Chapter 2, Charity Cemetery

Hmm, brother, rest assured, I will definitely not lose this last coin! Li Er nodded heavily while stroking the copper coin around her neck, feeling a greater sense of responsibility as the last coin in the family was entrusted to her care

"It's nothing much, just a hurt foot. I estimate I need to rest for a few days," Li Zhang said as he lifted his clothing to show Douzi. His foot is still quite swollen, but fortunately, he didn't injure the bone. Otherwise, given the current medical conditions and Li Zhang's financial situation, he would have to prepare for the possibility of becoming disabled.

Li Zhang reached out to pick up the warm copper coin, and once again a helpless smile appeared on his face. With his knowledge far surpassing that of this era, making money should not be difficult for him. However, no matter what method one uses to earn money, a certain amount of capital is always required. This is why Li Xiu wanted to see how much money was left in the family, only to find that the family's entire fortune had dwindled to a single coin.

"Save some for Brother Douzi!" The raccoon displayed an expression of entitlement, which made Li Zhang's nose tingle and nearly brought him to tears. However, when he took a sip of the elm money soup, tears truly flowed. In fact, when well-prepared, elm money can be quite delicious, but this dish was cooked together with the pot washing water, resulting in an indescribably strange taste that was even more unpalatable than traditional Chinese medicine.

Li Zhang has been pondering whether the divine bird is actually an airplane. However, Li Er does not know much, which is why he wants to ask Douzi, because Douzi is not alone; behind him are more than ten orphans. Although Li Zhang is not an orphan, he is the leader of this group of orphans, who spend their days on the streets and are the most well-informed.

Brother Dou, this is left for you! At that moment, Li Er also brought the half bowl of millet porridge to Douzi, which made Douzi's eyes light up. After thanking Li Er, he picked it up and drank it all, even licking the bowl clean, leaving it so spotless that it didn't need washing.

"Elder brother, it's time to eat!" At this moment, Li Er picked up a bowl of millet porridge and a bowl of elm seed soup, placing them on a small table in the courtyard. Only then did he turn to Li Zhang and speak, while Li Zhang also found a stick from the kitchen to lean on, hopping and skipping to sit down beside the table.

You don't understand this, Li Er. The leaves of the Chinese parasol tree contain various vitamins and trace elements, all of which can accelerate the healing of my injuries, so there's no need for you to argue! Li Zhang spoke with a mouthful of nonsense, after all, within his exterior was the soul of an adult, easily deceiving a little girl was a trivial matter.

The millet porridge was ready, and Li Er quickly served a bowl of it. However, at that moment, Li Zhang noticed that Li Er had only made one bowl of millet porridge; there was none left in the pot after serving. Yet, Li Er seemed completely unfazed. She did not even wash the pot, but instead directly scooped a ladle of water and added it to the pot. Then she stuffed some firewood into the stove. Once the water boiled, she sprinkled in a handful of elm seeds, thus using the leftover rice in the pot to make a bowl of elm seed soup

A penny is still money, Li Er, take good care of this penny, as it will surely be useful in the future!" As Li Zhang spoke, he reached into the tattered clothes he was wearing and pulled out a piece of hemp thread, then threaded it through the copper coin to make a pendant, which he solemnly hung around Li Er's neck

Since he could not go, Li Zhang temporarily lost the desire to see the divine bird. At that moment, he surveyed this familiar yet strange courtyard. This was Li Zhang's home, but it was also a dilapidated temple, or rather, a mortuary. The so-called mortuary is a place where unburied corpses are stored. For instance, in the main hall next to Li Zhang, several eerie coffins were placed. Even though Li Zhang's position did not allow him to see inside the main hall, he still felt quite uncomfortable.

Brother, how is your injury? Yesterday, when you were unconscious, you nearly scared both me and Li Er to death!" At this moment, Douzi hurriedly ran to Li Zhang's side, his face showing a concerned expression as he asked.

Eat!

Upon hearing Li Zhang unexpectedly inquire about money, the little girl immediately frowned, and after searching her body for a while, she finally produced a shiny copper coin, saying, "There is only one wen left, and it was given to me by my brother the day before yesterday"

As he watched Douzi leave, Li Zhang fell into deep thought. He received a very important piece of information from Douzi, which was that the divine bird had landed on the earthen hill by the Bian River not far away. Li Zhang knew that place, approximately ten miles from his home. Kaifeng is situated in a plain, with no significant mountains nearby, but there are some low earthen hills with dense forests. Li Zhang had previously been there to gather wild vegetables.

After Douzi finished speaking, he turned to leave. However, at that moment, Li Zhang called out to him, saying: "Wait a moment, you saw the divine bird yesterday as well. What are people saying on the street now? Does anyone know where the divine bird has flown to?"

Although Li Er did not understand, she had a blind trust in Li Zhang. In her eyes, her brother was truly capable of anything. Whenever she was hungry, he could always find food in a very short time. Having relied on Li Zhang since childhood, she had also become accustomed to listening to her brother's words. Therefore, at this moment, she finally nodded in a somewhat hesitant manner.

"Brother, don't talk nonsense. How can one eat elm money to heal injuries?" Although the little raccoon is young, it is not foolish. Hearing Li Zhang's words, it blinked its big eyes and asked in doubt.

Observing the greedy expression on Li Er's face, Li Zhang couldn't help but let out a bitter laugh. The millet, which is considered coarse grain in later generations, could make this girl crave it so much. This indicates what kind of food the siblings usually consumed. Moreover, Li Er already appeared malnourished, and as for Li Zhang himself, he was not in a much better condition; otherwise, he wouldn't have lost his life just from falling out of a tree.

I do not like drinking rice porridge, and the elm money is beneficial for my injury. Li Zhang smiled and ruffled Li Er's messy hair, saying, no matter what happened in the past life, he is now Li Er's older brother. As an elder brother, it is unreasonable for him to drink rice porridge while his sister eats wild vegetables

The boy appeared to be around ten years old, relatively short in stature, yet he had a round, large head. His facial features were quite delicate, though he was dark and thin. His pair of jet-black eyes twinkled with a cleverness, and this child was indeed the one referred to as Douzi by Li'er from time to time

Upon hearing the term "divine bird," Douzi could not help but perk up and replied, "Brother, you have indeed asked the right person. I heard from Chou Niang and Huozi that everyone in Kaifeng Prefecture saw the divine bird yesterday, and it is said that this divine bird landed on a mound by the Bian River. Many people went to see it yesterday, and now everyone on the streets is discussing the matter of the divine bird, even the authorities have been stirred up.

Brother, there are discussions about the divine bird everywhere on the streets now. If you are interested, I can have Huozi and the others inquire more about it and tell you when they return this afternoon

"Brother, please eat quickly; the rice porridge will taste bad when it cools down. Moreover, since you are injured, you need to eat more to recover faster!" At this moment, Li Er pushed the millet porridge in front of Li Zhang, but when she mentioned the porridge, she couldn't help but swallow her saliva.

"Douzi, you have arrived!" Li Zhang said with a faint smile upon seeing Douzi. Douzi's surname is Dou, and his given name is Douzi. He is two years younger than Li Zhang and was originally an orphan. Two years ago, he fainted from hunger in front of Li Zhang's door, and thus Li Zhang took him in, treating him as a younger brother ever since.

Li Zhang reached out to pick up the bowl and began to eat, but what he picked up was not the bowl of millet porridge, but rather the elm money soup made by Li Er. This immediately made Li Er anxious as she exclaimed, "Brother, you ate the wrong one; the millet porridge is yours!"

The raccoon, of course, cannot understand Li Zhang's words. However, if she could truly understand, then Li Zhang would have to suspect whether she was the flight attendant from his plane who had traveled through time.

Li Zhang never dreamed that one day he would have to coexist with a corpse. Fortunately, there was a side room next to the main hall, which was also their bedroom; otherwise, they would have to sleep alongside the coffin

The distance of over ten li is not far; even walking, one could make a round trip in half a day. However, at this moment, Li Zhang glanced at his sprained ankle and couldn't help but sigh: he had injured himself in such an inconvenient place. If only it had been his hand that was hurt, at least he would have been able to move freely, and then he could have rushed to see what that divine bird really was.

It was also out of trust in Li Zhang that Li Er finally served the millet porridge in front of Li Xiu. However, after taking a few sips, she set it down again, which led Li Zhang to ask in confusion: "Why aren't you eating?"

Hearing that this so-called "divine bird" has caused such a great uproar, especially with even the authorities being stirred, Li Zhang couldn't help but furrow his brows. He was concerned that if the authorities intervened, they might seal off the information, and ordinary people would likely no longer be able to see the divine bird. How then could he verify whether the divine bird was an aircraft?

Although Li Zhang felt that the pig feed of later generations was better than the elm money soup in his hands, he ultimately swallowed it down, thinking of his own stomach. After a moment, he suddenly asked Li Er, "How much money do we have left at home?"

Douzi's words were exactly in line with Li Zhang's intentions. At that moment, he nodded and then turned to run out of the courtyard. However, as he was leaving, he did not forget to slip half a piece of pastry into Li Er's hand, which made Li Er overjoyed. No wonder she was usually close to Douzi; after all, whenever there was something delicious, Douzi would never forget Li Er.

Nevertheless, this is still a place to settle down. After surveying the entire courtyard, Li Zhang began to contemplate his future life. He currently has two tasks: the first is to recover from his injuries, and the second is to survive. Of course, on top of these two tasks, he also needs to take good care of Li Er and Dou Zi, and additionally, he must find a way to determine whether the divine bird is an airplane

Elder brother, you are injured. Please take care of yourself at home and recuperate for the next few days. I will find a way to get you some delicious food to help you recover! After Douzi licked the bowl clean, he reluctantly returned it to Li Er. He then patted his chest and assured Li Zhang that he had always been taken care of by Li Zhang, and now it was his turn to take care of Li Zhang.

Big brother, you finally woke up! At that moment, a boy who looked like a beggar suddenly ran into the courtyard. Upon seeing Li Zhang, he couldn't help but show a look of surprise and exclaimed.