Chapter Fourteen: I Took Him Away

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A group of beggars had gathered and refused to disperse, prompting the soldiers to come out wielding sticks, striking anyone in their way. Only then did the beggars scatter, fleeing into the surrounding fields in all directions. Among them, a child mingled with the adults, running along with a face full of abandoned panic. While they could survive within the city, outside in the wild they not only had to compete with others for resources but also fend off wild beasts.

Pan Yun stood quietly amidst the crowd, watching. After a long while, once the people had dispersed and the beggars had run far away, she finally turned and headed west. A small beggar boy of about three or four years old lay prone on the ground—he was the one left behind. After being knocked down repeatedly, he hadn’t gotten back up, though fortunately no one had stepped on him. Otherwise, with his small frame, a single stomp could have been fatal.

Pan Yun walked past him without looking sideways. Traveling from outside the city toward the north would take an unknown amount of time—perhaps a whole day. She would have to turn back eventually to inquire about the road to Datong. Without entering the city, she couldn’t rent or hire a carriage, and relying solely on her legs, she had no idea how long it would take to reach Datong. She had to find a way into a city. If only she could get a fake travel permit—no, she was too young, such a permit would draw too much attention; a fake household registration would be better…

She pondered many things, but when she saw the small boy scoop up a handful of dirt and shove it into his mouth, she couldn’t help but stop. After a brief pause, she turned back, reached down, lifted the little fellow up, brushed the dirt from his hands, and with a look of disdain, wiped the dirt and pebbles from his mouth by lifting his tattered clothes. She hoisted him up and started walking away.

The child kicked and struggled a little, but perhaps too hungry and weak, he soon stopped moving. She carried him far enough that the people at the city gate could no longer see them, then set him down and pulled a steamed bun from a paper bag, offering it to him.

The boy hesitated for a moment before eagerly grabbing it and biting into it. Pan Yun sat on the nearby grass and watched him eat. The black cat in her arms meowed softly, “Why are you giving him a steamed bun?”

“Because I’m kind,” Pan Yun replied, watching the child. Once he finished the bun without choking, she stood up and started to leave. The boy hesitated, then quickly grabbed her sleeve.

Pan Yun looked back at him and said, “I can’t take you with me. You should find a bigger village or town to beg in. If you’re lucky, someone kind might take you in so you can have a home.”

The boy pointed at the city wall. “I know how to get in.”

His speech was clear, far beyond what a three or four-year-old would sound like.

Pan Yun looked down at his large eyes and, after a moment of silence, asked, “How do you get in?”

Pan Little Black mocked silently in her mind: “Walk through the city gate.”

Unexpectedly, the boy led them along the city wall. Gradually, bushes and weeds separated them from the wall, increasing the distance. Just as Pan Yun was about to lose patience, the boy stopped, examined several nearby trees, then chose two and began crawling into the grass.

Pan Yun was speechless. The boy actually made a path by pressing the grass flat under his body and disappeared into a patch of grass.

“Here!” the boy’s excited voice came from inside. Pan Yun crawled in and found a hole at the base of the city wall—not very large, just enough for a thin person to squeeze through. The grass and vines overhead prevented her from standing upright, so she placed the black cat on her shoulder and crawled through.

Pan Little Black said, “Meow, it’s a dog hole.”

Pan Yun ignored him, examined the hole carefully, and shook her head. “No, this was dug by people.”

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Seeing her follow, the boy quickly crawled in and sat inside. “It’s warm here.”

Pan Yun followed him in. The boy, seeing she was still with him, hurried further inside and led her out on the other side. This side was also overgrown with weeds, and a haystack lay at the entrance. She struggled to push the haystack aside and crawl out, discovering a wasteland covered in wild grass. Not far away lay some fields, and beyond those, scattered houses and vegetable gardens.

Pan Yun glanced back at the hole concealed behind the haystack, covered it again, and pulled the boy along to leave.

“How did you know there was a hole there?”

“A bad man brought me here. I hid here, so they couldn’t find me.”

His words were a jumble; Pan Yun barely understood. She carried the boy a little further away, crouched down, and looked into his eyes. Her gaze traveled from his eyes to his forehead, noting his features and face shape.

Although not skilled in physiognomy, she had basic knowledge. Previously, the child had been too dirty, with hair tangled like a bird’s nest, obscuring his features.

Now, pushing his hair back to expose his forehead and wiping it with a cloth, his delicate features became visible.

The black cat raised its neck, glanced, and meowed, “Good looks.”

Pan Yun murmured, “Truly good looks, even I, an amateur, can tell.”

Such a face did not belong to someone born into beggary. Her fingertip gently traced his brow and eyes. Unfortunately, he seemed destined for a short life—born noble, yet likely to die young.

She let his hair fall back down and rubbed dirt onto his face again, restoring the grimy look. The boy accepted it willingly, as when he mingled among the beggars, older boys and girls often smeared dirt on his face.

The boy was far more familiar with She County than she was. He led her skillfully, turning left and right, quickly leaving the area saturated with rural atmosphere and arriving at streets lined with shops and passersby.

Yet he didn’t dare approach directly. Instead, he hid in an alley, looking around cautiously. Seizing moments when no one noticed, he swiftly guided Pan Yun across the street, weaving through shadows in corners along various lanes.

Soon, he slipped into a narrow alley.

The alley was barely a meter wide—essentially a passage between two walls, wide enough for only one person. It was cluttered with firewood and damp. Both houses flanking the alley had small doors facing it, clearly using the space for storage.

From the firewood stack came faint noises. The boy slipped inside, and Pan Yun heard a low voice, “Qie Qie?”

“It’s me, it’s me. Brother Xiaohua and Brother Dazhu have been driven away.”

“You came back—that’s good. Did you eat a bun? I smell buns.”

Pan Yun cleared her throat softly, and the voices inside went silent. After a long moment, the boy’s small voice whispered, “Brother Xiaohua, it’s the sister who brought me back. She gave me a bun.”

The bun gave them infinite strength. The firewood pile was finally pushed aside, and a small head peeked out—looking even younger than her.

He immediately spotted the paper bag in Pan Yun’s hand, darted out, and pulled out the boy lying down, standing before her. Like an adult, he said thank you: “Thank you for bringing him back and giving him buns to eat. Good people will be rewarded; heaven will surely bless you with everything you wish and lasting peace.”

Pan Yun pulled out another bun and gave it to him. “Who taught you to say such auspicious words?”

He quickly took the bun but didn’t eat it immediately, instead tucking it into his clothes. “The old beggars teach the big beggars, and the big beggars teach the little beggars. When we receive kindness, we must pray blessings for the benefactors.”

Pan Yun felt good and took two more buns from the bag, giving one to each of them. She took one for herself and sat with them on a pile of firewood, chatting.

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“Why are you the only one here?”

The boy named Xiaohua answered, “Only I ran back. The others don’t know where to hide; maybe they’ve been driven out of town too.”

From Xiaohua, Pan Yun learned that a few days ago, city officials had ordered all beggars to leave the county town and stay out for at least a month. But no one took it seriously.

If they didn’t beg in the county, where else could they find food? So no one left.

The officials repeated the order several times. Today, seeing they still hadn’t left, soldiers were dispatched to drive the visible beggars out of the city and even searched their usual sheltering spots—the dilapidated temples and houses.

Xiaohua was quick and agile and fled to this alley when the situation worsened.

This alley was deep, and they never usually lived here. When chased and unable to escape, they would wander into the alley to hide.

There was plenty of firewood here, and as long as they remained quiet, they could always evade capture. Over time, it became a refuge for the children, unknown even to the older beggars.

Only Pan Yun, being about their age and generously sharing buns with them, earned their trust enough for Xiaohua to confide in her.

Pan Yun nodded and pointed to the boy. “You call him Qie Qie?”

“He says his name is Qier.”

The boy beside him hurriedly corrected, “Qie’er, my name is Qie’er.”

“Right, right, you call him Qie Qie,” Xiaohua said dismissively.

Though the pronunciation was correct, the boy felt something was off and looked at Pan Yun with slight grievance.

Pan Yun pondered and asked, “Do you know where he came from?”

“He escaped from human traffickers,” Xiaohua said without hesitation. “Before the New Year, the authorities caught some traffickers near the wall hole. He ran away in the chaos.”

“If he was kidnapped, why not take him to the authorities? He might find his parents there.”

Xiaohua shook his head. “Third Master took him away. He said it was complicated. Someone inside the government was looking for the child but didn’t seem to want to reunite him properly, so they brought him back.”

He glanced at the boy, then looked up at Pan Yun. “Miss, you’re a good person. Would you want to take him? If you want, you can take him away.”

Pan Yun smiled and asked, “What if I don’t want to?”

Xiaohua sighed. “If you don’t want him, I’ll take him. I’ve already found someone to take him in. The Zhang family on Tongluo Lane has no son. They wanted to adopt me before, but I refused. Now I can’t survive on my own, so I’m going to be their son.”

He said, “If you don’t want to take him, I’ll take him as my brother. I’ll share my food with him and bow to Mr. and Mrs. Zhang more times. They’ll definitely agree.”

Pan Yun looked closely at him. If he took this boy to the Zhang family, they might not accept him because Qie’er was better-looking and younger. If they only wanted one son, they would choose the younger, more handsome one.

She didn’t say this aloud but smiled instead. “When he grows up, he’ll surely be grateful to you.”

She glanced at the innocent, unaware child and said, “I will take him with me.”