Chapter 4: When one steps out, they instill fear in all who see them

"Go away, what are you making a fuss about!" the Liu couple scolded in unison. This little girl, named Amei, is their daughter. Having a child in their middle age, they naturally dote on her excessively. Amei is mischievous and unruly, but fortunately, she is a girl; if she were a boy, who knows, he might grow up to be another little rascal!

Li Le grinned, scratched his forehead, and thought to himself: "It seems that the reputation of the people from Yuwen Muzhou was quite poor!" He called out through the door: "Uncle Wangcai, I am from Muzhou, your neighbor!"

Aunt Wangcai asked from behind: "Muzhou's mother, was that person just now Muzhou?"

Li stepped out of the house, marking the first time he had ventured out since the arrival of this era. He noticed that his home was situated in a shallow alley, with only two households, standing directly opposite each other. Judging solely by the appearance of the doors, it seemed that the condition of the household across the way was somewhat better than his own.

Han was at a loss whether to laugh or cry, shaking his head and saying: "I meant to say, isn't he going out on an empty stomach? How could he leave without having breakfast!"

Liu Wangcai opened the door, glanced outside, and was instantly stunned, as if he had seen a ghost. He exclaimed, "Oh my, you you you ..." With a bang, he slammed the door shut again

Li Le smiled and said, "I have matters to attend to, so I won't disturb you. Farewell!" After saying this, he bowed once more to bid farewell to his mother and walked out of the small alley

Liu Wangcai exclaimed: "No need, no need, you should leave quickly. Do not kick my door anymore; it has been damaged several times by you!"

The child looked at him with fear, suddenly pouting and crying out loudly: "Mom, help me, the scorpion is going to eat me!"

"I know you are Mu Zhou, what are you doing knocking on my door?" Liu Wangcai asked with a trembling voice

Han suddenly slapped his thigh and exclaimed, "Oh no, he is not..." pointing towards the alley entrance, where Li Le's figure had long since disappeared.

A woman's voice came from inside: "Old man, what are you shouting about so early in the morning? Who is it?"

"No, no, please don't kick!" Amidst the words, Liu Wangcai obediently opened the door, resembling a child who had done something wrong, lowering his head and not daring to look at Li Le even once. Beside him were two others: one was his wife, Aunt Wangcai, and the other was a young girl, around thirteen or fourteen years old, with a pair of bright, sparkling eyes and two high ponytails, looking quite playful.

Yes, if it's not my son, then who could it be

The door of the house across the street is relatively intact; at least it is made of door panels. Although it has not been painted, it does not appear as shabby as a wooden gate. Li Le learned from Han that this family is surnamed Liu, and the owner is Uncle Wangcai, who often helps her.

Han said anxiously, "Uncle Wangcai and Aunt Wangcai, Muzhou is just joking with you, don't take it seriously!" He pulled Li Le's sleeve, urging him to keep his distance from the Liu family.

His gesture of respect not only stunned the Liu family of three, but also left Han, the mother, in shock. In her heart, she could only think: "This child has been ill for a while, yet he has become so sensible; I have never seen him behave like this before"

Han felt an indescribable joy in his heart upon seeing his son being sensible and showing gratitude. He nodded and said, "Of course, that is my son Muzhou!"

Li Le stood outside the door, feeling quite awkward. To encounter such a situation while coming to express gratitude truly leaves one scratching their head

Li Le's face turned pale, and he thought to himself, when did I ever kick you, that you would dare to complain to my mother through the door

"What do you mean!" Li Le, exasperated, suddenly shouted, "Hey, Liu Wangcai, if you don't open the door right now, I will really kick it down!"

Han heard the call and hurried out, holding a fire stick in her hand. Seeing Li Le standing at the Liu family's door, she exclaimed, "Mu Zhou, how can you be so inconsiderate? Your Uncle Wangcai and Aunt Wangcai have helped our family so much, how can you still kick their door?"

Suddenly, someone shouted: "The scorpion got up early today, run!"

That woman was quite bold; as soon as she heard it was Li Le knocking at the door, she immediately concluded that it was not a good thing. She raised her voice and shouted: "Mother of Mu Zhou, look at your Mu Zhou, he's come to kick down our door!"

He quickly walked towards the child, bent down, and kindly asked the book, "Little friend, are you lost? Would you like me to take you home?"

Li Le was taken aback, unable to react. Following the sound, he saw a person standing not far in front of him, shivering and carrying a burden on their shoulder. Judging by their attire, they appeared to be a street vendor. The vendor was staring at him with wide eyes, their lips trembling, mumbling something incomprehensible.

Liu Wangcai only reacted after Li Le stood up straight, repeatedly saying, "This, this, this is appropriate, this is appropriate!" It is unclear whether he meant that it was appropriate for Li Le to pay his respects or that it was appropriate for him to assist the Han family

Li Le saw them come out and exclaimed: "Uncle Wangcai, Aunt Wangcai, my mother often speaks highly of your family. A distant relative is not as good as a close neighbor. Thank you for not holding my numerous faults against me and for frequently helping my family! I, Yu Wenmu Zhou, express my gratitude here!" After saying this, he took a step back, clasped his hands in a salute, and deeply bowed to express his thanks to the Liu family.

The Liu family of three exclaimed in unison, "Oh!"

A loud "shh" echoed from inside, and Li Le could easily imagine Liu Wangcai placing his finger on his lips. A door panel could hardly muffle the sound, and Liu Wangcai said in what he thought was a low voice: "It's the pastor from the opposite door! Shockingly, he actually knocked instead of kicking!"

With this shout, the crowd of common people dispersed in a rush, each returning to their own homes. The sound of doors slamming echoed through the streets. The first vendor to see Li Le quickly shouldered his burden and dashed into an alley, disappearing in the blink of an eye

"Scorpion? What scorpion?" Li Le looked around and saw that all the people in the street were staring at him, each with a pale face, as if they were extremely frightened

The Liu family of three was stunned for a moment before they came to their senses. Liu Wangcai asked, "Mu Zhou's mother, was that person just now Mu Zhou?"

Li Le stood at the street corner, looking around, pondering whether to wait for Ma Siyuan and the others or to take a stroll first. Just as he was thinking, he suddenly heard someone shout: "Scorpion!"

Looking up, he suddenly noticed that there was still a person standing on the street, a child. Due to his small stature, he had not noticed him earlier! He felt a surge of joy in his heart and thought, "This child is not afraid of me, how nice! Children are like the sun at eight or nine in the morning; they need to be nurtured more. I must go teach him; after all, I am quite amiable!"

Oh! Liu Wangcai nodded slowly

The door of the Han family is a simple wooden gate, held together with a few thicker wooden sticks, which barely qualifies as a door. It is designed to deter gentlemen rather than petty thieves, and it certainly cannot keep out burglars. A thief wouldn't even need to kick it down; even a strong gust of wind could easily blow it over. However, they do not need to worry about thieves. Firstly, they are so poor that thieves wouldn't even bother coming. Secondly, which thief would have the audacity to steal from the home of a respected elder? That would be tantamount to courting disaster.

The young girl from the Liu family suddenly spoke up: "Aunt Yuwen, was that person just now from Muzhou?"

Having received assistance from others, one must at least express gratitude! Li Le, feeling a surge of emotion, walked to the Liu family's door and gently knocked a few times. He then heard someone inside ask, "Who is it? Is it Mu Zhou's mother?" The sound of footsteps followed, and the door creaked open, revealing half of a person's body. This person appeared to be around fifty years old, with graying hair, and gave the impression of being a straightforward and honest individual. Presumably, he was Liu Wangcai.

Li exited the alley and walked a short distance before reaching the main street. Xinchangfang is a neighborhood where the poor reside; the streets are not wide, and many households facing the street simply open a door to set up a small storefront, engaging in minor businesses to supplement their household income. At this time, the daylight brightened, and there were already quite a few early risers on the street.

Oh! Aunt Wangcai also slowly nodded and said softly: "It has changed!"

In a moment, only Li Le was left on the street! It was only then that Li Le realized, after all this time, that the scorpion was referring to him! Alas, to have reached such a point in life is truly a failure!

Amei said, "You see, I told you, how could that possibly be Muzhou? Muzhou wouldn't say the word 'thank you'!"

Li Le spoke in the gentlest tone: "Our two families live next to each other. I have heard from my mother that you often assist my family. I have no way to repay you, so I have come today to express my gratitude"