Proofreader & Editor: Lotas
Li Guanqi lowered his head, trembling uncontrollably, holding medicinal herbs in his hands, standing still.
But the man saw Li Guanqi's uncovered eyes at a glance.
His face darkened, and he slapped Li Guanqi to the ground!
Smack!
"Damn it, how many times have I told you to cover your eyes!"
"Bad luck!"
Li Dashan looked at the scattered medicinal herbs and kicked Guanqi fiercely.
He roared, "Did you use money to buy medicine?!"
The scene seemed to be something the young man had experienced countless times. He curled up, trying to protect himself as much as possible.
When they fled to this distant uncle's house three years ago, the hellish days began.
The woman on the fire bed rushed over, pushing Li Dashan aside, shouting, "Don't hit… don't hit the child…"
Seeing this, Li Dashan grabbed a wooden board and smashed it on the woman's head!
Bang!
"You sickly woman! Why spend money on treatment! It would be better if you died sooner!"
"If I had known, I would have sent you to the Zhao Residence as a servant. At least we could get some money if you died!"
Blood trickled down the woman's forehead, but she still protected the young man, begging for mercy, "Don't hit the child."
Suddenly, Li Guanqi felt a warm and sticky sensation on his face.
Realizing what was happening, the young man's face gradually became fierce!
He struggled out of the woman's embrace and grabbed the kitchen knife from the cutting board with familiar memory!
"Shut up! If it weren't for your drinking and gambling, our family wouldn't be like this!"
"My mother's illness wouldn't have been prolonged! My sister wouldn't have been sold to the Zhao Residence and worked to death!"
"The one who should die is you! It's you, Li Dashan!"
With a ferocious expression, Li Guanqi roared at the man, releasing the suppressed anger in his heart.
The anger that had been suppressed for years seemed to find an outlet in this moment.
Li Dashan, reeking of alcohol, gradually turned fierce, cursing.
"If I hadn't given you and your mother food, you would have starved to death outside the city. Now you dare to pull a knife on me?"
Li Dashan looked around for something to use as a weapon, but the young man, with keen hearing, pounced on him!
The kitchen knife glinted in the moonlight outside the door. In his panic, Li Dashan grabbed a clay pot and smashed it at Li Guanqi!
Although the young man was thin, he was agile. He dodged the sound of the heavy object being lifted by the man.
Crash!
The clay pot shattered at Li Guanqi's feet, and the sound of copper coins falling to the ground made the young man freeze in place!
Because he knew what that sound represented!
Li Dashan's surprised voice suddenly rang out, "Haha! Ten strings of copper coins!"
"This time I'm sure to turn things around!"
"I'll win back everything this time, haha!"
Li Guanqi, standing still, couldn't stop trembling.
For a moment, the images in his mind flashed like a replay.
He had never had a full meal since he could remember. He didn't know who his father was because he had never seen him.
He heard that his father had died of starvation long ago.
The real nightmare began three years ago when they sought refuge with this distant uncle.
Li Dashan often came to the house for money, spending it on alcohol or gambling for days.
He's here again!
Somehow learning about his sister's death, he set his sights on ten strings of copper coins!
Sometimes Li Guanqi would fantasize about being an immortal, free from the hardships of the mortal world.
He turned around, still hearing Li Dashan's curses in his ears.
"Let her die, but why burn the ashes!"
Li Guanqi slowly raised the kitchen knife in his hand!
Song Wanrong's eyes showed a hint of reluctance, but she ultimately didn't speak up.
She had long been utterly disappointed in Li Dashan and knew her time was running out.
She didn't want Li Dashan to sell her child to repay debts after she died.
"Perhaps… it's for the best."
Splat!
The sharp kitchen knife pierced her neck, and the young man felt a warm sensation on his face.
Thud!
Li Dashan, with an incredulous look in his eyes, fell into a pool of blood.
The young man, who had experienced everything, also felt weak and sat on the ground.
Song Wanrong felt dizzy and her vision blurred.
She knew her time was running out, and with a faint smile on her pale face, she called softly, "Guanqi… come here."
Hearing his mother's voice, Li Guanqi hurried to her side, trembling as he hugged her.
Song Wanrong held Li Guanqi in her arms, not even glancing at Li Dashan lying beside her.
Instinctively, she covered Li Guanqi's eyes with her hand and comforted him, "Guanqi, don't be afraid…"
"Death is just death, and it's okay to die."
"Come, lift your head and let mother have a good look at you."
Li Guanqi, sensitive as he was, sensed something.
When he looked up at his mother, tears were already streaming down his face, and he sobbed uncontrollably.
"Mother… are you going to leave me too?"
"What am I going to do…"
Song Wanrong's eyes became increasingly blurred, and she looked out the window at the snow and murmured.
"Mother is powerless and has caused you suffering…"
"In the future, you must become a strong and upright man."
"Marry, have children."
"Mother… will always be watching you from heaven."
"You must… live well."
"Travel far and wide, and enjoy the splendor of the world."
Thud…
Li Guanqi felt the hand behind him go limp.
He shouted in anger and grief, "Mother!!!"
But his cries went unanswered.Li Guanqi sat in his mother's embrace, his eyes vacant as he murmured, "I… have no mother anymore."
"I have no… family left either."
Li Guanqi's eyes reddened, tears flowing uncontrollably.
He didn't speak, just carefully caressed his mother's face.
As if to etch her features deeply into his memory.
***
Later, the youth knocked again on the door of the shop draped with white silk.
The plump shopkeeper, annoyed, dismantled the door panel, only to see it was the same youth who had visited the night before.
His anger surged as he exclaimed, "Why have you come again? Weren't you here during the day?"
"I'm telling you, in our line of work, we operate with a conscience. I didn't overcharge you for the ten copper coins!"
The barefooted youth standing in the snow lowered his head, his voice hoarse as he said, "My mother has also died, can you help me move her here?"
Upon hearing this, the shopkeeper felt as if a fishbone was stuck in his throat, his anger dissipating, replaced by a face full of sorrow.
The shopkeeper opened the door, pulled the youth inside, and draped an old, unwanted coat over him.
His voice somewhat choked, he said, "Warm up first… I'll get dressed and go out."
"You child… your life is too hard. If you don't mind, from now on, you can work as my assistant."
"I won't say how much I'll pay you, but at least you won't starve."
The youth, who had stopped crying, was overwhelmed by the shopkeeper's sudden care and squatted on the ground, sobbing loudly.
Li Guanqi felt the scorching heat of the fire in front of him and slowly knelt down.
He bowed deeply to the flames in the stove.
"Mother, I will never forget your nurturing grace. Guanqi will live well!"
In the sky, Su Xuan, dressed in grey, silently watched the scene.
As his fingers calculated, he couldn't help but sigh softly and said, "Fate is such that even if I were here, I couldn't defy the heavens and change destiny."
***
When the youth returned home against the snowstorm, Su Xuan was standing outside his door.
Feeling someone's presence, Li Guanqi asked hoarsely, "Who are you looking for?"
The Old Man's hand flashed with light, and he took out a thick cotton-padded coat to drape over the youth.
He squatted down and held the youth's frozen hands with his warm ones.
Even the Old Man, who had seen countless hardships in the world, couldn't help but sigh for the youth's ordeal that night.
Su Xuan spoke softly, "Child, would you like to come with me?"
"From now on, I'll be your grandfather. Let's leave this place."
The youth's eyes, already numb, felt a warmth he had never experienced before.
Tears slid unconsciously from his eyes as he trembled, "Will I have enough to eat…"
Su Xuan's heart ached, and he embraced the youth, saying in a deep voice, "Yes!"
"Not only that, but I'll also make sure you're always full and warm!"
The youth nodded slightly, and then left only two graves and inscriptions outside in the wilderness.
That day, the youth left Beiliang City with the Old Man named Su Xuan.