“Father, I’m so hungry.”
“I know, son.”
“Father, we’ve been begging in Moyu Town for quite some time now. No one is willing to give us food today. You must be hungry too. How about I steal some food for you?”
“No, stealing is disgraceful if caught. Son, I plan to sell you.”
“I don’t want that.”
On the street, a middle-aged man and a boy of about eleven or twelve leaned wearily against a cart.
Despite the hot weather, the middle-aged man was wrapped in a thick coat.
Both were worn and exhausted, their hair dirty and disheveled, their faces so thin that their cheekbones were prominent.
A foul smell surrounded them, indicating they hadn’t bathed in a long time.
Passersby covered their noses and hurried past, many casting looks of disdain and disgust.
“These two, father and son, are really something. When I first saw them nearly starving, I bought them food. But the next day, they were begging again, and they kept begging for a long time. I can’t understand how someone can be so shameless!”
“Exactly. The kid is still young, at an age where he should be in school, so he can’t do much. But the father is truly despicable! He has hands and feet, why can’t he work? He’s just lazy! Who would still give them food? They’d be fools!”
“This kid is really unfortunate to have such a lazy father.”
“……”
Hearing these harsh comments carried by the wind, the middle-aged man remained expressionless.
He only repeated, “Son, I plan to sell you.”
The boy glanced at him and shook his head, “I don’t want that.”
The middle-aged man gave a slight, bitter smile, looked lovingly at the boy, then fell silent, lost in thought.
Tap, tap, tap…
Suddenly, the sound of light footsteps reached their ears.
The middle-aged man and the boy looked up in surprise, their expressions changing slightly.
A man in cyan cloth, carrying a wooden box, stood before them.
There was nothing unusual about this, except that the man seemed too otherworldly.
Such an elegant and clean gentleman, does he not mind our smell?
This was the shared thought of the father and son.
Yes, with just one look, they believed the young man before them was a learned scholar.
“Are you hungry?”
Ambrose Lu squatted down and asked softly.
He looked at the boy, ignoring the middle-aged man beside him.
The boy glanced at his father, his heart tightening, feeling at a loss.
“Sir, I… I…”
Gurgle~
Before the boy could finish, his stomach growled loudly, and his face flushed with embarrassment.
Ambrose’s face remained impassive as he placed the wooden box in front of the boy and said softly, “Eat.”
“Th-thank you, sir.”
The boy looked gratefully at Ambrose, then glanced at his weak father, reaching out to open the wooden box…
At that moment, some passersby, unable to stand it any longer, gathered around.
The boy’s face changed slightly at the sight.
“Sir, don’t be fooled by this father and son. They’re just conning for food and drink.”
“That’s right, sir. Look at this sloppy middle-aged man. He has all his limbs. We think he’s just lazy.”
“……”
Hearing the passersby’s words, the boy opened his mouth, feeling disheartened.
This meal seemed lost.
Ambrose smiled faintly, “Thank you all for your kind words. I know what I’m doing.”
Hearing this, the passersby shook their heads helplessly and left.
This gentleman seemed wise, yet he wouldn’t listen to others. Sigh.
“Eat.”
“Huh?”
The boy looked up in surprise, his voice dry, “Sir, didn’t you hear them? They say we’re liars.”
“You’re not,” Ambrose said.
The boy’s eyes reddened, his heart a mix of emotions.
“Thank you.”
Sniffling, the boy thanked him and opened the wooden box.
Instantly, the aroma of food filled the air.
The boy looked at the steaming rice and colorful dishes in the box, swallowing hard. He was so hungry.
This was undoubtedly the most sumptuous meal he had seen in a long time.
The boy glanced cautiously at Ambrose, then picked up the bowl and chopsticks, offering some food to the middle-aged man.
“Aren’t you going to eat first?”
Ambrose suddenly asked.
The boy’s hand holding the chopsticks trembled, and he forced a smile, “Sir, my father is hungrier…”
“He’s not. You eat.”
Ambrose continued to look at the boy, still ignoring the middle-aged man.
“Son, you eat first,” the middle-aged man said with a forced smile.
The boy took a deep breath, then hugged the bowl and began shoveling food into his mouth.
He even choked, eating ravenously.
“I see you’re only eleven, yet you seem very mature.”
Ambrose looked at the boy and asked.
The boy paused, cheeks bulging, and nodded.
“You’re a good son, but your father is not a good father,” Ambrose continued.
The middle-aged man’s eyes trembled, becoming slightly moist.
Before the stunned boy could argue, the middle-aged man said, “Sir… you’re right.”
The boy, trembling, put down the bowl and wanted to argue, “Sir, my father is a good father, you don’t know…”
“What don’t I know?” Ambrose interrupted.
The boy stared blankly at the calm, blue-clad man, not knowing what to say.
Ambrose spoke softly, “You’re so young, yet you push a cart carrying your paralyzed father, begging from place to place. The hardship is exhausting even for a strong adult, let alone an eleven-year-old. It’s a miracle you haven’t collapsed from exhaustion.”
The boy’s eyes widened, stunned.
The middle-aged man also looked at Ambrose in shock!
After the initial shock, the boy didn’t want to think about the details, but said in a trembling voice, “Sir, I don’t know how you know this, but my father is paralyzed and can’t move. As his son, it’s my duty to take care of him… And my father, seeing me suffer, has tried many times to sell me…”
“I know my father wants me to have a better life, not wandering with him, but I always refuse. If I’m not by his side, he…”
Hearing this, the middle-aged man finally shed tears.
Ambrose spoke softly, “Your filial piety is commendable, but your father is somewhat selfish as a parent.”
The middle-aged man’s mind shook, as if struck by lightning.
Looking at the stunned boy, Ambrose continued calmly, “He often says he wants to sell you, but it’s just to scare you. If he truly didn’t want you to suffer, why not end his life? Why say such things?”
“And you, only eleven, have suffered for years.”
Ambrose could see the middle-aged man’s thoughts clearly.
Hearing these calm words,
The boy fell silent.
At this moment,
The middle-aged man lowered his head, his long hair covering his face, trembling violently.
Ambrose’s eyes flickered. These words didn’t need to come from an outsider like him.
He understood.
But this boy had excellent qualities and was very young. If this continued,
He would eventually die.
Either from exhaustion or starvation.
That would be a pity.
……
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