Chapter 142 - 143: Xiao Dongzi

Chapter 142: Chapter 143: Xiao Dongzi

"So you do remember me," Gu Wenheng said, guessing immediately when he saw the boy’s pupils constrict.

Xiao Dongzi, clutching the clothes in his hands, nodded stiffly. He still remembered the young lady who had given him some grain.

"What about your family?"

Xiao Dongzi’s voice was hoarse. "Gone. They’re all gone."

Uncle Hu, who had raised him, ultimately didn’t survive the cold winter, collapsing for the last time in that ruined temple.

Without Uncle Hu, he couldn’t even hold onto their only shelter, the ruined temple.

He didn’t dare stay in the county town now, afraid that seeing people with homes and families, with relatives and friends, would only make him feel more alone.

Sitting here under the icy city wall, he could at least feel a coldness in the world that matched the cold in his heart. This was where he belonged.

Gu Wenheng could see the boy had lost the will to live. He crouched down to look him in the eye. "From the moment we are born into this world, we must learn to endure pain. Some words are best left to rot in your heart, and some pain is best forgotten in silence.

In this world, there is no such thing as fortune or misfortune. All suffering and joy are merely judgments made within your own heart.

You’ve struggled in this world for so many years. Are you really going to just let go now?

Ask yourself, are you content with this?"

Xiao Dongzi looked up at Gu Wenheng. "What if I’m not content? What then? For someone like me, what other paths are there besides becoming a beggar or selling myself into slavery? Do I have a choice?"

Gu Wenheng sighed. There were many others in the same situation as this boy. "Even as a slave or a beggar, at least you wouldn’t have come into this world for nothing.

Enough. I suppose we were fated to meet. Get up and come with me."

Gu Wenheng felt the biting cold wind at the city gate and pulled his clothes tighter around himself.

Looking again at the boy’s thin clothes, he guessed he was probably relying on whatever he was holding to his chest for warmth.

"Where are we going? I’m not selling myself." This was his last bit of defiance. He had told Uncle Hu before that he wouldn’t follow his path, and he certainly wouldn’t sell himself into slavery.

At the same time, his heart was in turmoil. ’If I had just listened to Uncle Hu back then, maybe I could have stolen money for medicine, stolen food to fill our bellies. Then Uncle Hu wouldn’t have had to lie in that ruined temple, cold, hungry, and in pain.’

"You’re not selling yourself. Didn’t you say before that you could drive a carriage? You can come to my home and be my driver."

Seeing that the boy still hadn’t moved, Gu Wenheng couldn’t help but frown. "What’s wrong? You don’t want to?"

Xiao Dongzi shook his head stiffly and said sheepishly, "I think my feet are frozen. I can’t move."

Gu Wenheng was speechless.

&

Gu Wenheng brought the boy to the shop, left him in a side room, and found him a set of clothes. "Get the heated brick bed going yourself. For now, you’ll be staying here temporarily."

Looking at the emaciated boy, Gu Wenheng couldn’t help but frown and ask, "Just how old are you?"

Xiao Dongzi replied, "I’m probably thirteen or fourteen."

Jin Qianqian asked, "No specific birthdate?"

Xiao Dongzi shook his head. "Uncle Hu found me on the side of the road. He was always a bit muddle-headed and couldn’t remember which year he found me.

But he said I should be about thirteen or fourteen."

"He’s practically a child laborer!" Gu Wenheng rubbed his chin. ’Even though there’s no such concept as ’child labor’ right now, I’m still not quite comfortable with making a kid this young work.’

Jin Qianqian suggested, "Why don’t we let him stay at the shop for a while first? There’s no such thing as child labor here.

Look at those born into servitude, or those personal guards. Aren’t they all trained from a young age?"

Gu Wenheng stared at Xiao Dongzi for a moment, watching until the boy retreated into a corner, before finally pulling Jin Qianqian out of the room.

"Looks like we need to change our way of thinking," Gu Wenheng said, tapping two fingers on the table. "We could go to a baby broker and look for some children—not too young, but not too old. We’ll need more hands around the house in the future, and someone has to take care of the other chores."

Gu Wenheng took Jin Qianqian’s hand, turning it over and over. "Our lives are a bit better now. It’s about time we bought a few people."

Jin Qianqian was silent for a moment. "Then let’s not pick ones that are too young. Those little girls who are just a few years old... I’m afraid I wouldn’t feel right ordering them around."

’There has to be a transition period. While I’m not foolish enough to talk about ’equality for all’ with the people of this era, I just can’t bring myself to accept the sight of a child only a few years old scrambling to do chores in front of me all day.’

Gu Wenheng patted her head. "We’ll both have to get used to it. Besides, if I’m going to prepare for the scholar exam next year, I’ll need to get an Attendant Student."

"Then what about him?" Jin Qianqian asked, pointing to the room where Xiao Dongzi was. "He’s not willing to sell himself into slavery. Should we hire him, like Sister-in-law Xiang does?"

Gu Wenheng said, "He told me at our gate before that he can drive a carriage. Let’s let him try it out first."

"Isn’t he a bit too small and skinny? I’m afraid he won’t even be able to pull the reins." In this icy and snowy weather, the roads were already slippery. Jin Qianqian’s first reaction was to refuse to entrust her life to such a child.

Gu Wenheng said, "I’ll ride along outside and watch him for a few days. The boy seems to have a lot of pride; it probably won’t do if we don’t give him a job."

&

「Dao City」

"Father, what did you call me for?" The moment Lu Ping entered the living room, he sat down directly across from Lu Tongzhi.

"Have you been fooling around outside again these past few days? You’re never home. If I hadn’t asked your mother to leave a message for you, would I even be seeing you today?" Lu Tongzhi pointed at his son and immediately launched into a lecture.

Lu Ping replied, "Now, Father, don’t say that. I have been busy with important matters.

Prince Bai sent invitations to all of us brothers to celebrate him being officially named the Heir of Marquis Wu’an.

For such a momentous occasion, we have to prepare gifts in advance, don’t we?

If we show up with a subpar gift, wouldn’t we become a laughingstock?"

"Prince Bai is hosting a banquet for you all?"

"Of course! After all, we did go out of the city to fight that wolf pack together. We at least have that much of a connection.

So? Your son hasn’t just been messing around, has he?"

Lu Tongzhi said, "That has precious little to do with me. Besides, I’m sure your mother gave you the silver you asked for.

But let me tell you, you’d better behave yourself when you’re out and about these days. Don’t go squeezing into crowded places, and don’t be foolishly lured into some corner."

Lu Ping sat up straight. "Father, you called me here just to tell me this? I’m not a three-year-old. I know how to take care of myself."

He was about to stand up and leave, but Lu Tongzhi slammed his hand on the table. "I’m only saying this for your own good! If you’re not careful during this time, don’t blame me for not warning you when a wife falls out of the sky!"

"Ha! A wife falling from the sky?" Lu Ping had a ’you’ve got to be kidding me’ look on his face. "She’d have been snatched up by all the bachelors long ago. How would it ever be my turn?"

"Stop being so flippant. Let me be blunt with you, alright? You know Mr. Xiao’s daughter."

"I know of her. I’ve seen her from a distance, but what does she have to do with this?" Lu Ping hated it when his father beat around the bush like this. ’Can’t a grown man just speak his mind? Why does he have to hem and haw?’