Selected

Compared to how difficult it was to be chosen by the Choir, Li Wei was now looking at Feng Zi with a face full of amazement.

She had black hair now and wore simple, plain hemp clothes. Last night, a few freckles had been added to her originally fair, delicate face, and black contact lenses covered her blue eyes.

Although she was still strikingly beautiful, with a unique air about her, she was almost unrecognizable.

What truly amazed Li Wei was her leg. Feng Zi had suddenly stopped limping first thing that morning!

Even before Li Wei had put on her makeup, her complexion had still been pale—paler than usual, in fact. But now, she was perfectly sound in all four limbs.

"Were you pretending to limp this whole time?"

Li Wei eyed her suspiciously.

At his words, Feng Zi gritted her teeth. Her hand tightened around his arm, and she looked so furious she might chew the flesh off him.

"You're the one pretending to be a cripple! Your whole family's pretending to be cripples!"

Seeing that she didn't want to say more, Li Wei simply shook his head and didn't press her.

Everyone had a few little secrets of their own. Li Wei himself wasn't completely open with Feng Zi—in fact, he kept a great deal from her.

"Just so we're clear, even if you're not limping anymore, I'm not changing how I address you."

As he spoke, he glanced around. Before long, he spotted a middle-aged woman in a nearby alley, also scanning the area for someone.

With Feng Zi holding onto his arm, Li Wei walked over to her. The woman saw them coming and silently looked them up and down.

Only when Li Wei spoke did she respond.

"Sent by Zhou the Third?"

At the name, a smile finally appeared on the woman's face. She became much more welcoming.

"That's right, Uncle Zhou next door got in touch. You're Zhao Huan and Zhao Ling, right? Here are your identity cards. The information's already been entered, and they're the old kind of cards, so no photo check."

Li Wei took the cards she handed him and gave Feng Zi the one marked "Zhao Ling."

"Uncle Zhou should've told you I had some extra requirements. You'll need to help us out today, too."

The woman's smile grew even warmer.

"I know, I know. But he also said the payment for that part would come from you."

As she spoke, Li Wei had already pulled ten hundred-yuan bills from his pocket. Under the woman's eager gaze, he counted out seven.

"Here's seven hundred upfront. Once it's over, I'll give you the remaining three hundred."

There was no way Li Wei could carry all that cash around. He had rented a room near the church and stashed some of the things that were inconvenient to carry there, keeping only a little money on him.

After receiving the agreed-upon payment, the woman—clearly used to this sort of work—smoothly became Li Wei and Feng Zi's "mother" and took them to join the line of people signing up for the Church choir.

The line was indeed long. Most people were mothers bringing their own children to sign up. The Church choir had a fixed age limit and only accepted youths aged eight to eighteen, with an equal number of boys and girls.

But it was, after all, a choir that performed in public.

It was said that every year, the Bishop used the White Tower's choir performances to help the laborers of the Afterglow District secure considerable subsidies and funding. As a result, the selection standards were especially strict.

Children living in the Afterglow District were more or less malnourished, and their parents, who worked as laborers, had no time to pay attention to their personal hygiene. In fact, hardly any of the children could read or had received an education.

So although many people came to sign up, the vast majority were turned away on the spot.

By their real ages, Li Wei's original body in this world had turned eighteen just three months ago, while Feng Zi was already nearly twenty.

But their identity cards now listed them as seventeen and sixteen.

Judging by their appearances, it was indeed hard to guess their real ages.

After standing in line all morning, Feng Zi and Li Wei finally reached the front sometime after eleven.

The priest handling registration and screening was already looking rather numb. He first entered Li Wei and Feng Zi's identity-card details with his head down. When he looked up and saw their faces, he visibly paused.

"Reverend, I'm not bragging, but back in my day, I was the prettiest girl for miles around! My son and daughter both take after me, and they're well-behaved, too. That late husband of mine even taught them to read when they were little. They definitely meet the Church's requirements!"

The woman was remarkably committed to her role. As she praised herself, she didn't forget to include Li Wei and Feng Zi.

The priest nodded at her words. But after studying Li Wei and Feng Zi for a while, he said nothing. Instead, he took two photographs from the side and carefully compared them with the pair before him. Then he silently shook his head.

The woman Li Wei had hired thought the priest was dissatisfied, and she grew nervous, afraid that if the two weren't selected, she wouldn't get her final payment.

"What's wrong with them? Is their hair too long? Did they forget to trim their nails? Don't just shake your head!"

The priest set down the two wanted posters in his hands. Rather than answer the woman, he lowered his head and put a large check mark beside Li Wei and Feng Zi's details on the registration form.

"Your two children are fine. They meet the selection standards. But this is only a provisional acceptance. The Church will arrange training for them, and if they fail to meet the requirements at any point, we'll still dismiss them."

At that, the woman finally let out a long sigh of relief. A pleased smile spread across her face.

"Take a look at this employment contract. If everything looks fine, have your son and daughter go right inside. They won't be able to come home during this period, but you can visit them whenever you like. The Church will arrange their food and lodging and make sure they're well looked after."

The woman signed the contract without the slightest hesitation. Then, looking reluctant to part with them, she earnestly reminded Li Wei and Feng Zi to behave themselves in the Church, just like a real mother would.

Of course, while she had a moment to spare, Li Wei quietly slipped the remaining three hundred into the woman's hand. They exchanged a knowing final glance, marking the successful end of their deal.

At last, a nun dressed like a sister led the two of them into the church, where several dozen selected children were already waiting.