I Have A Sword

Chapter 1160: Poor

Right after saying that, Zhu Xingran turned and ran away.

The students were still gossiping and pointing fingers behind her back. Among them, a fat woman was the loudest; her voice was so loud that it seemed she wanted everyone in the entire academy to hear her words.

Zhu Tao stood at the door, feeling lost and alone as he watched the students gossip around him.

"Brother Zhu Tao." A voice suddenly echoed behind him.

Zhu Tao turned around and froze upon seeing Ye Guan. "Brother Ye."

"What a coincidence."

"How come you're here?" Zhu Tao asked, confused.

"I'm working here."

Zhu Tao grinned. "I see."

"Come on, let me treat you to a meal."

With that, he escorted Zhu Tao toward a restaurant inside the academy. It was a restaurant run by the academy, but it wasn't free, and wealthy students and mentors usually frequented it.

When Ye Guan and Zhu Tao arrived at the restaurant, a man dressed in a coarse cloth robe with a hemp rope tied around his waist stepped forward to greet them.

At first, the man was smiling politely. Upon seeing Ye Guan and Zhu Tao, his smile faded, and his body language changed. He was also visibly disgusted.

"Go beg for food elsewhere..." The man waved his hand, dismissing them with annoyance.

Ye Guan flicked a finger, and a spiritual crystal flew toward the man. The moment the man saw the spiritual crystal, his eyes lit up, and a wide grin appeared on his face. "Two esteemed guests, please, please come in!" @@novelbin@@

Ye Guan led a slightly awkward and anxious Zhu Tao to an empty table. He casually ordered a few dishes and then glanced at the man. "Hurry up."

"Yes, yes!" The man nodded and quickly left to prepare the food.

Zhu Tao looked around, taking in the lavish decor. The more he looked, the more uneasy he felt. Slowly standing up, he said, "Little Brother Ye, I'm not hungry."

"Brother Tao, are you here to see Xingran?"

"Yes, we've collected the rest of her tuition fees. I came to deliver them to her. I... sigh..." He sighed dejectedly.

Ye Guan knew that Zhu Tao was feeling this way because of Zhu Xingran's earlier behaviour.

"Xingran is still young and doesn't understand some things. She'll come to understand in time," Ye Guan said, comforting Zhu Tao.

Zhu Tao shook his head. "I don't blame her. It's us, as parents, who owe her. Little brother Ye, you don't know, but she has had a hard life with us. She's been living with us in that hopeless place.

"The biggest wish in my life, and Aunt Jiang's life, is for her to leave that poor district, and she's worked so hard for it. Do you know? She's the only one from that district that is currently attending Temple Academy...."

Tears welled up in Zhu Tao's eyes as he added, "I know the students are looking down on her because of us. However, I really had no choice but to come here. Usually, we arrange to meet her outside the school, but this time, she hasn't come out for two days. I was worried, so..."

Just then, she remembered something and hurriedly took out a handkerchief before handing it to Ye Guan. "Little Brother Ye, this is the rest of her tuition fees. Can you pass it to her for me?"

Ye Guan glanced at the handkerchief and nodded. "Okay."

With that, he put the handkerchief away.

Just then, the dishes were served.

Ye Guan ordered a chicken dish, a fish dish, a bowl of braised pork, and several other dishes. Zhu Tao froze upon seeing the numerous dishes. When had he ever seen so much food?

"Brother Tao, eat up." Ye Guan smiled and handed a pair of chopsticks to Zhu Tao.

Zhu Tao hesitated for a moment. "Brother Ye, this must be expensive, right?"

"It's not that expensive. Come on, dig in," Ye Guan replied with a smile.

Zhu Tao hesitated for a long while before finally eating. Clearly, he never had food of such quality before. As soon as he took a bite, his face was filled with disbelief. "Brother Ye, this..."

"What's wrong?"

Zhu Tao's eyes widened in disbelief. "I never knew food could taste this good..."

Ye Guan smiled. Without realizing it, the hands he had resting under the table were clenched tightly.

Zhu Tao ate quickly, and after a while, he looked at Ye Guan and said, "Little Brother Ye, y-you should eat, too..."

Ye Guan smiled. "I'm not hungry. You dig in."

Zhu Tao nodded and continued eating. After a while, he suddenly stopped.

"What's wrong?"

"Little Brother Ye, can I... can I take the leftovers with me? I..." Zhu Tao muttered, embarrassed.

"Of course, of course." Ye Guan smiled gently.

With that, Ye Guan called the waiter over. "Come here."

"What can I do for you, sir?" The waiter scurried over.

"Please pack it up for me."

The waiter froze. "P-pack these up?"

"Is there a problem?"

The waiter glanced at Ye Guan and the embarrassed Zhu Tao. Although he felt some disdain, he nodded reluctantly and said, "Please wait a moment."

The waiter turned and walked to the back of the restaurant.

The waiter sneered to himself and remarked, "Taking away leftovers? I've never seen such poor people. Who does that?"

Back at the table, Ye Guan smiled. "Brother Tao, when will you be leaving?"

"I'll be leaving soon," Zhu Tao said, wiping his mouth.

"So soon?"

"I came here on the supervisor's carriage, and he's leaving tonight, so I need to leave tonight, too. Otherwise, I'd have to walk back, and that would take a month. I can't afford to waste a day, let alone a month..."

"I see."

Just then, the waiter returned with several bags in hand.

Ye Guan immediately began packing up the food, categorizing everything neatly and placing it all into one large bag.

Zhu Tao helped pack as well. When he saw Zhu Tao carefully pouring the soup, making sure not to waste a single drop, the waiter's contempt grew even clearer.

He had never seen someone so poor.

In fact, the waiter wasn't leading a wealthy life, and his contempt originated from something else. It was due to the fact that the leftovers of customers were considered theirs.

Since Ye Guan and Zhu Tao were taking out every dish, there would be nothing left for him to eat.

Once everything was packed, Ye Guan paid the bill and left with Zhu Tao.

As they walked out of the restaurant, Ye Guan froze.

A little girl was walking toward them.

It was Zang Gang.

She wasn't dressed well. She was clad in a worn-out dress and a tattered little red hat.

Zang Gang didn't say anything to Ye Guan and simply walked into the restaurant.

Ye Guan glanced at Zang Gang, and then she turned to leave with Zhu Tao.

When Zang Gang reached the entrance of the restaurant, the waiter blocked her. He looked at her up and down, furrowing his brow in disgust. "If you're here to beg for food, go somewhere else."

Zang Gang looked at the waiter but did not say anything.

The waiter sneered at her small frame and glared viciously at her. "What are you looking at? Keep staring, and I'll gouge your eyes out."

Zang Gang looked seemingly frightened and turned to run.

The waiter laughed smugly.

***

After leaving the restaurant, Ye Guan turned to Zhu Tao. "Brother Tao, wait here for a moment."

With that, he turned around and ran away.

Zhu Tao was left confused.

Not long after, Ye Guan returned, carrying a large sack. He set it down in front of Zhu Tao and smiled. "Brother Tao, this sack contains some biscuits and dried goods. They can be stored for a long time. Take them with you."

"Little Brother Ye, I can't accept this, really..."

Ye Guan placed the sack in front of him and smiled. "Go on, take it."

"Little Brother Ye, this... I... " Zhu Tao stuttered.

"Go ahead."

Zhu Tao nodded.

Zhu Tao was about to leave when he recalled something and turned around to look at Ye Guan. "Little Brother Ye, I have this feeling that you're not just an ordinary person. C-can you look out for Xingran for me?"

Ye Guan nodded.

With a grin, Zhu Tao thanked Ye Guan and hoisted the sack over his shoulder before leaving.

Ye Guan stood in silence and watched as Zhu Tao disappeared before he turned around to leave.

He made his way to the Outer Coutryard. After asking around, he finally found Zhu Xingran. She was still wearing that same skirt, and her expression was cold and unyielding.

Ye Guan walked up to her and handed her a handkerchief. "The tuition fees that your father has left behind for you is wrapped around the handkerchief. And he has already left."

Zhu Xingran stood in silence for a moment before accepting the handkerchief.

Without another word, Ye Guan turned to leave.

Zhu Xingran turned to leave as well, but after a few steps, she stopped and turned towards Ye Guan. "Do you look down on me?"

"What are you trying to say?"

Zhu Xingran stared at him intensely. "Yes, I do feel embarrassed by him. He made me feel humiliated."

"You think it's embarrassing to have poor parents?"

"Isn't it? Do you know how I've lived all these years? When I first came to school, everyone was dressed beautifully, and I was the only one who looked like a beggar. My tuition fees were always late every year, to the point where the mentors would scold me publicly.

"Whenever there's a school event, I can't participate because my family can't afford the fees. I really want to ask them—why did they even give birth to me? Why?"