Chapter 21 (3 in 1)

Sunlight streamed in, casting golden rays that illuminated the potted plants, bookshelves, and teaching materials in the room.  

A colleague who had also come to the school on Saturday to handle some business entered the office to deliver documents to Song Yin. Upon pushing the door open, they saw Song Yin slightly frowning, her gaze seemingly fixed on her phone screen.  

“Old Song, what’s with that expression? Did something go wrong with the project you’re leading?”  

“No,” Song Yin replied calmly, flipping her phone face-down on the desk.  

The colleague was surprised. “Not work-related? It’s rare for something outside of work to catch your attention like this.”  

Having worked with Song Yin for over twenty years, they knew her temperament well. If something could make Song Yin react like that, it must be important.  

But since Song Yin had placed her phone face-down, it was clear she didn’t want to elaborate. The colleague didn’t press further, simply set down the documents, exchanged a few pleasantries, and left.  

The office door closed again.  

Song Yin glanced sideways at her phone, recalling the scene she had just seen.  

Jiang Yuexiao, who was usually steady and composed in everything except academics, was earnestly teaching Zhi Li how to throw punches at someone. This didn’t align with Jiang Yuexiao’s personality, nor did it fit the Jiang family’s usual way of handling things.  

As an elder, Song Yin felt responsible for correcting the younger generation’s inappropriate behavior. But remembering the incident that had happened during the livestream not long ago, her expression darkened slightly.  

Wang Hanlin had acted recklessly, and reasoning with a child like that was futile. If Jiang Yuexiao hadn’t stepped in to block him, Wang Hanlin would have snatched the envelope right out of Zhi Li’s hands. Given how fast he’d charged over, he might have even knocked Zhi Li down.  

In dealing with such a child, Jiang Yuexiao teaching Zhi Li to fight back wasn’t wrong in principle, but the method wasn’t ideal. Once the show finished filming and the two children returned home, she would have to talk to them about better ways to handle similar situations in the future.  

With that thought, Song Yin reached for her phone to continue watching the livestream. But just as her fingertips brushed the phone case, she paused abruptly.  

After a few seconds, she pushed the phone aside and opened the documents her colleague had just delivered.  

After all, the two children wouldn’t get into any major trouble during the show. There was no need to waste work time watching a livestream.  

A light breeze swept through the open window, making the flowers in the vase sway gently.  

Song Yin’s pen paused mid-note on the page. Suddenly, she flipped back to the previous page and, unsurprisingly, spotted a detail she had nearly overlooked.  

After a moment, she massaged her temples with her fingers, took a sip of tea from the cup beside her, and set it down again. Instead of continuing with the documents, she picked up her phone and reopened the livestream.  

Perhaps she was tired from the morning’s work and couldn’t focus properly. Since the documents weren’t urgently needed, she could always finish her notes later.  

——  

Back at the show’s set, Zhi Li was still mulling over Jiang Yuexiao’s lesson on throwing punches. After roughly equating the Black Card to something that could deliver many, many punches, she couldn’t help but think further.  

Should she throw punches when someone yells at her?  

Or only when someone like Wang Hanlin or his cousin charges over to snatch something from her?

Once, when cousin Xu Dong came to grandma’s house and got into a fight with another kid, the kid’s parents came knocking on the door. At that time, grandma told Xu Dong that fighting was wrong. Zhi Li had always remembered those words. Even later, when living at her uncle’s house and getting hit on the hand with a spoon by her cousin, Zhi Li never thought of hitting him back.

Later still, she pushed her cousin down out of fear that he would take away her Memory Jar, and her mother slapped her aunt in return. Her aunt then demanded 200,000 yuan as compensation. Fighting was so expensive! Not only did Zhi Li not want to fight, but she also became afraid of fighting.

Now, her brother was teaching her how to throw punches.

Although she had the Black Card from her dad and the Blue Card from her brother, which meant she could throw lots and lots of punches without being afraid of fighting, if she really got into a fight, would grandma come back and say she was wrong?

Zhi Li’s little five-year-old brain was confused. Why did grandma and brother say different things? QAQ.

Xu Qingying saw that Zhi Li was seriously contemplating Jiang Yuexiao’s punch-throwing lesson and felt exasperated. Calmly, she said, “Jiang Yuexiao.”

Jiang Yuexiao didn’t even look up. “What?”

If Jiang Yuexiao was expressionless toward Zhi Li, then toward Xu Qingying, there was a faint sense of rejection. This rejection had lessened compared to when they first met, but it hadn’t completely disappeared.

Xu Qingying tapped Zhi Li’s shoulder with her knuckle and raised an eyebrow at Jiang Yuexiao. “Look at her tiny arms and legs. Who could she possibly punch?”

Zhi Li looked up in confusion.

Jiang Yuexiao finally glanced at Zhi Li. “…”

The little one was barely a meter tall, with slender arms and legs. Earlier, he had rushed over impulsively, worried that Wang Hanlin might knock over this soft, dough-like child.

“You told her to punch someone else?” Xu Qingying was uncharacteristically calm and serious. “Are you sure her tiny fists could even land a punch?”

Jiang Yuexiao’s cool demeanor faltered under the questioning. He racked his brain but couldn’t come up with a rebuttal.

Wang Hanlin was indeed annoying. When teaching Zhi Li to throw punches, he had instinctively assumed he would be there—so she could punch if she wanted. But could he really be by her side all the time? What if she encountered someone much taller than her later?

[I dislike Xu Qingying, but I think her parenting here is on point.]

[So should Zhi Li just stand there and let him take the envelope?]

[Couldn’t she just run to find her mom or brother? Wang Hanlin is two years older—could Zhi Li really win against him?]

[Do you think Jiang Yuexiao did this on purpose?]

[He’s an eight-year-old kid. No need to overanalyze it.]

Zhi Li finally understood and looked up at Xu Qingying. “Mom, is fighting wrong?”

“If someone doesn’t provoke you and you hit them first, then yes, fighting is wrong. But if they try to hit you and you fight back, then it’s not wrong. However, at your size, you probably wouldn’t win against them.” Xu Qingying bent down to meet Zhi Li’s gaze. “Even if you can’t win, you shouldn’t just stand there and take it. You can run to find me, and I’ll help you. Running away isn’t shameful, right?”

After finishing her words, Xu Qingying glanced at Jiang Yuexiao, who was as silent as a dejected mushroom, and said to Zhi Li, “You can also join your brother in boxing lessons. First, strengthen your little arms and legs. If I’m not around or you can’t run away in the future, try swinging your little fists to fight back.”

The dejected mushroom that was Jiang Yuexiao perked up slightly, though not very noticeably.

Zhi Li thought seriously about it. Mom hit Auntie because Auntie hit her first, and before that, Grandma said it was wrong for Cousin to fight, but it seemed Cousin was the one who started hitting the other kid. So in the future, she wouldn’t hit others first, but if she was bullied, she’d fight back. That way, Grandma wouldn’t say she was wrong!

Xu Qingying noticed Jiang Yuexiao eavesdropping and chuckled lightly. “According to the boxing coach, your brother is quite good at boxing.”

Zhi Li nodded vigorously. “I heard the teacher say that too! Brother is amazing!”

Hearing this, Jiang Yuexiao the mushroom perked up completely.

Zhi Li also perked up and was especially happy.

Next time someone hit her hand with a spoon and she couldn’t find Mom, she could fight back! That way, Grandma wouldn’t say she was wrong, and she wouldn’t have to worry about paying that expensive 100,000 yuan.

If Xu Qingying had heard the unconventional calculations in Zhi Li’s little head, she would’ve been exasperated. Their first meeting hadn’t set a good example, making Zhi Li worry about compensation even when she was justified in fighting back.

Meanwhile, in the office, Song Yin, who was idly watching the livestream, looked surprised.

Xu Qingying had changed quite a bit. She no longer seemed as scheming and restless as during their first meeting. Instead, she appeared more composed.

Song Yin thought about how Xu Qingying had been at home these past few days and shifted her gaze to Zhi Li.

Could it be that Xu Qingying’s maternal love had finally arrived?

——

At the market, the four families split up to ask locals about the locations of the buildings in the photos.

After explaining things to Zhi Li, Xu Qingying led her and Jiang Yuexiao into the bustling market.

Afraid they might get lost, she reached out to hold their hands. Zhi Li happily placed her small hand in Xu Qingying’s and promised earnestly, “I’ll definitely stick close to Mom!”

Seeing the smile in Zhi Li’s eyes, Xu Qingying couldn’t help but smile too. She then extended her hand to Jiang Yuexiao.

Before Xu Qingying could touch him, Jiang Yuexiao stiffened and took a step back, refusing outright. “I don’t need you to hold my hand.” His feelings toward Xu Qingying were complicated—a mix of faint aversion and… awkwardness, with the latter being quite prominent.

If Xu Qingying hadn’t corrected Zhi Li in time, Zhi Li might’ve taken the idea of fighting back to heart. If she encountered someone she couldn’t beat, her first thought might’ve been to charge in swinging instead of running away. That would’ve gotten the little brat bullied to death!

Jiang Yuexiao’s expression remained cold, but inwardly, he was thinking that once they got home, he’d arrange a few tall, burly bodyguards for Zhi Li. At the very least, as long as Zhi Li stayed with the Jiang family, he wouldn’t let her be bullied by anyone else.

Xu Qingying wasn’t surprised by the rejection. After all, there had been some tension between the original host and Jiang Yuexiao, and it probably couldn’t be resolved so quickly. Plus, she’d just sternly lectured him, which must’ve bruised his pride.

“Brother, why won’t you hold hands?” Zhi Li tilted her head, her eyes as clear as mountain springs. “If kids don’t hold a Master’s hand, they might get snatched by Child Abductors!”

Jiang Yuexiao met Zhi Li’s worried gaze, his little face stern, momentarily silent.  

If he told Zhi Li the truth—that he avoided holding Xu Qingying’s hand because he disliked her and felt awkward—then given Zhi Li’s attachment to Xu Qingying, she would probably be heartbroken.  

[Poor kid, your brother dislikes your mom, that’s why he won’t hold her hand.]  

[Come on, stop calling her “poor kid” over and over. Even if Zhi Li is naive, she can tell from Jiang Yuexiao’s cold expression that he dislikes Xu Qingying.]  

[Zhi Li said her brother is just reserved and doesn’t like to smile (laughing emoji).]  

[Maybe she really doesn’t notice?]  

[It’s probably because Xu Qingying just acted like a lecturing elder earlier? That’s why stepmothers have it tough.]  

“There are a lot of crew members here, so there won’t be any child abductors,” Jiang Yuexiao said before turning away and walking off, coolly tossing over his shoulder, “Splitting up will make the questioning faster.”  

Xu Qingying watched Jiang Yuexiao’s slender retreating figure, her suspicions gradually confirmed. This Jiang family kid’s attitude toward Zhi Li was completely different from what the original plot had described.  

Now that she thought about it, the book’s narrative never explicitly detailed Jiang Yuexiao and Zhi Li’s relationship—the most frequent description was that the two barely interacted.  

“Mom,” Zhi Li said, tilting her little face up earnestly, “I also want to ask the local grandpas, grandmas, uncles, and aunties by myself. The sun’s so strong—if we find the place sooner, we’ll spend less time getting sunburned!”  

With the crew’s cameramen accompanying them, Xu Qingying wasn’t worried about Zhi Li getting lost if she went off alone, so she handed over the photo. “Alright. Since you’re young, it might be hard to describe in detail. Just show them the photo when you ask.”  

Not only did Xu Qingying’s group split up to question the locals, but Wu Shuai and Wu Han, the father-daughter pair, also went their separate ways to ask around.  

The crew quickly coordinated the cameramen assigned to each group. Following Zhi Li were two cameramen—one was the familiar Uncle Chen, and the other was a man she called Uncle Qu.  

The market they were filming at was held once a week, bustling from morning till night.  

People from nearby villages flocked to the market to set up stalls selling goods. Once inside, the scene was packed with vendors hawking vegetables, meat, fried skewers, and pastries. The crowd was dense, and the air buzzed with overlapping shouts of sales pitches and haggling.  

Yang Cheng, Wu Shuai, Xu Qingying, and Yu Xinrou—all well-known celebrities online—along with the dozen or so crew members lugging cameras, quickly drew a crowd of curious locals.  

Zhi Li was usually easily distracted by other things, but now that she had a clear goal in mind, she tuned out everything around her. Without sparing a glance at the onlookers, she weaved through the crowd with single-minded focus.  

Xiao Chen and Xiao Qu, shouldering their cameras, kept pace with Zhi Li step for step. Along the way, they occasionally passed other parents and children from the show.  

Zhi Li took out the photo, carefully studying the scenery captured in it before trotting up to a nearby stall. In her sweet, soft voice, she asked, “Auntie, do you recognize this place?”  

“My, what a lovely little girl!” The stall owner’s eyes crinkled with delight at the sight of such an adorable child. After showering her with compliments, she finally looked down at the photo Zhi Li held out.  

After a moment, the stall owner frowned apologetically. “These mountains and fences are everywhere—you’ll find them in several villages, used for sheep pens and chicken coops. I really can’t say for sure which village this is.”

Onlookers chimed in, “Looks like the mountain behind our village.”

“How could it be your village?” someone retorted. “I think it looks more like ours.”

Zhi Li watched as they lined up to identify the photo, her big eyes filled with confusion, a visible question mark popping up above her head.

The production crew, seeing this scene on the live stream, couldn’t help but smile.

The photos they had specially taken couldn’t be so easily recognized. Not only did Zhi Li’s photo only show a fence and a mountain, but even Yang Cheng’s complete house would take some time to identify—after all, it had been abandoned for years.

Other children might have been scared surrounded by so many strangers.

But Zhi Li noticed the warm smiles on the unfamiliar aunties and uncles around her. Remembering that Uncle Chen and the newly acquainted Uncle Qu were nearby, any trace of fear in her heart didn’t even have a chance to surface.

Amid the noisy chatter, Zhi Li carefully placed the photo back into her bag, then looked up at the stall owner with bright eyes. “Auntie, where can I buy little chicks? The yellow ones?”

“Yellow chicks? You won’t find those at this market,” the stall owner replied, pointing past the crowd. “But there’s a stall selling old hens up ahead. An old man from the neighboring village is selling them, though he’s probably about to leave now.”

About to leave?!

Zhi Li quickly squeezed through the crowd and dashed forward in the direction the auntie had pointed, her little legs moving as fast as they could.

By the time Xiao Chen and Xiao Qu struggled through the crowd with their cameras, all they saw were rows of heads and winding stalls.

They exchanged bewildered glances.

Where was Zhi Li?!

Where had that tiny, well-behaved Zhi Li gone?!

Xiao Chen immediately radioed his colleagues, urgency in his voice. “The market’s too crowded—Zhi Li’s missing! Has anyone seen her?”

The live stream showed no sign of Zhi Li either, worrying the viewers.

[Is the production team even competent? How could they lose a child?]

[Has anyone seen Zhi Li in the other streams??]

[I checked all the other streams—nothing.]

[Zhi Li’s so troublesome, running off like that.]

[Wang Hanlin’s been staying put in his stream—much more reliable than Zhi Li.]

[Can Xu Qingying’s haters just leave? Don’t you know this is her daughter’s stream?]

Since Zhi Li and Xu Qingying had separated, their live streams had split too. Most viewers in Zhi Li’s stream were those who had grown fond of her from the preview and earlier segments.

Seeing someone criticize Zhi Li in her own stream, they angrily fired back.

Meanwhile, Zhi Li had already weaved her way deep into the market, where she found the grandfather selling old hens.

The grandfather’s skin was even darker than Uncle Yang’s, his frame as thin as bamboo. He was bent over, loading cages of chickens into the back of his cart, with a headscarf-wrapped grandmother helping nearby.

“Grandpa! Grandma!” Focused solely on finding the chickens, Zhi Li hadn’t even noticed that Xiao Chen and Uncle Qu were no longer behind her.

She quickly ran to the stall, took out a photo from her bag, and held it up with both hands, slightly out of breath. “Grandpa, Grandma, do you recognize this place? I saw some crushed corn kernels by the fence.”

The headscarf-wearing grandma squinted at the photo, then chuckled after a moment. “This is the chicken coop we use occasionally. We usually let them roam free in the mountains and only pen them up sometimes.”

“!!!” Zhi Li was overwhelmed with joy, nearly jumping up in excitement. “Grandpa, Grandma, my mom, brother, and I are going to your village!”

“You must be the people the village chief mentioned who came to film the show, right? My neighbor even cleared out their house for you to stay in.” The grandma then squinted again at the crushed corn kernels in the corner of the photo. “You’ve got sharp eyes, kid. How’d you even notice such tiny bits of corn?”

Zhi Li grinned, her eyes curving into crescents. This grandma was praising her! Even something as small as spotting corn kernels earned her praise!

Actually, when Zhi Li had first taken out the photo, she’d noticed the corn kernels in the fence. But it wasn’t until after asking the auntie at the previous stall that she realized—those were the same kind of kernels her grandma had once used to feed baby chicks.

At the same time, the conversation between Zhi Li and the elderly couple was fully captured by the mic clipped to her collar, broadcasting live to the anxious viewers who collectively sighed in relief.

[Quick, tell the production team—Zhi Li’s at the chicken stall!]

[Send someone over immediately!]

[Wait, were there really corn kernels in that photo?]

[Just checked the replay—there really are! Just a tiny sprinkle, almost blending into the sand on the ground.]

[Zhi Li might not have musical talent, but her observation skills are top-notch!]

[If you love Zhi Li, don’t bring up musical talent (grumbling).]

[Wait, did you all hear that?]

[I heard it! This saves so much money!!!]

After making arrangements with the elderly couple, Zhi Li turned to call out, “Uncle Chen, we found—”

Mid-sentence, her expression froze. She blinked, stood on tiptoe, and craned her neck to look around.

Where were Uncle Chen and Uncle Xiao Qu?!

Scratching her head, Zhi Li said, “Grandpa, Grandma, wait for me!”

With that, she darted back into the crowd, heading toward the previous stall. After rounding two corners, she collided head-on with Jiang Yuexiao, who was walking hurriedly.

“Brother!”

“Where did you run off to?” Without hesitation, Jiang Yuexiao pulled Zhi Li close, his brows furrowed as he inspected her from head to toe.

He’d just heard from the cameraman that Zhi Li had gone missing.

Even though the production team assured him there were people watching and not to worry—especially since her mic was still transmitting—Jiang Yuexiao couldn’t shake his unease. His short hair practically stood on end as he rushed off to search unfamiliar areas.

Glaring at the oblivious Zhi Li, he opened his mouth to scold her.

Who was the one afraid of being snatched by child abductors? How dare such a tiny kid run around recklessly? If she really ran into one, they could grab a whole bunch at once!

“You—”

In that instant, reason held Jiang Yuexiao back.

What if he scolded her and ended up teaching her the wrong lesson? Worse, what if he accidentally said something too harsh and made the little brat cry?

“Brother! I found out the village address—it’s called Sanhuai Village!” Zhi Li chattered excitedly when she saw Jiang Yuexiao, her small hand clutching his wrist tightly. “Let’s hurry and find Mom! Grandpa and Grandma said they can give us a ride to the village, so we can save on travel expenses!”

Jiang Yuexiao lowered his gaze to the wrist being held, his expression cold as he pulled away.

This action was caught by the two cameramen beside Jiang Yuexiao and broadcast live to the audience. In an instant, dozens of comments flooded the screen.

[I told you Jiang Yuexiao dislikes Zhi Li! He won’t even let her hold his wrist!]  

[When Zhi Li went missing earlier, Jiang Yuexiao was walking so fast—clearly worried about her!]  

[You guys are too cynical, conveniently forgetting how Jiang Yuexiao stepped in front of Wang Hanlin to protect Zhi Li earlier?]  

[I bet the first thing he’ll do now is warn Zhi Li not to wander off alone again!]  

[Blocking Wang Hanlin was only natural—that envelope wasn’t just Zhi Li’s; Jiang Yuexiao had a share too.]

【Dislike +1. Jiang Yuexiao never once smiled at Zhi Li from start to finish, always with Zhi Li being the eager one.】  

Watching the live stream in her bedroom, Xu Xia naturally didn’t miss this moment either. The corners of her lips curled into a smirk as she prepared to post a comment agreeing with the sentiment. But the next second, Xu Xia and the other viewers in the live chat watched in stunned silence as Jiang Yuexiao—who had just coldly pulled his wrist free—now just as coldly reached out and grabbed Zhi Li’s wrist instead.  

Xu Xia: ???  

Viewers: ???  

Which one of you is really the eager one here?  

The moment Jiang Yuexiao gripped Zhi Li’s wrist, he frowned almost imperceptibly. The little brat’s wrist was soft and chubby, making him afraid to squeeze too hard.  

He didn’t actually want to hold hands with Zhi Li, but this chaotic market was packed with people. What if the little brat got lost? Even if it were a stranger on the street, he wouldn’t let them get lost right in front of him—and Zhi Li wasn’t a stranger. At the very least, she had made him a small cake.  

Having justified his actions to himself, Jiang Yuexiao’s previously tousled hair seemed to settle, and the stiffness in his grip on Zhi Li’s wrist eased.  

He was only holding onto Zhi Li out of gratitude for the small cake!  

Zhi Li stared at her captured wrist, a tiny flicker of confusion crossing her mind.  

Then, remembering what her brother had said before drawing the envelope, she suddenly had an epiphany.  

So, having someone else grip your wrist makes you childish, but gripping someone else’s wrist doesn’t!  

Hmm.  

I’m only five years old—of course I can be childish!  

Zhi Li tugged Jiang Yuexiao along as she ran off to find Xu Qingying, determined to let her other hand have its turn at being childish too!  

Xu Qingying had also been searching for Zhi Li. Hearing that Zhi Li had been found, she let out a sigh of relief—only to look up and see Zhi Li and Jiang Yuexiao running toward her hand in hand from a distance.  

Well, no.  

Zhi Li was running over with a delighted expression, while Jiang Yuexiao was being dragged along with clear reluctance.  

Wait, that wasn’t quite right either.  

Xu Qingying observed for a few more seconds.  

The two kids weren’t exactly holding hands—it was more like Jiang Yuexiao was gripping Zhi Li’s wrist while being yanked along by her.  

Xu Qingying burst out laughing.  

Truly, no one could resist Zhi Li’s cute attack—not even the aloof Jiang Yuexiao.  

When Zhi Li reached Xu Qingying, her free little hand immediately stretched out toward her.  

Xu Qingying instinctively grabbed Zhi Li’s wrist.  

Now with both wrists held, Zhi Li beamed. “Mom, I found out the location!”  

Xu Qingying was surprised. “What’s it called?” Their photo was undoubtedly the one with the least information among the four families. In contrast, Yu Xinrou’s family had a seemingly incomplete but very distinctive photo—apparently, they had already pinpointed the village location a minute ago.  

“Three Sophora Village!” Zhi Li tugged Xu Qingying back the way they came. “I asked the grandpa and grandma from Three Sophora Village, and they said they could take us to the village on their way! Hurry, they were about to leave!”  

The entire live-stream audience watched as little Zhi Li, with one hand held by Xu Qingying and the other by Jiang Yuexiao, still managed to lead the way like a tiny commander.  

And the usually tense atmosphere between Jiang Yuexiao and Xu Qingying became far less noticeable with Zhi Li between them.  

Xu Qingying let herself be pulled along by Zhi Li, turning left and right, weaving through stall after stall in the chaotic, unfamiliar environment until she was completely disoriented. Then, Zhi Li suddenly jumped up, pointing ahead and exclaiming, “I see Grandpa and Grandma!”

At this moment, Xu Qingying finally realized one thing—Zhi Li’s sense of direction was incredibly sharp.

In such a chaotic, sprawling market, she had led them straight to their destination without the slightest hesitation.

Not only did Xu Qingying notice this, but the live-stream audience did too.

[Is this Zhi Li’s first time at this market? Her navigation skills are insane!]

[I specifically watched Zhi Li’s expression when turning corners—no hesitation at all. Every turn was made with complete confidence!]

[As someone with severe directional blindness, I’m so jealous.]

[I heard navigation ability depends on spatial reasoning in the brain. Some people just can’t visualize spaces well.]

[Maybe it’s related to observation skills? Zhi Li can spot tiny crushed corn kernels in photos.]

Jiang Yuexiao, who had also been led here, looked at Zhi Li with surprise. This little kid wasn’t as silly as he’d thought—not only did she pick up Math Olympiad concepts quickly, but her navigation was impressive too.

Thinking of Math Olympiad made Jiang Yuexiao fall silent again.

Why on earth did his grandmother make him attend those classes with Zhi Li? A few more sessions and his reputation in her mind would shift from “child prodigy” to “hopeless failure.”

Zhi Li’s little head held no concept of whether her navigation skills were impressive or not. She simply ran the same way back to find Grandpa and Grandma as she had when searching for her brother and mom earlier.

“Grandpa! Grandma!” Zhi Li called out sweetly as she pulled Xu Qingying and Jiang Yuexiao along. Bathed in sunlight, her soft, round face beamed with a radiant smile, even the dimples at the corners of her lips seeming to sparkle with sweetness—a veritable little sugar pear.

In the office, Song Yin set down her teacup, watching the livestream where the child fluttered toward the elderly local couple like a little butterfly, calling them “Grandpa” and “Grandma” with equal sweetness.

Unconsciously, Song Yin compared how Zhi Li called her “Grandma” at home versus here. The sweetness level remained identical.

“…” Song Yin frowned slightly, picking up her teacup again for another sip.

The headscarf-wearing grandmother smiled warmly at Zhi Li before looking at Xu Qingying and Jiang Yuexiao. “Are these your mom and brother? The three of you look unmistakably like family at first glance.” Such uniformly good looks.

Xu Qingying offered a polite smile without responding to the comment. Jiang Yuexiao’s face darkened with displeasure, though he refrained from contradicting the elderly woman who’d given them directions.

He reminded himself—this was just polite small talk. No need to take it seriously.

The stall-owner grandfather gathered his remaining goods and boomed, “Ready to go now?”

Zhi Li raised her hand eagerly. “Yes, yes! Thank you, Grandpa!”

Xu Qingying expressed gratitude, “We truly appreciate it. I checked—private cars charge 15 to the village. May I pay you the same?”

“Payment? Don’t be ridiculous—we’re going that way anyway.” The grandfather waved dismissively. “Let’s go. We need to get back for lunch.”

In the past, the grandfather would stay at the market from dawn till dusk. But ever since their children started earning enough, they insisted their parents return to the village by noon, saying the long hours were too exhausting.

Xu Qingying sighed. “Then we’re really taking advantage of your kindness.”

Grandma laughed as she unwrapped her headscarf, “What kind of advantage is that? At least when you take a private car, it’s exclusive. Ours is more like a group carpool.”

Group carpool?

And collective?

Xu Qingying, Jiang Yuexiao, and the live-stream audience, unaware of the earlier context, were a bit confused. What did “collective carpool” mean? Had the other families also hitched a ride with the elderly couple?

Speaking of which—

What kind of vehicle were these two elders driving?

Soon, as Zhi Li and the group walked toward the vehicle, the cameraman’s lens gradually focused on it—a four-wheeled agricultural truck. The front had a driver’s seat and a passenger seat, while the back was an open cargo bed about two meters long, already holding two metal cages.

“Cluck cluck!”

“Cluck cluck! Cluck cluck!”

Inside the two cages were six plump and tender hens, staring curiously at Zhi Li, Jiang Yuexiao, and Xu Qingying with their beady eyes, then enthusiastically welcoming them with their distinctive voices and a flurry of feathers.

“Cluck cluck!”

Xu Qingying: “…”

Jiang Yuexiao: “…”

Netizens: “…”

[Hahahahahahaha, Xu Qingying and Jiang Yuexiao are slowly turning into statues and losing color.]

[I heard from the mic earlier that Zhi Li negotiated a ride with the vendor, but I never expected it to be a group carpool with hens, hahahahaha!]

[At this moment, I believe there’s no script between Zhi Li and Xu Qingying, hahahaha!]

Zhi Li had already grabbed the edge of the cargo bed, ready to climb up, and turned back to call out, “Mom, brother, come on up!” How lively it would be to ride to the village with so many Big chicks.

Xu Qingying stepped forward, hesitating for a long while before saying, “Sweetheart, we have money—a whole thirty yuan. We don’t really need to borrow Grandpa and Grandma’s ride, right?”

“But there are Big chicks on the truck.”

Xu Qingying: “…”

So you *do* know there are Big chicks on the truck.

Facing Zhi Li’s bright, expectant eyes, Xu Qingying found it hard to refuse. Steeling herself, she turned to her equally stunned stepson, Jiang Yuexiao.

There was no way this kid could tolerate sharing a ride with two cages of Big chicks!

Jiang Yuexiao *had* been unable to tolerate it—but the moment he saw Xu Qingying’s conflicted expression, his discomfort gave way to the satisfaction of making *her* uncomfortable.

If Xu Qingying was uneasy, *he* would be at ease!

Even though Xu Qingying seemed to have softened under Zhi Li’s influence, he still remembered her sharp, calculating tone during those private phone calls.

Under Xu Qingying’s gaze, Jiang Yuexiao slowly walked forward, then grabbed the edge of the cargo bed and vaulted up with practiced ease, his movements resolute and decisive.

Brushing off the stray feathers on his hands, he turned back to look at Xu Qingying’s stunned face, mentally giving himself a small cheer while keeping his expression neutral. “If we dawdle any longer, Grandpa and Grandma will get impatient.”

Xu Qingying: “…”

In any case, the Xu Qingying of her past life had clawed her way up through hard work—she wasn’t someone who couldn’t handle a little hardship. If Zhi Li wanted to ride with the Big chicks, she’d brave it for her daughter.

And so, when the other families asked for the village name and returned to the meeting point to collect their luggage, they were shocked to see Xu Qingying, Jiang Yuexiao, and Zhi Li loading their suitcases onto the cargo bed before climbing up one by one.

Behind them in the cargo bed were two cages of plump, tender hens.

The wind blew past.

The truck drove off in a cloud of dust, leaving behind a few drifting chicken feathers.  

Other families: …  

It was as if they had heard a bizarrely remixed background track—let us be companions in chicken feathers, galloping freely into the distance.