Tieniu and Xianling led Si-ger back to the courtyard. Their mother and second older sister hadn’t returned yet. Tieniu said, “I’ll drive the cart out tomorrow to pick up Mom and my second older sister.”

“All right,” Tang Xianling nodded. Thinking back to what the soldiers had said outside the city gate, he carefully recalled the details—

Tieniu spoke first: “Second Sister’s family is coming through the South City Gate.”

“It’s been fine these past few days, but I’m worried about the majority of the disaster refugees coming later.” Though Tang Xianling said this, his brow furrowed. Perhaps sensing his concern, the little ger looked at his uncle with worry on his face. Tang Xianling patted the child on the shoulder, smiled, and said, “Don’t be afraid. Everything will be fine.”

“The officials here in Fengyuan City aren’t too bad.”

Tieniu nodded, holding his husband’s hand. “Once I leave tomorrow, you and Si-ger should lock the courtyard gate tight. I’ll go to the Lu family.”

This was all just to be on the safe side.

His husband had never seen displaced or disaster-stricken people, so he didn’t know that when people hover on the brink of life and death, they cease to be human. Reason goes out the window—only the instinct to survive remains.

Tang Xianling had lived through the end of the world and seen what inhuman people were like. Now that he had a child growing inside him and Si-ger by his side, he naturally had to put himself first—this wasn’t the time to be reckless. “All right, I’ll wait for you at home. You and Mother should come back tomorrow if you can; if not, come back the day after. Don’t travel at night—be careful.”

“Got it.”

The couple washed up and went to bed early, with Si-ger sleeping with them—Tieniu had moved the folding bed next to their bed in the bedroom; he slept on the folding bed, while Si-ger slept with Xianling.

Before dawn the next day, Tieniu first filled their water jar to the brim and loaded up the charcoal baskets. He placed them by the stoves in both the kitchen and the main hall. Once the hot water was boiled and breakfast was warmed, he brought everything right to his husband.

Tang Xianling：……

He’s pregnant—it’s not that he’s become a lazy person—he just can’t do anything.

“You should go now—don’t be late. I can handle the household chores.”

Si-ger, standing by his uncle’s side, nodded and said, “Uncle, Si-ger can handle it too.” Both adults were amused.

Tieniu ran his hand over the brim of Si-ger’s hat—it was fuzzy—and said, “All right, with the two of you here, I’ll have peace of mind.” He was just trying to soothe the child.

Tang Xianling couldn’t stop grinning. As soon as Tieniu set off with the mule cart, he closed the courtyard gate, took Si-ger by the hand, and slipped into the main hall, where they curled up on the arhat bed.

The fire in the main hall’s stove crackled and popped. Tang Xianling and Si-ger had just finished breakfast, and the warmth of the room made them feel drowsy. Tang Xianling, fighting off sleep, said to Si-ger, “Come into Uncle’s arms. Let’s take a little nap. When we wake up from our afternoon nap, Uncle will make us some hot pot.’”

Si-ger, having taken after his mother, could handle spicy food too, but since he was still young, his family usually kept him from eating too much of it.

“Okay!” Si-ger said as soon as he heard this, wriggling his little arms and legs into his uncle’s embrace.

Tang Xianling fell asleep quickly. In that half-asleep, half-awake state, it felt as if he had returned to the days of the apocalypse. His memories were fragmented, coming in bits and pieces. His college classmates lay before him—just a few days ago, they had been so vivid and alive, but in that instant, their faces suddenly contorted into those of zombies. There were also those huddled together for shelter. It was so cold, so cold—freezing and starving—and that creature, with bloodshot eyes, was staring right at him…

“Uncle, Uncle.”

A child’s soft, gentle voice startled Tang Xianling awake from his dream. He looked up to see the innocent eyes of Si-ger. Feeling dazed, it took him a few seconds to realize where he was. The room was still warm; his body felt hot, covered in a fine sheen of sweat, and his back was slightly damp.

Tang Xianling patted Si-ger on the back first—he’d just startled the child.

“It’s okay. Uncle just had a bad dream. Thank goodness you called out to me, Si-ger,” Tang Xianling told the child. “I’m not going back to sleep. Let’s get up and have some hot pot. I remember there’s still some lamb and fish balls left.”

It was cold and snowing; the outdoors was like a natural refrigerator, capable of preserving food—Tang Xianling had been quite pleased about this earlier, but now, thinking of the snow disaster, he couldn’t help but sigh. Everything has its limits; when the snow falls too heavily, it becomes a disaster, and it’s the common people who suffer.

Tang Xianling’s thoughts were a bit on edge at the moment, but he pulled himself together to cook for himself and Si-ger. Since it was too early to eat, he went to the kitchen to prepare some light snacks—maybe roast something. He’d found that whenever his mind was restless and his thoughts were racing, cooking helped calm him down.

Si-ger sat quietly beside him, handing his uncle some peanuts he’d already shelled.

Chewing on the peanuts, Tang Xianling mumbled, “We’ve made quite a bit of money selling hot pot bases this year. At first, Mom and I felt a little guilty about it, but now I see it’s good that the money’s being put to use.”

Seeing his uncle eat the peanuts, Si-ger lit up with joy and bent his head earnestly to continue shelling them.

It was a little past three in the afternoon. The sky was pitch black, and snow had started falling again. The courtyard gate creaked open, and at the same time, Tieniu’s voice rang out. Tang Xianling smiled as he went down to open the door. The person outside said, “No rush—don’t run. Be careful; the roads are slippery in this snow.”

His mother’s voice chimed in, “That’s right. Wu-ger acts just like a little kid—he certainly can’t be running off now.”

Tang Xianling pulled the door latch open as he said, “I’m no child.”

He looked out and saw that his mother, Second Sister, and the children had all returned, along with Daniang’s husband and Lin Dalang. 

Everyone went inside first. Jiang Yun said, “Erniang, you take the three of them inside first; I’ll bring in the supplies.”

Si-ger ran back and forth, following his sisters.

First, they unloaded the oxcart and the mule cart, then fetched some hay and water for the oxen and mules to eat and drink. Tieniu, Lin Hu, and Lin Dalang washed their faces under the eaves outside before entering the main hall to warm up and have a sip of hot tea.

Lin Dalang took a sip and frowned. Tang Xianling said, “I added some ginger slices to ward off the cold.”

“Got it, Uncle,” Lin Dalang replied obediently, then finished his tea.

Only then did the adults begin to talk.

Displaced people from the snow disaster in Subei had been traveling south and had reached the Fengyuan City area. Lin Hu said, “Some have even made their way near our village. I don’t know how they ended up there. With Mother and Second Sister leading the children, I didn’t dare escort them alone—I was afraid we’d encounter more and more displaced people along the way.”

Tang Xianling nodded repeatedly; that was exactly the case.

“Fortunately, Tieniu arrived today. I realized we couldn’t delay any longer—if we did, the number of disaster victims might keep growing—so I called Dalang to come with me,” Lin Hu said.

They set off, still carrying sickles in the car.

Tieniu said, “Brother-in-Law and Dalang, stay the night here. I’ll take you there first thing tomorrow morning.”

“No, no, no—don’t bother. We’re two grown men; we’ll be fine. You’ve got Mom, my second sister, and the kids here, and my younger brother is expecting a child. Even though it’s safer not to let disaster victims into the city, you should still stay here—why go back and forth driving us?” Lin Hu waved his hand, firmly refusing the offer.

Hearing this, Tieniu could only nod and thank his older sister’s husband; deep down, he was also worried about Xianling.

Tang Xianling prepared a pot of lamb soup with noodles, adding a dash of chili oil. Everyone ate a steaming bowl of it, and the young girls ate heartily, holding their bowls and spoons.

Lin Hu chuckled, “Looks like you guys weren’t eating well at my place.”

“We’re well-fed—it’s just been so long since they’ve had a meal cooked by their uncle,” Tang Zhen said with a smile.

Lin Hu nodded and stopped teasing. When it came to cooking, his family certainly couldn’t hold a candle to his younger brother’s skills—even a simple bowl of noodles was incredibly flavorful, even better than what his father-in-law used to make when he was alive.

That night, Lin Hu and Lin Dalang made do in the main hall. Early the next morning, without eating breakfast at home, they set out of the city with warm steamed buns in hand, heading back.

No sooner had Lin Hu and Lin Dalang left than Zhang Huai, Wang Susu, and Zhang Hainiu entered the city. Zhang Huai headed straight for the Tang family compound, his brow furrowed with concern. Upon seeing Tieniu, he said, “You really are a jinx—I was right. There are quite a few disaster refugees out there.”

“Uncle, Uncle, please come in quickly. Did you travel here in the dark?” Seeing the time, Tang Xianling knew the family must have set out in the dark, and he was immediately relieved. “Thank goodness you’re all safe. Come inside and rest.”

Zhang Hainiu hung his head dejectedly. “It was me—I kept urging everyone at home to come over early.”

Seeing the plight of the disaster victims as they entered the city had startled Zhang Hainiu; it seemed he now understood the gravity of the situation.

Instead of scolding his son, Zhang Huai said, “What does this have to do with you? When the heavens decide to send snow, no one can stop it. Now that you’re an older brother, don’t make Si-ger worry about you—go play.”

Zhang Hainiu saw that Si-ger was looking at him with worried, pleading eyes. His heart immediately softened, and his feelings of guilt and self-reproach vanished. He had reached out to touch Si-ger’s cheek, but then remembered how cold his hands were. He paused, turned his hand away, and tucked it into his coat to warm it up before reaching out to touch Si-ger again.

Si-ger lifted his little face and smiled at his uncle.

“Si-ger, you’re such a good boy.”

“Hello, Uncle.”

The two children went off to play. The adults chatted in the main room.

Tang Xianling said, “I’ve discussed it with my mother, Tieniu. As for the disaster victims, our little family may not have much to offer, but we still want to do our part. We’ll set aside half of what we earned last year to buy some ginger to ward off the cold and steam some coarse flour buns. We’ll go over every day to deliver some. Though it’s just a drop in the bucket, it’s the thought that counts.”

“……”

Tang Xianling hadn’t mentioned it while his brother-in-law was there, but as soon as his brother-in-law and son left, he started bringing it up. As soon as he did, Tieniu and his mother both agreed—especially his mother.

Perhaps they’d made far too much money from the hot pot base—so much so that everyone felt a bit “embarrassed,” as if they were unscrupulous merchants. But there was nothing to be done; deep down, Tang Xianling and his mother were still, at heart, “honest folk.”

Tieniu said that a gentleman may love wealth, but he must acquire it through proper means, and added that Xianling and his mother were truly generous and kind-hearted.

“All right, then I’ll chip in too—” Zhang Huai, caught up in the moment, was about to offer money as well.

Tang Xianling looked at Uncle Zhang. “Uncle, don’t get carried away just yet. Your money is also my uncle’s money—husbands need to discuss things together.” 

Wang Susu chuckled.

Zhang Huai: …

“Those with money contribute money; those with strength contribute labor. Thank goodness you stopped me—my family isn’t exactly well-off. Here’s what we’ll do: if we’re going out to aid the disaster victims, Tieniu and I will go together,” Zhang Huai said, regaining his composure.

The New Year hadn’t even ended yet, but the festive spirit among the city’s residents had already faded, and there was a sense of unease in the air—the number of disaster victims outside the city walls was growing, and their plight was heartbreaking. Some of the city’s wealthier families had spontaneously organized relief efforts, setting up soup kitchens outside the city gates and distributing warm clothing and other necessities.

Among the many relief stations, the group consisting of Tieniu, Zhang Huai, and their companions didn’t stand out much.

However, one day, when the disaster victims, driven by extreme hunger, began looting and causing disturbances, the number of relief stations at the city gates was reduced. By the next day, official personnel had been stationed at the city gates to manage and maintain order.

Lord Li of Fengyuan City was a capable official. His advisor kept a record of which households were providing relief, designated a specific area for centralized management, and stationed soldiers to guard it, doing his best to protect the people and maintain order.

The Tang family’s relief efforts focused mainly on cornbread and ginger soup—these were the cheapest options, yet they kept people warm and filled their stomachs. Items like cotton quilts were expensive and in short supply; they couldn’t get their hands on them right away. So Tang Xianling said that, as small-scale operators, they should just stick to these two things.

With official backing, Xiao Mi, Sister Tong, and A-Liang all knew that Boss Tang was organizing relief efforts, so they went to the relief site of their own accord without asking for money—later, Chef Tian also went there with his apprentice.

“I told Xiao Mao not to go, but that stubborn kid insisted on tagging along. It’s chaotic out there—he’s so small, he wouldn’t even know if someone mistook him for a disaster victim and carried him off. I’m leaving him with you to help look after him.” Chef Tian scolded his apprentice, but deep down, he cared for him dearly.

Tang Xianling nodded. “My place is already a nest of kids anyway. One more won’t make a difference. Sure.” Besides, Zhang Hainiu was already at his house looking after the children.

Lu Sanniang wanted to go too, but her family wouldn’t let her. Tang Xianling also tried to dissuade her: “Even though there are soldiers guarding and watching over the area, you’re just a young girl—don’t go. It’s too dangerous if something were to happen. If you want to do good deeds and help others, you have to take care of yourself first.”

“Then I’ll come over to the boss’s place to steam buns—I know how to make them,” Lu Sanniang said.

Tang Xianling: “Sure.” That’s fine.

In the courtyard, Tang Xianling, Cui Dabao, Douzi, Tang Zhen, Wang Susu, and Lu Sanniang kneaded dough, boiled ginger tea, and steamed corn buns, while the strong men pushed carts and drove mule-drawn wagons to transport relief supplies—everyone worked together in their assigned roles.

The chimney in the Tang family’s courtyard never stopped smoking during the New Year—smoke rose from it every day—but there was no overpowering, mouth-watering aroma; instead, there was just the scent of coarse grain flour. The neighbors in the neighborhood were curious, and when they asked, they learned that Mr. Tang was making corn buns to send out for disaster relief.

The neighbors, who had previously been envious of the Tang family’s money, heard this and couldn’t help but remark, “Mr. Tang… he’s actually a pretty good guy.”

“I’ve seen them delivering these for several days now.”

“I wonder how much it’s costing. Even though they’re just coarse-grain cornbread buns, they’re being hauled out truckload after truckload nonstop, and the charcoal fire costs money too. All told, it must be adding up to quite a bit.”

“It’s just one restaurant, and they’re burning through money like this. Sigh, I haven’t even seen the big restaurants out there do it like this.”

“You haven’t seen it for yourself, but the disaster victims out there are truly pitiful. They’re all flesh and bones—those children are skin and bones, clinging to life by a thread…” 

“The Tang family is really something. I won’t be envious of their money anymore.”

“That’s for sure. They’ve poured a lot of the money they worked so hard to earn last year into this.”

Some people thought to themselves: How is this any different from throwing money down the drain? Those disaster victims have no connection to the Tang family—why bother doing charity? Life and death are predestined; if Heaven decrees someone must die, what else can be done?

Some thought the Tang family was admirable, while others felt they were just putting on a show, wasting money, and acting foolishly. Tang Xianling didn’t care what people in the neighborhood thought; after all, he’d spent the money and done the deed, so he slept soundly every night, his heart at peace and comforted.

……

The Gu Residence.

Gu Sanlang didn’t come back this year; he holds a government post elsewhere and isn’t required to return to the ancestral home every year. However, the Tang family sends New Year’s gifts before the holiday—they do so every year. Gu Sanlang had mentioned this to his family before, and since the New Year’s gifts from the Tang family’s restaurant—though not expensive—were delicious, they truly won the Gu family’s hearts.

If the gifts were money or luxurious items, the Gu family wouldn’t want them or would look down on them, but a little food was actually quite welcome.

This year’s snowstorm in Subei had spread to Fengyuan City. On the Lantern Festival, the Gu and Li families would normally get together for a meal, and this year was no exception. While the men holding official posts were too busy to be home, the women and relatives were still able to gather.

During the banquet, the women naturally turned to the topic of the disaster victims. Some worried about the health of their husbands away on official business, while others, moved by compassion, spoke of how various households had donated silver to aid the victims.

“…Liuliang said things will be fine once spring arrives. The disaster victims have mostly been settled, and some people in the city took the lead in organizing relief efforts, with many others following suit,” said Lord Li’s mother.

Lord Li was the sixth son in his family.

The matriarch of the Gu family murmured, “Amitabha Buddha—Heaven has eyes.”

“By the way, I remember your third son, Sanlang, got to know the owners of a small restaurant earlier and even sent over some pastries. I found them quite delicious—his family is truly wonderful. Liuliang said that his place was among the first to contribute to the relief efforts.”

The elderly matriarch of the Gu family had a vivid impression of Brother Tang Wu. Upon hearing this, she smiled and said, “Sanlang came back after eating there and praised it. I’ve also heard from the servants at the mansion that Brother Tang Wu performs a play about a faithless husband. This young man has a fiery spirit at heart, but he’s kind-hearted.”

“That’s right,” the Old Lady of the Li family added with a sigh. “I’d actually like to meet him. Back then, that play caused quite a stir. I even asked Liuliang about it when he was presiding over a case—I was truly curious.”

“There’s no need to invite him into the mansion,” Old Lady Gu said, shaking her head. “We’re just curious, but if we let him in, he’ll end up fawning over us and fawning on us—that wouldn’t be proper.”

Madam Li nodded in agreement; it was true—it would seem as though they were looking down on them.

“Why not invite him to join us when we go to burn incense after the New Year?”

“That wouldn’t be appropriate either. His family’s restaurant is doing brisk business, and I’ve heard this husband is the one running the show, handling everything from start to finish…”

After the New Year, even though spring had clearly arrived, the weather remained bitterly cold, and two light snowfalls had drifted in—though neither stuck. The Tang Family Restaurant remained closed, with a notice posted on the door: “Closed for disaster relief; reopening in half a month.”

The neighbors in the district all knew the real story, but regular customers from other districts only found out today—though some had known all along. “I told you so—when I saw him from afar at the relief site outside the city, he looked like the owner, and it turns out I was right.”

“Mr. Tang is truly a kind and generous man.”

“Even with a small restaurant like his, he goes to such lengths.”

Even though everyone had come away empty-handed and hadn’t gotten a meal, they weren’t angry—on the contrary, they were understanding.

Two days later, the Li and Gu families sent gifts over—nothing particularly lavish, just the four treasures of the study, some fabric, books, and the like. Tang Xianling glanced at the books and saw they were actually Buddhist scriptures. 

Mr. Tang: …

“Just set them all aside for now.”

He didn’t know why these two families were sending these things—wait, the Li family? Before the New Year, as part of his client retention efforts, Tang Xianling had only sent a box of pastries to the Gu family, and as usual, the Gu family had returned the favor on the second day of the New Year. It was one thing to receive a gift from the Gu family, but why was the Li family sending one too?

Big Boss Tang racked his brain for five minutes, then finally gave up and said to the Young Boss, “So, should we add the Li family to our client retention list next year?” 

“Sure, who cares if they accept it or not? We’ll just send it anyway.” Tieniu was all for it.

Tang Xianling agreed as soon as he heard this, and immediately stopped agonizing over why the Li family would send them a gift out of the blue.

Spring had arrived, but it was still cold. The Tang family restaurant opened its doors and began selling mutton soup. They were out of chili peppers, so diners asked, “Do you still have hot pot base?” 

The reply: “We’re sold out.”

“We sold out before the New Year. If you want some, you’ll have to wait until this fall or winter.” 

The diners beat their chests in regret: “If only we’d known, we would’ve bought more to stockpile.”

Then, scalpers who’d hoarded the stock began selling it at inflated prices. 

Big Boss Tang: !!! 

He was furious. The little boss patted Big Boss Tang on the chest, saying, “Don’t get so worked up, don’t get so worked up.”

“They’re really all targeting our place. First it was the middlemen, and now they’re artificially inflating prices. I feel a bit embarrassed even selling it for 700 wen a block—I gave half of my profits to disaster relief—yet they dare to sell them for one tael. How outrageous! They’re truly despicable and brazen!”

Tieniu hugged her husband and hurriedly said, “That’s right, Master Tang is absolutely right. These scalpers are truly despicable and brazen!” After the couple vented their anger at home, they felt much better.

After Tang Xianling’s pregnancy became visible, he was still quite agile and able to continue cooking, but Tieniu and Jiang Yun urged him to close the restaurant when the time came.

Tang Xianling thought it over and said, “No need to close. When the time comes, we’ll just serve barbecue and open the shop around three or four in the afternoon every day.” He didn’t intend to keep going until the very day of the birth.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yun gave Wu-ger a light pat on the arm. “It won’t even be summer by then—you’re due at the end of April.” 

Tang Xianling:?

That soon?

He didn’t feel anything yet.

Tieniu nodded. “Mom’s right.”

So, not long after the Tang Family Restaurant opened, it started selling only hot pot, because when it came to preparing the hot pot broth—these days, they only offer pickled cabbage and bone broth bases—Xiao Mi could handle it, and Lu Sanniang, Sister Tong, and A-Liang pitched in to chop and prepare the vegetables.

Big Boss Tang was pregnant, and his belly was growing bigger by the day.

Diners offered their congratulations while also feeling a bit uneasy, asking with concern, “When is your boss due?”

“Soon? That’s great.” 

“He’ll definitely give birth before summer, right?” 

“Oh, I forgot to factor in the postpartum confinement period.” 

“I’m just saying, your boss needs to find an apprentice.”

One, two, three—three months had passed, and business at the Tang Family Restaurant was actually a bit slow. After all, no matter how delicious the mutton soup was, you couldn’t eat it every day, at every meal. The dishes Xiao Mi cooked didn’t quite suit the regulars’ tastes, especially as the weather got warmer in February and March, when diners weren’t in the mood for hot pot.

Mr. Tang, the owner, could do nothing about this situation. He didn’t find it particularly hard work, but whenever he stood at the stove, his mother and Tieniu would “try to talk him out of it,” leaving him no choice but to stay home and eat and drink with tears in his eyes.

During this time, another event occurred: Boss Tang took on two apprentices—real apprentices. It was early February, when the spring chill was still biting. Outside Fengyuan City, disaster victims—acting on orders from the local authorities—were divided: some returned to their hometowns, while others stayed behind.

Due to the snowstorm, many of the refugees who had fled had lost their parents along the way, leaving only children behind—lonely and without anyone to rely on, surviving on sheer willpower until now. When spring arrived, and the authorities dispersed the refugees, these orphans had no choice but to be handed over to the government slave traders.

Otherwise, they would have become vagrants or child beggars, or been abducted by criminals, who would have broken their arms and legs to force them into begging—such incidents used to be commonplace in Fengyuan City, until Lord Li took office and ruthlessly stamped out this practice. He arrested the local thugs and bullies, sentencing them directly to be beheaded, with their families also punished—some exiled, others beaten to the point of disability—and only then was this practice brought to an end.

But now, with so many orphans and displaced people, there’s no guarantee that someone won’t harbor such evil intentions. Being sold into servitude at a wealthy household at least offers a chance at survival.

Didn’t Tang Xianling get “scammed” by an official broker before? Now that place is “overcrowded,” so officials have proactively come knocking on Mr. Tang’s door to offer “after-sales service,” asking him, “Do you want more people?”

Mr. Tang: “??? It’s you, why are you here?”

The slave trader, adept at adapting to any situation, introduced himself with a cheerful smile. Tang Xianling, his belly bulging, was on the verge of shouting back—How dare you show up at my doorstep?!

But you don’t hit a smiling face. The other party was a master of rhetoric, delivering a heartfelt speech about how pitiful the disaster victims were, how there were far too many little orphans these days, and how their facility wasn’t a charity house—they simply didn’t have enough room. 

With so many people crammed together, epidemics were bound to break out. “I’m not trying to force this on you,” he said, “I’m just thinking—aren’t you short-handed here?”

“They’re just children. I’ll start by selecting a group of bright and clever ones to send your way. You can pick first…”

Tang Xianling had no intention of buying people and furrowed his brow.

The slave trader immediately interjected, “They’re truly pitiful. I can’t bear to see them suffer either. If you can’t take them in, there’s nothing we can do—we can’t keep feeding them day after day—”

“Then what should we do?” Tang Xianling asked.

The slave trader replied, “We’ll just drive them out and send them back to their hometown. But their houses were crushed by heavy snow—their parents are both dead—and we don’t even know if they’ll make it back to the village alive.” He let out a heavy sigh.

Jiang Yun’s eyes welled up with tears as she thought of her own past.

Tang Xianling’s heart softened as he listened, and before he knew it, he agreed to take a look at the children first.

Then he and Tieniu set off. When they arrived at the local government office, they found it was indeed overflowing with children; some were sick and emaciated, every face expressionless and vacant. The officials were carrying the sick children out.

Tang Xianling asked, “Where are you taking them?”

“They can’t stay here; we’re taking them to the relief hall,” the officials replied.

The child being carried had a high fever; his whole body was burning hot, and his lips had turned white from the fever. As he passed by Tang Xianling, he mustered strength from somewhere and clutched Tang Xianling’s hand tightly, deliriously muttering, “No, no, no.”

Tang Xianling’s heart ached terribly, so he immediately bought the sick child from the stretcher-bearers. It was a little ger, seven years old.

Later, he bought another child—a little girl. At first glance, she looked like a boy because her hair was shaved very, very short. She was skinny, but her eyes weren’t quite as vacant as the others’. 

As soon as she heard the pimp shout “Mr. Tang,” she rushed out, kowtowed to him, and asked if he was “Tang Wu-ger,” begging him to buy her.

Mr. Tang didn’t like it when people kowtowed to him, so he helped the “boy” up first and asked, “How do you know my name is Brother Tang Wu?” Upon asking, he learned that the child had previously drunk Brother Tang Wu’s ginger soup and eaten cornbread from his family’s home.

It was a life-saving favor.

From then on, Boss Tang had two apprentices.