Chapter 1 Cold Small Town_2

"Slap——" The middle-aged man slapped the little girl to the ground, berating her furiously, "You clumsy brat, are you so stupid you can't even handle this simple task? If it weren't for Ah Dai pulling you back, you'd still be groveling to that old lady. How blind was I to take in a good-for-nothing like you who only knows how to eat and can't contribute anything."

A boy, taller than the girl, stood next to the middle-aged man. He helped the girl to her feet, her body shaking. He carefully wiped away the blood leaking from the corner of her mouth, and said to the man, "Uncle Li, can you forgive her just one more time? I, I'll go get some more fish later."

Uncle Li snorted. He looked at the boy with the same black hair and black eyes, an innocent look on his face. His voice softened a bit and said, "Ah Dai, every time you plead for her. Those few fish you bring back, can they feed everyone? No free meals in my place. Girl, I'll let you off this time for Ah Dai's sake. But if it happens again... Let's go." With that, he walked off with a few other younger children. Before they reached the end of the alley, Uncle Li turned back to Ah Dai with a pleasant expression, "Don't forget what you said. Better catch us some big fishes, got it?"

Ah Dai nodded blankly, and only then did Uncle Li leave satisfied.

This group of people were nothing more than petty thieves, struggling to survive in the lower echelons of City of Nino. They could hardly be called robbers, for they could only maintain their livelihoods through little tricks and petty thefts. The so-called fish-catching is their jargon for theft, and Uncle Li was their boss. Amongst his charges were over a dozen children, all orphans he had collected off the streets, only the girl was a female, and the most competent among them was Ah-Dai. Uncle Li had taken him in because of his nimble fingers, although everyone called him Ah Dai because he was dull and clumsy. But Ah Dai was determined. After several months of training, he managed to master the art of pickpocketing. He even practiced by poking snowflakes on the cold streets to improve his hand-eye coordination. His clumsy method was effective, and after several months of practice, Ah Dai had laid the foundation for acquiring fish. Uncle Li was particularly excited that Ah Dai was so foolish that he didn't even know that there was anything wrong with thievery. As long as he got Steamed Bun to eat every day, he would do as instructed.

In the streets, no one would pay attention to a child of unremarkable appearance with straight-forward gaze. But often, someone's purse would end up in Ah Dai's hands in the blink of an eye. The first time Uncle Li saw Ah Dai return with a bag full of money, he was speechless with surprise. Since then, Ah Dai had become the most "cherished" among these children, with everyone else envying him for having at least one or two cold Steamed Buns to eat every day. Even though Ah Dai was a bit foolish, he was a kind person. Often when he didn't have enough to eat himself, he would share his food with the others. However, his companions didn't appreciate his kindness; instead, they often teased him and even stole his food.

The girl, who Uncle Li had taken in a year ago from the streets, said she had been living with an old lady since she could remember. life was hard, but she had enough to eat and wear. Over a year ago, the old lady fell ill and died. With no means of survival, the girl was forced to beg. Uncle Li had taken her in because he had his eyes on her—or rather, the ramshackle house that the old lady had left her. What could be better than a house that can shelter from the wind and snow in the cold City of Nino? The girl was the opposite of Ah Dai, learning whatever she was taught very quickly. She had mastered Uncle Li's tricks in less than a month. Yet, she remained the only child who had never succeeded in stealing, not due to lack of skill, but because of her kind heart. She had tried several times to steal, but always ended up returning the valuables to their owners after seeing their desperation. She had been beaten countless times because of this, and each time, Ah Dai took the blame for her. The two children, one clever, one foolish, naturally became good friends. They stood out amongst the group because they were both of the Yellow Race, which might be the reason for their deep friendship. Today, the girl was again punished by Uncle Li for returning the goods to a desperate woman.

As Uncle Li's figure disappeared at the end of the alley, the girl ran into Ah Dai's embrace and started sobbing. Ah Dai, looking at the small body in his arms, wiped the snot off his face and gently patted the girl's shoulder, "Girl, don't, don't cry anymore. Does it hurt a lot?"

After a while, the girl stopped crying. With her face red from the cold, she looked at the boy in front of her, her eyes full of tears. "Ah Dai, living...it's so painful," she said in a hushed voice.