Chapter 5 The Big Fat Sheep
"Dog, something terrible has happened! Your father has been beaten by the brothel!" In the early morning, half asleep, I heard someone shout.
I suddenly opened my eyes and wiped away my drool. Just now, in my dream, I was feasting on a table full of delicious food, completely oblivious to the time.
The dog bit its lip, then suddenly stood up and rushed out of the thatched shed.
"Hehe, do you think Miss Huifeng will come back with Dog's father?" a beggar laughed from the side.
"Hmph, who would come? Who would give up the fine clothes and delicacies of a brothel to beg with a beggar?" A woman in dirty and tattered clothes scoffed disdainfully from the side.
"Haha, you're envious, aren't you?" A middle-aged man next to her laughed, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth. He casually hooked his arm around the woman's shoulder. "How about you learn from the girls in the brothels and let me have some fun?"
"Go away, go away! If you're going to serve a man, you should serve a master. I don't need to debase myself to serve a bald-headed woman like you!" The woman slapped away the hand with the big yellow teeth and chuckled.
"Heh heh, with your looks? If you could get into a brothel, would you be a beggar woman? Haha..." Big Yellow Tooth laughed loudly, "Only I, your master, am willing to put up with this..."
"If you ask me, Miss Huifeng is the most popular courtesan in the brothel. Her red lips have been tasted by a thousand men, and her jade arms have been slept with by ten thousand men. She's so enchanting... No wonder Gou'er's father went bankrupt. Women are trouble, especially beautiful women!" A skinny old man said sarcastically.
"Hehe, old man, you've tasted it, and even used it as a pillow? You're making it sound so real." Big Yellow Teeth grinned, as if afraid others wouldn't know how yellow his teeth were.
The thin old man was somewhat embarrassed and angrily shook his head without saying a word.
"Sigh, Dog's dad... he's probably going to get beaten to death this time..." the woman who was holding the child last night sighed softly.
"Tsk tsk, to go to such lengths for a woman..."
I suddenly stood up, interrupting everyone's gossip. Everyone looked up at me, thinking I had some insightful opinion.
I hung up my crossbody bag, grabbed my down jacket in one hand, and left the thatched hut.
Everyone should mind their own business and not worry about what others are going through. It's best to protect yourself and avoid causing trouble.
Outside the dilapidated house, there was a well.
I rinsed my mouth with water, looked at my reflection in the well, and saw my long hair hanging haphazardly down. Looking down at myself, my oversized black T-shirt and faded jeans were so torn they were unrecognizable. My back was stained with bloodstains from yesterday's sixty strokes of the cane, and the stench of sweat mingled with the stench of the night—a truly horrifying sight. No wonder no one noticed anything amiss with my attire; I was now… a veritable beggar…
Fortunately, I'm good at making money without any initial investment. Hehe, there are 360 professions, and every profession can produce an expert. Having a skill to protect yourself is definitely not bad... Someone is shamelessly shameless...
Humming a little tune, I bent down again, smeared some dirt on my face, and prepared to get to work.
Strolling along the main street, Xuchang seemed to be a thriving city. Perhaps because it was the capital, there were quite a few high-ranking officials and nobles. It was just a pity that those officials all hid in their sedan chairs, enjoying their comfort while I couldn't find anyone to take advantage of.
My stomach had been growling for a while, and I was staring longingly at the tempting roadside stall when someone shoved me away, adding, "Go away, go away, what are you looking at, you stinking beggar..."
Grinding my teeth in resentment, I had no choice but to walk away.
From afar, three men approached. On the left was a burly man with hair and beard standing on end. On the right was a man with fair skin, standing nine feet tall and with a handsome appearance. In contrast, the man in the middle appeared somewhat ordinary at first glance. He was taller than the one on the left and shorter than the one on the right. He wore a lacquered gauze hat and a long robe with wide sleeves.
But my professional judgment is impeccable; this is a fat sheep, an absolutely huge fat sheep!
My hands started to itch, so I strode forward and pretended to bump into the man in the middle of the group.
"Watch where you're going!" the burly man yelled at me, his voice booming like thunder.
I nodded hurriedly, my face full of fear.
“Miss, please don’t mind. My brother meant no harm,” the man said with a smile, his voice gentle and refined.
"Girl?" I was slightly taken aback. Not bad, she could even tell I was a girl! This guy has sharp eyes. I nodded quickly and then hurried away.
As I reached a corner, I looked down at the bulging little bag in my hand with a smile. It certainly lived up to my expectations.
I nodded happily, but was immediately disappointed. There was only a plain silk cloth inside. When I pulled it out, I was stunned. There were spots of bright red blood on the white silk cloth. It looked like a letter, but unfortunately, the words on it were familiar to me, but I couldn't read them.
With my back against the wall, I was a little annoyed. I thought I was easy prey, but I ended up with someone I couldn't mess with. Not only did I not get a single penny, but what normal person would write a letter in blood? It must involve some incredible secret.
As for me... I have absolutely no interest in that secret. Because it could cost me my life at any moment...
I turned my head and looked at the small noodle stall beside me, feeling utterly dejected. Ah, if only I could exchange this blood-written letter for a bowl of noodles…
At that time, I had no idea about the origin of that blood-written letter... It was far more earth-shattering than I had imagined...
My stomach was growling with hunger, so I looked down, opened my bag, peeled off a chocolate, and popped it into my mouth, feeling the rich aroma melt in my mouth... Sigh, there are only ten chocolates left, I have to eat them sparingly.
From afar, the three men who had just returned were seen. One of the men was relatively calm, while the other two looked anxious.
I frowned slightly and considered the matter in my mind. Keeping that blood-written letter might bring trouble, so I might as well find an excuse to return it. Maybe I'd even owe it to someone.
After thinking it over, I stuffed the plain silk with the blood-written letter back into my bag and rushed toward them.
"Young master! Young master!" I shouted.
The man turned around and looked at me, his calm expression carrying a hint of inquiry.
"This is the bag you dropped, isn't it?" I smiled and presented the small bag with both hands.
The next second, I felt a chill on my neck, and I was immediately too scared to move. A sharp, large knife was being brought towards my neck.
"What... are you doing?" I was so frightened that my voice trembled. I stared at the pale-faced man with the knife, whose face was full of murderous intent. I knew he really intended to kill me.
"You thief, you must have stolen my brother's things! Tell me! Did you see anything?" The burly, dark-faced man next to me shoved me roughly and roared.
Taking advantage of his push, I quickly sat down on the ground, dodging the gleaming broadsword. "A gentleman loves money, but he earns it honestly! How can you look down on me like this! Even if I'm just a beggar, I still have dignity!" I gritted my teeth, speaking with indignation. A gentleman indeed, but a gentleman on the roof beam.
"Hmph!" the dark-faced giant snorted coldly.
Filled with grief and indignation, I lunged straight at the broadsword, shouting, "A scholar can be killed but not humiliated! This little beggar may be poor, but he has no short-sighted spirit! I brought you what I found, and yet you humiliated me for no reason. You might as well just kill me!"
Just as I was about to run into the blade, the pale-faced man still showed no intention of sheathing his sword. My heart skipped a beat, and realizing that my plan had failed, I turned and ran away.
"Hey!" The burly man with the dark face panicked when he saw that I was really going to walk into the line of fire, and quickly grabbed me.
Ouch… I frowned. What a rude guy. Luckily, he grabbed me, otherwise this whole thing would have been a disaster.
"Second brother." The man standing in the middle finally spoke, his voice gentle. He raised his hand to block the large knife in the pale-faced man's hand. "There's no need to be alarmed. I think the young lady means no harm."
I secretly breathed a sigh of relief, but my stomach started growling unexpectedly.
"Haha, this girl is really interesting!" the burly man with the dark face laughed. "Brother, second brother, why don't we find a place to get something to eat?"
My eyes lit up as soon as I heard there was something to eat.
"Third brother." The man with the knife frowned slightly, seemingly unwilling to deal with me, a guy of unknown origin.
"It's alright, consider it my thanks to the young lady for returning the lost item." Although his appearance was not particularly outstanding, the man in the middle always had an aura that made it impossible to look away. He was gentle and refined, but his eyes were so deep that I dared not look him directly in the eye.
Who exactly are these people?
But the thought of having something to eat made me lose my backbone and hurriedly follow them.
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