Li Wei left home that morning with a hollow ache twisting in his stomach. There was no food on the table. No steamed buns, no bowl of rice waiting for him. Just an echoing emptiness that seemed to stretch into his bones.
But he managed. He forced himself to sip a bit of water, letting it slide down slowly, hoping it might trick his body into feeling less empty. Then he stepped out into the street, shoulders sagging but his eyes fixed ahead.
Today, he had decided: he would go to that big house. The one that once gave him food, a small kindness that had felt like a miracle. Maybe this time they would give him work ; any work. Scraping the floors, collecting rubbish, bathing dogs like his sister did for pigs… anything. Even just for a scrap of food and a few coins to bring home.
He gathered every drop of courage left in his thin, tired frame and began to walk. The streets felt longer today, each step weighed down by hunger and fear. But he didn't stop.
When he finally reached the house, he paused at the front gate. The place looked like something out of a dream — grand wooden beams, polished stones, flowers blooming neatly along the paths. It was the opposite of everything he knew. It looked like a small piece of heaven compared to his crumbling world.
Li Wei stood for a long moment, heart thudding so loudly he thought the guards might hear it. Then he took a breath and knocked.
He waited five minutes. His fingers trembled against his sides. He knocked again, a little harder this time. Fifteen minutes passed. Every second felt like a lifetime, a silent question echoing in his mind: Would they open? Would they send him away?
Finally, the door creaked open. A woman stepped out ; not the master or mistress, but a maid, dressed neatly, her eyes sharp as they swept over him from head to toe.
"What can I do for you?" she asked, her tone guarded but not unkind.
Li Wei swallowed hard. "I… I would like to work here," he said, voice rough with exhaustion. "Even if it's just scraping the floors, collecting rubbish, anything. I will do anything… even just for food."
The woman tilted her head, studying him carefully. She glanced at his sunken cheeks, his thin arms, the faint bruise on his cheek from the day before.
"Wait here," she said finally. She disappeared inside, leaving Li Wei standing there, his heart pounding so violently he felt dizzy.Minutes crawled by like hours. Ten minutes. Then fifteen. He shifted from foot to foot, fighting the urge to run.
Finally, she returned, this time with another woman — older, her uniform a bit more formal, her posture straight as a bamboo stalk. The senior maid looked at him for a long moment before speaking.
"What did you say you want to do here again, young man?" she asked, her voice deep and clear.Li Wei straightened his back as much as he could, forcing his voice not to tremble. "Please… I would like to work here. Any job at all. Is there any space for me?"
The woman watched him, her eyes softening just slightly. "Hmm… okay, okay," she finally said. "You can come in."
Li Wei's heart leapt so fast it nearly choked him. He stepped inside the gate, his eyes widening in wonder. The bright flowers, the polished tiles, the gentle murmur of a small fountain ;everything felt like a different world. A beautiful, unreachable world he was suddenly allowed to touch.
The senior maid turned to him. "Listen carefully. Working here is not easy. You have to pass certain tests. It's not just about wanting to work; not everyone can stay."
Li Wei nodded eagerly, his eyes shining with a desperate hope.
"I will talk to our master," she continued. "If he agrees, then you can start working here. But for now…"
She paused and turned to the first maid, who handed him a small basket. Inside, he saw food ; real food. Steamed buns, some slices of dried meat, and a small rice ball.
His hands trembled as he accepted it. "Thank you… thank you so much," he whispered, his eyes burning with tears he fought to hold back.
"You can eat here," the senior maid said gently. "Then come back tomorrow. We will tell you if you can stay."
Li Wei nodded again, too overwhelmed to find the right words. He stepped aside, sinking down onto a stone bench in the courtyard. Carefully, as if the food might vanish, he unwrapped the rice ball first and took a small bite. The warm, savory taste filled his mouth, and a sob almost escaped his throat.He didn't eat all, thinking about his Mom;he saved part for her.
As he ate, he felt something crack open inside him — a tiny pocket of warmth and hope that he hadn't dared to hold onto for so long.
When he finished, he stood, bowed deeply toward the maids, and left the house ;carrying the memory of that kindness like a fragile lantern inside him.
Tomorrow, he would come back. Tomorrow, he would try again.
And for the first time in what felt like forever, Li Wei walked home with a small, trembling hope flickering in his chest