Yuan Si saw Xiao Furen turning onto the path from a side road. She recognized him—or rather, she had seen him before. Back in May or June of last year, the old woman had wanted to help some of her good friends in the village. Following a list the old woman gave her, Yuan Si had gone out in the middle of the night to be a "scattered-grain boy." At the time, she had figured that since she was already out, she might as well make a round of the neighboring villages. It was on one of those nights that she saw this little boy.
Back then, the little boy had been rushing to the county seat all by himself in the dark. Quite curious, she had followed him all the way there. She watched as he entered a home, pulled out a handful of small bills and loose change, and bought a small sack of corn kernels before heading back to his village under the cover of night.
