After receiving a message from Zhong Jin, Aunt Liang arranged her household affairs and returned to work on the third day.
She had been taking care of her ailing mother during this period and had turned down several jobs. Coincidentally, just as she was thinking of getting back to work, she received Zhong Jin's message.
Without hesitation, Aunt Liang agreed to return.
Now, Aunt Liang and Qiu Sheng were moving things to their new home. In the elevator, Aunt Liang quietly confided in Qiu Sheng.
After the typhoon incident, she had been worried for quite some time, fearing that Zhong Jin might complain to the company about her leaving Little Tong alone at home during the typhoon. If that happened, she might never find work again.
Qiu Sheng reassured her, "Zhong Jin wouldn't do something like that."
Aunt Liang helped Qiu Sheng move her dolls into her studio.
The new home had plenty of rooms, and Qiu Sheng had claimed one as her studio. There were specialized shelves for her dolls and materials, a spacious cutting table, and a sewing table by the window, creating a perfect little crafting space.
As Aunt Liang helped Qiu Sheng organize, she thought to herself that she never imagined making clothes for dolls could be profitable.
In her generation, such activities were considered frivolous.
But Aunt Liang wasn't one to gossip. Just as she thought Qiu Sheng resembled a celebrity, she kept such thoughts to herself and focused on doing her job well.
Qiu Sheng and Aunt Liang took out the dolls one by one and arranged them on the shelves.
"Aunt Liang, I have something to say," Qiu Sheng suddenly spoke up.
"Of course, go ahead," Aunt Liang replied.
Qiu Sheng said, "It's nothing major, but since your mother isn't well, there might be unexpected situations at home. I completely understand that you'd prioritize her. However, if something comes up again, please make sure Little Tong is taken care of first. You can reach out to me, Zhong Jin, or even the police station, but please ensure Little Tong's safety."
Aunt Liang paused, looking guilty. "I really messed up during the typhoon. But I won't make the same mistake twice. I know what to do now."
"No one's at fault here. We all just want to protect the people we love. We can't expect you to put Little Tong above everything else, but please let us know if something happens so we can figure things out together. If anything were to happen to Little Tong, Zhong Jin and I would never recover."
Seeing Aunt Liang's discomfort, Qiu Sheng added, "Let's leave the past behind. No need to bring it up again."
Qiu Sheng picked up a piece of floral fabric. "Aunt Liang, let me make you an apron with this. It's waterproof."
"This fabric is quite pretty. Can you make a vest-style one with two pockets in the front for my phone?"
"Sure."
*
Today was the day for the kindergarten's anti-kidnapping drill for the younger class. The kids were getting smarter, and the drills were becoming more challenging each year. This year, the teachers had even written a script for it.
The unsuspecting children were lined up on the playground, waiting for Teacher Luo to lead them to the police station.
Teacher Luo brought out a long safety rope with multiple branches, each ending in a safety buckle.
Each buckle was attached to a child's waist, and by holding the lead end of the rope, Teacher Luo could guide the scattered children into an orderly line.
The teacher led the little group across the crosswalk, through a small plaza, and into the police station.
The children were greeted by Officer Hu De, the station chief.
Hu De was tall and burly, with an intimidating presence that initially made the kids nervous.
But their attention was quickly captured by the police cars and flashing lights they had never seen up close. As they touched the vehicles, their excitement grew.
After touring the parked police cars, Hu De led the group inside the station.
Every year, the towering, bald officer would guide a line of little kids through the station, a sight that, while amusing, had become familiar to the staff.
This year, however, the group included Zhong Yuntong, and several young officers came over to tease her.
Little Wang tugged on her little ponytail. "Why are you here? You're practically a veteran of this place."
Little Tong pushed his hand away, her expression serious. "Stop it. We're in class."
The chubby child stood straight, her little feet in big leather shoes neatly together, her head held high as she listened attentively to Hu De's lecture.
Little Wang turned to Rao Shishi. "Kids who've been to kindergarten are different. Look at our Little Tong—standing there like a little soldier."
"Be serious. Don't distract her," Rao Shishi scolded, continuing to record the scene on her phone.
When they reached the interrogation room, Hu De had each child sit in the interrogation chair.
Once seated, Hu De would "interrogate" them. "Have you done anything bad?"
Some kids giggled, some cried, and others earnestly confessed their "crimes" by counting on their fingers.
When it was Zhong Yuntong's turn, Zhong Jin appeared at the door of the interrogation room. He was in uniform, hands in his pockets, watching quietly from the doorway.
He called Qiu Sheng, his voice still slightly hoarse from a recent illness but otherwise fine.
"Qiu Sheng, can you check if the TV remote is in the fridge?"
There was a rustling sound on the other end, followed by the sound of a fridge drawer opening. Then Qiu Sheng replied,
"It really is here. How did you know?"
Little Tong, still sitting in the interrogation chair, was fidgeting with her fingers as she continued her confession.
"Don't hang up yet. There's probably more," Zhong Jin said.
The child, with great seriousness, confessed, "When Daddy was asleep, I put rainbow candies in his belly button."
Zhong Jin, "...I'll call you back."
He hung up, walked into the interrogation room, and, ignoring Hu De's stifled laughter, lifted Little Tong out of the chair.
He couldn't let her continue; next, she might mention the time she plucked his armpit hair.
That day, Zhong Jin had showered and was lounging on the sofa in a loose T-shirt and knee-length shorts. Little Tong was sitting on the carpet watching cartoons, and Zhong Jin had dozed off while watching with her.
His elbow was bent behind his head, and his loose T-shirt had slipped off one shoulder.
He woke up in pain to find Little Tong kneeling beside him on the sofa, holding a few strands of hair. She had asked, "Why do you have so many loose threads?"
Then she ran to Qiu Sheng to complain, "Daddy's quality is too poor. He has so many loose threads."
Qiu Sheng often criticized the poor quality of doll clothes, mentioning the loose threads, and Little Tong had remembered that.
The incident had amused Qiu Sheng for a long time, and she couldn't help but laugh every time she saw Zhong Jin afterward.
While Qiu Sheng's laughter was one thing, Zhong Jin couldn't let the officers at the station find out. So, he lifted Little Tong out of the chair and placed Miao Yueyue in it instead.
"Miao Yueyue, it's your turn to confess."
Miao Yueyue, who had been debating whether to reveal her biggest secret, was suddenly seated in the interrogation chair.
She hesitated for a moment, then pulled up her pant leg and whispered,
"I lied to everyone. I don't wear pants because I'm cold. It's because my legs are made of metal. I'm not a good child. I lied."
Hu De immediately picked her up and held her close, patting her thin back soothingly.
"This isn't your fault. You're a good child. You don't have to tell anyone about your legs if you don't want to."
The other children chimed in,
"It's okay."
"It's just a small thing."
"My mom says everyone has their own flaws."
"Miao Qingyue, we'll still be good friends in the future."
Miao Qingyue nestled in Hu De's arms, glanced at the big bald head right in front of her, and reached out her little hand to touch it.
"You don't have hair, and I don't have legs, hehe."
Hu De, "...That's right, everyone is missing something, but it's not our fault, so there's no need to feel sorry."
Little Tong tugged at Zhong Jin's hand, signaling him to lower his head. She hugged his head and whispered into his ear,
"It's okay if you're not well-made. Mom can sew you up."
Zhong Jin pinched her cheek, "Don't talk nonsense."
After visiting the police station, the teacher lined up the little kids again and led them back to school.
When they reached the crosswalk, the second challenge for the little ones arrived.
Teacher Luo suddenly clutched her stomach, "My stomach hurts. I need to go to the restroom. Wait here for me, and don't run off, okay?"
Then Teacher Luo ran off.
Another teacher in disguise would soon appear to test the kids with lollipops.
The children waited by the roadside for a while, but Teacher Luo didn't return. Some started to get scared and whispered,
"My mom said we shouldn't stay outside alone. We might meet bad people. Should we go back?"
Another child chimed in, "But the crosswalk is right there. My mom said we can't cross the street by ourselves."
Little Tong remained calm, "Then let's go back to the police station. We don't need to cross the street to get there."
After some discussion, the group decided it was safer to return to the police station, so they turned around and headed back.
At that moment, a teacher dressed as a supermarket salesperson appeared. She stopped the children and delivered her prepared lines,
"Kids, I'm the sales auntie from Xinxin Supermarket. We're having a taste-testing event for different flavors of lollipops. Would you like to try some?"
The little ones eagerly raised their hands, "Yes, please!"
"Great! We need to go to the supermarket across the street. Follow me, okay?"
The disguised teacher picked up a rope from the ground,
"Come on, I'll hold the rope, and we'll cross the street together."
The kids, now completely entranced by the promise of lollipops, not only followed but also politely said, "Thank you."
They even volunteered their favorite flavors to the unfamiliar auntie.
Just as they were about to step onto the crosswalk, Little Tong suddenly stopped and glanced back uneasily toward the police station.
The unfamiliar auntie urged, "Hurry up, kids. The lollipops will run out soon."
Little Tong gripped her safety strap and politely said, "Thank you, but I don't want your lollipop anymore."
"What's wrong, little one? We have strawberry and chocolate flavors. Which one do you like?"
Meanwhile, the police officers and school teachers were observing everything from behind the surveillance monitors. Hu De remarked, "This teacher's strategy is too clever. Mentioning flavors directly—who could resist that?"
Seeing the child still hesitating, the teacher asked, "Little one, what's holding you back?"
Little Tong squeezed her safety strap and said, "I'll tell you something. You shouldn't eat things you find on the ground. They could be poisoned."
The school principal pointed at the screen, "This kid is impressive. She has strong anti-scam awareness. She must be Zhong Jin's daughter, right?"
"Yep," Zhong Jin replied, arms crossed, his eyes fixed on the screen as he nodded coolly.
Hu De, on the other hand, smiled proudly, "Our kid spends so much time at the police station watching case mediations. Her knowledge of anti-scam tactics is extensive."
Back on the surveillance feed, the teacher still hadn't given up and continued to coax gently,
"Little one, it's okay. These aren't things we found on the ground. They're regular products from the supermarket, just like the ones your parents buy for you."
The child thought for a moment, then let go of her safety strap and took the teacher's hand,
"Then I'll have a strawberry one. Thank you."
