Lin Qiaoqiao and Lin Yueren walked over with stiff and unnatural expressions.
Hao Zhuang and Shi Houde watched them warily, unfriendly as they shouted, “Get water over there! Don’t come near us!”
The sisters, already bashful, lost their courage faster than it had grown under the officers’ reprimand, and could only awkwardly turn around to fetch water and wash their faces elsewhere.
Zhang Fang had expected Lin Zheng to approach him personally and was surprised when he sent his two daughters instead. This thought made Zhang Fang look down on him. Although he disapproved of Lin Zheng’s character, as long as Lin Zheng obeyed him and followed his orders, Zhang Fang was still willing to take him on as a subordinate.
Seeing his daughters return, Lin Zheng asked eagerly, “How was it? Did you talk to him?”
Lin Qiaoqiao and Lin Yueren shook their heads, their expressions filled with shame. One went to care for Mrs. Lin, while the other tended to their younger brother.
Lin Zheng, enraged, gritted his teeth and scolded them, “Useless! You are of no help at all! You must find a way to get close to him tonight!”
Young boys and girls, like kindling waiting for a spark, the night was a perfect time for passion.
Lin Qiaoqiao bit her lip; to have her go and entice someone was like asking her to die! For a meal, to abandon her dignity, that was something she could not bring herself to do.
Lin Yueren looked at her brother, who appeared so haggard and sickly. Clenching her hands tightly, her gaze hardened. Their mother had held her hand before she died, urging her to take good care of her brother. Even if they were exiled now, she had to do everything she could to look after him! Keeping him alive was the priority! What was it to entice someone? They were already criminals; who would grant them dignity? What good was preserving this self-respect?
Resolved, Lin Yueren began to think of ways to approach Zhang Fang.
That night, they traveled to a dilapidated temple. Hao Zhuang expressed his surprise as he pointed ahead, “Last time I escorted prisoners through here, it was still in good shape. How could it have changed so much in just half a year?”
The officers from Mozhou explained, “There was a major flood before, which ruined this place. The monk in charge ran away, and without anyone to maintain it, it has fallen into disrepair. When I passed through here two months ago, the only people staying inside were a bunch of homeless beggars. They should still be here now.”
After the temple fell apart, there was hardly any space where people could stay, and those beggars would surely have to relocate to accommodate this large group.
As they spoke, they had already entered through the collapsed temple doors and made their way into the courtyard.
Upon hearing noise from outside, the people inside the temple, frightened, hid away.
Shi Houde lit a torch and walked into the temple. Although it was rundown, it was apparent that someone had tidied it up. He called out, “Come out!”
“Come out, or we won’t be polite!” Hao Zhuang shouted sternly.
A thirteen or fourteen-year-old boy peeked out and sluggishly stepped into the light from the darkness. He hunched his body, fearfully gazing at the newcomers, his hands nervously gripping a stone. He wore an expression of both fear and vigilance.
“Is it just you hiding here?” Shi Houde asked the boy seriously.
The boy’s face stiffened as he awkwardly called for his friends, “Don’t hide, come out. It’s the officials…”
While the officers were a bit intimidating, they would at least not bully them. At most, they would just make them move somewhere else to stay the night.
Several children walked out from the shadows, their dirty faces anxiously gazing at the newcomers. The oldest among them was the thirteen or fourteen-year-old boy; the others looked around ten, while the youngest appeared to be only seven or eight.
Zhang Fang silently assessed them. There were a total of seven children, all appearing malnourished and underfed. Only the youngest had a hint of innocence in their eyes; the others looked like wild animals, full of vigilance and wariness.
“Tonight we will stay here, and you can sleep outside!” The officers from Mozhou declared as they entered, directly ordering the group of children to leave.
Just as the boy was about to lead his companions out, Zhang Fang suddenly spoke, “If we squeeze together, they could all fit inside.”
With Zhang Fang’s words, Hao Zhuang and Shi Houde naturally had to comply, so they said, “Fine, let the beggars stay.”
Reluctantly, the officers from Mozhou allowed the group of beggars to remain, while they brought the Lin family into the temple.
As the Lin family entered, the small, broken temple quickly became crowded.
Zhang Fang moved closer to the group of beggars, who watched him warily.
With a friendly smile, Zhang Fang rummaged through his belongings to find some pastries and opened one in front of them.
The children’s eyes lit up like starving beasts, greedily staring at the pastry.
Zhang Fang smiled as he offered, “Here, eat!”
Though they were clearly starving, no one dared reach out to take the pastry.
Zhang Fang maintained a pleasant demeanor while looking at the oldest child.
Mao Aniu’s deep, dark eyes fixed on Zhang Fang, and he asked, “What do you want us to do?”
Having been homeless and surviving as a group, these children had learned to read people’s intentions. Even though Zhang Fang appeared friendly, Mao Aniu sensed there was an ulterior motive behind his offer of pastries. They had not been strangers to travelers giving them food or coins in exchange for help with tasks. Mao Aniu recognized that this was likely the same kind of situation.
Zhang Fang offered, “Since you have nowhere to go, why don’t you come with me to the border? I will take care of you from now on.”
This was not a joke; Zhang Fang needed to cultivate a group of helpers. Although he intended to establish himself with a bunch of exiled criminals, they were always being controlled and monitored, so many things were inconvenient to do. But these beggars were different; they were free and would find it easier to act.
Watching Zhang Fang from the shadows, Lin Zheng’s eyes widened! This young man was indeed extraordinary! On the road to exile, he wanted to adopt beggar children from the roadside and take them to the border! This was the mark of someone capable of great things! No matter what crime had led to this exile, this act showed a remarkable mindset! He was definitely not a compliant criminal!