Little Pink Starfish

Save One or Save Ten—It’s All Saving Lives

Xiao Wei froze for a moment after hearing the little boy’s words. Then it clicked—this woman must have been cast out by her husband’s family for fear of being implicated by the Jiang family’s downfall. He glanced down at the small, fragile boy, barely more than a toddler. To abandon even your own child… how could anyone be so heartless?

“I want to stay with my mother,” the boy clung to Jiang Yue-niang’s leg.

That’s when Xiao Wei noticed her leg—twisted at an unnatural angle. Clearly broken.

“Be good, Xiaobao,” Jiang Yue-niang wiped the tears from her son’s cheeks. “Go with this young man. From now on, listen to your Fifth Uncle.”

Xiao Wei: … Uncle? She just called me her uncle? He was barely in his twenties. Was she planning to be his auntie?

The little boy glanced up at Xiao Wei with pleading eyes. “Gege…” he said timidly.

Xiao Wei’s mouth twitched. “Call me shushu—uncle.”

The Jiang family pair: … Seriously?

Xiaobao, though, had learned to read faces in a difficult household. Seeing no malice in Xiao Wei’s eyes, he quickly corrected himself. “Shushu.”

Jiang Yue-niang gently stroked her son’s fluffy little head and looked up at Xiao Wei with steely resolve.

Xiao Wei crouched in front of her. “Climb on. I’ll carry you down.”

Even though she was a general’s daughter, Jiang Yue-niang still blushed. In this society, men and women strictly kept their distance. This boy wasn’t her kin, let alone her husband—how could he carry her?

Xiao Wei said, “This isn’t the time for etiquette. If not for yourself, then think of your son. If you’re gone and his father doesn’t want him, what will he do? Can you really leave him behind?”

“Mother!” Xiaobao cried.

Jiang Yue-niang looked at her son, then at the boy squatting in front of her. She gritted her teeth and finally leaned forward, letting herself fall onto Xiao Wei’s back.

“Come on,” Xiao Wei opened his arms to Xiaobao.

The boy leapt into his embrace and instinctively wrapped his arms around Xiao Wei’s neck. “Thank you, Uncle,” he whispered.

Xiao Wei smiled, then stood with Yue-niang on his back and Xiaobao in his arms, making his way down the platform.

Yue-niang whispered anxiously, “Little brother, if guards attack, how will you fight like this?”

“Don’t worry,” Xiao Wei replied. With our princess around? No number of guards matters.

Despite herself, Jiang Yue-niang smiled faintly. Perhaps it was the sheer exhaustion of recent days, but something about this straight-backed young man made her feel… safe.

Back on the stone platform, the slave dealer sobbed into the cold wind. Will anyone come save me?

By now, Yu Xiaoxiao and her group had fought their way down. As Da Dangjia swung his blade, he shouted to Gu Xinglang, “Which way?”

Gu Xinglang kicked aside a soldier. Yu Xiaoxiao answered instead, “To the mountains!”

Da Dangjia squinted to find the right direction. “Follow me!” he shouted, cutting a path through the chaos.

Meanwhile, Tian Xingzi was dragging Wang Momo through the mob, sweating buckets despite the freezing cold.

“Why are you running when you don’t even know what’s going on?” Wang Momo complained.

Tian Xingzi paused to catch his breath. “Ancestor, I’ll bet my life—it’s the princess again!”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Wang Momo snapped. “Our princess isn’t the type to start fights for no reason!”

Tian Xingzi winced. Where does she get this blind faith?

Even Wang Momo began to doubt herself. Could it really be her again? This isn’t Fengtian!

“They’re with the rioters!” shouted a squad of soldiers chasing after them.

Tian Xingzi bolted, pulling Wang Momo with him. When it comes to running for your life, I’ve got experience!

The southwest corner of the slave market descended into chaos.

“What are you still kneeling for?” Yu Xiaoxiao shouted at the bound barbarian slaves. “Without freedom, we might as well die!” It wasn’t some lofty quote, but close enough—she had learned a thing or two in military cultural classes.

Hearing her cry, Da Dangjia’s men echoed, “If you can run and don’t, you’ve got brain damage!”

The Taichang slave market’s design bound slaves’ arms but left their legs free—so buyers could take them home immediately. Most of the criminal slaves still hesitated, but the barbarian war captives? Once riled, they bolted en masse toward the gates.

“We’ve got more on the platform!” one tattoo-faced barbarian ran to Yu Xiaoxiao.

Before he could say more, she smacked a guard trying to attack him.

Gu Xinglang calmly slashed through the chains binding the man’s arms.

The barbarian wasted no time, scooping up a weapon and diving back into the fray.

Yu Xiaoxiao looked at Gu Xinglang. “You going all in, Little Gu?”

Gu Xinglang replied, “Saving one is saving. Saving ten is saving. Let’s save all we can.”

Yu Xiaoxiao tiptoed up and kissed his cheek. “You’re such a real man!”

Gu Xinglang flushed red, heart racing. They were still standing in the middle of a crowd! But of course, he wasn’t being naive. The more people they freed, the more chaos, and the easier it would be to sneak the Jiang clan out safely.