Chapter 26: Life-Saving Money

The two shadows appeared to be children, yet they ran with the speed of those blessed with winged feet.

Wang Xuezhou hurled the stick in his hand at one of them. It struck the boy squarely in the back, causing him to lose his footing and tumble to the ground. Wang lunged forward, pinning the boy down, twisting his arms behind his back, and holding him firmly in place.

"Where is it?" Wang demanded coldly. "Hand it over!"

The boy held nothing in his hands. "What are you talking about? I don't know!"

With his face pressed against the dirt, the boy refused to submit. Just as Wang reached out to search him, the boy heaved his body upward. Wang felt a sharp kick to the back of his head, a searing pain that forced him to instinctively loosen his grip.

The boy rolled away, revealing his face. It was smeared with mud, dark and grimy, save for a pair of large, round, clear eyes. At this moment, however, those eyes were fixed on Wang with a fierce, burning hatred, as if they shared some deep-seated vendetta.

Damn it! Since when did robbers have the moral high ground?

Anger flared in Wang's chest. He raised his fist, ready to strike.

"Ax!" the other boy shouted, turning back to intervene. Zhao Xing and Qi Xian rushed forward from either side, intent on pinning him down. But the boy was slippery as an eel. Taking Zhao Xing by surprise, he kicked him in the knee, forcing him to stumble forward, and dragged Qi Xian down in the process.

Having neutralized the two, he turned to assist his companion. Wang Xuezhou saw the boy’s powerful leg aimed directly at his groin and recoiled, hastily releasing the boy he held. Had he not dodged, he would have been crippled for life.

The boy did not linger. He grabbed the one called Ax and bolted. Zhao Xing and Qi Xian scrambled to their feet, blocking their path. Seeing they were cornered, the two boys turned back, locked eyes, and charged at Wang Xuezhou.

Wang was incensed. Did they really think he was a soft target?

"Get them!" Wang shouted. He dove forward, tackling the taller one to the ground, pinning the boy's arms with his legs, and delivering a sharp elbow strike to his head. Within moments, the boy was incapacitated.

Zhao Xing held the other boy in a bear hug, refusing to let go despite the punches raining down on his back and head. Seeing this, Qi Xian joined in, raining blows on the boy until his face was bruised and swollen.

"Qi Xian, check them for the item."

Both boys were exhausted from the scuffle. Qi Xian searched them, but found nothing.

"Where did you hide it?"

"If we managed to snatch it, it's our skill! If you have the ability, find it yourselves!" the boy pinned under Wang hissed, staring at them defiantly.

Wang frowned. "These two haven't left our sight. If it's not on them, they must have dropped it halfway. Let's retrace our steps."

Qi Xian realized the logic and, following their path, soon found the item in the grass.

Upon seeing the item, the boys' expressions shifted. The one called Ax cried out in panic, "Please! That's the medicine that will save my mother's life! Can you please give it back?"

Qi Xian’s eyes turned red. "That’s mine!"

Ax suddenly broke down, sobbing uncontrollably. The boy under Wang felt a pang of sympathy and began to weep as well. Wang’s grip slackened, and he released him.

"Waaaah... my mother is deathly ill. The doctor said the medicine costs two taels of silver. We didn't have the money, so we came here to try our luck. We were late today and found nothing. Can you please give it to us? I heard you say these things could be traded for money at the pawnshop, right?"

Being small and weak, they had always waited on the sidelines for others to finish scavenging before picking up the scraps. Today, they had seen the trio and stayed hidden, but upon hearing the excitement, they realized the others had found something valuable and couldn't resist the urge to steal it. After all, if the items were just scavenged, shouldn't they belong to whoever could get their hands on them?

The other boy knelt and knocked his head against the ground twice. "Please! If you let us trade this for money to treat my mother, I’ll be your servant and beast of burden for the rest of my life!"

Zhao Xing hesitated, feeling a flicker of pity. His own family wasn't wealthy, but they had never reached such desperation. Qi Xian felt conflicted and looked toward Wang Xuezhou.

"Is that so? Your mother is sick, and there are no adults in your family? You two children have to go out and scavenge for money?" Wang remained skeptical.

Seeing his doubt, Ax offered to take them home to see for themselves.

On the way, they learned the brothers' names: the older was Suotou (Lock), aged six, and the younger was Ax, aged five. Last year, unable to pay their taxes, their father was dragged off to prison by bailiffs. Their grandfather died of shock and grief, and their grandmother, unable to bear the double blow, followed soon after. Their uncle, while out trying to raise money, had slipped and fallen into a ditch, dying from his injuries. Their aunt took her two daughters and returned to her maiden home, never to be seen again. Their mother had been forced to sell their land to ransom their father, but though he returned, he died two months later while performing forced labor.

Misfortune, as they say, always strikes the weakest point.

Not only was their land gone, but their home had been seized by their own kin, leaving them homeless. Their mother, having no way to survive, brought them into the city. After days of searching, they found a dilapidated shack, but recently, she had fallen ill with a cold and couldn't get out of bed. With no way to earn money, the boys had turned to scavenging.

Wang Xuezhou felt a heavy weight in his heart. Such stories were common in history; when farmers went bankrupt, they either became tenant farmers or wandering refugees, and most chose the former—exchanging exploitation by the government for exploitation by the landlords.

They reached the city's most desolate southeastern corner. They stood in silence before the shack, which was so dilapidated the interior was visible from the doorway. Before they could step inside, a drunken man stumbled out, tucking in his trousers and muttering, "Damn my luck, she actually fell ill..."

Suotou looked like a cornered cat with its fur standing on end. He lunged at the man, shouting, "Get out of my house!"

The boy's strength was nothing more than a tickle to the grown man. The man brushed him aside, let out a lewd, drunken laugh, and reeked of alcohol. "Little brat, I’m your new daddy now."

He let out a vulgar chuckle.