She Quit Her Family and Found Herself novel Chapter 229

"Why?" she asked.

The villager paused, answering as if it were obvious. "I don't know, everyone just says so. Either way, that kid is always dirty and smells awful. Just keep your distance."

With that, the villager pinched his nose and hurried off.

She watched the man leave. When she turned back, Kit had already retreated even further away, silently scratching at the dirt.

Staring at the tiny figure, her heart ached. As a mother herself, she simply couldn't turn a blind eye to a child like this.

"Your name is Kit, right?" She approached again, this time reaching out to grab the child's filthy little hand. "Come on. Come with me, let's get you washed up."

The little body stiffened for a second before desperately trying to yank the hand free.

Hulda held on tight, refusing to let go. "Don't be afraid. I'm just going to help you get clean. Once you're clean, no one will say mean things about you anymore."

Kit froze, looking up at her in shock. Against the mud-caked face, those big, dark eyes shone intensely bright, as if trying to figure out if she was lying.

Not giving the kid a chance to overthink or refuse, Hulda simply scooped the child into her arms and marched toward the guesthouse.

This immediately sparked whispers among the crowd.

She brought the child into the bathroom and closed the door. "Let's get these dirty clothes off first, okay?" she asked softly.

The kid nodded, stiff as a board.

She carefully peeled off the ruined shirt, only to gasp at the sight of the painfully bony, emaciated frame.

And then, she froze...

"Kit..." She stared at the child in utter disbelief. "You're a girl?"