Recently, many refugees have been flocking to the border town, most of them gathering near the villages. If the villagers are tough, it's fine, but if the villagers open their doors to let them in for a meal, those refugees will steal everything from the houses. The refugees have ruined the peaceful atmosphere.
Who are you looking for?
Today, Ah Cai was watching the back door of Fengyue Tower. He saw a group of ragged, half-grown children at the entrance, led by a half-grown girl with a hawthorn hair tie on her head.
"I'm looking for Huo... Huo Xiaolong."
The little girl felt embarrassed to say her name, and a sense of inferiority welled up inside her.
"You just wait!"
Ah Cai earns so much at the brothel for a reason; they never discriminate based on who they serve, treating everyone the same. After all, everyone has their tough times, right? That's what Xiao Er thinks. We don't know anyone here, and we can't really help them, but we can at least give them a smile.
Led by A-Cai, the little girl arrived at the backyard gate. She had just been in class when Zhao Kai finished writing his article, and it was time for her to put on her splint again.
Moreover, things are quite chaotic outside the county lately, and the mothers are keeping their daughters from going out to play. If they really want to get together, they have to go to each other's houses.
Then the adults will bring it back to me in the evening.
Huo Xiaolong looked at Huo Panli standing at the door, her eyes filled with tears, biting her lower lip. When she saw the person who came, she knelt down on the ground with a thud.
"Can...can you help me?"
The little girl didn't say anything, and before she could even react to what was happening, she suddenly knelt down.
"Just help me this once, just this once! From now on, we'll all work for you, we'll even sign contracts of servitude! Please!"
The children behind Huo Panli knelt down with their sister, including several children who were about the same age as Huo Xiaolong. They followed suit as their sister kowtowed one by one.
The young woman knew perfectly well that out of so many people in the world, she had specifically chosen to ask a child for help because she knew Huo Xiaolong was kind-hearted. She knew that the little boy was the easiest to persuade, otherwise he wouldn't have brought them food and winter clothes on the eve of the Lunar New Year.
As long as Huo Xiaolong agrees, her family will definitely help.
It was their own impure thoughts, but they really had no other choice. They had no money, and everything they owned had been taken away by refugees from the south.
She could fight with stray dogs for food, she could steal and rob, but that money was simply not enough to pay for medical treatment.
Huo Xiaolong, the little girl who gave her the name, was her last hope.
The little dumpling still remembers the first time he saw Huo Pan's sword. It was firm and unyielding, like a pine tree. What could possibly make someone like that cry and kowtow to beg for help?
She crouched down, grabbed Huo Pan's sword and clothes, and pulled them up.
"Stop crying, tell me what happened first."
"Yesterday, refugees from the south occupied the dilapidated temple, robbed us, and even beat us. The old man with the white beard, to protect us, is now..."
The little girl sobbed and flinched back. Behind her, two elderly people were struggling to carry a stretcher, on which lay the eccentric old man with the white beard from that day.
"Can you help me save him? I'll pay you back. I'll be yours for life. We're willing to risk our lives for you, we'll do anything for you."
Huo Panli had seen countless deaths and injuries. The children he had been with during his years of wandering had disappeared without a trace before, but this time was different.
The white-bearded old man taught them to read, and several of his younger siblings could already write their own names. He even told them that he would have a name.
She has a name now, and he said she will be very powerful in the future. Huo Panlijian thought that he would let the white-bearded old man see the day when he was most powerful.
"Miss Huo... please, I'm just like my eldest sister, you can order me around however you want."
"We are too."
"right"
The two elderly people looked at the children with tears in their eyes. They were already extremely fortunate to have received a helping hand from these kind people; they dared not ask for anything more.
Cen Ang and He Yi were looking at the account books inside the house when they heard a commotion of crying in the backyard, so they rushed out to see what was going on.
"What are you standing there for? Go and fetch a doctor," the woman ordered.
"Yousheng, Wenye, go and get a few people to clean up the house behind my house that used to be a paper mill."
"Yes, Madam He."
"Stop standing there like idiots, hurry up and bring them in!"
Huo Panli was dumbfounded. Before the little dumpling could even agree, the two women who suddenly appeared had already arranged everything.
"Mom, I've caused you both trouble again," Huo Xiaolong said softly.
"You're all talk."
Hehe~
The two mothers couldn't see that their daughter wanted to help, but helping would cause a lot of trouble for the family. When they came out, the little girl was fidgeting with her hands, struggling with an internal conflict: if you're going to help, you should either go all the way or not help at all.
I promised to treat that old man today, but what about all the elderly, weak, sick, and disabled people at the gate? The dilapidated temple has already been occupied; where will they live? With things so chaotic outside, it's not safe for a group of children to stay out there.
Fortunately, the family still has some business, so they can manage to take care of the children.
"What are you waiting for? Come in!"
Upon hearing Cen Ang's words, the little girl waved her hand, signaling the two elderly people to carry the stretcher inside.
"You're coming in too?"
"Madam...we...are dirty."
From the moment he washed up before dinner that day, Huo Panlijian knew that the people at Fengyue Tower were all clean-loving, unlike them, who were covered in dust and dressed in rags...
"Go wash it if it's dirty."
"ah?"
"Er Ya, take these children to that courtyard, give them some basins, and let them wash themselves properly," Cen Ang instructed, handing Er Ya a silver ingot.
"Okay, Mom!"
Er Ya always does things in a swift and efficient manner. She ordered a few of the maids who had accompanied her that time to work together, and while she was at it, she went to Scarface's house and asked Fu Ping to bring Monkey and Da Niu over.
There are several boys among the children, and there are some things that are inconvenient for them to do.
A group of children stood awkwardly in the courtyard. The maids brought out their old clothes that they no longer wore, and even the waiter brought a few pieces.
"Boys, go to that room. Girls, come with me. Everyone, take a good shower today. We'll go to the brothel after you're done."
Thank you, sister.
You're welcome, hurry up!
"Don't be shy, how can you wash without taking your clothes off?"
These kids clearly haven't had a proper bath before; they're completely naked. Last time, they were just given a quick wipe down.
Huo Panli stepped into the bathtub and sank completely in, too embarrassed to show her face.
"This is for washing your hair. Remember to wash your hair yourself in a little while, and then teach your younger siblings how to brush their teeth."
"brush teeth?"
"Okay! Brush your teeth, like this."
A round-faced girl demonstrated brushing her teeth, and the little girl in the bathtub nodded in agreement.
"I remember, sister."
Surrounded by hot water, she felt that today was the most comfortable day of her life.
Huo Xiaolong, she looked towards the direction of Fengyue Tower, silently repeating the name in her heart, a thousand words in her mind, but she didn't know how to speak.
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