Chapter 1 Cold Small Town_4

Ah Dai, wary of the girl being deceived, hastily said, "Don't go, girl, let's run away."

However, the girl didn't heed Ah Dai's dissuasion. She had a hunch that perhaps the old lady in front of them could change her life. With her head bowed, she stepped towards the old woman, standing there a little shivering.

The old woman took the girl's dirty little face in her hands, brushed her hair back, wiped her face with a white handkerchief from her pocket, and said, "Aye, child, it's evident that you have suffered a lot. Would you like to come with Granny? Granny can offer you a good life and a proper education."

The girl's eyes lit up. She turned to look at Ah Dai who was oddly paralyzed with some sort of anxiety.

"What's wrong? Child, would you not like to come along with me? My husband is the Governor of the Mica Province, a place where The Empire and Holy Church border each other, which enjoys spring all year round. It's awfully cold here."

The girl looked back at the old woman's splendid attire and hesitantly asked, "Granny, can you take my brother here with us?"

The old woman looked towards Ah Dai, who coincidentally was wiping his snot off his face, appearing rather foolish. A flash of revulsion passed through the old lady's eyes as she shook her head and said, "No, he's just tried to deceive me. He isn't an honest child; I can only take you with me. Make up your mind quickly; it is truly very cold here."

The girl hesitated for a moment, glanced at the carriage and the woman in front of her, then at the shabby-looking Ah Dai, and finally made a decision, "Alright, I'll go with you."

The old woman gave a satisfied smile, "Ah, that's a good obedient child, let's go then. We'll get into the carriage and find a place to get you some new clothes. You'll catch a cold in these skimpy clothes."

The girl replied, "Granny, could you please wait for a moment?" She quickly ran back to Ah Dai, "Brother Ah Dai, I'm leaving now, don't blame me, okay? I really don't want to live like this anymore, starving and shivering. Remember what we discussed just now, Ah Dai, I'll definitely come back to find you when I grow up."

Ah Dai asked, "You're really leaving, girl? If Uncle Li finds out, he will beat you."

Tears fell from the girl's eyes as she sobbed, "Ah Dai, don't worry. He won't get the chance to hit me again. Remember what we just discussed. If you get the chance, you should leave Uncle Li too. He's a bad person. Stop being a thief." Before Ah Dai could respond as to how he'd get Steamed Buns to eat if he stopped thieving, the girl had already turned and ran back towards the old lady. The lady boarded the carriage first, and with the servant's help, the girl got onto the warm and luxuriant carriage. Before the curtain was drawn, she gave Ah Dai a deep and lasting look as though memorizing his face.

The carriage bolted away, leaving Ah Dai standing in the same spot, watching it disappear in the distance. A certain sense of loss gripped him. The girl was the only thing that Ah Dai valued more than Steamed Buns.

....

"Smack—" Uncle Li harshly knocked the little bags of money out of Ah Dai's hand, cursing, "You dumbass! Did you just watch the girl leave? Damn it, after wasting so much of my food, and before repaying me, the bitch dares to run away, this infuriates me!" Uncle Li kicked Ah Dai to the ground and paced around the tiny cabin.

Ah Dai curled up in pain on the floor, crying, "No, it wasn't me who let her go, she wanted to leave."

Riled up, Uncle Li grew even angrier at Ah Dai's words. He kicked Ah Dai several times, cursing, "So if she wanted to go, you'd just let her! May you rot away with your stupidity!" Ah Dai's cries of agony resonated in the cabin, while the other thieves watched in perjured delight.

After a while, Uncle Li cooled down a little. He remembered that after all, Ah Dai was his primary source of income. He can't beat him too severely. Otherwise, where would he find another obedient underling? Grimacing, he picked up the money pouches, snapped at Ah Dai, "Be more cunning from now on." He then left alone, everyone knew he was off to have a drink.

Ah Dai, huddled up in a corner, aching all over, couldn't figure out why Uncle Li had beaten him so severely for something that wasn't his fault. The words the girl spoke before leaving were stuck in his head.

The other thieves were eating leftover meals brought from some restaurant by Uncle Li. They were laughing and sharing their experiences from the day. Ah Dai had not had a thing to eat the whole day, and by the time he thought about it, there were not even any scraps left. He felt as though something was weighing on his heart. The longing for the girl was becoming stronger and stronger. She was right; living was really painful!

Early the next morning, Uncle Li, surprisingly compassionate, tossed Ah Dai a Steamed Bun. After Ah Dai wolfed it down, he was sent out to begin his day of pick-pocketing.

The sporadic snowflakes falling from the sky brought a faint chill to the pedestrians. As he walked slowly down the street, Ah Dai wondered when an old woman would turn up to take him away too! He'd be satisfied just being able to eat his fill of Steamed Buns. He wondered how the girl was. Did she have Steamed Buns to eat every day since she left with the old lady?

Lost in thought, he suddenly noticed a strangely-dressed person ahead. The reason why Ah Dai found them strange was because the person's tall figure was completely wrapped in a large cloak, making it impossible to see their appearance. Underneath the cloak, it seemed that there was a bag of money swaying. Ah Dai decided to make this person his first target for the day. Thinking this, Ah Dai silently followed, drew the sharp blade from his belt, waiting for the opportunity to strike. Ah Dai's persistent nature played a significant role in the success of his thieving ventures. Once he decided on a target, he would steadfastly follow them until he succeeded.