Zhentao City.
Wang Family Alley.
Dawn had only just begun to break.
The side gate of Wei Mansion opened, and several old maids led servants out to make purchases.
Birds on the walls chirped noisily, hopping about without pause, filling the air with festivity.
Not long after the side gate opened, a child quietly slipped out as well.
The child had red lips and white teeth, with a topknot tied atop his head. Fair and plump, at a glance he looked like an enlarged porcelain doll.
The little fellow looked around. Seeing no one, he hurried out on tiptoe and broke into a run along Wang Family Alley.
When he reached the mouth of the alley, two boys suddenly rushed out from the side and shouted at him.
"Ha!"
The child jumped in fright.
If an ordinary child from an ordinary household encountered such a sudden scare, he would surely be startled and frightened, collapse to the ground, and burst into tears.
But this child was different. Instinctively, he raised his hand and slapped the two of them.
Smack! Smack!
The slap left the two boys' heads buzzing. Their eyes immediately reddened, and they were about to cry.
"Cry my ass! Damn it! You two have gotten bold, sneaking over here to scare your Uncle Wei!?" the child said, hands on his hips in a babyish voice.
"You little brat still wearing split-crotch pants, and you dare call yourself Uncle!?" one of the boys roared, pointing at him.
"Enough, enough. Stop messing around. My mother finally went out, and no one is home to keep me in line. Where are we going to play now?" the child said impatiently, waving a hand.
"Play what?" The other boy rubbed his cheek, held back his tears, and said irritably, "My family didn't