Chapter Eight: The Fallen Heiress (Part Two)

No amount of regret could change her situation. Jin Xiaodao was famished, driven to the brink of madness by hunger. Desperation forced her to summon the courage to approach a steamed bun stall, where she pleaded humbly, "Master, please, have mercy and give me a bun. I am starving to death." As she spoke, her heart ached; she never imagined she would ever utter such words in her life. She immediately added, "Please, save my life!"

The owner gave a dismissive wave of his hand and roared, "Get lost! What does it matter to me whether you live or die?" Rebuffed, Jin Xiaodao thought that since she had already abandoned her dignity, she might as well go all the way. "How about I work for you? I won't ask for wages, just a meal," she begged.

The owner remained cold. "No, no. If I give you a meal, that’s one less for me. Do you think I’m some kind of millionaire? You have hands and feet; go to some manor and become a maid if you want a bowl of rice."

That remark struck a nerve. Jin Xiaodao’s eyes turned red as she cried, "But I don't know how to do anything!"

The owner looked her up and down, then snapped, "You don't know anything? You can't wash clothes or cook? Can’t you clean or pour tea? Do you really think you’re some young lady of a noble house?"

Jin Xiaodao wept even harder and nodded. "But I *am* a young lady of a noble house. I truly don't know how to do anything. Back then, the meat buns in our home were only fit for feeding the dogs."

The owner let out a mocking laugh, shook his head, and pointed toward a nearby alley. "I think there’s something wrong with your head," he sneered. "Look at that alleyway. Even if you don't know how to do anything, there's a place for you there. You can earn money lying down, with plenty to eat and drink, and a good place to stay."

Jin Xiaodao glanced over, delighted. "If there really is such a good place, then I must thank you for your guidance. There are still kind people in this world." Her hunger momentarily forgotten, she perked up and headed in the direction he pointed. The owner chuckled to those nearby, "Look, she’s actually going. It’s no injustice to say she’s not quite right in the head." A ripple of laughter followed them.

Following the owner's advice, Jin Xiaodao reached the entrance of the alley and found a chaotic place filled with women flaunting themselves to attract male customers. It was a row of brothels. Though she had never seen such a sordid place within her own household, she had heard the servants mention them, and she realized at once where she was.

Realizing the bun stall owner had cruelly mocked her, a surge of anger washed over her. She crouched in a street corner, overcome with frustration, when suddenly a "clink" sounded on the ground.

A copper coin rolled across the pavement. Jin Xiaodao looked up, expecting to see who had dropped it, but found a middle-aged man in fine silk standing before her. He tossed a second coin, watched it hit the ground, and turned to walk away.

Jin Xiaodao realized he had taken her for a beggar. Rage flared, and she stood up to protest, "What do you take me for? Take your filthy money!" But as soon as she said it, she regretted it. *I’ve fallen this far; what’s the point of being proud? He’s eight hundred times better than the bun shop owner. Giving money to a stranger—he’s a living Buddha.*

Before the man could react, she bowed and apologized profusely. "My apologies, sir, I mistook you for someone else. I thank you for saving my life." The man gave a look of disgust, flicked his sleeves, and left.

Jin Xiaodao retrieved the two coins from the ground and clutched them tightly. *Finally, my immediate crisis is resolved. I must buy two buns to fill my belly.*

She hadn't gone two steps when a group of beggars surrounded her. The leader, a man with a scarred face, held out his hand and said bluntly, "Hand it over."

"Hand over what?" Jin Xiaodao asked, bewildered.

The scarred beggar widened his eyes. "The copper coins!"

Jin Xiaodao looked at the group in disbelief. "That money was given to me by someone else. Why should I give it to you?"

The beggars laughed. The leader twisted his mouth and said with forced patience, "Do you know whose territory this is? You dare to steal our brothers' rice bowls? If everyone were as unruly as you, we’d all starve."

Jin Xiaodao clutched the money to her chest and asked weakly, "What rules? Why should I listen to your rules?"

The beggar hissed through his teeth, rubbing his palms in irritation. "Hey, little girl, don't you know this is under the jurisdiction of the Beggar Sect? All alms collected must be turned over to the collective."

"I am not part of the Beggar Sect," Jin Xiaodao said, turning to leave. Two beggars blocked her path. The leader grabbed her, scolding, "You’re not part of the sect? Did you pay your respects to the mountain? You come out begging and stealing our livelihood—you’ve broken the rules. Hand over the money!"

Having finally obtained the two coins, and with her hunger gnawing at her, Jin Xiaodao refused to let go. As she tried to dash through a gap in the circle, a beggar behind her grabbed her hair and pulled her to the ground. The leader loomed over her, pointing his finger. "The Beggar Sect doesn't want to hit a woman. I’ll give you one more chance: hand over the money and get out."

Jin Xiaodao pleaded, "This is only two coins! Please, let me buy two buns. I haven't eaten in two days. If I give you the money, I'll starve to death!"

"Since you won't drink the toast of friendship, you can drink the forfeit of punishment," the leader said, rolling up his sleeves. "Brothers, beat her."

Seeing no way out, and having already taken two kicks, Jin Xiaodao held up the coins and screamed, "Stop! Stop, stop! Don't hit me, I'll give it to you!" The group stopped. The leader snatched the money, satisfied. "That’s more like it. Now, we’ll let you go, but don't think about begging here again, or I’ll beat you every time I see you."

As the beggars walked away, Jin Xiaodao slowly climbed to her feet, feeling the sting of the passersby’s strange gazes.

She limped weakly, clutching her stomach. *I can't work as a servant, and when I try to beg, I’m harassed by gangs who have built a 'Beggar Sect.' A fallen phoenix is indeed worse than a chicken. I just wanted a bite to eat, to survive. Is Heaven truly forcing me to my death?*

Wandering aimlessly, she found herself back at the alley entrance. The women there were waving their handkerchiefs, fawning over passing men. In a time when the common people couldn't even afford food, the men had no money for such pleasures, and most were just teasing them. Jin Xiaodao felt a profound sense of misery. *Have I truly fallen to this? If I am truly at the end of my rope, perhaps I have no other choice, as long as I can survive.*

She wondered if she could do what those women did, and tried to make her expression alluring. But as her lips trembled, she thought of her parents. She froze, realizing how she had been sent out of the manor, and knew her parents’ spirits in heaven would never want her to become a prostitute.

Jin Xiaodao turned away resolutely and continued wandering. In the market, she saw a group of people kneeling on the ground—they were selling themselves into slavery, just as two of her own maids had been bought into her home.

Though she was loath to be a slave, Jin Xiaodao had no choice. She resigned herself to it and knelt by the roadside, hoping to earn a bowl of rice by mimicking the servants she had known.

After waiting for a long time without success—the wealthy had no money to spare for servants in these hard times—someone finally approached. Seeing that Jin Xiaodao looked more clever than the others, they bought her. The "manor" was little more than a large courtyard with a few servants. Jin Xiaodao managed to get a warm meal, though it was difficult to swallow. After eating, she tried to work, but because she ruined the mistress’s clothes, she was beaten and thrown out.

How was she to know that different fabrics required different washing methods? The other maids had let her do it on purpose, without telling her how, and watched with glee as she was kicked out.

She returned to the market to sell herself again, only to be tossed out once more after breaking a bowl due to her clumsiness.

After several attempts, she managed to get enough to eat, but she was covered in bruises and lived in constant fear of the next day. Eventually, she knelt in the market for a whole day without anyone taking notice; some people even starved to death right there in the street. Her knees were failing her, but she had to get up and find a way to eat.

She wandered aimlessly, sleeping in ruined temples, starving and physically shattered. Leaning on a wooden stick to keep herself upright, she finally spotted a clean little courtyard. A sliver of hope sustained her as she moved toward it, but at the gate, her vision blurred, and she collapsed.

When she regained consciousness, she saw Meng Xiaoli. She was kind and gentle, unlike anyone Jin Xiaodao had met in these desperate days. She begged to be allowed to stay; it was rare for a servant to find such a kind household.

Jin Xiaodao stayed at Meng Xiaoli’s home, helping with water, sweeping the yard, cooking, and playing with the children. Her wounds healed, her hunger vanished, and she began to regain her health.

One day, Long Ye saw Jin Xiaodao sweeping and called Meng Xiaoli inside. He whispered, "I see the girl has recovered. Why not give her some travel money and let her go?"

Meng Xiaoli looked at Jin Xiaodao’s back and sighed. "It is a pity that she has no home and no family. If she leaves this door, she will only starve."

Long Ye frowned. "But having her here forever is not a long-term solution. Even sending her to a large manor to be a maid would be a place for her to settle down."

Meng Xiaoli crossed her arms and looked at Long Ye helplessly. "Look at the way she works. Does she look like someone who could survive in a large manor? Only we can tolerate her. In any other house, she would have been beaten and thrown out eight hundred times over." Long Ye couldn't help but smile, eventually compromising, "Very well, do as you see fit."