Chapter 3, The Land of the Cone

There are truly no good people in the city, not even boiled well water is free of charge

A deep sense of unease welled up in Tie Xinyuan's heart, and he cried out, urging his mother to leave this place quickly. Whether it was the refugees or the beggars, there must be a reason why they did not come here. Just like a tiger's den is always empty, it is not that the den cannot provide shelter from the wind and rain, but rather because dying in a tiger's den happens much faster.

The broken umbrella could not shield her from the rain, and before long, Wang Rouhua's clothes were completely soaked. In contrast, Tie Xinyuan, who had changed into a dry swaddling, was not harmed in the slightest by the wind and rain

He knew that his small, meatball-like body could not possibly shield him from that sharp lance. Just as the lance was about to come closer, Wang Rouhua suddenly went mad, hiding Tie Xinyuan behind her, her eyes wide open as she stared at the knight and said: "Do not harm my son!"

Wang Rouhua did not dare to go to places with few people, and could only move forward with the sparse flow of people. The sky had already darkened, and although there were fewer and fewer people in the market, it began to rain heavily

Wang Rouhua was very hungry, extremely hungry. There were many food vendors in Tokyo, especially when she passed by a sweet cake shop, the rich aroma of osmanthus cake wafted into her nostrils. After seriously listening to the shop assistant's calls, she regretfully left, as one piece of osmanthus cake cost two wen. Before the great flood, three wen could buy two pieces. When she was pregnant, her seventh brother had bought her two pieces, and they were truly delicious.

Wang Rouhua stopped in her tracks and firmly gazed at the woman wearing a copper hairpin.

It is this woman who has traversed a particularly perilous path on her own

Tie Xinyuan reached out with a small hand to grasp his mother's chin, where rainwater had already gathered into a small stream

The individuals in Zhuangzi were somewhat reluctant, unwilling to engage in such degrading tasks. It was only after being struck with a cane by Liu Gong that they realized that decaying corpses are indeed the source of epidemics

The eyes of Wang Rouhua emitted a fierce gaze akin to that of a she-wolf, and even amidst the torrential downpour, Tie Xinyuan could see it clearly.

Under other high walls, crowds of refugees are packed, yet beneath this particular high wall, there is not a single person. Exhausted to the utmost, Wang Rouhua finally found a suitable place to take refuge. Without time to think it through, she hurried to a recessed corner of the high wall, placed the bathtub sideways in the corner, and curled up inside the bathtub with her son and the little fox, peacefully watching the rain and mist outside.

There is a small hole in the high wall, which was originally intended for drainage. It has now dried up or perhaps been redirected, as very little water flows out even during such heavy rainfall

Only at this moment did Tie Xinyuan have the time to carefully observe his current mother

For a mere one coin, I will have two bowls!

As he spoke, he poured two bowls of yellowish soup from a large wooden barrel and placed them in front of Wang Rouhua, taking the opportunity while she was drinking to carefully observe the Iron Heart Source in her arms

The knight's lance, with a swift thrust, knocked the swaddling cloth from Wang Rouhua's hands. He cradled Tie Xinyuan in the swaddling cloth with his left hand, while his right hand prepared to thrust the lance down once more

Wang Rouhua was too exhausted, so exhausted that she had no energy to think about anything else. Her son's cries made her simply believe that the child was just hungry, so she used her breast to plug her son's mouth again, while holding a knife in one hand and vigilantly watching the outside.

"I have added honeysuckle and licorice to my water. After a great flood, there will surely be a great epidemic. Only by drinking the medicinal soup left by Grandpa Sun can one endure it well."

Now, this road seems to have come to an end, yet Tie Xinyuan has no complaints whatsoever, only a deep sense of gratitude

The woman awkwardly said: "It is just that this child makes one feel heartbroken"

Wang Rouhua said softly: "This child is shy."

Wang Rouhua stammered in front of the sculpture, saying: "The common woman does not know!"

Wang Rouhua found herself facing an immense wall that loomed before her, a structure so towering that it could rival even the city walls of Tokyo

Under the eaves of the street-side shops, there are densely packed groups of vagrants, while deeper in the alleys, there are even more beggars wandering about, akin to hyenas on the prairie waiting to strike

Wang Rouhua adjusted her son's swaddling cloth against her chest, paying no heed to the curses of that old woman. Two coins and they want their precious child? Her precious child is destined for greatness in the future; not even a golden doll could tempt her to part with him. Would a well-bred woman in the capital speak of brothels? Since this woman has such filthy places on her lips, her daughter is likely not far from the brothel herself

The beggars, upon seeing Wang Rouhua brandishing a sharp knife in a show of defiance, exchanged glances and slowly retreated. However, they did not leave; they merely lingered at a distance, waiting for an opportunity.

Amid the purposeful cries in the iron heart source, Wang Rouhua also sensed that something was amiss. After seeking help from a passing constable to no avail, in her despair, she immediately spent 100 wen to purchase a sharp bone-cutting knife, which she held in her hand

Heavy footsteps echoed from a distance, causing the onlooking refugees to retreat even further in an instant; however, the gloating gazes remained firmly fixed on Tie Xinyuan.

It is unclear whether it was the weeping of Tie Xinyuan or the scolding of Wang Rouhua that startled this walking sculpture, but a cold, emotionless voice emerged from behind the helmet's barrier

The little fox saw Tie Xinyuan extend his hand, so it dropped the pancake and dashed over to his side, opening its mouth to grasp his finger. Tie Xinyuan weakly let his hand drop down

The woman, seeing that the child does not favor her, speaks to herself without concern: "I have only one daughter under my knees. If you are willing, leave this child here; she will fall into a nest of blessings. I will give you both some money, so you can use it as a dowry to remarry. From now on, we shall never meet again, how does that sound? You must know, this is the price I offer because I find this child pleasing. Nowadays, in the marketplace, children are being sold with grass markers, and one can be sold for as little as 500 wen."

Her hair was still damp, her complexion pale, yet her features were quite delicate. The dye on her linen garment was not very stable, leaving some faint blue marks on her neck.

Anyone who approaches within ten steps of the imperial city without cause shall be put to death

Tie Xinyuan sighed deeply, holding the already stunned Wang Rouhua, who was filled with terror, and began to wail, simultaneously positioning his body in front of his mother

Having purchased two pancakes, Wang Rouhua wandered aimlessly through the streets of Tokyo. Unbeknownst to her, a few beggars dressed in tattered clothes had begun to follow her at a leisurely pace.

Wang Rouhua has witnessed floods and has seen the bodies of people and livestock floating on the water. In the past, there were always bodies drifting down the Yellow River Bay, and the village chief would always instruct the villagers to report to the authorities. After the officials arrived, the bodies would be taken to a designated place to be buried in a deep pit.

Wang Rouhua was very eager to get rid of that fox, as she felt that the large fox was taking revenge on her. However, her son tightly held onto the fox and laughed at her with a cawing sound, causing her to completely forget whether the fox had already become a spirit.

Tie Xinyuan stopped crying. The little fox, who was eating a small piece of pancake, raised its head in confusion. Seeing Tie Xinyuan helping his mother fasten her collar, it lowered its head to deal with that half piece of pancake

Wang Rouhua instinctively pressed the cloth bag wrapped around her waist, gritting her teeth as she continued to walk forward, hoping to find some free water to drink

Not recognizing a good person's heart, I have plenty of opportunities to see you enter the brothel, child

Iron Xinyuan, who was originally curiously observing his wife's attire, quickly hummed a couple of sounds upon hearing his mother say this, turning his face towards his mother's embrace, thereby affirming her words

Wang Rouhua said nothing, drank the water in the bowl, tossed a copper coin with a cold glance at her wife, and then dragged the bath bucket to continue searching for her place of refuge

The ancient armor was always heavy, and this person was clad in armor from head to toe, with even the helmet being fully sealed, allowing only cold eyes to pierce through the bars, as if they were tangible.

He rode on a tall and powerful warhorse, which was very high. The person, clad in full armor while sitting on the horse, appeared even more imposing.

The woman casually waved the cloth and laughed, saying: "Seeing that you and your son are also victims of misfortune, I will give you a break, two bowls for one penny"

The mother was not swayed by the two coins, but those beggars were entirely different

The thought of his son losing his father at such a young age made him reluctant to destroy the little intelligence that had just begun to emerge in the child, so he wrapped his son up again and continued to drag the fox into the bathtub as he moved forward

The beggar who followed them turned around and left without saying a word, while the other vagrants looked on with expressions of glee.

A small fox, the size of a kitten, lay in the swaddling of the iron-hearted source, while Wang Rouhua leaned forward, preventing the rain from dripping onto the child.

A clean child who does not have a runny nose or drool always attracts affection, but when the woman reached out to touch Tie Xinyuan, Wang Rouhua suddenly turned around to prevent her from doing so

He pointed at the fox, calling out in hopes that it could escape this calamity. The small hole was too tight for him to enter, but the little fox should have no problem getting in.

The despairing Wang Rouhua simply closed her eyes slowly as she looked at her son, who was crying and throwing a tantrum

Tie Xinyuan observed clearly that this should be a military general. This was his first encounter with an ancient military general, and it was likely to be his last experience of such a scene

Your Majesty's carriage is here, and I have no reason to spare you. The child is ignorant, and I will naturally send him to the orphanage. As for you, the law of the state is merciless; go to your death

The woman selling water, seeing that Wang Rouhua was unwilling to buy any, shouted loudly once again

Tie Xinyuan looked worriedly at the approaching beggar with ill intentions, yet felt utterly helpless. It was evident that his mother had just offended that water seller, and she had spent money to hire the beggar to rob him.

Tie Xinyuan reached out, caressing her face, his heavy head resting on her neck, inhaling deeply the scent that came from his mother

A towering figure, like a mountain, blocked the gap ahead

A long spear pointed at Wang Rouhua, who had just awakened from her slumber. Upon seeing the bone knife in Wang Rouhua's hand fall from her sleeve, the knight slowly urged his warhorse forward, the spear aimed at Wang Rouhua as if to pin her against the wall

Her vigilance did not last long; the day and night of travel had already drained her of her last ounce of strength. Now, a thin blanket covering her provided a semblance of warmth, and before she knew it, she had fallen asleep with her head resting on the bathtub.