In the morning, Teacher Xiao Mei finally returned.
Accompanying her were her husband and their one-year-old daughter, Yuan Yuan.
Teacher Xiao Mei’s husband was a math teacher at an ordinary elementary school in the city. Because both sets of parents suffered from lingering, costly “rich people’s illnesses,” Teacher Xiao Mei had no choice but to leave her family and work as a residential manager at the welfare center in Changyang Town, Fengshui District.
Their daughter, Yuan Yuan, was taken care of by both sets of grandparents.
Director Wang chatted with Teacher Xiao Mei’s husband, while Can Can and a few other children munched on watermelon and gathered around Yuan Yuan, who was chewing on her own hand.
Can Can looked at the watermelon in his hand and broke off a small triangular piece. “Baby, eat.”
Yuan Yuan’s little mouth babbled incessantly, and she finally blew a big bubble.
Teacher Xiao Mei wiped the drool from Yuan Yuan’s mouth. “Thank you, Can Can, but Yuan Yuan is still too young. She can’t eat this. You have it.”
“What a shame.”
Can Can crunched down on the sweet tip of the watermelon and tilted his head to look at Teacher Xiao Mei. “Why does Yuan Yuan keep making noises?”
Teacher Xiao Mei smiled. “Yuan Yuan hasn’t learned to speak yet, but she wants to play with you, Gege, so she can only make sounds like this.”
“Gege? Can Can is also a gege?”
Can Can’s eyes lit up. He didn’t dare touch Yuan Yuan, only her stroller, and said proudly, “Yuan Yuan, grow up quickly! Gege will take you to play!”
Not long after, Teacher Xiao Mei’s husband had to take Yuan Yuan back.
Teacher Xiao Mei was reluctant to let them go. She hugged and kissed her daughter, her eyes reddening as she said, “Yuan Yuan, Mommy will come home to see you next month.”
Yuan Yuan cried so hard she could barely catch her breath, making everyone at the welfare center feel heartbroken.
Even after the father and daughter left, Teacher Xiao Mei stood at the door, watching for a long time.
“Teacher.”
Teacher Xiao Mei turned around to see the newly arrived, sensible child.
She wiped her eyes. “Wei Cheng, why aren’t you eating watermelon with the other children?”
“Teacher, I’ve already eaten.”
Ever since Teacher Xiao Mei’s husband and daughter arrived at the welfare center, Wei Cheng had kept his distance.
In his previous life, he had seen Yuan Yuan’s corpse with his own eyes.
He was thinking about what he could do to save the lives of this father and daughter.
Teacher Xiao Mei would definitely not resign voluntarily, and Director Wang trusted her deeply. Without his permission, she wouldn’t be allowed to leave abruptly. For now, the only option was to help Teacher Xiao Mei and her husband stock up on more baby formula and medicine…
Wei Cheng asked knowingly, “Teacher, why don’t you find a job in the city? That way, you’d be closer to Yuan Yuan and Uncle Fang.”
Teacher Xiao Mei smiled bitterly. Among the jobs she could currently choose from, the welfare center offered the most substantial salary.
But she couldn’t discuss such matters with an eight-year-old child. She said sincerely, “Working here is quite good. Can Can and the others are adorable and pitiful, and I really like this job.”
Wei Cheng nodded and added, “Teacher, when I was in school, I heard classmates say that their parents make a lot of money by livestreaming from home after work. You could also livestream from the welfare center.”
Teacher Xiao Mei was taken aback. She touched the birthmark on her face. “Who would watch someone like me livestream? Besides, I’m not good at talking…”
“Teacher, the birthmark on your face doesn’t affect your charm at all. You sing so beautifully, your livestream is sure to be popular. Besides, the content of the orphanage’s livestream should mainly focus on us. If we earn a lot of money, you could buy a small car to visit Yuan Yuan often, and our orphanage’s life could also improve, right?”
Teacher Xiao Mei opened her mouth slightly: “Minors can’t appear on camera, and even if we were to livestream, we’d have to discuss it with the director. Don’t think the director is strict with you, but he actually cares deeply about your safety and privacy…”
Wei Cheng had already considered this issue and said with a smile: “We don’t have to appear on camera. You could livestream while teaching us to sing or when the camera is focused on us doing homework. That should be fine, right?”
Teacher Xiao Mei was somewhat tempted but also hesitant. She wavered: “I need to discuss this with the director…”
“Don’t hesitate,” Wei Cheng said. “I heard Grandpa Director is going to the capital on business in a couple of days.”
With a mix of pushing and persuasion, Wei Cheng finally managed to escort Teacher Xiao Mei to the door of Director Wang’s office.
Nearly ten minutes later, Teacher Xiao Mei emerged.
Wei Cheng quickly asked: “Teacher, did Grandpa Director agree?”
Teacher Xiao Mei was somewhat excited: “Yes, the director agreed. Any donations earned will be split fifty-fifty between me and the orphanage, but on the condition that you children cannot show your faces and the orphanage’s address cannot be revealed…”
Wei Cheng breathed a sigh of relief: “That’s great!”
He never intended to show his face on the livestream anyway. Reminding people to stock up on supplies was already a sensitive matter, and appearing on camera would be like planting a ticking time bomb for himself.
Because he couldn’t guarantee whether he might encounter someone who had watched their livestream in the future.
Director Wang held a brief meeting.
The first matter was that tomorrow morning, Zhou Zihao and the others’ families would come to pick them up. That would leave only Can Can, Wei Cheng, Ming Ming, Wang Xiaotiao, and the little girl Qi Qi in the orphanage.
The second matter was about his business trip out of town. The orphanage affairs would be handled by Teacher Xiao Mei and Dr. Chen, and he had hired a security guard who would start soon.
Wei Cheng noticed that Li Yun, who usually cooked, was nowhere to be seen. After a moment’s thought, he realized that Grandpa Director had already stocked up on grains, flour, oil, and meat in the afternoon, locking a portion in the basement to prevent anyone from reselling them. With that, the orphanage’s biggest source of profit was gone, so Li Yun likely wouldn’t stay around anymore.
With only five children left in the orphanage, Teacher Xiao Mei and Dr. Chen could manage just fine.
Dr. Chen and Director Wang helped the older children pack their things, while Teacher Xiao Mei nervously took out her phone and opened her livestream account. She cleared her throat: “Children, what song would you like to learn today? Teacher will teach you.”
She told herself not to be nervous—the viewers entering now were probably just bot accounts.
Hearing they would learn a new children’s song, the children obediently sat down.
Can Can sat down quickly and well-behaved, raising his chubby little arm high: “Teacher, Can Can wants to learn Grandpa Director’s phone song.”
Teacher Xiao Mei was taken aback. The director’s phone song… his ringtone?
She asked: “Phoenix Legend’s ‘The Most Dazzling Ethnic Style’?”
Can Can couldn’t sing it but could hum it. In his childish, rhythmic voice, he hummed: “Deng deng, deng deng deng!”
Wei Cheng, sitting at the back, couldn’t help but hold back a laugh. Can Can really knew how to put on a show.
Wang Xiaotiao also raised his hand high: “Teacher, but I want to learn ‘Stir-Fry Radish’!”
Teacher Xiao Mei glanced at the live-streaming phone and saw comments indeed appearing: 【Is this a kindergarten teacher? The children’s voices are so soothing.】
【”The Most Dazzling Ethnic Style”? It truly conquers generation after generation.】
【Hahahaha, my little brother loves “The Most Dazzling Ethnic Style” the most. Teacher, please teach the kids to sing it.】
【Learn “The Most Dazzling Ethnic Style” first, then “Stir-Fried Radish”? I heard the first little kid humming it already. Teacher, follow the order.】
【Yes, follow the order!】
Someone even gifted ten lilies.
Wang Xiao Tiao shouted, “Stir-Fried Radish!”
Can Can also yelled, “Deng deng deng!”
As the two children spoke, they started butting heads like little bulls.
【Hahaha, the kids are too adorable】 accompanied by twenty fireworks gifts.
People kept spamming the chat: 【Follow the order!】
Teacher Xiao Mei was pleasantly surprised. She tapped on the idle phone and said, “We’ll follow the order. First, we’ll learn ‘The Most Dazzling Ethnic Style,’ then ‘Stir-Fried Radish.'”
As the familiar melody played, Can Can’s instincts instantly awakened. He abruptly broke free from his tussle with Wang Xiao Tiao.
Can Can danced and sang loudly along: “Deng deng, deng deng deng, deng deng deng, deng deng deng deng!”
【I’m crying, at an age when he can’t even control his pee, he’s controlling the rhythm!】
【This little voice must be super cute, ahhh!】
【Is he a chubby baby? Is he a chubby baby?】
【Teacher, can you share some videos of the kids? I really want to know if this little baby is fair-skinned and pretty!】
【Teacher, could you tell us which kindergarten this is?】
Once Teacher Xiao Mei focused on teaching the children to sing, she no longer paid attention to the live stream.
By the time she finished teaching both songs, she noticed the live stream viewer count had reached tens of thousands.
The number of likes was also increasing at a staggering rate.
The screen was flooded with gifts full of childlike charm.
Teacher Xiao Mei thought for a moment and said, “Children, let’s each say thank you to the older brothers, sisters, uncles, and aunties who gave us gifts, okay?”
Except for Wei Cheng, none of the children knew where these uncles, aunties, or gifts came from. But since Teacher Xiao Mei asked them to thank them, they all obediently complied.
Wei Cheng, the oldest child there, briefly thanked them. The lively Wang Xiao Tiao, holding Ming Ming’s shoulder, said, “Ming Ming and I thank you. Ming Ming and I are good friends!”
Finally, it was Can Can’s turn, who had been eagerly waiting.
Can Can stood under the phone and adorably said, “Ni hao.”
【Hello, hello, baby!】
【I’m so anxious! Is the baby as cute as a little figurine?】
“Can Can is me. Thank you, older brothers, sisters, uncles, and aunties, for the gifts…”
His eyes curved into crescents, and his little hands cupped his peach-pink chubby cheeks—a gesture of blessing in the children’s world.
“Can Can blesses you: Study hard and make progress every day!”
【Hahaha, this is truly a child’s blessing.】
【Good, good! How many years has it been since I last heard this phrase, Auntie!】
【Is the baby very young? His voice sounds so milky and tender.】
Teacher Xiao Mei was no longer afraid of the camera and didn’t hide the birthmark on her face. She smiled and said, “Yes, this baby is the youngest here. He’s only three years old, but he’s very smart and well-behaved.”
“Alright, that’s all for today’s live stream. See you tomorrow morning!”
As soon as the livestream ended, Teacher Xiao Mei noticed that her follower count had actually risen to ten thousand. After deducting the platform’s share, the gifts alone amounted to four thousand yuan!
The children couldn’t sit still. As soon as music class was over, Can Can was dragged away by Wang Xiao Tiao and the others to kick the Watermelon Ball.
Wei Cheng, however, didn’t leave. “Teacher, can we livestream a bit longer tomorrow?”
Teacher Xiao Mei replied, “That’s fine, but we can’t just keep singing. Tomorrow, we’ll start by livestreaming your study session before teaching songs.”
Having achieved his goal, Wei Cheng was about to go find Can Can. Nowadays, he felt uneasy whenever Can Can was out of his sight for even a moment.
Unexpectedly, Teacher Xiao Mei stopped him. “Wei Cheng, wait a moment.”
She glanced around, then took a red envelope from her backpack. “This was found in the backpack Can Can brought back. The director wasn’t around a few days ago, so I didn’t dare take it out. But after thinking about it these past couple of days, I believe this red envelope was likely given to Can Can by the driver who used to pick him up regularly. It’s a gesture meant specifically for Can Can, and I think he should know about it and remember it.”
“Even though you’re only eight, I always feel you’re very steady—nothing like an eight-year-old. Maybe it’s because of your family background and upbringing. I heard it was your idea for the director to stockpile food and order supplies, and today’s livestream too. I know you’re an exceptionally smart and good kid. Please keep this money for Can Can. When he starts school later, use it to buy him a backpack and stationery.”
Wei Cheng thought for a moment before accepting the red envelope. “Alright, I’ll keep it for Can Can.”
.
The next morning, Grandpa Director and Dr. Chen drove away from the welfare home with Zhou Zihao and the others.
The welfare home suddenly felt empty.
Today was the final day of the primary mission. Their current balance was 【930 Twisty Coins】. Originally, it had been 950 Twisty Coins, but yesterday they stocked up on 20*50 servings of dessert cakes, spending a total of 20 points.
Perhaps the difficulty increased as time went on, because after stocking up on these desserts, the wiggle car’s modification progress showed no change at all.
Today, they needed to subtly remind more people to develop a stockpiling mindset.
As soon as Teacher Xiao Mei started the livestream, a large number of viewers flooded in.
Initially, they had expected to hear the little ones singing again, but instead, the camera focused on a desk.
A pair of young boy’s hands were writing homework on paper.
【This kid’s handwriting is so elegant!】
【Hand-obsessed streamer in his childhood form (lol)】
【Wait, is that the chubby little one’s voice I hear?】
【Hold on, is this kid writing an essay?】
【Hahaha, and it’s an Apocalypse-themed essay? Why bring up the illness from a few years ago out of nowhere! I’m genuinely scared now!】
【Wow! So immersive! Such great writing! This kid is no ordinary child!】
【So that’s how terrifying things were a few years ago? I’d almost forgotten, sigh…】
【What’s going on? Reading about him and his grandma stockpiling stuff actually feels kind of inspiring, and I’m getting the urge to do the same!】
【Me too…】
【Who gets it? Seeing how he and his grandma grew their own vegetables after the lockdown, I actually ordered twenty packs of vegetable seeds (facepalm)】
【Hahaha, I ordered some anti-virus masks】
【Better stock up on rice and flour. I don’t know why, but the more I watch, the more uneasy I feel…】
【Has anyone noticed something? This year’s rainfall has been unusually heavy…】
After Teacher Xiao Mei finished teaching the children to recognize characters, she realized today’s livestream viewership was just as high as yesterday’s!
Yet Wei Cheng’s mind was constantly bombarded with System notifications.
【Congratulations! Successfully reminded 312 passersby to actively stock up, earning a total of 3120 Twisty Coins!】
【The number continues to surge…】
【Congratulations! Hidden Mission activated! Completing the mission will reward 8000 Twisty Coins!】
Wei Cheng was already thrilled upon hearing the first number, but when he heard the second one, his pen made a heavy stroke on the paper: How much??
Eight million!
Author’s Note:
[Explodes in tears] Failed to write ten thousand words today, I’m too weak, will try again tomorrow!