Chapter 112: The Father Who Exploited His Child Star 5

There was plenty of work at the construction site, like carrying bricks and lifting cement—jobs that relied on physical strength to earn money. After Old Li told Xie Hui about the tasks for the day, he called over the other workers.

Only after he finished did he remember there was still a child in his office. He quickened his pace without making it obvious, worried that such a young child might mischievously run into the construction area while he was gone.

When he pushed open the office door, he saw Xie Chu sitting obediently on a small stool, a picture book on his lap, reading intently.

The sound of Old Li opening the door caught Xie Chu’s attention, and he instinctively looked up. Seeing the familiar uncle, he smiled, revealing his white teeth.

“Hello, uncle.”

“Hey, hello, hello.”

Seeing the child still sitting there, Old Li breathed a sigh of relief.

Actually, he had started to regret it as soon as that man named Xie Hui left the construction site—not because he was heartless, but because he was genuinely afraid he couldn’t afford to compensate if something happened.

But he had children of his own, and seeing Xie Hui bringing a three-year-old out from the countryside to make a living tugged at his heartstrings.

Comparing his own noisy little princess at home to Xie Chu, who sat quietly without anyone coaxing him and didn’t make a fuss, Old Li took some candy from the cabinet and handed it to him.

“Thank you, uncle.”

“No need to thank me. The construction site outside is very dangerous. Little kids can’t go out there, understand?”

Xie Chu looked at Old Li with his clean, clear eyes and nodded very seriously.

“I understand.”

“Good boy. Uncle still has work to do. You stay here and don’t run around.”

“Okay, I’ll remember. Thank you for your hard work, uncle.”

Hearing him say this in his childish voice, Old Li found him both adorable and unintentionally funny. He left the office with his things.

Lunch was provided at the construction site. Old Li went to buy boxed meals, and since Xie Hui had a child with him, he bought a larger portion and asked for an extra pair of chopsticks.

After a morning of carrying bricks and cement, Xie Hui’s hands were numb, and his clothes were filthy. He just found a random spot to sit down.

Old Li joined them for lunch, bringing out the small stool from his office for Xie Chu.

Seeing the dust on his father’s face, Xie Chu reached out with his chubby little hand to try to wipe it off. He wiped several times but couldn’t get it clean, and his anxious eyes started to redden.

“Chu Chu, come and eat something first.”

Although Old Li had asked for an extra pair of chopsticks, it wasn’t much use. The Entruster had never taught this child how to use chopsticks, so Xie Chu wasn’t very skilled with them. Plus, Xie Hui was exhausted, so to save trouble, he simply fed him directly.

It was rare to see children at the construction site. As they ate together, some workers, curious about the good-looking child sitting on the little stool, asked,

“Why did you bring your kid here?”

Xie Hui fed some vegetables to his son and sensed that the question wasn’t ill-intentioned. He looked up, smiled, and replied,

“His mother divorced me, and there are no elders at home, so I have to bring him with me.”

The worker who asked the question laughed awkwardly, realizing he had touched a sore spot, and didn’t say more, lowering his head to eat.

After a while, Xie Chu pressed his father’s wrist and said,

“I’m full, Daddy, you eat.”

Xie Hui glanced at the lunchbox, noting that the amount Xie Chu ate was somewhat less than what he remembered from the original owner’s memories. He figured the boy was worried he wouldn’t have enough to eat, so his expression turned stern as he scolded,

“Even if you’re full, eat a bit more.”

“Oh…”

Only when Xie Hui was sure he was really full did he start eating himself.

After lunch, there was a break of over forty minutes. Usually, the workers would just find a spot, lay down some cardboard, and take a nap. Xie Hui was tired too, so he found a place to rest against.

Xie Chu obediently stayed by his father’s side, quiet and well-behaved, reading the picture book he had already finished once more.

The afternoon work was even more exhausting than the morning. Xie Hui’s mind could handle it, but his body kept demanding rest. He barely made it to the end of the workday.

Old Li paid everyone for the day and specifically kept Xie Hui back until last.

“Where are you and your son staying now? Why not come work with me?”

These temporary heavy labor jobs really did pay daily because Old Li didn’t have enough workers. Some people worked with him long-term, with wages settled at year-end, including food and lodging, and his wife prepared clothes, shoes, gloves, and such.

Old Li himself had come from the countryside and guessed that Xie Hui and his son were probably staying at a small inn.

“Boss, you see, I…”

Xie Hui held his son’s hand, looking troubled. Bringing such a young child anywhere was always a hassle.

“If your kid doesn’t make trouble and can follow you like today, it’s fine.”

“Thank you, boss.”

“The weather forecast says it’ll rain the day after tomorrow, so the site probably won’t be able to operate. Pack your things, and when there’s no work, just come over.”

“Alright, boss.”

Old Li had rented a big house himself and happened to have a spare room. After making arrangements with Xie Hui, he took his things and headed home.

On the way back to the small inn, Xie Chu hugged his book and wouldn’t let his father carry him. The setting sun stretched his shadow long.

The father, dirty and disheveled, was followed by a clean, well-groomed child clutching a book, trailing behind like a little tail.

Someone captured this scene and posted it online. It was just an ordinary person sharing their life, but unexpectedly, it became a minor trending topic.

That fellow villager, Old Xie, messaged Xie Hui in the afternoon, saying he was busy with work and wouldn’t be coming back that night.

Xie Hui was too tired to move, so he ordered takeout on his phone. Seeing the three-digit balance in his account, and then looking at the little one standing on a stool to help collect laundry, he added an order of chicken soup to supplement his nutrition.

The table in the small inn was tiny, and once the takeout was set out, there was no space left.

Xie Hui tore open a disposable spoon and pushed the chicken soup in front of his son.

Xie Chu, who was eating with a spoon, saw the bowl of chicken soup pushed to his side. Smelling the aroma of the chicken soup at the tip of his nose, he silently swallowed and forced himself to look away.

“Daddy works hard, Daddy is so tired, let Daddy drink more.”

Xie Hui, holding his chopsticks, picked out the scallions from the dish for him and said softly:

“Daddy doesn’t like this. Daddy thinks it tastes bad. If Chu Chu doesn’t drink it, it’ll be thrown away.”

Hearing this, Xie Chu hurriedly put down his spoon, pulled the bowl of chicken soup into his arms with his hands, furrowed his little brows, and said:

“No wasting, Chu Chu will drink it.”

That night, lying in bed after a long, exhausting day, Xie Hui just wanted to close his eyes and sleep immediately. Before falling asleep, he unexpectedly heard a soft sound of crying beside him.

Lifting the blanket, he saw the little one in the bed with teary eyes, sniffing before looking up at him.

“What’s wrong, Chu Chu?”

Xie Hui rubbed his fluffy little head and asked patiently.

Although he was truly exhausted, he still had endless patience and a gentle attitude toward this child.

He hadn’t scolded anyone, but after he spoke, the little one’s tears fell even faster.

After Xie Hui picked him up and comforted him for a while, once Xie Chu had calmed down, he heard him sob and say:

“Daddy, can Chu Chu grow up faster? I want to grow up quickly.”

“Why is that?”

Xie Hui took a tissue and carefully wiped away his tears, gently patting his back.

“Daddy, look here, it must hurt a lot…”

Xie Chu hugged one of Xie Hui’s arms, and as he spoke, tears welled up again.

Following his gaze, Xie Hui saw it was indeed a small wound from bumping into something during the day. Because he was so tired, he hadn’t paid any attention to such a minor scrape.

Rubbing the little crybaby’s head, Xie Hui helplessly comforted him:

“It doesn’t hurt.”

After Daddy said this, Xie Chu’s tears flowed even faster, and he wrapped his arms around Daddy’s waist.

“Wuwu, Daddy is a liar, Daddy must hurt a lot, a lot.”

It was the first time Xie Hui had dealt with such a crybaby. After comforting him for ages, the little one kept repeating that Daddy was a liar.

In the end, Xie Hui found a band-aid in the original owner’s bag and stuck it on the wound. Only then did the little one stop crying.

“Does it really not hurt after putting this on? Daddy can’t lie to Chu Chu anymore.”

“Mm, it doesn’t hurt after putting it on. It’s very late, be good and go to sleep, okay?”

With tears still in his eyes, Xie Chu nodded his head.

“Okay.”

Xie Hui kept holding the child, not letting go. Even after falling asleep, the little one would occasionally twitch, probably from crying too hard earlier.

In the middle of the night, System saw that Host was still awake and couldn’t help but ask curiously:

“Host, you clearly have the ability to change the situation, so why don’t you?”

As System spoke, Xie Chu twitched again, and Xie Hui gently patted his back to soothe him.

“If I use the same method to change the Entruster’s situation, just copy and paste, this even a robot could do it.”

Carrying out missions is a process of constantly tempering his mindset and learning. Every time, Xie Hui uses the original owner’s own foundation to try hard to change the situation.

If the original owner had learned a little medicine, he would delve into medicine. If the original owner had studied computer technology, he would work on software. This is Xie Hui’s unique style when carrying out tasks.

“If Host needs System’s help, System is always here.”

“Mm.”

After replying, Xie Hui closed his eyes. Using the original owner’s body, which wasn’t used to physical labor, to work hard all day, the urge to rest in his mind was stronger than ever before.

The next day, when Xie Hui was woken by the alarm, he still didn’t really want to get up. But the little one in his arms had already opened his eyes, reached out to push Daddy’s shoulder, and urged him in a childish voice:

“Daddy, get up!!”