Tang Huan sat casually by the wall, not worried about getting his official robes, which he had just worn once, dirty.

Anyway, Qin Yu will wash it, so I don't need to lift a finger.

Seeing that the little beggar did not take the pot of wine, he took it back and drank a sip himself.

Xiao Qi kept sizing up Tang Huan, observing him carefully, afraid of upsetting him.

"You haven't answered my question yet."

Xiao Qi then remembered and quickly said, "Yes, the South District has always been like this, at least as far back as I can remember. It's dirty and dilapidated everywhere, and most people are cold and indifferent..."

"When did you start being a beggar?" Tang Huan asked casually.

After the court session ended, I wanted to go back to sleep for a while, but the cold wind made me wide awake.

After going out, he saw that Wanfuji had already started promoting Fenjiu as he had planned. As he walked along, he realized that the free advertising had reached the South District, so he decided to come and take a look.

There are many beggars in the South District, many of whom are much older than Xiao Qi, and some are even younger than him, with several children as young as five or six.

These beggars either squatted or lay down to sleep, or walked around blankly, like mindless zombies.

Among these beggars, Xiao Qi is a rather special one.

Even though his clothes were dirty and worn, he had clearly cleaned himself, and his hair wasn't as messy as other people's.

That's why Tang Huan was interested in going up to him for a brief chat.

"I started living on the streets when I was ten years old, and it's been ten years now..."

Xiao Qi's answer interrupted Tang Huan's thoughts and brought his attention back.

"You're only twenty years old?"

Tang Huan was somewhat surprised. Judging from her appearance, he even thought Xiao Qi was already thirty years old, but she was actually younger than his own body.

“Yes.” Xiao Qi nodded. “I started wandering around the South District after my parents passed away.”

At this point, Xiaoqi couldn't help but think of the past.

Although she was facing a stranger, Tang Huan made Xiao Qi feel warm and made her want to talk more.

“Actually, our life was pretty good back then. My dad worked as a laborer, and my mom sewed insoles at home. Every month, after deducting the rent, we had enough to eat, and occasionally we could even have meat a few times.”

“At that time, my dad was working hard to save money, wanting to buy a small house in the South District. Although it wasn’t big, it would be enough to shelter us from the wind and rain.”

“Our family had saved a lot of money by living frugally, and we were only short of the last ten taels of silver. During that time, my father worked desperately, hoping to bring us a better life as soon as possible. As a result, he injured his leg when the goods fell on him because he didn’t get enough rest.”

“He refused to spend money on treatment and kept enduring the pain. A month later, he suddenly fell ill and died. After my father was buried, my mother also fell ill and never recovered. Six months later, she had almost exhausted all her savings and then one night she never woke up again.”

When Xiaoqi spoke of these things, she was very calm, as if she were telling someone else's story.

Perhaps, he has thought about those things countless times over the years.

“After my mother passed away, I was kicked out because I had no money. At first, people my father knew from his work would give me a meal and let me sleep in their houses, but after a while, no one wanted to see me anymore…”

What is a worker's friend?

They can only be workers.

Everyone's life is difficult. Occasional help is not a problem, but if it continues, no one can hold on for long.

After that, Xiaoqi began her life of wandering, becoming a beggar, struggling to survive by scavenging leftovers every day.

Tang Huan listened silently, not saying a word, and just kept drinking.

Finally, Xiaoqi couldn't hold back any longer and asked shyly, "May I have a sip of wine?"

Tang Huan handed over the wine pot, "There's not much left, you shouldn't get drunk."

After trembling as she took the wine pot, Xiao Qi slowly brought it to her lips, carefully took a sip, and a satisfied expression appeared on her face.

"Thank you."

Tang Huan felt a pang of sadness as she looked at Xiao Qi's forced smile.

Once upon a time, the people of Qihuai County were in the same situation.

He stood up, patted Xiaoqi on the shoulder, and said, "You haven't eaten, have you? Come on, let's go get something to eat."

Xiao Qi squatted on the ground and looked up at Tang Huan.

His eyes revealed a longing, but he did not move.

In fact, he hadn't eaten anything all day.

"What, you don't want to come with me?"

Xiao Qi quickly shook her head, "No, actually I'm very hungry and want to eat, but I don't want others to see me with you. You're an adult, right? People will laugh at you if they see you with a beggar."

"I am already very satisfied to be able to talk to you and have a sip of your wine."

“You shouldn’t continue sitting here with me; it’ll be embarrassing if others see you like this…”

Tang Huan fell silent.

He, who had always been carefree, was now in a heavy mood. He didn't say anything, but simply pulled Xiaoqi up from the ground.

They were clearly the same age, but Xiao Qi was in poor health due to years of hunger. Tang Huan estimated that Xiao Qi was less than 1.7 meters tall and probably weighed only a pitiful 90 kilograms.

A man, but all that's left is a skeleton, as if a gust of wind could knock him over.

"Let's see who dares to laugh at you!"

Xiaoqi said with difficulty, "I'm worried that people will laugh at you, and I don't want to cause you any trouble."

Tang Huan retorted angrily, "So what? All beings are equal. Does being an official make me any more noble than you? What makes those high-ranking officials and wealthy merchants better than you? Haven't you tried your best to live? Compared to you, they're just lucky to have been born into a good family."

Xiao Qi was stunned for a moment.

Are all beings equal?

Am I, a beggar, just like everyone else?

These words sounded so unbelievable, but the adult spoke so earnestly that Xiaoqi felt a warmth spread through her chest.

With a stern face, Tang Huan forcibly led Xiao Qi away from the low wall, so that she would no longer have to smell the strong stench around her.

He took Xiaoqi to the nearest inn.

As soon as I entered, the waiter greeted me with a smile, but his expression immediately changed when he saw Xiao Qi behind him.

Xiao Qi noticed this change in expression and awkwardly hid behind Tang Huan, whispering, "Sir, perhaps I should go back."

Tang Huan glared at the waiter and took out a silver note. "Get a room and a good meal."

The shop assistant, his eyes lighting up at the sight of money, immediately smiled and said, "Please wait a moment, sir, I'll go arrange it right away."

There are quite a few guesthouses in the southern area, and quite a few guests stay there, since the guesthouses here are cheaper.

However, they are rarely seen during the day.

The hall was rather deserted, with only Tang Huan and Xiao Qi present.

The food and wine were served quickly, and thanks to the silver notes, the table was filled with food.

Xiaoqi's eyes lit up when she saw the large amount of fish and meat in front of her, and she couldn't help but swallow her saliva repeatedly.

"Eat."

Tang Huan sighed, "But eat slowly, be careful not to choke."

Many people are prone to overeating and drinking after prolonged periods of hunger, which can lead to their deaths.