Chapter 21: I Can't Stop Laughing

Seeing the handsome young man suddenly display a look of disgust, Hong Xiaoduo was momentarily puzzled. However, she spoke up anyway: "You, right there—you have something stuck to you. Is that a piece of wonton wrapper?"

From this distance, she couldn't see clearly, so she wasn't entirely sure. Having said that, she turned her head away; temperamental people were always the most unpleasant.

Mu Zitao, upon hearing this, raised a hand to touch the side of his chin. Lowering his eyes, he saw that his fingertip was indeed stained with a small scrap of wonton wrapper—something he had coughed up just moments ago.

His face flushed a deep red, as if scorched by flames, burning hot to the touch. That little action of hers, which he had found so repulsive, actually meant this—she was simply reminding him that he had something on his face!

Secretary Dong had witnessed the entire exchange. Though he hadn't immediately grasped what was happening, upon hearing the young woman’s words and looking at his good friend, he understood everything. Seeing his friend’s expression now, he noticed it wasn't just his face that was red; even his fair neck was flushed crimson.

Pfft—hahaha! Secretary Dong tried to hold it in, but he simply couldn't. He burst into laughter, stopping and starting as he looked at his friend’s mortified expression, only to erupt again. After several rounds of this, he clutched his stomach, unable to stand straight, and eventually just squatted on the ground, continuing to laugh.

It was too hilarious. General Mu, who in the capital was compared to Pan An, rivaled the talent of Zi Jian, and was the dream husband of countless young women—a man whom every maiden looked up to but who remained unmoved by all—had now, through his own arrogance, brought this humiliation upon himself!

Having known him for seventeen years, this was the first time Dong had ever seen him in such a wretched state, and entirely of his own doing. Secretary Dong felt the grievances and frustrations of having spent years as a mere foil to him finally balanced out in an instant.

"Laugh, just keep laughing until you die," Mu Zitao muttered. Seeing the owner and staff of the baozi shop, the seven little shaven-headed boys, and the passersby all turning to look due to his friend's boisterous laughter, he felt his face burn even hotter. Tightening his lips, he stood up, kicked the man who was still laughing with tears in his eyes, and strode away.

Even after being kicked to the ground, Secretary Dong didn't stop; if anything, he laughed even more heartily.

Hong Xiaoduo looked at the man on the ground, laughing so hard he couldn't stop. That robe, which looked like it was made of very expensive material, was getting all dirty!

She turned back to the little shaven-headed boys. Having eaten their fill, Kaiyang and Yaoguang still had half a bowl of wontons left. After Tian Shu and Tian Ji confirmed that the others were full, they stepped forward, finished the remaining wontons, and polished them off completely.

She then signaled the baozi shop worker to calculate the total cost. After the tally, the worker took one of the smaller silver pieces the "dandy" had left on the table, paid for the baozi and wontons, and returned a large handful of copper coins.

Hong Xiaoduo tucked away the other silver piece and looked at the pile of change in the worker’s hand. She asked, "Is this enough to cover the bill for those two gentlemen just now?"

The worker thought for a moment and nodded. "Yes, it’s enough, and there are two coins left over."

Hong Xiaoduo thought about telling him to keep the two coins, but then she caught sight of little Kaiyang. Recalling how he had groveled and pleaded with passersby for a single copper coin earlier, she took the two coins from the worker's hand.

The little ones were doing well. They were full but not gluttonous, letting out tiny burps and looking content—it was truly adorable.

"Since we’ve just eaten and it’s still early, let’s go for a stroll," Hong Xiaoduo said. She took Yaoguang’s hand, Tian Shu took Kaiyang’s, and they headed off to explore the street.

The worker cleared the steamer and the wonton bowls from the table. Returning, he saw the man on the ground, who had stopped laughing but still hadn't stood up. After hesitating for a moment, the worker approached and bowed slightly. "Secretary, do you need me to call a doctor from the clinic?"

When Secretary Dong heard the worker address him by his title, he sat up and let out a breath. "No need, no need. Just pull me up."

Sighing, he realized that laughing took a lot of energy. He was fine, just physically drained, a bit weak, and his stomach ached from the exertion.

When he asked to be pulled up, the worker didn't just tug at him; he carefully helped him to his feet and even brushed the dust off the back of his robes.

Traders in town all recognized the young and handsome secretary from the magistrate’s office, but no one dared to greet him. When he accompanied the local official, it often seemed as if the official was the one currying favor with the secretary. Commoners didn't understand the complexities of these relationships, but they knew one thing: if even the magistrate feared him, he was not someone they could afford to offend. It was best to stay out of his way.

"Did that young woman pay our bill?" Secretary Dong had vaguely heard this while he was lying on the ground laughing, but he hadn't been able to get up to thank her.

"Yes, Secretary, twenty-four coins," the worker replied.

Secretary Dong nodded. Twenty-odd coins meant nothing to them, but the fact that the young woman had paid for them—and not even to curry favor—made it quite unique.

"Your baozi really do taste good," he remarked. He glanced down the street; his friend seemed to have left in that direction, and he could see the young woman and the seven little shaven-headed boys over there.

He hesitated for a moment, but Secretary Dong eventually headed in the direction his friend had gone. It wasn't just that he had never seen him make a fool of himself before; he suspected this might be the first time his friend had ever been truly embarrassed in his life, and all because of a woman. He didn't want him to fall into a depression and refuse to leave his house!

After a few steps, he looked in the opposite direction. What should he do? He was worried about his friend, but honestly, he wanted to see that young woman and the seven handsome little boys even more.

Mainly, he wondered: why exactly had those lovely children shaved their heads?

But he couldn't do that. Even though his friend had only stopped to see him while passing through, he had been away from the capital in this remote town for over two years, and apart from Mu Zitao, who else had ever come to visit him?

In the end, brotherly loyalty triumphed over curiosity, and he chose to go after his friend.

"Oh! Young lady, I saw you from afar and guessed it was you! My heavens, dear, come out and take a look!" As they passed Chengfu Clothing Store, the proprietress called out to them from a distance.

Hearing his wife’s excited shouting, the shopkeeper hurried out and was also quite surprised. Just that morning, they had been a group of disheveled little beggars; now, washed and dressed in new clothes, they were a completely different group of children.

These clothes were from his shop, and he had even helped pick out a few of the outfits himself.

Watching the couple look at the children with such genuine affection, peering at this one and then that one, a thought occurred to Hong Xiaoduo. They loved children so much and were such good people—should she ask if they wanted to adopt? The children would certainly not suffer if they were with them.

She thought this because she realized she might disappear from this place at any moment, and if she did, what would happen to these children?

Would they go back to begging and wandering? They were so young. Regardless of whether the villain who had controlled them was alive or not, even if he didn't come looking for them or was already dead, would they just encounter another bad person who would force them to beg?

The moment Hong Xiaoduo thought of this, she felt uneasy.

However, finding a reliable household that could adopt all seven of them at once was unlikely. She had only heard of the imperial shelters and had never seen them with her own eyes, so she didn't know what the conditions were like.

If that were the case, could she have them placed separately? It felt cruel, but surely that was better than wandering outside, starving, and begging for a living?

Besides, winter was coming. If they were left to fend for themselves, they would freeze to death!

"Auntie?" Hong Xiaoduo hardened her heart, smiling as she prepared to call the shopkeeper's wife aside to test the waters...