On the first day returning from work, Lin Xiangxiu knew she was late.
She arrived home around 2:20 PM, twenty minutes later than the time she had agreed upon with Lin Xiao.
Because of this, Lin Xiangxiu specially bought a Lao Binggun at the small grocery store at the village entrance. Holding it carefully all the way home to prevent it from melting, she hurried back as fast as she could.
As soon as she got home, she eagerly opened the door and said, “Xiao Xiao, I’m sorry. Mom forgot to check the time and came back late. Were you waiting anxiously?”
Lin Xiao was sitting on the bed reading a picture book. Hearing the noise, she looked up and smiled at Lin Xiangxiu. “No, I was so engrossed in the picture book that I forgot about the time too. Mom, were you happy at work today?”
“Very happy, because this job is something I can keep doing long-term. That uncle was very satisfied with my work.” Lin Xiangxiu checked Lin Xiao up and down for any signs of falls or burns, and only relaxed when she saw none. “If I keep working for a few years, we can buy a small house here, and you’ll be a city child. Are you happy about that?”
Lin Xiao’s little face flushed pink. “Happy.”
“Look, Lao Binggun.” Lin Xiangxiu then took out the ice pop.
This time, Lin Xiao was genuinely delighted. She jumped straight off the bed to hug her mom, immediately stuffing the ice pop into her mouth. Her sweet little voice said, “Mom is the best! I love Mom the most.”
That soft, adorable look warmed Lin Xiangxiu’s heart, as if she were holding a heating stove in winter, making her especially happy.
“Mom, you have some too.” Lin Xiao held the ice pop up to her mom.
The mother and daughter shared the ice pop, taking turns with bites. After finishing it, Lin Xiangxiu smacked her lips and said, “How about I bring you a Naiyou Binggun tomorrow?”
“I want Naiyou Bingqilin,” Lin Xiao immediately requested. “And a fan too.”
“Okay, we’ll go buy them later. Xiao Xiao can have whatever she wants.” With money coming in, Lin Xiangxiu spoke with confidence and agreed without hesitation.
Because the weather was hot and there was no electric fan in the room, the mother and daughter found a shady spot in the yard to rest for a while. Once it was cooler outside, they went out to stroll.
After just one day of work, Lin Xiangxiu already felt that life was much better now.
Back in the village, there were no such comfortable days. Her adoptive mother was lazy and picky—the kind of person who did nothing but boss others around, yet loved to find fault with everything.
This meant Lin Xiangxiu had endless chores and housework every day. If she ever slacked off, her adoptive mother would bring up the “favor” of adopting her.
Compared to those past days, her current life felt almost heavenly.
They had their own place now. Though it was a rented attic, it was a separate unit with its own entrance and yard, and the landlord wasn’t home. The attic had two rooms, and with some simple decorations, it felt quite lovely.
Her salary was high, and her working hours were short. She could take care of Lin Xiao in the mornings and take her out to play after work.
Just outside the Urban Village was a particularly bustling street. At night, neon lights flashed, and the street was crowded with people selling all sorts of things—Labaku, Haihun Shan, lamb skewers, barbecues—the aroma wafted all the way from the street into the village where Lin Xiangxiu lived.
But once the sky grew completely dark, Lin Xiangxiu didn’t dare take her child outside. Though Shencheng’s economy was developing rapidly these days, there were still imperfections. The swift economic growth had bred a wave of rats lurking in the gutters, engaging in shady businesses like theft, child trafficking, and forcing women into prostitution.
To ensure her and Lin Xiao’s safety, Lin Xiangxiu kept a low profile. As soon as darkness fell, she would lock the doors and windows, only playing with Lin Xiao indoors. She rented many picture books and bought toys like building blocks to keep Lin Xiao entertained during the day at home.
Lin Xiangxiu was also deeply grateful to Lu Xingzhi. If he hadn’t been willing to hire her and offer such a high salary, she wouldn’t have been able to provide such a comfortable life for her child.
This gratitude fueled her motivation at work. She put even more care into cooking, and by lunchtime, the aroma would make the entire building restless with hunger.
Lu Xingzhi was indeed an easy employer to please. As long as he was well-fed, he was very agreeable.
After a few days of this routine, Lin Xiangxiu had fully adapted to life in Shencheng, but she noticed that Lin Xiao didn’t seem to be adjusting well.
Lately, when she returned home, she often found Lin Xiao’s little face flushed red, and the child seemed listless when speaking.
It hadn’t been too bad at first—a popsicle would usually perk her up. And since Lin Xiao was terrified of hospitals or clinics, Lin Xiangxiu didn’t force her to see a doctor.
But today, when Lin Xiangxiu came home from work and opened the door, she immediately sensed something was wrong. Lin Xiao, who usually sat on the bed waiting for her, was lying down today, not looking at picture books or calling out “Mommy.”
“Xiao Xiao, what’s wrong?” Lin Xiangxiu hurried over to check on Lin Xiao.
What she saw startled her. “Xiao Xiao, wake up! Don’t scare Mommy!”
Lin Xiao’s face was burning red on the bed, breathing heavily with puffs of air, her eyes tightly closed.
Lin Xiangxiu reached out to touch the child’s forehead—it was scalding hot, clearly indicating a high fever.
Hearing her mother’s voice, Lin Xiao finally opened her eyes groggily. Seeing Lin Xiangxiu, she started to cry, whimpering, “Mommy, I don’t feel good.”
“I’m taking you to the hospital right now.”
Lin Xiangxiu’s hands trembled with panic. She tossed aside the popsicle she’d bought, picked up Lin Xiao, locked the door, and rushed out.
She headed straight for the clinic at the village entrance.
“Doctor, please take a look! What’s wrong with my child? She suddenly feels burning hot, like she has a fever.” Lin Xiangxiu ran into the clinic, her face full of anxiety.
“Bring her here, let me see.” The Chijiao Daifu put on his stethoscope and came over to examine Lin Xiao.
He first took the child’s temperature, then listened to her heartbeat. After a brief checkup, he said, “The child has heatstroke. Was she playing wildly outside?”
“No, she’s been staying at home.” Lin Xiangxiu was frightened by the diagnosis of heatstroke. She recalled from her village days how people working under the scorching sun would sometimes collapse in the fields. “What should we do about heatstroke? Is she going to be okay?”
“First, give her some medicine and use a cold towel to bring down her temperature. She’ll be fine once she wakes up.” Seeing Lin Xiangxiu’s anxious expression, the doctor added comfortingly, “In this weather, children are indeed prone to heatstroke. Just don’t let them run around wildly outside. Regularly buy popsicles and watermelons for the children to eat at home.”
Lin Xiangxiu couldn’t understand why Xiao Xiao had suffered heatstroke when she hadn’t been out playing wildly.
After thinking for a while, she suddenly realized!
Before leaving home, she had specifically closed the window because she was afraid that if Lin Xiao woke up and couldn’t find any adults, she might climb out the window in a daze and get hurt.
That room was in the attic, directly exposed to the sun, so the temperature inside must have been high—no wonder Xiao Xiao had suffered heatstroke.
Thinking back, Xiao Xiao had shown signs of heatstroke over the past two days. Every day when Lin Xiangxiu returned home, Xiao Xiao’s face was flushed, and she always spoke with little energy.
The thought that her child had nearly faced such a serious situation right under her watch filled Lin Xiangxiu with regret and self-reproach. She wished she could go back in time and slap herself for being so careless. Over the past few days, she had been so focused on work and earning money that she had neglected Lin Xiao.
If anything had happened to Lin Xiao, Lin Xiangxiu didn’t dare to imagine the consequences.
What would be the point of earning money then? What would be the meaning of struggling desperately to stay in Shencheng?
Following the doctor’s instructions, Lin Xiangxiu bought heatstroke relief medicine and borrowed a towel, which she soaked in cold water, wrung out, and used to wipe Lin Xiao’s body to reduce her fever.
Before long, the fever gradually subsided, and Lin Xiao opened her eyes, regaining consciousness.
“Mom? Why am I here?” Lin Xiao weakly sat up from the hospital bed, her big eyes looking at her mother in confusion.
Lin Xiangxiu held her tightly in her arms, as if cradling a rare treasure, gently stroking Lin Xiao’s somewhat dry and yellowish hair. “You had heatstroke and a high fever. I brought you to the clinic. How do you feel now? Are you feeling better?”
Lin Xiao checked herself over, her voice still a bit hoarse. “I don’t feel sick anymore. My head doesn’t hurt, and I’m not hot anymore. I’m all better.”
“Mom, I missed you so much,” Lin Xiao said, burying her face in her mother’s chest, her voice muffled.
Lin Xiangxiu hadn’t planned to cry, but hearing those words nearly brought tears of guilt to her eyes. She held Lin Xiao tightly. “I was so scared. What would I do if something happened to you? How could I go on living? Why didn’t you tell me earlier that you were feeling so unwell?”
Too embarrassed to look up, Lin Xiao kept her head buried in her mother’s shoulder and spoke with a hint of grievance. “I saw how busy you’ve been lately—working during the day, shopping to fix up our home after work, cooking and washing clothes for me. You were so tired, so I didn’t say anything. Besides, it wasn’t that bad until today at noon.”
“What nonsense are you talking? Work isn’t tiring for me at all. As long as I think about earning money to buy a house for the two of us, I feel full of energy. It’s not tiring at all,” Lin Xiangxiu said disapprovingly. “Besides, I really like my job now, and I enjoy fixing up our little home. Taking care of you is my responsibility—it’s not tiring at all. How could you not tell me when you weren’t feeling well?”
“It wasn’t that bad,” Lin Xiao said, her little brows furrowing like caterpillars in grievance.
Lin Xiangxiu smoothed her brows, held her close again, and said seriously, “From now on, even if it’s just a minor discomfort, you have to tell me. Have you forgotten what I told you? Only when you’re well and healthy can I work with peace of mind. No matter how much I work, it doesn’t feel tiring. But if you get sick, I won’t be able to do anything at all.”
“And you’ve forgotten, back in our hometown, I used to do much more in a single day than I do now. How could I possibly feel tired with such a good life we have now?”
Lin Xiao carefully studied her mother’s face, confirming there was truly no trace of fatigue—only a look of concern—before nodding in agreement. “Alright, I’ll tell you everything from now on.”
“You don’t need to be overly sensible or obedient. Just don’t go astray, grow up safe and sound—that’s all that matters, understand, Xiao Xiao?” Lin Xiangxiu gazed tenderly at Lin Xiao, as if looking at her most cherished creation.
Lin Xiao responded somewhat vaguely, “Okay, I promise, Mom.”
“Good child. If you’re not feeling unwell anymore, let’s head home.” Lin Xiangxiu smiled.
She took Lin Xiao’s hand, ready to leave the clinic and return home, but needed to bid farewell to the Chijiao Daifu before going.
“Doctor, my child is fine now, so I’ll take her home. Thank you for your help today,” Lin Xiangxiu said politely. “I’ve already paid the fee.”
The doctor was administering an injection to another patient when he heard this and immediately said, “Wait a moment, Lin Xiao’s mother. There’s something I’d like to discuss with you.”
Author’s Note:
Then let’s add another update! This chapter continues with red envelope giveaways. Red envelopes will be distributed daily from July 8th to July 11th. Also, please check out my upcoming works—if you like them, give them a bookmark. It means a lot to me!