At this point, Xu Ruizhi still didn't know her name, so he took the initiative to introduce himself. "My name is Xu Ruizhi. What's yours?"
"My name is Fang Hanmeng," the girl beggar replied with a smile. "My grandma gave me this name. She said that cold dreams will one day come to an end."
Xu Ruizhi silently repeated the name "Hanmeng" in his mind, feeling an inexplicable stir in his heart. He nodded and asked, "Have you eaten?"
"No," Fang Hanmeng answered honestly. "I was just digging through the trash looking for something to eat, but I didn't find anything edible."
Xu Ruizhi was taken aback, only now noticing the grimy trash can behind Fang Hanmeng. Another wave of sadness washed over him. He sighed and said, "Then let me treat you to dinner tonight. What would you like to eat?"
"Dinner?" Fang Hanmeng blinked her watery eyes, her face lighting up with surprise. "Really? I want to eat KFC!"
"Of course, but I can only buy it for you tomorrow because it's too late today and all the nearby shops are closed. Let me take you around the area first to see if any stores are still open. After you've eaten, I'll go to your place."
"Mm, okay!" Fang Hanmeng nodded obediently, a happy smile spreading across her face.
Xu Ruizhi took Fang Hanmeng's hand and walked toward the street next to the road.
And so, Xu Ruizhi took Fang Hanmeng for a stroll on the nighttime streets. Since it was already late at night, the surrounding shops had long turned off their lights, leaving the streets cold and deserted. Apart from the two of them, only the dim streetlights cast a faint blue glow.
They hadn't walked far when they spotted a barbecue stall ahead. The stall owner was tidying up the tables and chairs, preparing to call it a night.
Seeing how utterly hungry Fang Hanmeng looked, Xu Ruizhi took her hand and headed toward the barbecue stall. As they walked, he said, "Xiao Meng, this is the only barbecue stall still open around here. Have something to fill your stomach first. After we finish eating, I'll go with you to your place."
As he spoke, Xu Ruizhi stopped in front of the barbecue stall and asked the owner, who was wiping down the tables, "Boss, do you still have any food?"
The barbecue stall owner put down his rag and greeted them warmly, "Yes, feel free to take whatever you'd like. I still have some lamb skewers left. Since there are no customers at this hour, I'll give them to you to try."
The owner's hospitality caught Xu Ruizhi off guard. He quickly declined, "Boss, that's not right. We'll just have a little something. It's only natural to pay for what we eat."
The barbecue stall owner shook his head and smiled, "It's fine, it's not worth much anyway. This is my first day in business, and I'm still a bit inexperienced with the grilling. Look, I've burned quite a few pieces."
Xu Ruizhi glanced at the ingredients on the grill. Indeed, many were charred, but most of the food was still edible. The owner hadn't thrown away the burnt pieces but had kept them instead, clearly planning to take them home for his wife and children to try.
Xu Ruizhi fished out the pocket money he had. Though it wasn't much, it totaled around fifty or sixty yuan. He handed it to the owner with a smile and said, "Boss, take this money. I can't take advantage of you for free."
The barbecue stall owner waved his hand, refusing. "Young man, don't be so polite. How about this—do you drink beer?"
Xu Ruizhi was taken aback. He had never tried beer before, but he could tell the owner seemed to want someone to keep him company for a drink and a chat. So he nodded and said, "I can drink a little."
The owner chuckled, "Since you can drink a little, then you definitely can't take the money. How about this: I'll give you these burnt lamb skewers. If you don't mind, you can eat them all. Just sit with me for a while, chat a bit, and help me clean up afterward. How does that sound?"
After hearing this, Xu Ruizhi felt it would be overly fussy to refuse again. He hesitated for a moment but finally nodded in agreement. "Alright then."
Only then did the owner show a satisfied smile, inviting Xu Ruizhi and Fang Hanmeng to sit down.
The barbecue stall was quite rudimentary, with nothing more than a grill and a few worn-out stools. The owner was pouring beer from a bottle into a cup, filling it halfway before handing it to Xu Ruizhi. At the same time, a plate of lamb skewers was brought over.
As soon as Fang Hanmeng saw the lamb skewers, her eyes lit up, and drool trickled from the corner of her mouth. She looked at Xu Ruizhi with eager anticipation, as if asking if she could eat them.
Xu Ruizhi couldn't help but chuckle at Fang Hanmeng's expression. He picked up a plate, took a slightly charred lamb skewer, dipped it in some sauce, and handed it to Fang Hanmeng, saying, "Here you go, Xiao Meng. Eat up."
Fang Hanmeng happily took the lamb skewer from Xu Ruizhi and took a big bite, chewing eagerly as she exclaimed, "It's delicious, so delicious! Big brother, you should have some too."
Seeing Fang Hanmeng's innocent delight, Xu Ruizhi felt a warm glow in his heart. He smiled, picked up a lamb skewer himself, and took a small bite. The skewer was perfectly crispy and exceptionally flavorful, prompting him to praise, "It really is delicious."
At that moment, the owner sat down, picked up a beer bottle, and took a sip. Suddenly, he sniffed the air, looked up, and glanced curiously at Fang Hanmeng before turning to Xu Ruizhi. "Young man, this is...?"
Xu Ruizhi glanced at Fang Hanmeng, who was still focused on eating and seemed oblivious to the conversation. Lowering his voice, he explained, "Boss, her name is Fang Hanmeng. When I first met her, she was rummaging through a trash bin looking for food. I felt sorry for her, so I brought her here to eat."
The owner nodded in understanding. He had found it strange earlier—in this day and age, most girls were neatly dressed and well-groomed, but this one was dressed in tattered clothes and looked disheveled. It turned out she had fallen on hard times.
The owner continued in a low voice, "What about her family?"
"They're probably gone," Xu Ruizhi replied hesitantly before adding, "She told me she used to have a grandmother, but she said her grandmother passed away over a year ago. Now, she's all alone."
Hearing this, the owner frowned slightly but didn't say much. Instead, he patted his chest and assured Xu Ruizhi that as long as his barbecue stall remained open, Fang Hanmeng would have fresh barbecue to eat every day.
"Thank you, boss," Xu Ruizhi said gratefully. With a stall like this, at least Fang Hanmeng wouldn't have to go hungry.
He still had to attend school every day and couldn't take care of Fang Hanmeng all the time. So, having a reliable place like this would make things much easier.
"Here, take this money. Whenever Xiao Meng comes here to eat, just let me know, and I'll pay for it," Xu Ruizhi said, pressing some cash into the owner's hand.
But the owner firmly refused. "Young man, are you looking down on me, Zhong Weiqun?"
Xu Ruizhi smiled wryly. "You've misunderstood. That's not what I meant. Actually, I..."
"If you do this, I'll feel even worse. I may not have much money, but I can afford a few lamb skewers. Besides, how much can one person eat?" Zhong Weiqun insisted on not taking Xu Ruizhi's money.
"Alright, fine," Xu Ruizhi finally relented.
He picked up a nearby plate, took another slightly charred lamb skewer, dipped it in sauce, and handed it to Fang Hanmeng, speaking softly, "Xiao Meng, eat slowly. Don't choke."
Fang Hanmeng nodded happily, then took the skewers and began eating with great relish. It was clear that she rarely ate much in her daily life, and now, as she ate, she resembled a starving little kitten, taking bite after bite with a rather ungraceful manner.
Xu Ruizhi watched Fang Hanmeng eat while taking a sip of cold beer. The moment the beer touched his lips, a bitter taste immediately spread, accompanied by a cool, refreshing sensation that coursed through his entire body, causing him to furrow his brow slightly.
And so, the three of them sat on the chairs at the barbecue stall, chatting as they ate. After finishing their late-night snack, they helped Zhong Weiqun clean up a bit, exchanged a few more words with him, and then the two of them left the stall.
Walking along the road, Xu Ruizhi asked Fang Hanmeng, "Xiao Meng, where is your home?"
Fang Hanmeng blinked, tilted her head, thought for a moment, and pointed to a building ahead. "That's it."
Xu Ruizhi looked up and gazed ahead. It turned out to be an unfinished building, seemingly quite old judging by its style. The exterior was covered in moss, the ground around it was strewn with spiderwebs, and the rooftop was piled with all sorts of clutter.
Seeing this dilapidated building, Xu Ruizhi's heart sank, and he couldn't help but sigh inwardly. How could anyone live in such a remote place? He wondered how this girl had managed to survive.
Xu Ruizhi and Fang Hanmeng strolled leisurely along the road, chatting as they walked.
"Xiao Meng, how old are you this year?" Xu Ruizhi asked casually as they walked.
"Let me think," Fang Hanmeng said, counting on her fingers. Then she began muttering softly, "Two years old, eight years old, sixteen years old..."
Watching Xiao Meng start counting on her fingers again, Xu Ruizhi couldn't help but chuckle. The girl seemed a bit silly, but her counting was surprisingly accurate.
"I remember now," Fang Hanmeng stopped counting, looked up, and said with a smile, "I'm thirty-two years old this year."
Hearing Fang Hanmeng's words, Xu Ruizhi stumbled and nearly fell. Fang Hanmeng, startled, quickly reached out to steady him.
"You... you're thirty-two?" Xu Ruizhi asked, looking at Fang Hanmeng in disbelief.
"Yes, I'm thirty-two," Fang Hanmeng repeated.
Xu Ruizhi was speechless. He had been calling her "big brother" all this time, only to find out she was actually a thirty-two-year-old "big sister." This was truly awkward.
Xu Ruizhi looked at Fang Hanmeng's innocent gaze, unsure of what to think. He had originally assumed Fang Hanmeng was at most in her teens, never expecting her to be older than his own mother!
"Big Brother, what's wrong?" Fang Hanmeng blinked her watery eyes at Xu Ruizhi, her face filled with confusion and innocence.
"..."
Xu Ruizhi took a deep breath to calm himself before saying, "Could you not call me Big Brother?"
Being called "Big Brother" by a thirty-two-year-old woman felt utterly absurd to him.
Even if her mental age was only five or six, she was still a woman in her thirties!
"If I don't call you Big Brother, what should I call you?" Fang Hanmeng tilted her head thoughtfully before asking, "Should I call you Uncle?"
"..."
Xu Ruizhi was left speechless again. What kind of ridiculous titles were these?
"Ahem—" Xu Ruizhi cleared his throat, trying to put on a serious expression. "Just call me Big Brother!" And so, the two finally arrived in front of the abandoned building.
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