Before leaving, her father filled the dug-up pit back in with soil and casually shoveled some weeds over it as camouflage.
By the time they returned to the small Western-style house, dawn was already breaking.
The ghosts that had followed her father had already dispersed on their own.
Xiao Nanchu watched as her father carried a snakeskin sack full of gold bars into Xu Huaying’s room.
Soon, the light in their room turned on.
She heard Xu Huaying’s startled cry, and then the light suddenly went out.
Xiao Nanchu hurried back into her own room.
The next day, when Xiao Nanchu woke up, she found that no one was home. Breakfast had been left for her on the table.
By mid-morning, her father returned on a bicycle, with a sack tied to the back seat.
Xiao Nanchu thought it was just daily necessities he had bought.
But when they entered the living room and her father opened the sack, she was stunned.
A whole sack full of large-denomination bills appeared right before her eyes.
“Dad, this…”
In six years in this world, this was the first time she had ever seen so much money.
“See that, Little Bean Sprout? This is more than enough to pay for your medical treatment!”
Xiao Huaidong grabbed a large handful of bills and placed them in Xiao Nanchu’s hands.
“From now on, Dad will give you pocket money every month. Take this and spend it. Once your Aunt Xu finishes your school enrollment, you’ll be able to go to school. Buy whatever you want to eat at school.”
Xiao Nanchu: “……”
She should have felt touched, but for some reason, when her father mentioned going to school, she couldn’t feel happy at all.
That evening, when Xu Huaying came home from work, she brought good news.
“Brother Dong, Wu Peng has been fired! Section Chief Fang has been demoted and is now deputy head of the security section. This is the 500 yuan the factory director rewarded you. The extra 200 is from the director’s own pocket, thanking you for helping catch the spy.”
Xiao Huaidong pinched Xu Huaying’s nose.
“You keep the money.”
Knowing that it was because of something she had done that those two received their punishment so quickly.
Xu Huaying shyly slapped his hand away. “Little Bean Sprout is still here!”
Xiao Nanchu quickly stood up. “I—I’m not here, I’ll go back to my room!”
She refused to be a third wheel!
“Little Bean Sprout, come back! Auntie also has good news for you.”
Xiao Nanchu, who had already stepped onto the stairs, turned back.
Xu Huaying pulled her back to the sofa.
“I’ve already arranged your school enrollment. Tomorrow, Auntie will take you to school.”
As she spoke, she took out a canvas backpack from her handbag.
At a glance, Xiao Nanchu could tell it was imported.
In this era, students usually carried military-green shoulder bags embroidered with a red star.
The three children of the Gu family used those as well.
Yet Xu Huaying had bought her such a high-end backpack for this time period.
“I’ve already prepared your school bag. All your study supplies are inside.”
Xiao Huaidong took the bag from Xu Huaying and looked at her with gratitude. “Huaying, thank you for everything you’ve done for Little Bean Sprout.”
“Silly, now that we’re husband and wife, your child is my child. Isn’t it only right for me to do something for my own child?”
Xu Huaying’s heartfelt words deeply moved Xiao Nanchu.
Even if her biological mother were here, she might not treat her this well.
For a stepmother to do this much for her—Xiao Nanchu was truly touched.
After spending so much time with Xu Huaying, she knew she was someone who kept her word and acted sincerely. Unlike the stepmothers in those stories—abusive on the surface or deceitful behind the scenes.
Whether Xu Huaying cared for her because of her father or truly treated her as her own child, at this moment, Xiao Nanchu placed her within her circle of protection.
“Aunt Xu, thank you!”
Thank you for letting me feel genuine care from a stepmother, aside from my dad.
Xiao Nanchu couldn’t bring herself to promise that she would study hard or live up to expectations.
If she had to go to school, then so be it. After coming to the city, she realized that children her age who didn’t attend school would just be kept at home all day.
Right now, her father could stay home with her because he didn’t have a job yet.
But once he had a proper job, she would be the one left at home.
She didn’t want to be a caged bird. Going to school wasn’t so bad—at least places with more people had stronger yang energy.
Early the next morning, while Xiao Nanchu was still half-asleep, Xu Huaying woke her up.
“Little Bean Sprout, wake up and have breakfast. Auntie will take you to school.”
Still groggy after breakfast, Xu Huaying took Xiao Nanchu on a bicycle and left the house.
Just after they left, someone knocked on the gate of the small house.
Xiao Huaidong opened the door and was shocked to see several police officers.
The elderly man standing in front looked somewhat familiar.
As Xiao Huaidong tried to recall where he had seen him before, the old man laughed.
“Comrade Xiao, we meet again.”
The moment he spoke, Xiao Huaidong immediately remembered who he was.
“Mingwang, this is Comrade Xiao, the one I mentioned to you—the one who helped your mother and me catch that thief. And some time ago, he assisted the Xicheng Police Station in catching traffickers and rescued more than ten abducted children. Also, the spy leader Xiao Zhao brought back a few days ago was personally captured by Comrade Xiao.”
After hearing the introduction, the two officers behind him immediately looked at Xiao Huaidong with respect.
Du Mingwang, full of admiration, patted Xiao Huaidong on the shoulder.
“Comrade Xiao, I didn’t expect that the remarkable person everyone in the bureau has been talking about lately is you. Would you be interested in joining us and becoming a police officer serving the people?”
He introduced himself, “My surname is Du. I’m the new director of the county public security bureau. This is my father, the retired former director.”
Xiao Huaidong remained calm on the surface, but inside, his emotions surged like a storm.
He had thought the police had discovered him digging up gold bars and had come to cause trouble.
He never expected they were here to recruit him.
A police officer—that was a government position. Something he hadn’t even dared to dream of in both his lives.
Such a good opportunity had suddenly fallen into his lap, making Xiao Huaidong question reality.
Since being reborn, although he had encountered troubles, most things had gone well.
Could this be the benefit of being reborn?
Did this mean that in this life, he wouldn’t have to rely on business like in his previous life to become wealthy?
“Everyone, please come in and have some tea. We can talk slowly.”
Xiao Huaidong suppressed the waves in his heart, opened the gate, and led the four inside.
“Comrade Xiao, I heard from Xiao Zhao that you work at the steel factory. I think that’s a waste of your talent. What I just said—would you like to consider it?”
A talent like Xiao Huaidong was rare.
“I’ve inquired—the steel factory pays at most 50 yuan a month. If you come to our bureau, I’ll offer you 65 yuan a month. And we’ll provide you with a bicycle… oh! I heard you can drive. If you’re willing to join us, the bureau’s only police car will be assigned to you.”