Chapter 441: Stealing
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Yu Niaoniao chose two of her favorite veils.
She was about to take out her money when the man beside her reached out and placed a small piece of silver on the stall.
Yu Niaoniao turned to look at the man and pursed her lips into a smile.
“Is this a gift from you?”
Xiao Juan avoided answering. “Are we still shopping?”
Yu Niaoniao nodded without hesitation. “Of course!”
“Then let’s go.”
“Yes!”
Yu Niaoniao took the wrapped veil from the stall owner. As soon as she turned around, a little beggar rushed over and bumped into her.
She staggered and almost fell.
Fortunately, Xiao Juan hugged her waist in time.
When she steadied herself, he quickly withdrew his hand.
The little beggar’s face was dirty. It was impossible to tell his age.
He was very thin and weak, a head shorter than Yu Niaoniao. His clothes were tattered, his hair was messy, and he smelled bad.
He kept bowing to Yu Niaoniao and saying something.
However, because he was speaking in the Liangzhou dialect, Yu Niaoniao did not understand.
She could only ask the man beside her.
“What is this child talking about?”
As a citizen of Liangzhou, Xiao Juan naturally understood the language here. He helped translate. “He’s apologizing to you. He said he didn’t mean to hit you.”
Yu Niaoniao rubbed her aching waist. “Forget it. It’s not a big deal.”
Xiao Juan let the little beggar leave.
The little beggar turned and ran as if he had been pardoned.
Yu Niaoniao rubbed her waist twice and suddenly realized that the pouch hanging at her waist was gone!
She reacted quickly and shouted behind the little beggar.
“Stop! Return my purse!”
When the little beggar heard her shout, instead of stopping, he ran faster.
Yu Niaoniao wanted to chase after him, but Xiao Juan stopped her.
“Wait here. I’ll chase.”
With that, he used his qinggong and chased after the little beggar at a speed that left others in the dust.
How could Yu Niaoniao stay?
That pouch contained more than half of her assets!
Now that she was short of money, her heart would ache if she could not get that money back.
“Wait for me!” Yu Niaoniao lifted her skirt and followed.
The little beggar was very familiar with the terrain here. His small figure quickly passed through the streets and alleys. After turning left and right, the figure following behind finally disappeared.
The little beggar was tired after running for so long.
He leaned against the wall and panted. He was secretly glad that he had shaken that guy off.
He wiped the sweat off his face haphazardly, then took out the pouch to look at it. There was a lot of broken silver and a stack of banknotes.
There were more than he had expected.
He was glad, but also worried.
Fortunately, with this money, his sister’s illness could be saved.
He was worried that the young lady who had lost so much money just now would be very anxious.
The little beggar gripped his pouch tightly and tried to suppress the guilt in his heart.
His sister’s condition was getting worse. There was nothing else he could do. For his sister’s sake, he had to be a bad person.
He put the pouch back in his pocket and ran forward.
Unexpectedly, before he could take two steps, he was blocked by a figure who had descended from the sky.
Xiao Juan stood upright with the afterglow of the setting sun behind him. His face was hidden under the bamboo hat, and his voice was as cold as ice.
“Hand over the purse.”
The little beggar did not expect the other party to catch up. He was so frightened that he quickly turned around and ran.
Xiao Juan did not chase after him this time.
He raised his hand to the sheath of the No Return Saber and swept it forward.
The scabbard left his hand and flew straight at the little beggar’s back.
The little beggar could not see what was behind him. He could only feel a strong gust of wind flying toward him.
Immediately after, he felt a pain in his back and threw himself forward.
The little beggar endured the pain in his back and struggled to get up.
Xiao Juan said coldly, “If you run again, it won’t be the scabbard that hits you next time. It’ll be the saber in my hand.”
These words succeeded in scaring the little beggar.
He did not dare to act rashly again.
Xiao Juan slowly walked over, as the No Return Saber in his hand refracted a snow-white light.
He aimed the tip of the knife at the little beggar and said, “For the last time, hand over the purse.”
The little beggar looked at the sharp tip of the knife inches away and trembled in fear.
He hesitated before handing over the pouch.
He wasn’t afraid of death. He was afraid that no one would take care of his sister after he died.
He had to live. Only by living could he find hope.
Xiao Juan took the pouch, but he did not let the little beggar off.
“Get up and follow me to the officials.”
The little beggar immediately panicked.
He scrambled to his hands and knees and pleaded, “Please, don’t take me to the officials. I can’t go to jail. Please let me off this time!” With that, he kowtowed hard.
At this moment, Yu Niaoniao finally caught up.
She was out of breath from running. Her face was red and her forehead was covered in sweat.
“I… I finally found you.”
Xiao Juan frowned. “Didn’t I tell you to wait there?”
Yu Niaoniao was almost exhausted.
At this moment, she could not even stand steadily. She could only lean on Xiao Juan and say weakly.
“How dare you talk to me like that? You ran so fast and left me there alone.
What if a bad person kidnaps me? Of course, I have to follow you.”
Xiao Juan was helpless. “Are you okay?” “I’m fine. I’m just a little tired. Let me rest for a while.”
Xiao Juan returned the pouch to her.
Yu Niaoniao put away the pouch and took out a silk handkerchief to wipe the sweat off her head. Her gaze landed on the little beggar and she was immediately furious.
“You stinky child. You didn’t learn the good things and actually learned to steal.
Do you know that stealing is illegal?!”
The little beggar was still kowtowing. “Please don’t arrest me to see the officials. I’ll do anything you want. Just don’t put me in jail.’
This time, he spoke in Liangzhou’s official language. Yu Niaoniao could understand him.
Seeing that his forehead was broken and he looked really pitiful, Yu Niaoniao could not help but soften.
“If you don’t want to go to jail, why did you steal?”
The little beggar cried. “My sister is sick, but I don’t have the money to treat her and get medicine. I can only… I can only steal. I’m sorry. It’s all my fault. I’ll kowtow to you. Please spare me this time!”
Yu Niaoniao did not expect there to be an inside story, so she asked.
“How old is your sister? What’s her illness?”
The little beggar said, “She’s seven years old this year. I don’t know what illness she has. She feels very uncomfortable when she breathes and keeps coughing. Today, she even started to feel hot all over. I don’t know what to do. I want to find a doctor for her, but I can’t fork out the consultation fee. The doctor is unwilling to treat her.”
He whimpered as he spoke..