If that was truly the case, he and Liu Jingtang could not afford to separate even for a moment. Otherwise, the Liu Family could spirit the boy away at any time without a sound, and that would be trouble.
Still, danger or no danger, what needed doing still had to be done.
After bathing, the two headed out into the street, still wreathed in moisture, to buy Liu Jingtang new clothes.
The original color of Liu Jingtang's old clothes was long since unrecognizable. They were covered in grease stains and holes, with crooked patches that had clearly been haphazardly sewn on by the half-grown boys themselves. The stitching was clumsy, loose threads stuck out everywhere, and the whole outfit was a sorry sight.
In those days, there were actually few ready-made clothing shops. Most establishments were tailors that made clothes to measure.
Customers went in and chose their fabric, then the tailor took their measurements and made a garment specifically to fit them.
But with Harbin as tense and jittery as it was, this was hardly a suitable time to wait around for clothes to be made.
Liu Jingye also wanted to finish matters here quickly, then find somewhere safe to hide-or stay inside the freight depot as much as possible.
So Cui Jiuyang led Liu Jingtang around to several shops before finally finding a ready-made clothing store that was still open. He went in, briskly selected two thick coats for the boy, then picked out a heavy padded jacket and padded trousers for winter before they headed back to the freight depot.
Winter came early in the north, and it was especially bitter.
When they had left Changchun, the wind had merely carried a penetrating chill. Now, walking the streets of Harbin, they felt it cut like little knives,