"The handsome guy/beautiful girl brain deposit center."
"Brain collection with politeness, never resell!" Magic City, Yanbei District.
This is a city filled with charm and magic, where lights brighten the night and the air is lively. Under a bridge shrouded in darkness.
A young boy, dressed in tattered clothes and thin as a skeleton, lies on an old quilt with only a large green coat to cover him.
From time to time, the sound of squeaking rats can be heard inside the tunnel and the roar of vehicles outside.
The dim light from the streetlamps shining on the little boy's pale face. Judging by his appearance, he seems only five or six years old but has already been homeless for a year.
A night swiftly passed, and daylight began to pour down. The little boy slowly opened his eyes, staring in a daze at his surroundings.
"What a realistic dream. How did that handsome uncle stuff so much stuff in my head?"
He dusted off his clothes and ran to wash his small face in a river nearby. For the past few days, he has been having some extraordinary dreams, where a handsome uncle in his dreams teaches him many things.
There was calligraphy, chess, traditional Chinese medicine, musical instruments, painting and even cultivation.
"The handsome uncle said he wanted to take me as his apprentice yesterday and taught me how to cultivate."
"Why do I learn so quickly in my dreams and remember everything so clearly?"
The little boy mumbling in a milky voice, yet his stomach growled hungrily.
He chuckled innocently, knowing it was time for him to go "work" on the street.
Returning to his den, he skillfully retrieved a small plate and a piece of paper from under the bed, and tip-toed his way out.
Early morning in Yanbei District was busy, small vendors were enthusiastically getting their goods ready as the volume of traffic and pedestrians hit its peak for the day.
A boy and a girl were on their way to school. The girl's name was Lin Xiaoxiao, and the boy's name was Ye Xing.
"Xiaoxiao, don't say I didn't warn you. Hurry up a bit. We're almost late for morning self-study. Don't cry if the director catches us," he said.
"Hurry what? There's still time. You're always rushing like there's no tomorrow. If you walk this fast, how can you breathe in the freshest air?" replied Lin Xiaoxiao, annoyingly.
Suddenly, she stopped, her attention drawn to the vendor selling egg pancakes.
Noticing her, Ye Xing sighed helplessly before saying, "Miss, don't eat now. Didn't we just have breakfast? Can we go to school first?"
Ignoring his comment, Lin Xiaoxiao simply grabbed his arm and dragged him toward the vendor.
However, they didn't stop at the egg pancake stand; instead, they stopped in a small open spot next to it.
'Kind brothers, sisters, uncles, and aunties, could you spare little Ke some food? Thank you.' Lin Xiaoxiao read the message on the paper silently, looking at the young boy squatting on the ground in front of her, a pang of sympathy filling her face.
The little boy had staked out his spot early in the morning, gazing with longing at the older boys and girls nearby, his heart full of anticipation.
His name was Xiao Ke. From a young age, he depended on his grandfather who made a living recycling. Every day, he would follow his grandfather around collecting bottles and cardboard boxes.
Though their life was tough, his grandfather loved him dearly.
Whenever there was something good to eat, or a toy picked up from their collections, they would give it to him.
Despite living in a decrepit house and dining on simple fare, their days were nonetheless filled with warmth.
Unfortunately, a year ago, his grandfather passed away from liver cancer.
Xiao Ke hugged his grandfather's lifeless body crying his heart out, eventually falling asleep from exhaustion.
When the police arrived the next day, they took his grandfather away.
Since then, he started his life on the streets.
A seasoned beggar observed his situation and took pity on him, telling him that begging on the streets was the only way he could get food.
Xiao Ke quickly learned the ropes from the old man, starting his "work" early every day from a tender age.
"Beautiful sister, could you give Xiao Ke something to eat?" When Lin Xiao Xiao looked at the frail, thin boy.
His long-term malnutrition had rendered him even thinner, resembling a wilted sprout.
Yet, his eyes were full of life, the azure pupils glistened vibrantly.
"Ye Xing, shall we help him out? The poor little boy is pitiful."
Looking at Lin Xiaoxiao's eyes which were tinged with a slight redness, then shifting his gaze to the frail boy, he also felt a pang of sympathy in his heart.
He turned around to buy two pancakes and a bottle of Coca-Cola.
"Little Ke, here, eat quickly. You must be starved. Where is your family?"
After taking the food, Little Ke gave them a sweet smile.
Hearing Xiaoxiao's question that followed, he dropped his head down in sadness.
"Last year, my grandfather was taken away by the police. The officers told me he had passed away."
"I have no idea where my mom and dad are. I can't find them."
Thinking of his now absent grandfather who used to playfully amuse him, Little Ke silently shed tears, his slight body trembling visibly.
Upon seeing this, Lin Xiaoxiao sighed heavily and quickly moved to comfort Little Ke.
"Why didn't the officers send you to the orphanage? Then you wouldn't have to starve." Between sobs, Little Ke replied.
"I want to find my...my mom and dad. I don't...l don't want to go to the orphanage."
"I have parents. That's why I sneaked...sneaked out to look for them."
Truly unable to bear the sight, Lin Xiaoxiao pulled fifty yuan from her pocket and placed it in a plate on the ground.
"Little brother, would you like to come home with me? That way, you won't have to go hungry anymore."
Upon hearing those words, Little Ke stopped crying. With tearful eyes, he gazed blankly at Lin Xiaoxiao.
Just then, a gust of wind swept through, blowing the fifty yuan in the tray onto the road.