The chestnut vendor looked up and saw the familiar figure in white clothes, happily exclaiming, "Ah, lad, you’ve come... Haven’t seen you around for a while."
Then to Tang Fei, he said, "You two really have fate. As soon as you’re here, he’s here too."
Tang Fei glanced at Bai Wuxin and asked, "Brought money today?"
"No?" Tang Fei had a bad feeling about this.
"I only came because I saw you were here," Bai Wuxin said with an air of entitlement. "I owed you two hundred star coins last time, adding on this time... I’ll repay everything together."
"When did I say I’d lend you another two hundred star coins?" Tang Fei said irritably.
"If you don’t lend it to me, wouldn’t the last two hundred star coins have been thrown away?"
"What do you mean?" Tang Fei squinted at Bai Wuxin and demanded, "You mean that if I don’t lend you two hundred star coins this time, you won’t repay what you already owe?"
"It’s not that I won’t repay; it’s that I won’t have a chance to."
"You can repay me now, can’t you?"
"You’re the first person I’ve met who’s more shameless than me," Tang Fei remarked.
Bai Wuxin frowned and replied, "I don’t feel like you’re complimenting me."
"You’re right to feel that way, because I’m indeed not," Tang Fei snapped. "I’m criticizing your shamelessness."
Bai Wuxin nodded and looked at Tang Fei expressionlessly, "So, will you lend it to me or not?"
"Is that how you ask to borrow money? Like I owe you something," Tang Fei said angrily. "No."
Without another word, Bai Wuxin turned and left.
"Hey, young man..." The chestnut vendor called out. "Should I grab a few pounds of chestnuts for you to take home and eat?"
Tang Fei stared at the vendor in disbelief and said, "Didn’t you just say you run a small business and cannot afford to give credit?"
"You have money, so no credit for you. He’s broke, so a little credit won’t hurt," the vendor said. "It’s just a few pounds of chestnuts after all."
"Are you not simply judging people by their appearance?" Tang Fei complained.
"Heh heh heh..." The vendor grinned, revealing his yellowed teeth, "We’re all in need, so naturally, we should help each other out... Only then can we all look forward to better days."
"I’m in need too. Why don’t you help me out?"
"You’re not needy." The vendor handed Tang Fei the chestnuts he had weighed. "You’ve never heard the saying here in Phoenix City: ’White clothes with gold threads, they are either rich or from the academy.’"
Tang Fei then realized he was still dressed in the White Crane Academy student uniform, which he had been wearing since the Royal Guard took him away from the academy.
"What about him? He’s also wearing white clothes."
"His white clothes are made of coarser fabric, and they’ve gotten yellow from washing..."
"You sure have good eyes."
"You learn a thing or two from seeing many people," the vendor remarked.
After paying, Tang Fei left with the chestnuts in hand.
When Bai Wuxin returned to the orphanage, the playing children immediately surrounded him.
"Brother Wuxin’s back!"
"Where did Brother Wuxin go today?"
"Brother Wuxin, did you bring us something delicious?"
Bai Wuxin, seeing their hopeful eyes, said, "No."
After speaking, he stepped into the yard.
Xiao Lang hurried over, scolding softly, "All you think about is eating? Brother Wuxin has things to do every day; how can he have the time to buy you treats?"
"You think just because you have no money, Brother Wuxin does? Where’s he supposed to get money to give you?"
"Brother Wuxin always brings us something to eat whenever he goes out..." a little girl around four or five years old said with a sad face.
"When he has money, of course, he’ll bring something. But when he can’t, you mustn’t make a fuss..."
"Yes, Brother Xiao Lang."
"We’re sorry. We were wrong."
"We won’t ask Brother Wuxin for treats anymore."
Xiao Lang looked at the group of children of different sizes and let out a soft sigh.
Which child doesn’t like snacks?
It was only when Brother Wuxin went out that they could change their tastes and improve their lives a bit.
Tang Fei followed Bai Wuxin to the doors of the orphanage and happened to witness this scene.
He waved at Xiao Lang and handed over the chestnuts he was holding, smilingly saying, "These are from Brother Wuxin to you all, he forgot to take them when he left... I’ve brought them for you."
"Really?" Xiao Lang asked with a skeptical face.
"Could this be fake?" Tang Fei stuffed the chestnuts into Xiao Lang’s arms, saying, "Take them quickly, I have to get back to selling chestnuts."
With that, he turned and walked away.
(ps: A new month, got any monthly votes? And pretty ladies too.)