Chapter 5

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Generally, it's easier to beg in a tavern. The innkeeper, to quickly get rid of the beggars, will usually give them some food. However, if the innkeeper is a miser, the beggars won't get anything. Ah Chou hoped this innkeeper wouldn't be too stingy.

As he entered the tavern, several young and beautiful Huji were dancing to the music played by the musicians in the corridor.

Their chests were high, their waists slim, and their hips were full and round...

Simple clothes left a hint of sexy skin exposed at the waist, and the skirts hung down to the sides of their hips, making one wonder if they would fall off with their snake-like movements.

The graceful dance, accompanied by their sexy bodies, made men drool.

Ah Chou was still a boy, not a man, and had no interest in these lustrous, high-chested, and slim-waisted Huji. His eyes were fixed on the innkeeper with a goatee, who was calculating accounts behind the counter.

Inside the tavern, there were many couches on both sides. The guests either knelt or sat cross-legged on the mats, with low tables in front of them, where wine and dishes were placed. They drank, conversed, and enjoyed the music and dance.

It was impolite to walk in front of the guests, so the boy circled around behind the seats and approached the innkeeper from the side.

He was very careful, trying his best to make a good impression on the tavern owner.

"Sir!"

The boy clasped his hands and bowed politely, "May your business flourish, sir. Please be kind enough to give a little to this poor boy..."

The innkeeper's eyes moved from the ledger and glanced coldly at the boy. The wrinkles on his face didn't move, and he only moved his thin, bony hand from the abacus to his goatee, lightly stroking it, then flicked his little finger as if to brush away a fly.

Niu Niu squatted under the banana tree, hugging her hungry, flat stomach, eagerly waiting for her brother's good news.

A butterfly, tired from flying, was resting on her shoulder.

When she saw her brother walking over from the small bridge, she stood up happily. The butterfly, startled, flew up again. A light carriage slowly approached, blocking her view between her and her brother.

She looked up and saw a beautiful little fairy with a butterfly hairpin leaning out of the elegant carriage, curiously looking at her, at the butterfly on her head...

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After Ah Chou circled around the carriage, he saw Niu Niu talking to a noble lady who had just gotten out of the carriage. Ah Chou was startled, thinking Niu Niu might have caused some trouble, and quickly approached the lady, smiling apologetically, "My sister is young and ignorant. If she has offended you, please forgive her, noble lady."

When he saw the lady, he recognized her as the woman who had been personally escorted out of the governor's residence by the Governor of Guangzhou, Lu Yuanrui. Ah Chou became even more anxious.

As soon as Ah Chou finished speaking, a little girl with a butterfly hairpin, wearing a playful double bun, came out from the side of the lady, tilting her head and looking at him with her dark eyes, smiling, "Oh, oh, a little beggar can speak so politely! Hehe, I'm Gongsun Lanzhi, what's your name?"

"Daughter! You don't know the rules!"

The lady scolded her, then asked Ah Chou, "Are you this girl's brother?"

Ah Chou hurriedly replied, "Madam Gongsun, the boy and Niu Niu are not blood-related, but we depend on each other like siblings. I can take responsibility for Niu Niu's affairs."

The lady smiled slightly, "My husband's family name is Gongsun, but I am not. My surname is Pei. You can call me Madam Pei."

Ah Chou quickly corrected himself, "Yes, Madam Pei, I don't know what my sister has done to offend you."

Madam Pei smiled, "She hasn't offended me. My mischievous daughter has been asking for a companion of her age. I saw this girl on the road, and she is clever and pretty. My daughter likes her very much. I have already asked her, and she is a beggar. So, why not let her join my household as a companion for my daughter, and have a place to rely on?"

It was actually the unique butterfly hairpin that caught Gongsun Lanzhi's interest. Otherwise, she wouldn't have given a street beggar a second glance. After a few words, she even liked Niu Niu, which made her mother decide to take her in as a servant.

Niu Niu liked Gongsun Lanzhi's butterfly hairpin, so Ah Chou made one for her. Gongsun Lanzhi, because of this "butterfly hairpin," decided to take Niu Niu as a servant and playmate. It was hard to say who was the cause and who was the effect.

Ah Chou was naturally overjoyed. A woman who could be treated as a guest of honor by the governor of Guangzhou must be of high status. If Niu Niu could be taken in by such a noble lady, it would be a great fortune for her. Otherwise, he couldn't even feed her now, and when Niu Niu grew up, she might encounter people like Xiao Lang with ill intentions, and he might not be as lucky as last time to protect her.

Ah Chou happily said, "Niu Niu's parents are dead, and she has no one to rely on. If Madam is willing to take her in, it would be the best thing. I will never forget this kindness..."

Niu Niu timidly tugged at his sleeve, saying timidly, "Brother, Madam Pei said she would only take me."

"What?"

Ah Chou was stunned. After a moment of hesitation, he said to Madam Pei, "Madam Pei, I am very diligent. I can do any odd jobs or be a servant. Even without pay, as long as I have food and a place to stay..."

Madam Pei smiled, but her words were like a heavy hammer, "Young man, she is indeed good, but it's because my daughter wants a companion. Otherwise, why would I take in a beggar girl? I'm not doing charity!"

Ah Chou's face turned red. He tried to suppress the intense feeling of humiliation and turned to Niu Niu, "Niu Niu, what do you think?"

"I..."

Niu Niu looked at Madam Pei, her well-dressed daughter, and the elegant carriage, her eyes showing a hint of longing. But thinking of her brother, her eyes dimmed, and she turned resolutely to Ah Chou, "I... will stay with my brother!"

Madam Pei smiled and took her daughter's hand, "Daughter, let's go!"

"Mother!" Gongsun Lanzhi pouted, unwilling to be pulled away.

Ah Chou sighed with relief and took Niu Niu's hand, saying softly, "Let's go!"

Gongsun Lanzhi walked to the carriage, lifted her skirt, and stepped onto the footrest. She turned back, stomped her foot angrily, and shouted, "Little beggar, do you want her to be a beggar all her life?"

The words carried by the wind reached Ah Chou's ears, and his smile froze.

"Brother?"

Niu Niu, seeing Ah Chou's stiff smile, asked worriedly. Ah Chou stood still, not moving.

"What kind of life can you give her? Do you want her to be a beggar all her life?"

This question was like a heavy battering ram, smashing his heart into pieces.

Suddenly, he grabbed Niu Niu's thin wrist and ran, shouting, "Madam Pei, wait! Wait!"

The carriage stopped, and Madam Pei leaned out of the window, asking calmly, "What is it?"

"Niu Niu, go with Madam Pei!"

Niu Niu looked at him in surprise, stammering, "Brother, I..."

Ah Chou, fearing that Madam Pei would be annoyed, quickly said to Niu Niu, "Listen to me! How can I take care of you if you stay with me? If you go with Madam Pei, when I achieve something in the future, I will find you. If you become capable, you can also come to help me. We promise each other that no matter who succeeds, we will find each other and never abandon each other. Okay?"

"Okay! But..."

"Then get in the carriage, quickly!"

Ah Chou lifted Niu Niu onto the carriage, took three steps back, and bowed deeply, "Madam Pei, I entrust Niu Niu to you!"

Gongsun Lanzhi called out happily, "Niu Niu, come, sit next to me!"

Madam Pei said calmly, "Go!"

The carriage creaked as it moved.

Ah Chou bowed deeply, not raising his head.

"Brother, don't forget what you said. You promised me, don't lie to me! Brother, I'm serious..."

Niu Niu's voice, tinged with tears, grew fainter and fainter. Ah Chou remained bowed, not lifting his head.

When he slowly straightened up and looked into the distance, the road was filled with hurrying pedestrians, and the end of the road was no longer visible.

Ah Chou's heart ached like the creaking axle, "This axle needs oil..."

...

"I will become a servant and earn wages. I can learn sewing. When I save enough money, I will come back to find my brother. If my brother still has no job, I will be a seamstress to support him!"

Green grass and tall trees lined the road, and the carriage had long since disappeared.

Niu Niu still leaned out of the window, her cheeks still wet with tears, making plans for the future.

Suddenly, a question made her heart race, "Will my brother still be in Guangzhou?"

Then she thought, "If my brother is not in Guangzhou, where could he go?" Her little heart calmed down.

Ah Chou stood at the crossroads, his swollen, bruised eye wide open, staring at the direction the carriage had gone.

He knew his choice was right. He was too young and weak to protect Niu Niu, just as he had watched his sister's head be cut off without the power to avenge her. If Xiao Lang found him, he might not be as lucky as last time. This was a good opportunity for Niu Niu to change her fate.

But with Niu Niu gone, his heart felt empty. Niu Niu was his only family. He didn't know how to proceed, and whether he would still be a beggar in the future. If so, should he still look for Niu Niu?

"Wait..."

Ah Chou suddenly came to his senses. He knew the lady in men's clothing must be of high status, so he wasn't worried that Niu Niu had been taken by a kidnapper. But in his haste, he had forgotten to ask for her identity and address. How could he find Niu Niu in the future if he became successful?

In a panic, Ah Chou instinctively ran in the direction the carriage had gone...

At the crossroads, Ah Chou stood, not knowing where the carriage had gone. He thought, "If I remain a useless beggar, why should I disturb her? If I become successful, even if I am not worthy to speak to Governor Lu, I can still ask him about the residence of a noble lady he knows."

As he was thinking, a thunderous voice suddenly rang in his ears, "Young man, do you know where the Governor of Guangzhou's residence is?"

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