"Miss..." The small man stopped and made a sound like a mosquito a few steps away.
This was a girl. Snowflakes fluttered down, blocking Gu Shiba Niang's sight, making her face unclear.
"Are you looking for me?" she asked, looking at them intently.
His eyes fell on the girl's side. He was a skinny boy with messy hair covering his eyes. Through the layers of snow, he could vaguely see his sharp chin and his thin lips tightly closed. With.
Just when Gu Shiba was sizing them up, the young man suddenly knelt down and kowtowed.
"What to do?" Gu Shiba Niang was surprised.
The girl also knelt down at this time, kowtowed and said in a trembling voice: "Ling Bao'er thanked Miss for saving her life and being so kind..."
Help? Gu Shiba Niang was startled, took a few steps closer, looked at the little girl's timid and slightly trembling figure with excitement, and remembered.
"Oh, it's you." A warm smile appeared on her lips, and her eyes fell on the young man.
A gust of wind blew by, causing snowflakes to fly into a sheet. Through the flying snowflakes, the young man felt that gentle and joyful eyes enveloped him.
This look made the young man lower his head slightly.
"Are you okay?" The cool female voice said with undisguised excitement, "This is great..."
She said, then her voice deepened, "This is great..."
She said it again, this time like a long sigh, as if she had vented all the sadness in her heart.
"Get up quickly." Gu Shiba Niang took a few steps over and reached out to support the little girl.
The little girl kowtowed again and then stood up obediently. The boy hesitated.
"You're in good health, get up quickly..."
A pair of small hands stretched out in front of him and gently supported his arm.
The young man stood up.
"It's such a snowy day, you should go back quickly." Gu Shiba Niang said.
"Miss," the little girl glanced at her brother, as if she had made up her mind, and said, "Miss saved Lingbaoer's brother, and Lingbaoer is willing to repay him as a slave..."
Gu Shiba Niang smiled and shook her head.
"Miss, I am telling the truth. Lingbaoer swears that whoever saves his brother, Lingbaoer will be her slave in this life..." The little girl thought she didn't believe it, so she said hurriedly, and was about to kneel down as she spoke. Down.
"No, I believe it." Gu Shiba Niang quickly reached out to stop her, "You don't have to thank me so much..."
She paused for a moment, "This is your life..."
Is my life good? Lingbao'er looked at the girl in front of her who was not much older than herself in surprise. No one had ever said that her life was easy when Lingbao'er was so old, even she didn't feel it.
Both parents have been lost, their homes have been abandoned, they are living begging, being bullied, without food and clothing, and their life and death are uncertain. . . . . .
Is this good luck
"Brother..." She stretched out her hand and timidly pulled the boy standing silently beside her.
"I owe you my life." The young man said.
The voice was a little hoarse, with the weakness of an unrecovered injury.
Gu Shiba Niang smiled and said, "Let's go quickly. The snow is getting heavier and heavier. You're not feeling well yet. Let's go quickly."
After saying that, she turned around, picked up the medicine basket and sieve, and walked towards the door.
"Miss..." the little girl called hurriedly from behind, and people followed, "Miss..."
She fell to her knees.
"Why are you doing this..." Gu Shiba Niang turned around and sighed, "I told you, it was your good fortune and I happened to be passing by. If you were not so lucky, you wouldn't have met me... Yes. People... don’t have such a good life.”
When she said this, she sighed and then continued, "I can't help you in this way, so, you see, this has nothing to do with me. What you have to thank is yourself."
What's the point? The little girl and the boy were both stunned and looked at each other, then saw that Gu Shiba Niang had already opened the door and entered.
"Miss..." The little girl wanted to catch up, but the young man reached out and grabbed her.
"Let's go." The boy whispered.
"But, brother..." The little girl hesitated.
The young man raised his head and glanced at the newly painted door. No matter how plain the girl was dressed, the high-hanging large-character door plaque also carried a sense of wealth and majesty that could not be ignored. The young man stopped talking, took the little girl's hand and walked into the wind and snow. middle.
It was dark at night, and after writing the last stroke, Gu Hai stretched and rubbed his hands.
The door creaked open, and Mrs. Cao came in with a bowl of hot soup and tea.
"Mom, go to bed earlier and don't always make soup and tea for me." Gu Hai quickly stood up and took the bowl.
"Mom, you're not tired. Why don't you go to bed early?" Mrs. Cao smiled and watched her son drink heavily.
"It's still snowing..." Gu Hai looked outside the door, the yard was brightly lit, "My sister isn't sleeping either?"
"I'm reading a book, too." Mrs. Cao looked at the small penthouse next to her room, with orange light coming from the window, and said with some distress.
"If my sister were a boy, she would definitely win the top prize if she was so diligent..." Gu Hai smiled, "She works even harder than me..."
Mrs. Cao smiled and went out with the bowl. Gu Hai glanced at the lit hut, moved his hands, sat down again, and started reading.
After breakfast the next day, Gu Hai finished sweeping the snow in front of the door and was about to go out when Gu Shi Niang caught up with him.
"Brother, wait for me, let's go together."
Gu Hai stood still and waited for her with a smile. He saw that she was carrying a bamboo basket with a lid and took a small shovel.
"What are you going to do?" Gu Hai asked curiously.
The two brothers and sisters stepped out of the house. There were already many traces of vehicles and horses on the snow. At the other end of the street, boys from an unknown house were cleaning the snow on the ground.
"How was your first day at school?" Gu Shiba Niang asked.
Turning his head and seeing the obvious nervousness on his sister's face, Gu Hai smiled and reached out to scratch her nose.
"Very good," he said.
"Did anyone bully you?" Gu Shiba Niang asked.
"No." Gu Hai smiled.
The sound of a carriage coming from behind came from behind, and the brother and sister hurriedly stepped to the side of the road to give way.
"Hey, silly wood..." Gu Long leaned half out of the car window and threw two snowballs.
Gu Hai hurriedly covered one side of his body with his sleeves. The snowball left a snow mark on his shoulder, and his laughter went away with the sound of the carriage.
The brother and sister looked at each other, Gu Hai grinned, and Gu Shiba Niang looked at him and slowly smiled too.
"Sister, don't worry." The boy patted his sister on the shoulder, seeming to be teasing but also serious.
Gu Shiba Niang nodded, said hello with a smile, and looked away at the intersection, watching Gu Hai walk away with his back straight and his steps like the wind.
This time, my brother won’t be tired of studying because of the other children’s ridicule and the teacher’s punishment...
When Gu Shiba Niang walked outside the city, she found someone following her.
She stopped and stood looking back, until the boy who was still wearing shabby single clothes in winter stood up from behind the tree.
"Is that you?" Gu Shiba Niang glanced and recognized the young man.
It was hard to see clearly in the snow that day. When I looked over, I saw that he was about fourteen or fifteen years old. He was similar in stature to Gu Hai, but even thinner than Gu Hai. His messy hair was blown by the wind, revealing his body. There was a thin, red and swollen scar from his forehead to the corner of his eye.
"Is something wrong?" Gu Shiba Niang asked again.
"Repay the favor." He replied, his voice coming from a distance, with a bit of coldness.
Gu Shiba Niang smiled and waved her hand, "Go, go."
She turned around and walked towards Xunzhuhetang. She saw the young man following not too far behind. His leg injury was not healed and he was having trouble walking.
Toads in winter are difficult to find but easy to catch. I rummaged around the river pond regardless of the cold and wet. Apart from occasionally digging out two snakes, I quickly caught half a basket of toads. They were so fat that they didn't even run away.
Seeing Gu Shiba Niang working happily in the mud pond, not afraid of the cold or dirty, the young man who had been following her was a little confused. When he heard her suddenly scream, before he could run over, he saw a snake being wrapped around her. The girl threw it out.
Then the girl patted her chest and said it was so dangerous, but she turned around and continued digging.
"What are you doing?" He finally couldn't bear it anymore and walked forward and asked.
"Catch a toad." Without raising her head, Gu Shiba Niang grabbed a toad with her hand wrapped in rags and stuffed it into the bamboo basket beside her.
"Catch this...do you want to eat it?" he asked.
"Yes," Gu Shiba Niang said deliberately, looking up at him, "Would you like to try it?"
The boy's face was expressionless.
Gu Shiba Niang smiled and looked at the bamboo basket. It was almost full. She stood up straight, threw off the rag wrapping her hands, and carefully carried the bamboo basket ashore.
This time the young man did not chase him, but stood still.
"Hey," Gu Shiba Niang thought for a moment, turned around and shook the bamboo basket in her hand, "This is inedible, it's poisonous."
The young man stood motionless and showed no reaction, his torn clothes flying in the cold wind.
Gu Shiba Niang suddenly felt distressed. Anyway, she and her brother still wore old but clean cotton robes. This child...
She sighed, turned around and walked away slowly. She looked back and saw that the boy was gone.
After catching the toad, she immediately started making toad cake according to the instructions in the book. However, to her dismay, more than a dozen toads only got a piece as big as a palm.
How long will it take to save enough money to sell this, let alone buy Shunhetang Pharmacy
"Eighteen Mother..." Cao's voice sounded outside the door.
Gu Shiba Niang hurriedly stuffed the hidden money she brought from Xianren County under the bed. Mrs. Cao pushed the door open and came in, carrying a bamboo basket in her hand, her face white with fright.
"Did you catch this?" she asked.
"What?" Gu Shiba Niang came over, opened the lid and saw that it was a basket of toads.
"...Why did you leave it outside the door and not bring it in..." Ms. Cao said.
This is... Gu Shiba Niang thought about it and guessed that it must have been caught by that young man. This child is really...
"Oh, yes, I forgot." She took over what she said, "Mom, I'm going to get busy."
"Go." Ms. Cao smiled and watched her daughter walk into the room specially prepared for making medicine.
"By the way, mother, be careful, don't touch these..." Gu Shiba Niang poked her head out of the door again, "They're poisonous..."
Mr. Cao nodded and said he understood, "You should also be careful..."
From that day on, the caught toads were delivered every day. Gu Shiba Niang went to the river but did not meet the boy. She must have caught them from another river pond.
Hiding behind the door, listening to the sound of footsteps, Gu Shiba Niang suddenly opened the door, but she didn't see the boy, but the little girl whose face was red from the cold.
"Miss..." She was also startled, and ran away timidly, neither staying nor staying.
"You caught it?" Gu Shibaniang was a little surprised, looking at the little girl's purple-red hands covered with frostbite exposed outside her sleeves.
"My brother caught it..." the little girl whispered, "...don't be angry, Miss... we just want to do something for you..."
"It's okay, thank you." Gu Shiba Niang's voice was a little softer, looking at the little girl's open-toed shoes, "Come in, sit down, and have a cup of hot tea..."
The little girl waved her hand, "No, no, I don't dare to disturb the lady... I'll leave now..."
After saying that, he turned around and ran away, but he accidentally slipped and fell. His shoes flew out and fell into the snow ditch on the side of the road.
"Are you okay?" Gu Shiba Niang hurriedly ran over to help her.
"What's wrong?" Mrs. Cao also came out when she heard the noise, and was startled when she saw the little girl lying in the snow and mud. "Whose child is this?"
Holding the bowl of hot soup, the little girl couldn't help but shiver.
"Don't be afraid of the pain, you'll feel better soon after taking a dip..." Mrs. Cao put the little girl's red and purple feet into the hot water.
The pain made the little girl tremble all over, and she almost overturned the hot soup and tea. Gu Shiba Niang stretched out her hand to support her.
"Thank you, madam..." the little girl choked with tears falling.
After a brief scrubbing and putting on Gu Shiba Niang's old clothes, the little girl knelt on the ground and kowtowed to Ms. Cao.
"Thank you Madam Bodhisattva for your heart..." she cried.
Gu Shiba Niang smiled and helped her up, and saw the clean little face in front of her, revealing her original and delicate face.
"So, you and your brother just beg for a living?" Ms. Cao asked from the side.
I have just listened to the process of their acquaintance. Ms. Cao, who is a vegetarian and a Buddhist, is very pleased that her daughter helped her, and at the same time she felt a little relieved. These days, she always feels that her daughter has a more aggressive air, and it seems that it is herself. Although she is overly worried, her daughter's heart is still the same as before, gentle and kind.
The little girl nodded, "My name is Lingbao, and my brother's name is Lingyuan..."
"Why was your brother beaten that day?" Gu Shiba Niang asked casually.
Lingbao's face darkened, he lowered his head and said Nuonuo: "...it's all Lingbao's fault...Lingbao is hungry...brother...brother stole other people's money..."
After saying that, she didn't dare to raise her head. She just felt so ashamed that she wanted to get into the ground. In fact, it was not because she was hungry, but because her brother had always been a thief...
It's common to miss, but the beating was the worst. If it hadn't been for the gift of silver from this lady, I would have been unable to recover...
"Thank you, Miss Madam, for your kindness... It's hard to repay Lingbao even if he works as a cow or a horse..." She cried and knelt down to kowtow.
Gu Shiba Niang smiled. From her words and expression, she had already guessed that the little girl's brother was a habitual thief, but what did this have to do with her? Send him to the government? Just kidding….
"Okay, you go back," Gu Shiba Niang and Mrs. Cao sent the little girl out.
Ling Baoer was holding a bundle, which contained two old cotton robes from Gu Hai.
Seeing that she was about to kneel down again, Gu Shiba Niang hurriedly stretched out her hand to stop her, "Stop kneeling, I told you, it's your life."
Lingbaoer wiped away her tears and lowered her head and thanked her three times, then turned around and walked away slowly.
"What a pitiful child...a child without a father and a mother..." Ms. Cao whispered as she wiped the corner of her eyes with her sleeve.
Gu Shiba Niang looked at the little figure going away. She wanted to say something but felt that there was nothing to say. Poor people, they are both poor people, but one is now and the other was in the past.
"Mom, it's going to be fine." She held Mrs. Cao's arm, as if comforting Mrs. Cao, but also seemed to be talking to herself, "We will all be fine."
Ms. Cao nodded, stroked her daughter's head and smiled. Mother and daughter turned around and closed the door.
On the other side of the street, two young men in green clothes were walking and asking. They were holding two name cards in their hands. Under the guidance of several young men who were cleaning the street, they stopped in front of Cao's house.