Chapter 76

When he heard someone calling his name, Ji Chenbiao looked up toward the outside.

Little Dadan had kept his feet in the hot water for a bit too long. It got so hot he yanked his feet back, and in the process, he stepped right on his dad’s foot.

Ji Chenbiao’s foot was shoved into the hot water. The scalding heat made him suck in a sharp breath.

He lowered his head and glared at the troublemaker. Little Dadan knew he was in the wrong and curled his toes guiltily, flashing his dad an ingratiating smile.

“Heehee.”

Ji Chenbiao ignored him. This time, Little Dadan didn’t dare hold a grudge or get upset. Instead, he cozied up to his dad and rubbed his head against him like a little puppy.

“Hee~”

“No laughing.”

“Yah…”

Little Dadan closed his mouth with a pout and didn’t say another word. The person who had called out earlier had already walked straight into the courtyard.

Ji Chenbiao frowned when he saw this. He clearly wasn’t happy—who just barges into someone’s house without being invited?

“What’s the matter?”

The village chief followed behind the man who barged in, his face grim. He took a drag of his pipe before saying:

“Chenbiao, Old Wang is dead.”

“Dead?”

Ji Chenbiao was stunned when he heard the news. He instinctively asked,

“How did he die?”

“He ran into poachers. Got beaten to death.”

An incident like this happening so close to New Year’s—Ji Chenbiao couldn’t help but feel a bit somber, even though he hadn’t been on good terms with the man. After a pause, he asked,

“Was it reported to the police?”

Old Wang’s younger brother glared at Ji Chenbiao with a hateful look and snapped,

“You have the nerve to ask that? What’s the point of reporting it? Even if they catch someone, will it bring my brother back?”

Little Dadan sensed the hostility toward his dad. He clung tightly to Ji Chenbiao’s arm with both hands.

Ji Chenbiao gently patted his back to soothe him. Things like this happened every year. There were always people who would do anything for money.

“Village Chief, so what are you all here for?”

Old Wang’s brother reached out and tried to grab Ji Chenbiao by the collar. Ji Chenbiao frowned and shoved him back—he didn’t even use much force, and the man stumbled backward.

“What? Don’t tell me you’re trying to pin this on me?”

“Pin it? Ji Chenbiao, we all went to the scene. That guy came back for revenge! It was that bastard you injured last year—he came back and killed my brother! Who else would we blame if not you?”

His eyes were red with rage as he shouted. The village chief stood to the side, silently taking another drag of his pipe.

“This is my fault? I didn’t break the law back then! If you want someone to blame, go find the one who killed your brother. Don’t come throwing tantrums at me.”

Ji Chenbiao remembered the incident. It had been a skilled poaching group. Last winter, they tried to poach a Class II protected animal, and he’d broken one of their legs with a stick. They fled without leaving a trace.

He didn’t think he’d done anything wrong. Even if he had to do it all over again, he’d still make the same choice.

Every year, the village chief recruited people to guard the forest, and before heading up the mountain, everyone signed an agreement acknowledging the risks.

“If you’d traded places with my brother this year, the one dead would be you!”

Being accused over and over again, Ji Chenbiao finally lost his temper and snapped,

“If I’d been on that mountain, who says I would’ve been the one to die?”

Old Wang’s brother hated him all the more because of that. Ji Chenbiao was stronger, had more experience dealing with poachers, and the attackers had been after him in the first place. It all came down to him refusing to switch duties with Wang.

“I’m letting it slide because your brother’s dead.”

Seeing Old Wang’s brother worked up into a frenzy, the village chief tried to mediate. He just wanted peace—especially around New Year’s, the last thing he wanted was a scene like this.

The Wang family was one of the bigger families in the village, which made things harder for the chief too.

“Chenbiao, why don’t you just apologize and we’ll be done with it.”

“An apology isn’t enough! He has to come to our house and kneel at the shrine! Otherwise, this won’t end!”

When Ji Chenbiao heard that, he gave a cold laugh. He was already reluctant to apologize, let alone kneel before Old Wang’s spirit like a son paying respects.

“What kind of pipe dream is that? Get the hell out of my house before I really lose my temper.”

“You—you just wait!”

Old Wang’s brother jabbed a finger at Ji Chenbiao’s nose and stormed off, a crowd trailing behind him. The village chief stayed, exhaled a puff of smoke, and sighed.

“Chenbiao, if you still want to live in this village, you can’t be so stubborn.”

Ji Chenbiao helped Little Dadan dry his feet and tucked him back under the blankets.

The blanket was heavy for warmth. It weighed An’an down so much that he struggled in vain to escape, squirming like a slippery eel.

“If they’re gonna bully people like that, I don’t have to stay here. Chief, do you think I did anything wrong?”

The village chief avoided his gaze. Whether it was injuring the poachers last year or refusing to kneel at the shrine, Ji Chenbiao hadn’t done anything wrong.

But someone had died. The grief and anger of the family was understandable. Ji Chenbiao’s complete refusal to bend only added fuel to the fire.

In his position, it wasn’t just about right and wrong—it was about empathy too.

“Chenbiao, why are you so damn stubborn?”

This time, Ji Chenbiao didn’t reply. He glanced at Little Dadan, who’d finally wriggled out from under the blanket, and tucked him back in.

“Chief, once the New Year’s over, I’ll leave.”

To the village, Ji Chenbiao was an outsider. His parents had died, and his sister had left. For him, there was no real reason to stay.

He hadn’t left before only because he didn’t have enough money.

Now, even if the money’s still not enough, he has no choice but to go.

With his mind made up, the village chief couldn’t play peacemaker anymore. He walked out slowly, hands clasped behind his back, his posture more hunched than ever.

Little Dadan climbed out of the covers again. Ji Chenbiao saw his puffed-up cheeks and lightly poked one with his finger.

“Well, well, who’s this little puffball throwing a tantrum?”

“Hmph.”

“Go to sleep. Enjoy these last few peaceful days.”

An’an didn’t understand what that meant, and Ji Chenbiao didn’t expect him to. He pulled up the blanket and closed his eyes.

After that day, the clearest change Ji Chenbiao noticed was that people in the village stopped talking to him. It was like he’d turned invisible. Even Xiao Li and Lao Wu—people he’d saved several times—treated him the same.

He understood. They still had to live here. But that didn’t mean it didn’t hurt. After all, he had saved their lives.

New Year was around the corner. Ji Chenbiao was too tired after a long year to make another trip into town.

On New Year’s Eve, there wasn’t much prepared in the house. He just splurged a little and added two extra drops of sesame oil to Little Dadan’s steamed egg custard.

When he was about to casually cook some coarse grain porridge to get by, he suddenly heard someone knocking on the window. When he stepped outside to check, all he saw was a familiar back.

Beneath the window sat a bowl of steaming hot dumplings.

Xiao Li’s hand, hidden in his sleeve, nearly dug blood into his own palm, but he didn’t dare turn around. He knew full well that, at this moment, he was no better than a thankless ingrate—worse than a beast.

But in a small village like this, if someone really wanted to make trouble, it would be far too easy. Like a toad crouched on your foot—if it really meant harm, it could make your life hell.

Ji Chenbiao carried that bowl of dumplings into the house. The portion was generous. He pulled out a pair of chopsticks, picked up a dumpling, and popped it into his mouth.

Just like Xiao Li had said—the flavor proved his wife’s cooking was indeed excellent.

After finishing the meal, Ji Chenbiao washed the bowl clean and stashed it in the cupboard, with no intention of returning it.

He helped An’an wrap his scarf tightly against the wind and planned to take him to visit the graves of his parents and younger sister—to pay respects, since they were family after all.

An’an obediently let Ji Chenbiao carry him. The sky had already grown dark, and the wind was bitterly cold. He curled up like a little hedgehog, burrowing into Ji Chenbiao’s embrace for warmth.

Ji Chenbiao held him tightly, trudging step by step through the snow.

Behind him were the myriad lights of New Year’s Eve; ahead was only darkness. Aside from the incense and joss paper he carried, the only thing with him was this small bundle in his arms.

His parents had been buried on a barren mountain. Later, his sister was laid to rest beside them. Not far apart—it made visiting easier.

With a match in hand, Ji Chenbiao struggled to light the incense; the wind kept blowing it out. After several tries, he finally got a flame.

The faint yellow glow lit half his face. His expression remained cold and unreadable. He gave a brief introduction—just said that Ji Dadan was the new child in their family. Nothing more.

The night was freezing, and it was late. He didn’t intend to linger there too long with little Dadan.

On the way back, for reasons he couldn’t quite explain, Ji Chenbiao felt a bit unsettled. After all, he had grown up in this village. It held all his childhood memories.

“Dadan, do you like it here?”

Shivering from the cold, little An’an instinctively shook his head. It was too cold. He didn’t like it.

Ji Chenbiao smiled faintly and responded softly, “Mm, I don’t like it either.”

Soon they were home. Ji Chenbiao helped An’an wash up and got him ready for bed.

He knew deep down that having a peaceful New Year in the village was largely thanks to the village chief’s help. He wasn’t the ungrateful type—he remembered the favor well.

Still, Ji Chenbiao had no real plan. If he left the village, where would he go?

He’d said he’d head to Haicheng, but he knew that going there now was practically handing himself over on a silver platter.

His head was a mess of thoughts, and he couldn’t fall asleep. Meanwhile, the little one beside him was sleeping soundly, his breathing soft and even, making Ji Chenbiao feel the urge to tease him.

He pinched the boy’s chubby cheek. Even in his sleep, little Dadan squirmed deeper under the covers to hide his face, avoiding Ji Chenbiao’s hand.

Half-asleep, he even used his arm to push Ji Chenbiao away.

That small moment of play eased Ji Chenbiao’s mood. He closed his eyes and finally fell asleep.

There was no snowfall on New Year’s Eve, but the wind howled outside.

…

On New Year’s Day, Ji Chenbiao started packing. He stuffed everything into a snakeskin bag. When he found the stone that little Dadan always carried and felt its weight, he hesitated.

Just packing up was heavy enough—this would make it worse.

But after thinking it through, this time he had no intention of coming back. So he simply put the stone in the bag as well.

It was heavy, sure, but maybe it held sentimental value for little Dadan.

An’an didn’t think too much of the packing. He figured, like before, they were going to the mountain, and looked longingly at Ji Chenbiao, hoping to be taken along.

“Don’t worry. I won’t leave you behind.”

That evening, once it was fully dark, the village chief came by again. He sat on a stool, smoking his old pipe, eyes fixed on the child.

“Chenbiao, I watched you grow up. Since you’re set on leaving the village, taking a kid with you will be hard.”

“If you trust me, this boy isn’t a troublemaker. I can help find him a good family to adopt him. What do you think?”

Ji Chenbiao knew the village chief meant well, but he still shook his head.

“Forget it, Chief. Since this kid followed me, no matter what happens, I won’t abandon him. Even if we end up sleeping on the streets.”

If there were truly no problems, he might’ve considered it. But this kid, Dadan, really did have issues. Ji Chenbiao wouldn’t feel safe unless the boy was with him.

“This whole thing… it’s my fault for not handling it properly.”

“It’s not your fault. I know it’s a tough situation. I’m planning to leave soon anyway—sooner or later doesn’t make much difference.”

“You’ve thought it through? No regrets?”

“Yeah. No regrets.”

“If things don’t work out for you out there, and you want to come back, just give me a call. Don’t worry too much about what’s going on here. If it really comes to that, I can still put in a word or two.”

“Alright.”

The village chief didn’t say much more, but that promise brought Ji Chenbiao real peace of mind. It meant he had a way back—no matter what happened.

“Thank you, Chief.”

“Don’t thank me for such a small thing.”

If the chief had really been forced to handle the matter, he would’ve been put in a difficult spot. Ji Chenbiao offering to leave solved that problem for him.

That was just how Ji Chenbiao was—he couldn’t bear to make things hard for others, even if it meant making things harder for himself.

“Then I’ll be off. I left you some money—carry more with you for peace of mind out there.”

The chief pulled a wad of bills from a coat he’d clearly worn for years and set it on the table. None of the bills were large—he’d clearly been saving up.

“Chief, I really can’t accept this…”

The money felt like it burned in Ji Chenbiao’s hands. But the village chief had already stood up, waving him off with his back turned.

“Don’t worry about it. Maybe I just have a feeling you’ll make it big one day—and this is me investing early.”

Ji Chenbiao left on the second day of the new year, when the morning sun brought a bit of warmth. He carried luggage in one hand, An’an in the other.

This time, the village chief didn’t come to see him off—probably to avoid trouble from the Wang family afterward.

Ji Chenbiao wasn’t surprised at all. And he didn’t feel particularly disappointed either.

Neither Lao Wu nor Xiao Li wanted to leave the village just yet—not because the Wang family was particularly powerful, but simply because they had many people. If they really wanted to mess with someone on purpose, it would be far too easy.

He hadn’t done much to help the village chief in the past, yet when the he ran into trouble, chief was still willing to give him money to help him live more comfortably outside.

When Ji Chenbiao was forced to leave after the New Year, it would be a lie to say he wasn’t angry. But at the same time, he found himself quietly healed by certain people.

Like Dadan—for all the times his mind was overwhelmed by wild thoughts, it was always the image of that child rolling his eyes at him that snapped him out of it.

Ji Chenbiao brought An’an to the county’s bus station. After buying two steamed buns and one meat bun, he bought a bus ticket to Shancheng—a place in the complete opposite direction of Haicheng.

The meat bun was for An’an. Already a bit hungry, An’an clutched the bun and started gnawing on it greedily.

Ji Chenbiao held him in one arm and stuffed a steamed bun into his own mouth with the other.

As for what he would do in the future, Ji Chenbiao was actually quite lost himself. He didn’t have much education, wasn’t smart like his sister, and all he had was a bit more strength than most people.

After boarding the bus, a ticket attendant handed Ji Chenbiao a plastic bag and told him to keep an eye on the child.

A kid this young clearly hadn’t traveled far before—she warned him to be careful in case he got motion sick and threw up on the bus.

Ji Chenbiao stuffed the plastic bag into his jacket pocket and nodded at the attendant.

Fortunately, An’an was very well-behaved and didn’t have any signs of motion sickness. His grape-like eyes stayed wide open, curiously watching the scenery outside the window.

The bus rumbled along the bumpy roads, shaking so much that even Ji Chenbiao felt it was a bit rough—but An’an stayed in good spirits the whole time.

The ticket attendant sat just in front of Ji Chenbiao. Eventually, she turned around and noticed how much better this kid’s energy was compared to most children.

“How old is he? Has he ridden buses before?”

“Eight months. No.”

“I’ve seen a lot of kids, but one like this is pretty rare.”

It seemed like Dadan realized he was being praised. He subtly lifted his little chin, like a proud little rooster eager to show off its pretty feathers.

Tired from watching, An’an eventually leaned into Ji Chenbiao’s arms and fell asleep. People in those days were usually wary of strangers, afraid of child traffickers, but Ji Chenbiao wasn’t too concerned.

If a trafficker dared target his kid, he’d be able to follow them straight to their den.

The bus didn’t arrive until evening. The ticket attendant noticed they were clearly new to the city, so while helping other passengers with their luggage, she turned and reminded him, “There’s a restaurant over there that’s fairly clean. You can take the kid and eat there.”

“Alright, thank you.”

Ji Chenbiao glanced in the direction she pointed. Kids got hungry faster than adults, and he’d carelessly forgotten to bring snacks for An’an.

That afternoon, he’d already heard An’an’s stomach grumbling. Now that they were off the bus, they obviously couldn’t wait any longer.

Though Ji Chenbiao was usually frugal, he knew where money could be saved and where it couldn’t. In a situation like this, clearly he had to spend—if Dadan ended up starving, he’d be the one paying the price.

There were lots of parents with children at the station, and quite a few food vendors catering to kids. Ji Chenbiao bought a bowl of meat porridge for An’an and a plate of plain vegetables for himself, along with some free rice.

He had no idea what he could do in this new place, so for now, the priority was just to find somewhere to stay.

There were many small inns near the station. The hygiene wasn’t great, but they were cheap—designed exactly for people like him.

“Dadan, do you think Dad’s a bit useless?”

It felt like he was some stray dog kicked out of the village, without even a clue of what he was supposed to do next.

He couldn’t seriously go back the way the village chief said—blow through all the money he’d painstakingly saved up over the years and return with his tail between his legs, could he?

There was no way Dadan could understand what he’d just said, but he could at least sense his father was a little unhappy. So he leaned in and gave Ji Chenbiao a kiss on the cheek.

“Yah~”

“Oh? Turning sweet now? Why aren’t you rolling your eyes at me like before?”

Ji Chenbiao had always loved teasing his little boy. Even now, in this kind of situation, he couldn’t help himself. When Dadan was being a bit more obedient, he just couldn’t resist poking at him to see that adorable grumpy reaction.

As expected, Dadan gave him a dramatic eye-roll in response.

In that moment, Ji Chenbiao’s foul mood vanished. He tidied up the bed a little and got ready to rest.

That first night in Shancheng—a city he’d only heard of from his sister—he spent in a rundown little inn.

Thanks to An’an’s presence, Ji Chenbiao’s heart didn’t feel as heavy as he’d expected.

The next morning, he asked the innkeeper if there was any kind of work nearby that he could do. He was strong and could endure hardship—he wasn’t asking for much, just enough to eat.

The innkeeper had seen many like Ji Chenbiao and wasn’t planning to entertain him at first—until he heard him say he could endure hardship.

“If you really want to eat, go to the construction sites. Got a bit of strength? You’ll be able to fill your stomach.”

Ji Chenbiao nodded and took it to heart, planning to ask around for specifics later.

He left and bought two more steamed buns nearby, plus another bowl of the meat porridge Dadan had liked so much yesterday. On the way back, he passed a park and noticed something splashing in the lake from afar.

Ji Chenbiao instinctively rushed over. A glance told him the person in the water had been struggling for some time already—probably wouldn’t last much longer.

He didn’t hesitate. Without even changing his clothes, he jumped right in.

Xiaomei loved eating fish, and once Ji Chenbiao was old enough to help, he often went fishing for her. He’d ended up developing decent swimming skills.

When he saw that both people in the water were kids, he grabbed one in each arm and dragged them both to shore. A passing doctor saw what happened and immediately began first aid.

Ji Chenbiao glanced at the breakfast he hadn’t managed to put down in time. Thinking of the money he still had left, he felt a twinge of pain.

But they still had to eat. No matter how stingy he wanted to be, some things couldn’t be avoided.

Still soaked to the bone, he forced himself to go buy another portion. This time he only got one bun for himself.

After all, he still hadn’t found a job, didn’t know where he could go—under those circumstances, he could afford to eat less.

By the time he returned to the inn, An’an was still asleep. Maybe because it was his first time traveling so far and he was still adjusting, and the bus ride had worn him out—he looked like he was sleeping soundly.

Ji Chenbiao took a shower, changed out of his soaked clothes, and had just finished when he heard Dadan’s babbling.

“Awake now?”

“Ah.”

“Here, breakfast was just brought back not long ago. If you’d slept any longer, it would’ve gone cold.”

“Whoa.”

The aroma of meat porridge filled the small space, and Ji Dadan couldn’t help but swallow hungrily.

“Come on, eat.”

Ji Chenbiao helped him change clothes, then carried him to the stool and fed him spoonful by spoonful.

He had never raised such a young child before and didn’t have much experience, but as long as the kid was willing to eat, he’d feed him whatever he could.

After settling breakfast, Ji Chenbiao went off again to try and get closer to that boss.

Anyone else trying to find out the same info wouldn’t be seen as prying—none of it was a secret.

The small inn’s boss didn’t hesitate and pointed to a place, telling Ji Chenbiao to go ask if they were still hiring.

Ji Chenbiao didn’t want to wait. After all, every minute in this place cost money. Judging by this morning’s expenses, all the money he’d saved up was already half gone.

That morning, he went over to ask. When the foreman first saw how brawny Ji Chenbiao was, he seemed pretty satisfied and had already started discussing when he could start.

“By the way, boss, I’ve got a kid with me. About seven or eight months old. Pretty well-behaved.”

As soon as those words came out, the foreman’s previously smiling face instantly fell. He frowned and said:

“You brought a kid? Are you messing with me? A seven- or eight-month-old? Think about it—what could you possibly do in that situation?”

Anyone with a brain knew that a kid that age needed constant care. And the construction site was dangerous.

Even grown workers had accidents—let alone a little kid.

The foreman said what he did because he had to think about safety.

“Go, go, go.”

Ji Chenbiao wasn’t surprised by the answer. If he were in the boss’s shoes, he wouldn’t want someone bringing a kid around either.

Still, knowing the opportunity was gone, he couldn’t help feeling a little defeated.

He went back to the inn and bought lunch. In the past, he would never have spent money so casually, but now there wasn’t much of a choice.

He could be frugal with himself, but he didn’t want Dadan to live like that too.

For someone as strong as Ji Chenbiao, construction work was the most suitable. He was strong and tough.

Even if he wasn’t skilled at first, he could learn.

But bringing a kid with him turned all his advantages into disadvantages.

If someone knew he had to constantly care for a child and still let him work—that wouldn’t be a boss, that would be a saint!

At noon, An’an noticed his dad was in a bad mood and snuggled up to him.

In the afternoon, Ji Chenbiao had no idea where to go. With no suitable job in sight, he even began to doubt whether leaving the village had been the right choice.

He didn’t go out again but stayed at the inn with An’an, trying to think seriously about what to do next.

The next day, when he went out again planning to see if anyone was hiring, he was passing a street corner when a middle-aged man, looking somewhat older, suddenly stopped him.

“Comrade, were you the one who saved those two kids yesterday?”

“Yeah. Why?”

The kids had been in pretty bad shape, and Ji Chenbiao had been worried that Dadan might wake up alone in the inn and start crying, so he’d left once he made sure they were okay.

“Thank you so much. The doctors at the hospital said you got them there just in time.”

“No need to thank me—it was just something I should’ve done.”

He’d been walking by, saw the kid in trouble, and knew he couldn’t just ignore it. His conscience wouldn’t allow it.

“Still, how about you come eat with me? I want to thank you properly.”

“No need, my kid’s still waiting for me at the inn.”

“Then bring your kid too.”

The man was very enthusiastic, shaking Ji Chenbiao’s hand the whole time.

Since raising Dadan, Ji Chenbiao had started to understand things he never did before. If it had been his own kid in danger, and someone else had stepped in to help, he would’ve been just as emotional as this guy.

“Alright.”

Ji Chenbiao went back to the inn with the man and brought An Dadan along.

Every time he left, he usually asked the innkeeper’s wife to help keep an eye on Dadan for a while and gave her a few coins.

Job-hunting with a kid in tow really wasn’t convenient. Many people wouldn’t even give him a chance—they’d just tell him to leave on sight.

“Comrade, looks like you’re new in town?”

On the way to the restaurant, they chatted. Ji Chenbiao didn’t see a need to hide anything.

“Yeah. Came out to work and make some money. But since I’ve got a kid with me, no one wants to hire me.”

Ji Chenbiao could tell from the man’s clothes that his family was well-off. It made sense that someone would want to repay him for saving their kids.

Instead of dodging, he figured it was better to just say what he actually needed.

“What about your wife?”

“I don’t have one. I found the kid, and after a few days of raising him, I couldn’t bear to give him up. So I’ve just kept him with me.”

“Trying to find work with a kid that age… that’s tough.”

“Yeah, that’s why I haven’t had any luck.”

They arrived at the restaurant. Mr. Zhou didn’t mind Ji Chenbiao’s clear hope that he’d help him find work—he actually appreciated the directness.

Compared to people who beat around the bush and wouldn’t say what they wanted, this was more reassuring.

Sure, selfless virtue was admirable, but as a businessman, Mr. Zhou found it troublesome. He just wanted to repay the favor and move on.

At the restaurant, Mr. Zhou ordered a bunch of good dishes. Since there was a kid, he also made sure to order some child-friendly items, and even poured Ji Chenbiao a glass of wine during the meal.

“Comrade, not to be harsh, but if you were willing to send the kid to an orphanage, you’d find a lot more suitable jobs.”

“I know. But I can’t bring myself to do that.”

Ji Chenbiao picked up some vegetables and fed them to Dadan. Mr. Zhou didn’t try to persuade him any further after hearing that. He was a father himself and knew how hard it was to give up your own child.

“If you’re interested, how about working at my family’s store? I should warn you, though—the starting pay might not be very high.”

“If you don’t mind me bringing a kid with me, then let me thank you in advance.”

“I don’t mind—just take it as my way of thanking you for saving my two kids.”

“Thank you.”

That very day, Mr. Zhou brought Ji Chenbiao to his shop. What he had said earlier about wages had been him playing it down—his store was actually huge, with many workers.

Mr. Zhou was the biggest jade merchant in the entire mountain city.

“You’ll be responsible for cutting raw stones here. Once you get more skilled, your pay will go up quite a bit.”

“Also, meals and lodging are included here. As long as the kid doesn’t cause a fuss, you can bring him with you.”

“But keep in mind, it’s an employee cafeteria—we can’t make special accommodations for a child’s meals.”

For Ji Chenbiao, this was already a very good job. As long as he could have An’an with him and didn’t have to worry about meals, he was satisfied.

That same day, he moved out of the inn and into the staff dorm. He was given a single room—another thoughtful gesture from Mr. Zhou.

The coworkers who worked with him knew he had saved Mr. Zhou’s sons, so no one gave him trouble. On the contrary, they even looked out for him from time to time.

Little Dadan had a sweet, adorable face. Being good-looking was always an advantage no matter the situation. Several of the workers even joked that they wished they could sneak the kid home and spoil him themselves.

One day, Ji Chenbiao brought Dadan along to inspect a new machine. The kid was hugging the raw stone his dad had given him, treating it like one of his few toys.

One of the workers saw this and couldn’t help but ask:

“Hey, isn’t that the same rock we saw last time? It looks a lot like a raw jade stone to me.”

Back when Ji Chenbiao invited them to his place for dinner to thank them for their kindness, they’d seen the stone in his cupboard. No one had thought much of it at the time.

But now, seeing the stone again during the inspection, the more they looked at it, the more it resembled a genuine raw jade stone.

“Isn’t it just a rock?” Ji Chenbiao replied, not taking it seriously. In his tiny mountain village, the idea of finding real jade was laughable. He had always thought it was just an ordinary stone.

“Why don’t we cut it open and take a look?”