After reading my mind, Daddy, why don't you smile?

The little beggar is dirty, but his name is nice.

Zhao Ziyan concealed his contempt and continued to get close to Hua Shang.

It was not until the monk came back with a bowl of vegetarian food that Hua Shang lit a fire, heated up the leftovers in the bowl, and the three of them ate.

After dinner, the monk began to chant again, and asked Hua Shang to chant together. The two sat on the ground, closed their eyes, and their six senses were pure, as if everything had become empty, and it seemed as if there were Buddha altars everywhere on the ground. The Buddha has no form, and yet the Buddha has all forms.

The young monk was wearing a tattered long gown and had a black scar on his forehead, like a winding flower stamen, which added a bit of charm to his clear and solemn face. The wrinkles between his brows were always tight, and at first glance he seemed mature and prudent, but after looking at him for a long time, he seemed to be full of bitterness and hatred.

Hua Shang occasionally opened one eye, glanced at the monk, and then closed it again, and then his brows furrowed.

Puzzled.

It is said that Buddhists have no desires or requests, so why does the master always look worried and concerned?

Having attachments does not mean being without desires. He did not like Buddhism, but his master forced him to recite scriptures every day, saying that all things in the world are born from Buddha, return to Buddha, and Buddha is the end... He forced him to worship Buddha, which did not mean he had no desires.

Hua Shang couldn't understand, but he respected his master, who was his savior. His master only asked him to worship Buddha, which was not a crime against heaven. Even if it was a crime against heaven...he was a child who could not even afford enough food and clothing, but he had the splendor of the rich and powerful in the bustling city. Buddha would also take into account his misery and forgive his mistakes.

Hua Shang closed his eyes and chanted.

Zhao Ziyin was upset and irritated after hearing this. He found a place far away and covered his ears to sleep. Suddenly, he heard Hua Shang's panicked voice, "Master, what's wrong with you?"

The monk's lips turned pale, and cold sweat streamed down his face. He held his stomach, leaned on the steps of the dilapidated temple, and gasped, "Master is fine. Maybe the vegetarian meal at noon was too bad."

Hua Shang felt relieved after hearing this.

He also had a stomach upset from eating rotten rice and almost died, but it seemed that the underworld was unwilling to take his worthless life, so he did not die.

Hua Shang helped the monk lie down on the straw pile, "Master, you take a rest first."

The monk was probably in too much pain to speak and could only nod weakly.

Zhao Ziyan looked from afar and felt that the time had come.

He walked up to Hua Shang and said, "Master, you won't be able to get vegetarian food in this condition. Why don't we go get dinner?"

Hua Shang certainly agreed.

Hua Shang was only two or three years older than him, but he obviously had a lot of experience in begging. Zhao Ziyan even thought of taking the opportunity to find human traffickers to sell Hua Shang, but Hua Shang ended up getting three hard biscuits easily.

Beggars begging for food... bah, monks also have to follow the rules when begging, they can’t beg for too much, they have to eat one meal at a time, and they can’t stockpile too much, as it will make them look greedy.

After begging for food and returning to the temple, Hua Shang found that the monk's condition had worsened. His lips were cracked and kept moving, and he was talking nonsense that no one could understand. Hua Shang was terrified and turned to look for a doctor. However, without money, how could a doctor come? In fact, judging from his attire, he couldn't even get into the clinic.

Zhao Ziyan took care of the seriously ill monk, thinking that God was helping him. Now that the monk was dead, it would be easier for him to sell Hua Shang.

Hua Shang came back covered in dust and with traces of tears on his face.

The monk was taken good care of. He had a fever all night and his head was getting hotter and hotter. However, the next morning, the monk's fever did not subside, but he did not die either!

Zhao Ziyin and Hua Shang went to beg for alms as usual.

Separated.

Hua Shang went to beg for alms, and Zhao Ziyan went... to find human traffickers.

Human traffickers are not easy to find, but where there is a will, there is a way. Finally, two days later, Zhao Ziyan met Cuan Xi.

After Wei Fu came back, Wei Yuan could see the real person every day. Who would still want to look at the substitute? What’s more, this substitute wanted to take revenge on him!

Wei Yuan abandoned Cuan Xi.

Although a house and money were left to Cuan Xi, Cuan Xi was used to spending lavishly and the money was soon spent.

In order to make a living, Cuan Xi became a snakehead.

They specifically collected good-looking boys and girls and sent them to brothels and whorehouses.

Zhao Ziyin and Cuan Xi hit it off immediately.

Cuan Xi gave Zhao Ziyin two taels of silver as a deposit, and he would give the remaining eight taels to him when he met the person.

In the afternoon, when begging for alms, Zhao Ziyin suddenly said to Hua Shang, "I have a way to get some money. As long as I get the money, I can hire a doctor for my master!"

Hua Shang's eyes lit up.

Zhao Ziyin took Hua Shang to a remote house and told him that the owner was kind-hearted and willing to lend them money first. They only needed to work to pay off the debt until the debt was paid off, and there was no need to sign a contract to sell themselves.

Cuan Xi welcomed Zhao Ziyin and Hua Shang in.

Serving tea, signing the IOU, signing, and sealing... everything was done, and Cuan Xi asked someone to take Hua Shang away to work.

Hua Shang carefully wrapped the borrowed silver in a rag and put it in his arms. Before leaving, he did not forget to pat his chest to confirm it.

"Xiao Zhao, you go back first. When I finish my work, I will bring you some hot cakes." Xiao Zhao is Zhao Ziyin's pseudonym.

Seeing this, Zhao Ziyan smiled contemptuously.

Even after being sold, they still have to count the money for him. My mother is right. A lowly creature is a lowly creature. A lowly creature is only fit to be stepped on by him and used as a stepping stone.

After Hua Shang left, Zhao Ziyan sat in the living room, waiting for Cuan Xi to collect the balance.

He was the only one left in the hall.

Zhao Zinyin waited patiently, thinking that after getting the silver, he would be able to see his mother soon.

As a result... time passed by and Cuan Xi still didn't come back.

Zhao Ziyan's patience ran out, so he stood up and tried to go out to look for her. However, when he reached the door, he was stopped by two burly men.

"Where are you going?"

"Step aside!"

"Want to run?"

Zhao Ziyin's eyes widened. The two strong men in front of him were huge and ferocious to him. He was at a loss and asked, "What are you going to do?"

One of the big men winked at the other, and then the two men came towards him holding ropes, grinning evilly, "What are you doing? I'm teaching you the rules!"

"Let me go!!" Zhao Ziyan's face turned red with fear, he screamed and struggled hard.

Unfortunately, the big man didn't stop tying me up, and threatened me, "I advise you to be quiet. Once you get here, don't even think about getting out!"

boom!

Zhao Ziyan's eyes froze, apparently realizing something.

"Dongzi, be gentle, our eldest brother wants to sell this kid out!"

"I don't know what big brother likes about this boy. He doesn't look good at all!" The feminine man thought to himself, how good can he be if he looks like him?

Dongzi was furious when he heard that and growled, "What do you mean, it's not good-looking if you look like me?"

The big man with a feminine voice didn't understand what Dongzi said for a moment, but he knew that Dongzi was angry, so he had to coax her, "That's not what I meant..."

Zhao Ziyan was tied up like a dumpling and locked in the woodshed while two big men were "flirting".

I heard that he would be sold to the most famous brothel in the capital, Hongyu Tower, at dawn.

If Zuixin Pavilion is a place for those powerful and wealthy people with sexual fetishes to have fun, where most of them sell their skills but not their bodies, and it is relatively formal, then Hongyu Tower is different. It is a truly dirty place with both male and female prostitutes, and most of the customers are widowers, porters, poor, lowly, violent, and perverted people.

There were many people who bought goods from Hongyulou because of the high consumption. Many of those who were sold there did not even survive the night.

Zhao Ziyin never expected that he wanted to sell Hua Shang, but Hua Shang sold him out instead...

There were shrill cries and calls for help in the woodshed.

The night was getting darker, but who could come to save him?