"Everything's moved in. Who from the family is coming over?" Mrs. Cen asked, looking at everyone.
"Let's go with them," Er Ya said after clearing away the dishes.
If they weren't sold into the brothel, their fate would probably be no different from those children, so the maids in the brothel all wanted to lend a hand.
"Then let the girls go."
The girls can't go; they're all too beautiful. If they attract unwanted attention, things won't go well for the dilapidated temple.
"The monkey and the ox are going with you too."
These two are the same thugs who helped move things at the door earlier. They've been hustling in Pingyang County for over ten years and know people everywhere. If they really run into some scoundrels, they can easily make connections.
The two nodded in response.
You've eaten so much pork stew, and you're not even helping out with some chores? Besides, this is your brother's business.
The group followed the donkey cart for almost half an hour before reaching the entrance of the dilapidated temple. It was Huo Xiaolong who went up and knocked on the door.
—Knock knock knock
Is anyone there?
The children inside recognized the voice immediately; they had just finished distributing the cotton-padded pants, which were very warm.
"What's wrong?"
As the door panel was removed, the little girl leading the group stared wide-eyed at the sight before her.
"I'll treat you to Chinese New Year!"
This time, Huo Xiaolong wasn't heartbroken. Completely different from before, he stood tall and proud before the young girl in front of him, saying...
The aroma was incredible; she had never tasted anything so delicious in her life. Several large buckets of pork stew were carried into the house, and a group of children hid behind the little girl in the lead, watching with longing eyes.
The young girl in the lead swallowed hard and asked...
Why did you invite us to dinner?
The children at the brothel were the envy of everyone. It was said that she was bought and then lived a life of luxury at the brothel. But who has the luck to sell themselves?
"It's Chinese New Year! You should eat something good."
No one's suffering is something they are born to deserve. We cannot resist the suffering that God gives us, but if you can find some sweetness in the bitterness, it is worth it.
Can we eat now?
The boy who gave Huo Xiaolong the steamed buns this morning said they smelled so good that he wanted to eat them right now.
"Not now, you have to wash it before you eat it."
On another donkey cart were four or five new wooden buckets, and the young maids had already set up a pot outside the temple to boil water. These children were so dirty that their faces were unrecognizable.
"From smallest to largest, line up and wipe them one by one."
The little girl in the lead directed the way, and the little beggars behind her immediately lined up. The smallest one in the dilapidated temple was the baby who had just been warmed by two old men.
"Why is she here, she's so young?" Huo Xiaolong asked the young girl leading the group.
"Because she's a girl, her mother didn't want her," the little girl stated coldly.
"Her family is from Liujia Village. Before her, her mother gave birth to three older sisters, but only the eldest survived; the other two were killed."
"Kill him?"
"Yes, so her mother sent her here, which can be considered a way for her mother to survive."
Huo Xiaolong tilted her head, her thought process unable to comprehend this kind of murder without consequence.
"Does killing someone not result in a death sentence?" the little dumpling asked.
"Sure, but will the government care? And who will help them file a complaint with the authorities?"
The number of people in the line dwindled, and the children who had finished washing up were already eating the cooled pork stew with sesame flatbread.
"Eat later! I'll heat it up for you after we finish using the pot, otherwise you'll get an upset stomach if you eat it cold."
The young girls from the brothel were shouting from behind, saying that the water these children used to wash in was black, and that once one child washed in the water, the next one absolutely could not use it.
After the young girl in the lead finished washing up, Huo Xiaolong even helped her wash her hair in a wooden tub inside the house, and then they sat by the fire waiting for their meal.
It was already dark, but the aroma of the food in the iron pot was making everyone's stomachs rumble.
"Do you want some?"
The young girl who was leading the group didn't eat the first bowl she served; instead, she handed it to Huo Xiaolong. She had received plenty of charity, but this was the first time she had ever seen someone not only give her something but also keep talking to her.
"I'm not eating, I'll eat at home," Huo Xiaolong said, waving his hand.
The young girl didn't stand on ceremony with her and quickly ate a bowl of vegetables, ignoring the heat.
"So delicious!"
"I've never eaten anything so delicious in my life!"
"You've only lived a few years, and you're already talking about this lifetime?" The old man teased the children, and the room was filled with laughter and joy.
"But this is truly the best meal I've ever had in my life," the young girl leading the group said, turning to Huo Xiaolong.
"Do you...do you still have a home?"
Huo Xiaolong knew it was inappropriate to ask that question; if they had families, why would they be suffering here? But she still wanted to know why these children had ended up here.
You're asking me why I'm here, right?
Huo Xiaolong nodded
"Like that child, neither of my parents want me anymore."
The little girl who was leading the group ate another bowl of vegetables, wiped her mouth, and said to the little dumpling...
"But now that I'm all grown up, I think I'm pretty amazing."
"I also think you're pretty amazing!" Huo Xiaolong genuinely felt that way.
"How old are you?"
"eleven"
"You're already eleven?"
She doesn't look like her at all. She's only a little taller than Hou Xiangxiang. She's probably just hungry because she doesn't get enough to eat.
"So what's your name?"
The air suddenly became heavy, and after a long while, the little girl finally answered.
"I don't have a name; they all call me Big Sister."
"And your surname?"
If you don't have a name, I can help you come up with one, but you need a surname. Even if we change Fengyue Tower to Fengshui Tower tomorrow, it will still survive. Everyone in the tower, from top to bottom, knows how to name people.
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
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