"Good girl, no money needed." The doctor squatted down in front of her and patted her little braid. "Go home and take good care of your brother."
The world is in chaos, and there are many poor people.
Life is hard for everyone, and the doctor himself wore clothes with several patches, but he still dispensed medicine and treated patients for free.
Jiang Sheng's vision blurred as she pulled the flatbed cart.
Much later, when someone asked Jiang Sheng why she could still maintain her original aspirations after so many years of hard work, she tilted her head and smiled.
Perhaps it's because along the way, I've encountered bad people, but also countless gentle, kind, and heartwarming people.
On the road.
Jiang Sheng asked, "Brother, where is your home? I'll take you home."
What she secretly thought was that the dilapidated temple really couldn't accommodate a third mouth.
But what he feared most came to pass. After a long silence, the young boy finally uttered a single sentence: "I have no home anymore."
Jiang Sheng burst into tears.
It wasn't about empathy or pity, but rather worry about what their future food would be like.
Zheng Ruqian was genuinely happy, "I don't have a home anymore either. My name is Zheng Ruqian, her name is Jiang Sheng, and yours is Jiang Sheng."
The young boy's lips moved slightly, "Xu Mo."
Jiang Sheng eventually brought Xu Mo back to the dilapidated temple.
She found the softest mattress, laid the cleanest straw on it, and together with Zheng Ruqian, carefully lifted Xu Mo off the flatbed.
Having done all this, Jiang Sheng was going to return the flatbed cart.
“I’ll go with you.” Zheng Ruqian clung to her as usual.
But this time Jiang Sheng refused.
"You stay here and take care of Brother Xu Mo." Jiang Sheng, like a little adult, pulled the cart and quickly escorted him back to the village entrance.
Not long after, she returned looking disheveled.
Uncle Zhao has a bad temper. Stealing other people's things always comes at a price. Being kicked a few times and rolled on the ground a few times is nothing.
Jiang Sheng wiped her face and began to study with great interest what to eat for dinner.
Of course, it's boiled leafy greens.
Before long, a bowl of yellowish water filled with vegetable leaves was brought to him, and Xu Mo was stunned.
"Is this all you're eating?" he asked, incredulous.
Jiang Sheng ate with great enjoyment, "Yes, these are fresh vegetable leaves."
Zheng Ruqian looked rather bitter, but he still swallowed hard; it was better to eat than to go hungry.
Xu Mo took a bite.
It wasn't even salty; it was just plain boiled vegetables in water. Even livestock would find it bland, yet this little girl ate it with such delight.
Xu Mo felt a pang of sadness and bitterness in his heart.
He looked at the new bruises on Jiang Sheng's arm, his eyes gradually hardening, "From now on, your brother will take you to eat meat."
I thought that these words would bring tears to everyone's eyes.
Unexpectedly, Jiang Sheng didn't even look up.
"Don't you want to eat meat?" Xu Mo asked curiously.
Jiang Sheng swallowed a mouthful of vegetable leaves and took a sip of vegetable soup. "It's hard enough to just stay alive now, how can there be a future?"
Yes, with three mouths to feed, even feeding them is a huge problem.
Before, Jiang Sheng was all alone. She could pick up food, steal food, or sleep to avoid hunger.
However, Zheng Ruqian couldn't stand being hungry and would cry out when he was hungry, and Xu Mo had a broken leg and was unable to move.
This is truly distressing for Miss Jiang Sheng.
After much thought, Xiao Jiangsheng decided to go begging.
"Huh? Begging?" Zheng Ruqian was stunned. He didn't live a life of luxury at the Yihong Courtyard, but he was never short of food and drink.
I never imagined I'd be kneeling down begging for food.
"No way," Xu Mo said immediately.
He was a man of pride. If his parents were alive and knew that their only son, whom they had risked their lives to protect, was now begging for food, they would probably be so angry that they would come back to life.
"We'll starve if we don't eat." Jiang Sheng stood with her hands on her hips, like a little adult. "Are you planning to starve to death?"
Xu Mo fell silent.
Zheng Ruqian glanced at the feet of Buddha, then nudged Jiang Sheng, "We can use that...that..."
There are two more golden beans hidden inside.
Jiang Sheng glared at him. "The doctor treats the illness and prescribes medicine. Are you really not going to pay me a single penny?"
Those two gold beans were meant for the doctor when I got my medicine next time.
Zheng Ruqian shrank back slightly after being scolded.
Xu Mo, on the other hand, couldn't help but show his admiration. He hadn't expected that such a homeless beggar would know how to repay kindness.
In truth, Jiang Sheng didn't really understand. She just felt that people shouldn't take advantage of doctors' kindness and shamelessly try to take advantage of them.
Besides, Uncle Zhao hid the flatbed cart at home, so if he wants to take Xu Mo to see a doctor in the future, he will have to spend money to rent the flatbed cart.
"This is all money!" Little Jiang Sheng said with heartache. "Brother Ruqian, I don't blame you because you're still young, but we need to survive. There will be many places where we need money in the future."
"I know I was wrong, I know I was wrong." Zheng Ruqian surrendered.
Jiang Sheng then shut her mouth in satisfaction.
Xu Mo, who was standing to the side, couldn't help but curl up the corners of his mouth. This was the first time he had felt a bit of joy since his family's situation had suddenly changed.
“I can earn money by copying books,” he said. “Although a book only earns a few coins, at least I won’t have to beg.”
Jiang Sheng's eyes lit up. She had only ever seen a few students carrying schoolbags when she eavesdropped on the teacher's lectures before. This was the first time she had ever been in such close contact with knowledgeable people.
"Brother Xu Mo, have you been to school?" The little girl squatted down in front of him. "Then can you teach me to read and write?"
Xu Mo nodded, meeting her bright, sparkling eyes.
But she immediately added, "As long as you don't beg."
Well, a scholar's integrity means he won't accept charity.
Jiang Sheng expressed her understanding.
If they don't beg, how will they eat?
Even if you were to copy a book, you'd have to pawn it for two copper coins, because the bookstore owner was afraid you'd run off with the book.
Xiao Jiang sighed deeply and finally decided to go to the mountains to pick mushrooms.
The saying goes, "Those who live near mountains live off the mountains, and those who live near water live off the water."
Shilipu Town is located next to Shili Mountain. Villagers often go to the mountains to pick mushrooms and dig bamboo shoots. Skilled hunters also hunt animals, selling the meat of the dead and the hides of the living, which are very valuable.
Jiang Sheng dared not covet living things, but picking up some dead things was acceptable.
She chose an early morning, carrying a tattered bamboo basket she had picked up on her back, and an old garment whose original color was no longer discernible. She then pulled Zheng Ruqian into the mountains.
"Jiang Sheng, didn't you say there were mushrooms? Why is there nothing here?" Zheng Ruqian looked around curiously.
Jiang Sheng's expression remained unchanged. "The ones outside have already been picked up by everyone. We have to go inside to pick them up."
Deep in the mountains, there is tranquility and profoundness.
The towering trees blocked out the sunlight, affecting visibility.
This was Zheng Ruqian's first time in such a place, and he was so frightened that his legs trembled. When he occasionally caught a glimpse of a long snake as thick as a wrist, he almost wet his pants.
Jiang Sheng was also afraid, but in order to feed three mouths and to earn the two copper coins needed to pawn the book copying, he had to go into the mountain and pick the mushrooms.
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