HPDBC Chapter 613 Targeted
Chapter 613 Targeted
Perhaps because the opening had been so smooth, Qin Bei felt a surge of ambition. Beside him, the aroma of the nearby food street made Zhouzhou's mouth water.
She tugged at Qin Bei's sleeve, saying, "Sixth Brother, I'm hungry."
She hadn't eaten before leaving home and had followed her Sixth Brother in search of food, walking such a long distance that she felt she could devour an entire ox.
Qin Bei, full of confidence, declared, "Wait here, I'll get us some food!"
"Mm-hmm! Thank you, Sixth Brother, you're the best." Qin Bei, flattered by her praise, strutted towards a fried chicken shop with an air of superiority.
At the window, he stood on tiptoe and raised his bowl. "Uncle, could you give me a drumstick?" he asked.
Remembering Zhouzhou's appetite, he quickly corrected himself, "Please give me ten drumsticks, ten burgers, and three cups of cola."
The shopkeeper gave him a disdainful look. "Go away, don't disturb my business," he snapped, waving him off impatiently.
Qin Bei, stunned by the rejection, stood there dumbfounded. Zhouzhou, more experienced in such matters, was unfazed.
She had begged for food before joining the Qin family. She ran over to Qin Bei, pulling him away, "It's okay, Sixth Brother, we'll try somewhere else."
This first setback dampened Qin Bei's enthusiasm. Zhouzhou consoled him, "It's alright. It took Master Mingtong and me a long time to get a few buns."
Qin Er chimed in, "If we can't get food for free, we'll work for it." Zhouzhou, her eyes brightening, nodded vigorously, "I can wash dishes, I'm good at it!"
As Zhouzhou recounted her previous experience of being detained for eating without paying, Qin Bei listened in disbelief.
Qin Er, meanwhile, rubbed his chin thoughtfully. Eating a lot and just washing some dishes? Not a bad deal.
He started considering which restaurant to target next. Zhouzhou, reading his thoughts, hurriedly stopped him, "Brother Dafu, deliberately dining and dashing will get you struck by lightning."
Master Mingtong hadn't known her appetite when they accidentally dined and dashed. Doing it on purpose wouldn't be right.
Hearing those words, Qin Er sighed, abandoning his previous thoughts.
If he dared to go, his father would surely uphold justice over family ties and lock him up in a small, dark room.
Zhouzhou wouldn't speak up for him either -- she might even sell him out for a reward.
If she knew what he was thinking, Zhouzhou would definitely be furious.
Is she really the kind of person who would sell her own brother just for money?
Hmph!
It's precisely because she doesn't know that their fragile sibling bond still exists.
Zhouzhou demonstrated for Qin Bei, visiting a few places.
The little girl, sweet-faced and charming, managed to beg for three steamed buns.
She glanced at her two brothers and handed each one a bun.
Qin Bei, feeling the pangs of hunger, took a big bite.
But after the first taste, he frowned and handed the bun back to Zhouzhou. "I don't want it. You can have it--it's too dry."
He blinked, confused. "W-what's wrong?"
Zhouzhou looked at him and said, "Sixth Brother, do you know what being a beggar means?"
"It means someone without a home."
"Well, since we've become beggars, we have to do it right. We'll just find a random spot to sleep tonight."
At her words, Qin Bei felt as if he had been struck by lightning.
No home?
In that instant, a surge of homesickness hit him, and a flicker of panic crept into his heart.
Zhouzhou and Qin Er exchanged a sly glance. Heh, the ten thousand yuan was almost theirs.
True to their word, they didn't go home. They were really giving it their all for the ten thousand yuan.
Pretending not to notice Qin Bei's crestfallen face, Zhouzhou and Qin Er pulled him along, wandering the streets in search of a place to stay.
By chance, they once again encountered the beggar they had seen earlier in the day. He was now gliding along on a wooden board, heading in a certain direction. The children glanced at him briefly before turning their attention away.
A nearby park caught their eye, and they found a few benches inside.
"We'll sleep here tonight," Zhouzhou suggested.
Qin Bei was on the verge of tears. With no one around and the streetlights dim, he felt a wave of fear wash over him, but he didn't want to show it. Forcing a brave face, he said, "Sure."
He quickly lay down on one of the benches, trying to appear unfazed.
Zhouzhou, lying on the bench beside him, was starving after a long day of scavenging and begging. Seeing that Qin Bei wasn't paying attention to her, she slyly reached into her bag, pulled out a pack of cookies, and quietly began nibbling on them.
Qin Bei, hearing the faint rustling beside him, was too scared to move. After a while, he couldn't hold back his fear any longer and whimpered, "Z-Zhouzhou, there's a rat."
"What?" Zhouzhou was startled. "Where's the rat?"
"I think it's right next to me. I can hear it eating."
Zhouzhou blinked in surprise, then slowly realized—he was talking about her.
Fearing that he might discover the cookies her grandmother had secretly given her, which would ruin their whole plan, Zhouzhou quickly hid the cookies behind her back and stopped eating.
She picked up a small rock and tossed it in the air, pretending to throw it away. "Don't worry, I scared the rat off."
Qin Bei listened closely, and when the sounds stopped, he finally relaxed. "O-okay, it's gone."
Zhouzhou breathed a sigh of relief and lay back down, glancing at the cookies with reluctance. But in the end, for the sake of their plan, she resisted the temptation to eat.
Time passed slowly, and the surroundings grew quieter by the minute.
Suddenly, from behind a nearby wall, a head popped out.
"Is it them?"
"Yes," another voice whispered. It was the same beggar Zhouzhou had encountered earlier.
Eyeing the children, he lowered his voice and said, "I've been watching them all day. These kids don't have any family around, and they look clueless. They're good-looking too—if we break their legs and use them to beg, we'll make a fortune!"