Chapter 107: Chapter 99: A Meal’s Kindness

Just as he stepped onto the street, he didn’t get far.

Li Changqing saw a crowd gathered in the distance, not knowing what they were doing.

There was a noisy commotion.

Li Changqing, curious about the excitement, walked over and pushed through the crowd, only to see the shopkeeper of a bun shop across the street shouting angrily.

“Does a kid eating mean they don’t have to pay?”

“And look, this whole tray of buns got knocked to the ground! You think you can just say you have no money and it’d be fine? I’m telling you, if you don’t pay today, don’t even think about leaving. Who do you think you are, eating free and easy in my place? Pay up!”

Several shop assistants surrounded two people aggressively.

One was a skinny man wearing a fur coat, appearing somewhat oddly dressed. Behind the man, a little girl was clinging to his waist, looking a bit scared.

The man was of plain appearance, with traces of hardship on his face. Several shopkeepers were jabbing at his chest with rolling pins.

But he didn’t dodge or hide.

“I can work to pay off the debt.” After a long pause, the man finally said this.

“Work?” One of them sneered, “We don’t need you for that!”

“Stop wasting time. If you can’t pay, then leave that knife of yours. I think it’s worth a bit.” One assistant, with a greedy eye, noticed a short knife with a beautiful blue sheath at the man’s waist.

“That’s not possible.” The man refused decisively.

“No knife, then pay up. It’s not that complicated,” added another shop assistant.

Many people gathered around to watch the commotion, each amused. Li Changqing learned from their conversation what had happened.

The little girl behind the man was too hungry and tried to steal buns from the shop, but an assistant caught her. In her panic, she accidentally knocked an entire tray of buns to the ground.

“I’ll pay for the buns.”

Understanding the situation, Li Changqing stepped forward. Though he didn’t know who these two people were, seeing the man protect his daughter, he felt moved.

Yet another father struggling for a living.

It was just a basket of buns, and since Li Changqing saw it, he decided to help.

“Painter Li?”

When Li Changqing came forward, the shop assistants were a bit surprised. Li Changqing, of all people, involved in such trivial matters?

As Li Changqing stepped in, the man’s eyes fell on him, looking somewhat surprised.

Li Changqing didn’t waste words, directly tossing a silver coin to the assistant.

The assistant fumbled but caught it.

“Is that enough for the buns? And pack some more buns for this father and daughter,” Li Changqing instructed.

“Sure, sure, more than enough.”

A whole silver coin could buy ten baskets of buns, so the assistant was all smiles.

“Thank you.” The man, not one for words, managed to squeeze out these two words.

“Thank you, Uncle.” The little girl, hiding behind the man, showed half her face. Though it was a bit dirty, her eyes were clear and bright, though she seemed shy.

“How old are you?”

Li Changqing asked with a smile, squatting down.

“Five,” she said softly.

By this time, an assistant came out with a bundle of buns wrapped in oil paper, delivering it to Li Changqing.

Taking the buns, Li Changqing handed them to the man, saying, “Take them. The child is starving, and I’m sure you haven’t eaten in a while either.”

Looking at the steaming buns offered by Li Changqing, the man hesitated, but feeling the little girl’s hands tighten in longing, as she clutched his, he accepted.

“Thank you,” he repeated.

“Eat up.” Taking a bun out of the oil paper, he handed it to the girl.

The little girl, having long been salivating, didn’t mind her dirty hands, grabbing the bun and devouring it.

She ate ravenously, as if she hadn’t eaten in a long time.

Watching this, Li Changqing sighed softly.

He reached out and patted the girl’s head.

“Don’t steal again, understand?” Li Changqing patiently advised. “Stay with your father, and things will get better.”

The girl nodded in half-understanding.

“I’ll be going now. Farewell,” said Li Changqing, glancing at the man.

The man said nothing, just nodded at Li Changqing.

The girl, eating her bun, watched Li Changqing’s departing figure.

Li Changqing had initially thought to give them some silver, but on reflection, he discarded the idea.

In such a vast world, there were too many like them; he couldn’t save them all.

Everyone has their own destiny.

A meal’s kindness suffices.

After wandering the street, Li Changqing found no trace of Elder Luo, then hired someone at the corner to help transcribe a letter.

Li Changqing took the letter he had written and had it copied.

He went to the Cangyuan Escort Agency, sending it anonymously to Li Hengsheng of Dao Mountain Ancient Land.

Having done all this, Li Changqing returned to the Yan Mansion.

But as he reached the gate, he found the father and daughter again.

“Is it you two?” Li Changqing looked at them in surprise. Why were they here?

“Didn’t have enough buns?” Li Changqing couldn’t help but ask.

“We’re full. The buns were delicious, Uncle, you’re a good person,” the little girl said, her eyes full of innocence.

“It’s actually me who’s looking for you.”

The man spoke up at this point.

“Could you…provide us a place to eat and stay?” the man pondered for a moment, “I can kill for you.”

Li Changqing was stunned, wondering if he had misheard.

Kill?

But looking at the serious expression on the man’s face, Li Changqing felt that he wasn’t joking.

However, Li Changqing also understood that this man mainly wanted to find a place where his daughter could eat three meals a day, right?

Li Changqing could understand that feeling.

He could see that this man was someone with a strong heart, probably not the type to ask for help easily, yet at this moment, there was clearly a hint of pleading hidden in his eyes.

“Forget about killing people.”

Sighing over the world, Li Changqing shook his head.

Seeing Li Changqing shaking his head, the man’s eyes showed a trace of desolation. He looked back at his daughter, as if apologizing to her.

“I can eat just one meal a day, a meal with one bun, no, half a bun is enough.” The little girl hurriedly said.

She thought Li Changqing was disapproving of her eating too much.

“You don’t need to kill for me. Let’s do it this way: since we’ve met, it must be fate. You and your daughter can just help me tidy up the yard and tend to the flowers and plants.”

Although Li Changqing wasn’t a saint, encountering such a father and daughter indeed softened his heart.

Did the Yan Mansion lack people to help him clean the yard?

Li Changqing was more unwilling to see such a young child wandering outside with her father, unable to eat properly. Li Changqing thought of his son, Li Hengsheng, who left home at the age of eleven or twelve and wandered alone for years. What kind of life did he experience?

So Li Changqing decided to take in this father and daughter.

As for whether this man was a bad person?

Li Changqing didn’t worry at all.

Even if he had malicious intent, he would need the ability to back it up. If there were any strange actions, Ah Fei would take care of him, and no one could blame anyone else.

“Thank you.”

The man finally showed a hint of a smile.

“What’s your name?” Li Changqing asked.

“Zhang Fuguang.” The man looked down at the little head below, then said, “This is my daughter, Zhang Siyao.”

“Come with me.”

Li Changqing led the two into the Yan family, then had them change clothes and arranged to live in Li Changqing’s courtyard.

He arranged for hot water so Zhang Siyao could take a good bath.

After cleaning up nicely, little Zhang Siyao appeared even more lively.

Like a delicate doll.

Seeing his daughter all clean, even Zhang Fuguang smiled.

“Daughters are the best.” Li Changqing sighed. In his previous life, he had also hoped to have a daughter. Later, although the two-child policy was opened, by then, Li Changqing could no longer afford it.

Raising a child is very expensive.

“Uncle, thank you. You are the kindest person we’ve met on our journey.” Zhang Siyao said sweetly.

“Thank you.” Zhang Fuguang also cupped his hands and said.

“You just need to work well here, tidy up the yard, trim the plants, and I will give you five taels of silver as wages every month.”

“Yes.” Zhang Fuguang still kept his words few.

“By the way, where are you and your daughter from? I see you’re still wearing a fur coat?” Li Changqing was a little surprised.

“The Great Yuan Dynasty.”

Zhang Fuguang said, “The Great Yuan Dynasty is cold all year round, so we need to wear fur coats.”

“Oh?”

Li Changqing raised an eyebrow, realizing they were from the Great Yuan Dynasty.

It’s not far from Dao Mark City; crossing a river and a mountain leads to the Great Yuan Dynasty. Previously, Li Changqing read in books that the Great Yuan Dynasty is a real Snow Dynasty, cold all year, almost comparable to Siberia, yet this dynasty is very powerful.

The people there are robust, and the soldiers are brave and good at fighting, able to fight in all sorts of harsh environments.

Today, seeing a real person from the Great Yuan Dynasty piqued Li Changqing’s interest.

He then took Zhang Fuguang to sit in the yard, had someone deliver a pot of tea, and chatted with Zhang Fuguang about the Great Yuan Dynasty.

Zhang Fuguang didn’t expect Li Changqing to be so interested in the Great Yuan Dynasty. Although he talked little, he answered whatever questions Li Changqing had.

Zhang Siyao saw the adults chatting, and played by herself, curiously watching the fish in the pond in the yard, spending an entire afternoon like that.

Li Changqing also wanted to learn more and see if there were any business opportunities he could find there.

The sky gradually darkened.

Li Changqing had the meal delivered to the yard, instructing to make a bit more food. Li Changqing could tell the previous buns were all eaten by Zhang Siyao, while Zhang Fuguang didn’t eat at all.

He must have been starving long ago.

But this strong-willed man never uttered a word.

Seeing a table full of dishes, Zhang Siyao’s mouth watered. On this journey, with sporadic meals, she’d never seen such a rich variety of dishes.

“Come, sit down.” Li Changqing invited.

“Sir, I’ll just pick some greens for my daughter, and we’ll eat on the side.” Zhang Fuguang quickly said.

“There are no such formalities here, sit at the table and eat together. The more, the merrier.” Li Changqing shook his head, “And why just greens? Look at Siyao, she’s so small and thin; she needs to eat more meat to grow well, doesn’t she, Siyao?”

“Mm-hmm.” Zhang Siyao hurriedly nodded.

“Thank you, sir.” Since Li Changqing said so, Zhang Fuguang also nodded.

His daughter was indeed at the growing stage.

“Fuguang, help me try this dish.”

At this moment, Li Changqing pushed a dish in front of Zhang Fuguang.

“Try a dish?” Zhang Fuguang looked at the plate full of red food in front of him. The aroma wafted over, making one’s fingers twitch with craving.

At the same time, Zhang Fuguang detected a very familiar aroma.

It seemed to be… chili?

“Try it and see if it suits the taste of people from the Great Yuan Dynasty.”

Li Changqing learned from Zhang Fuguang’s words that the Great Yuan Dynasty was extremely cold and people there would use chili to make dishes. However, the cuisine variety in the Great Yuan Dynasty was limited, with people there mostly preferring roasted meats, which were convenient to eat.

Lots of meat supplemented their fat, allowing them to better withstand the cold.

So, Li Changqing wanted to see if this dish, “Boiled Slices of Meat,” suited the palate of people from the Great Yuan Dynasty.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep