Sian Eng teased half-jokingly.
"I want to give them another beating if they are truly evil, just to teach them a lesson."
Lin Lin replied.
"Lin-moi, don't be reckless. Do you think that after seeing those four evil beggars, all beggars are inherently wicked? Those who are not wicked deserve pity, like that one there, doesn't he deserve compassion?"
Bu Sin pointed toward an old beggar sitting shivering under a tree, located in front of the inn.
Lin Lin and Sian Eng looked. Indeed, this old beggar deserved pity. He sat cross-legged, nodding off, leaning on his worn-out staff. His clothes were full of patches, his body shivered from the cold, and his hair was disheveled like a madman's. This grandfather was extremely old; both his eyes were closed, and crusty discharge accumulated at the corners. His lips were slightly parted, and saliva dripped out. Disgusting, yet also pity-inducing. Lin Lin fundamentally possessed a strange and easily changeable nature. This girl had been odd since childhood. Quick to anger, quick to cry, quick to laugh. If she was angry, it was only brief; if she cried, it was also brief, and most of her time was certainly filled with laughter and jesting.
Now, seeing the grandfather's condition, her anger toward the previous beggars suddenly vanished. She reached into her pocket, pulled out a piece of silver money (uang perak), and tossed it onto the grandfather's lap. However, the beggar grandfather remained asleep. Bu Sin and Sian Eng were startled, but knowing Lin Lin's strange nature, they said nothing, only lamenting inwardly that if Lin Lin acted this generously toward all beggars, they would quickly run out of provisions on the road. Giving a single beggar a whole piece of *uang perak* for alms? However, since the deed was done, they did not stop her, and the three of them immediately entered the inn, asking to rent two rooms. One for Lin Lin and Sian Eng, and another for Bu Sin.
Feeling tired, the three youths did not go out to eat but instead instructed an inn servant to order food. While they were eating, a commotion was heard outside. The three of them went out, and what was happening outside? It turned out that the old beggar was the cause of the disturbance. Previously, the people in the inn's front room—guests who happened to be sitting there—heard angry shouting. A female servant brought a lamp out of the room to see what was happening. It was the old beggar shouting,
"Damn mosquitoes, crazy mosquitoes!"
The beggar grandfather was still seated, but now his seated body was bouncing up and down while remaining cross-legged.
Dust billowed beneath him as his body bounced repeatedly. His right hand shooed away the mosquitoes swarming him, his left hand held his staff. The female servant was extremely shocked. Who wouldn't be startled and amazed to see a person sitting cross-legged able to leap like that? Several guests ran out, and soon many people were watching the grandfather. Bu Sin and his two younger siblings also rushed out, leaving the dining table. They were stunned and shocked. That was an incredible display of *gin-kang*. The longer it went on, the higher the grandfather's body leaped, almost flying, while still remaining seated cross-legged. Even more astonishing, the *uang perak* that had been on the grandfather's lap was now beneath him, and this coin was also bouncing beneath the tramp grandfather's backside.
"Damn mosquitoes!"
The grandfather was still muttering, but his subsequent words, which others did not understand, startled Bu Sin and his siblings,
"Damn it, the *uang perak* canceled my intention to kill three mosquitoes!"
After saying that, the grandfather glanced toward Bu Sin and his siblings. They now saw that the grandfather was blind in one eye. The grandfather stood up, spat once, then walked away, hunched over, supported by his staff. People laughed.
"That grandfather is crazy, apparently..."
However, Bu Sin and his siblings understood better. He was absolutely not a crazy grandfather, but an extraordinary *sakti* (master). Especially when they looked closer, they saw the *uang perak* was still left there, and that was the coin the grandfather had spat upon. When Bu Sin bent down to look closer, the coin had apparently been dented and warped by the spittle. Bu Sin's face turned pale.
"Disaster..."
"Surely the three mosquitoes he referred to were the three of us."
Without further ado, he led his two younger siblings into the room, packed their clothing provisions, and that very night he urged his siblings to leave the city of Wu-han.
"Eh, why are you acting like someone terrified?"
Lin Lin asked.
"Lin-moi, because of your act of giving alms just now, our lives are still safe up to this moment,"
Bu Sin replied while urging his two younger siblings to walk quickly.
"Eh, what do you mean, Koko?"
Sian Eng was extremely startled, and Lin Lin also stared at her older brother with wide eyes.
"You two are extremely reckless children. Didn't you see how that beggar grandfather displayed such extraordinary *gin-kang* technique? And that *uang perak*, just by being spat upon, became bent and ruined. There is no mistake, he must be a *sakti*, and judging by his clothes, he is likely one of the leaders of the Beggars' Society. Have you forgotten his words just now that the *uang perak* canceled his intention to kill three mosquitoes? Surely the three mosquitoes he meant were the three of us. Apparently, he originally intended to kill all three of us, but because Lin Lin gave him a piece of silver, he canceled his intention. Truly dangerous!"
Lin Lin stomped her foot.
"Damn grandfather!"
"We showed pity and gave alms, yet he insulted us, calling us mosquitoes and looking down on us so much. Sin-ko, why didn't you tell me earlier? At least I could have tested his skill, just how high is his ability that he is so arrogant?"
"Lin-moi, don't speak carelessly. He is a *sakti*!"
Bu Sin snapped.
"I am not afraid!"
Lin Lin tossed her head and puffed out her chest. Bu Sin wanted to get angry, but he immediately suppressed his feelings. He could not be angry at Lin Lin, first, because he was extremely fond of this adopted younger sister, and second, because he felt uncomfortable getting angry at an adopted sibling, worried that Lin Lin might feel discriminated against. Indeed, even though he was young, Bu Sin possessed an excellent character.
"Lin-moi, next time you must obey Koko's words and not argue so much. You are only making Sin-ko confused and angry."
Sian Eng admonished Lin Lin. Only after being scolded did Lin Lin realize her error. Laughing, she grabbed Bu Sin's hand.
"Sin-ko, are you angry at me? Am I being too fussy? Please forgive me, my kind older brother?"
Bu Sin couldn't help but laugh.
"You are indeed mischievous."
"I am mischievous, but not fierce like Enci Sian Eng."
Lin Lin winked toward her older sister. Now Sian Eng frowned and her hand darted out, intending to pinch her younger sister's arm. Lin Lin leaped, ran around Bu Sin's body, and shrieked,
"Sin-ko, help! Fierce Enci wants to kill me..."
"Hushhh, you're crazy, Lin-moi!"
"Kill? Who is killing you? Are you an ant, easily killed?"
Sian Eng was forced to stop her chase. She was helpless against this mischievous younger sister. Unknowingly, because they were joking and laughing the whole way, the three youths had already left the city of Wu-han, passing