he little boy had always smiled and said that there was still rice at home. He would then hurriedly run away.

That day, however, the little boy had genuinely run out of everything. He had gone to the Yang Family's medicine shop in the morning, and he had wanted to borrow some money from the old man. However, Old Man Yang had refused to see him.

When dusk arrived, the little boy had thought to himself with an upset expression, would someone perhaps smile and invite him to their house for a meal when they saw him?

However, no one had opened their door for him on that day. There had been joyous laughs behind the tightly shut doors, and there had also been angry curses behind the tightly shut doors.

In the end, the little boy had returned to his courtyard with an empty and growling stomach. He had laid down on his ice-cold bed and draped a thin blanket over himself. He had then silently told himself that he wasn't hungry at all. He wouldn't feel hungry once he fell asleep. He wouldn't feel hungry if he thought about his father and mother.

1. The first line of the 'Three Character Classic'. It was probably written in the 13th century, and is mainly attributed to Wang Yinglin during the Song dynasty. It is also attributed to Ou Shizi. ?

2. Titles for people who come first and third in the highest imperial examination. ?

3. A successful candidate in the highest imperial examination ?

4. In Chinese, the cultivation world (江湖) is read "jianghu". The characters on the gourd (姜壶) literally translate to "ginger flask". ?