Siheyuan: I just came across and wanted to chase me away

Chapter 1112 Ah Hu

Ah Hu led his men around the room, his eyes scanning every corner like a hawk's, even kicking under the bed. Zhang San, hiding in the closet, felt those gazes scraping across the door like knives, his whole body stiff with fear, his palms sweating, clutching his clothes tightly, not daring to breathe, afraid that his breath would be heard.

"Boss, there's nothing here. Did you hear me wrong?" one of the henchmen said, scratching his head. The room was a mess, and there wasn't a soul in sight, nor any sign that anyone had been there. There were only a few spider webs in the corner.

Ah Hu frowned, about to say something, when he caught a glimpse of a skinny, filthy kitten crouching against the wall, looking at them timidly. When the kittens looked over, it shrank back. He paused, then smiled, kicking the stool beside him. "I thought it was someone important, but it's just a stray cat that wandered in. Alright, you guys go out. Keep watch at the door and don't let anyone near."

The henchmen responded with a "Yes," and filed out, leaving only Ah Hu in the room. He walked to the table, picked up a half-empty bottle of Erguotou (a type of Chinese liquor), unscrewed the cap, and gulped down a large mouthful. The liquor dripped from the corner of his mouth, soaking his shirt. Lili's "business" was gradually picking up, and she was giving him a few yuan every day, enough for the brothers to fill their stomachs. He really deserved to relax a bit.

Lili wasn't Ah Hu's biological sister, but their bond was stronger than blood. They had known each other since they were little, both homeless children on the streets. Ah Hu was three years older than Lili and always protected her like a little adult. In the cold winter, he would wrap all the tattered cotton he had collected around Lili, shivering himself in the cold; if he managed to beg for half a steamed bun, he would eat the hard crust himself, leaving the soft filling for her, watching her eat it little by little, feeling satisfied even as he swallowed his saliva.

The two of them relied on each other, growing up stealing and scavenging. Ah Hu was incredibly good to Li Li, but the world was far too cruel to them. Being chased and beaten by shopkeepers, pursued by stray dogs, and going hungry were commonplace. Several times, Ah Hu was beaten until his head bled while protecting Li Li, yet he still hid her behind him. If it weren't for this bond, they might not have survived long ago. Now that they finally had a place to stay, Ah Hu only wanted to protect Li Li, to give her a stable life, so she wouldn't have to wander aimlessly, suffering from cold and hunger like before.

Ah Hu took another gulp of cheap liquor; the label on the bottle was long since worn away. The pungent liquid burned his throat like hot coals, making him cough violently twice. But his eyes were involuntarily glued to the photograph of Lili on the corner of the table, unable to look away. It was a small, black-and-white photo with frayed edges. The girl in the photo had two shiny braids, the ends of which were tied with bows with faded red ribbons. When she smiled, her mouth stretched wide, revealing two sharp little tiger teeth. Her eyes shone like stars reflected in well water, softening even the roughest temper in one's heart. A rare gentleness appeared on his lips as well. His rough, calloused fingers gently brushed away the thin layer of dust from the photograph, his fingertips repeatedly rubbing against the girl's smiling face. His movements were so gentle, unlike him—the ruthless character who could knock someone's teeth out with a single punch in the slums.

Unbeknownst to him, a pair of eyes were intently watching his every move through the crack in the door of the old, peeling wardrobe in the corner. Zhang San huddled in the wardrobe, filled with tattered clothes, like a frightened mouse, barely daring to breathe. His back pressed tightly against the cold wooden board, the chill creeping up his spine, while his palms were sweaty, soaking the hem of his clothes. He had stepped on a loose tile when he climbed in through the back window, making a loud crash. He thought he would be discovered, but unexpectedly, Ah Hu was staring intently at a photograph, allowing him to sneak into this hiding place, afraid even his heartbeat would be heard.

Ah Hu's thoughts drifted back to a few years ago, when he and Lili were just teenagers. Their parents had died early, leaving them orphans with no one to care for them. They could only eke out a living in dilapidated houses in the slums and under bridges. There, sewage flowed freely, garbage piled up, and the air always smelled sour. There was also a group of thugs who took pleasure in bullying the weak—the leader was a one-eyed man who always roamed around with a few henchmen, giving them a cold shoulder. They stole the half-eaten steamed bun that Lili had painstakingly begged for, tore up her old textbooks that she had saved up for a long time, and even threw stones at them, making them run away with their heads in their hands, calling them "unwanted bastards."

At first, Ah Hu was young and hadn't grown up yet, so thin he looked like a bean sprout. He could only drag Lili along as they ran, and each time he was chased until he was out of breath, with new wounds on his arms and legs. But as he grew older, his bones grew taller and taller, his shoulders broadened, and his fists became harder and harder. The flame of rebellion that had been bullied to the extreme finally ignited within him.

"Tiger, if you ask me, let's just forget about it." Lily always tugged at his arm, her big eyes filled with fear, her voice barely audible. "After all, we're just kids. They outnumber us and have iron bars. How can we possibly beat those thugs? Just bear with it... until we save up some more money..."

Ah Hu, his eyes red, clenched his fists so tightly that his nails dug deep into his palms, drawing blood without him noticing: "What's wrong? Are we just going to be bullied like this forever? One day, two days, one month, two months, or a lifetime? Look at us now, we can't even get a decent meal! Yesterday, you finally managed to wash a basket of clothes for the Zhang family and got some cornbread in return, but they stole it and fed it to the wild dogs! Lili, you can endure it, but I can't!"

“But we’re already earning money,” Lili argued softly, twisting the hem of her clothes in her small hands. “I can earn two copper coins a day by mending and washing clothes for others; you can work at the docks and exchange that for some dry food. Once we’ve saved enough money, we’ll leave, go south, to a place where nobody knows us. We’ll be able to survive, and we won’t have to depend on others anymore…”

Ah Hu shook his head, a fierce glint flashing in his eyes—the resolute determination of someone driven to the brink: "I don't think that way anymore. You think things will be different somewhere else? People without ability will be bullied and oppressed wherever they go! I'm going to get revenge on One-Eyed Dragon. I'll do it tonight and kill all those bastards!"

"Brother Tiger, should we...should we do this?" Lili's voice trembled with fear, tears welling in her eyes. "Murder is punishable by death...what if the authorities investigate..."

"This is the only way we can do it!" Ah Hu interrupted her, his tone ruthless and desperate. "If we don't do this, we'll be stuck like rats for the rest of our lives, begging for food wherever we go! Kill them, I'll become the boss, and this territory will be ours. No one will dare to bully us anymore, and we can finally live a good life!"