Chapter 97: Running Away from Home
Xu Youyou glanced at the Yongzheng Tongbao coin. Sure enough, in the blackened area, there was a tiny “女” (meaning “woman”) character, seemingly scratched onto the grime with a fingernail.
Other than that, it didn’t seem particularly special.
The middle-aged man who had previously identified the fake coins took another look, then scoffed at the vendor. “I thought you were scrambling to take a Diao Mu or Mu Qian, but it’s just an ordinary Zi Qian.”
Diao Mu is the original version of a coin, entirely handcrafted, and worth millions. Mu Qian is the standard coin cast directly from Diao Mu, with Yongzheng Tongbao Mu Qian priced at over 100,000.
Zi Qian is the most common type, mass-produced and widely circulated, making it the least valuable.
It was understandable why the middle-aged man looked down on the vendor. If a rare coin worth hundreds of thousands or millions was in front of a child, resisting temptation would be difficult for most people.
But to be unable to resist even a few hundred yuan? That was a disgustingly low moral bottom line.
Because of this commotion, the vendor’s stall wasn’t flipped over, but it might as well have been—his reputation was ruined at the morning antique market. Customers now avoided his stall like the plague.
In other words, his business trip to this antique market was effectively over.
Xu Youyou knew the Yongzheng Tongbao in the child’s hand wasn’t worth 1,000 yuan, but she still asked, “Can I buy it from you? I’ll pay 1,000 yuan per coin.”
The child didn’t understand its real value and replied, “Sister, just give me 1,000 yuan. I only have one. The other one was won back by you.”
Xu Youyou looked at the girl’s clear, bright eyes and felt her heart soften.
Just as she was about to refuse, a loud “grumble” sounded.
The dirty little girl shyly covered her stomach.
Xu Youyou gently patted her shoulder. “We’ve been busy all morning—I’m starving. Come on, big sister will treat you to breakfast.”
The little girl quickly shook her head. “Sister, I have money now. I can treat you to breakfast!”
Xu Youyou felt helpless. This child was so poor yet still wanted to repay kindness.
Even if her system hadn’t prompted her, she would have wanted to help.
“We should go outside—only then can we find breakfast stalls.” Xu Youyou smiled.
After wandering the antique market for hours, she really was hungry.
Stepping out of the dimly lit antique market into the bright sunshine, she took a moment to adjust to the light.
The little girl ran to a stall selling mixed grain pancakes. “Auntie, I want eight pancakes. Six with all the toppings, and two plain ones, no extra ingredients.”
The child had no phone, so Xu Youyou asked Xu Fang to withdraw 2,000 yuan from an ATM. But the girl stubbornly accepted only 1,000.
Now, she was buying eight pancakes—not just for herself but also for Xu Youyou, her four bodyguards, and Xu Fang.
Spending a tenth of her newfound fortune, she winced at the cost but paid up anyway. The remaining bills were carefully tucked into her pocket.
As soon as the first loaded pancake was ready, the little girl eagerly handed it to Xu Youyou. “Sister, eat it while it’s hot! It’s super delicious!”
Xu Youyou had eaten at the finest restaurants, rarely touching street food of uncertain cleanliness.
Xu Fang hesitated, as if wanting to object but not wanting to dampen the child’s enthusiasm. Seeing Xu Youyou accept the pancake without hesitation, Xu Fang silently breathed a sigh of relief.
“It’s really good. Have you had it before?” Xu Youyou asked casually.
She was lying. The pancake was mediocre, and the sausage inside was likely a cheap, starchy kind with a strange taste.
The little girl swallowed her saliva. “I’ve picked up leftovers before. I don’t understand why someone would take just one bite and throw it away. My sister and I think they taste amazing.”
Xu Youyou felt a lump in her throat and couldn’t speak for a moment.
When the second pancake was ready, the girl handed it to Xu Fang.
Xu Youyou watched as she gave the loaded pancakes to the bodyguards, leaving the two plain ones for herself and her sister.
Understanding this, Xu Youyou turned to the stall owner. “Make those last two with all the toppings. I’ll cover the extra cost.”
The girl quickly refused. “No, no! The plain ones are fine!”
Xu Youyou shook her head. “You treated me—can’t I return the favor?”
The girl insisted, “I really wanted to thank you!”
Xu Youyou replied, “And I really see you as a friend. You even helped me win back a Yongzheng Tongbao—can’t I thank my friend?”
The little girl’s cheeks flushed, her bright eyes twinkling. Unable to resist the appeal of a fully loaded pancake, she finally said, “Sister, you’re so nice.”
Xu Youyou smiled. “My name is Xu Youyou. I still don’t know yours.”
The little girl hesitated, as if struggling with something. Then, she finally whispered, “My name… my name is Ye Jian Nü…”
Xu Youyou froze, her heart clenching tightly. What kind of parents would name their daughter something like that? (“Jian Nü” sounds like “cheap woman” in Chinese.)
The girl explained in a small voice, “My father doesn’t like me… My family hates girls…”
Lowering her head in shame, she seemed afraid that her name would make Xu Youyou angry. In the village, kids wouldn’t play with her or her sister. She was terrified this beautiful, kind sister would reject her too.
But then, she felt a warm hand gently ruffle her hair.
“I… My hair is dirty…”
Living on the streets in Shanghai, she hadn’t washed her hair in days. Xu Youyou, in her clean clothes and pristine appearance, was so different—she didn’t want to dirty her hands.
Xu Youyou didn’t mind at all. “I don’t think you’re dirty. Friends don’t dislike each other.”
The girl’s eyes stung with emotion.
Xu Youyou added, “I love girls. Girls are the most wonderful beings in the world.”
The little girl’s lips curved into a small smile. “I like Sister too.”
Xu Youyou then asked, “Where are your parents?”
The child flinched, fear flashing across her face. Her lips trembled as if debating whether to tell the truth.
Xu Youyou reassured her, “We’re friends. You can tell me anything.”
The little girl struggled internally before finally making a decision.
“I ran away from home… I don’t want to go back…”
