Chapter 12
“Qiqi, what’s wrong?”
Guanguan and Wang Xiaotiao crowded around Qiqi, whose eyes were red.
Before Qiqi could say anything, Wang Xiaotiao jumped up in alarm. “Qiqi! Who bullied you? I’m gonna go beat him up!”
Guanguan’s two little chubby cheeks tensed, and he clenched his tiny fists. “Guanguan will beat him too!”
Mingming, who could not speak, also gestured: Where did you go?
“No one bullied me. I went to the hospital…”
Qiqi shook her head and said very softly, “Teacher Xiaomei told me not to say anything yet.”
But Wei Cheng had already sensed something off.
The hospital?
Usually, if a child at the welfare home got sick, Doctor Xiao Chen would take them for hospitalization or checkups. But today, Teacher Xiaomei had hurriedly taken Qiqi away herself.
Now Qiqi was back, but Teacher Xiaomei was not.
Could it be that someone wanted to adopt Qiqi? But Grandpa Director was away, and no kind donors or prospective adoptive parents had come to the welfare home recently to visit or volunteer.
Could it be because…
Just as he was thinking, he heard Doctor Xiao Chen call the children to the cafeteria for dinner.
The windows were wide open, and the fan overhead was spinning fast, yet it still could not blow away the steamer-like heat of summer.
Looking at Guanguan, who was sweating constantly from the heat, Wei Cheng thought that it was about time to remind Teacher Xiaomei to use the money earned from the welfare home livestream to buy air conditioners, solar panels, reinforce the iron gate, and so on.
If he and Guanguan left, Grandpa Director, Mingming, and Wang Xiaotiao would still have to stay at the welfare home for a while. When the time came, he would also leave behind some supplies and medicine for them.
Guanguan held a small bowl of watery cabbage tofu soup and tilted up his face. “Uncle Chen, is there any meat-meat to eat?”
Doctor Xiao Chen did not show much expression. “When Teacher Liu gets back, she’ll make some for you.”
Guanguan looked a little disappointed. “Oh. Okay.”
Wei Cheng gave Doctor Chen an extra glance, then guided Guanguan forward by the shoulders. “Guanguan, we’ll eat meat tomorrow.”
The cafeteria was too hot, so the children always ate outside. Wei Cheng and Guanguan went back to the dorm room, locked the door, then carried their bowls of clear soup straight into the safe house.
The safe house was now a ninety-square-meter space.
Because there were no walls or furniture, and because the shelves were neatly filled with orderly supplies, it looked more like a small warehouse.
The moment he entered, Guanguan happily said, “It’s so cool!”
Actually, the place was always kept at a constant temperature, but compared to the sweltering heat outside, it really did feel much cooler.
Wei Cheng bought a plain wooden square table and two little stools. He set the cabbage tofu soup on the table. “There’s lots of meat in the fridge. Go take a look and see what you want to eat. If there’s nothing you want, we’ll go to the mall and pick a couple more things.”
“Okay!”
Guanguan loved exploring the big fridge most of all. Standing on tiptoe, he opened it and stared at the food packed inside. “Big brother, I can’t reach the little chicken wings!”
Wei Cheng walked over with a smile and took down a plate of honey-glazed chicken wings from the fourth shelf from the bottom. “What else do you want to eat?”
“I also want the sweet-and-sour meat from the little cow!”
They had eaten that dish two days ago. Guanguan had only tasted it once, yet he still remembered it.
“The pineapple cilantro cold beef salad?”
Wei Cheng asked, “Anything else?”
Guanguan pinched his fingers together. “Can Guanguan drink one teeny sip of cola?”
Wei Cheng put the two dishes on the table, then smiled and rubbed his little head. “How much is one teeny sip?”
Guanguan pretended to hold a cola bottle in one hand, tipped his head back slightly, made two exaggerated gulping sounds, then let out a satisfied sii-hah noise.
“Two gulps counts as one teeny sip?”
Wei Cheng opened the other fridge, the one filled with drinks. “How about half a bottle of fresh peach juice instead?”
One teeny sip of cola or half a bottle of fresh peach juice.
Guanguan was a smart child. As long as it was a sweet drink, he loved it, so he decisively chose the latter. “I want peach!”
Guanguan sat down contentedly, holding his little sweet drink. He grabbed a golden, fragrant chicken wing and bit into it, so delicious that he kicked his little feet.
“So yummy!”
After swallowing a juicy mouthful of meat, with a little sauce stuck at the corner of his mouth, he asked, “Big brother, if you eat meat-meat, you grow meat-meat. If Guanguan eats little chicken wings, will Guanguan grow little chicken wings too?”
Wei Cheng almost sprayed out his juice laughing. “No. Little chicken wings are meat too. They’re good for your body. They’ll help you grow taller and healthier.”
Besides, the goods and food in the mall were clearly different in quality and appearance from anything outside. Just looking at them made them seem especially high-quality and healthy.
Guanguan took another big bite, mumbling, “That’s great. Guanguan loves eating. Guanguan doesn’t want to grow little chicken wings.”
After they finished eating in the safe house, they heard movement next door. Wang Xiaotiao and Mingming had probably come back.
Wei Cheng glanced at little Guanguan, who was so full his belly was practically sticking up. Smiling, he said, “Big brother’s going to bring some chicken wings to Mingming and the others. Do you want to come?”
Guanguan wiggled his little feet and struggled upright. “I want to go.”
The chicken wings were packed in a food plastic bag, so even if Teacher Xiaomei or Doctor Chen discovered them, they would have an excuse ready.
Seeing the wings, Wang Xiaotiao exclaimed, “Brother Chengcheng! You secretly climbed out to buy yummy food again!”
Mingming looked at the wings and swallowed.
Wei Cheng said, “Mm. Eat them. Don’t let anyone find out.”
“Has Teacher Xiaomei come back?”
“She’s back! She’s sleeping with Qiqi!”
Since Teacher Xiaomei had returned, they could not send chicken wings to Qiqi anymore.
Wang Xiaotiao held one wing in his mouth, then grabbed another and tried to stuff it into Guanguan’s mouth, even though the poor child was already so full he was practically carbonized. “Guanguan, eat!”
Guanguan patted his very prominent little belly. “There are already little chicken wings in here.”
Wei Cheng watched the two little boys finish eating, then took the plastic bag away. Guanguan stayed and played with them for quite a while.
The next day, Teacher Xiaomei was gone again during the daytime.
When Wei Cheng carried his and Guanguan’s dirty clothes to the washroom, he saw Qiqi there washing clothes too.
“Brother Chengcheng, you’re washing clothes too!”
Wei Cheng nodded. Thinking of his guess, he asked indirectly, “Why did Teacher Xiaomei leave again? We haven’t livestreamed for two days already.”
Qiqi pressed her lips together, then said softly, “Brother Chengcheng, I might be leaving the welfare home.”
Wei Cheng’s hands paused in the middle of washing. It was more or less what he had expected. “Are you being adopted?”
But unexpectedly, Qiqi said, “I don’t know if it counts as adoption. Teacher Xiaomei said that person is my real older sister.”
“Your real older sister?!”
Wei Cheng’s heart jolted. So it really had been because the livestream triggered the hidden mission.
Had they indirectly helped Qiqi find her biological sister? But they had not shown their faces. So how had Qiqi’s sister recognized her?
As she scrubbed clothes, tears reddening her eyes, Qiqi said, “Teacher Xiaomei told me my mother died giving birth to me. After I was born, my older sister dropped out of school and took care of me for more than two years. My sister was still very little then too. Later, because she had to go out and earn money to raise me, she left me at Grandpa’s house. But… but Grandpa threw me into the welfare home instead. Teacher Xiaomei said my sister has been looking for me all this time. During the livestream we introduced ourselves. When she heard there was a child called Qiqi, she kept staying in the livestream room. Later, after she tipped a lot and got the chance to chat with Teacher Xiaomei, she mentioned that her younger sister had a birthmark on the back of her neck. I do too…”
Wei Cheng finally understood. He was happy for Qiqi, and also happy that he had thought of using livestreaming to complete missions. “Qiqi, this is a good thing.”
Qiqi lowered her head. “My heart is sick. No one wants to adopt me. I don’t know if my sister will like me.”
“She definitely loves you. If she didn’t, why would she stay in the livestream room just because she heard the same nickname? Why would she keep tipping us?” Wei Cheng gave a bitter smile. “Maybe, in the time you didn’t know about, she already looked at countless Qiqis.”
Qiqi looked at Wei Cheng and asked something she had long wanted to know. “Brother Chengcheng, why are you so good to Guanguan? You only came to the welfare home less than a month ago!”
Wei Cheng lowered his head and scrubbed Guanguan’s little undershirt, smiling as he said, “Maybe in my previous life, I looked for Guanguan for a very long time too.”
“Big brother!”
Guanguan came running over on his short little legs, and in the next second, a hot, plump little child was hanging off Wei Cheng’s back.
“Big brother, are you talking bad about Guanguan!”
Wei Cheng wiped the water from his hands, then firmly lifted Guanguan’s legs so the child would sit more comfortably on his back.
“I’m not talking bad about you. I’m washing your little undershirt, which is filthy as a map.”
Guanguan rubbed his own ears. “Baby’s ears are hot.”
Beside them, Qiqi said, “Teacher Xiaomei said that when your ears are hot, it means someone is thinking about you, not talking bad about you!”
“So big brother was thinking about Guanguan!”
Two more days passed, and then two dark little cars suddenly pulled up in front of the welfare home.
Out stepped a tall, thin, beautiful older sister, along with several very serious-looking uncles and aunties in blue and white shirts.
They spoke to Teacher Xiaomei in words the children could not understand.
Only then did Guanguan, Wang Xiaotiao, and the others realize—Qiqi was leaving the welfare home!
Wang Xiaotiao burst into tears and clung to Qiqi’s arm, refusing to let go. “Qiqi! Qiqi!”
Mingming cried quietly with red eyes. He could not bear to part with her either.
The three of them had arrived at the welfare home as part of the same batch.
“That child is really pretty! White as snow, and with little curls too. How old is he this year? When did he come here?”
One of the uncles in a white shirt suddenly said.
The moment Teacher Xiaomei heard this, she quickly steadied Guanguan by the shoulders. “He’s three years old this year. He came to the welfare home in 3XXX. Guanguan, these are uncles and aunties. Say hello.”
Suddenly faced with so many strangers, Guanguan felt nervous. In a tiny voice he said, “Hello, people.”
The uncles and aunties all laughed. “This child is quite interesting!”
“How far down the adoption registration list is he? Has anyone applied to adopt him?”
“He’s really beautiful. Do you have his health records and file?”
“Yes, yes, we have them all.”
Teacher Xiaomei told Guanguan again, “Baby, you should say uncle and auntie.”
Guanguan lowered his head and tugged at his shorts. Then he gathered up his courage and looked up. “Uncles and aunties, don’t look at Guanguan’s file. Guanguan already has a big brother. Guanguan doesn’t want to go to someone else’s home!”
One of the aunties smiled and said, “A three-year-old with such clear speech.”
“Don’t worry, baby. We’re staff members. Right now we’re handling your little friend Wang Qiqi’s family reunion.”
While the adults were not paying attention, Guanguan quietly crept off toward the dorm. There he happened to see big brother helping Qiqi pack up her things.
“Big brother! Hurry and hide my file!”
Wei Cheng set Qiqi’s luggage aside. “File? What file?”
Guanguan clung tightly to his neck and whispered, “If they look at the file, a strange uncle will take me away. Their kids will scold Guanguan. They won’t want Guanguan.”
Wei Cheng was startled. “Did those people say they wanted to adopt you?”
Guanguan whispered, “No.”
Wei Cheng hugged him close. “Don’t be scared. Big brother won’t let anyone adopt you.”
If this were a peaceful and prosperous world, Wei Cheng might carefully choose a healthy and wealthy family to adopt Guanguan. But now, with the whole world on the verge of collapse and chaos, he would not let anyone take Guanguan away.
The welfare home procedures were temporarily completed, and the uncles and aunties in leather jackets left first. Only then did Guanguan dare come out from beside his brother’s leg to say goodbye to Qiqi.
Wei Cheng glanced at the car Qiqi’s older sister had driven over. He recognized the brand—there had once been a classmate from a very wealthy family whose parents drove that kind of car.
With tears in his eyes, Guanguan held tightly to Qiqi’s hand and would not let go. “Qiqi, Guanguan has yummy food. If you stay, there’ll be yummy food too.”
“The welfare home is very good, and you all are very good too. But I also want to have my own family, the way Brother Chengcheng is yours.” Like a little grown-up, Qiqi wiped away Guanguan’s tears. “Guanguan, don’t cry anymore.”
Qiqi’s older sister crouched down and hugged Guanguan too. “So Guanguan is this cute in person. Don’t worry, baby. Big sister has been looking for Qiqi for a very long time. Big sister will take good care of her.”
The dark little car drove away, and who knew what things would be like the next time they met.
[Congratulations! Hidden mission completed successfully! 8000 Twisty Coins awarded!]
[Reward: one surprise spin of the lucky wheel!]
