Chapter 3 Qianmei Suggested to Set up a Beggar Gang

Mu Qianmei found that the old beggar was concerned about it from his angry voice, so she replied to him earnestly,

"I didn't see who was driving the carriage. It hit me from behind. I heard your voice when you came, but I couldn't open my eyes, and I fell into a coma later."

"Then I think I had a dream. I seemed to be riding on the clouds like a beautiful butterfly, fluttering wings, flying in the sky freely. There were white clouds under my feet, floating, one after another..."

"Later, I met a kind grandma. She was both excited and angry to see me, and said, 'My little butterfly, my beloved Mu Qianmei, why do you come back so early? It's only been a few years. No way, I will not have you come back!' Then she forced me back."

"But I like flying like a butterfly. She called me little butterfly and also called me Mu Qianmei, so, does it mean little butterfly is my nickname in my previous life, and Mu Qianmei my name?"

"Oh, she didn't tell me much, what a pity! I don't even know who she is! Do you think Mu Qianmei, the name she gave me, a good name? I haven't got a name yet. How about I use this name?"

Mu Qianmei described what she had met and experienced in her dream in a soft voice, astonishing those three old men.

What an unheard-of fantastic story it was to have such a complex dream in a deep coma.

The old beggar was shocked when the little girl asked him about the name. Did she know it? Was it a coincidence that she said her last name was Mu?

The old beggar soon denied this assumption and pretended as if he knew nothing about this last name,

"They are good names, of course, both of them. Then your nickname is little butterfly and your name is Mu Qianmei. But I'll call you little girl just like before! I'm used to calling you like that."

Mu Qianmei didn't neglect the old beggar's disguised countenance but she didn't dig into it, and smiled earnestly, "I'm always your little girl."

The old Taoist priest bantered with her, "Don't you mind his vicious attitude before? He used to beat you, scold you, and punish you with martial-art squatting for half a day. He didn't give you anything good to eat, and forced you to read and write every night."

"Really? Has he done those things to me?"

Mu Qianmei asked with a blank expression.

The way she looked at the old beggar suggested that she didn't believe it.

"Has she lost her memory?"

They thought.

"Or she has lost some selective parts of her memory?"

Mu Qianmei was secretly satisfied to see their interesting expressions. Fortunately, she had a lot of acting experience in her previous life.

Life is a drama, and acting skill is its essence!

Thinking of this, Mu Qianmei felt she had changed a little to be naughty.

It seemed that her disposition was influenced by the little girl.

That's good. She could enjoy her childhood.

Ye Bufan was the first to get out of mind. He smiled, "Fortunately, the memory she has lost is the least important part! Hahaha..."

The old beggar felt a bit ashamed. He tittered and didn't say anything.

As the smell of boiling herbs came, Ye Bufan suddenly said,

"Your medicine is ready. I'll bring it to you. Old beggar, go and stew chicken soup for her. She will need nutritional supplements for a long time to come. It's time for you to pay her back."

Then they went out.

Mu Qianmei couldn't help but beam in happiness.

She was too busy to have time to enjoy warmness like this in her previous life.

She decided to live a wonderful childhood rather than a slave of study.

Other time-travelers would move over to someone with the same name. The body I had now didn't have a name, so I'd like to use my original name!

New environment, new identity, new life, a new beginning.

Over the next ten more days, Mu Qianmei received treatment at Ye Bufan's residence and gradually recovered.

Ye Bufan was worthy of the title "the Divine Doctor". The prescription he gave was extraordinarily good. Mu Qianmei was getting better day by day, and her mental state and complexion mirrored her good recovery.

On the sixth day of treatment, she could get up and stand. On the twelfth day, she could walk properly.

The old beggar and the old Taoist priest stayed here.

They had not much to do these days, so they took this opportunity to get together.

What's more, Mu Qianmei had brought them so many miracles that they would like to know how many surprises would this girl who had just recovered from a serious injury brought to them.

Mu Qianmei restored her health, gradually accommodating to this body and role.

After all, it was not so easy for her, a woman in her 30s, to accommodate to this twelve-year-old body, naturally acting like a young girl.

In her memory, the little girl was afraid of the old beggar.

But now, the old beggar almost lost the little girl forever and changed a lot. Although he didn't become a good-tempered old man, he wasn't so mean anymore and it made him seemed lovely.

On the thirteenth day's morning, when they were having lunch, the old beggar said to Ye Bufan as he saw Mu Qianmei was almost recovered,

"Guy, I think she has recovered. We are going to leave today."

Ye Bufan smiled,

"Tomorrow is the New Year's Eve. Why don't you spend a festive New Year's Eve with me?"

"The New Year's Eve? Hahaha... Fine, let's celebrate the New Year here." The old beggar agreed.

"Then I shall bother you for a couple of days more. Hahaha..." The old Taoist priest laughed.

They looked at Mu Qianmei, wondering what amazing words she was going to say today.

Mu Qianmei had used to their reactions. She swallowed the food in her mouth, smiling, and said,

"I think you said there are top three ancient martial-art clans and top five gangs on Yugu Continent. You have nothing to do all day. Why don't you set up a gang"

She spoke in a half-joking manner and started them all off laughing.

The old Taoist priest said before the old beggar could speak,

"Hahaha... That's a good idea. What kind of gang do you think the old beggar should set up?"

"A gang of his usual work, of course. Guess how many beggars are there on the Yugu Continent? If they are organized by a gang, this gang must be the largest gang in the world!"

Mu Qianmei said proudly.

They looked at the twelve-year-old girl talking coherently as if she had more experience than them.

What's more, the little girl had cleaned herself and was no more like a beggar, as if she had become another person.

The old beggar, with whom she had grown up and lived for twelve years, also felt her strange. It was like the little girl had suddenly grown up and changed her disposition. Others would respect her no matter how mildly she smiled.

The little girl looked into their faces and spoke in a serious manner,

"I mean it. Having been treating your life as a game for so many years, how can you know that no one in this world can keep himself out of the affairs all the time?"

"Grandpa Taoist priest also told me that peace won't last long according to the present state of the world. I couldn't agree more. Domains under heaven, after a long period of division, tends to unite; after a long period of union, tends to divide. Yugu Continent has been at peace for hundreds of years, so wars are sure to erupt. How can we survive a time of trouble without powerful strength?"

Such serious countenance on the little girl's childish face and her logical opinion made the old men feel strange. They thought it over and agreed on Mu Qianmei's idea.

"'Domains under heaven, after a long period of division, tends to unite; after a long period of union, tends to divide.' What a good saying! How did this come up to you? Hahaha... It's right. You have to think about it, old beggar. She sounds reasonable."

The old Taoist priest laughed.

There was a slight flush on Mu Qianmei's cheeks. That was not her original words. Well... That was a quote.

The little girl's mysterious background occurred to the old beggar. He was relieved: She was bound to do great things!

He imagined what would happen to her in the future and worried about her. Should he lend her a hand? He wavered.

The old beggar suddenly asked the little girl, "Do you know why I was hard on you?"

"Hahaha... Of course I know. When I am about to take vital tasks, you first exercise my mind with suffering, and my sinews and bones with toil. You expose my body to hunger, and subject me to extreme poverty. By all these methods you stimulate my minds and harden my nature. Thus, I can take good care of myself when you are beyond my reach."

Her truthful words were so affecting that the uneasy old men felt bitterness.

What a thoughtful girl she was!

She even understood the old beggar's good intentions.

"Good, my efforts are not in vain, hahaha... Fine, just do what you want. Let's set up a Beggar Gang. Indeed, there are many talents among our beggars playing through life. I'm about to gather them up and establish the largest gang in the world! Hahaha..."

The old beggar couldn't help laughing aloud as he came to the most exciting part. He had some passionate feelings in his heart.

They talked and the content went serious. The old Taoist priest and Ye Bufan listened to their talking and thought their plan was feasible.

Mu Qianmei wouldn't let the old Taoist priest and Ye Bufan go. The former was skilled in divination and the latter was great at the medical skill, so they must take seats in her gang!

She smiled,

"Grandpa Ye, Grandpa Taoist priest, could you do the old beggar a favor? I know you have been his friends for many years, why not share this burden as well as power with him?"

"You want the old beggar to set up the Beggar Gang? We are not beggars, so how can we join this gang? Hahaha..."

The old Taoist priest laughed.

"Why? Beggar Gang doesn't mean all its members must be beggars. As long as it's a gang, it should absorb all kinds of talents. Once it is set up, the old beggar will be the first Grand Master of the Beggar Gang. Grandpa Taoist priest will be the military counselor and Grandpa Ye will organize a medical team. This is what a gang should have!" Mu Qianmei smiled.

The old Taoist priest was an open-minded old man and he had discovered that Mu Qianmei wasn't an ordinary girl, so he agreed on her words in his mind and asked Ye Bufan, "What do you think, doctor?"

Finding his two old friends want to go into society, Ye Bufan felt it inappropriate to go on living in seclusion. So, he smiled and said,

"Fine. Let's do some great things! Hahaha..."

In this way, Mu Qianmei's playful proposal of setting up a Beggar Gang was settled in this simple straw hut near New Year's Eve.