Chapter 3: Snow in the Jianghu

Such good habits surprisingly earned him a good reputation in the wandering towns

One is as light as a strand of hair, while an enemy is as heavy as Mount Tai

Thus, no matter how good his background was, it could not help Zhang Shaochen escape the identity of a wandering beggar

Deep within his heart, the seeds of vengeance were also buried.

In fact, the greatest blow to him was not the drastic decline in living standards

Because he understands the principles of reason, he particularly desires to seek revenge

But what can be done about it? This half-grown boy can truly do very little.

After wandering the streets for several years, he discovered something quite terrifying: based on the information he had gathered from various sources, it turned out that the Blood Oath Alliance had a rather good reputation, being considered a legitimate and righteous faction. If that were the case, then his father must be an unequivocal villain

And even though he is essentially a beggar, he never harbors any thoughts about the property of the master’s household while working temporary jobs

From his attitude towards his father, it is evident that the young boy is a very sensible person

After all, even the petty thugs on the streets know that "insults should not reach the parents, and disasters should not affect the wife and children". They are too cruel, simply worse than the most despicable ruffians!

He is currently staying in Xunyang City, located near the banks of the Yangtze River in Jiangzhou, hoping to find some work to make a living in this relatively prosperous riverside city.

His parents provided him with an excellent education, hiring the best scholars and martial arts instructors in Hangzhou to teach him the ways of literature and martial arts

Such a discovery made him particularly sad

In this world, the situation has gradually begun to deteriorate from the grassroots level, and there is an increasing urgency to find strong men for labor, particularly concerning the alarming fact that their asking prices are also becoming lower and lower

It seems that only in this way can he cleanse the profound shame brought upon him by his thieving father and heal the emotional trauma inflicted upon him by the upheaval of that night

As a lowly wandering beggar, he now particularly desires to join a prestigious and righteous sect

He can accept that his father was wrong, but he absolutely cannot accept those people who can so recklessly slaughter his other unrelated relatives

Otherwise, that thieving father, since he dares to steal others' treasures, how could he not have money to buy his son a gold or silver ring

This snow, even if placed in the northern regions of the Great Wall, is still a rare heavy snowfall

Certainly, no matter how humiliating or suffocating the events may be, they cannot compare to that blood-red night that is forever etched in memory

Is my own father really a great thief

Perhaps this is the true reason why he ultimately could not bring himself to part with it

Moreover, as he gradually grew up, he became increasingly curious about the truth of the bloody incident at the door that night

In the winter at the end of his twelfth year, the weather in the Jiangnan West Road was particularly cold. It was only late November or early December, yet heavy snow began to fall in large flakes.

There are too many things that he cannot accept

Even if he becomes dirty and grimy from begging, he must wash his face clean and tidy up his clothes before going to work, striving to present himself decently when working for the employer

At such a young age, one has already witnessed the harsh realities of the world

In such weather, one always feels that something might happen

Even if he had once accompanied the most humble of smiles, he could never forget that he had transformed from the son of a highly praised hero into the son of a thief

In fact, this unassuming wooden ring has unknowingly become the only thing that connects him to his childhood memories

Therefore, he could not accept that the great hero he had admired since childhood, his own father, was actually a thief

The snowflakes dancing in the air obscured the entire Xunyang City, shrouding this important city of the Jiangnan West Road in a veil of gray and white

Although he is certain, he still wants to confirm it

In his still immature mind, he attributed all the unacceptable things to his father's fault

But all of this came to an abrupt end on that blood-red night

Thus, he actually believes that being able to survive and wander from place to place day by day is such a fortunate thing

Thus, even at the age of seven, he already had a clear distinction between good and evil in his heart

His relatives, even such a despicable opportunity, could not obtain, and are forever buried in that bloody night at the haunted house.

Thus, his speed of movement between towns has been increasing.

It was the father, a false hero and a true thief, who ruined the entire life of the young man

In recent years, he has been begging and wandering, having traveled from Hangzhou in the eastern region of Jiangnan, moving westward through Muzhou and Shezhou, and entering Raozhou in the western region of Jiangnan

Or perhaps he is truly hypocritical, appearing generous and charitable on the surface by giving money to the poor, yet only gifting his own son a worthless wooden ring, all for the sake of reputation.

He is no longer even capable of being a frivolous youth or a dandy, and all the glorious chapters of prosperity have nothing to do with him

Before the incident, he was also seven years old

For example, why do they not seek strong and robust men for the same physical labor?

Even the speed at which the world is collapsing exceeds his rate of growth, and his situation has become increasingly dire

If it were not for his young age and fuzzy memory, he might have truly discarded this wooden ring, uncertain whether it was given by his father or gifted by his mother

Sometimes, in the dilapidated land temple with drafts coming from all sides, he would also gaze blankly at the wild grass outside the door

Of course, he is also very aware that the thought of seeking revenge is likely nothing more than a vain hope

This is truly a "thief"!

It is no exaggeration to say that the presence of such a world-renowned "chivalrous hero of benevolence and righteousness" in Hangzhou has significantly boosted external consumption in the city

Therefore, for Zhang Shaochen, even if he does not excel as he grows up, at least he can become a wealthy and carefree scion of a rich family

At such times, a good education in early childhood plays a significant role

However, as long as there is even the slightest possibility in the future, he, Zhang Shaochen, will definitely seek revenge

He is thinking, perhaps this wooden ring was truly given by his mother

He vaguely remembers that this wooden ring was given to him by that hypocritical bad father shortly before the incident

An unbearable, biting cold rapidly spread throughout the entire city

Zhang Shaochen even contemplated discarding the wooden ring that he still wore on his finger

Gradually, as he aged, Zhang Shaochen was no longer merely begging; at times, he would also help others with manual labor and take on short-term jobs

He could not accept at all that he had overnight transformed from the young master of the Zhang family into a thief, into a little beggar

Now that Zhang Shaochen has grown to the age of twelve or thirteen, every time he thinks of this, it feels as if his heart is being cut by a knife

Just over a month ago, he had secretly boarded a boat on the lake, crossed Poyang Lake, and arrived at Jiangzhou in the west of the lake

He is now merely a small beggar wandering the streets

He wandered far and wide, living the most degrading life at the tenderest age, encountering the most snobbish people, uttering the most flattering words, consuming the most unsanitary food, and even having to fight the fiercest stray dogs on the streets

At least, he is still alive