My System Is Three Thousand Years Early

The guest's face turned red with anger. "Is Duke Zhen's Mansion's food something that just anyone can eat?"

"You come back here!"

The guest was so angered that he was about to rise and chase after the thief.

But he noticed the smirks on the faces of the people around him.

His body came to a halt.

Upon reflection, the guest realized that if he were to leave his place now, by the time he got back, there might not be a spot for him to sit anymore.

It was just a chicken leg, after all.

The guest settled back down at the banquet, clinking drinks with the others, loudly congratulating Cheng Guang, the Princely Heir, on his wedding.

Meanwhile, the beggar boy who had pilfered the chicken leg ran like mad, as if afraid someone was chasing him. Even though he was almost out of breath, he continued to run desperately.

Soon.

The beggar boy had run out of the inner city and arrived at an abandoned house in the outer city.

He agilely climbed through a window, squeezing in through a narrow gap, and then hurriedly took out the chicken leg from his clothes and ran towards a pile of straw.

"Qingqing, Qingqing, I'm back."

At the sound of the beggar boy's voice, a dark little head popped out of the straw, as black as the boy's but noticeably paler, with hair like weeds, clearly a little girl.

The beggar boy helped Qingqing to sit up and handed her the chicken leg.

"Qingqing, eat up."

Qingqing's eyes lit up at the sight of the chicken leg. She swallowed subconsciously, and was about to take it but hesitated and pushed the boy's hand back.

"Tongzhen, I just had some millet porridge, I'm not hungry, you eat."

Li Tongzhen looked at the little millet porridge left in the iron pot beside him and shook his head quickly. "We'll eat together."

Upon hearing Li Tongzhen's words, Qingqing wanted to refuse, but seeing Li Tongzhen's expression of 'if you don't eat, I won't either,' she nodded lightly.

Li Tongzhen smiled, quickly tore the now slightly cold chicken leg in half, and handed one half to Qingqing.

Qingqing nervously rubbed her little hands, wiping them briefly on her body before finally taking the chicken leg.

"Eat, eat, today is the big wedding of the Town-Nation Duke's Heir, there are so many tasty foods. Once you finish, I'll go get you some more later."

Li Tongzhen's dark face broke into a smile; he sat on the ground and hastily stuffed pieces of the chicken into his mouth.

Without savoring it much, he swallowed the chicken directly into his belly.

The flavor of the chicken instantly filled his mouth, making it water.

Li Tongzhen gobbled down, unable to resist even crunching the chicken bones clean.

Finally, reluctant to let go, he licked every bit of grease from his fingers.

Li Tongzhen patted his stomach; he was still a bit hungry, but much better off.

He loosened the cloth belt tied around his belly and sat aside, turning to look at Qingqing.

Qingqing was a girl.

She ate much slower than Li Tongzhen and with more refinement.

Realizing that Li Tongzhen had finished, she hesitated no longer, thrusting the one-third-eaten chicken leg back at him.

"Tongzhen, you eat. I'm full with just a little bit," she said softly.

Li Tongzhen licked his lips and shook his head. "No need, you eat. I'll just go grab some more."

Qingqing extended the chicken leg towards where Li Tongzhen was sitting. "Eat."

She added one more sentence.

"I'm not hungry."

Li Tongzhen looked at Qingqing skeptically.

"Really?"

Qingqing nodded vigorously and then opened her mouth to let out an exaggerated burp on purpose.

Li Tongzhen believed her.

He was about to take the piece of chicken leg from Qingqing's hand.

Suddenly, a rather abrupt "gurgle" sounded.

Qingqing covered her stomach awkwardly and quickly waved her hand. "It wasn't Qingqing's stomach growling."

Li Tongzhen bit his lip and stuffed the chicken leg back into Qingqing's hands.

"You eat. The Duke of the State's Heir is celebrating his big wedding today, and there's so much food they can't possibly finish it all! I'll go get more!"

Having said that, Li Tongzhen quickly crawled out of the house and headed toward Duke Zhen's Mansion.

Qingqing stood there, feeling a bit unsteady as she patted her stomach.

"It shouldn't have growled, I just drank water..."

"Qingqing drank a lot... I'm not hungry at all..."

Qingqing muttered to herself, putting the chicken leg into her mouth.

Savoring the deliciousness on her tongue.

Though she wanted to finish quickly, she thought of the possibility that Li Tongzhen might come back empty-handed.

"He's a boy, he needs to eat more, Qingqing should save some for him."

Having said that.

Qingqing slowly put the chicken leg down again.

......

Li Tongzhen ran along the street, heading toward Duke Zhen's Mansion.

The closer he got to Duke Zhen's Mansion, the louder the hubbub and festivities became.

As Li Tongzhen ran, when he approached Duke Zhen's Mansion, the crowd around him, many belonging to the famous aristocratic families of the Capital city and the least of whom were well-known traders within the city, bustled past.

Although Duke Zhen's Mansion was hosting a banquet for the entire city, not just anyone was entitled to attend.

Ordinary citizens of the Capital city still didn't have the prestige to be there.

What sort of standing could a beggar boy like Li Tongzhen have?

As soon as Li Tongzhen approached this street, the passersby held their noses and their faces showed disgust.

"How did this beggar get to the area around Duke Zhen's Mansion?"

"Who knows why, it surely isn't to bring the Princely Heir good luck. He just came to freeload food and drinks."