She gripped Yi Shuihan's wrist tightly, almost crying out.
Just as he was about to step forward to stop the other party, Yi Shuihan's voice rang out: "What do you want to do?"
His tone was cold, as if he were speaking to her.
She turned her head and saw that a skinny, monkey-like boy had appeared beside them at some point. Yi Shuihan was gripping the boy's wrist and questioning him sharply.
The boy struggled desperately, trying to break free from Yi Shuihan's grasp.
After realizing he couldn't break free, he knelt down with a thud.
"Sir, have mercy! I haven't eaten for three days. Please, sir, give me a few coins to buy some steamed buns."
"Trying to steal money and then resorting to begging?"
Yi Shui coldly laughed.
"You're quite clever."
The boy hung his head and remained silent.
Seeing that he was extremely thin, Xiao Qingyin took his pulse and said to Yi Shuihan, "He wasn't lying; he really has been starving for several days."
"How could he be so hungry?" Yi Shuihan frowned. "At his age, he should be able to find work on his own."
How could someone with hands and feet let themselves starve to death?
The boy suddenly started wiping away tears: "The debt collectors are following me around all day, and I don't even have money to eat while I'm working."
Xiao Qingyin was taken aback.
Upon further inquiry, it was learned that the child was originally from a wealthy family who ran a cloth business. He had never lacked food or clothing since childhood. However, at the beginning of the year, his father became addicted to tranquilizers, which drained the family fortune and left them with a large debt.
The debt collectors came to his door demanding money, beat his father to death, and threatened his mother, saying they would take her to a brothel if she didn't pay back the money.
His mother, overwhelmed by the burden, hanged herself.
In the blink of an eye, he was left all alone at home. The house had long been mortgaged, leaving him homeless and destitute on the streets.
At first, I thought about finding work, but before I could even enjoy the wages I received, they were snatched away by debt collectors.
He could only eat food that others had thrown on the ground.
There were many beggars on the street, and the food they had was not enough to go around. He also had little experience surviving on the streets, and often went for days without eating anything.
He was so hungry that he tried to steal money.
Unexpectedly, he was caught red-handed as soon as he made a move.
Xiao Qingyin sighed and gave him a dime.
I dare not give him too much, for fear that he might not be able to keep it and could even lose his life as a result.
The boy kowtowed several times, expressing his gratitude profusely, before getting up and heading straight to the nearby steamed bun shop. After buying the buns, he wolfed them down, afraid that if he was too slow, someone would snatch them away.
Xiao Qingyin felt a little heavy-hearted.
"If we don't ban the tranquilizer, these kinds of things will only increase."
She said to Yi Shuihan.
At that time, the once prosperous Southern Yue will surely be reduced to a living hell.
Yi Shuihan kept a straight face and remained silent.
Xiao Qingyin was in a daze for a moment before she remembered the dzi bead.
"I almost forgot I found that bead because of that interruption."
Where?
Xiao Qingyin looked around, but the bamboo sedan chair had long since been moved to who-knows-where.
However, she wasn't in a hurry. The man didn't look like an ordinary person; the people in the restaurant should recognize him.
So he went in and asked a waiter.
The waiter replied, "Riding in a bamboo sedan chair? I don't recognize you, this is the first time I've seen one."
Xiao Qingyin: "..."
Is she going to miss out on this dzi bead?
"I've sent someone to look for it."
Yi Shuihan said to her.
"They just left recently, so they shouldn't be hard to find."
Xiao Qingyin nodded; she had no choice but to agree.
The two strolled around outside for a while longer before returning to the inn to rest.
The news came out in the evening.
“That man is Song Qingshan,” Yi Shuihan said, “the leader of the Qingshan Gang, one of the five major pirate gangs in Nanyue.”
Xiao Qingyin asked in surprise, "The leader of the Green Mountain Gang? What's he doing in Nanyue City?"
After Qiu Sanniang fought a battle with the Prince of Dai, she didn't even dare to go to the dock. How dare this Chief Song swagger into Nanyue City?
“He is very low-key and never shows his face. It is always the second-in-command who makes appearances. Even the authorities do not know his identity.”
Yi Shuihan replied.
“He usually lives on an island, and he returned to South Vietnam for medical treatment.”
Xiao Qingyin couldn't help but ask curiously, "Even the authorities don't know his background, how did you find out?"
Yi Shuihan pinched her earlobe: "Of course I'm better than the official ones."
Xiao Qingyin: "..."
"Alright, alright, I know you're amazing. Do you know what illness he has?"
"Arthritis. It seems like there's something wrong with his right knee joint. It often gets locked and he can't bend it."
Xiao Qingyin's eyes lit up.
"If I can cure him, he should give me the dzi bead, right?"
Yi Shuihan smiled and said, "I'm afraid he might not be willing to let you treat him."
"Why?"
“Our identities cannot be verified, and he will not rashly use a doctor with an unknown background.”
"What if we tell him that we are Third Sister's friends?"
"It's hard to say."
"Do the Hongyuan Gang and the Qingshan Gang have a grudge?"
Yi Shuihan shook his head: "No, the Green Mountain Gang has always kept to itself and has no conflicts or friendships with other gangs. It's mainly because Qiu Sanniang spearheaded the pirate alliance. The five major gangs have no objection to the alliance, but the leader of the Black Tiger Gang wants to be the leader of the alliance. Song Qingshan's attitude is currently unclear, and he may not be willing to contact Qiu Sanniang's side."
Xiao Qingyin: "..."
It's really complicated.
"But perhaps, it's also possible, that he'd rather cure his own illness?"
"You'll only know once you try."
Xiao Qingyin went to try it the next day.
She and Yi Shuihan found the house where Song Qingshan was currently living in Nanyue City, and gave him a false name and their identity as doctors from the Hongyuan Gang who provided free medical services.
The housekeeper told them to wait in the south room.
He came out shortly after and said, "Master already has a specialist doctor, so there's no need for you to trouble yourself."
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