Chapter 31: The Beggar's Fright (Please Collect)

  Huang Li used one hand to shield them and the other hand reached into his pocket, intending to pull out some loose change. This scene made him feel an inexpressible sense of guilt.

  "Ayue, don't even think about having a child, or you'll never be able to escape." The two female passengers walking in front were acquaintances of Ayue's from the bus ride. They stood there, looking around as if waiting for someone to pick them up, with the older woman reminding the young girl.

  "But those children look very ill." The girl expressed her disapproval uneasily.

  "You've never been to a big city, you don't know their tricks." The young woman's indifference shocked Huang Li, it was completely different from the impression on the train. "Maybe they're all dead kids, those parents just casually throw away their dead babies, and these people pick them up and hug them to beg for food, by noon or afternoon they'll start to stink, I've seen this many times."

  The girl's body shook slightly, staring at her mother with wide eyes, revealing a suspicious expression.

  The woman's words were not necessarily true, and even if they were, it was extremely rare. But what she said was correct: one could show kindness to a beggar, but facing a group of them would only bring trouble. Huang Li didn't fear anything, but when he heard about the child begging with its mother, Chen Nang had already wrapped her arms around Niuniu and covered her eyes, worried that she might see something frightening. As for herself, she was also afraid and disgusted, tightly grasping Huang Li's arm, a reflection of her mental state.

  Huang Li took Zhen Niang and Niu Niu, as if deaf, without looking around, passed through the beggar crowd, walked to the rickshaw, and chose one.

  "Let's go to Ronghua Street Zhang's Shengyao Pharmacy first, Zhen Niang, you and Niu Niu sit in this one, I'll take the box and sit in the other one." Huang Li said to Zhen Niang.

  Zhen Niang's face showed a look of fear and hesitation as she looked at Huang Li and said, "Can we take one car? I'm a bit scared."

  "Sir, with so many people on board, we'll have to add some money." The driver was quite small but muscular, with a few strands of white hair mixed in his hair, which was also one of Huang Li's reasons for choosing him, looking more mature and reliable.

  Huang Li nodded slightly, and the three of them climbed onto the rickshaw. Huang Li's trunk was placed on the footboard, while Zhen Niang picked up Niu Niu.

  The carter lifted the shafts, his body pressed against the crossbeam, spat out a mouthful of air, hummed a tune, and started pulling the cart. His two small legs, apart from the skin and tightly wrapped muscles, had nothing special about them, yet they were able to steadily pull the cart at a quick pace. The balance of the cart was perfectly maintained, and as he stepped out with his two thick-soled bare feet, it was almost as if he didn't touch the ground, his body swaying up and down against the crossbeam.

  A rickshaw turned into a bumpy, crowded alley. Under the shadows of temporary tents and large oil-paper umbrellas set up on both sides, barbers and vendors selling fruits, vegetables, and candies squatted. The stalls were surrounded by male and female customers haggling over prices, shouting loudly, with spittle flying everywhere.

  The calendar has a strange feeling, but it's hard to say how strange. In this world that is so vivid and alive in other people's eyes, everything makes him feel inexplicably illusory, as if he were dreaming, causing him to feel annoyed and disheartened.

  Due to the congestion, the rickshaw had to slow down, and in order to avoid a collision with an oncoming wheelbarrow, it came to a temporary stop. As soon as the vehicle stopped, an old beggar woman approached, muttering flattering words while shaking an iron box in her hand, which contained several copper coins clinking away. This small box, symbolizing despair and miserable life, shattered Huang's dreamy feeling, leaving him momentarily stunned. He fished out some loose change from his pocket and tossed it into the box, as if being generous could erase the unpleasant emotions in his heart.

  In an instant, something unexpected happened, and more beggars surrounded the rickshaw. Women, children, those with missing arms, disfigured faces, and blind people... Huang Li was stunned, staring at the swarming beggars who were like a pot that had been opened, listening to their buzzing pleas for help, not knowing what to do. Zhen Niang cried out in a low voice, Niu Niu began to cry, and the beggars' grasping hands scared them. She hugged Niu Niu and dodged, leaning against Huang Li's body.

  The rickshaw driver let out a hissing sound from between his teeth, pulling the vehicle forward, as if these beggars were all useless dregs in his eyes. Huang Li covered Zhen Niang and Niu Niu with one arm, while violently and impulsively pushing away those dry, chicken claw-like dirty hands that reached out, shouting at them. The driver took small steps to run, and the few people finally left this place.

  "Don't cry, it's okay." Huang Li comforted in a soft voice, patting Niu Niu's back. Niu Niu's crying slowly turned into light sniffles. Zhen Niang was still huddled up, and only then did Huang Li notice that his collar had been soaked with sweat, and one of his hands was wrapped around Zhen Niang's shoulder. The two people were pressed tightly together, this ambiguous posture made him feel a bit uneasy, but also very comfortable.

  Huang Li relaxed the muscles on his arms, trying to naturally stretch both hands back and then bend them, crossing them behind his head. He seemed to hear Zhen Niang let out a sigh, and couldn't help but steal a glance at her. Zhen Niang's forehead also had beads of sweat, her cheeks were red, and her neck was also red, perhaps below that too... Huang Li subconsciously stopped this immoral thought, sat up straight, and looked dignified.

  Ronghua Street Zhang's Sheng Medicine Shop is the property of the Zhang family, it is a very large Chinese medicine transfer station. The medicines coming from south and going north are concentrated here, and then transported to each small medicine shop of the Zhang family respectively.

  After getting off the rickshaw, Huang Li covered his forehead with his hand to block out the dazzling sunlight, and his gaze naturally fell on the rickshaw puller. Sweat dripped down from the wrinkles on his neck, his patched and open jacket was soaked inside and out, and his two legs were also dripping with sweat.

  He gave the rickshaw man five jiao, and the rickshaw man took it but didn't move his feet. Huang Li added another five jiao, and the rickshaw man hastily bowed slightly before pulling the rickshaw away.

  "Let's go." Huang Li looked at Zhen Niang and explained, "A friend introduced us to come here, let's find a local to help us settle down." As he spoke, he smiled self-deprecatingly, "I've forgotten all the previous ones, I'm just like you now, also coming to an unfamiliar place for the first time. I don't understand much of anything, just now——"

  Zhen Niang looked up at him and said softly: "Huang Gege, let's go back, I'm really very scared."

  Huang Li hesitated for a moment, then shook his head firmly and said, "Don't worry, I've got everything under control. Once you get used to it, it'll be fine. Let's go! We're going in."

  Zhen Niang followed behind, looking at Huang Li's straight waist and back, which gave her some courage and comfort.

  …………

  Yantai's name is derived from Yantai Mountain. In the 31st year of the Ming dynasty's Hongwu era, to prevent Japanese pirates' invasion, local soldiers and civilians set up a beacon tower on the northern mountain by the sea, also known as "Fenghuo Tower". After discovering enemy movements, they would raise smoke during the day and fire at night as a warning signal, hence the name Yantai. Yantai Mountain was named after this, and Yantai City was also named after it.

  Yantai was opened as a trading port in 1858 under the Treaty of Tianjin between China and Britain. In 1861, the Qing government appointed officials to oversee the opening of trading ports including "Dengzhou". The British representative inspected the area and determined that Dengzhou's waters were too shallow, so they chose Yantai's Zhifu Bay instead. This was the first modern port in Shandong province to be opened to the outside world. As a result, schools, businesses, hospitals and hotels for foreigners sprang up in Yantai, giving it a very different look from other villages.

  The owner of the Zhang family medicine shop was a thin old man. After seeing Zhang Yuan's letter, he was very polite to Huang Li, the second young master's friend, and called a clever apprentice named Ah-lai, instructing him carefully. As a result, Huang Li and the other two people had an honorary guide and temporary servant, and were taken to a relatively high-end hotel.

  "Sir, although this is not the best inn in Yantai, it's very comfortable. The owner has just changed, and it was renovated recently, modeled after a foreign hotel." Ah Lai gently put down the trunk, his respectful gaze slid from Zhen Niang to Huang Li.

  Huang Li walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, pulled open all the curtains, and sunlight poured in, shining directly on his body. He opened the floor-to-ceiling window and stepped out onto the balcony, gazing absent-mindedly into the distance. Below was the street, with cars, rickshaws, bicycles, and pedestrians rushing to and fro; many women held parasols above their heads. He raised his head, his gaze passing over the low rooftops across the street, where the water's surface reflected a radiant glow in the sunlight. Sailboats, sampans, and steamships drifted silently and slowly across the sea. On the opposite shore stood a row of low buildings that were probably warehouses, with tall cranes towering above, overlooking the harbor.

  "This is the living room, and behind it is the bathroom, with a newly replaced ceramic bathtub and flush toilet, not a single stain. This is the electric bell to call people, hot water is available at any time." A white-clad servant seemed to be introducing enthusiastically to Zhen Niang, but his eyes had a hint of disdain, "The room next door is the same as this one, both can see the dock."

  Zhen Niang was busy nodding her head, while Niu Niu curiously looked around at the decorations in the house, feeling that everything was so fresh.

  The calendar walked back, the floor made a slight creaking sound, he inspected the house and felt quite satisfied. There was a bathroom, a flush toilet, electric lights, and a wide iron frame bed, hmm, this made him feel very familiar, but somehow also had a slightly different feeling.

  The fatigue of the journey slowly welled up, he pointed to the trunk and said to the attendant: "Take it to the next room, both rooms need hot water, we want to relax and rest for a while."

  "Yes, sir." The waiter saw the yellow calendar and immediately became respectful, picked up the box, turned around and left.

  "Zhen Niang, you and Niu Niu stay in this room." Huang Li said to Zhen Niang, whose hands and feet were tied up: "Later, hot water will be brought over. You and Niu Niu take a bath first, then have a good rest. I'll come call you when it's time for dinner tonight."

  Seeing Huang Li turn around and leave, Zhen Niang stretched out her hand, moved her lips, and said somewhat anxiously: "Huang Dage, you..."

  "Oh, Huang Li stopped in his tracks and turned around to instruct: 'Secure the door bolt well, listen clearly who opens the door again. I live next door, if there's anything, go find me.'"