Though she didn’t understand why the little girl in front of her was calling her "sister," Ji Nian didn’t seem to mind and soon closed her eyes again.
Their physical resilience was remarkable—despite the severity of their injuries, they could barely stand by the next day.
Adding to that, Ji Nian had somehow found some herbs. Though their taste and smell were revolting, they were undeniably effective. Ji Tingzhou’s wounds had already stopped bleeding.
Early in the morning, Ji Nian dragged Shen Rushan to the spot where she had discovered the herbs. Pointing at a few specific plants, she explained, "The ones with serrated leaves have hemostatic properties. But be careful—the ones that look similar next to them are poisonous and shouldn’t be consumed."
As she spoke, she used a stick to write characters on the ground, teaching Shen Rushan while also gauging his literacy level.
After the lesson, Shen Rushan slipped away to gather intel about the previous day’s events. Learning that "Screw" had been thoroughly beaten by Black Bear’s gang and wouldn’t dare show his face anytime soon, he returned in high spirits, bringing four steamed buns with him.
Seeing the buns he proudly produced, Ji Nian smirked. "Planning to live recklessly now?"
Shen Rushan: "……"
Meeting her teasing gaze, he felt an absurd sense of familiarity, as if Ji Tingzhou were joking with him.
How could two identical faces exist in the world? Was this the charm of twins?
Wei Yang stubbornly refused to leave. His family had a laissez-faire attitude toward him—as long as he wasn’t dead, a few injuries were fine. It sounded like a bizarre family philosophy, but in this place, it was the norm. Most families with children raised them this way.
This level of care was already considered doting.
He brought a small bread roll from home and placed it alongside the buns Shen Rushan had bought.
The children ate the meager meal with water, yet they were utterly content.
Ji Nian ate very little, splitting her portion of the bread roll in half and giving it to Da Gen and Wei Yang, who was still drooping with hunger.
Shen Rushan watched from the side, thinking, This kid really eats a lot.
Ji Nian was about to offer her bun too, but Ji Tingzhou’s impatient voice cut her off. "Eat your own."
He shot Wei Yang a glare.
Little Wei Yang pouted but didn’t dare wheedle more food from Ji Nian.
"It’s time for me to go," Ji Nian said, stuffing the last of her bun into her mouth and standing up.
Shen Rushan asked where she was headed.
"I found a job."
Hearing this, Shen Rushan’s first thought was that she’d been scammed.
Ji Tingzhou, unusually, spoke up. "Where?"
Ji Nian said, "The government office."
At those two words, the room fell silent for a moment.
Even Wei Yang lifted his head.
"Is there a problem?"
Shen Rushan lowered his voice. "The people in the government are no good."
Wei Yang glanced between Ji Tingzhou and Ji Nian before piping up, "My dad said the new district head took office last month."
His speech was slurred, some words mispronounced, but Ji Nian mentally corrected them into coherent sentences.
Ji Tingzhou gave Shen Rushan a look. Understanding, Shen Rushan said to Ji Nian, "I’ll go with you."
Knowing they were worried, Ji Nian didn’t argue.
After the two left, Ji Tingzhou sat silently, lost in thought.
Zhiliao, having rested enough, got up and paced a few steps. "She doesn’t seem malicious."
Ji Tingzhou didn’t even lift his eyelids.
He recalled how Ji Nian had curled up beside Da Gen the previous night, opening her eyes every so often to check his and Zhiliao’s temperatures.
If she had ulterior motives, there was no need to go that far.
He hadn’t believed a word of what she’d said earlier, but he was even more wary of unexplained kindness.
As if reading his mind, Zhiliao tilted her head. "Whatever her intentions, we’ve benefited from her."
"Mn."
Ji Tingzhou acknowledged it, thinking, Zhiliao’s even using words like ‘benefited’ now. Shen Rushan’s influence is rubbing off on her.
...
Assured that Ji Nian was indeed working a legitimate job, Shen Rushan relaxed a little.
Li Hua noticed the child loitering near the entrance and, after learning from Ji Nian that he was an acquaintance, called him inside.
After a brief conversation, Li Hua realized this boy was different from the other kids—he knew a few characters and was self-studying.
A faint smile finally appeared on Li Hua’s face.
To Ji Nian, it looked like the relieved smile of someone discovering this place wasn’t as hopeless as she’d imagined.
Li Hua told Shen Rushan the exact date for primary school enrollment, urging him to register, and even gifted him pens, paper, and books to study with.
Shen Rushan looked like he might faint from happiness.
Ji Nian, however, wondered if this counted as their paths crossing earlier than intended.
Days passed like this.
Every morning, Ji Nian taught Shen Rushan characters and set strict training regimens for Zhiliao, who would then drill Ji Tingzhou and Wei Yang before heading to North Street to set up her stall.
The children’s lives gained a sense of purpose, filling their days with activity.
That afternoon, after work, Ji Nian received her wages. She asked around for food vendors and headed to the supermarket.
Ignoring everything else, she pointed at the instant noodles—three yuan per pack—and declared, "Five packs!"
Then she slapped fifteen yuan onto the counter with all the bravado of youth and newfound wealth.
The scene didn’t go unnoticed. Hungry wolves lurking nearby fixed their eyes on her.
The shopkeeper tossed her a plastic bag, his face twisted in amusement.
But less than ten minutes later, Ji Nian returned. She threw five crumpled, bloodstained yuan onto the counter—clearly snatched off someone.
"Add a sausage."
The shopkeeper stared at her like she was a monster.
That night, the five children gathered in Shen Rushan’s ramshackle house. Zhiliao sported fresh injuries but seemed oddly pleased.
Shen Rushan pulled her aside and explained she’d fought her father—and for the first time, smashed a liquor bottle over his head.
However reluctantly, it had to be admitted: the man who fathered Zhiliao was no pushover. Even with his body ravaged by alcohol, he remained unbeatable in Liuxing Street.
It was then that Ji Nian realized:
In the timeline without her, had Zhiliao grown like this—clashing with her father over and over, absorbing pain as lessons, transforming agony into strength?
Would her interference now spare Zhiliao some of that suffering?
Zhiliao’s progress was astonishing. She mastered everything Ji Nian had learned from the older Zhiliao, even innovating beyond it. It was as if she was born for this. At this point, Ji Nian had nothing left to teach her.
Now, all she saw was Zhiliao chasing Ji Tingzhou and Wei Yang around to beat them up.
Every time, Ji Nian couldn’t help thinking, This is my Zhiliao-jie’s true strength.
Calculating the timeline, the day Zhiliao would disfigure herself had to be approaching. Ji Nian mentally marked it as a warning.
Thanks to the five packs of instant noodles Ji Nian brought back, the atmosphere in the little shack was practically festive.
The aroma of braised beef noodles filled the entire room. Wei Yang exclaimed excitedly to Shen Rushan, "Way better than shit!"
Beside them, Ji Tingzhou's face darkened for a moment.
The thought of Wei Yang being so food-obsessed that he'd even wondered about the taste of dog poop made Ji Tingzhou want to kick his ass.
It wasn’t like his family ever starved him, yet he always acted hungrier than those of them who had no parents.
Ji Nian stifled a laugh, as if seeing a reflection of their past selves in the moment.
"Speaking of which, I can tell fortunes. Want me to give you a reading after dinner?"
