Chapter 9

In the first month, after deducting the initial capital, Li Datao earned two thousand three hundred and twenty yuan. There were still some items piled up in the yard that he had just collected, and he planned to sell them together the next time.

He kept track of every transaction clearly. Now, when he calculated, it felt easy. After finishing the math, he stared at the numbers above. This was much more profitable than when he worked as a sanitation worker.

Fan Chunxiang had always been worried, fearing that some unforeseen accident would cause them to lose all the hard-earned money they had saved.

But now, after finishing the calculation, she felt relieved and began to think about the numbers in the ledger.

If they could make this much every month, not only could they send An’an to kindergarten, but perhaps getting him a wife in the future wouldn’t be too difficult.

As parents, even though An’an was still a little child who could barely speak clearly, they couldn’t help but plan everything ahead.

Fan Chunxiang, rarely generous, took An’an to a bakery he particularly liked and bought him his favorite small bread.

Along the way, An’an held the plastic bag containing the bread, and when they got home, he first washed his small hands, then opened the package and handed a pretty little bread to his mother.

“Mom, here!”

The small bread, sold in packages of ten yuan at the bakery, was shaped like animals and was particularly cute.

Fan Chunxiang knew her child’s stubborn personality. If neither she nor Li Datao ate, An’an wouldn’t touch it either.

An’an was so thoughtful that it made their hearts melt. Fearing they might refuse, he kept holding it out to them, just like when they fed him.

Li Datao didn’t fall behind either. The three of them sat together and ate the little bread, the sweet, milky taste seemed to ferment into the flavor of happiness under the sunlight.

Though they still lived in a shabby house and wore tattered clothes, they were all exceptionally content.

An’an learned to speak quickly, picking up many things from watching TV. Every time Fan Chunxiang and Li Datao saw how smart their son had become, they worked even harder.

Since Li Datao started collecting waste, their house had accumulated many books. He would set aside the ones that looked barely used, air them out for a few days, and then store them in the cabinet.

Among all the books, An’an loved the picture books the most. He liked pointing at the pictures and asking what things were.

Curious little An’an was like a sponge, eager to learn everything about the world, diligently absorbing new knowledge to fill his mind.

By the third month of Li Datao collecting waste, he had focused all his energy on this endeavor.

Fan Chunxiang also stopped doing other things and often accompanied Li Datao. Since neither of them could talk, many things were inconvenient to do. An’an volunteered to help, patting his chest to show his determination.

One day, Li Datao brought home a Megaphone and after fiddling with it for a while, finally figured out how to record sound.

An’an, lying in a lounge chair basking in the sun, quickly sat up when he heard footsteps, and when he realized it was his father returning, he scurried over with his short little legs to the yard.

Li Datao gestured to An’an, hoping he could help him record something.

“What are you saying?”

The Megaphone, which Li Datao could easily hold with one hand, required An’an to use both hands to hold. Seeing his father point to the nearby pile of waste, An’an, half-understanding, nodded.

After his father pressed the recording button, An’an leaned in and, in his clear little voice, called out:

“Collecting waste! Anyone want to sell waste? Collecting waste!”

Normally a little unclear when speaking, An’an tried to pronounce each word as clearly as possible.

Li Datao pressed the replay button. Even though he was born deaf, the vibrations he felt when the sound came through the horn made him feel as though he could hear his son’s crisp, youthful voice.

He pulled out a candy from the pocket of his old jacket and handed it to An’an as a reward.

After An’an wrapped the candy in his mouth, Li Datao rubbed his little head, enjoying the gentle, ticklish sensation as An’an nuzzled his palm, his eyes filled with smiles.

Whenever Fan Chunxiang wasn’t busy, she would go with Li Datao to collect waste, and An’an would be brought along.

After all, they didn’t have many relatives, and weren’t very familiar with their neighbors, so it was inconvenient to bother others, and they couldn’t leave An’an behind.

An’an was very obedient, even at this young age. As long as he stayed in the vehicle, he wouldn’t move, not crying or making a fuss. It was a real relief.

At first, Fan Chunxiang thought this was quite good. But later, while watching TV with An’an, she unknowingly saw an advertisement.

The content roughly stated that if a child was too obedient, didn’t talk, or didn’t cry or make a fuss, parents should be cautious. This could be a sign of autism!

The government had started promoting the idea of fewer and better births, educating parents about various diseases children might develop, and encouraging early preparation.

Fan Chunxiang subconsciously hugged An’an. The confused little boy looked up at his mother, and before he knew it, she was rushing out the door with him.

In the yard, Li Datao was chopping firewood, stacking the chopped pieces neatly when he saw Fan Chunxiang’s panicked expression, startled.

Fan Chunxiang gestured to him, saying she was planning to take An’an to the hospital to get checked. These matters couldn’t be taken lightly.

Li Datao put down the axe, casually changed into a coat, and drove them to the hospital.

The advertisement on TV had been very influential, and now several children at the hospital were being checked because their parents suspected autism due to their children’s overly obedient behavior.

Compared to the past, when just having food to eat was enough to prevent a child from starving, things had certainly changed now.

When it was their turn, An’an, who had been unaware of the situation, quickly realized something was wrong and hurriedly hid in his mother’s arms.

The smell of disinfectant at the hospital was unpleasant, and the doctors, wearing masks, looked stern. The unfamiliar environment made An’an feel even more uneasy, and he was on the verge of tears.

“Mom… Mom…”

Fan Chunxiang didn’t know how to comfort An’an and could only keep patting his back.

The doctor took one look and quickly determined the child was fine. After a simple check-up, they found that the items they brought seemed incomplete.

“Where is the child’s birth certificate? How old is he? Has he had his vaccinations?”

With each question, the doctor’s frown deepened, and their gaze toward Fan Chunxiang and Li Datao began to shift, even wondering if this child really was theirs.

“Proof? I don’t know. An’an is two years old. He hasn’t had vaccinations, scared.”

An’an, knowing that his parents couldn’t speak, answered the questions himself after the doctor finished.

The doctor, who had been tired and had no interest in smiling after a busy morning, softened his expression upon seeing how well-behaved and cute An’an was.

He took An’an’s little hand and asked:

“Little friend, who are these two?”

“Dad, mom!”

“Are they your biological parents?”

“Yes!”

An’an nodded without hesitation. He was absolutely sure that they were his biological parents. Being with them meant he was their child.

Fan Chunxiang only then realized something was off. She placed one hand on the back of An’an’s head and pulled him into her arms, shaking her head gently at the doctor, then started to gesture to him.

The doctor didn’t understand sign language, and this situation was too complicated. Since it was time for her to finish her shift, she took off her white coat and decided to handle the matter properly.

Not only at the hospital, but as An’an grew older, more places would require identification.

From the way things seemed, this child didn’t even have a household registration.

They brought in someone who knew sign language to communicate with Fan Chunxiang, and later, they went with Fan Chunxiang to the police station.

Even the police were not used to such complex cases. This child had been found by them and raised for so long, but without a household registration, they couldn’t verify the child’s identity.

In such cases, according to their normal procedures, the child would first be registered to locate his biological parents. If they couldn’t find them, the child would be sent to an orphanage, and the adoption process would then begin.

When the police explained this to Fan Chunxiang, her face instantly turned pale, and she subconsciously hugged An’an tightly.

She had raised An’an little by little. When he was first found, he would only cry, and over time, he learned to speak and call them Mom and Dad.

Now, hearing that An’an might be taken away, how could she bear to let go?

An’an seemed to sense his mother’s unease. He patted her with his little hand, tightly hugged her arm, and nuzzled his head against her.