Chapter 323: He Duanwu
A thin little girl sat on a large stone at the mouth of the alley, watching the bustling pedestrians pass by on the street. She reached into her chest and took out a small cloth bundle. After carefully unwrapping it layer by layer, a faintly sweet aroma filled the air.
It was a piece of candied fruit, only half of it remaining. The girl cautiously tore off a small piece from the edge, then wrapped the rest back up and hid it carefully in her chest.
She placed the small piece in her mouth, reluctant to swallow it. Only after the sweetness, richer than honey, had entirely faded would she chew it slowly. Then, she would take out the small cloth bundle and repeat the same process.
This half-piece of candied fruit, the last one her mother had given her, had been savored in this way for an entire day.
The fragrance of this candied fruit lingered in her memory—she remembered only smelling it outside the door of the shop named Shilixiang (“Ten Mile Fragrance”). But she had to be careful not to be noticed by the shop’s workers; otherwise, they would chase her away while cursing, calling her a “little beggar.”
She was not a beggar.
Although she did not have new clothes to wear, she always made sure her clothes were scrubbed clean. Cleaner than any of the children she had ever seen. Customers didn’t like a dirty girl at the noodle stall, after all.
She didn’t like the workers from Shilixiang. They always called her “little beggar.” But she did like the elder brother she met yesterday.
That elder brother had treated her to something delicious. Next time she saw him, she would treat him to noodles—free of charge.
Her grandmother was sick, and her mother hadn’t set up the noodle stall today. That meant she wouldn’t be able to see that elder brother today.
The little girl felt a bit disappointed. No one had ever complimented her name as pleasant-sounding. Apart from her mother and uncle, everyone else looked at her strangely. Even her father was no exception—ever since the day her father sent her and her mother back to her grandmother’s house, she had never seen him again.
“He Duanwu, little beggar, born with a mother but raised without a father…”
A group of children ran toward her from afar, pointing at the girl sitting on the stone and jeering.
The girl ignored them. She stood up, patted the dust off her clothes, and turned to walk into the alley.
But the group of children was unwilling to let her leave so easily. They quickened their pace, surrounding her. She tried to walk past them, but an older child suddenly shoved her hard on the shoulder, making her fall to the ground.
“Heh heh, He Duanwu, why didn’t you wipe tables today?”
“Is your family not selling noodles anymore?”
“Hey, He Duanwu, I saw your father in the street today!”
…
The children ranged from as young as five or six to as old as ten, and they took turns taunting her.
The girl climbed to her feet, biting her lip, and tried to push her way out of the group. But before she could, another shove sent her tumbling back inside.
“Over the years, the He family hasn’t had it easy,” the elder surnamed Li sighed, his voice heavy with emotion. “Back then, when Young Master and Miss He left Jingdu, it disgraced the County Duke’s Manor. Although the Li family has been in decline, we still have some roots in Jingdu, so they act with some restraint. But the He family… their situation was entirely different.”
“Miss He’s father was already gravely ill, and not long after, he passed away. The eldest son of the He family was engaged, but under pressure from the County Duke’s Manor, the other party quickly came to break off the engagement. As for your other aunt, her marriage was delayed for years, and even after she married, she was sent back within two years. Likely, that too was because of the County Duke’s Manor.”
The elder sighed again before continuing, “Thankfully, the He family was just commoners. Out of concern for their reputation, the County Duke’s Manor didn’t use more underhanded means against them. The Li family couldn’t help them openly, but we quietly resolved quite a few troubles for them. Young Master, it might be a good idea for you to visit them. Miss He deserves to know about these matters.”
The bustling street was filled with an endless stream of people. The elder surnamed Li recounted these events carefully to Li Yi.
Li Yi could still remember the face of the man who carried him on his back through a snowy night in search of a doctor. But deep within his mind, another faint shadow lingered—its features always elusive, impossible to discern.
That figure was once the person dearest to him in this world.
To Li Yi, whether it was the Li family or the He family, neither truly made a difference in his heart. Both shared bloodlines nearly identical to his own, bringing with them a unique and irreplaceable sense of kinship. This was something he could not sense even in Liu Ruyi and the others.
“Hmm? There used to be a noodle stall here. Why is it gone today?” The chubby youth, who had been eagerly looking forward to something, exclaimed in disappointment as they rounded a corner.
He had been planning to show his elder brother how delicious the noodles were from this stall. He had even hoped to use the opportunity to ask his elder brother to teach him martial arts. But now, it seemed this wish would have to wait.
Since yesterday, the chubby youth had been sticking to him quite noticeably. And this time, he had even insisted on tagging along.
Hearing the comment, Li Yi glanced up. The spot where they had eaten noodles yesterday was now empty. Neither the woman nor the little girl was there. But considering what had happened yesterday, it was understandable that they hadn’t set up the stall today.
That mother and daughter pair seemed pitiful. If possible, Li Yi wanted to buy their noodle recipe. For a few hundred taels of silver, they could live comfortably for a lifetime, even if they did nothing else.
Part of it was because he genuinely liked the taste of the noodles. But more importantly, his willingness to pay such a high price for the recipe stemmed from a strange fondness he felt toward the little girl.
“Young Master, the He family is just ahead,” the elder surnamed Li said.
They rounded a corner and walked a few dozen steps before the elder pointed to a narrow alleyway. “The He family lives in there.”
Even in his previous life, the most modern of cities still had rundown neighborhoods, and this era was no exception. Jingdu, though home to royals and nobles, also housed destitute families struggling to make ends meet within the inner city.
This was clearly such a place—something akin to a slum. As Li Yi and his companions walked down a narrow alley, they found the path ahead blocked by a group of children.
The alley was so narrow that the seven or eight children clustered together made it impassable.
“Little beggar, your father doesn’t want you anymore.”
“What’s that in your hand? Let us see!”
“Let go of it, or I’ll beat you up!”
…
…
“What are you doing!” Seeing a little girl being shoved and jostled in the middle of the group, Li Yi strode forward and barked sharply.
Startled by his sudden arrival, the children scattered in all directions. The girl bent down to pick up a small cloth bundle from the ground—it had fallen during the scuffle. She carefully brushed the dust off it and tucked it back into her chest.
Only then did she lift her head to look at the approaching figure. Her small face froze for a moment in surprise.
Li Yi stepped forward and gently brushed the dust from her clothes. “Duanwu, what are you doing here? Where’s your mother?” he asked.
“My house is just inside. Mother is at home preparing medicine for Grandma.” Upon seeing the elder brother again, the little girl tilted her head back and smiled.
After speaking, she suddenly turned her head to look at the chubby youth, who was stuffing a fragrant pastry into his mouth.
Caught under her gaze, the chubby youth blushed slightly. He held out a paper packet and asked, “Do you want some?”
“Duanwu?” Li Yi seemed to recall something. Looking at her, he asked, “What’s your family name?”
“Family name He. He Duanwu.”
The little girl lifted her head, her bright eyes meeting his as she softly replied.