Chapter 2, The Frozen Heart

The little beggar is aware of his identity, a thief, a robber. He believes that soon he will become a murderer. Those cold soldiers and those cold armors have filled his vigilant world, making him feel like a despised cockroach, reviled and attacked by everyone.

Hmph

The luminous sphere approached the infant girl, and her breathing immediately became much steadier. As time passed, the fever of the infant girl gradually subsided. Once her breathing returned to normal, the woman let out a sigh of relief, and as she relaxed her grip, the sphere of light dissipated accordingly

Hmph! Do you think I can't see you if you hide over there? Come out! You're not coming out, are you? Fine, I'll come over and drag you out!

Upon hearing the little beggar's response, the woman's expression immediately darkened. However, when the little beggar ran towards the pharmacy, facing the wind and snow without looking back, the woman's gloomy face gradually softened

Go, protect that child, do not let him come to harm, and do not let him cause harm to others

Child ... ... I am sorry. ... ... Mother and Father may no longer be able to take care of you ... ... I do not know if you will hate us in the future, but for your safety, Mother may have to entrust you to that child today. ... ... Please ... ... do not resent Father and Mother.

However, the reality left little room for the little beggar to ponder. He hurriedly tore off a small piece of bread and put it into his mouth, softening it with his saliva. The bread still retained its sweetness, but keeping it in his mouth without swallowing and having to spit it out was indeed an extremely difficult task for the little beggar

He gritted his teeth, and in the end, he picked up the snow from the ground to clean his hands and caught the bread that had almost turned to liquid in his mouth. He brought it to the little girl's lips. After her mother helped to pry open her small mouth, the little beggar finally managed to feed her the food.

The coarse hemp shoes on his feet were completely tattered, with his toes protruding from them, frozen stiff and turning purple under the heavy snow. Stepping out from the safe haven of the alley into the bustling street made the little beggar pause for thought. The outside was simply too cold and too unsafe.

... ...

The little beggar continued to feed her in this manner. He bit into the bread, softened it, and brought it to the little girl's mouth. His stomach was still growling, and the sweetness in his mouth continued to tempt him to swallow the food. However, as he watched the little girl’s complexion gradually regain its rosy hue, he found himself unable to swallow the food in his hand.

You wicked person! Where do you think you can escape to? The messenger of justice is right here waiting for you

Hello, is there Surah around you? Hurry and go buy some medicine

The snow has become heavier

Just as the woman was hesitating, she suddenly noticed that the baby girl in her arms seemed a bit unwell! She looked down and saw that the baby's face had turned even redder than before, and she appeared to be in discomfort and weakness. ... She reached out to touch the baby's forehead ... ! ... So hot! It seems that this snowfall has caused her to catch a cold!

The tone of the little beggar seemed to grow somewhat anxious, yet the young mother shook her head, her eyes revealing a look of confusion

Suddenly! A little girl's voice came from behind! The little beggar was startled, and his frozen feet immediately released, pushing him into a nearby alley piled high with rotting garbage, where he hid.

The woman quietly gazed at the small beggar before her; she could hear the growling of his stomach and could see just how reluctant he was to part with the small piece of bread in his hand. However, the child still extended the food he held, all in order to save his daughter

The little beggar continuously rubbed his arms, carefully placing the last small piece of bread, which was barely the size of a finger joint, into his mouth. He closed his mouth and moistened it with saliva. He dared not bite it, let alone swallow it whole. This small piece of bread, as cold as stone, was his only food at the moment. He was reluctant to simply eat it up, wanting to savor it slowly to combat the harsh cold outside

Unbeknownst to him, the little beggar suddenly posed such a question to himself

Do you have the Surah

The little beggar began to walk back. His toenails had already cracked from the cold, but the blood that flowed out froze in a very short time. His feet were becoming increasingly numb, and his fingers had lost all sensation. If he could not return to his nest more quickly, he would surely freeze to death

The expression of the little beggar has frozen into an ice block since just now. He took a step back and stood aside: "I do not know you. My situation is better than yours, do not think that your name will earn you my respect."

Yes, why should I take care of her? She is dead, and that is simply because she was not qualified to continue living. There is no need for me to risk myself for her, using my own cold and numb hands to grip a dull knife to rob a pharmacy. That being said, I don't even know what kind of medication could treat that infant's condition, so what is the point of going?

Seeing the anxious expression on the woman's face once again, the little beggar was taken aback and stepped forward. When he saw the woman gently stroking the little girl's head, her face filled with sorrow, he immediately understood everything

A thick layer of snow covers the ground, and stepping on it creates a depression.

Pharmacy

The woman pondered for a moment, pulled down the hood from her head, revealing her entire face. As the accumulated snow fell away, the little beggar finally saw the true appearance of this woman

The cold and darkness constitute the only sensation that this street can evoke. The little beggar caresses the knife in his arms, for holding the handle of the knife gives him a bit more courage to step once again into that patch of snow

Click, click, click...

I have a knife

At last, the little girl no longer wanted to eat. She closed her eyes and fell into a deep sleep. The little beggar let out a sigh, looking at the bread in his hand, which had already been reduced by more than half, and frowned. In the end, he gritted his teeth and handed the remaining piece of bread to the woman.

The snow continues to fall

Hearing that this little beggar did not recognize herself, the woman instead breathed a sigh of relief. She reached into her bosom, seemingly wanting to take something out, but upon reconsideration, her hand remained still.

Why should one be obligated to provide medicine to a stranger's infant? What does the life or death of another have to do with oneself? Since one is born into this world, everyone must take responsibility for their own life; one cannot adopt an attitude of relying on others for care simply because they are an infant

A woman picked up a little girl and gently kissed her on the forehead. Then, she extended her withered hand, which was completely mismatched with her exquisite features, and lightly swept across the snow, causing the snowflakes to slowly rise and hover in the air

I am so hungry... If only I hadn't given her the bread just now

This child is able to give up food that could sustain his own life to save my daughter, which suggests that his nature is not entirely bad. However, prior to this, his actions were characterized more by selfishness and hostility than by tolerance and generosity. Moreover, there is the scent of blood on the knife he holds... No, it is indeed unwise to entrust everything to him so easily. No matter how urgent the situation may be, it cannot be treated so casually.

What time is it now? ... Let's take a look at the quartz clock at the intersection ... . It's 8 o'clock. At this time, he would usually have hidden himself in the makeshift shelter propped up by a few rags under the bridge to escape the wind and snow. To him, that place was as warm as a furnace. But now, he is slowly walking here, heading towards the pharmacy

The little beggar gritted his teeth and turned to walk towards the alley entrance. The woman, seeing the little beggar about to leave, quickly called out, "Child, where are you going?"

A small figure was walking on a street that was rather wide for him. He leaned against the wall, moving forward slowly like a mouse. On such a night, wasting energy was tantamount to seeking one's own demise. If he did not want the soldiers patrolling the streets tomorrow to see the frozen corpse of a small beggar lying by the roadside, then walking slowly was safer and slightly quicker than running.

The snowflakes twirled in the air for a moment, darting out of the alley like lightning, rushing towards the little beggar. After the snowflakes departed, the mother extended her hand once more, silently reciting a few incantations. A white sphere of light gradually materialized in the palm of her hand

Here you go. Do not let her go hungry again

She is not very old, and she definitely does not look like she is over 20 years old! Even at the age of a little beggar, he can tell that this older sister is truly beautiful, almost breathtakingly so! If it were any adult man in the world, he would probably go crazy for this face immediately! However, it is fortunate that the little beggar has not yet reached the age of being interested in the opposite sex, so aside from finding this older sister beautiful, he has no other thoughts.

Goo ... ...

The voice of the little girl rang out once more. Upon hearing this, the young beggar reached into his bosom and gripped the sharp knife tightly. His heart raced, not out of anxiety about possibly using the knife to kill a little girl, but out of fear that if he failed to kill her, he would be caught by her adult guardians and would face certain death.

The little beggar was taken aback, feeling extremely puzzled. If this woman had no milk, then why didn't she feed her daughter soft bread herself, instead of asking a beggar like me for help

Why is that

The condition of the infant girl appears to be worsening. She is continuously exhaling and inhaling, with an increasing frequency and urgency. Her tightly shut eyes seem unable to open at all

The white snow fell upon the little beggar's head and shoulders like a baptism. Just as this terrifying white world, the little beggar's heart gradually grew colder. His steps ceased to move; instead, he stopped and turned around. He no longer wished to return to that narrow alley; he only wanted to hurry back to his own little nest, cover himself with a blanket, and use sleep to resist the cold of the outside world and his own hunger

You cannot blame that child... He is willing to take risks for you, and that alone is the best promise...

Do you know me? Young man