Chapter 57: Little Bean

When Qin Mu finally managed to climb back up onto the top of the wall, the little boy below grinned widely, revealing two rows of white teeth and letting out a chuckle. "You look so clumsy! Can't you just talk by the front gate instead? You're going to fall down again in a minute."

Qin Mu wiped the dirt from his face and shook his head. "No, I can't. There are bad people over there. We'll talk right here. Tell me first, what is my mother doing? Why is she living on Chessboard Street? And what is your name?"

The boy below rubbed his nose again and replied, "My name is Little Bean. Madam An rented a house on Chessboard Street, and my older brother sent me here to find you! Now that I've found you, I can go back and report to him."

Little Bean rattled everything off in one breathless stream of words, then immediately turned and started to run away.

Panicking, Qin Mu shouted after him, "Hey! Wait, Little Bean, I haven't finished speaking yet! Tell my mother that I'm doing well, and she doesn't need to worry about me. Tell her to eat well and sleep well, and that I'll go see her when I grow up. You have to come back tomorrow!"

"Okay————!"

Trailing a long, drawn-out syllable, Little Bean ran off like a gust of wind without even looking back. Having staked out the place for more than ten days, he was practically bursting with eagerness to leave.

"Hey, hey, hey! You... you, wait, I—I haven't finished yet!"

"He's gone? He actually ran off!"

Atop the courtyard wall, Qin Mu beat his fists against the brick in frustration. This Little Bean really lived up to his name; he rattled off his words like rolling beans and bolted the moment he was done. Because of this, Qin Mu hadn't even managed to ask which alley on Chessboard Street she was in, or what his mother was doing there.

However, there was nothing he could do except wait for Little Bean to return next time so he could ask properly.

The very next second, another cry of "Ah!" rang out.

An agitated Qin Mu tumbled off the top of the wall once again!

Before long, An Chunfeng in Pear Blossom Alley received the news.

Little Lin, who was keeping an eye on the craftsmen building a stove in the kitchen, informed An Chunfeng that he had successfully contacted Tang Mu. The young master had also told him to let her know not to worry, that he was doing very well, and that he would come to see her when he grew up.

"Little Lin, you haven't been to the West City these past few days. How did you manage to get in touch with him?"

Although An Chunfeng already knew that Tang Mu was safe and sound, hearing with her own ears that this nominal son wanted her to live well and not worry about him sent a sudden wave of warmth rippling through her heart. The child no longer held onto the grievance of having been almost strangled to death by his mother.

In truth, ever since leaving the Tang household, An Chunfeng had been searching for answers. Even now, she could find no genuine murderous intent in the original An's memories—only guilt and remorse. She had been worried that the mother's "vicious" abandonment might leave psychological scars on the child.

Indeed, there is no true enmity between mother and child! Now it seemed she should also put the harsh words the child had uttered out of her mind.

Seeing her master in a good mood, Little Lin beamed as well. He grinned broadly and said, "I have two younger brothers. Normally, when they don't have anything to do, they keep watch outside the Tang residence. I never expected that after waiting for over ten days, they would finally spot Young Master Tang today."

"Ah, right. Yesterday I only saw your sister, and didn't see your brothers. How about this: bring your brothers over another day so I can take a look at them!" An Chunfeng wanted to give the children some reward; persisting for more than ten days was no easy feat.

Little Lin hesitated slightly before answering, "Little Bean is waiting right by the front gate for my reply so he can go see the young master again tomorrow."

"He's right outside? Little Lin, why didn't you say so earlier? Quickly, invite him in!" An Chunfeng stood up and walked beneath the eaves.

The dirt-covered Little Bean followed Little Lin into the courtyard, his eyes darting darting everywhere as he looked around. Catching sight of An Chunfeng beneath the eaves, he smartly stepped forward and bowed. "Little Bean pays his respects to Madam An."

An Chunfeng looked him over carefully. He was around seven or eight years old, dressed in filthy clothes with a grime-covered face. His hair was messy and tied into two little braids dangling behind his ears. Despite his brazen demeanor, the way his hands tightly twisted together in front of him betrayed his inner timidity, though his darting eyes still radiated cleverness.

"Little Bean, you said you found Brother Mu today?" An Chunfeng beckoned him to sit down under the eaves.

"Yes! I waited at Shun'an Ward for many days without seeing the young master come out. The moment I arrived today, I heard a whistle. My ears are the sharpest, so I immediately knew it came from the back wall. Sure enough, I saw the young master lying on top of the wall throwing stones at me. Hehehe, he missed!"

Like a bamboo tube pouring out beans, Little Bean recounted his meeting with Qin Mu today, gesturing vividly and vividly describing the scene, including how Qin Mu accidentally tumbled off the top of the wall.

"With a thump, the young master dropped straight down and gave me a fright. I was just looking for something to climb up the wall and check on him when I saw him climb back up with dirt smeared all over his face..."

Watching Little Bean mime a patch of mud on his own face, An Chunfeng smiled, feeling a touch of emotion. Her mind flashed back to the day she left, remembering how Tang Mu had waited for her atop the wall. If Little Lin's brother hadn't gone there every single day, there was no telling how much longer Brother Mu would have waited on that wall.

At that thought, An Chunfeng's heart softened inexplicably. Looking at Little Bean again, she couldn't help but chuckle—this child was remarkably amusing, completely oblivious to the fact that he looked precisely like a mud monkey at that moment.

"Alright, Little Bean, when you go to the West City tomorrow, stop by here first!"

Little Bean rubbed his nose and readily agreed; he had to go back and reply to the young master tomorrow anyway.

Quick as lightning, An Chunfeng reached out and pinned down Little Bean, who was itching to run off. She instructed Little Lin, "Little Lin, take the bundle from inside the room and give it to Little Bean to take back. Tell Rong Xue to make some handkerchiefs, sachets, and purses at home to sell. Also, take all the pastries we just bought from the kitchen."

That very morning, An Chunfeng had made a trip to Autumn Water Drapery Shop specifically to collect the leftover scraps of fabric trimmed from making slipdresses. A single slipdress cost ten taels of silver, so the fabrics used were naturally top-tier silks and satins in vibrant, brilliant colors—fine materials that ordinary families could neither afford nor bear to use. Autumn Water had told her that if these fabrics were turned into small items like purses and handkerchiefs, even a single piece could fetch a dozen copper coins.

When she visited the four Rong Xue siblings' living quarters in the tenement courtyard yesterday, she had truly understood the living conditions of the unregistered residents, as well as the efforts Little Lin and his siblings put into making a living.

Little Lin, being the eldest, was an apprentice working at the agency, earning two hundred copper coins a month. Little Bean, at eight years old, was too young for regular work, so he ran errands for people on the streets, though he couldn't guarantee earnings every day. He simply aimed to find food outside, which would lessen the burden on their household a little bit.

They had another boy at home named Black Bean, thirteen years old, who worked inside the tenement courtyard. He helped the women who washed clothes deliver packages through various streets and alleys to earn a few copper coins, and along the way, he looked after their disabled younger sister. Rong Xue handled the mending of clothes for the three brothers.

Even living at the absolute bottom of society, these four children harbored no complaints; instead, they lived self-reliantly and with dignity. Seeing them reminded An Chunfeng of her own past life... They needed help, and as long as someone extended a helping hand, they could pull themselves out of the quagmire.

Poverty and hardship were not the most terrifying things; what was most terrifying was when people wearing angelic masks committed devilish acts at critical moments. Using a pittance of money to easily strip away a child's sense of shame and self-esteem, leaving them with selling their bodies and souls as their only way out.

She had endured the torment of insomnia precisely because she had sold her soul. And that girl pulled from the water had drowned... right after her chastity was bought away for a mere five hundred yuan.

She had no blood ties or relation to these siblings, so she couldn't simply hand them money; the only way she could help was by giving them more opportunities to earn a living.