Seeing his expression, Yunyi knew what he was thinking and said, "Before life and death, what does dignity count for? Only by living are there endless possibilities."
The boy’s nose reddened, and he brought over the cloth bag beside him. "I won’t take your steamed buns for nothing. You can choose anything from this bag."
Yunyi saw his determined gaze and knew that if she didn’t choose, he likely wouldn’t accept the two steamed buns. So, she looked into the cloth bag he opened. It was just a casual glance, but her heartbeat quickened—there were actually several jade ornaments inside.
Yunyi hurriedly warned, "Put those away quickly! Don’t show such things to just anyone."
But the child paid no heed and just looked at her. "If you don’t choose, I can’t accept these."
He kept the cloth bag open. Yunyi had no choice but to reach in and take out the least conspicuous Jade Pendant. "I’ve chosen," she said. "Take the steamed buns and hurry home." Follow current novels on NoveI-Fire.ɴet
This time, the child didn’t refuse any longer. He took the steamed buns, picked up the cloth bag, and ran off.
The faint clinking of jade ornaments could still be heard as he ran. Yunyi grew a little anxious. Is this child clueless, or what?
She quickly followed him and saw the boy turn into the alley ahead. By the time she caught up, the child had already stopped at the door of a house and had just pushed open the gate.
Hearing her footsteps, the boy looked over and said nervously, "You’ve already chosen. I won’t give the steamed buns back."
Yunyi looked around and warned, "You can’t bring those things out again in the future. Even if you have no other choice, wrap them in a tattered cloth. Didn’t you hear the noise they made?"
Hearing Yunyi’s words and realizing she meant no harm, he said, "Thank you."
After speaking, he walked into the yard.
Yunyi, seeing that her point had been made, turned to leave. But then she heard a voice from inside the courtyard: "Brother, sister is so hungry she’s about to collapse!"
Yunyi stopped in her tracks and used her spiritual power to look into the courtyard. She saw a seven or eight-year-old child speaking anxiously. On the bed inside the room lay an even younger girl.
She watched as the boy, ignoring his own gnawing hunger—so intense it felt like his stomach was sticking to his back—deftly took a bowl. He broke the steamed buns into pieces, poured in some hot water from a thermos, and stirred it all into a soft mash.
He went to the bedside, propped up the little girl, leaned her against his body, and spoon-fed the mash into her mouth. The other little boy, standing on the ground, watched and swallowed his saliva in longing.
Yunyi stopped a passerby, handed them a piece of fruit candy, and inquired about the children’s situation.
She then learned that the parents of these three children had died from illness, and their Grandma had been looking after them. But their Grandma wasn’t local; she lived several hundred miles away. Believing the children were too young to inherit their father’s work position, she had sold it, planning to use the money to raise the three of them.
However, unexpectedly, a troublesome daughter-in-law in the family had come for a visit, stolen all the money, and not even spared the children’s rations. The Grandma, distraught and furious, had fallen ill. Despite this, she had gone back to pursue the daughter-in-law. The children had been relying on their neighbors’ charity for days. Nearly half a month had passed, and there was still no sign of their Grandma’s return.
After the person left, Yunyi also departed.
She found a secluded spot, took out five kilograms of wheat flour and ten kilograms of cornmeal from her space, and returned to the front of that yard. She quietly pushed the door open, placed the items inside, then closed the gate and knocked heavily on it. Hearing someone emerge from the house, she quickly jogged away. Just consider it a good deed for the day, she mused.