Chapter 56

Chapter 56

After Dai Xianghua said his piece, he left, and Wang Guizhi and Shen Guoqiang, mother and son, sat in the kitchen for a while longer.

"We've got no idea what's up with Xiao Mian's dad; it could be a while before we can get ahold of him. As for Xiao Yue, the state she was in when she first got here—whether she was snatched or sold—it's anyone's guess. She says she doesn't remember her past, but who knows if that's for real." Wang Guizhi sighed. "That clever little girl, sometimes I wonder how she ever ended up like that."

She glanced at Shen Guoqiang and said, "If you two are gonna adopt, Xiao Dizi would be the best pick."

Shen Guoqiang hesitated and kept quiet. He could tell the old lady had a soft spot for all the kids.

It was almost funny, really—back then, they wanted to adopt a kid but couldn't find the right one, and now they've got options.

Xiao Yue and Xiao Mian were a bit older, but their situation wasn't like Shen Ailin's. To be honest, Ailin still had his real parents right here, while these two had no clue where their folks were.

Besides, both kids were good kids. Xiao Mian went without saying—he loved to study and wasn't a troublemaker. Xiao Yue, though a little wild, knew her limits and was a good kid too.

Shen Guoqiang opened his mouth but couldn't bring himself to say which kid he wanted and which he didn't.

The mother and son sat there quiet for a long while. Finally, Wang Guizhi let out a long sigh and said, "You adopt Xiao Dizi. I'm still in pretty good shape, and with your dad, we can earn enough to raise Xiao Yue and Xiao Mian. It's only about six or seven years till they're grown and we can't work no more."

Shen Guoqiang: "Mom, how about..."

Wang Guizhi waved her hand. "You can't take 'em all. You live in the city, in a tiny place—how could you fit everyone? Besides, you both work; raising one kid is hard enough, let alone three. And who adopts three kids all at once? The folks in your compound would think you've gone crazy."

She smiled a little. "Actually, it's not that bad. Those two kids are handy; they might even earn their own keep. We'd just be giving 'em a roof over their heads."

"But raising 'em will mean you two brothers gotta help out, which adds to your load."

Wang Guizhi sighed, her eyes getting red. "But I've had 'em for half a year now, and I can't stand to hand 'em over to strangers. In times like these, it's hard for kids their age to find a good family. If they end up in a bad spot..."

Her voice caught, and she couldn't go on.

Shen Guoqiang was at a loss. He said quickly, "Mom, I know. I really like these kids too. Xiao Hui and I can scrimp and raise all three. It's just that we've never raised kids before, and I'm afraid we'd mess up with three at once. Plus, we're swamped with work."

He thought for a moment, like he'd made up his mind. "You can keep 'em for now, and I'll send more money and ration tickets each month. Later, I'll figure something out—maybe get a small room at the factory or rent a place—and move you all over. With you and Dad helping out, it'll be fine."

Wang Guizhi wiped her eyes and patted Shen Guoqiang's hand. "You've already done enough for the family. You don't gotta worry about everything. I told you, your dad and I can still work, and those two kids are capable. We'll manage to eat."

"In the city, even drinking water costs money. It's not as easy as the brigade. Back when college exams were a thing, moving to the city might've meant better schools, but now, city schools are a mess. It's safer here in the village. We'll figure it out later."

She stood up, dusted off her pants, and said, "Alright, it's not something that needs to be decided right this minute. Maybe their folks will show up in a few days. We're just worrying over nothing. You've got a long trip tomorrow, so get some rest."

Shen Guoqiang stood up as well.

Wang Guizhi picked up the oil lamp and then suddenly said, "What we know about Xiao Mian's family—just keep it between us. Don't tell your wife, and don't tell Guoqing either. From now on, we'll pretend we don't know."

Shen Guoqiang agreed.

He understood his mother's meaning. A descendant of capitalists with overseas connections—what that meant in this era was obvious. Since the police only had speculations, if they couldn't find the child's father, it was better to act like it never happened.

Mother and son went to their respective rooms.

Wang Guizhi entered the room with the oil lamp and saw Shen Dechang sitting upright in the dark. She was startled: "Oh, you're still awake?" Then she realized—today at the banquet, he had personally driven out the eldest son, and it was weighing on him.

Shen Dechang stood up and shook the quilt. "It's still early for bed."

"Early? You usually sleep by now. Thinking about the eldest's family?"

Wang Guizhi set down the lamp and bolted the door. "I raised him myself, and I don't think I treated him badly. All these years, the younger ones haven't helped him less, have they? Don't take this the wrong way, but that couple's minds are twisted. Instead of focusing on their own lives, they're always eyeing what others have."

"And you're getting old and muddled. Back when they wanted to pass Ailin to Guoqiang, you didn't stop them and even kept it from me. You were thinking of the eldest, but what about Guoqiang? Mark my words, at this rate, Aimin might be settled, but the younger ones will be the ones left behind."

Shen Dechang was silent for a long time before murmuring, "I didn't think it through. I didn't teach him well."

Wang Guizhi: "Parents are guides, but the path is his own to walk. Besides, how old is he now?"

Shen Dechang sighed. "But Aihua is a good kid, and Aizhen and Ailin are still young."

Wang Guizhi glanced at him and said, "Later, we'll ask Matchmaker Li from the neighboring brigade to find a capable and virtuous girl for Aihua. If they work hard together, they'll make a life."

Shen Aihua had always been quiet and neglected by Hu Huaihua, who paid him the least attention. But now, he seemed to be the only one of the three younger ones who hadn't gone astray.

He was eighteen this year, old enough to start looking for a match. Given how Shen Guoxing and Hu Huaihua were now, they probably wouldn't bother with him. Since he was a child she had raised, Wang Guizhi was willing to give him a hand.

As for Shen Aizhen and Shen Ailin, their parents were still around, so she, as a step-grandmother, had no say.

Wang Guizhi changed the subject. "Xianghua said if the remaining three kids' families aren't found, the county will have to place them elsewhere. What do you think?"

Shen Dechang looked up blankly. "Me?"

He hesitated. "Guoqiang will adopt Xiao Dizi. As for the other two..." He found he couldn't bring himself to say they should be sent away.

Wang Guizhi glanced at him and said nothing more.

After throwing the problem to Shen Dechang, she shamelessly crawled into bed and went to sleep, leaving him frowning, unsure what to do.

Back in his room, Shen Guoqiang wanted to mention the adoption to Lin Xiaohui, but she was already asleep.

She had been exhausted from all the work over the past couple of days.

Shen Guoqiang carefully climbed into bed, pulled up the quilt, and stared into the dark void. After a long while, he let out a faint sigh.

In the newlyweds' room, Shen Guoqiang took a red cloth bundle from a new cabinet and mysteriously handed it to Zhou Yaoyao.

Zhou Yaoyao asked curiously, "What's this?"

She opened the bundle, and when she saw what was inside, she gasped, covering her mouth. She felt like she might have screamed.

"It's a wedding gift from the kids," Shen Guoqiang said with a grin.

Zhou Yaoyao thought Shen Guoqiang must be crazy, or her ears were playing tricks on her. The plain gold bangle in the cloth was obviously real—not some scrap metal. How could it be from the kids?

Shen Guoqiang laughed. "I knew you wouldn't believe it, but it's true. Mom said Xiao Yue and the others bought a broken wooden box at the scrap yard, planning to use it for storage. But it fell apart on the way—the wood was rotten—so they had to chop it up for firewood. Inside the cracks, they found two little goldfish. They sold one and sent the money to Xiao Shitou, and had the other made into this bangle for you."

That was what Wang Guizhi had told him. Shen Guoqiang had no idea that his mother had given him a partial and slightly altered version of the truth.

Zhou Yaoyao was speechless. "And you accepted it? Never mind how valuable it is—we're adults, taking such an expensive gift from kids? Do we have no shame?"

She rolled up the cloth and handed it back to Shen Guoqiang. "Give it back to them tomorrow."

Shen Guoqiang sighed helplessly. "Don't rush. Mom said it was the kids' heartfelt gesture. They wanted to buy us a gift by picking up scraps, but they found this instead. So she said we should keep it and slowly save up to pay them back, as if we bought it from them."

"That's more like it. But we're already tight on money, and now we're spending on this... Ah, forget it. We'll be better off in a couple of years. I'll just borrow from my parents for now."

Zhou Yaoyao muttered to herself, convincing herself, then took out the gold bangle again and admired it. "How are these little brats so lucky? Buying a broken box at the scrap yard and finding gold? I've never heard of anyone striking it rich there."

Shen Guoqiang thought to himself, *That's different—Xiao Dizi is a fairy descended from heaven, and Xiao Yue might be too.* But he didn't dare say that to Zhou Yaoyao. He just repeated what Wang Guizhi had told him: "Maybe after all the hardship they've been through, their luck turned."

"Maybe," Zhou Yaoyao sighed. "How can these kids be so thoughtful, buying us a wedding gift? My own siblings just ask me for candy."

She looked up at Shen Guoqing and said, "I hope we can have kids this good someday."

Shen Guoqing glanced at her, his face flushing slightly. He mumbled, "It's late, should we sleep?"

Zhou Yaoyao playfully spat at him: "I'm serious!" Her face reddened too.

—

The kids didn't get the adults' worries and joys. The children chatted about everything under the sun until late, their eyelids finally gave out and they drifted off one by one.

The next morning, after breakfast, Xiao Jie's family and Xiao Wei and his dad left with Dai Xianghua. They hadn't checked in with the county when they got here, so they had to stop by the county to handle the paperwork before heading back. Shen Guoqiang and Lin Xiaohui, who needed to catch a ride back to Jiangcheng, went along too.

The kids saw them off at the village gate. Zhao Xuehai and Xiao Jie, both big talkers, bonded over tears, hugging and crying until even Zhao's mom couldn't stand it. She had her husband pick up their son and bike off, while Zhao Xuehai was hauled off by Zhao Yongjun, who just happened to be passing by.

The kids left behind were either wiping tears or had red eyes.

Zhou Yaoyao patted Xiao Dizi's messy hair, trying to distract her: "Xiao Dizi, I want to pick some vegetables from the private plot, but I don't know where it is. What should I do?"

Xiao Dizi looked up, her big eyes brimming with tears, and blinked at Zhou Yaoyao. After a moment, she said, "Then Xiao Dizi will take Auntie there."

Zhou Yaoyao took out a handkerchief to wipe her tears: "Does Xiao Dizi know the way to the private plot?"

Xiao Dizi blinked, shook her head, and honestly said, "Xiao Dizi doesn't know!" But she quickly told Zhou Yaoyao: "Sister knows, and Brother Mian knows too. We'll take you together."

She tugged on Shen Banyue's hand. Shen Banyue sighed, helpless: "Yeah, Sister knows. We'll take Auntie to the private plot and show her around the village too."

Zhou Yaoyao smiled: "Then I'll thank you all now!"

She glanced at Wang Guizhi and Shen Guoqing nearby: "Mom, we're heading to the private plot."

Wang Guizhi wiped her eye and waved: "Go on, go ahead."

He Yingyu, who came to see them off, patted Shen Wendong on the shoulder and half-hugged her son, whose eyes were red: "Let's head home first. Your little brother's probably waking up."

Shen Wendong looked at Shen Banyue and the others and nodded: "Okay."

The group headed back. Zhou Yaoyao led the three kids home to grab a bamboo basket, then headed to the private plot.

Xiao Dizi had stopped crying, and the older two seemed okay, but without the chatterbox Xiao Jie, the walk was really quiet.

Zhou Yaoyao tried to make conversation a few times, but the kids were low on energy, just giving a word or two before trailing off. She sighed to herself and stopped pushing.

Xiao Dizi held tightly to Shen Banyue's hand. When Shen Banyue picked her up, she wrapped her arms around her neck. Even Lin Mian stayed close, following her every step.

Shen Banyue felt like a mother hen, with two scared little chicks clinging to her, afraid of being snatched by a fox.

When they got to the private plot, Zhou Yaoyao went into the field to pick vegetables, while the three kids stood huddled together on the ridge.

"Sister, will you go far, far away like Brother Xiao Jie and them?" Xiao Dizi tugged on Shen Banyue's clothes, suddenly looking up with a serious face.

This kid, in less than a year, had been through so much joy and sorrow that she was way more sensitive than other kids her age.

Seeing her, Shen Banyue couldn't help thinking of the "little brothers and sisters" she'd taken care of in the orphanage in her past life.

Some got adopted, some got sent back for different reasons, and some watched their friends leave while waiting forever to be taken in. A lot of kids had that scared, uneasy look in their eyes, like they'd already seen how harsh life can be before it even really started.

Maybe, when she was younger, she was the same.

But she couldn't remember now.

"Sister won't go far, far away," Shen Banyue said softly.

Lin Mian looked at her and pressed his lips together.

The next day, Shen Guoqing and Zhou Yaoyao went back to work, and the yard, once so lively, suddenly felt a little lonely.

A few days later, Dai Xianghua sent word that he'd take the three kids to the county. The next morning, the old couple borrowed an oxcart from the production team and took the kids to the commune, where they handed them over to Dai Xianghua.

Wang Guizhi handed a cloth bag to Shen Banyue: "Inside are some pancakes I made this morning and some cookies. Eat them if you get hungry, and tell Uncle Dai if you get thirsty. Don't wander off in the county, stick close to the adults. Get your business done and come back early. We'll have pulled noodles for dinner tonight."

She patted Xiao Dizi's head and Lin Mian's shoulder, repeating: "Come back early."

Dai Xianghua laughed: "Auntie, don't worry. Little Sun and I will take good care of them."

He had brought along a militiaman, afraid he couldn't manage alone.

Wang Guizhi waved dismissively: "Ah, I trust you. What's there not to trust?"

But as they climbed onto the cart, the old couple watched intently. When the cart started moving, they still stood there, staring. Even after the cart had gone a long way, Shen Banyue looked out the window and saw them still standing there.

Little Sun also peeked out and couldn't help saying: "That's not trust at all—it's pure worry, like she's afraid we'll lose the kids. Brother Dai, you couldn't have picked a better family for them."

Dai Xianghua smiled: "Exactly. I knew Auntie Wang was a good person, so caring for the kids!"

Little Sun thought to himself that it was rare to see someone care so much for kids who weren't their own, but he didn't say it aloud in front of them.

Xiao Dizi hugged Shen Banyue's neck and whispered: "Sister, where is Uncle Dai taking us?"

Shen Banyue patted her back: "He's taking us to the county for a look around. Don't worry, we'll be back before dark."

Xiao Dizi let out a soft sigh: "That's good then."

Unlike the innocent Xiao Dizi, Lin Mian had some guesses and frowned silently.

The cart jolted all the way to the county. They got off and took a bus to the detention center.

For a typical case, it would have been wrapped up by now, with the suspects sentenced and sent to a neighboring city's prison. But this case was too big, involving too many people, and the investigation was still ongoing, so the traffickers were still held locally.

Dai Xianghua had called ahead, and once inside, the staff led them to a meeting room.

While waiting for the staff to bring out the suspects, Dai Xianghua, worried the kids might be traumatized by the traffickers, gave them a pep talk.

The gist was that this was a place where the government held criminals, and even the most vicious ones had to behave here, so there was nothing to fear—these bad guys were just paper tigers that could be poked through.

Xiao Dizi didn't understand a word: "Uncle Dai, what's a criminal? And why are they paper tigers?"

The other two, who understood, just stared blankly, looking like they didn't know the meaning of fear.

Dai Xianghua: "..."

Just then, the door on the other side of the iron bars creaked open, and a bald man with thin eyebrows and a fierce face walked in.

Despite being in prison, he showed no sign of submission. His sinister gaze first landed on Dai Xianghua in his police uniform. Recognizing him as the one who had arrested him, he let out a cold snort, clearly unrepentant.

These useless cops—if it weren't for bad luck and that weird little girl, they'd never have caught him.

Then his eyes swept over and landed on Shen Banyue.

Half a year had passed. Shen Banyue's skin had lightened, her face had filled out, and she had grown a bit taller. She looked completely different from when she was in the traffickers' den.

The bald man didn't recognize her at first, just felt she looked familiar, like he'd seen her somewhere. But when he met her clear, cold eyes, a familiar dread surged through him, and every hair on his body stood on end.

It was that little girl!