Can't a princess ascend the throne?

Chapter 30 We can't be too greedy...

The little boy hesitated repeatedly, but the longing in his eyes had already betrayed him. He kept looking back, and Jiu Que couldn't help but follow his gaze. To his surprise, one, two, three, a string of little heads emerged from under the bridge arch, at least five or six of them, looking at them with a mixture of fear and longing.

The little child spoke in a soft, gentle voice.

"Sister, can I share some with my friends?"

"..."

Jiu Que felt as if something was blocking his throat, and he couldn't speak for a moment.

The little child in front of me was a bit anxious, but he didn't dare to speak loudly, so he spoke very softly.

"Sister, we...we're not greedy. We won't ask for more, and we won't bother you anymore. We really won't!"

Jiu Que's eyes were a little red. This child had encountered countless similar situations before, and was so well-behaved that it broke people's hearts.

Jiu Que deliberately stuffed the steamed buns towards the little boy, feigning generosity.

"I said I'd give it to you, so here you are. Take it, and you can share it with whoever you want..."

Jiu Que's voice suddenly changed tone and abruptly stopped, because she saw the little child's hand reaching out to take the steamed bun...

Missing finger...

His right hand was gone from the wrist down, leaving an ugly scar. His left hand only had his thumb; his index finger was missing a section, and the other three fingers were just short, bare segments. It was as if, as if he had been forcibly chopped off, but accidentally cut off at an angle, and only managed to survive by sheer luck…

For a moment, Jiu Que felt a surge of excitement, his ears rang, and his throat felt like it was blocked by something sour, making it painful for him to speak.

"you you……"

"Ok?"

The little child struggled to hold the bag of fragrant buns, wondering why the older sister wasn't saying anything. The next moment, he saw the kind older sister turn around and run away.

what……

The little boy's eyes were somewhat dim, and he awkwardly pulled his hand back. He didn't intentionally show his ugly hand; he was just too happy. He hadn't eaten properly for several days, and his stomach was now rumbling, as if a little monster lived inside. He was only managing to resist stuffing the roadside dirt and grass into his mouth.

"Little Mudball, how did that lady leave? Did she not want us to eat? I'm sorry, we shouldn't have come over..."

The children, their eyes filled with longing, nervously rubbed their hands together. Little beggars their age couldn't find better begging spots, and even if they got something good, it would be snatched away by the older beggars.

Furthermore, since they were all disabled, it was even more difficult for them to obtain food with their own hands, not to mention the regular offerings they had to make. To be honest, they all thought they probably wouldn't make it through this ordeal, but unexpectedly, a kind young lady chased after Little Mudman for several blocks with a bag of steaming, fragrant buns, just to give them to him.

Seeing the slightly dejected looks in everyone's eyes, Little Mud quickly shook his head.

"No, this lady is very kind, and we already have so many buns, we can't be too greedy. Come on, eat quickly, or someone else will snatch them away." Everyone nodded and reached out to take the buns, but seeing the plump white bun skins and their own dirty little hands, they felt a little embarrassed. They quickly washed their hands in the slightly cool river water next to them, and then carefully picked up the buns and started to bite into them.

The children huddled below the riverbank were ragged and had suffered all kinds of hardships, but at this moment, being able to hold a steamed bun and eat it made them smile with happiness.

"These buns smell so good! Ah, they're filled with meat. I haven't had meat in so long. A while ago, an old man in a restaurant casually tossed me a piece of fatty meat, and I quickly grabbed it before that big yellow dog could and stuffed it in my mouth. It's just a pity I was too flustered to appreciate the taste. Mmm, so delicious..."

"Yes."

Little Muddy struggled to swallow the last bite of the bun, patted his still-flat little belly, and made a bold statement.

"I'm going to make a lot of money in the future, so I can buy lots and lots of steamed buns and eat them every day until we can't swallow anymore!"

"Wow! Really?"

"Of course it's true. I'll be really, really amazing in the future..."

Passersby heard the rustling sounds coming from the riverbank under the bridge, glanced over casually, and saw a group of thin little beggars. They then looked away without paying much attention.

In Yong'an City, these ubiquitous beggars are like a unique part of the scenery, casually embedded in daily life. No one gives them a second glance or attention because they are simply too common. Like stray cats and dogs, mud and grass, they exist and grow haphazardly. A new batch appears every now and then, and as for those who disappear, who cares whether they lie in the cold river or in a dark corner?
But there will always be people who care.

Holding a large amount of food in her arms, Jiu Que's breathing was slightly rapid. After all, she had run all the way here, and her body was indeed a bit weak.

"What about people?"

Hearing the sound, Little Mud cautiously poked its head out and immediately saw the panting Jiu Que, and a happy smile appeared on its face.

"Ah! It's a kind older sister!"

Seeing that the child was still struggling to climb ashore, Jiu Que jumped directly off the riverbank, an action that unsurprisingly attracted the attention of many people around. For a woman dressed in such fine clothes, even official robes, to disregard her image and jump off the riverbank was truly impolite.

Even the little mud-bears looked at this kind older sister with some concern. But Ying Jiuque didn't care at all.

Pushing the heavy load in her arms toward them, Jiu Que smiled and spoke.

"I bought too much stuff when I got back, and then I realized there's no one else at home. I can't finish it all by myself. It'll spoil if I leave it any longer. Can you help me with some of it?"

What was stuffed into the child's arms were foods they wouldn't even dare to dream of normally, including sweet maltose and sweet and sour candied hawthorns. These kinds of sweet treats specifically for children are often very expensive, considered luxuries by the little ones. Ordinary families don't buy these kinds of snacks for their children every day.

Although the little mud-bears were all very young, they weren't stupid. They didn't believe Ying Jiuque's excuse. They were all somewhat flattered at this moment.

But surprisingly, after swallowing a few times, Xiao Niba resolutely handed the thing in his arms to Ying Jiuque.

"Big sister, we just ate the buns you gave us and we're full. These things are expensive, so you should take them back and eat them slowly. We can't be too greedy."

(End of this chapter)