"Heaven have mercy, there is a famine in my hometown, and the village is full of starving people. I just want to taste what rice tastes like. Is there any kind person who can help me? Porridge will also be fine."

Under the blazing sun, people came and went on the overpass. Occasionally, someone would glance at the girl begging on the street, cast a strange and horrified look at her, and then sigh and say, "No change, no change," before hurrying past.

Even after walking a long distance, Bi Xie could still hear a few fragmented sentences—

"Is this girl mentally challenged? What is that thing painted on her face?!"

"He must be seriously ill. He's all bundled up in this heat, and his clothes have so many tattered pockets. He looks just like Hong Qigong, the leader of the Beggars' Sect!"

"Hahaha, even Hong Qigong is dressed cleaner than her!"

"Honestly, she's so young, with all her limbs intact, what job can't she do to earn money? Why does she have to beg? I really despise these unambitious, lazy guys who just kneel down and beg for money! Listen to the nonsense she just spouted, famine? What era is this? Famine? Idiot!"

The man's companion joined in the cursing: "Idiot, brain-dead, hahaha."

"..."

The five little devils had now completely considered Bi Xie as one of their own. Hearing these offensive words, they were so angry that they flew around the girl's head, yelling, "What are you doing? Didn't you hear them cursing you? Why aren't you angry! Go and beat them up! Chop them up!"

"Don't you have a knife?"

"Didn't you just get 30,000 yuan in film pay? How come you're begging under the overpass?"

"And he even painted his face like this, it's hideous, so dark and ugly!"

"So dark and ugly!"

"So dark and ugly!"

A few little devils chirped and chattered like sparrows. Bi Xie had been squatting under the overpass for several days, garnering many strange and frightened glances, but only managed to collect a pitiful dozen or so yuan from the porcelain bowl in front of him.

Looking across the street at my colleague who was missing half a tooth and had a lisp, I immediately felt ashamed of myself.

Standing up, Bi Xie humbly stepped forward, pressed his hand on his companion's empty calf, then looked up, and said with a smile, "Brother, how did you shrink that leg? It looks really realistic. Teach me, okay? Once I learn it, I'll go beg on another street and I definitely won't steal your business!"

The colleague who had been putting on a pitiful smile almost jumped up in shock when she reached up to touch him. Luckily, he reacted quickly enough, only jumping halfway before bracing himself with both hands and moving back a meter. He looked at her as if she were crazy. "What are you doing? This is real, I'm really lame. What shrinkage or not, get away from me, I'm warning you..."

Bi Xie continued to laugh, reassuringly saying, "Calm down, calm down, don't be nervous. I don't really understand the techniques either. I just wanted to ask you for advice, brother. Look at me, I've only managed to beg for a dozen yuan in the past three days, not even enough to buy a bowl of beef noodles. I'm really starving."

Her companion, who had been backing away in fear from her grotesque, smeared face, changed his expression immediately upon hearing her words. His tone was ambiguous, a mix of sarcasm and something else, as he said, "What do I care if you starve to death? You've come here begging for food from a beggar like me? Are you getting out or not?"

"That's not what I meant, brother. Why are you in such a hurry?" Bi Xie smiled and sat down next to him.

For a moment I was distracted, my colleague grabbed his rice bowl and ran off like the wind, yelling as he ran, "Damn it, what bad luck! If you don't get out, I'm out!"