The aroma of cooking filled the house: I sent my eldest brother to become the Grand Secretary.

Shen Cao went to the places Xiao Qi usually went to look for him, but couldn't find him.

She grew increasingly panicked; something must have happened to Xiao Qi.

She had searched everywhere she could think of, but still couldn't find it.

She had no choice but to go back to where Xiaoqi had lived before to inquire.

It was a house that had been abandoned for a long time. When she went in, the other little beggars had already returned from begging and were getting ready to go to sleep.

One of the children, who knew Shen Cao, was very puzzled to see her there.

He walked up to Shen Cao and asked, "Sister Cao'er, what brings you here?"

"Have you seen Xiao Qi today? We had arranged to meet today, but he hasn't shown up. I've searched all the places he usually goes, but I can't find him."

Shen Cao's voice was choked with emotion, and the little beggar was in pain from being pulled by Shen Cao.

"Sister Grass, please don't get agitated, let me go."

Shen Cao then realized that she had hurt the little beggar in her haste.

She quickly apologized to the little beggar.

The little beggar didn't blame her; instead, he turned around and asked the others.

Shen Cao followed behind him and noticed that one of the men had a strange expression on his face, as if he wanted to say something but hesitated.

Shen Cao quickly had the little beggar call the person out separately.

"Do you know something?"

The man was afraid of getting into trouble, so he shook his head frantically.

"I don't know, I don't know anything."

Shen Cao patted the little beggar's hand, indicating that he needed to talk to the child alone.

The little beggar turned and walked out.

Shen Cao squatted down and took the child's hand. "I know you must have seen something. Don't worry, I will never tell anyone."

"And Xiao Qi didn't do anything wrong, he just probably offended the Persians."

“Those people will leave after a while, they definitely won’t remember what he looks like. Even if you tell me, it won’t matter.”

Seeing that the child was somewhat moved, Shen Cao took out her purse and gave him all the remaining change inside.

“If you’re really worried, here’s some money for you. Take it and do whatever you want, then find a new place to live.”

The child took Shen Cao's wallet and slowly said, "I saw Xiao Qi get into an argument with those Persians. Those Persians hung Xiao Qi up and beat him up."

"Xiao Qi was beaten until she was covered in blood."

"After I saw those people leave, I quietly went over and put Xiaoqi down."

“I was terrified at the time. After I put him down, I ran away.”

"But when I got back, Xiaoqi was gone."

"Waaah... Sister Grass, I really didn't mean it, I was just so scared."

When Shen Cao heard about Xiao Qi's whereabouts, she finally felt half relieved.

She patted the child on the shoulder. "You've done a great job. Can you take me to the place where you left him today?"

The child wiped away her tears, nodded, and said in a choked voice, "Sister Cao'er, I'll take you there."

The two arrived at a wasteland, where Shen Cao saw the big tree with Xiao Qi hanging from it.

The tree was so thick and strong; she couldn't imagine the scene of Xiao Qi being hung up there and beaten.

That little child, about the same age as her brother, was so thin that a gust of wind could blow her away.

Sure enough, there was no trace of Xiao Qi there.

Shen Cao looked around carefully. Xiao Qi was so badly injured that she couldn't have gone far.

She told the child to go home first, and she would look for him nearby.

She used that tree as a center and gradually expanded the search area.

After searching for almost half an hour, they finally found Xiaoqi in a pile of hay.

Seeing Xiaoqi covered in blood and on the verge of death, she could no longer hold back her tears.

Xiaoqi became like this because of her.

If anything were to happen to Xiaoqi, she would never be able to forgive herself for the rest of her life.

She knelt down beside Xiaoqi, reaching out her hand tremblingly to check Xiaoqi's breath.

Her movements were so careful, as if if she exerted any force, Xiao Qi would shatter.

Thankfully, Xiao Qi is still breathing, though very weakly.

"Xiao Qi, Xiao Qi, wake up!"

Shen Cao called out several times, but Xiao Qi did not respond.

She first took out the ginseng that she hadn't sold before from her storage space and broke off a small piece of ginseng rootlets.

They forcefully pried open Xiaoqi's mouth and put the ginseng whiskers into it.

"Xiao Qi, you must not spit out the ginseng rootlets, just keep them in your mouth." Shen Cao didn't know if this method would work, or if Xiao Qi could hear her, so she kept repeating it in Xiao Qi's ear.

She had previously watched period dramas where people would hold a ginseng slice in their mouths when they were about to die, supposedly to keep them alive.

She didn't know if this method would work, but she had to do something.

After finishing everything, she quickly carried Xiao Qi on her back and ran towards Wan'an Hall.

It was already late autumn, and it got dark early. There were few people on the streets, so no one noticed Shen Cao, let alone that she was carrying someone on her back.

Xiao Qi felt he was about to die. In his dazed state, he saw his parents smiling and waving at him.

Just as he was about to run to his parents, he suddenly heard a familiar voice.

"Xiao Qi, Xiao Qi, don't sleep, you have to hold on."

He's hallucinating; he thinks he heard Sister Grass's voice.

After calling out a few times, he felt himself being carried on someone's back.

Since his parents died, no one has carried him on their backs for a long time.

This man's back wasn't as broad as his father's, but he was very steadfast.

Shen Cao didn't know how long she had been running, but for the first time ever, she felt that Wan'an Hall was very far away.

It's so far away that she can't get there no matter how hard she runs.

She was afraid that Xiao Qi would die, so she kept calling out to him, telling him not to fall asleep.

Finally seeing the entrance to Wan'an Hall, she quickened her pace and cried out as soon as she entered, "Doctor, doctor, please help me!"

Xiao Qi slept for three days and three nights before slowly waking up.

When he woke up, he saw Sister Cao'er guarding him.

Shen Cao was awakened by Xiao Qi's movements. She was very happy to see that Xiao Qi was awake.

"Sister Cao'er, I didn't say that you asked me to keep an eye on them."

“I told them I was eyeing them because I wanted money.”

Shen Cao, who was originally very happy because Xiao Qi woke up, was stung by the silly things Xiao Qi said as soon as she woke up, and tears fell like beads from a broken string.

"Fool, you're going to die."

Xiao Qi wanted to reach out and wipe away Shen Cao's tears, but when he looked down and saw that his hands were a little dirty, he had no choice but to withdraw his outstretched hand.

However, Shen Cao grabbed that hand.

"Xiao Qi, how could you be so silly?"

"Nothing is more important than my own life."

Xiaoqi seems a little dazed, isn't she?

However, someone once told him that his life was worth less than grass, and had no value whatsoever.