Li Wei woke up before the sun rose. The cold bit at his skin as he opened his eyes. Every muscle in his body ached. His hands felt raw, and his shoulders were so sore it hurt to move.
But there was no time to rest.
He sat up slowly in his small, bare room. The thin paper window couldn't keep out the night's chill, and his blanket was so thin it felt more like a sheet of paper than something meant to warm him. With a heavy sigh, he pulled on his old, worn shirt.
Outside, the village was silent except for a few roosters crowing in the distance and the occasional bark of a dog. As Li Wei walked to work, the smell of fresh buns from the rich streets drifted by. His stomach twisted painfully, but he kept going. He didn't have money to even think about stopping.
At the brick yard, Mr.Huang, the boss, was already waiting, his face twisted in a scowl.
"You're late!" Boss Huang snapped. "Three minutes late! Next time, I'll suspend you. Even one more minute, and you're out. Understand?"
Li Wei lowered his head quickly. "Yes, sir. I'm sorry."
"Get to work!"
Li Wei hurried to join the others. Each brick felt like a mountain in his hands. His arms shook with every lift, and sweat poured down his face, stinging his eyes. But he didn't stop.
All day long, he thought about his sick mother lying in the small, cold clinic. He thought about his sister, Ying, working in a faraway town, bathing pigs just to survive. He had to keep going. There was no other way.
The sun climbed higher, turning the yard into a hot, dusty oven. His clothes stuck to his skin, and each breath felt sharp and dry. But he didn't slow down.
During a short break, Li Wei leaned against a wall, trying to catch his breath. He wiped his forehead with his sleeve, feeling the grit and dirt on his skin.
Then, something caught his eye.
A fancy carriage rolled up near the yard. A young woman stepped down gracefully. She wore a soft green silk dress that shimmered under the sun, and her hair was pinned up neatly with delicate ornaments. She looked like she belonged in another world.
Their eyes met.
For a few heartbeats, everything else disappeared. Her gaze was warm, yet carried a quiet sadness. It felt like she could see straight into his tired, aching heart.
Then someone called her name, and she turned away, walking into the grand house beyond the high gates.
The moment was over, but it stayed burning inside Li Wei like a small, hidden flame.
He went back to work, even though his body screamed at him to stop.
As the sun began to set and the workers started leaving, Li Wei was still stacking bricks. Just then, he heard quick footsteps running toward him.
A young boy, sweating and breathing hard, appeared with a basket in his hands.
"Hey! You there! Li Wei?" the boy called out.
Li Wei paused, surprised. "Yes… I'm Li Wei."
The boy thrust the basket into his arms. "This is for you."
Li Wei looked inside. Steamed buns, rice cakes, fresh fruit — things he hadn't even dreamed of eating for years.
He stared at the boy, stunned. "Who… who sent this?"
The boy pointed quickly toward the grand estate. "From there… the big house."
Before Li Wei could ask more, the boy turned and ran off into the dusty road.
Li Wei stood frozen, clutching the basket tightly to his chest. His heart thumped loudly in his ears.
Could it really be her?
He carried the basket home carefully, his arms burning from exhaustion, but his heart strangely warm. He set it down and sat beside it, staring for a long moment.
He thought about it again and again. Who would do this for someone like him? Why? But then he looked around his empty, cold room. There was nothing else to eat.
Slowly, he took some of the food out, keeping a small portion for himself. He carefully packed the rest again.
With a deep breath, he picked up the basket and hurried to the small clinic where his mother stayed. When she saw him, her tired eyes lit up, though her face looked pale and thin.
Li Wei placed the food beside her bed and handed a few coins he had saved to the nurse. He leaned in close and whispered, "Please, take good care of her… I'll bring more when I can."
His mother's eyes went wide when she saw the food. "Where did you get this?" she asked shakily. "Did you… steal it?"
Tears filled Li Wei's eyes. He shook his head quickly, wiping his face with the back of his hand. "You know I would never do that, Mother," he said softly, his voice trembling.
She stared at him, her eyes full of worry and love. He didn't tell her about the estate or the girl. Instead, he forced a small, gentle smile. "Someone offered it," he said simply.
His mother nodded slowly, but her gaze stayed on him, as if she was trying to read a truth hidden deep inside him.
After helping her eat a little and making sure she was warm, Li Wei gave her hand one last gentle squeeze before he left.
When he got back home, he sat on his thin mat, alone in the quiet. He picked up the few rice cakes he had kept and started to eat, taking small, slow bites. Each bite felt comforting but heavy, as if it carried a warmth he couldn't quite understand.
He looked out at the moonlight slipping through the cracks of the window. In that moment, he felt both deeply thankful and scared, as if something had started to change in his life, but he didn't know if he should trust it… or be afraid of it.