Zhao Jiaqi closed the window and stood by it, lost in thought for a long time. She felt something was not quite right.
So, the window was opened again, and she indeed saw the boy still there, their gazes colliding in mid-air.
The little thief gestured to her. Although she didn't understand sign language, it piqued her curiosity!
She had intended to ask Fan Zehao to go down and investigate with her, but seeing how engrossed he was in his writing, she didn't call him.
She put on her clothes and quietly slipped out of the room. A cold wind blew outside, making her shiver. She exhaled, following the little thief into a small alley outside the inn.
"Aren't you afraid I'm a bad person?"
The little thief spoke, startling Zhao Jiaqi. She smiled and said, "Not at all!"
The little thief pouted and handed her what he was holding. "This is your husband's token. It's golden, but unfortunately, the pawnshop wouldn't take it!"
A golden token?
Zhao Jiaqi was bewildered by his words, but upon seeing the familiar token, she realized it was her husband's waist token.
"The pawnshop didn't lie to you. They wouldn't dare to accept this unless they wanted to lose their heads!" Zhao Jiaqi smiled as she put the token away and asked him, " Aren't you afraid I'll have you arrested and sent to the officials for bringing this so rashly?"
"If you wanted to send me to the officials, I'd already be in prison by now!"
This child was quite clever, able to analyze the situation.
Zhao Jiaqi sized him up and asked the question that was on her mind: "At your age, why haven't you joined the army?"
The little thief chuckled, a hint of bitterness in his voice. "My parents died young, and my house and crops were taken by my uncle and aunt. I'm a homeless wanderer. The government has no record of me, so where would I go to enlist?"
He added with self-deprecation, "If I could have joined the army, I would have done so long ago. Why would I be doing these petty thieving things every day, even fighting with dogs for scraps?"
After hearing this, Zhao Jiaqi felt the child was truly pitiful, but his words still needed to be investigated.
"If your uncle and aunt did that, didn't you seek out the town magistrate for justice?"
The little thief rolled his eyes at her. "These days, people only look at money. If you have money, you have reason. Without money, you're worthless!"
It would be a miracle if they didn't beat him up, let alone seek justice. He didn't dare to dream of such a thing!
Zhao Jiaqi walked over and squatted beside him. Squatting down, she felt warmer. No wonder those who squatted by the walls kept their hands in their sleeves; squatting in a corner truly shielded them from the wind.
"What's your name?"
"Xiao Dong!" the little thief replied, then explained, "My surname is Qiu. Xiao Dong. My father said a name could be casual, as long as it makes it easier to raise me."
He shifted his position on the ground and said leisurely, "I'm easy to raise, but my parents are dead!"
"Besides your uncle and aunt's place, do you have nowhere else to go?"
Qiu Xiaodong shook his head. "I have an aunt. I stayed there for a few days, but my uncle-in-law beat me every day, treating me like livestock, and didn't give me enough to eat. I only got a steamed bun a day. I was starving and stole a sweet potato, and then I was kicked out!"
"It was unavoidable, I had to fend for myself, so I resorted to petty theft. Do you know, after I learned to steal, the first thing I did was steal money from my uncle and aunt's house, and then I beat them up!"
Zhao Jiaqi: ......
"The second was my aunt's house. I set fire to her kitchen, but no one was injured. I knew what I was doing."
When Qiu Xiaodong spoke of revenge, his eyes shone. When he spoke of his parents, the light in his eyes dimmed.
It was as if his sole purpose in life was revenge.
Zhao Jiaqi took a deep breath. "Then do you plan to be a thief for the rest of your life? I dare not say there are no thieves in this world, but I can guarantee you that in the next few years, there will be no pickpockets in the inner city. What will you do then?"
Qiu Xiaodong grinned at Zhao Jiaqi. "That's why I came to you!"
"The pawnshop owner wouldn't tell me what that item was, but I suspect it's something very valuable. Those who possess it are either powerful and influential or come from wealthy families!"
"Madam, I admit I'm not a good person, but this is not my intention. I will change. As long as you take me in, give me food, and a place to live, I will protect you well and be your loyal servant."
Zhao Jiaqi was amused by his words. She hadn't enjoyed a conversation this much in a long time.
"Then don't you want to get back what belongs to you?"
When Qiu Xiaodong thought of his family matters, his expression became much calmer. "I think my parents would want me to be safe and healthy. If it were possible, I would naturally want it back, but I won't seek them out until I am strong enough!"
He had intelligence, was cunning, and knew how to read the room. He would make a good guard, but his bad habits would need to be thoroughly corrected.
Zhao Jiaqi didn't dare to promise him anything. "If you follow me, you must undergo training with someone. If you pass his test, you will become my personal bodyguard. You will receive a substantial salary, be provided with food and lodging, and even have a wife and children arranged for you, as well as a house."
Qiu Xiaodong's mouth fell open. He hadn't expected such generous treatment. Before he could exclaim, Zhao Jiaqi interrupted him.
"If you cannot pass his test, then we will have no master-servant relationship for the rest of our lives. But I must warn you in advance, my bodyguard is exceptionally formidable, and learning from him will be a very arduous task."
Qiu Xiaodong immediately stood up and declared, "I'm not afraid. As long as I have food to eat, I can endure any hardship!"
Seeing his determination, Zhao Jiaqi said no more.
"Then come with me!"
She led him to the inn and booked another room. The innkeeper's eyes widened slightly. Zhao Jiaqi smiled and explained, "This is a young servant I just bought. Moreover, my husband is not a live-in son-in-law; he simply dotes on me and lets me manage the finances."
Hearing this, the innkeeper's expression softened. Soon, a superior room was prepared, and the innkeeper led Qiu Xiaodong to his own quarters.
"You should wash up tonight and eat downstairs tomorrow morning. I will introduce you to my husband then!"
Qiu Xiaodong grinned foolishly. This was the first time in years he had slept in such a nice room. There was even a charcoal brazier inside, which was far better than the drafty temple he had stayed in before.
"Madam, I understand!"
After Zhao Jiaqi gave her instructions, she returned to her own room. Qiu Xiaodong, on the other hand, asked the innkeeper for hot water to bathe. He used ten buckets of hot water for his bath, which nearly exhausted the innkeeper and the waiter.
The muddy water they dumped out could have been used to build a small house for a dog; it was that dirty!
Upon returning to her room, Zhao Jiaqi was embraced tightly by Fan Zehao. "Where did you go? I was looking out the window just now and saw you with that little thief?"
Zhao Jiaqi frowned. "Since you saw me, why didn't you come to find me? Instead, you were up here spying on me!"