"It's over, it's over! Grandpa and Grandma don't recognize me anymore! I've become a poor child nobody wants! Waaaaah..."
Little Illusion clung to Wenren Sheng's thigh and cried.
Except the crying sounded far too fake—it was actually a train whistle sound effect playing on repeat.
"If you don't know how to cry, you could learn from television. You can't just use train sound effects to make up the numbers," Wenren Sheng said helplessly.
"I have to make up the numbers, or I'll cry my throat out. I don't care, hurry up and make everyone recognize me," Little Illusion urged.
"Actually, if you think about it carefully, no one recognizing you is a good thing. Not merely a small good thing, but a very good thing," Wenren Sheng reminded her.
"What good thing? Why can't I see it?"
"Look, now that no one recognizes you, you can build a perfect new image for yourself among everyone. Isn't that like being reborn?" Wenren Sheng patiently coaxed.
"Reborn? You're right." Little Illusion's eyes lit up, and her head bobbed like a chick pecking at grain.
"Exactly. For instance, you can learn to be a good child—obedient, good at studying, skilled at cooking and telling stories. Everyone will praise you. And you won't have to make the mistakes you made before, while all the knowledge you didn't know before, you know now," Wenren Sheng sweet-talked.
Little Illusion nodded repeatedly. "That's right, Old Wen. I've realized you're really good at turning bad things into good things."
"Of course."
For the following week.
Little Illusion worked hard every day at cooking, letting everyone eat delicious food.
She studied seriously too, and even learned how to add two-digit numbers.
Whenever she wanted to play, she restrained herself and worked hard to improve instead.
As a result, everyone