On a chilly winter morning in the border town, the air was biting, and a cold atmosphere permeated the streets. It was still early, and the shops lining the streets were not yet open, with only a few breakfast stalls bustling about. A thin layer of snow covered the streets, crunching underfoot. A gust of wind blew by, bringing a biting chill. Few pedestrians were seen; only a few early risers, bundled in thick cotton-padded coats, hurried past, their necks hunched.

At the entrance of the Huo family's residence in Hualiu Lane, an adult and two children, carrying luggage, were preparing to set off for a dilapidated temple outside the county.

The two children sniffled and said...

"Having to get up early in the morning to suffer"

Huo Xiaolong didn't respond, knowing he was in the wrong.

"Dad, is it heavy on your back? Let me help you carry some of it."

The man waved his hand and exhaled a few breaths of cold air from behind his mask.

"It's not heavy, hurry up and go, come back after you've delivered it, don't let either of you get cold."

"Alright, Uncle Huo!"

Hou Xiangxiang adores Huo Xiaolong's father. The young girl thinks there's no better father in the world. How can there be such a wonderful man?! He dotes on his wife and children! So many beautiful women pass by him in brothels, yet they don't even glance at him. If only she had a father like that! Another day of envying her little sister, Long'er…

The ground was a bit slippery and difficult to walk on. The group had just moved to the entrance of the red-light district.

—The door creaked open, and a head popped out, saying in a cheeky tone.

"Huo Xiaolong, did you get beaten up yesterday?"

The one speaking is Er Gouzi. Yesterday, Huo Xiaolong was humming as he ran, and he learned it from him.

"My mother would never hit me! She loves me the most!" Huo Xiaolong said to him, head held high.

"Give me a break! I heard you crying all day yesterday, and Hou Xiangxiang cried too!"

"Er Gouzi, why are you so annoying?"

The two little girls picked up snowflakes from the doorway and threw them inside, until the boy disappeared and the door was closed.

"You said he's like the old lady under the big tree in the flower bed, always making noise!"

"Of course!"

The two little girls chatted and sniffled, walking along with uneven steps.

"Dad, are you going to be broke next month?"

Why did the topic suddenly shift to him again? Huo Shuwen looked puzzled, but remained expressionless as he answered...

"Yeah, your mom said she won't give it to me next month."

The man had nowhere to spend his money, and He Yi spent all the money she gave him on the women at home. If she didn't give him any more, so be it, as long as he could have a hot meal on time every day.

"It's alright, Dad, I have some, here you go," Huo Xiaolong said, taking out five taels of silver from his purse.

"Dad, look how righteous I am! I can't let you suffer for nothing."

So I should thank you? Huo Shuwen knew that his daughter was not short of money. Even if He Yi didn't give her any, everyone at Fengyuelou would line up to give her pocket money.

The little girl kept all the money she received, and asking Huo Shuwen to buy her cotton-padded trousers was just being stingy; she was afraid she wouldn't have enough money for the war chariot.

"Um"

The eagle didn't know what to say. Was it inappropriate for his daughter to be friends with his two brothers? The group kept talking the whole way, and the two kids had already told them everything about how to spend the New Year.

"This is a dilapidated temple?"

It seems so.

The two little girls were stunned when they saw the dilapidated house with drafts coming from all sides. Could anyone live in this? Wouldn't several people freeze to death in the dead of winter?

—Knock knock knock

Is anyone there?

Who is it?

A crisp response came from inside the house. The dilapidated temple didn't have a door; it was just a bunch of broken wooden planks pieced together to block the wind.

"I've come to deliver some things to you."

Many families in the neighborhood bring here things they don't need anymore. Who's rich? It's just a matter of helping out where we can.

The wooden planks were removed, and the one leading the group was a little girl of about ten years old, followed by several children who were about the same age as Hou Xiangxiang.

"I recognize you. You're that kid from the brothel."

These little beggars only hide here in winter; in summer, they all roam the streets begging for food. They often go to brothels because that's the only place they can get a few bites of meat. If they go to the back door of a restaurant, they'll get beaten up; only brothels will give them leftovers.

The children were all dirty, their faces were black, and they smelled bad.

"These are cotton-padded pants, here you go..."

The young girl in the lead reached out and took it, thanked Huo Xiaolong, and then asked...

Are you still hiring at Fengyue Tower these days?

"I'm not confessing anymore."

"oh"

Looking past the children into the house, there were more than ten children inside, and even an infant being held between two elderly people.

Their only source of warmth was two small fires, and the room was filled with the acrid smell of smoke. But between freezing to death and enduring the choking, their only choice was to live.

He could have just handed over the things and left, but seeing this scene, Huo Xiaolong was reluctant to move.

Neither in her past life nor in this one, she had ever witnessed such a scene—a scene where everyone's misery seemed to be taken for granted. How could it be like this? How could people live like this?

The little dumpling picked at its fingers, and after a long while, finally managed to utter a sentence.

How are you all celebrating the New Year?

"Just live like that, it's good enough that we're alive."

The young girl leading the group was also a little confused. She had already thanked him, but did he feel that she hadn't thanked him enough? Why wasn't the child leaving? After the door was left open for a while, the warmth inside dissipated.

"Oh, what are you eating?"

Huo Xiaolong raised his head, looked directly at the little girl in front of him, and asked...

"Eat this."

The child behind him pulled a moldy, frozen, hard coarse grain bun from his pocket and showed it to Huo Xiaolong.

"It's delicious! My older sister got it for us! Do you want some?"

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