Rebirth: A Cinderella's Counterattack

After a night of sweet dreams, cuddled in Luo's Mom's arms, Luo Qianqian fell asleep happily like a real child.

Early in the morning, after preparing the meals, Luo's Mom tidied up, slipped out of the house, neatly folded the clothes collected last night, left some money for groceries, and left a gentle good-bye kiss on her daughter's forehead.

"Brother, brother, get up quickly." Luo Qianqian was awakened by the sound of Luo's Mom closing the door. Seeing that it was already slightly bright outside and the time was not even five o'clock yet, a wave of sourness swept through her heart, making her even more determined to make money. She ran to knock on Luo Shufan's door.

"What now? It's finally a weekend and you still wake me up this early. Are you really my sister? You must've been picked up from the trash can," complained Luo Shufan, who was usually not grumpy when he woke up but seldom had to get up so early.

Luo Qianqian calmly lowered her hand from knocking, turned around to wash up: "You're the one picked from a trash can. Even if I was, I was picked up from the beach, nestled like a pearl in a seashell. The beach... Hurry up and take me to the beach, or I'll go by myself."

"No, no, no, I didn't say I wouldn't take you. Aren't you scared of being sold if you go wander off by yourself? But we need to come back early; I haven't done my homework yet." Luo Shufan hurriedly got up, quickly put on his clothes, and opened the door, only to see a well-behaved child squatting on the ground, busily brushing his teeth, showing no signs of the little troublemaker who had threatened him.

"What are you up to? You usually aren't so keen on going to the beach. Let me make it clear before we go, no swimming. If you don't listen, I'll tell mom tonight," Luo Shufan glared at Luo Qianqian.

"Just relax, no swimming," Luo Qianqian replied with her mouth full of foam, biting her toothbrush and ungracefully rolling her eyes at her brother.

"We agreed, no more shenanigans," Luo Shufan tactfully pretended not to see his little sister's expression, turned around to gather a hat and a small bucket for building sandcastles, also grabbing a few coins; the less than one-meter-three-tall Luo Shufan naturally hadn't considered that taking the bus required money.

Luo Qianqian looked at the items her brother had prepared, wanting to loudly retort that she would definitely not be mischievous; she was a good child. But seeing him treasure those few coins enough to bring them from his piggy bank made her feel a surge of emotion, and she said nothing.

"Brother, bring a few plastic bags too. I want to collect some seashells to play with."

"Really don't mind the weight, huh? Fine, but you're carrying them back yourself," Luo Shufan grumbled as he fetched two bags from the kitchen. "Eat your breakfast first. I'm going to wash my face."

Luo Qianqian didn't care much about her older brother's complaints. After all, even when she was fifteen, Luo Shufan never made her do any heavy lifting.

After eating breakfast, Luo Shufan forcefully helped Luo Qianqian into a coat, and in the scorching sun of June, she also had to wear an extravagantly garish pink floral hat which her current aesthetic simply couldn't accept. He justified it with, "You are not very pale to begin with; getting sunburned would make you even less appealing."

Luo Qianqian struggled with a frown, tugging at her overcoat and admired her sun-drenched skin, reluctantly accepting her brother's reasoning.

"Which beach are we going to? Don't tell me you have no idea where to go today with all your eagerness," Luo Shufan held Luo Qianqian's left hand and picked up the bucket with his right, checked the locked door, confirmed everything was set, and then leaned down to ask his sister.

"We'll go to the beach where there are lots of seashells and clams. You've lived twice as long as I have and you're asking me? Every time I've gone it's been with you and mom," Luo Qianqian's voice carried a touch of pride, her sweet, soft tone adding a mature allure. She thought not only little cats and dogs were adorable and tender when young; her own sweet, soft voice was irresistible too, no wonder children are cherished.

Luo Shufan looked at his sister, who held her head high with royal pride, and couldn't help but smile and feel a twinge of heartache. Usually, he was at school, mom was at work, and his sister was at home alone watching TV, munching on dry bread, and then dryly sitting by the window waiting for him to return from school like a little dog awaiting its owner. It was rarely a weekend, so he decided it was okay to delay doing homework to spend quality time with her.

"Let's make this clear, you have to stick with me. If we get separated, go find a police officer. Remember mom's and my names and our home address clearly. Don't talk to strangers, don't accept things from them, and don't go anywhere with them. If you don't listen, I'll sell you to a junk dealer for candy," Luo Shufan emphasized seriously as they walked.

"I know, I'm not a little kid of three or two anymore."

Luo Shufan glared a bit: You indeed are not three or two; you're five, two years older than three. He opened his mouth but didn't refute.

Luo Qianqian trotted along with Luo Shufan, taking the bus, her gaze wandering as she thought of ways to make money, the corners of her eyes and mouth curving into crescents. Luo Shufan looked at his giggling sister beside him and shook his head speechlessly.

The traffic wasn't heavy, and the roads weren't congested, so the bus quickly arrived at their destination—the seaside.

As they got off the bus, they could see the sea, smell the salty moisture, and see the flying seagulls. The beach was less littered, and there weren't too many people around.

"Brother, let's dig some clams and make soup later." The siblings had arrived early, just in time to join groups of old people and children gathering at the beach.

"Okay, stick with me and don't run off, or you'll have nobody to cry to if there's nothing to eat tonight." Luo Shufan didn't find anything wrong with his sister caring so much about food, treating it as just a kid's cravings.

"Let's dig here, and later you can help me find some pretty little shells over there," Luo Qianqian said in as childlike a tone as she could muster. Although Luo Shufan was also a child, he couldn't be truly treated as one, given his comparatively higher intelligence.

Luo Shufan was a bit surprised to hear his sister being so sensible, as she usually doesn't give up until she achieves her goals: "Alright, you help too. If we dig up a lot, I'll make you a clam and egg cake."

The siblings squatted on the beach, finding spots with sand holes, and began to dig with plastic shovels and rakes.

In their previous lives, the siblings had never done this. However, Luo Qianqian had gone seabed gathering with friends before. Unaware of the need for sun protection, they got many clams but ended up sunburned. This time, under her brother's care, not only was the sun less harsh and the UV rays weaker, but the long-sleeved jackets and bright hat forcibly worn protected everything but her hands.

But the current Luo Qianqian wasn't truly the five-year-old Luo Qianqian, having the memories of over twenty more years. She knew enough about life to care about not getting tanned. She would rather suffer heat rash than darken her skin, as a fair complexion could hide many flaws. Skin whitening products were expensive and uncertain in effect, while a heat rash would recover in a couple of days. Thus, Luo Qianqian, sweating profusely, cheerfully said to Luo Shufan, "Brother, how would you explain it to mom if I died of heat here?"

Luo Shufan turned and laughed at the sight of his sister's sweaty, flushed face: "You're usually so clever, why act dumb now? Just take off your jacket. I was just afraid the seaside breeze might give you a cold, and then I'd get scolded."

"Brother, I'm a girl. Look how fair mom and auntie are, and then look at me, dark as charcoal. If I tan a bit more and get thrown into a coal pile, you won't find me. Let's go over there and collect some little shells before coming back, okay?" Luo Qianqian, hearing her brother's teasing, naturally rolled her eyes. With the half bag of clams they had dug up, she scooted next to Luo Shufan. She began tugging at his sleeve, giving him innocent glances from time to time.

Luo Shufan stopped his digging as he saw his sister's pitiful expression, his heart softening. He muttered to himself, wondering if this cajoling little girl was really his arrogant, willful sister. But since she had already pleaded like this, as a brother, he couldn't pretend not to hear anymore. Seeing the nearly half-bucket of clams and two crabs they had caught for her to play with, he transferred the clams she dug into the bucket and placed the restless crabs trying to find an escape into her hands.

Luo Qianqian, stunned, looked at the tiny crab in her hand, not bigger than a fingernail, and gazed at her brother, wondering if it was even edible.

Luo Shufan didn't mind and picked up the small bucket, taking his sister's hand: "We've dug up enough, let's go collect shells. But don't pick too many; these clams are a bit heavy, and I won't be able to carry them if we get too many."

There were many beautiful shells on the beach, and ultimately, Luo Qianqian wanted every shell and conch she saw. Fortunately, they were all empty. However, Luo Shufan ended up with a half-bucket of clams and a half-plastic bag that Luo Qianqian was carrying herself.