Love Lock

Chapter 111 Eleven Understandings
"Please have mercy, give me some food..."

As a faint begging voice rang out, a ragged woman, carrying a thin little boy in her arms, staggered to the table where Han Lei and the other two were sitting.

The little boy's eyes were fixed on the food on the table, his gaze filled with longing.

Seeing this, the waiter frowned and immediately waved his hand to shoo them away: "Go away, go away! This is not a place for you to beg!"

Han Lei's heart softened involuntarily. She looked up at the mother and son. The woman was disheveled and her face was full of exhaustion and helplessness. The little boy was not only thin, but also looked bewildered and frightened.

Begging while holding a child?

"Wait a moment." Han Lei gently called to the waiter, stood up, and softly asked the woman, "Where did you come from? How did you end up in this state?"

The woman lowered her head, tears welling up in her eyes. She choked out, "We were originally villagers from a small village outside the city. My husband went to the Beiguan battlefield two years ago and never came back."

"The battlefield at Beiguan?"

Han Lei frowned. Wasn't that Zhao Zun's former army?

"And your husband is..."

Eleven asked tentatively.

He had spent a long time in the army in Beiguan, so perhaps he knew this woman's husband.

The woman pursed her lips and shook her head.

"Later, the county government issued a pension of ten taels of silver, but my wicked mother-in-law snatched it all and gave it to my brother-in-law. She also disliked my son because he was disabled and kicked my son and me out of the house."

Upon hearing that the child was disabled, Han Lei's professional instincts kicked in, and her gaze fell on the child again. The child sat quietly on the woman's elbow, and she couldn't discern anything amiss.

The woman continued, "I went back to my parents' home for help, but they said that a married daughter is like water spilled from a cup, and they wouldn't take us in. Because I have a child with me, no one is willing to hire me. So my son and I have no choice but to beg on the streets..."

Overcome with emotion, the woman could no longer hold back her tears. The little boy seemed to sense his mother's sorrow and burst into tears as well.

Eleven and Fifteen listened with tears welling up in their eyes, and Eleven couldn't help but speak up.

"Your husband... what's his name? Perhaps he was once a comrade-in-arms who fought alongside us on the battlefield."

"Comrade-in-arms?" The woman looked at Eleven with teary eyes and said, "His name is Li Dashan."

Eleven's heart skipped a beat; he was all too familiar with the name Li Dashan.

That was indeed his brother who had fought alongside him, who had sacrificed his life on the battlefield of Beiguan two years ago. He never imagined that his wife and children would end up in such a miserable state.

Looking at the mother and son in front of her, Han Lei felt a strange pain in her heart.

In her world, soldiers who sacrifice their lives to defend their country are martyrs, and the country will treat their families well.

However, this concept doesn't seem to exist here; the imperial court's pension is only ten taels of silver.

She turned to the waiter and said, "Go and get two more sets of bowls and chopsticks so they can eat with us."

The waiter looked troubled: "But..."

"There's no 'but' about it," Eleven interrupted him. "If my daughter says it's okay, then it's okay."

The waiter sighed helplessly and turned to get the bowls and chopsticks.

Upon seeing this, the woman quickly waved her hands, saying, "No, no, we are too dirty to sit at the table. Thank you for your kindness, but my son and I are already very grateful to have been able to get a steamed bun here."

Fifteen, holding back tears, stepped forward and picked up the little boy, placing him on the stool.

"The child is starving, so let him eat."

As he spoke, Fifteen picked up a steamed bun and stuffed it into the little boy's hand.

The little boy hesitated for a moment, then timidly turned to look at the woman. The woman nodded, and the child began to wolf down the food, as if it were the most delicious food he had ever eaten.

The woman watched her son eat with relish, and tears streamed down her face again. She looked gratefully at Han Lei, Eleven, and Fifteen.

"Thank you, thank you..." Han Lei smiled and shook her head: "Sister-in-law. My two brothers were also soldiers on the Beiguan battlefield. Come, sit down and eat with us!"

“Yes, sister-in-law. Sit down and eat!” Fifteen pulled out a stool for the woman.

With tears in her eyes, the woman timidly sat down. The mother and son finally joined Han Lei and the others at the table and enjoyed a hot meal.

During their conversation, they learned that the woman's husband's surname was Li, and they were tenant farmers in the village. Although life was hard, they managed to barely make ends meet for their family.

That day, Li was busy working in the fields when her child fell from a small slope by the edge of the field and broke his leg. Although the village doctor treated him, he was left with a disability.

Han Lei knelt down and gently examined the child's injured leg. She felt that the problem wasn't too serious, and she was confident that she could help the child recover. She also wanted to help this military wife.

Han Lei looked at Li Sao and said softly, "The child is still young, and his bones are not fully formed yet, so there is still a possibility of recovery. If you are willing, you might as well come with us to Cangzhou. I can help the child. Moreover, once we get to Cangzhou, I can also find you a job."

Upon hearing this, Eleven and Fifteen were overjoyed. Knowing their daughter's kindness and ability, they quickly echoed her sentiments.

"Yes, Sister Li. Come with us to Cangzhou! My daughter is a skilled doctor and owns a restaurant. She can definitely find you a job."

"Sister-in-law, come with us! We can help each other out if we're all together. It's better than you begging around with your child!"

"Can...can I?" Aunt Li couldn't believe such a good thing could happen.

"Why not? If my daughter says it's okay, then it's okay." Eleven said, looking at Han Lei questioningly.

"Mm!" Han Lei nodded with a smile.

"This, this is wonderful."

A flicker of surprise flashed in Aunt Li's eyes, but it was quickly replaced by tears of gratitude. She wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes and choked out her agreement.

After dinner, Han Lei asked Shiwu to go to the street to buy some clothes for Li Sao and her son, while she and Shiyi took them back to the inn.

Today, the story of Li Sao and her son gave Han Lei an idea, and a thought welled up in her mind.

She summoned Eleven and said to him, "Eleven, tomorrow Fifteen will escort us to Cangzhou. You stay in Jingzhou and do something for me."

Eleven paused for a moment, then nodded: "Miss, please speak."

"Go and gather all the beggars and families of scholars who are struggling in Jingzhou. If they are willing, take them to Cangzhou. I want them to rebuild their homes there and live a peaceful life."

Han Lei's eyes were filled with determination and resolve. She had heard from the wounded soldiers that most of the soldiers at Beiguan were civilians from Jingzhou and Cangzhou.

Leaving aside the local Cangzhou residents, we can also bring together the families of martyrs and homeless beggars from Jingzhou. This would not only help Cangzhou's development but also provide them with a stable life.

This way, both sides can have the best of both worlds.

Upon hearing this, a hint of surprise flashed in Shiyi's eyes, followed by deep admiration.

"girl!"

Looking at Han Lei, Eleven was so excited that he couldn't speak for a long time, not knowing what to say. He simply lifted his robe and knelt down on one knee.

"To all the brothers who died on the battlefield in the eleventh generation, thank you, young lady," Eleven said, clasping her hands in a fist salute.

"Alright, get up!" Han Lei chuckled and gave them a helping hand. "I'm not helping them for nothing. They also need to work hard like you to earn a good life."

"Of course, Eleven understands." Eleven nodded firmly.

Han Lei took out several silver notes from her spatial storage and handed them to Eleven. After giving him a few more earnest instructions, Eleven went back to his room to rest.

The National Day holiday had just ended when the system's arrival sounded in Han Lei's mind.

This time, the system rewarded the user with a large amount of gold.

Tomorrow we'll reach the first climax! Get ready! Please comment, favorite, and vote!

(End of this chapter)