Chapter 5: Finally, I Have a Family

Lu Demin looked at Wanqing, who was frowning, and helplessly adjusted his round glasses.

“Wanqing, you need to think this through. Raising a child is not an easy task.”

“I know.” Wanqing tightly held Bai An in her arms, speaking gently, “I’ve always wanted another girl, but you never agreed. So Bai An must be sent by heaven to find me.”

Seeing how serious Wanqing was, Lu Demin sighed. “Your health hasn’t been good since giving birth to Jin’an, and then you came with me here. How could I bear to let you have another one?”

“It’s fine, I can handle it. I’ll work harder to earn some food stamps. We’ll be able to manage.”

Bai An looked up at them, her eyes flashing. She understood that she could stay here.

Although she found it incredible to be in this time period, having parents here didn’t seem so bad.

“Mom.”

Wanqing heard Bai An call her “Mom,” and excitedly patted Lu Demin. “Did you hear that? She called me ‘Mom.'”

Bai An turned to look at the man. “Dad.”

Lu Demin cleared his throat, stood up straight, and said with restraint, “She called me ‘Dad’ too.”

Lu Jin’an, who was a bit bored at home, thought about the little girl he had seen in the morning—fair-skinned, small, delicate, and so picky that she didn’t even like egg custard.

“Jin’an, you’re going to have a little sister.”

Jin’an looked up quickly, his eyes wide as he saw his father carrying the little girl from this morning.

“Didn’t she go to find her parents?”

Wanqing patted her son’s head. “From now on, I’ll be her mother.”

“Really?” Jin’an tried hard to hold back his smile, but his bright eyes betrayed his excitement.

“Are you so happy, Jin’an?”

Although Jin’an said no, his eyes were fixed on Bai An.

Lu Demin, seeing his son’s reaction, smiled. “Do you want to come over and hold your little sister?”

Bai An glanced at Lu Jin’an and reached out her hands toward him.

Jin’an cautiously held Bai An in his arms. The girl’s body was soft, and holding her felt comfortable.

“She likes me,” Jin’an said quietly.

Bai An sat on the bed, watching the busy family in front of her.

On the surface, she looked emotionless, but inside she was already planning her future.

Fortunately, the space had come along with her. The things in the space were enough for the family to live comfortably in this time period.

After just one day here, Bai An had already considered them her family. She trusted her judgment in people.

But this place was really too simple.

Bai An looked at the lunch in front of her: a plate of pickled vegetables, a small bowl of boiled cabbage, and only a few steamed buns.

“Bai An, eat up.” Wanqing placed the leftover egg custard from breakfast in front of Bai An. “It’s freshly heated.”

Seeing them eat with gusto, Bai An felt a pang in her heart. She knew that people in the 70s lived tough lives, but seeing it firsthand was even more striking.

After lunch, Lu Demin and Wanqing had to go for labor work.

Bai An looked outside at the snow falling heavily. Could they really survive on so little for lunch?

“Mom, Dad, do you really have to go?”

Lu Jin’an, who was cleaning the table, heard Bai An’s voice and looked up at the two who were about to leave.

Lu Demin patted Bai An’s head. “Mom and Dad will bring you some meat when we come back tonight.”

With only Lu Jin’an and Bai An left at home, the two children huddled in the blankets, keeping each other warm.

“Big brother, eat.”

Bai An took out some milk candies from the space and placed them in Jin’an’s mouth.

The sweetness in her mouth slowly spread, and Lu Jin’an couldn’t help but swallow. “Where did you get this from?”

Bai An chewed the candy in her mouth and mumbled, “A man I don’t know gave it to me.”

Lu Jin’an didn’t press the issue, thinking the adults must have given it to her because she was cute.

Maybe it had been too long since he had eaten candy, but he felt a warm sweetness in his heart.

“Don’t eat things from strangers in the future.”

Bai An casually nodded. “Big brother, I want to go out and play.”

Looking around at the simple surroundings, Bai An thought to herself that if she were going to stay in this family, she’d need to figure out a way to improve their meals. Judging by her parents’ expressions and the situation at the end of the year, they must be part of the intellectual youth sent to the countryside.

Lu Jin’an checked the weather outside, then began putting clothes on Bai An one by one.

“Let’s go.”

Lu Jin’an took Bai An’s hand and walked outside, looking at the vast whiteness of the snow. His handsome little face was flushed from the cold. “Where do you want to play?”

Bai An thought for a moment and said, “I want to play by myself.”

Lu Jin’an gave her a quick glance and then released her hand. “Okay, but you can’t go too far.”

“Mhm.”

Bai An walked toward the hillside opposite, turned a corner, and when Lu Jin’an couldn’t see her, she quickly took out a few potatoes, chili peppers, spring onions, ginger, garlic, and a few frozen fish from her space. She laid them on the snow and quickly covered them with more snow.

“Big brother!” Bai An was startled when she saw Lu Jin’an suddenly appear. “Why are you here?”

Lu Jin’an looked down at Bai An, who was flustered, and frowned. “I came to find you. But why are you scared?”

“I’m not! Haha.” Bai An laughed awkwardly, brushing the snow off her hands. “I just wanted to build a snowman.”

Lu Jin’an took Bai An’s red, frozen hands into his own. “Big brother will help you build one later.”

Once Bai An’s hands started warming up, Lu Jin’an knelt down to help her build the snowman.

He dug into the snow—potatoes?

Lu Jin’an stared at the few potatoes in the snow, confused.

Bai An seized the opportunity and said, “Big brother, you’re amazing! You dug up potatoes! Try digging more, see if you can find anything else.”

Hearing Bai An’s innocent voice, Lu Jin’an hesitated and dug a bit more in the snow.

Chili peppers.

Spring onions, ginger, and garlic.

And even fish.

Lu Jin’an stared at the items on the ground, his eyes full of disbelief. Though he was only 8 years old, he knew this wasn’t normal.

Bai An didn’t care what he was thinking. She picked up a few smaller items and started walking back home.

After a few steps, she noticed Lu Jin’an wasn’t following. She turned around to see him squatting in place, staring at something.

Bai An thought he wanted to dig more, but there was nothing left to find.

“Big brother, let’s go.”

“Okay, got it.”

Lu Jin’an picked up the remaining items and caught up with Bai An.

“Big brother, what are we having for dinner?”

Lu Jin’an looked at the things in his hands, unsure what to do.

“We’ll wait until Mom and Dad come back to figure it out,” Lu Jin’an patted Bai An’s head and smiled at her bright eyes. “But tonight, you’ll get to eat something good.”

“Yay!” Bai An happily hugged Lu Jin’an and praised, “As expected of big brother, you just pick up random things and find such good stuff!”