Yang Xiao, feeling bored, sat by a small table chatting with Bing'er. Bing'er's grandpa also sat nearby, casually joining in their idle conversation.
The business at the sweet soup stall wasn't great. In one evening, they only had a dozen custors, barely earning about a hundred Crystal Coins, just enough to feed the grandfather and granddaughter duo.
Around eleven at night, the noisy slums gradually fell silent as everyone, having worked all day, prepared to sleep with plans to wake up early for work the next day.
The pedestrians on the street beca few and far between.
Bing'er and her grandfather packed up the street stall's tables and chairs and left together with Yang Xiao.
The place they lived wasn't far, about a five or six minute walk.
Within a low shantytown, they navigated labyrinthine alleys, taking several twists and turns before Bing'er stopped in front of a dilapidated wooden house.
"Uncle, we've arrived. This is my ho."
Bing'er said as she reached out to push open the door.
This wooden door wasn't locked, as there likely wasn't anything valuable at ho that could be stolen.
Bing'er was very excited. Perhaps it had been a long ti since they had guests at ho. She chattered all the way, and after entering the house, she eagerly led Yang Xiao to a room.
"Uncle, this was my mom and dad's room. I clean it every day, and the sheets are washed, very clean."
Yang Xiao patted Bing'er's head affectionately and said:
"Thank you, Bing'er."
Bing'er giggled and then pulled Yang Xiao to see her room, which was essentially just an extra small bed placed in her grandpa's room.
It was evident that the grandfather and granddaughter were truly dependent on each other, living a very tough life.
Bing'er's grandpa said:
"Young Master Yang, our ho is very humble. Please forgive us."
"Grandpa Bing'er, please don't say that. I'm already very grateful that you let stay."
Bing'er still wanted to chat with Yang Xiao, but her grandpa said:
"Bing'er, Uncle Yang is tired, he should rest, and you should go to bed early too. You have to move bricks tomorrow."
Yang Xiao was taken aback and asked:
"Bing'er is seven or eight years old, right? Does she go to school?"
At the ntion of school, Bing'er first looked excited, but imdiately beca dispirited.
Her grandpa sighed and said:
"We poor folks can't afford to send our kids to school. Having enough food is already a blessing."
Yang Xiao nodded and said:
"Alright, I'll go rest. You should sleep early too."
Bing'er clearly didn't want to part, watching Yang Xiao, finally saying with reluctance:
"Goodnight, Uncle!"
The night passed uneventfully. The next morning, Bing'er's grandpa already prepared breakfast.
A bowl of porridge and two plates of so unidentifiable dark snacks.
Bing'er was also helping to set the table.
Seeing Yang Xiao co out of the room, Bing'er said:
"Uncle, co have breakfast."
"Alright, thank you, Bing'er."
The breakfast was hard to eat, but Yang Xiao forced himself to consu it.
Having stayed at the Royal Inn recently, while the food wasn't the best in Dragon City, it was top tier.
Compared to the simple food before him, Yang Xiao couldn't help but think how hard it was to adapt to a more modest lifestyle after experiencing luxury!
Bing'er's grandpa seed to notice Yang Xiao's distaste for the breakfast and said:
"Young Master Yang, I'm sorry, this is all we have for breakfast."
Seeing Bing'er savoring her al, Yang Xiao smiled and said:
"No worries, I can eat anything."
Bing'er suddenly blurted out:
"Uncle Yang, I heard that recently soone had a al at the Royal Inn and spent 260 million Crystal Coins. What do you think they ate?
Nowadays, the rich really are ostentatious and wasteful with money. 260 million Crystal Coins could feed our entire slum for a year."
Bing'er clearly held a grudge against the rich guy from the rumor, with a natural resentnt towards the wealthy, embodying a sentint that contrasted luxury with poverty.
Yang Xiao: "..."
"Bing'er, don't talk nonsense. We don't understand the world of the wealthy."
"How do I not understand? It's just a al. What kind of at is so tasty to be worth so much money? It's just showing off wealth. They're all prodigals, flashy rich kids."
"Child, don't talk nonsense."
"Grandpa, weren't you the one who said that? You were talking to Grandpa Qin about that prodigal who spent over two hundred million Crystal Coins on one al, and scolded him. Grandpa Qin was even harsher in his criticism."
Yang Xiao: "..."
Damn, who knew that one al would earn him the reputation of being a prodigal, flashy rich man.
Finding it both funny and frustrating, he said:
"Bing'er, what rich people eat is different from us. For instance, you eat to fill your stomach, but they don't eat to fill their stomachs."
"Uncle, you're kidding. If not to fill their stomachs, then why eat?"
"Hmm, for example, the blood and flesh of certain Demon Beasts can enhance Genetic Evolution Energy, especially high-level Demon Beasts that contain strong energy. These beast ats are used as ingredients in restaurants and are sold at high prices."
"Oh!"
Bing'er nodded with partial understanding.
Yang Xiao glanced at Bing'er's grandpa and asked:
"Has Bing'er activated her Genetic Evolution System?"
"Not yet. Even if she activated the Genetic Evolution System, I wouldn't have extra Crystal Coins to buy her Genetic Potion. After her parents suddenly passed, as an old man, I can't manage everything."
"Oh, did sothing happen to Bing'er's parents?"
Bing'er's grandpa paused, took a big gulp of porridge, and said:
"Young Master Yang, eat up, it's getting cold."
Yang Xiao realized he'd touched a sore spot for Bing'er's grandpa, so he didn't pursue the matter, and focused on his al, occasionally teasing Bing'er.
After breakfast, Yang Xiao prepared to leave.
Seeing that Yang Xiao was about to leave, Bing'er suddenly beca very quiet, standing beside him with her head down, evidently reluctant to part, but feeling she had no reason to ask him to stay, given they had just t the day before.
A child's emotional world is pure. Having long been without her parents, Bing'er's heart was lonely.
Yang Xiao's kindness and friendliness made her feel a lot of goodwill towards him, wishing she really had such an uncle.
Yang Xiao patted Bing'er's head, smiled, and took out a bag of Crystal Coins from his Space Ring, roughly about one or two thousand, and placed it on the table.
Yang Xiao typically didn't carry cash, mostly using a Black Gold Card. This cash was just occasionally placed in the Space Ring before.
"I have so Crystal Coins here, not much. Use it to buy Bing'er so new clothes."
"Uncle!"
"Young Master Yang, this isn't right, we can't take your money for nothing."
Yang Xiao had already stepped out, saying:
"It's just a small amount, hardly anything. Don't let the child suffer."
With that, he left without looking back.
Yang Xiao planned to wander elsewhere in the slums, hoping to gather so information about the Eldest Prince.
He didn't want to stay in one place too long, avoiding drawing attention. Spending a night at Bing'er's ho was enough.
Unfamiliar with the slum's alleyways, after a few turns, Yang Xiao found himself sowhat lost.
Three burly n walked towards him. One of them said:
"Elder Zhan's son once borrowed ten thousand Crystal Coins from us to treat his wife's illness, but she died, and Zhan's son died too. Adding interest, the debt is now thirty thousand Gold Coins.
This old man clearly can't pay it back. But he still has a granddaughter, selling her to the Slave Workshop could at least fetch five to ten thousand Crystal Coins."
"How old is this little girl?"
"7 years old."
"Ah, she's too young, otherwise she could be sent to a brothel to earn more money, hahaha...."
The three passed by Yang Xiao, and he heard their conversation clearly.
Yang Xiao stood still, montarily stunned.
Should he save them or not?
Yang Xiao felt conflicted.
If he saved them, there was a risk of exposing his identity. If not, Bing'er and her grandpa would certainly suffer.
Sigh!
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