial features were mostly normal—except for one missing organ.

While "Mother’s" eyes were sewn shut with black thread, "Father" had no ears—

Or rather, the edges of his ears were lined with neat, tight stitches, crimped shut like dumpling edges, the outer cartilage sewn shut against the tragus.

"Father" glanced at Xiao Luo as she cautiously approached the table, his voice booming like thunder overhead. "Sit down. Let’s eat."

At the same time, "Mother’s" voice drifted from the kitchen, her silhouette faintly visible behind the frosted glass door. "Sweetheart, come help Mommy with the chopsticks."

Xiao Luo hesitated for a moment before acting like she didn’t hear "Mother’s" request and sitting directly at the table.

According to the forum post: *When "Father" and "Mother" give conflicting instructions, prioritize "Father’s" orders.*

Sure enough, after Xiao Luo sat down, "Mother" brought the bowls and chopsticks herself, never mentioning her earlier request again.

As if… it had merely been a trap waiting for prey to stumble into—one that lost all meaning once the prey deftly avoided it.

Xiao Luo stole a glance and saw that "Father" and "Mother’s" bowls were filled with a gray, gloopy sludge, thick and mushy like half-dried cement.

Thankfully, the bowl placed in front of Xiao Luo contained normal white rice, making her exhale in relief.

She pushed her food around absentmindedly, occasionally nibbling on the green vegetables but steadfastly avoiding the freakishly red ribs.

Hmm… I wonder what exactly "Mom and Dad" are eating. Could it be used as a ritual medium?

Xiao Luo’s thoughts wandered.

Dinner passed in heavy silence.

"Father" was naturally taciturn, while "Mother" usually loved hamming up the loving mom routine—but she seemed intimidated by her husband. Whenever "Father" was present, she, too, spoke very little.

The two monsters devoured the ashen substance in their bowls with ravenous greed, occasionally lifting a rib nearly the length of a forearm. The crimson meat was ripped apart by their jagged teeth, making them look like savage beasts feasting on human flesh.

Every now and then, "Mother" tossed a few ribs under the table, followed by the sound of "Little Sister’s" creepy giggles and the unsettling squelchy chewing noises beneath the tablecloth.

Xiao Luo was used to this. She finished her meal quickly, ignoring the occasional brush of "Little Sister" against her feet, as if trying to play with her. She strictly adhered to another rule from the post: *Never respond to "Little Sister’s" crying or laughter.*

"Sweetheart, are you not feeling well today?"

The moment Xiao Luo set down her chopsticks, "Mother" immediately took notice, pretending to fret. "Why are you only eating vegetables and rice? You should have some meat."

"Meat is delicious. Good children shouldn’t be picky."

"Mother" picked up a rib, her lips curling to reveal drool-dripping fangs. "Sweetheart, have a piece. Don’t make Mommy worry about your health, okay?"

No—

Xiao Luo’s eyes widened in horror, but the refusal died in her throat, impossible to voice.

There was no way she could eat this sketchy meat the monsters were so desperate to force on her. Yet "Mother" seemed to know her weakness, using the "good kid" rules to back her into a corner.

After all, the first rule mentioned in the post was: *At home, you must be an obedient child. Always listen to "Mother," including—*

*Never waste food.*

Xiao Luo watched as the weirdly bloody-looking meat drew closer, its hue so deep it seemed to drip blood, the reek of decay about to hit her nose—

*Zzzzt…*

Then, crackling divine whispers echoed in her mind once more.

The deity seemed to give a soft laugh, leisurely reminding her: *Think carefully. You listen to your mother—but who does your mother listen to?*

Their voice was like a pristine white feather, drifting down lightly, almost allowing one to imagine how they idly observed the mortal world, occasionally twisting fate’s strings with an offhand tweak.

Moreover, whether it was Xiao Luo's imagination or not, she noticed that the deity seemed more gentle and patient when interacting with children.

Mother—listen—

The question raced anxiously through her mind. At the crucial moment, Xiao Luo had a sudden flash of inspiration and shouted, "Give the meat to Dad!"

As soon as these words left her mouth, "Mom" froze in the act of serving her meat, and "Dad's" gaze turned toward her.

Under the intense gaze of both monsters, Xiao Luo took a quiet breath, forced a smile, and quickly explained, "Dad comes home so late every day; he must be exhausted from work... I ate too much at school today and don’t have much appetite. Why not let Dad have more meat?"

Prompted by what seemed to be the Lord of Fate, Xiao Luo quickly devised a strategy.

Based on the relationship between the two monsters, she could deduce that "Dad" likely was higher-ranking or more powerful than "Mom"—at least on the surface, the latter almost always obeyed the former without question.

Thus, the only way Xiao Luo could resist "Mom's" orders was by appealing to "Dad's" authority.

"..."

"Mom" remained silent for a while, during which Xiao Luo could almost hear the deafening thud of her own racing heart.

Would her attempted solution work?

Would she... would she manage to escape this crisis?

Holding her breath, Xiao Luo waited for fate’s judgment.

Finally, after an oppressive silence, "Mom's" chopsticks changed direction, and the blood-red rib meat dropped into her husband’s bowl.

Nodding approvingly, she praised Xiao Luo, "So thoughtful, truly Mom’s good daughter."

Xiao Luo’s smile instantly became much more genuine.

Of course, it wasn’t because she had earned "Mom's" praise—it was simply because she knew that, having weathered this storm, no new threats would emerge anytime soon.

The dinner crisis had been resolved.

After the meal, Xiao Luo regretfully watched as the two bowls of mysterious dishes were completely devoured, not even a speck of ash left for her. After some thought, she cautiously inquired, "Dad, Mom, today in class, the teacher said many people have their own beliefs—do we follow any religion in our family?"

"We do."

"Mom" nodded slowly, its usually gentle tone now tinged with fervent devotion. "We all worship the great God the Father of Cursed Calamity. In the present and the past, He has been the source of curses and disasters. And in the future, He is destined to become the Lord of Fate."

"If you’re a good, obedient child, you won’t just be Mom’s good daughter—you’ll become His child too..."

From "Mom's" murmurs, Xiao Luo keenly caught the keyword "fate," which set her mind racing.

But as far as she knew, the deity who governed fate was someone else—a deity who was probably rather benevolent toward her.

On one side, there was this malevolent deity worshipped by these unnerving creatures. On the other, there was the protective deity who had once shielded her...

The decision was clear. Xiao Luo didn’t even need to think before firmly siding with the Lord of Fate.

This so-called God the Father of Cursed Calamity was undoubtedly a vile, terrifying evil god who terrifies children!

Xiao Luo silently balled her fists, thinking just that.

"Then, Mom," she continued, "why have I never seen any shrine to Him in our home?"

—The identity of this God the Father of Cursed Calamity wasn’t the point. What mattered was obtaining the offerings meant for Him, which she could use to communicate with and summon another god.

Xiao Luo had also considered whether she could get some of "Mom and Dad's" hair or blood, but she quickly dismissed the idea.

If she actually tried plucking hair from a monster’s head, she’d be begging for death!

"Not every believer is worthy of directly offering worship to Him. In this entire building, only Grandma Li on the first floor has a shrine in her home."

Perhaps because it didn't see Xiao Luo as a threat, "Mom" revealed this information without hesitation, even sighing deeply at the end, as if lamenting its own lack of qualification to make offerings.

Grandma Li...

Recalling those red cloth shoes and the silent figure in the darkness, Xiao Luo shivered slightly but quickly composed herself.

So far, as long as she didn’t take any dangerous actions or trigger certain death rules, her life had remained relatively safe.

Even during those days when she had completely lost her will to survive, forgotten her mission and the system, and genuinely believed she was just an elementary school student, Xiao Luo had managed to survive through luck and instinct.

So, as long as she carefully maintained her good-girl act, politely approached Grandma Li, and found a way to obtain some offerings...

It shouldn’t be too dangerous, right?