“Good child, don’t worry about money.” The medical officer squatted down in front of her and stroked her little braid. “Go home and take good care of your brother.”
The world was in chaos, and there were many poor people.
No family's life was easy. The medical officer's own clothes were patched in several places, but he still provided free medicine and free treatment.
Jiang Sheng pulled the cart while her eyes grew blurry.
Many, many years later, when asked why after years of struggling, Jiang Sheng was still able to keep her original intention, she tilted her head and smiled.
Perhaps it was because along the way, she had met bad people, but also countless gentle, kind-hearted people.
On the road,
Jiang Sheng asked, "Brother, where is your home? I'll take you home."
She secretly thought that the dilapidated temple really could not accommodate a third mouth.
But she did not expect to get exactly what she was afraid of. After a long silence, the young boy only said one sentence, "I don't have a home anymore."
Jiang Sheng cried out, "Wow!"
It wasn't empathy or pity, but worry for her future food.
Zheng Ruqian, however, was genuinely happy. "I don't have a home either. My name is Zheng Ruqian, hers is Jiang Sheng, what about you?"
The young boy's lips moved slightly. "Xu Mo."
In the end, Jiang Sheng still took Xu Mo back to the dilapidated temple.
She found the softest mattress, lined it with the cleanest straw, and carefully lifted Xu Mo off the cart with Zheng Ruqian.
After doing all this, Jiang Sheng was going to return the cart.
"I'll go with you." As usual, Zheng Ruqian stuck to her.
But this time, Jiang Sheng refused.
"You stay here and take care of Brother Xu Mo," Jiang Sheng said, pulling the cart away like a little adult.
Soon, she came back covered in dirt.
Old man Zhao had a bad temper. There was always a price to pay for stealing someone else’s belongings. Getting kicked a few times and rolled on the ground was nothing.
Jiang Sheng wiped her face and started thinking eagerly about what to eat tonight.
Of course it was boiled cabbage leaves.
Soon, the yellowish clear water wrapped around the cabbage leaves was delivered. Xu Mo was stunned.
"You guys eat this?" He asked incredulously.
Jiang Sheng ate very happily. "Yes, fresh cabbage leaves!"
Zheng Ruqian's expression was more bitter, but he still swallowed mouthfuls. Anything was better than starving.
Xu Mo took a bite.
There was not even a hint of salt, just pure boiled cabbage leaves. Even livestock would disdain it for being too bland. Yet the little girl ate so happily.
Xu Mo's heart ached bitterly.
Watching the bruises on Jiang Sheng's arms, his eyes gradually became determined. "From now on, brother will let you eat meat."
He thought this remark would elicit a few cries.
Unexpectedly, Jiang Sheng didn’t even lift her head.
"You don't want to eat meat?" It was Xu Mo's turn to be curious.
Jiang Sheng swallowed a mouthful of cabbage leaves, then drank a mouthful of cabbage soup. "We can barely survive now, how can there be a future?"
Yes, feeding three mouths was a big problem for them.
When it was just Jiang Sheng alone, she could pick up scraps, steal some food, or use sleep to avoid hunger.
But Zheng Ruqian could not stand hunger, crying out as soon as he got hungry. And Xu Mo had a broken leg and could not move around.
It really troubled Jiang Sheng.
After thinking it over, little Jiang Sheng decided - to beg.
"Ah? Begging?" Zheng Ruqian was shocked. Although he did not exactly live in luxury at the brothel, at least he never lacked food and drink.
He never imagined there would come a day when he would have to kneel down and beg others for food.
"No." Xu Mo vetoed it immediately.
He was a proud man. If his deceased parents were watching from above, knowing that their only son had been reduced to begging, they would surely be angered back to life.
"If you don't beg, you'll starve to death," Jiang Sheng said, hands on hips like a little adult. "Are you planning to starve to death?"
Xu Mo fell silent.
Zheng Ruqian glanced at the Buddha's feet and poked Jiang Sheng. "We can use that... that..."
There were still two gold beans hidden away.
Jiang Sheng glared at him. "Master treated your illness and provided medicine for free. You really plan to not give him any money?" Those two gold beans were meant for the next time they got medicine from the medical officer.
Zheng Ruqian wilted under her scolding.
Xu Mo, on the other hand, couldn't help showing admiration. He didn't expect a beggar girl to have such a sense of gratitude.
In fact, Jiang Sheng didn't really understand gratitude. She just felt internally that it would be shameless to take advantage of the medical officer's kindness without giving anything in return.
Besides, Old Man Zhao had hidden the cart at home. Now if they wanted to take Xu Mo to see the medical officer, they would have to pay to rent a cart.
"It's all money," little Jiang Sheng said ruefully. "Ruqian brother, I won't blame you since you're younger, but we have to survive. There will be many occasions in the future where we need money."
"I know I was wrong, I know I was wrong," Zheng Ruqian surrendered.
Only then was Jiang Sheng satisfied and closed her mouth.
On the side, Xu Mo couldn't help raising the corners of his lips. This was the first time he had felt a trace of cheerfulness since his family's sudden downfall.
"I can copy books to earn money," he said. "Although each book is only a few coins, at least we don't have to beg."
Jiang Sheng's eyes lit up. She had only seen a few students with book bags when eavesdropping on the teacher's lectures, and this was her first close encounter with someone educated.
"Brother Xu Mo, you can read?" The little girl squatted down in front of him. "Then can you teach me to read and write?"
Facing her bright eyes, Xu Mo nodded.
But then he quickly added, "As long as we don't beg."
Alright, a scholarly temperament, unwilling to accept unearned food.
Jiang Sheng understood.
But without begging, how could they eat?
Even if he copied books, he still needed to pawn two copper coins. The bookshop owner was afraid he would run off with the books.
Little Jiang Sheng sighed long and hard, and finally decided to go into the mountains to pick mushrooms.
Relying on the mountain to eat from the mountain, relying on the water to eat from the water.
The town of Shili Zhuang was right next to Mount Shili. Villagers often went into the mountains to pick mushrooms and bamboo shoots. There were also skilled hunters who could hunt for food to sell the meat and skins, earning good money.
Jiang Sheng didn’t dare covet living creatures, but picking up some dead stuff should be fine.
Early in the morning, she carried a broken bamboo basket she had found, wore some worn clothes whose original color was unrecognizable, and brought Zheng Ruqian into the mountain.
"Jiang Sheng, didn't you say there were mushrooms? Why is there nothing?" Zheng Ruqian looked around curiously.
Jiang Sheng's expression didn't change. "The outer parts have all been picked clean. We have to go deeper."
The depths of the great mountain were tranquil and profound.
The towering trees obscured the sunlight, affecting the vision.
This was Zheng Ruqian's first time in such a place. He was scared stiff, and occasionally catching sight of a worm as thick as his wrist nearly made him pee his pants.
Jiang Sheng was afraid too, but in order to feed three mouths and earn the two copper coins needed to pawn book copying, they had to enter this mountain and gather mushrooms.
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