The Scavenger's Daughters (Tales of the Scavenger's Daughters, Book One) by Kay Bratt Page A

as if he couldn’t catch his breath—he wished hecould be like them and pass his days with games and naps, but most days he wouldn’t trade his life for anyone’s. He was close now and felt he couldn’t get home fast enough. His old legs were tired of pedaling and he looked forward to a cup of tea.
    Picking up the pace, he turned the corner and pedaled down the lane to his courtyard. Just on the other side of the gate he paused when he saw a large basket of corn sitting on the ground. The unexpected bounty brightened his day and he gave silent thanks for the generous neighbor who had left it.
    “Ye Ye
hui jia le
!”
    Benfu heard Ivy’s loud announcement of his arrival before he even saw her. He parked his bicycle beside the house and turned just in time to brace himself for the onslaught of hugs from a few of his daughters. After peeling Peony’s and Ivy’s arms from around his waist, he reached out and settled Lily, who had been jostled and looked like she was going to fall over. The girl had used her gnarled old stick to find her way out of the door and to his side, her small hand already holding on to the back of his coat to let him guide her back to the house.
    “What are you girls doing? Why aren’t you finishing up your afternoon chores? I let you stay home today because you promised to help your Nai Nai,” he gently scolded. Some Saturdays he allowed them to stay home instead of taking them out around town to help him collect. He felt at their age, they needed some time to just enjoy being children without the constant pressures of earning income. Now that some of the girls were getting older, he knew it was embarrassing for them to be seen picking up trash.
    “We
are
doing chores, Ye Ye. I was just emptying the mop water and I heard your bicycle. Guess what, Ye Ye? Someone left us corn and milk powder again and we still don’t know who!” Ivy answered, hopping up and down with the dripping bucket still in her hands.
    Benfu smiled. Ivy was a smart one, listening for the sound of his bike. Linnea had fixed the loose wheel yet again, but it still squeaked and the girls loved that they could hear him coming down the lane and rival one anotherto be the first to greet him each day. For him and his tired old legs, knowing what was waiting for him made those last few yards easier.
    “Indeed we’ve had a secret visitor again, haven’t we? How lucky are we? And they didn’t leave their name, so they’re an example of a true giving heart. Ivy, pick six of the best ears from the bunch and take them over to Widow Zu. Let’s spread the gift.” He picked up the basket of corn with the can of milk powder on top and carried it to the door. He set it down and took off his outer jacket, hanging it on the first nail beside the row of ten. He never wore his work jacket inside, as it reeked of trash.
    With his daughters around him, he entered his home. He stopped to remove his shoes and set them on the low shelf. He reached into the basket for his slippers and dropped them on the floor, sliding his feet into them. He nodded when he saw his wife sitting in her rocking chair and cradling the baby. On the other side of the room, Maggi waved at him from her perch on her bench.
    “Maggie Mei,
ni hao ma
?” he teased as he reached for his indoor jacket from the nail inside the door and slid it on, buttoning it to the top.
    “Fine, Ye Ye,” she answered, beaming back at him.
    As usual for this time of day, Maggi leaned over a rickety ironing board, happily ironing a large newspaper. He knew it made her proud that despite her disability, she was able to contribute to the family’s well-being by straightening and smoothing all the paper they gathered each week. After Maggi ironed them neatly, the other girls worked together to stack and bundle them for Benfu to take to the recycling center for selling. Each time he returned, Maggi was like a little jack-in-the-box on her bench as she excitedly urged him to tell her how