Chapter 1

In 2002, early summer.

Heyan Welfare Home.

Bai Kou, with her black little mushroom head, held a bag of green apple-flavored soft candies and sat on the swing, swinging her legs as she savored them happily.

“Dean Li, I beg you! Please take this child! We really can’t raise her!”

Bai Kou heard the voice and craned her neck to look.

Outside the glass door plastered with a “Pass on Warmth” sticker stood three people.

Two adults and one child.

That child looked a bit taller than her, with a black bun hairstyle and a black-and-white cloth dress. Her right hand was held by someone, and she kept her head down in silence.

Bai Kou and her mom were waiting bored when she spotted someone her age. She immediately jumped off the swing, flashed a big smile, and ran fearlessly toward the three without hesitation.

Hearing the footsteps, the child being led turned her head to look at Bai Kou.

Sizzle sizzle sizzle!

It was the joy of same-age kids’ eyes meeting. Bai Kou stopped happily, raised her hand, and waved the fruit juice soft candies at her.

However, the other girl just gave her a cold glance before turning away, as if she didn’t want to bother with her.

Bai Kou pouted, troubled for a second.

“Bai! Dou! Dou!” A lady in a floral dress suddenly emerged from behind the three. “Didn’t I tell you to sit on the swing and wait nicely? Did you buy the candies for nothing?”

“Mom, I don’t want to be called Doudou!” Bai Kou stomped her feet in anger. “Auntie Yang’s dog is called Doudou!”

This interruption made the two adults who had been talking pause.

The one called “Dean Li” looked at Bai Xiaochu. “Hey, Sister Bai, all done?”

Bai Xiaochu hugged her unhappy-faced daughter and smiled back. “Not yet. Your dean is busy, so I’ll come back in a couple days.”

‘Why is it the dean again? Where do all these deans come from in the world!’

Bai Kou thought.

“Oh, okay okay.” Dean Li nodded.

Silence for a few seconds.

She then pointed at the pair nearby who seemed like mother and daughter. “Then, Sister Bai, I have some things here, so I won’t see you out.”

“No worries, it’s fine. We see each other every day, no need to see me out. We’ll head off first!”

As Bai Kou was pushed by the shoulder to turn around, she looked back again.

The silent big sister still hung her head expressionlessly, while the auntie nearby patted her back.

Once they exited the door and got into the silver Chery.

Sweaty-headed Bai Kou expertly turned on the AC, adjusted the vents, and practically flung herself at the air outlet.

Bai Xiaochu glanced at her daughter and snapped angrily, “Bai Doudou!”

“Call me that again and I’ll get mad.” Bai Kou scrunched up her face. “Tomorrow I’ll run away from home.”

“Tch, you little kid. Fine, what do you want to be called then?”

Bai Kou pointed. “I want to be called AC.”

Bai Xiaochu rolled her eyes and ignored her.

On the road, Bai Xiaochu almost called “Doudou” again, but glanced at her daughter and changed her words. “Xiao Kou, you’re starting elementary school this year. Nervous?”

“Not nervous.” Bai Kou pulled out a comic book from the back seat. “I’ve wanted to go to school for a long time.”

Bai Xiaochu smiled, reached out to turn off the car radio. “Then before you start school, how about we bring big sister home?”

Bai Kou’s eyes lit up instantly. “Really? Big sister’s better and coming home? I drew so many pictures to give her!”

“…”

Bai Xiaochu looked at her daughter’s expectant face, unsure what to say. After a long quiet moment, she said, “Okay, these next couple days we’ll buy a ton of snacks. When big sister comes home, you give her the drawings and snacks.”

“Okay okay okay!” Bai Kou clapped.

While the mother and daughter chatted happily here, the atmosphere at the welfare home was not so good.

Dean Li led the little girl inside, looked around left and right, and pointed to the only empty chair. “Xiao Yue, sit here first.”

After a bit, someone hugging a stack of documents pushed the door open.

She glanced at the kid with her head down in the corner and asked, “No way, Dean Li, you really kept her? She has relatives. We don’t take every kid.”

“Sigh, shh! Can you keep it down!” Dean Li hurriedly stood, pushed her into the inner room, and left the door ajar. “That family, Sister Bai’s, they want to adopt a kid around that age. I checked this girl—get this, she has the same birthday as the little girl who passed in Sister Bai’s family.”

“Really? For real?” The listener was surprised, then frowned. “But even if birthdays match by coincidence, procedures can be pushed through with effort. But that girl outside—”

She peeked through the door crack, then pulled Dean Li closer, whispering, “Dean Li, Xiao Yue’s mute, disabled. Giving her to Sister Bai’s family would just be scamming them!”

“What are you saying… I’m not trying to trick Sister Bai. We’ll tell her everything clearly before adoption. Otherwise what? Her relatives refuse to take her no matter what. No adoption, and we keep her?”

“Aiya, keeping her isn’t good either. I pity her, but our home’s situation is really dire—”

The door wasn’t shut tight, and the space was small.

Xiao Yue, sitting in the chair, heard everything. She clutched her cloth dress tightly, holding back tears stubbornly.

“Uh, Xiao Yue.”

The adults came out and called her. Xiao Yue quickly stood up.

Seeing her like this, Dean Li hesitated to speak, then quietly asked behind her after a while, “She’s just mute, not deaf, right?”

The person beside Dean Li waved it off.

So Dean Li walked to Xiao Yue, squatted down, and held her hands. “It’s like this, um…” How to explain to a kid? Dean Li fretted. She gestured a house shape. “Do you want to go live in a new home?”

She had expected the girl to cry and protest like many kids in the home.

Unexpectedly, Xiao Yue nodded quietly at her.

【Willing.】

“Good. Then sign here, and Xiao Yue’s guardianship transfers over.”

In the office, Dean Li pointed to a corner of the A4 paper for the other party.

After signing, the person set down the pen, sighed in relief, and hurriedly said, “Dean Li, that’s it?”

“Yes.”

“Phew—” The person sighed again. “Alright, I’ll head out then, Dean Li. Thanks so much.”

“Oh, no problem. Actually, you…” could spend more time with Xiao Yue.

She didn’t finish the second half before the person bolted up anxiously toward the office door.

Bai Kou and Bai Xiaochu entered the welfare home again. As usual, Bai Xiaochu bought her a bag of soft candies, had her sit on the swing to eat slowly, and wait nicely.

Today it was still Bai Kou’s favorite apple flavor!

She happily pinched out a green apple-shaped soft candy and aimed it at the sun.

Ah—nom!

Ruthlessly! Big bite!

Two figures emerged one after another from the nearby building.

Bai Kou focused and saw, huh, it’s the quiet big sister!

Having learned from the cold shoulder last time, Bai Kou was smarter this time. She didn’t rush up but got off the swing to stand, loosely holding the swing chain with her right hand, quietly observing.

As she watched…

Something was wrong…

Why was big sister crying?

And why didn’t the auntie in front turn back? Didn’t she see?

Hot-blooded little citizen Bai Kou couldn’t stand this scene. She immediately let go and ran forward. “Auntie! Auntie! Auntie!”

The woman carrying a white bag stopped puzzled and looked at Bai Kou.

“Auntie, you forgot big sister.” Bai Kou pointed to the right.

The auntie frowned sharply in annoyance, turned back, and yelled at the child about to tug her clothes. “Xiao Yue! I told you not to follow me! I can’t raise you!”

Xiao Yue stopped step by step.

Tears streamed down her palm-sized little face.

“Auntie, how can you talk like that!” Bai Kou put hands on hips. “So rude!”

“…” The scolded woman irritably glanced at her. “Go go go, a kid minding grown-up business.”

She quickened her pace and left.

Xiao Yue and Bai Kou remained in place.

“What kind of person is that.” Bai Kou muttered her mom’s catchphrase in a childish milky voice.

Then she turned back, reached out to offer big sister some candy.

Xiao Yue immediately backed away, dodging her.

That evening, Bai Kou sat at the dinner table chattering to Bai Xiaochu about the afternoon.

“Mom, why’d she say I was minding business? She was the rude one!”

“People’s family matters, and you butt in asking—that’s not minding business? Come on, eat some tenderloin.”

“But she had no eyes in the back of her head. She forgot big sister. I just wanted to remind her.” Bai Kou pressed the tenderloin under her chopsticks. “Mom, she said she can’t raise big sister. How about you bring her home? We’ll raise her.”

“You think it’s like raising a kitten or puppy? Whatever pops into your head.”

Bai Xiaochu smiled on the surface, but sighed briefly as she shoveled rice into her mouth. What a pity—all conditions matched perfectly, and Bai Kou liked her…

Why couldn’t she speak?

The next morning early, bang bang bang, bang bang bang—the Bai family door shook from knocking.

Doudou, with messy bedhead, shuffled out of the bedroom in a daze. “Mom… who is it…”

“Probably Auntie Yang.”

As she answered, Bai Xiaochu opened the door. Sure enough, the neighbor stood outside.

Along with the neighbor kid backpacked up.

Bai Kou went on high alert, immediately pointing at the kid outside. “Yang Wanxi’s not allowed in!”

Bai Xiaochu’s face stiffened. She turned back angrily. “Bai Kou! Call her big sister! So rude!”

“I’m being rude!” Bai Kou bared her teeth and lunged forward, pretending to push Yang Wanxi. “You’re not coming into my house!”

Luckily, Bai Xiaochu was quick and grabbed Bai Kou by the collar. “What are you doing!”

The outside auntie was baffled. “What’s with your Xiao Kou? Weren’t they gonna be best friends forever a few days ago?”

“Who knows?” Bai Xiaochu shook the Bai Kou in her grip. “Say, what happened with big sister? Fight?”

“No!” Bai Kou retorted stubbornly. “I just hate her!”

“…” Bai Xiaochu gave her an exasperated squint, then looked up. “Forget it, kids’ tempers. You heading to hospital duty?”

“Yeah, back tomorrow morning.” The other touched Yang Wanxi’s head. “So can Yang Wanxi stay with you? Thanks.”

“No trouble. In a couple days I’m on factory duty—Xiao Kou will trouble you then too.” Bai Xiaochu finished, smiling as she touched Yang Wanxi’s cheek. “Come in, sweetie. Do homework at auntie’s today. I’ll make yummy food!”

“Yang Wan—” Bai Kou’s words cut off as Bai Xiaochu spun her around by the collar.

“Thanks, auntie.”

Yang Wanxi obediently entered, glancing sidelong at Bai Kou.

‘Hmph.’

‘Hmph!’

Both kids unhappily turned their faces away.