Chapter 219: The Most Hated Place

Chapter 219: Chapter 219: The Most Hated Place

Luo Xiaohu followed Zhang Wei Qiang all the way to Lihua Village. Seeing him, both Zhang Minzhen and Wen Xiu jumped in surprise. It had only been a few days, so they clearly remembered him. When they found out why he was there, they didn’t know whether to laugh or sigh, and even the others were deeply moved. "It was just one meal, wasn’t it?"

"My mom told me that people must repay any kindness they receive. I can’t do anything else to thank you right now, so this is just something within my power. It’s no big deal." ’When I grow up, I’ll definitely treat anyone who was truly good to me even better.’

Luo Xiaohu finally had the chance to give the "standard answer" he had prepared long ago, but he couldn’t stop himself from adding that last sentence from the heart.

"Your mother was a good woman. Ai, what a shame. If she saw you now, how could she rest easy?" His words drew sighs from the members of the Zhang family. Wen Xiu stroked his head fondly. "Say no more. Go on, eat first. After you’re done, we’ll heat some water for you to have a proper wash. You can stay with us from now on. Our family may not have much, but we can certainly afford to feed one more mouth."

After she spoke, Wen Xiu suddenly gave a self-deprecating laugh. "Look at me, getting all muddled, aren’t I? Making a decision for you without even asking what you want. So tell us, would you rather we send you back to your hometown, or would you like to stay here?"

"Ma’am, I don’t have anyone left in my hometown. If I go back, I’ll just starve. It would be best if I could stay, of course." Luo Xiaohu’s face lit up with surprise and he answered without a moment’s hesitation. Fearing the others might object, he secretly snuck a glance at their faces. When he saw no one showed any sign of opposition, he was overjoyed and quickly added, "Don’t you worry, I’m a really hard worker! I’m not afraid of tough or tiring work at all. And I don’t eat much."

His words sent another pang of heartache through everyone. The women—Wen Xiu, Zhang Minzhen, and Lin Qin—couldn’t stop themselves from wiping at their eyes. Wen Xiu patted Luo Xiaohu’s head, her smile full of motherly love. "Alright, it’s best that you want to stay. As it happens, our family could use an extra hand. Let’s not talk about anything else. Go eat first. After you’ve eaten and washed up, we’ll find you a change of clothes and talk then."

Overjoyed, Luo Xiaohu dropped to his knees with a THUD and kowtowed deeply, his forehead hitting the floor with a series of heavy THUMPS.

"What are you doing? Don’t you know this is the new society? We don’t do things like that anymore!" Luo Xiaohu’s actions startled everyone. Wen Xiu and Zhang Minzhen, who were closest to him, hurried to pull him up and began brushing the dust from his legs. As they patted, they heard a soft CRINKLING sound. Puzzled, Wen Xiu reached for his pants to get a better look, but Luo Xiaohu jumped in fright. He clutched his waistband for dear life, struggling slightly as he stared at her, his face beet red.

Not thinking much of it, and unable to get a look at his pants, Zhang Minzhen instead lifted his tattered, hole-filled cotton-padded jacket. As she did, everyone gasped. The inside of Luo Xiaohu’s jacket was stuffed with old newspapers...

"This... this... it blocks the wind, so I don’t get cold. It’s like wearing an extra layer," Luo Xiaohu explained awkwardly, tugging at the hem of his clothes.

"I’ll go see if there are any of Zhang Su’s or Zhang Kai’s old clothes he can wear. I’ll put a set or two together for him." Lin Qin turned and walked away, her steps hurried. From the back, one could still see her lift a hand to wipe at her eyes.

"I’ll bring out breakfast and heat a pot of water. Mom, you take him to the main room to wait." Zhang Minzhen’s eyes were also red. Not daring to linger, she turned and rushed to the kitchen.

"I’m going to wash my hands." As Luo Xiaohu watched her receding back, a look of yearning admiration appeared in his eyes. He snapped back to reality when Wen Xiu took his hand to lead him to the main room. He quickly ran to the well, drew a bucket of water, and carefully poured some out to meticulously wash his hands.

...

"If you don’t look at his clothes, that child really doesn’t seem like a little beggar. He’s so particular about things—most people aren’t that meticulous." After Luo Xiaohu had eaten his fill and been sent off to soak in the wooden tub in the bathroom, the adults of the Zhang family gathered in the kitchen. "By the way, Qiangzi," Wen Xiu remarked with a sigh, "did you ask him where he comes from? How old is he? Since we’ve decided to take him in, we ought to ask these things to be clear."

"I asked. He’s from a small village called Baoping, under Guangming County in Tingyang City, over in the neighboring Jin Province. The boy says his parents passed away when he was five or six, and he grew up surviving on the charity of his neighbors. He’s fourteen now, almost fifteen. It was always hard for him to get enough to eat in the village, and then he saw people who left to work come back with money. He figured he’d surely be able to fill his stomach if he went out into the world, so he just ran away without thinking twice. But because he looks too young and is so skinny and small, no one was willing to hire him. He had no choice but to wander around, relying on a mix of begging and odd jobs, going wherever the road took him..." Zhang Wei Qiang relayed the story he’d gotten from Luo Xiaohu, then added, "Coincidentally, I know someone in Tingyang City. I’ll call him later and have him check if such a person really exists. That way, we’ll know if he’s telling the truth or not."

"Yes, it’s best to check if you can. It will give us peace of mind having him here," Zhang Dazhuang nodded.

"I don’t think he seems like someone who would lie. A child who cares about cleanliness always makes you feel for them more." Wen Xiu had a very good impression of Luo Xiaohu. But then, a bit of doubt crept in. "I do remember his hands being pitch-black the first time we met, though."

"Ahem. Earlier, when I asked him why he came to clean the front of our shop every day, he told me something. He said, ’After my mom was gone, no one ever cared again whether my hands were clean when I ate.’ I suppose that’s why he’s so particular about it now." Zhang Wei Qiang had composed himself before speaking, but his words nonetheless cast a sudden silence over the others.

"In this world, a child without a mother is the most pitiable of all," Zhang Minzhen finally murmured, earning nods and another round of sighs from everyone.

The family had taken in a little beggar, and of all places, he was from Baoping Village in Guangming County, Jin Province...

’His name is Luo Xiaohu?’

When Lu Yun got up for breakfast, her first reaction upon hearing the news from her mother was to frown. She poked at the congee in her bowl with her chopsticks, her appetite vanishing in an instant. ’Baoping Village.’ That was, without a doubt, the place she despised most in the world—a name she never wanted to hear again for the rest of her life.

’And why does that name, Luo Xiaohu, sound so familiar?’ Just as she was wondering, her mother Zhang Minzhen’s voice drifted in from the doorway. Gu Nuan Nuan focused her hearing and realized her mother was clearly speaking to Luo Xiaohu.

"Xiao Hu, didn’t I tell you to go back and get some more sleep? Why are you sweeping out here? The ground isn’t even dirty, what’s the point of sweeping up a few leaves? Our family isn’t that fussy. You got up so early; if you don’t get some more rest, it won’t be enough. You’re almost fifteen, but you still look like you’re eleven or twelve. If you don’t watch out, you’ll regret it later when you don’t grow any taller!"

"It’s all right, Aunt Zhen. I’m not sleepy at all. I’m just a late bloomer when it comes to growing. I’m sure I’ll get taller later," Luo Xiaohu’s somewhat timid voice replied.

Gu Nuan Nuan suddenly froze. She remembered. She remembered who this Luo Xiaohu was—