In Yellow Sand City, the east, west, and south districts were home to the wealthy and the middle class. The north district, however, housed the city's lowest social stratum. It was a chaotic jumble of all sorts, a real motley crew. The moderately well-off middle-class citizens spoke of the north district with disdain, and as for the truly rich, not a single one would ever consider settling there.
When three relatively grand carriages stopped at the entrance of a dilapidated little courtyard, it caused a stir among the locals. Many peeked cautiously from their own yards. Along the muddy, potholed street, others stood at a distance, their eyes filled with envy.
Qin Li hopped down from the carriage. He looked at the small courtyard before him, a place even shabbier than where they used to live, yet a relaxed smile spread across his face. 'Be it ever so humble, there's no place like home.' As of today, Qin Li had taken his first step away from the Qin Family. As for the upcoming meeting with the young lady from the Shangguan Family, he wasn't particularly concerned about the outcome.
'When you're down and out, you have no face, no dignity. All you have is a sliver of pathetic self-respect. Only when I become strong, when I possess power that no one dares to underestimate, will I have true face and true dignity!'
Qin Hanyue and Qin Xue were taken aback by the impoverished scene before them. However, they only hesitated for a moment before getting out of the carriage and helping Qin Li move their belongings into the small courtyard.
The small courtyard contained only three rooms: two on the east and west for living, with a kitchen in the middle. The house was built from a mix of green bricks and mud bricks. The green tiles on the roof looked ancient, and some sections were so dilapidated they were in clear need of immediate repair.
Qin Li had been the one to choose this house. Qin Hanyue had wanted to buy a courtyard in the South City; while not exactly a wealthy district, the conditions there were far better than this.
But in Qin Li's view, it was more comfortable to live here. 'Don't mind the rich folks who wrinkle their noses at the mention of the north district,' he thought. 'They just don't understand!'
'Righteousness is often found among the lowly, while the rich are often cruel. You rarely see a wealthy person who is both righteous and generous.' Besides, living here was the most inconspicuous choice. The previous owner of this courtyard had struck it rich and moved to settle in the South City, so Qin Li was able to buy it for just a few pieces of silver. After some minor repairs, it would be perfectly livable. Qin Li had no plans to stay for long anyway; for him, this place was merely a temporary stop.
A few of the braver little boys stood timidly at a distance, watching the group unload their things from the carriages. Qin Li waved to them. "How about you come give us a hand?"
"Why should I help you?" a grimy boy about Qin Li's age asked, watching him warily.
"Heh, we're going to be neighbors now, aren't we? Shouldn't we help each other out?" Qin Xue said, flashing the boy a brilliant smile.
To a young boy full of romantic fantasies, a beautiful eighteen-year-old girl was a flawless vision. The boy's face flushed slightly. He then looked at Qin Li and declared, "I'm not helping *you*. I'm helping *her*!"
With that, he waved to the kids behind him. "Gou Dan, Shitou, Little Catfish! You guys too! Stop gawking and come help!"
Before the boy even finished speaking, a whole swarm of kids—seven or eight of them—appeared as if from nowhere. They rushed over and, with surprising nimbleness, began helping unload the carriages.
Qin Xue shot Qin Li a triumphant glance. Qin Li rolled his eyes and shrugged. 'These little brats sure grow up fast,' he thought, completely forgetting that he himself was only thirteen.
In the course of their conversation, they learned that the leader of the boys was named Watermelon. Apparently, his father was a watermelon seller and had named his son accordingly.
Despite his young age, Watermelon was the king of the kids for a dozen or so surrounding streets. He could fight, he valued loyalty, and all the other children looked up to him.
Seeing Watermelon's smug expression, Qin Li smiled to himself. 'Before I met my master, I wasn't much different from him. I bet when Watermelon grows up, he might even follow the same old path I once did.'
"Hey, where'd you guys move from?"
Watermelon asked, eyeing Qin Li with a hint of hostility. He had a feeling that this well-dressed boy, who was about his age, would become his most threatening challenger on these streets. Plus, the way he was so familiar with the pretty girl was just plain annoying.
"And why should I tell you?" Qin Li retorted, shooting Watermelon a sideways glance and flashing a toothy grin.
"I helped you with your stuff!" Watermelon shot back.
Qin Li found himself growing more interested in this gutsy kid. He pointed at Qin Xue and laughed. "But you just said you were helping *her*, not me."
Qin Xue couldn't help but chuckle. The sight of it made Watermelon, who had been about to get angry, freeze for a second before his face turned red. By now, everything had been unloaded from the carriages. Watermelon shot Qin Li a resentful look. "You! You've got no loyalty. I can tell you're bad news!"
With that, he and his little army of followers scampered away, his voice trailing behind him: "Your sister is a good person, though! If anyone dares to bully you, just tell them my name, Watermelon!"
Qin Xue covered her mouth and giggled. In that moment, she felt she finally understood why Qin Li had chosen this place. 'Compared to the exquisite gardens, high walls, and vast, isolating courtyards of the Qin Family estate, this place... it has more of a human touch!' Her earlier idea of using her private savings to help their mother buy a better house completely vanished.
"Mother, don't worry," Qin Li said slowly, looking at Qin Hanyue. "I promise you, living here is only temporary! It won't be long before I can take you away from this place!"
Qin Hanyue looked at her precious son, her face filled with gratification. "This place is nice," she said softly. "I like it here!"
Qin Hanyue's words were filled with emotion. It was true. This place might be poor, but here, no one would give them strange looks. No malicious gossip would reach their ears.
Just then, the sound of hoofbeats suddenly rang out from outside. Four Knights in smart-looking attire reined in their horses at the courtyard entrance. One of them called out, "Pardon me, is this the residence of Young Master Qin?"
Qin Li looked at Qin Hanyue and said, "Mother, that must be someone from the Shangguan Family. I'll go and be right back."
Qin Hanyue looked at her son, whose clothes were dirty from moving their belongings. She reached out to brush the dust off him. "Shouldn't you change before you go?"
Qin Li shook his head, gave his mother's hand a gentle pat, and turned to walk out the door. "I am Qin Li."
Upon hearing this, the Knights dismounted and bowed in unison to Qin Li. The one who had spoken earlier said, "Young Master Qin, we have come on the orders of Master Shangguan to escort you to your meeting with the young mistress. The carriage is waiting at the mouth of the alley."
"Alright, let's go." Qin Li deliberately brushed at the dust on his clothes. Seeing that the Knights' expressions remained impassive, he sighed to himself. 'The gap between the Qin Family and the Shangguan Family truly is more than just a little.'