"Refugees?" Everyone looked at Liang Xiao in confusion, wondering what this young master intended.
Liang Xiao merely instructed Zhang Yang to submit the curved-shaft plow to Huang Xing, then set off for the refugee camp south of the city with Yue Lian and his guards.
On the way, Liang Xiao inquired about the management of the refugee camp from his guards and learned that the person in charge was the grain supervisor, Li Ping.
"Young Master, half of these refugees are from Yan Province..." Yue Lian sighed.
Liang Xiao nodded slightly and said, "Perfect, I need them."
At the refugee camp south of the city, tens of thousands of refugees were accommodated in makeshift shelters. Fires were burning inside and outside the shelters, barely warding off the biting cold.
Most of these refugees were gaunt and sallow, but there were also some with rosy complexions, haughtily scanning the surroundings.
Sounds of crying and scolding could be heard from time to time within the refugee camp.
In a corner near the north side, two middle-aged men were struggling with a young girl.
The girl was frail and shivering on the ground, seemingly protecting something.
"Where's the bun? Be sensible!" one of the middle-aged men demanded aggressively, kicking the girl.
"The bun was given to Mi'er by them, you have yours too!" the girl sobbed.
The middle-aged man raged, "That little bit of dry food is barely enough to eat. What use is it for a child like you to eat so much!"
"Li San, be careful not to let her eat it!" the other middle-aged man warned.
Li San nodded and kicked the girl's back again. "I'm being patient and not arguing with you. Hand over the bun, and it'll be as if nothing happened. Don't wait for Bai Si to act!"
Mi'er cried even harder, "Mi'er has no father or mother anymore, please don't bully Mi'er. Mi'er is starving to death. Let's split this bun in half, okay?"
"What nonsense! Hand it all over!" Bai Si finally lost his patience and lifted Mi'er to see.
The bun she was holding had already fallen into pieces.
Mi'er, in terror, stuffed the broken bun into her mouth. Bai Si was quick and grabbed her hand.
In desperation, Mi'er simply flung her hand, scattering the bun pieces all over the ground. "If you don't let Mi'er eat, Mi'er won't let you eat either!"
"You dare? You dare to offend me at such a young age?" Bai Si, enraged, slapped Mi'er. 138 Reading Net.
Mi'er's cries echoed through the refugee camp.
A woman, unable to bear it, interjected, "She's just a child, let her go?"
But she was quickly met with the furious glares of Li San and Bai Si. Her husband pulled her back to their corner, not daring to interfere further.
The surrounding refugees were indignant but dared not speak, fearing that offending these two ruffians would lead to them being targeted for their rations later.
Mi'er, wiping her half-swollen face, still struggled.
"Don't kill her, or we'll die too!" Li San warned.
Bai Si looked at the bun scattered on the ground, gritted his teeth, and slapped Mi'er again.
Fortunately, Mi'er covered her face this time, so it didn't swell, but it still hurt terribly, and she cried out in pain.
"Why is such beastly behavior unchecked?"
A furious shout came from afar. Everyone turned to look.
It was Liang Xiao and Yue Lian, who had rushed over after hearing the crying and scolding from a distance.
Seeing Liang Xiao's pale face, Li San and Bai Si sneered, "A rich young master. It's best you don't meddle in the affairs of the poor, or we'll show you what true disgrace is!"
Liang Xiao saw Mi'er looking at him for help, and his anger flared. He lowered his face and quickened his pace towards them.
"You refuse the toast and insist on a forfeit?"
The two ruffians were stunned for a moment, then threw Mi'er aside and charged at Liang Xiao like ferocious tigers.
"Young Master, be careful!" Yue Lian exclaimed, about to rush forward.
In the blink of an eye, Liang Xiao's eyes narrowed. He dodged Li San's kick and landed a punch on Li San's stomach.
Li San let out a scream. Bai Si was startled and before he could react, Liang Xiao punched him in the nose, making stars flash before his eyes.
The two ruffians lost their balance and fell to the ground. Liang Xiao followed up with kicks, until they were begging for mercy.
Liang family guards also arrived and, under Liang Xiao's command, subdued the two men.
"Go fetch the grain supervisor."
After speaking to his guards, Liang Xiao took out medicinal ointment from his satchel, took Mi'er's hand, and said softly, "It's okay now, don't be afraid."
Mi'er looked up at Liang Xiao, tears in her eyes, trembling.
Looking at the girl, Liang Xiao couldn't help but recall his childhood with Yue Lian. His heart ached as he took off his fox fur coat, wrapped it around Mi'er, and carried her to the fire.
Yue Lian quickly retrieved another coat from the carriage for Liang Xiao to wear. Watching Liang Xiao carefully apply medicine to Mi'er's face, tears streamed down her face.
This scene was so similar to the one that had unforgettable imprinted itself on her memory!
Mi'er dared not move, only staring blankly at Liang Xiao and Yue Lian, not even daring to cry.
"They wanted to snatch Mi'er's bun, but Mi'er wouldn't give it..." Mi'er stammered.
Liang Xiao smiled slightly, pushed Mi'er towards Yue Lian to comfort her, and asked, "Then why weren't you afraid of them?"
"Father taught Mi'er that the noble should not be corrupted by wealth, the poor should not be swayed by poverty, and the powerful should not be intimidated by might..."
Liang Xiao asked out of curiosity, "Then what about your parents?"
Mi'er finally burst into tears and took out a damaged piece of wood from her embrace.
"Father protected Mi'er and Mother and was killed by the savage iron cavalry. Mother brought Mi'er to the capital and also fell ill and died. They sent her to the mass grave, not allowing Mi'er to see Mother one last time, saying they feared contagion. Mi'er followed everyone and found a wooden tablet, wanting to sell herself to earn a living, but they disdained Mi'er for being too small and thin, showing no interest..."
Liang Xiao's expression grew solemn. He gently patted Mi'er's head and sighed.
He noticed that the child spoke clearly, likely born into a wealthy or scholarly family, and had received an education from a young age.
Yue Lian opened a box, took out two warm meat buns, and offered them to Mi'er. "Mi'er, you must be hungry. Eat quickly."
A flicker of joy appeared on Mi'er's small face, but she immediately shook her head. "Let Mi'er do something for you before eating?"
"No need, Mi'er just eat. It's free," Yue Lian said affectionately, stroking Mi'er's little head.
Mi'er shook her head, her bright, clear eyes gazing at Liang Xiao, hesitating to speak.
Liang Xiao smiled and said, "I understand. Your father taught you this too, didn't he? Then how about you massage Sister Yue Lian's shoulders first? These buns will be your reward."
Mi'er happily agreed and immediately began massaging Yue Lian's shoulders.
After a while, Yue Lian said softly, "That's enough. Mi'er can eat now."
Mi'er then took the two buns with relief, handing one to Liang Xiao. "Big Brother saved Mi'er, so I'll share half with you."
Liang Xiao smiled gently and said, "You eat it, Brother isn't hungry."
Mi'er nodded obediently and began to eat the bun, chewing slowly and carefully, savoring the long-lost delicacy.
Watching this, Liang Xiao sighed and scanned the refugee camp. Seeing everyone looking at him with longing eyes, he made up his mind.
Someone must have embezzled the relief funds. He believed that Emperor Xiao Qing would not abandon the refugees.
He would know once the grain supervisor arrived and was questioned.
With this thought, Liang Xiao softly asked Mi'er, "Brother's surname is Liang, given name Xiao. Sister's surname is Liang, given name Yue Lian. What is Mi'er's surname?"
"Mi'er's surname is Zhen, given name Mi. Zhen Mi, ten years old this year."