The little beggar hid in a dark corner, his hands holding the wooden stick trembling slightly, which showed how panicked and scared he was inside.

How come I was discovered by others even though I was hiding in such a secluded corner?

Is someone trying to steal my territory?

What can I do to avoid this disaster?

All kinds of questions came up at this time, making the little beggar's mind a mess. He didn't know how to deal with them. His whole body was shaking and he was very nervous.

Although Chen Qingyuan's voice was gentle, the little beggar did not dare to let his guard down, because this pit was the only thing he had. If he lost it, he would have no hope of survival.

"Here are some meat buns I just bought. Here they are."

Chen Qingyuan, who was standing at the edge of the pit, did not move forward so as not to make the little beggar too nervous.

After saying this, Chen Qingyuan took out three meat buns from his arms, which were wrapped in a layer of clean paper, and gently threw them into the pit.

With a "pop", the bun fell to the ground.

Although it was wrapped in cardboard, the little beggar could smell the strong aroma of meat. He sniffed and swallowed, and some of his attention shifted to the meat bun at his feet. His hunger became more and more intense.

After a stalemate, the little beggar did not let his desire overwhelm his reason, and he always maintained a vigilant posture. Even though he knew that his defense was useless and even a little ridiculous, raising the stick in his hand could bring a little comfort to his heart.

"what are you up to?"

It was pitch black in the dense forest at night. The little beggar could not see the person standing outside, and his voice was childish.

"I have no ill will towards you. I just want to ask you something. These buns are my reward."

Chen Qingyuan knew how cautious he was when he was young in his previous life. He had gone through a lot of hardships and didn't trust anyone. Only in this way could he slowly get closer.

"Reward?" The little beggar leaning against the corner showed a trace of surprise. From time to time, he could smell the aroma of meat, and his mouth secreted saliva uncontrollably. He subconsciously glanced at the meat buns at his feet and asked again: "What do you want to know?"

"I want to ask you about the situation of this grove." Chen Qingyuan replied: "I am a merchant in the city. I am planning to buy this place and do business. Naturally, I need to find out everything in advance."

"Why are you here so late at night?"

The little beggar remained vigilant.

"There are many people around during the day. If I come here to investigate, the news will spread easily, and some people who don't like me will definitely interfere."

Chen Qingyuan explained.

The little beggar heard this and thought it made sense. After a moment of silence, he continued, "How did you find me? And you prepared...reward in advance?"

This kid is really hard to fool. He is so vigilant.

Chen Qingyuan thought to himself.

"We met during the day, and I heard from some beggars in the city that you live in this woods, so I prepared a reward in advance. It's fate, I guess!"

Chen Qingyuan immediately found an excuse and spoke seriously.

"Did you meet during the day?"

The little beggar was quite confused.

Chen Qingyuan gave the specific location: "Next to the garbage dump."

With a hint of curiosity, the little beggar walked forward a few steps. Through the starlight shining down from the sky, he saw the vague figure of Chen Qingyuan. He immediately had an impression of him and was very surprised.

It turned out to be this young man.

"then you......"

The little beggar took a few steps back, hid in the darkness again, calmed himself down, and then asked a few more questions.

In response to this, Chen Qingyuan responded patiently.

After chatting for such a long time, the little beggar believed Chen Qingyuan. He slowly put down the wooden stick in his hand, picked up the meat bun on the ground, and immediately put it to his mouth. It was still warm.

So delicious!

The meat was so fragrant that I almost swallowed my tongue into my stomach.

"This forest is not big, and occasionally a few poor people come in and out..."

The little beggar ate his meat buns while talking, telling everyone everything he knew.

Chen Qingyuan listened patiently and responded with a smile: "I understand, thank you."

"You're welcome. You...you can go now."

After finishing the bun, the little beggar swallowed hard, pushing all the food stuck in his throat into his stomach. He hadn't eaten so much in a long time, and a satisfied expression appeared on his face.

"I'll be leaving in a moment." Chen Qingyuan knew that he couldn't rush into contact with the little beggar, and needed to proceed step by step: "I have a request. Can you pay more attention to any movement in this grove in the near future? To show your gratitude, I will bring you some food every time I come, okay?"

This deal was like pie in the sky for the little beggar. He couldn't believe it: "Really?"

"Of course it's true. You are very familiar with this place. I hope you can help me with this."

Chen Qingyuan's tone was very affirmative.

"Okay, I promise you."

The little beggar thought about it and nodded in agreement. He thought to himself, if this person really wanted to do something bad to him, there was no need to go through so much trouble. Maybe they really met by accident.

"Okay, let's meet next time."

Chen Qingyuan said.

"Wait, what's your name?"

The little beggar doesn’t even know the other person’s name, so he must not make a mistake next time.

"Chen Liu." Chen Qingyuan pondered.

"I remember it." Although the little beggar could not write these two words, he engraved the pronunciation of the name in his heart and would never forget it.

"What a coincidence, my last name is also 'Chen', I wonder if it's the same character."

The little beggar muttered softly.

When the old beggar picked him up, there was a piece of paper stuck to his body with a crooked word "Chen" written on it, which should be his surname.

The old beggar could recognize a few words and told the young beggar about this before he died.

"Da da da..."

Listening to Chen Qingyuan's footsteps getting farther and farther away, the little beggar, who had been tense all the time, finally relaxed, sweating profusely and filled with fear.

A few days later, Chen Qingyuan came again.

Using the words prepared in advance, the little beggar gradually let down his guard.

Before leaving, he threw the steamed buns and dumplings he brought into the pit.

A few days later, he came with food and asked for news.

After a few visits, the two sides became familiar with each other.

The little beggar felt that he had not helped much, but had eaten so many good things from Chen Qingyuan. He felt guilty and said, "I haven't provided any useful information during this period. I'm sorry to take your reward."

Chen Qingyuan said: "Whether there is important information depends on fate. You should be paid for your work for me."

The little beggar was very moved after hearing this. In his life, he rarely met people with good intentions.

After knowing each other for more than a month, this was the sixth time the two sides met.

During this conversation, Chen Qingyuan brought a roast chicken and two pots of fine wine.