"Ying'er, let's go outside and talk." Xie Yuancheng's face was expressionless, so I had no choice but to follow behind. After I got on my horse, I looked back and saw that everyone in the village had gone inside.
When I turned around, I saw the little girl being lifted up, struggling with her bare feet, which shone brightly in the sun. She was thin from hunger, had a pretty face, but her personality wasn't very likable.
Fortunately, Xie Yuancheng and I have good backgrounds and have three children, which allows us to provide them with a good life. We don't have to worry about going hungry or having to rely on others for food.
Lingwu rode up on his horse and asked, "Senior brother, what's wrong with this village?"
"That's what they said. I've been to this village before, but the people are completely different. I just asked a few questions and found out that the little girl who was beaten earlier is indeed an orphan."
Her parents were swept away by the flood, leaving her all alone. From then on, she relied on the kindness of others; every household, whenever it was their turn, would give her food and a bed.
I touched the clothes; there were oil stains on them, left by the little girl. "It's a good thing, but how did she end up looking like a beggar, even her shoes are torn?"
"Yes, I need to go back and ask the teacher. Luckily, Lingwu is here, so you can handle things from now on."
I've been thinking, "Was she abused by the villagers, and that's how she ended up like this?"
"It's not impossible. Everyone in the village knows martial arts. If we fight head-on, we can probably win, but we might end up getting injured."
Xie Yuancheng tightened his grip on the horse's belly, and the horse ran very fast. I asked him if it was true, and whether we should take the little girl in.
"Ying'er, our three little ones aren't enough for you to spoil, you want to spoil a stranger."
"I... I just felt sorry for her. When I got close, I could tell she had bad breath and an even stronger body odor. A five or six-year-old child should smell like milk. Besides, we have money; we can raise another one."
"Of course I can raise her, but you don't know her background. It's strange that you would raise a complete stranger's child based solely on appearances."
I leaned against Xie Yuancheng's chest and thought, "It broke my heart to see her being carried away."
"You'll be like this after you become a mother. She was asking you for food just now, and she didn't look like she was being abused. There's a post station not far away. Let's rest there and send a message to the teacher."
I was relieved. If it really took three or four days to go back and then come back, the little girl would have starved to death.
The post station was indeed not far. After we dismounted, Xie Yuancheng arranged for me to stay in the room while he went with Lingwu to inquire about things.
The messages they were sending were in characters I couldn't understand, but the sudden increase in taxes, whether in Linyang or the capital, was a big deal.
The taxes in Dazhao were always set by the emperor. Unless it was a very wealthy place, local officials or princes would not voluntarily increase taxes unless they wanted to curry favor with the royal family.
People's lives are already hard enough; adding taxes would only make things worse for them.
I waited for a while before Ling Wu came in first: "Sister-in-law, my senior brother and I are going to take some people back to the village to take a look. No matter what noises are going on outside, please have the people at the post station keep watch and don't open the gate."
Where did Yuan Cheng go?
"My senior brother is counting heads. He asked me to come in and tell you not to be misled by his kindness and end up abandoning him."
I blushed at Lingwu's words and quickly assured him that I wouldn't, then went out with him. This post station was very simple; all we had to do was guard the gate.
"But why are we guarding the gate?"
“There are things inside the post station, very important things. If we open the door and let others in, the things will be lost.”
I nodded and went out with Lingwu. Xie Yuancheng had already changed his clothes. He looked really handsome in his official robes.
"Ying'er, you must remember what Lingwu said."
I nodded quickly and straightened his clothes, saying, "I know."
"Someone will be coming soon. Just stay with the girls and nannies inside. As long as you don't open the door, nothing will happen."
"You've made me curious too, what exactly happened?"
"I'll tell you when I get back. It's getting late. If we go now, they won't be able to escape."
I saw them out, then went inside and asked everyone to close the windows and doors. Half an incense stick later, there was a sound from the roof, but it quickly quieted down.
The room was full of young women, cooks, and old ladies. I quickly reassured them, "Don't be afraid, everyone."
"Young master, could you please put your sword away?" A maid-like girl spoke timidly. Only then did I put the Phantom Sword on the table and sit down next to them.
"Don't worry, I've had this sword since I was a child. By the way, is there a little girl in a village very close to the desolate mountains who lives off the kindness of others?"
An older cook came over and said, "Yes, she was all dirty. When I used to deliver food to the village, I originally said I would take care of her. My family only has boys, and I wanted to have a little sister."
Who knew she'd complain about my clothes? I offered her chicken legs, but she threw them away.
I was shocked: "She's gone. She was quite pretty."
"That's right, girls like this are rare in the villages around here. I saw her being bullied by the villagers and tried to help her out of kindness, but I was completely ungrateful."
“That’s strange. I gave her some dried meat today, and she ate it. Although there was no meat in the rice bowl, the vegetables were still fresh.”
"Young master, did you give her food?" The girls around her gathered around: "You're really brave. She eats whatever food is given to her by well-dressed people, and after she finishes eating, she even rolls around and wants to follow them."
"No way, she's only five or six years old."
"Yes, I heard that her parents, relying on their past kindness to the village, always brought this up. Later, they rolled down the mountain, one after another, leaving behind their lovely daughter."
That daughter was rarely favored at home and wouldn't even look at people like us dressed in commoner clothes. Once, a wealthy family wanted to take her as a child bride and bring her to live in the city.
She, on the contrary, beat the chosen girl to tears on the spot and insisted on going herself. Unfortunately, that family didn't want her, and later everyone in the village moved away, but somehow someone else moved in.
The shock lingered in my mind for a long time. This girl was quite fierce; how could she be bullied?
"I heard that the people in the village all know some kung fu, but I wonder where they come from?"
They were talking, and I sat in the middle listening; it was all trivial stuff. No wonder those people looked like they knew some martial arts; they weren't from the village after all.
Unfortunately, I have no intention of adopting that little girl anymore. If that's the case, my little ones will suffer in the future.
The way she asked me for food today probably matches up now. No wonder Xie Yuancheng and Ling Wu told me not to be too soft-hearted. She didn't even ask about the situation before acting pitiful.
It's pitiful, but also hateful. Someone is willing to take care of her, yet she still looks down on them for being poor.
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