Chapter 51
Not to mention the flushed little face of Ying Yuandao, excited by receiving a new name, even Elder Mu was dazed for a long while before finally exclaiming,
“This is a good name.”
Yet she was being modest.
Jiuque didn’t mind—after all, the other party meant well. But the Ci’an Hall was something she had never known about, having only recently arrived in the capital. Elder Mu was happy to explain.
“The head of that hall is an old soldier who retired from the battlefield. He said that when he returned home, he found all his family had died. Grief-stricken, he left his hometown entirely. He never married. At first, he only adopted a few homeless children. Over time, more and more came, and eventually, he established the Ci’an Hall.”
Situated close to the capital, next to Wuyou Cave, and capable of raising the children—this head of the hall was indeed a clever man, though one could not tell what his background was…
At that moment, Elder Mu took the opportunity to ask the question that had been troubling her the most on this trip.
“Actually, I know this isn’t something a person like me should ask. But if I can’t get a clear answer, I simply can’t sleep peacefully. After all, every family has young girls and children—they all fear the day a child goes missing. Lord Ying, may I boldly ask—will the matter of Wuyou Cave end here?”
The recent commotion at night was said by some to be the Thunder Sovereign punishing the villains of Wuyou Cave; others said it was Lord Ying causing the disturbance. Truth and rumor mingled, impossible for ordinary people to distinguish. What Elder Mu most urgently wanted to know was that, now that the matter had blown up, if they didn’t seize the opportunity to follow up, the thieves of Wuyou Cave would recover and certainly return, possibly for revenge.
Those who steal for a thousand days cannot guard for a thousand days. Ordinary people, busy with daily survival, cannot constantly guard against kidnappers.
Jiuque raised an eyebrow and patted Ying Yuandao’s head. The child’s hair was dry and yellowed from years of malnutrition—unpleasant to the touch—but Jiuque liked it anyway.
“Elder Mu, you are underestimating yourself. You are no ordinary old woman. With such insight, you are truly a hidden master!”
Jiuque wasn’t flattering Elder Mu; even after just a few encounters, she felt this old lady possessed extraordinary wisdom. Truly, as the saying goes, “an elder in the house is a treasure.”
While the families who had retrieved their children were still rejoicing, Elder Mu had already considered matters far beyond the immediate. It was genuinely impressive.
However, Jiuque herself couldn’t guarantee the outcome.
“But I’m only a sixth-rank minor official. I really don’t know about this.”
Seeing Elder Mu’s slightly disappointed look, Jiuque continued,
“Yet there is one thing I believe we both know.”
“Our Emperor is not a gentle ruler.”
He was a decisive and ruthless sovereign, and surely he had already looked unfavorably upon Wuyou Cave. Though Jiuque had little direct contact with Emperor Jingtai, she had come to understand him somewhat.
The Emperor had risen from hardship without shame and spoke openly about his experiences. Therefore, having once been an ordinary citizen treated poorly, he empathized with the lower classes. He would handle this matter properly.
Elder Mu paused, then her expression brightened.
Indeed, she shouldn’t forget—this Emperor had rescued them over a decade ago, those exhausted by war, granting thirteen years of peace. So what was there to worry about? She only needed to trust the Emperor.
After seeing Elder Mu and the others off, assuring herself they would not speak indiscreetly, Jiuque stretched. Seeing that it was still early, she decided to take Yuandao and the others out for a stroll in the streets. Though they had already received new clothes and shoes, some toys and stationery were still needed. Fortunately, the Emperor had granted her plenty of gold—so why not spend it?
Leading a string of children, Jiuque was in high spirits. By afternoon, the streets had become busier. Jiuque wandered with the curious, obedient little ones. Yuandao had worried they might be looked down upon if recognized, but to their relief, both street vendors and shopkeepers smiled after initial surprise.
“Oh, it’s you! I wondered where you’d been all these days. So Lord Ying adopted you! Lord Ying is a good man—you must repay his kindness properly.”
A middle-aged woman selling maltose gave each child a piece. Jiuque tried to pay, but the woman refused. Eventually, Jiuque quietly placed the coins on the stall and ran on.
Yuandao ran through the bustling streets, hand in hand with Jiuque. He remembered the woman from six months ago—when he was nearly starving, she had put unsold maltose into a broken bowl on the street. At the time, she had been somewhat afraid because the Wuyou Cave thieves were lurking, ready to prey on street children like him. Yet she had not spoken a word. Yuandao had never forgotten.
The maltose had been truly sweet.
Yuandao had always been a strong child, but in the past few days, he had been unable to hold back, big tears falling to the ground, making small pits in the dirt.
He remembered what his master had said:
“Actually, there are still many good people in this world. It’s just that luck is uneven, and you encounter more bad people. Don’t blame others for not approaching you—they are busy ordinary people, striving their whole lives for small silver and family safety. For the sake of protecting their lives, it’s understandable they don’t intervene. After all, you are strangers; there is no obligation between strangers.”
“But think of the good people. Even small acts of kindness take great courage and effort—they dare to take just a small step.”
“Many people try their best but remain ordinary. Don’t be too harsh—focus on the present, okay?”
Yuandao sniffled, looking at his master’s tightly grasping hand. He smiled. His master was brave and foolish—strangers met by chance, yet willing to risk their lives for children not of his blood, even adopting them.
Wiping his face, laughing and crying, feeling silly—but Yuandao didn’t mind. He felt like the luckiest child in the world. Along the way, he had encountered much kindness, which had carried him this far. From now on, he would repay the world with the greatest kindness he could.
This must be what his master meant by “passing it on”…
“Yuandao? Keep up.”
“Yes, Master!”
