Chapter 3

Old Tree Bark couldn't help but raise his hand and wave it in front of Yang Ning's eyes.

Yang Ning could only gently remind him, "Old Tree Bark, I've forgotten some things, but I'm not blind. I can still see... Can you help me recall?"

Old Tree Bark smiled bitterly and said, "Half a year ago, you and Little Butterfly ended up in this city. You told me that you met during a time of fleeing, and she was being bullied by others. You saved her, and since then, you two have been like siblings, relying on each other."

"Half a year ago, we ended up in Huize City?" Yang Ning squinted his eyes. Strangely, as Old Tree Bark mentioned this, some fragmented images did flash through his mind, blurry but vaguely outlining a young girl's figure, her face somewhat clear.

"Can you remember what happened after you came to Huize City?" Old Tree Bark, seeing Yang Ning's confused look, couldn't help but worry.

Yang Ning tried to think, but perhaps due to his recent recovery from a serious illness, his head throbbed and he felt a drowsy sensation whenever he tried to think.

"Where is Little Butterfly now?" Yang Ning had already learned from Old Tree Bark that he was alive thanks to Little Butterfly, and the owner of this body clearly had a close relationship with her.

Old Tree Bark sighed and said helplessly, "You really can't remember. She has been with Mama Flower all along. In the past half year, you often went to see her, and everything about her, you told me."

"Mama Flower?" Yang Ning asked curiously, "Who is this Mama Flower?"

Before Old Tree Bark could answer, Monkey's voice came from behind, "Mama Flower is the widow of County Magistrate Flower. Hehe, in this city, not many people dare to provoke her."

At this moment, Monkey had already entered, and a beggar behind him was carrying a broken wooden bucket filled with water, which he placed next to Yang Ning.

Yang Ning rolled up his sleeves, feeling itchy, and leaned over the bucket to wash his face. But before his hands even touched the water, he froze.

Although he had mentally prepared himself, he was still surprised to see the face in the water.

It was a dirty face, not much cleaner than the others, but it was still clear that the face was quite delicate. He was only about fifteen or sixteen years old, with a thin face, but his sword-like eyebrows gave him a handsome and spirited look.

He had previously thought that Monkey and the others' long, messy hair was quite unique, but now he realized his own hair was also disheveled and unkempt. From the outside, he truly looked like a beggar.

Yang Ning was stunned for a moment, then shook his head with a bitter smile and washed his face. The cold water on his face made him more alert, and he asked, "The widow of County Magistrate Flower? Is Little Butterfly working as a maid in the Flower family?"

Old Tree Bark looked worried and said, "When Little Butterfly left that night, she said she would come to see you if she had the chance. But it's been several days, and there's no news from her. She sneaked out of the Flower residence that night, and we don't know if she was discovered when she returned. It's really worrying."

"Little Butterfly saved my life, so I must thank her properly," Yang Ning said, clear about his sense of right and wrong. Although his impression of Little Butterfly wasn't deep, he was very grateful for her rescue. "By the way, where is the Flower family's residence? I'll go see Little Butterfly when the rain stops."

Monkey was surprised and said, "You don't remember where the Flower residence is? You used to go there often."

Yang Ning shook his head and asked, "Do you know?"

Monkey quickly said, "Mama Flower lives in Dead Man's Alley, which is quite far from here. When the rain stops, I'll take you there, but... we can't go during the day. We can only sneak in at night."

"Dead Man's Alley?" Yang Ning thought the name sounded ominous, wondering if it was a place that dealt with the dead, selling coffins and paper money.

"Actually, that alley didn't have a name before, but no one dared to go there because of the Flower residence," Monkey explained, "Last year, Loach from the east side of the city bet with someone and entered the alley during the day. He was thrown out, badly injured, with several broken ribs, and he still hasn't fully recovered." His eyes showed a hint of resentment, "Since then, we've called it Dead Man's Alley."

Yang Ning sneered, "Was it the people from the Flower residence who did it?"

"County Magistrate Flower was once a prominent figure in Huize City," Monkey said, "In that alley, there's only one household, the Flower family. If it wasn't them, who else could it be?" Monkey added irritably, "But Mama Flower, being a widow, has to do things secretly, so she naturally doesn't let people approach her residence easily."

"Secretly?" Yang Ning found the term unfamiliar and asked, "What is 'secretly'?"

"It's not a thing, but a secret business," Monkey said with a strange smile, "Courtesans of high officials sometimes take on side jobs secretly, or widows with young daughters and maids who can't make ends meet take on occasional work... that's what 'secretly' means."

Yang Ning was taken aback, "You mean...?"

He already understood.

"As the saying goes, a wife is not as good as a concubine, and a concubine is not as good as a secret lover. Those rakes think that playing with the family members of wealthy officials is the best thrill," Monkey said enthusiastically, his eyes sparkling, "And those women are well-trained by the rich and powerful, so they are more beautiful and graceful than ordinary courtesans. They are considerate and charming in every way, and since they are not real courtesans, their shyness and coyness make men feel even more excited." Monkey's eyes gleamed as he spoke.

Yang Ning sighed, not expecting such a situation.

Monkey continued, "County Magistrate Flower died of a serious illness two years ago when he was young. When he was alive, he had over a dozen maids and servants. After his death, with no income, the family couldn't sustain itself, so Lady Flower started doing 'secretly' work with her maids...!" He smiled lewdly, "The city isn't big, and although Lady Flower was discreet, the news still spread. People started calling her Mama Flower, and she's over thirty, but I heard she relies on the maids in the residence to take on work...!"

Hearing this, Yang Ning felt a heavy heart, thinking that if Little Butterfly was in such a household, she might be in great danger.

The storm showed no signs of stopping, and Yang Ning felt tired. He knew that in such weather, even if he was worried about Little Butterfly, he couldn't go out.

He could only wait until the rain stopped to make a plan.

After the long night, the others were also quite tired. Yang Ning gestured for them to rest. The land temple had a main hall and a side room. Yang Ning was now in the side room, and he and Old Tree Bark stayed there, while the others went to the outer room to rest.

After lying down, Yang Ning thought about his future.

The glorious profession of a beggar, Yang Ning felt, was not suitable for him. Since he was already in this world, he couldn't change it, so he had to adapt to life here.

What frustrated him was that this era was not any historical period he remembered. Otherwise, he could have predicted events and used his foresight to achieve great things.

Before he crossed over, he ran a business, and he thought that with his business experience, he could make a significant impact in this era. However, he was now penniless, and without any capital, he couldn't start a business. He also had no knowledge of the current market, so it was impossible to start a business right away.

He tossed and turned for a long time before finally falling into a drowsy sleep. Perhaps due to his recent recovery, he slept soundly for the rest of the night.

The next morning, he was woken by Old Tree Bark and realized he had slept until noon. The rain had stopped, and the air after the rain, mixed with the smell of earth and grass, was refreshing. Yang Ning greedily inhaled the air, feeling refreshed all over.

He looked around and found that the land temple was in a remote area, with few houses nearby. There was a pond not far in front.

Several old willows leaned over the pond, their branches hanging down to the water's surface. A gentle breeze blew, and the willows swayed gracefully, like slender beauties dancing.

"Where did those guys go?" Yang Ning asked Old Tree Bark, seeing no sign of Monkey and the others.

Old Tree Bark said, "They went out earlier, saying they wanted to get something to celebrate your recovery."

Yang Ning smiled, "They have such good intentions?"

Old Tree Bark thought Yang Ning had seen through their intentions and said, "Little Weasel, it's good that you know their true intentions. They made you the leader of this land temple, but they don't have good intentions."

Yang Ning had just said it casually, but he sensed something was amiss and asked, "Old Tree Bark, do they really have bad intentions?"

"Bad intentions?" Old Tree Bark shook his head, "Not exactly bad intentions, but they certainly don't have good intentions. There are hundreds of beggars in this city, all part of the Beggar Sect, but they form factions and fight each other all the time."

"Hundreds of people?" Yang Ning hadn't expected the Beggar Sect in Huize City to be so strong.

Old Tree Bark sighed, "Monkey is not a peaceful person. In the past, you kept a low profile, but he liked to cause trouble. Now that he knows you are so capable, he wants to use you as a banner to fight with other beggars. Weasel, listen to me, there are always people better than you. Even if you are capable, don't let Monkey drag you into their conflicts. It's better to be honest and straightforward."

His words were heartfelt, clearly showing his concern for Yang Ning and his well-intentioned warning.