After saying that, the man slowly raised his head and looked at the two strong men standing in front of him with pleading eyes.
The two burly men had stern faces and were obviously people who had traveled a lot and experienced the world.
The man tried to make his voice sound steady and said to them, "I don't want food... I don't want food. Please... please find a good family for the child so that he can have enough to eat.
The child has never had a good life since he was young. His mother passed away early, and I have no ability. I can't let the child suffer from hunger and cold with me anymore."
As soon as he finished speaking, the man seemed to have lost all his strength. He swayed slightly for a few times, then turned around and stumbled forward.
His footsteps were messy and heavy. It seemed as if he used up all his strength with every step. His back looked so lonely and helpless.
The boy watched his father leave him and burst into tears.
The crying sounded so miserable as it echoed on the official road, making people feel heartbroken.
The boy cried so hard that his face turned red and he almost couldn't breathe.
When the man heard his son's heart-wrenching cry, he paused unconsciously.
His body suddenly stiffened, and his fists clenched tightly, trembling slightly.
He slowly turned his head and looked at his son who was crying inconsolably, his eyes full of pain and reluctance.
But in the end, he hardened his heart, gritted his teeth, closed his eyes, turned around resolutely again, and continued to walk forward with heavy steps, step by step, gradually disappearing from sight.
The two strong men on the side watched this scene, their faces still had that cold expression, without any emotion.
One of the sturdy men frowned slightly, then stretched out his strong hand, grabbed the boy who was still crying and struggling, and walked towards the carriage parked outside the yard.
The boy struggled desperately, waving his little hands in the air, trying to break free from the big hands that were like iron clamps, but in the end he was no match for the strong man's strength and could only be dragged towards the carriage.
In this chaotic and sad scene, suddenly, a man with a wretched figure squeezed out from the crowd.
His face was greasy, his hair was messy like a bird's nest, and his eyes were rolling around, giving off an uncomfortable vibe.
I saw him tightly pulling a skinny woman, who staggered and was almost dragged in front of the two burly men.
"Gentlemen, do you think my wife can be exchanged for some food?" The wretched man smiled, revealing a mouthful of uneven yellow teeth, but his eyes revealed an eagerness and greed.
As he spoke, he pushed the woman next to him forward, as if he wanted these two strong men who looked quite "powerful" to take a closer look at what he considered to be a "bargaining chip for food."
The two strong men frowned and looked at the couple with cold eyes.
The woman was so thin that she looked like she could be blown down by a gust of wind.
Her hair was dry and messy, and her face was pale and sallow, like a sick leaf that had not seen the sun for a long time.
Her eyes were empty and lifeless, as if the light of life had long since disappeared from her eyes, leaving only endless fatigue and despair.
The two strong men looked at the miserable-looking woman, and a look of disgust instantly appeared on their faces.
One of the burly men couldn't help but spit at the wretched man, his spit almost splashing on his face, and cursed, "Get lost! Stop making trouble! This woman is so old, and she looks so half-dead and disgusting. Who would want her? Do you think we're just junk collectors?"
Another strong man followed suit, glaring at the man fiercely, as if he wanted to eat him alive.
As they spoke, the two men rolled up their sleeves and pretended to hit someone.
When the wretched man saw this, he was so scared that his face turned pale and he dared not say another word.
He quickly let go of the woman's hand, turned around and ran, shouting back as he ran: "Go, go, go, go!"
The woman could only be pulled by him and stumbled as she ran after him.
After he ran to the side and was out of the sight of the two strong men, the fear on the wretched man's face instantly turned into a ferocious look.
He suddenly stopped, raised his hand and slapped the woman to the ground without saying a word.
The woman was caught off guard and fell to the ground by the sudden slap, with blood oozing from the corner of her mouth.
"You stinky bitch, you can't even exchange for half a bag of coarse grains, what's the use of you?" The wretched man kept cursing and punching and kicking the woman on the ground.
He kicked the woman's body and stomach hard, and each kick was filled with resentment and disgust.
The woman could only curl up on the ground, holding her head tightly, trying to use this method to defend against the punches and kicks that were raining down like raindrops.
Her body trembled with every blow, but she said nothing and just shed tears silently.
The silent tears kept sliding down her thin cheeks, dripping onto the dusty ground, splashing small pieces of dust.
After the wretched man left with a heart full of resentment and the woman who was beaten all over, the atmosphere at the scene was still heavy and depressing, as if shrouded in a thick layer of sadness and helplessness.
Just then, an old woman walked out of the crowd nimbly.
Although her figure was no longer straight and the erosion of time had made her slightly hunched, she could still be seen to be quite strong. Her clothes were worn but tightly wrapped, and there was still a lot of strength hidden under the fabric.
Looking at her face again, although it was also covered with wrinkles, there was a unique spirit in those wrinkles.
She held the two little girls tightly in her hands, and the two children followed the old woman timidly like two frightened little quails.
The old woman walked up to the two burly men and immediately forced a flattering smile on her face. The smile seemed a little distorted on her wrinkled face, but it also revealed a sense of eagerness and flattery.
She bent down slightly and said in a flattering voice, "Please, please tell me how much food my two granddaughters can be exchanged for."
The two strong men's eyes slowly fell on the two girls beside the old woman.
One of the girls looked about ten years old, and the other was only about seven years old.
Both children were short and thin, with arms and legs as thin as bamboo poles. They had very little flesh on their bodies and were so bony that their clothes looked empty on them.
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