Su Hongzhen chose a clear, cloudless, bright night to run away from home.

And then he ended up living on the streets.

During those years he spent wandering the streets, Little Su experienced many things.

He met an orphan, two years older than him, who was also living on the streets.

After knowing each other for a while, that orphan came up with an idea: the two of them should team up to steal meat buns from a street-side bun shop.

Little Su, of course, really wanted to eat meat buns. His stomach hadn't tasted any grease or oil for who knows how long.

So he didn't hesitate and agreed to the orphan's invitation quite readily and decisively.

The method the two of them planned to use was clever, and also simple.

The older orphan would go first, pretending to buy buns, then grab some and run, attracting the stall owner's attention and making the owner chase him.

Then, Little Su would take the opportunity to steal buns from the stall.

Before they executed the plan, Little Su was a bit worried and asked the older orphan if he was really sure he wouldn't be caught by the stall owner.

The orphan said, absolutely.

Later, when they started carrying out the plan, Little Su finally understood why that orphan was so confident.

Because the stall owner was a cripple.

However, precisely because the bun shop owner was a cripple, Su Hongzhen felt even more reluctant to go through with it.

A person with a hard lot, just trying to make a living, it wasn't easy.

Su Hongzhen, who had lost both parents at a young age and was raised by his uncle and aunt, understood this better than anyone.

He didn't steal the buns.

This caused the orphan, who had exhausted himself and came back panting heavily, to stare at the empty-handed Little Su for a moment, then fly into a rage and beat Little Su up severely.

Little Su didn't fight back either.

And after being beaten up, the two children went their separate ways from then on.

After that, Su Hongzhen resumed his life of wandering from place to place.

Until he accidentally came to this village located near the border between Liaolong and Great Yu, and met the carpenter.

The carpenter had an ugly appearance and a solitary, unsociable personality. People in the village didn't want to get too close to him, let alone find him a wife.

But his craftsmanship was excellent.

By the time Su Hongzhen wandered into this village, the carpenter was already quite old.

He wanted to find an apprentice to inherit his skills.

So, quite naturally, the wandering Su Hongzhen gained a carpenter master with a solitary personality.

Until bandits raided the village.

The youth sat in the pushcart, his gaze fixed on the road ahead, narrating past events.

"Brother, do you think I'm being too long-winded?"

Little Su asked.

"No."

Chen Yan shook his head.

"Can you teach me that stone-throwing move? I want to learn it."

"That depends on fate."

"Just teach me, please! Once my injuries are healed!"

The youth continued chattering incessantly.

He knew he wasn't normally such a talkative person, but he couldn't stop.

Because once he stopped his train of thought, he would start missing them.

Missing that ugly carpenter.

...

Liaolong, a small town on the northern border.

A wonton stall.

Su Hongzhen held his bowl of wontons, staring dumbfounded at Chen Yan sitting across from him.

Eleven bowls.

Although he was injured now and couldn't eat or swallow in big mouthfuls.

But having just eaten three wontons himself, the sight of this youth who seemed only a year or two older than him already finishing so many bowls was truly too shocking.

Putting everything else aside for now, these wontons were all freshly cooked, straight from the pot.

Aren't they scalding hot?

People always say 'drink' wontons, 'drink' wontons, now he finally saw what it meant to 'drink' wontons.

It was like drinking water.

No, even drinking water couldn't be this exaggerated.

In the end, Chen Yan drank a total of seventeen bowls of wontons.

Eight-tenths full, that's about enough.

"Take your time eating, no rush."

Chen Yan, who had stacked the wonton bowls into a small mountain in front of him, was quite calm as he spoke towards Su Hongzhen.

"... Okay, brother."

Little Su replied.

"Customer, would you like more?"

Seeing Chen Yan finish another bowl of wontons, the wonton stall owner came forward and asked.

He was feeling a bit apprehensive too.

It was the first time he'd seen someone who could eat this much, like a starving ghost.

But judging by the youth's clothing, he seemed decently dressed, probably not someone who couldn't pay.

And he recognized the kid sitting across from him.

He was the apprentice of that ugly carpenter from Matou Village.

"No need."

Chen Yan waved his hand and said:

"Sorry to trouble you, but I'd like to ask about something."

"Please go ahead, customer."

The wonton stall owner responded.

"May I ask, which doctor in this town has the most superb medical skills?"

Chen Yan asked.

"Oh, customer, your question really puts me in a difficult spot."

The stall owner said:

"This place of ours is just a small town, only about a thousand households in total. There are two medicine shops in town, and a few people who practice medicine. For common headaches, fevers, or bruises and sprains, you can get treatment anywhere. But if you insist on asking about 'superb medical skills,' then I really don't know too clearly..."

This stall owner's words were quite diplomatic.

And indeed, he should be diplomatic, especially since this was about seeking medical advice.

If the person ended up going to the clinic he recommended but wasn't cured, and then came back to find him, blaming and complaining, that wouldn't be good.

"Customer, the person sitting across from you should know a bit about this too. He's the apprentice of a carpenter from a nearby village and often runs errands for his master!"

The stall owner continued.

"I've never sought out a doctor either."

Su Hongzhen said with a bitter smile.

"Where is the nearest clinic?"

Chen Yan asked the wonton stall owner.

"Go straight west along this street, until you reach the two-story building with the black signboard next to it, that's the place."

The stall owner answered:

"As for how good their medical skills are, I really don't know too clearly. The last time I went to a clinic for a prescription was two years ago, and it was just a common cold medicine prescription."

Chen Yan nodded, not saying anything more, just taking two pieces of broken silver from his money pouch and handing them to the stall owner.

"Alright!"

The stall owner took the broken silver Chen Yan handed over, revealing a smile.

Then, when Chen Yan tried to move Su Hongzhen onto the pushcart, this stall owner also very enthusiastically came over to lend a hand.

"Where are you injured, that you can't even walk..."

His hand rested on Su Hongzhen's ribs.

"Ah!!!"

A short, sharp scream rang out. The pain of fractured ribs quickly forced the air out of Su Hongzhen's chest cavity, leaving him unable to make any sound.

Startled, the stall owner quickly withdrew his hand, looking very flustered.

"This, this is..."

The wonton stall owner, who had originally meant well by trying to help, said in confusion.

"His ribs are broken. He can't move right now, you have to be careful."

Chen Yan said calmly.

"Thirteen are broken, thirteen! A person only has twenty-four ribs in total!"

Su Hongzhen shouted at the stall owner:

"But after that touch of yours just now, I reckon there are fifteen broken now. Next time I come to drink wontons, you have to give me a free meal, you hear me!"

"..."

Hearing this, the stall owner just gave an embarrassed smile, not taking anything Su Hongzhen said seriously at all.