Perhaps it was because Song Chaoyu was a mother now that she unconsciously pulled the child back.
Song Chaoyu smiled gently at the girl, "What are you going to do?"
Although the girl was dirty, she had a soft and weak face.
Song Chaoyu wiped her cheek with a handkerchief. Although she dodged, it was still evident that she was delicate and slender.
"Who are you? What's it to you? Let go of me!"
The girl struggled constantly, but she was too weak and not strong enough to break free from Song Chaoyu.
Moreover, Cheng Ying, the hidden guard beside her, stepped forward and grabbed the girl's arm, making it even harder for her to escape.
Song Chaoyu tucked the handkerchief into the girl's sleeve, then squatted down to look at her, "They are all going to their deaths. You are still so young. If you follow them, you will likely die too. Aren't you afraid?"
Upon hearing the word "death," the girl shivered, "How do you know we are going to our deaths? There are so many of us, can't we break through?"
"Tch—"
These naive words made Song Chaoyu chuckle, "What good is it that you have so many people? Do you have weapons? Have you eaten enough these past few days? Can you fight against soldiers wearing armor, carrying long swords, and trained professionally?"
Song Chaoyu felt that there must be someone behind this incident.
Otherwise, how could these beggars suddenly make a move, not even caring about their own lives?
So she reached out and stroked the girl's messy, straw-like hair, "Tell me, what benefits did they give you to make you fight so desperately? You are so young, and you don't cherish your life like this. That won't do!"
The girl avoided Song Chaoyu's touch, but her mood had clearly improved considerably.
Faint screams from the beggars in the distance reached her ears, making the girl realize that Song Chaoyu's words were correct.
She finally stopped being so agitated, stood still in front of Song Chaoyu, and sized her up, "Who are you? Why are you interfering with me?"
Song Chaoyu's smile became even more kind, "I am just a mother. When I thought about my own child being this age and risking their life without even knowing why they were doing it, I couldn't help but pull you back."
"Mother..."
These words seemed to finally crack open a tiny space in the child's heart.
The girl couldn't help but her eyes reddened, "Yes... I am also doing this for my mother! My mother is seriously ill and is waiting for me to buy medicine. But these days, Qin Prefecture City has been cut off from the outside, and the price of medicinal herbs has more than tripled. If that person hadn't given me money, I wouldn't have risked my life for him!"
As expected, they were instigated!
Speaking of this, the girl seemed to remember something and suddenly ran towards the back of Yueyang Wine House, "No, I must go see my mother!"
With that, she actually bit down on Cheng Ying's hand!
"Mmph—"
Although Cheng Ying felt pain, he did not let go of the girl's hand; instead, he pulled her tighter.
Song Chaoyu stepped forward and took the girl's other hand, "Don't rush. Take us to see your mother. I promise, we won't trouble you."
The girl then looked up at Song Chaoyu with teary eyes and nodded, releasing Cheng Ying.
On Cheng Ying's hand, her bite had left a bright red tooth mark.
—
She led Song Chaoyu and the others towards the back of Yueyang Wine House. Song Chaoyu asked her somewhat helplessly, "You're quite a stubborn girl. What's your name?"
Unexpectedly, the girl turned her head and glared angrily at Song Chaoyu, "I am not a girl! I am a boy!"
A boy?!
Song Chaoyu was truly surprised and looked at Cheng Ying in astonishment. Cheng Ying also shook his head, "I thought you were a girl too."
The boy also shot Cheng Ying a glare, "My name is Tan Xing, and I am thirteen years old. I am already a man who can stand on his own!"
His stubbornness made one want to laugh.
However, seeing his small stature, Song Chaoyu really didn't expect this child to be thirteen years old.
And he was also surnamed Tan... so his identity...
Song Chaoyu frowned slightly and followed Tan Xing to the back of Yueyang Wine House.
To her surprise, behind Yueyang Wine House, there was actually a "little world"!
It looked like a disused storeroom, with many holes in the roof.
But the storeroom was large enough to accommodate many homeless people.
Tan Xing's mother was one of them.
"Mother!"
From afar, Tan Xing ran towards a woman curled up on the ground in a corner, motionless.
He reached the person and gently touched her, but the woman remained still—
"Mother, what's wrong?!"
Tan Xing was startled and tried to turn the woman over.
But the woman's body had already stiffened!
"Tan Xing!"
Song Chaoyu had a bad feeling and stepped forward to pull Tan Xing away.
Cheng Ying examined the woman and gently shook his head at Tan Xing and Song Chaoyu, "She has been dead for a long time."
"Mother!"
Tan Xing could no longer hold back, he threw himself in front of the woman and cried uncontrollably, "It's all my fault, all my fault! I shouldn't have been away for so many days without returning, I should have come back sooner! Mother, please don't go! Don't leave me alone, okay?"
Her appearance was truly heartbreaking.
Song Chaoyu stepped forward, squatted down gently, took off her outer garment, and draped it over the woman. Then she pulled Tan Xing up, "Although I want to tell you to accept your loss, I know the pain of losing a loved one. Tan Xing, you did your best."
"Wuwuwu—"
Tan Xing seemed unable to hold back any longer, he threw himself into Song Chaoyu's arms and began to sob.
"Madam."
Cheng Ying walked forward, frowning at the messy surroundings, "I'm afraid after suppressing those beggars, the officials will find this place. We must leave quickly!"
Tan Xing's hand tightly gripped Song Chaoyu's clothes.
Song Chaoyu nodded, "Find a place in the back and bury his mother temporarily."
She looked down and asked Tan Xing, "Do you want to come with us?"
Tan Xing looked up with teary eyes, staring at Song Chaoyu in confusion, "Why are you helping me?"
Song Chaoyu paused before telling the truth, "Firstly, I pity you. Secondly, because your surname is Tan, I have some questions for you."
It was Song Chaoyu's directness that put Tan Xing's mind at ease.
He glanced at his mother, who had been dead for a long time, and asked Song Chaoyu, "Can you really help me bury her?"
Song Chaoyu nodded, "Naturally, but we must hurry. If we delay any longer, I cannot guarantee our safety."