Guan Guan dodged, hiding behind Wei Cheng’s left side, leaning against him, his voice choked with tears. “No, don’t.”

“Uncle’s house… Guan Guan doesn’t like it.”

Li Maode said loudly, “This family doesn’t get to decide. With me here, no one will bully you.”

“No.”

Guan Guan shook his head, his voice breaking. “Don’t go with Uncle.”

Li Maode sighed. “This child… Cheng, persuade him…”

“Village Head Uncle.”

Wei Cheng raised his head, as if making a decision. He gritted his teeth. “You don’t need to take care of Guan Guan.”

“You mean…?”

Wei Cheng held Guan Guan’s small hand tightly. The little hand was cold. He remembered when he found Guan Guan; the little hand was chapped but warm. He wondered what kind of treatment and torment the child had suffered.

“Since I found him, I’m responsible for him. Wherever he is, I’ll worry. I’ve decided to raise Guan Guan!”

The villagers murmured. “What? Cheng will raise him? He’s eight, how can he raise a four or five-year-old?”

“It’s easy to say, but how will two children survive? They don’t even have a shelter…”

“The Wei family won’t let Wei Cheng take the child back. Wei Sannian is suffering, they won’t help!”

“Children are fickle, this is nonsense!”

Guan Guan whispered, “I… I only want Brother, no one else.”

Wei Cheng smiled at him.

“Cheng, you’re kind-hearted, to have such responsibility at your age. Uncle is happy for you and your father. But it’s winter, how will you two survive! My family is large, but we won’t mistreat Guan Guan.”

“Uncle Li, I know you’re kind, but everyone thinks Guan Guan is cursed. Even if your family is good, they might feel uneasy. I’m young and inexperienced, but I’m afraid any misfortune will be blamed on Guan Guan. No matter who takes him, he’ll be resented. But I won’t resent him, he’s my responsibility, I know he’s a good child.” Wei Cheng said.

He patted Guan Guan’s head, looking down. “Guan Guan has been abandoned once, I don’t want him abandoned again.”

“I want to leave the Wei family. I’m always hungry there. It’s better to be independent. I’m eight, but I won’t always be. I’ve survived like this for years, just borrowing shelter from the Wei and Qin families. I’ll take care of Guan Guan.”

Most importantly, he didn’t want Guan Guan to be passed around like a ball, like he was from age four.

Li Maode was shocked. He hadn’t expected such thoughtfulness from a child.

Wei Cheng was kind-hearted like his father, but clearer and more far-sighted. He would have a good future.

Li Maode nodded. “Good boy, you have ambition. I won’t stop you. I remember a dilapidated hut at the foot of the mountain, once lived in by Old Wang, a childless old man. It’s close to the mountain, a bit dangerous, but it’s shelter. If you don’t mind, live there. I’ll send you rice and flour. In the spring, I’ll find you a better place.”

Wei Cheng thanked him.

The villagers dispersed.

Ma Doumiao was pulled away by his mother, seeming to want to say something to Wei Cheng, but too far away.

Wei Cheng didn’t understand.

“Brother.”

Guan Guan offered his clay pot. He understood Brother would raise him.

He and Brother would be together forever.

Wei Cheng smiled. “Isn’t this your treasure? You’re giving it to me?”

“For Brother.” Guan Guan wasn’t good at expressing himself. “Guan Guan’s treasure is Brother’s treasure.”

“Keep your treasure, Guan Guan.”

He looked at Guan Guan, softly saying, “Guan Guan, don’t worry, Brother will be good to you. Brother won’t hit you, scold you, or bully you. Brother won’t let you go hungry. Maybe it’s not as safe as the village head’s house, but Brother will only have you, one brother, one relative. Brother will only love you.”

Guan Guan’s eyes were red. “Guan Guan only has Brother. Guan Guan will find beans for Brother.”

Wei Cheng smiled, patting the child’s head. “Still thinking about beans? Let’s go back to the Wei family to pack, then Brother will take you somewhere.”

The Wei family was chaotic. Wei Cheng told Guan Guan to wait under the jujube tree, then climbed over the wall into his room.

Wei Cheng took his backpack, putting old quilts at the bottom, adding dry grass, three ground beans, two sweet potatoes, a fire starter, thin shoes, a ragged jacket, and underclothes.

When he was four, he had many wooden toys carved by his father, tiger-head shoes, cotton shoes, clean clothes… They were taken by his maternal relatives. His mother didn’t say anything, telling him to endure.

His things disappeared one by one. He started picking up scraps.

His mother didn’t buy him new clothes. He was laughed at by children in Jianghe Village. His mother worked for a wealthy family, neglecting him.

Then, the wealthy woman died, and his mother remarried.

Wei Cheng climbed over the wall, seeing Guan Guan playing in the snow, humming.

“Hmph, people who hit Brother are bad…”

“Hmph, people who hit Guan Guan are bad…”

“Bad people… bad people…”

Wei Cheng thought Guan Guan was adorable, a vengeful little one.

But they didn’t know—

At the Wang family…

Wang Zhuangzi woke up. After two bowls of medicine, his pale face improved. He excitedly looked at Zheng Shi. “I… I don’t hurt anymore.”

Zheng Shi tentatively touched her stomach. “I… I don’t hurt either…”

But then, their stomachs ached again.

Wang Zhuangzi’s bowl shattered.

Zheng Shi cried, “Quickly, get the herbalist!”

The herbalist made a fortune that day!

At the Wei family…

Wei Sannian’s back was covered in needles, the room filled with the scent of activating blood circulation herbs.

He lay alone in bed, unable to move.

He was worried about his paralysis and his virility. He heard that the Wangs were also ill, because of the child Wei Cheng found.

Wei Sannian thought, when he recovered, he would kill the child! Drowning him or leaving him for wolves would be satisfying!

He would also break Wei Cheng’s legs, teaching him a lesson for bringing a strange child home!

Thinking of the boy’s eyes, Wei Sannian felt he couldn’t let the boy recover, fearing revenge. Wei Da Nian’s death was partly their fault, Qin Shi would tell Cheng! He should act first!

His anger made him feel a tingling sensation in his waist. It was warm, sore, and he felt strength!

He tried to sit up, but lost control, falling to the floor. The needles pierced his flesh!

Wei Sannian spat blood, his insides feeling displaced. He shouted, “Chunniang! Mother! Er Ge! Er Sao! Help!”

But no one responded.

He could hear Chunniang talking outside, about making soup, Fang Pozi adding goji berries, and the doctor and his assistant.

But they couldn’t hear his cries.

After a long time, the door opened. Before he fainted, he heard Liu Shi’s terrified cry.

“Brother, where are we going?”

Guan Guan held Wei Cheng’s hand, eating roasted ground beans. “Where are we going?”

Wei Cheng was worried Guan Guan was hungry, so he made a fire and roasted ground beans for him before leaving.