Bai Jiaojiao opened the door in advance and welcomed the two in.

Surprisingly, Su Zhigao was obedient, neither crying nor making a fuss, but his eyes cautiously and anxiously observed the surrounding environment.

"Zhigao, do you know who I am?"

Bai Jiaojiao squatted down and asked.

Su Zhigao actually nodded, which surprised Bai Jiaojiao. She had only accompanied Bai Shiqing to their house once, and she didn't expect Su Zhigao to recognize her.

"Zhigao, are you hungry? How about your aunt finds you something to eat?"

Su Zhigao was still wearing thin clothes. Old Mrs. Su passed away before she could make him a cotton-padded coat. I wonder if she could rest in peace in the last moments of her life.

Bai Jiaojiao held Su Zhigao's hand and felt its coldness.

She carried Su Zhigao to the head of the kang (heated brick bed): "You play here for a while."

Su Zhigao nodded, put his hands under his buttocks, and swallowed.

This uncle and aunt's house is so warm.

Su Zhigao thought to himself.

"I'll go."

Seeing that the children were afraid, Shen Heng went to the kitchen. Bai Jiaojiao cooked a pot of noodles with cabbage leaves, with oil floating on top. The portion was quite large, and it was clear that she had brought adults with her.

There were steamed buns heating up on the steamer rack in the big pot, and potatoes and kelp stewing underneath. Shen Heng scooped them all up, carried them into the house on a cutting board, and saw Bai Jiaojiao pouring hot water from the thermos to wipe Su Zhigao's hands.

Grandma Su was very careful in raising her grandson. Although they were poor, she didn't raise Su Zhigao to be a messy person; his hands and face were always clean.

"Come on, let's eat." Bai Jiaojiao smiled at Su Zhigao when she saw Shen Heng come in.

"Auntie, I want to eat with Grandma."

Su Zhigao sat on the kang for a few minutes, then became uneasy. He belatedly realized that he was starting to miss home.

Bai Jiaojiao's nose suddenly stung with tears. She licked her lips and said, "Zhigao, Grandma won't be able to eat with you anymore, but she told me that Zhigao has to be good for her to be happy, okay?"

"Auntie, did my grandma die like my dad?"

Su Zhigao looked at Bai Jiaojiao, still not quite understanding death. He only knew that he had never seen his father: "Uncle Xu said my grandma is dead. Will I never see her again?"

Su Zhigao's expression was very cautious. He didn't seem to be sad yet; he was just asking questions like a child seeking knowledge.

Bai Jiaojiao nodded: "Yes, but Grandma will always keep an eye on Zhigao."

"Where is she looking at me?"

"In the sky, on a clear night, when you look up at the stars, one of them is your grandmother watching over you."

"Then, Auntie, do you know which one it is?"

Bai Jiaojiao shook her head: "Zhigao will understand when he grows up. Come on, let's eat first."

Bai Jiaojiao finally managed to coax Su Zhigao, and when she looked down, she saw that Shen Heng had brought over three pairs of chopsticks.

"Heng-ge, go to the kitchen and get a spoon. Zhi-gao, do you know how to use a spoon?"

"meeting!"

Bai Jiaojiao specially made some dumpling soup so that Su Zhigao could eat it.

Shen Heng then got off the kang (heated brick bed), took a spoon, and put it in Su Zhigao's bowl: "If you can eat, then eat by yourself." He then said to Bai Jiaojiao, "Eat your own food."

Shen Heng didn't like Bai Jiaojiao focusing her energy on others.

"Brother Heng, after you finish eating, could you heat up the kang (heated brick bed) next to us?"

Shen Heng's expression softened somewhat: "Hmm."

Bai Jiaojiao knew that Shen Heng had already been tolerant enough. If Su Zhigao were to sleep on the same kang (heated brick bed) with them, it would be too much of a humiliation for Shen Heng.

Su Zhigao has never eaten such a good meal in his life.

Let alone wheat flour, their family couldn't even bear to eat cabbage leaves, yet Bai Jiaojiao still added eggs on top.

He held the bowl in his little hands, and being so young, he got food all over his mouth. Bai Jiaojiao, seeing this, wiped it off for him.

Before Su Zhigao came in, Bai Jiaojiao had already made up his bedding. Shen Heng heated the kang (a heated brick bed), and Bai Jiaojiao carried him to the west wing: "Zhigao, is it alright for you to sleep alone tonight?"

"Auntie, I want to go home."

"Your grandma asked you to come and sleep at my house. Can you stay here for the next few days?"

When Bai Jiaojiao mentioned Old Madam Su, Su Zhigao fell silent.

Bai Jiaojiao asked again, "Can Zhigao sleep by himself?"

Su Zhigao nodded.

He dared not, but he dared not trouble Bai Jiaojiao even more.

He vaguely knew that he was a child abandoned by his mother, and he also knew that his two uncles did not like him. He did not want to be disliked, and his understanding was so profound that it was heartbreaking.

Bai Jiaojiao folded the quilt for Su Zhigao and blew out the lamp: "Call me if you need anything."

"Um."

Su Zhigao's voice sounded particularly weak in the darkness, and Bai Jiaojiao couldn't bear it, so she quickly closed the door.

She went back inside and burst into tears: "How can such a young child have to face all this?"

Shen Heng patted her on the back: "Everyone has their own destiny."

Bai Jiaojiao thought that Shen Heng's words made sense. Once his father came to find him in the spring, Su Zhigao could finally live the life of a young master.

Although I don't know if she has a stepmother, at least she can be guaranteed food and clothing. In this day and age, being able to eat your fill and stay warm is the best policy.

Bai Jiaojiao thought this, but her heart still ached.

Shen Heng pulled her into his arms and coaxed her, "Jiaojiao, feel sorry for me."

Bai Jiaojiao reached out and wrapped her arms around Shen Heng's waist, pressing herself close to him: "How could I not feel sorry for you?"

Shen Heng had a premonition that as long as the child stayed at his house, Bai Jiaojiao's attention would not be on him.

"I'll go to the supply and marketing cooperative tomorrow to see if they have anything to buy for the kids. Oh, and I also need to get Zhigao a new cotton-padded coat."

Bai Jiaojiao was indeed preoccupied with this matter.

Shen Heng said, "He doesn't go out, so why would he wear a cotton-padded coat while sitting on the kang (heated brick bed)?"

"He has to go out eventually. How can he not go to his grandmother's funeral?"

Upon hearing this, Shen Heng could only nod: "Don't go out in this cold weather. I'll finish repairing the road tomorrow at noon and ride my bike there."

"Heng-ge is the best."

Bai Jiaojiao snuggled against Shen Heng like a spoiled cat.

Shen Heng felt an intense itch in his heart: "Now I know that Brother Heng is good."

"I've always known."

Shen Heng readily agreed to this request to pick up a child on the street, which is quite rare.

Shen Heng knew perfectly well that Su Zhigao was a problem, but because Bai Jiaojiao spoke up, he wasn't afraid of trouble, which naturally warmed Bai Jiaojiao's heart.

The next day, the news that Shen Heng and Bai Jiaojiao had taken Su Zhigao home to live spread throughout the village.

Bai Shiqing actually came with her mother-in-law. Now she is the apple of the Li family's eye, and they are afraid that she will slip and fall in the snow when she goes out in winter, so they don't let Bai Shiqing go too far.

"Sis, what brings you here?"

"Your sister heard you brought Zhigao home," Li's mother said as she entered the house. Seeing Su Zhigao sitting on the kang (a heated brick bed) playing with a slingshot, she asked softly, "Did you cry last night?"

Bai Jiaojiao shook her head: "Zhigao is very sensible. He didn't cry or make a fuss."

Li's mother was a little worried: "This is even worse, they'll just keep it bottled up inside and hold a grudge."