As the father and daughter arrived at the small villa, sharp-eyed Xiao Nanchu noticed that the iron gate was open.
“In broad daylight… that shouldn’t be the case.”
Xiao Huaidong lifted her off the bicycle, a faint smile at the corner of his lips.
He didn’t even need to guess—if someone had come in, it definitely wasn’t a thief. It had to be Huaying’s three children returning.
When they entered the living room, it was exactly as he expected.
Gu Dahu and his siblings were packing their things.
“Why are you back?”
Seeing the father and daughter appear suddenly, the three children instinctively stopped what they were doing, staring at them warily.
“We just came back to get our schoolbags and some clothes.”
Gu Qingling guarded the box in front of her, glaring at Xiao Nanchu with hostility.
“These clothes were bought for me by my mom. Even if I leave, I’ll take them with me—I won’t let you have them.”
Xiao Nanchu found it amusing. Gu Qingling was clearly guarding against her.
“There are still a few puffy dresses in my wardrobe. If you like them, take them all.”
After saying that, Xiao Nanchu glanced at them, then trotted upstairs on her short legs, brought down all the dresses Xu Huaying had bought for her, and placed them in front of Gu Qingling.
“What you like, I might not like. See? I prefer loose and simple clothes like this.”
With her hands in the pockets of her overalls, Xiao Nanchu puffed out her slightly round belly.
Xiao Huaidong covered his face.
Gu Dahu and Gu Erhu exchanged a look.
“You’re really giving them to me?”
Gu Qingling had always loved puffy dresses.
The ones Xiao Nanchu brought down were all her favorite styles and colors. She wanted them—but felt too embarrassed to take them.
“I’ve never worn them. They’re still new.”
Xiao Nanchu directly stuffed the dresses into her arms.
“At least you know what’s good for you. These were bought with my mom’s money anyway. It’s only right that Lingling gets them.”
Gu Erhu walked over, glared at Xiao Nanchu, and carefully folded each dress before placing them into the box.
Xiao Huaidong sighed as he looked at the three children.
“You haven’t had lunch yet, have you? I’ll make you some egg noodles. Eat before you go.”
The three licked their lips and touched their empty stomachs, but none of them refused.
Soon, Xiao Huaidong finished cooking the noodles, and Xiao Nanchu helped bring them to the table.
Smelling the aroma, the three siblings dropped all their usual restraint and began slurping the noodles greedily.
With just one look, the father and daughter knew—the children had not been well cared for at their grandparents’ house.
“If you ever want noodles, come back. I’ll make them for you.”
Watching them eat ravenously, Xiao Huaidong felt a bit uneasy.
All these years, Huaying had raised three children alone. On the surface, it looked fine—but who understood her hardships? Fortunately, now she had him.
“Your noodles taste awful. If we want noodles, our grandparents will make them. We don’t care for yours.”
Gu Erhu spoke sharply while eating.
Gu Dahu couldn’t stand it and kicked him under the table.
Gu Lingling blinked her big round eyes in confusion. “Second brother, these noodles taste even better than Mom’s. Do you have mouth sores or something? Can’t you taste it?”
Gu Erhu felt like crying.
He had only thought that this “kept man” was trying to curry favor—how did his older brother and little sister end up siding against him?
Could it be that one bowl of noodles was enough to win them over?
“Hmph, I’m not eating anymore!”
Gu Erhu put down his chopsticks, glanced at the empty bowl, and sniffed.
“You can eat by yourselves. I’m leaving first!”
He slung his schoolbag over his shoulder, grabbed his box, and walked out.
Gu Dahu and Gu Qingling reluctantly put down their chopsticks, picked up their belongings, and chased after him.
“Dad, don’t be sad! They’re still kids. One day, they’ll understand how good you are!”
Worried her father might feel hurt, Xiao Nanchu hurriedly comforted him.
He flicked her forehead.
“You call them kids—have you thought about how old you are? And what makes you think I’m sad?”
He had lived two lifetimes—what was there he couldn’t see through?
That night, Xiao Nanchu couldn’t sleep at all, disturbed by the crying of wandering spirits nearby.
She didn’t want to provoke them or cause trouble for herself.
But their wailing only grew louder.
She could only lie there with her eyes open, waiting for the rooster to crow.
Suddenly, faint footsteps startled her, and she sat up abruptly.
A shadow passed by her window.
Xiao Nanchu quickly got dressed, quietly opened the door, and went downstairs.
By the time she reached the ground floor, the figure had disappeared.
Just as she wondered if she had imagined it, the footsteps sounded again.
She pressed herself against the glass window and looked into the yard.
“Dad!”
It wasn’t very dark outside. Though she couldn’t see clearly, based on the figure’s height and build, she was certain—it was her father.
But why wasn’t he sleeping at this hour? What was he doing sneaking out?
To avoid being noticed, Xiao Nanchu put an invisibility talisman on herself, opened the living room door, and quietly followed.
When she watched her father climb over the two-meter-high courtyard wall, she was stunned.
Was her father… going out to steal?
Thinking about how he had suddenly produced so much money before, her suspicion deepened.
She used a wall-passing talisman and followed him at a distance.
After more than an hour, her legs were sore, yet her father still hadn’t stopped.
The streets were filled with wandering spirits, all curiously trailing behind him.
Xiao Nanchu pretended not to see them.
Another half hour passed before she saw him stop behind a collapsed old house from the Republican era.
Behind the house was an open patch of land, overgrown with weeds taller than a person.
Her father turned on a flashlight and searched through the grass.
Finally, he fixed on one spot, took out a handleless hoe from his clothes, and began digging.
One of the spirits following them exclaimed, “Hey, how does he know there’s gold buried here?”
Xiao Nanchu was startled. Gold?
At that moment, a female ghost in a cheongsam floated over.
“This used to belong to a wealthy family. Decades ago, bandits attacked—some died, some fled. Could this young man be a descendant of that family?”
“Must be! Otherwise, how would he know there’s gold here?”
Xiao Nanchu: “…”
Since when did her father become a descendant of a wealthy family?
Judging by her grandparents, that didn’t seem likely at all.
Soon, she saw her father actually dig up a box.
It had been buried so long that it had rotted, revealing rows of gold bars inside.
Xiao Nanchu’s eyes widened.
No matter how she looked at it, her father didn’t seem like the descendant of a rich landlord.
Could it be… her father had been reborn too?
Before long, three boxes were dug out.
Then she saw her father take out a woven sack.
He stuffed all the gold bars into it, nearly filling it to the brim.