The moment the withered old man opened his eyes, Li Yuyao seemed to sense an extremely sharp light flashing in his eyes. This light pierced her heart like a sharp sword, causing her to tremble involuntarily. However, when she looked again, she found that the old man’s eyes were cloudy and there was nothing special about them. She thought it was just her imagination.

　　”Cough cough…” The old man coughed a few times.

　　Li Yuyao asked, “Grandpa, are you feeling unwell?”

　　The old man said weakly, “I…I’m fine.”

　　”Are you hungry? Here, have this!” Li Yuyao took out a white steamed bun from her pocket and handed it over.

　　The old man took the steamed bun, still warm from its own heat and from Li Yuyao’s body. He looked at Li Yuyao and sized her up and down.

　　Li Yuyao handed over another silver ingot, saying, “Take this!”

　　The old man chuckled and said, “Young lady, you have a kind heart, but I am not a beggar.”

　　Li Yuyao said, “No matter what your reason for being stranded here, you deserve sympathy. As a member of the martial arts world, since I’ve encountered you, I should do what I can. I have other matters to attend to, so I’ll take my leave now—” With that, she straightened up.

　　The old man chuckled, “I was originally going to Cuiwei Nunnery today, but I’ve changed my mind. I plan to go tomorrow…”

　　Li Yuyao was taken aback upon hearing this: “You’re going to Cuiwei Nunnery? Are you going to burn incense and pray to Buddha? What a coincidence, we’re going too, why don’t you come with us!”

　　The old man shook his head: “No, you can go…” He waved his hand.

　　”Oh…” Li Yuyao turned around, mounted her horse, and Feng Jianqing and the others were already waiting in front.

　　As Li Yuyao rode forward, the six women walked together, and Miaoyu couldn’t help but praise, “Sister Yuyao has a kind heart; she will surely be rewarded in the future.”

　　Li Yuyao chuckled and said, “My mother said that when you’re traveling, you should always do good deeds within your ability to accumulate good karma. Besides, that old man is so old, it’s really unfair that he has to suffer like that…”

　　”Yes.” Miaoyu turned around and glanced around. “Huh, where is he?”

　　Upon hearing this, the women all turned around, only to find that the old man who had been leaning against the locust tree was nowhere to be seen.

　　”They walked so fast,” Ye Ruiyun remarked.

　　Kazami Harumi’s eyes flashed, and she looked away, saying, “Let’s hurry on our way.”

　　The six women rode their horses onto the official road and began to move forward at full speed.

　　Inside Yunzhou City.

　　Jiang Yuangong walked slowly through the city, his body hunched over.

　　As dawn broke, many elderly men and women were out shopping for groceries. They had already secured good stalls and laid out all sorts of fruits and vegetables, waiting for customers to come and inquire about prices.

　　The butcher chopped at the pork with his knife, making muffled “thump thump” sounds, while a fragrant aroma wafted from the breakfast shop.

　　”Freshly steamed meat buns…” The shouts reached my ears.

　　Jiang Yuangong looked at the large white steamed bun in his hand, smelled its aroma, and felt a momentary daze as memories of the past surfaced from the depths of his heart.

　　“Father…cough cough…” Xiaoyu’s voice came from the foot of the bed, accompanied by occasional coughs.

　　”Yu’er, sleep a little longer.” Xiao Jiang got dressed, felt his way in the dark, and limped to the kitchen. He started a fire, brewed the medicine, and carried the bowl back into the house to feed Xiao Yu the medicine.

　　”Are you feeling better?” Xiao Jiang asked with concern, looking at her daughter’s pale face.

　　Xiaoyu shook her head, then nodded, coughed a few times, and said, “Father, I’m fine…”

　　”With Daddy here, don’t be afraid.” Xiao Jiang patted her little head and started a fire to make breakfast.

　　Xiao Jiang was originally the illegitimate son of a wealthy family in the city. Later, he was bullied by the legitimate son of the family, had his leg broken, and was kicked out of the house. From then on, he had to rely on himself. He was hardworking and diligent. He learned to make steamed buns and set up a stall on the street to make a living.

　　After years of hard work, Xiao Jiang married a farmer’s daughter and they had a lovely daughter.

　　The family of three, though not wealthy, lived a warm and stable life.

　　However, misfortune seems to befall the unfortunate. Not long after, Xiao Jiang’s wife fell seriously ill. The doctor said it was a congenital heart disease that could not be cured.

　　Xiao Jiang did not give up. While selling steamed buns to support his family, he saved money to pay for his wife’s medical treatment. After a few months, he had almost spent all of his family’s savings.

　　One day, a traveling doctor came to the street, saying he could cure difficult and complicated diseases. Xiao Jiang seemed to see hope and quickly invited the doctor to her home. After examining her, the doctor said that the disease was not difficult to cure.

　　So Xiao Jiang gave the doctor the last of her family’s savings, and the doctor wrote a prescription and left.

　　However, after taking the medicine prescribed by the doctor, his wife’s condition did not improve at all. It was clear that he had been deceived, and the family’s savings were completely spent. Finally, a few days later, his wife tragically passed away.

　　Just when he thought his suffering was over, misfortune struck again. Soon after, his daughter, Xiaoyu, was also diagnosed with the same heart disease as her mother. Xiaojiang was devastated; it was a bolt from the blue for him!

　　Xiao Jiang’s daughter, Xiao Yu, is everything to him. Even though he knows there is no hope, Xiao Jiang still does not give up. He plans to sell his belongings and seek medical treatment elsewhere.

　　He has already reached an agreement with Master Zhao in the city to sell the steamed bun shop for one hundred taels of silver. This morning, Master Zhao will send someone to sign the purchase agreement.

　　After Xiao Jiang and her daughter had breakfast, they waited a while before several servants from the Zhao family came to their door.

　　The leader had sharp eyes and a hairy mole on his nose. He was Fugui, the steward of the Zhao family. Behind Fugui were several burly men, each with thick waists and strong physiques.

　　As soon as he entered, Fugui shouted, “Little Jiang, you’ve finally found the right person! This shop of yours should have been sold to the Zhao family. You wouldn’t have gotten this price from anyone else! Have you buried your wife yet?”

　　”He has already been buried. Thank you for your care, Master Zhao…” Xiao Jiang said with a smile, limping forward.

　　”Sign here, and this shop will belong to the Zhao family.” Fugui handed over paper and pen.

　　Xiao Jiang, who barely knew any characters, looked at the writing and found it very profound, not understanding most of it. So he asked, “What does it say?”

　　Fu Gui laughed and said, “It’s simply a matter of cash on delivery, and there’s no going back on it afterward. Don’t worry, once you sign and put your fingerprint on it, the government will recognize it.”

　　”Oh…” Xiao Jiang wondered if she should find someone to witness it. Seeing that the other party was urging her so hard, and considering that the Zhao family had a reputation as “great philanthropists” in the city, she figured they wouldn’t deceive her, so she signed the document and pressed her fingerprint on it.

　　Fu Gui handed over a packet of silver, which Xiao Jiang quickly took and counted; it was indeed one hundred taels.

　　He was finally relieved to have the money in his hands.

　　After taking the package, he pulled Xiaoyu along, glanced one last time at the shop behind him, sighed, rallied his spirits, and left.

　　After leaving the city, Xiao Jiang and her daughter passed by a City God Temple. Suddenly, a group of people came chasing after them. At a glance, they were Zhao’s servants, with Fu Gui leading the way.

　　”Stop…” Fugui led his men over.

　　”What’s wrong?” Xiao Jiang asked, puzzled.

　　Fu Gui glared at him and said, “Little Jiang, where are you planning to go?”

　　Xiao Jiang said, “I have to take my daughter out to see a doctor. Is there anything else, Steward Fugui?”

　　Fu Gui snorted coldly and said, “You’re going on a long trip? That won’t do! If you just leave like this, do you not intend to repay the money you owe the Zhao family?”

　　”I owe the Zhao family money? When did I owe you money?” Xiao Jiang was completely dumbfounded.

　　Fu Gui took out a note, pointed to its contents, and said, “It’s written clearly in black and white here that you will sell the steamed bun shop in the west of the city to the Zhao family. The Zhao family will lend you one hundred taels of silver, which you must repay within three days. If you don’t repay it by the due date, the debt will double every day, two hundred taels on the fourth day, four hundred taels on the fifth day, and eight hundred taels on the sixth day…”

　　”What?! This is impossible!” Xiao Jiang trembled as she listened to his words. “I clearly sold the shop to the Zhao family, how could it be a loan… This is impossible, you’re lying to me!”

　　”You scoundrel!” Fugui roared. “Are you trying to renege on your debt? It’s all written clearly here, and you even have your signature and fingerprint on it!”

　　”No, I have to ask Master Zhao to settle this!”

　　”Our master is too busy every day to have time for you. Guards! Young Jiang is refusing to pay his debts. Let’s go to the authorities and report him!”

　　”Come on, come with us to the county government office—”

　　”Father, Father… cough cough…” Xiaoyu, who was only fourteen years old, was so frightened by the scene that she burst into tears. Her heart disease flared up again, and she coughed incessantly.

　　”Yu’er, don’t be afraid. Wait here for Daddy. Daddy will be back soon…”

　　A moment later, Xiao Jiang was dragged back into the city and into the county government office.

　　Fu Gui handed over the prepared complaint. The county magistrate read the complaint, then the written agreement, and Xiao Jiang’s signature and fingerprint. He slammed his gavel and coldly shouted, “You audacious scoundrel, why are you trying to renege on your debt?!”

　　Xiao Jiang knelt down and said, “My lord, I did not renege on my debt. I had agreed with Master Zhao to sell the steamed bun shop to him for one hundred taels of silver. Who would have thought they forged the agreement? I am innocent…”

　　”How dare you!” The county magistrate slammed his gavel again, speaking righteously, “Master Zhao is a prominent family in the county, a well-known ‘philanthropist’ who sets up soup kitchens every year and has done countless good deeds. Would he possibly lie to you? It’s clear that you’re hiding something, borrowing money and then defaulting on the debt. I heard you just left the city; were you planning to run away?”

　　”I didn’t!” Xiao Jiang cried out excitedly, kowtowing repeatedly. “Sir, I’m truly innocent! I was selling the shop, how could I borrow money? Please, sir, do me justice…”

　　Fu Gui stepped forward and said, “Sir, the silver we lent to Xiao Jiang is in his bag. If you don’t believe me, you can ask him to take it out and see for yourself. It’s real gold and silver!”

　　”Someone, open his package—”

　　With a “whoosh,” several people pulled and tugged together, and several silver ingots, exactly one hundred taels, fell out of Xiao Jiang’s bundle.

　　”My lord, the evidence is irrefutable!”

　　”Hmm…” The magistrate slammed the gavel again, startling Xiao Jiang so much that he trembled all over, feeling both anxious and angry.

　　The magistrate said, “This case is very clear. After borrowing the money, Xiao Jiang reneged and even tried to run away with it. His crime is heinous. The silver is hereby confiscated, and the shop belongs to the Zhao family. Considering that Xiao Jiang has not spent the money, he does not need to repay the interest. He will be imprisoned directly and will be released after serving his sentence in three months…”

　　”Thank you, sir!” Fugui chuckled and stepped forward to hand over a silver ingot.

　　”No! No… Your Honor… I am innocent!” The magistrate’s verdict was like a thunderbolt to Xiao Jiang.

　　He needed this money to pay for his daughter’s medical treatment. Now, not only is the money gone, but the shop is gone too, and he’s going to jail. Who will take care of his young daughter?

　　Such is life; what more can be said?

　　”This scoundrel is roaring in the courtroom! Beat him!” The county magistrate, seeing Xiao Jiang’s madness, could not tolerate it and ordered his constables to beat him until his skin was torn and bleeding, leaving him sprawled on the ground, barely breathing.

　　After being imprisoned, Xiao Jiang finally regained some strength. Smelling the stench of the cell, he mustered all his strength and crawled to the cell door, calling out, “Is anyone there… Brother Cha…”

　　”What are you yelling about? It’s so annoying!” A burly jailer stepped forward, glaring arrogantly at Xiao Jiang. “When it’s mealtime, someone will bring you food! You can take care of your own needs inside… Is there anything else?”

　　Xiao Jiang raised his head, stretched his hand out over the iron bars, grabbed the jailer’s foot, and said, “Brother, please do me a favor… My daughter Xiao Yu is still waiting for me at the City God Temple… Please… let me out…”

　　”What nonsense are you talking about? Let you out? Are you dreaming?”

　　”Brother Cha…please help me, I beg you…”

　　”How old is your daughter?” the jailer suddenly asked.

　　“She’s only fourteen years old and in poor health. I have to take care of her…” Xiao Jiang coughed, spitting out a mouthful of dark, stagnant blood.

　　”Fourteen already… Sigh, never mind, never mind!” The jailer looked reluctant. “It’s impossible for you to leave. But I see you’ve had a hard time, so how about this, I’ll go see your daughter for you and tell her what happened, okay?”

　　Xiao Jiang said, “But…she’s all alone out there with no money and no place to stay…”

　　The jailer said, “That’s easy. I can let her stay at my house temporarily, and my wife can cook an extra meal. When you get out, just give me some money as compensation!”

　　Xiao Jiang’s eyes lit up: “Thank you so much, Brother Cha… You’re such a good person!”

　　”Heh heh, who told me I can’t stand seeing human misery… You’re lucky you ran into me. If it were someone else, heh heh, you’d be in real trouble!” The jailer said and left.

　　A day later, Xiao Jiang, who was half-dead in prison, suddenly heard someone calling him. He got up and saw that it was his daughter, Xiao Yu. He rushed over. After father and daughter met, they burst into tears.

　　Xiaoyu wiped away her tears, took out a large white steamed bun from her bosom, and handed it to him, saying, “Father, this is a steamed bun I made myself. Please have some to tide you over. I’ll come to see you every day from now on…”

　　Xiao Jiang took the steamed bun, still warm from the bun itself, and from his daughter’s body. Tears streamed down his face. He took a bite and said, “Yu’er, stay at Uncle Cha’s house for now. After Daddy gets out, I’ll take you to see a doctor…”

　　Xiaoyu forced a smile and said, “Father, don’t worry, Uncle Cha treats me very well. You don’t need to worry about me.”

　　”That’s good, that’s good… What a kind person…”

　　”Alright, alright. It’s time to go…” the jailer said as he approached.

　　”Yu’er, you must take good care of yourself…”

　　”Father…cough…”

　　The father and daughter parted with reluctance.

　　The next day, Xiaoyu came to see Xiaojiang again, bringing a steamed bun as usual. The same thing happened on the third and fourth days. But she didn’t come on the fifth day. On the tenth day, Xiaoyu came again. This time, Xiaoyu looked much more haggard than before, and her face was even less rosy.

　　Although Xiao Jiang was extremely worried, he had no other choice. He was barely able to take care of himself, so how could he take care of anyone else?

　　A month later, Xiao Jiang saw his daughter Xiao Yu again. At this time, Xiao Yu’s face was pale, and the light in her eyes was much dimmer. She looked somewhat melancholy and numb, as if she was hiding her own secrets.

　　Unlike before, this time Xiaoyu actually brought a silver ingot and told Xiaojiang that she had also started learning how to make money.

　　Thus, intermittently, every time Xiao Jiang saw Xiao Yu, he was always filled with worry and joy. The father and daughter were always filled with mixed emotions of joy and sorrow when they met, and they would inevitably cry.

　　Finally, after three months, Xiao Jiang was released from prison.

　　On the day of his release from prison, Xiao Jiang did not see Xiao Yu come to pick him up. He found the prison guard and asked about his daughter Xiao Yu. The prison guard gave vague answers and led him to his home.

　　Upon arriving at the jailer’s house, Xiao Jiang kept asking, “Brother, where is my daughter?”

　　The jailer chuckled and said, “Little Jiang, we agreed before that I would take care of your daughter, and you would pay me a sum of money as compensation after you got out. Now it’s time for you to keep your promise.”

　　Xiao Jiang hurriedly said, “I’ve just been released from prison, where would I get the money to pay you! I’ll definitely pay you back when I’ve saved up some money! What about my daughter—” His biggest concern right now was his daughter, Xiao Yu.

　　The jailer glanced at him and said indifferently, “That’s all.”

　　”What do you mean?!” Xiao Jiang was shocked.

　　”To tell you the truth,” the jailer said with his arms crossed and a hint of disdain, “I only helped you because your daughter still had some value. After I took her home, I slept with her for a few days, but she was sickly and uninteresting, so I sold her to a brothel. A few days ago, the madam told me that the girl couldn’t take it anymore and died from being played with. Don’t worry, the madam has already collected her body. Go find the madam and ask her to tell you where she’s buried…”

　　”Impossible, impossible… You must be lying to me!” Xiao Jiang was stunned when she heard this, and for a moment she couldn’t believe it was true.

　　”Believe it or not, that’s how it is. You decide what to do. That girl’s hole is still quite tender, what a pity…” The jailer grinned lewdly.

　　”No! No! No—” At this moment, Xiao Jiang was blinded by rage. He felt his whole body trembling. From birth to now, he had suffered countless humiliations and hardships, but none of them could compare to this. He had never thought that humanity was so despicable, that the world was so dirty, and that it made people so desperate!

　　“You beasts! Animals! Trash! Bastards…” Xiao Jiang’s eyes were bloodshot as he rushed toward the jailer in a fit of rage.

　　He now hates the Zhao family patriarch and his servants, hates the county magistrate, hates the jailer in front of him, and hates the whole world!

　　However, Xiao Jiang had already been tortured beyond recognition in prison, and was no match for the jailer in front of him. He was knocked down with a single punch, and the jailer, with one foot on Xiao Jiang’s chest, looked down at him disdainfully and said, “What are you, daring to act tough with me—”

　　”Ah—roar!” Xiao Jiang roared, prying his legs apart, struggling to his feet. He picked up a stone from the ground and lunged at the jailer again, roaring like a wild beast, “This world should be stained red with blood! It should be stained red with blood—”

　　In an instant, the scene was filled with blood…

　　”Selling steamed buns! Fresh meat-filled steamed buns…” The shouts of the breakfast shop owner on the street reached Jiang Yuangong’s ears.

　　Jiang Yuangong snapped out of his daze and suppressed the images that kept flooding his mind.

　　He took out a large white steamed bun from his pocket, smelled it, and the image of Li Yuyao’s pure, lovely, and kind face appeared in his mind. A trace of tenderness flashed in his eyes, and he couldn’t help but take a bite of the bun before putting it back in his pocket.

　　”Don’t block the way!” Several officials walked down the street, and the surrounding people quickly moved away. Only Jiang Yuangong continued to walk slowly in the middle of the street, completely ignoring everything around him.

　　”Hey, you old beggar, get out of my way—” The officer stepped forward and saw that Jiang Yuangong did not give way at all. He went straight up and tried to push him away, but found that he could not move him at all.

　　”You blind fool!” one of the officers shouted, drawing his sword.

　　The next instant, the officers froze, standing motionless in place.

　　Jiang Yuangong continued walking forward.

　　The surrounding people were puzzled when suddenly someone shouted, “Ah… someone’s dead…”

　　Upon closer inspection, everyone saw that several officers had collapsed at the same time, with a large amount of blood flowing from their left chests. Those who dared to step forward were stunned. It turned out that each of these officers had a large hole in their chest, and their hearts were gone. It was unclear when they had been emptied out.

　　”Murder!”

　　The surrounding people scattered in panic.