He Jinxuan hesitated for a moment: "I wonât take this money. If you feel uneasy, then Iâd trouble you to steam us some dry foods from time to time. Iâll deliver the grains separately."
Xinyan actually didnât want to take on this task. After all, she really wasnât short of money now. But seeing the smiles on the two childrenâs faces, she really couldnât bring herself to refuse. Besides, Director He had helped her a lot during this period, so she just nodded and said: "Alright then."
He Jinxuan held the document bag and smiled benignly: "I almost forgot about this."
Xinyan packed her things into the basket, then handed over her house keys: "Brother He, these are the house keys. Keep them safe, Iâll be off now."
He Jinxuan accepted the keys, feeling a bit reluctant, but still nodded to Xinyan. He initially wanted to say some polite words, but in the end, he only managed to say: "Okay."
Ye Siyan saw Xinyan coming out and hugged her leg: "Sister, canât you stay?"
Xinyan pinched his little face: "I canât, dear. Sister has to go to school. You must listen well. Remember what sister said beforeâwithout adults accompanying you, donât sneak off to play by the Yuquan River."
Ye Siyan nodded, looking unhappy: "Then I wonât get to eat sisterâs cooking anymore?"
Xinyan burst into laughter: "Do you miss sister or miss sisterâs cooking more?"
Ye Siyan looked up at Xinyan: "I miss both."
After speaking, his eyes became misty, but he dared not cry, as his brother had warned him not to cry like a baby, saying it wasnât manly and people wouldnât like it.
Ye Silai pulled Ye Siyan over: "Alright, itâs getting late. If we delay any more, sister will be late."
Xinyan gave Ye Silai a grateful smile, waved at them, and walked out of the He Familyâs house.
After walking a few steps, she stopped, turned around to look at the place that had given her warmth after coming back to life. She saw He Jinxuan and the two little guys still standing at the gate, smiling as she waved at them, then turned and walked out of the alley.
She had left early today; those going to work or school hadnât left home yet, so she arrived smoothly at the small courtyard.
Opening the door, she saw a new tin bucket placed in the yard, understanding that she owed yet another favor.
Upon entering the house, she found a half-old single bed against the wall, an old desk and chair by the window, which seemed to have been repaired. Next to the desk against the wall was a three-tiered wooden shelf, making the entire room visible at a glance.
What surprised her was that the window, which had no curtain yesterday, now had a blue floral curtain hanging over it, which touched her deeply.
Thinking about it, she knew it must have been put up by He Jinxuan.
Skillfully, she made the bed, placed the basket on the bottom shelf, and took out her pre-sewn simple school bag from the space. She didnât make a backpack like everyone else, as she didnât want to draw too much attention. Realizing it was getting late, she locked the door and headed toward school.
The high school for the Mechanical Factoryâs offspring wasnât inside the factory compound. It was built in the direction of Upper River Village to consider the surrounding villages when choosing its location.
At the factory gate, there were groups of students heading to the offspring high school. Seeing her, someone quietly commented: "Thatâs Yu Xinyan who was assigned to Class Two of Grade Two yesterday."
Someone next to them asked: "How do you know that?"
"My house is right in front of Director Heâs home. Iâve seen her a few times, and yesterday I heard from classmates that sheâs now attending our school."
"That person has some nerve. Sheâs divorced, yet still comes to school. Isnât that embarrassing?"