Chapter 9: Unexpected Gains

“Xiao Rou is back. Where did you get this? Didn't Grandma say that even if you starve to death, you must never steal from others? Why have you become such a disobedient child? Quickly, go return it to them.” What a principled elderly woman!

“Grandma, I didn't steal it. This wasn't stolen; a kind older brother gave it to me.”

“Really? You aren't lying to me?”

“It's true, Grandma. Look, I even brought the big brother here.” As she spoke, the little girl pulled Mu Xiaoxue inside from the doorway.

“Elder, Xiao Rou isn't lying to you. I gave this to her.” While Mu Xiaoxue was speaking, the elderly woman sized her up.

“Thank you, young lady.” Looking at the old woman, although she appeared sickly, judging by the shrewdness flashing in her eyes and her mannerisms, she must have come from a wealthy family in the past.

“Grandma, are your eyes playing tricks on you? This is a big brother, not some 'young lady.'”

“Xiao Rou, your Grandma is right. I am a girl just like you, but I find it more convenient to use a male identity when traveling so that I can avoid certain troubles. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to deceive you; you'll understand when you grow up.”

Hearing Mu Xiaoxue's explanation, Xiao Rou stopped dwelling on the matter and began eating the food they brought back with her grandmother, her face full of smiles.

“Brother, you're back! Come here, come here! This is big bro... oh, no, it's big sister's food that she bought for me.” Xiao Rou ran happily to grab the boy's hand, but he shook her off forcefully. The boy rushed toward the packaged food, grabbed it, and threw it on the ground.

“You actually brought back something given by a stranger? Do you know who she is? What if she put poison in it? Do you want to kill Grandma?” Scared by her brother's roar, Xiao Rou hugged Mu Xiaoxue and cried.

“Uh! That... you are Xiao Rou's brother, right? I'm not a bad person, you don't have to be like this.” Mu Xiaoxue helped Xiao Rou up and stood to the side, walking toward the boy to try and take his hand.

The boy dodged Mu Xiaoxue's hand and looked at her warily. “Who knows if you're a good person or a bad person? Does anyone write 'I am a bad person' on their face?”

“We don't need charity from others. I can earn silver myself, so please don't worry about it and leave.” Seeing how impolite the boy was, Mu Xiaoxue grew angry as well. Why were people in ancient times so stubborn! They suffered just to save face, and they thought I was a bad person? Do I look like a bad person? Do I?

“Fine! If you don't need charity, then may I ask how many days it has been since you last ate?”

“Whether I have eaten or not is none of your business.”

“Fine, whether I have eaten or not is none of my business. Then may I ask how many days it has been since Grandma and Xiao Rou last ate?”

“I... I...”

“May I ask how much silver you earned today?”

“May I ask if you brought any food back today?”

“Looking at your Grandma's health, she seems to be ill. May I ask if you have the silver to hire a physician?”

“May I ask if you have the silver to buy decent clothes for Grandma, your sister, and yourself?”

“May I ask, if I were a bad person, what could I possibly gain from your current situation?”

Listening to Mu Xiaoxue's questions one by one, the boy's head lowered further and further. Mu Xiaoxue was right; he could do nothing. He couldn't afford a physician for Grandma, he had no silver to buy food for Grandma and his sister, and he didn't even have a decent set of clothes. But his pride told him he could not bow his head.

“Yes, everything you said is correct, but so what? That is my family's business, what does it have to do with you?” Mu Xiaoxue was truly speechless; how could she encounter such a child? She just didn't know that this stubborn child would one day become her most capable assistant.

“Yes, it has nothing to do with me. It's just that I like meddling in other people's business, alright!” The two continued to argue.

“Grandma! Grandma, wake up!”

“Huan'er, go fetch a physician immediately!” Huan'er, who had been waiting outside the door, felt her body shudder when she heard Mu Xiaoxue suddenly call her name. How did the Eldest Miss know I was here? But now was not the time to think about that; she didn't dare waste a moment and used her lightness skill to rush off to find a physician.

Watching the direction where Huan'er flew off, *Wow! It really is lightwork! I'll definitely have Huan'er teach me later.* However, having someone so deeply hidden nearby was fine if they were a friend, but it would be bad if they were an enemy!

Huan'er's efficiency was quite high; in half a stick of incense's time, an old physician carrying a medical box entered.

“Grandpa, please come quickly and see what's wrong with my Grandma.” Xiao Rou anxiously pulled the physician in front of her grandmother, and the physician carefully checked her pulse.

“The patient is not in great danger; she just fainted due to old age combined with malnutrition. I will write a prescription and she can recover by following it. As long as she eats on time in the future, she will be fine!”

“Thank you, Grandpa, but... but...”

“Here is the silver. Thank you, Doctor.”

“You're welcome. Now, follow me to get the medicine!”

Watching Xiao Rou follow the physician to get the medicine, it was impossible for the boy to say he felt not a single shred of emotion toward Mu Xiaoxue; he was just not used to people being so good to him.

Mu Xiaoxue also saw his awkwardness: “There's no need to thank me. I'm just helping Xiao Rou.”

“Who wants to thank you! Meddling busybody. Uh... but thank you anyway. I will pay you back the silver.”

“Pay me back? With what? It's fine to have pride, but you must act within your means.” Mu Xiaoxue knew that it was impossible to make the boy accept her all at once; she could only take it slowly.

“How about this: from now on, you follow me. I will provide for your food, clothing, housing, and transportation.”

“But... but...” The boy glanced at his grandmother sleeping on the ground, and Mu Xiaoxue saw his concern.

“Don't worry, the silver I give you will be enough to support your family.”

“But, I am still so small, what can I do to help you?”

“As for what you will do, I haven't decided yet. I'll tell you once I have.”

“But... but...” Seeing the boy's hesitation...

“Rest assured, I won't make you do anything immoral or wicked. It's just that I haven't decided yet how to make it so that you feel you have earned the silver I give you.”

With Mu Xiaoxue's guarantee, the boy felt a flicker of movement in his heart.

“Alright, be a man and have some courage, okay? If you're afraid, you can refuse. I won't demand the silver from today back from you either.”

“Fine, I promise you.” She didn't expect the boy to eventually agree. *Does that mean I've recruited a little subordinate! Hehe...*

“Then can you tell me your name now?”

“Guo Xiaoren.”

“Good, Guo Xiaoren, welcome to the team. Happy to cooperate.” Mu Xiaoxue extended her hand to Guo Xiaoren in a modern fashion, but to her surprise, he actually blushed. Haha...

“Someone will come to arrange things for you tomorrow. Just wait here.”

By the time Xiao Rou returned with the medicine, Mu Xiaoxue saw that it was getting late and she should return to the manor. On the way back, Mu Xiaoxue was still thinking: although she hadn't visited any fun places today, it wasn't bad to have gained a little subordinate. Haha... does this count as an unexpected harvest...