This is my home. I used to be an orphan

Chapter 16

It was a thoroughly invigorating workout. After class, Lin Zhengmo's legs felt wobbly as she shuffled to the front desk, where Jian Yue finally emerged from who-knew-where.

"Done with your session?" Director Jian held a set of keys, looking relaxed and energetic.

"Mn."

"Tired?" She smiled brightly, her eyes shining.

"Yep."

"Good, that means it worked. Change your clothes, and let's head home."

She'd said "let's head home," not "you head home." At the time, Lin Zhengmo didn't read anything into it.

It wasn't until they went downstairs and Jian Yue stopped beside a black electric scooter that Lin Zhengmo realized—Jian Yue was going to give her a ride home.

"Hop on, Ms. Lin."

"?" Lin Zhengmo was surprised. "Where'd you get this scooter?"

"Magic." Jian Yue joked, handing her a raincoat and a hat, inviting her to get on.

The light rain pattered down, droplets landing on the asphalt, making the road glisten like the carmine nail polish on a woman's fingers. Taxis and sedans splashed through the water, the street echoing with the clear sound of rushing water.

Standing in the rain, Lin Zhengmo put on the grayish-white raincoat and pulled on the hood.

Jian Yue said, "Here, come a little closer."

Lin Zhengmo bent her head, looking at her uncertainly.

The next moment, Jian Yue reached out to straighten the brim of her hood and fasten the strap.

Jian Yue's fingers were ice-cold, brushing inadvertently against Lin Zhengmo's chin, making her heart skip a beat.

"Alright, get on."

"Okay."

Still flustered, Lin Zhengmo climbed onto Jian Yue's scooter, carefully maintaining a distance.

The long, bulky raincoat separated their bodies, and an umbrella over their heads was like a flower fallen from the sky, wrapping them in a warm world.

Half of Director Jian's ear was exposed to the air, half covered by the hood.

Lin Zhengmo stared straight at it, her gaze so focused that she quickly noticed the tiny fuzz on Jian Yue's ear. Soft and fuzzy, in the misty rain, Lin Zhengmo suddenly felt an urge to touch it.

The small electric scooter vibrated in sync with the asphalt road.

The trembling caused the raincoats to rub together, making a plastic rustling sound, while raindrops pattered loudly on the umbrella. It was as if the whole world consisted of just the two of them, with all other sounds fading away.

Then she heard Director Jian say:

"Little Lin, are you hungry?"

"Yeah."

"Then let me take you to eat something."

"Okay."

The scooter turned a corner, weaving onto another road, then from the main road into an alley. The stone path in the alley was flooded with rain, the entire world hazy, and Lin Zhengmo's mood was tinged with white.

White was the color of rainy days.

And rainy days were always damp...

Jian Yue took Lin Zhengmo to an obscure little shop.

"Little shop" was an understatement—it was just an ordinary pushcart run by a nearly seventy-year-old grandmother.

Red adhesive letters on the glass read:

Shredded Chicken Cold Noodles.

Bean Jelly.

Fried Potatoes.

Braised Pork Rolls.

The ingenious old woman made a living selling these simple snacks.

But business was poor in the rain. No customers came, so the old woman—whose hands were as rough as tree bark—wiped the counter repeatedly with a white rag. The rain kept falling, her pant cuffs already stained with mud, yet she anxiously waited for customers.

"Grandma, I'm here!" With a creak, Jian Yue parked the scooter and called out, "How much is left today?"

The old woman nodded. "Lots. Bad weather, few people."

"Perfect." Jian Yue glanced at the counter. "Ten servings of shredded chicken cold noodles, ten braised pork rolls, and five servings of fried potatoes."

"Another guest at your place?" The old woman asked, confused and concerned. "Buying so much again? Can you finish it?"

"I'm picking up for friends this time." Jian Yue took out her phone and pretended to show the screen to the old woman. "See? All pre-orders. Your food is good, so I'm grabbing some for them."

The best way to help others is to 不让 (not let) them feel pitied.

In business, Jian Yue never overpaid, but she would buy more, so the old woman could feel a sense of achievement.

"See? All their pre-orders." Jian Yue pocketed her phone, acting subtly.

The old woman couldn't read, so she nodded half-understandingly.

"Alright, I'll make them for you right away."

Lin Zhengmo watched in silence, guessing that Jian Yue was doing a good deed, and not the first time.

But wasn't twenty-something servings excessive? How could they finish it?

The old woman moved slowly but carefully. Jian Yue didn't idle, chatting with her:

"How's your daughter's illness recently?"

The old woman nodded. "She's resting. The last surgery cost a lot, but medical insurance covered part of it. Liping applied online for the reimbursement."

Shen Liping?

Lin Zhengmo perked up—she was Lin Zhengmo's student and Zhao Xiaoxiao's deskmate.

Lin Zhengmo had heard that Shen Liping's mother had an accident some time ago, though she wasn't the homeroom teacher. So this old woman was... Shen Liping's grandmother?

So old, yet still out vending, presumably to subsidize the family.

Lin Zhengmo's heart felt heavy. "I need to buy three more servings for others."

Jian Yue glanced at her, smiling without a word.

The old woman seemed not to hear, muttering: "I've been at this for forty years, replaced the pushcart several times. A few years ago, Liping's mother told me to stop, to retire. Now here I am, back at my old job. Just yesterday, some young people didn't pay—maybe I'm getting old and forgetting things."

Wooden chopsticks stirred chili oil as noodles tangled, dancing in a stainless steel basin. Delicious food was born quietly amid the rain.

Thinking the old woman hadn't heard, Lin Zhengmo repeated, "Grandma, I need three more servings."

The old woman smiled. "I heard you. I'll give you those three for free."

"No, no, we can't—"

The old woman insisted: "Ms. Jian has bought hundreds of servings already. I can afford three free ones."

Lin Zhengmo and Jian Yue exchanged a look, suddenly feeling like they might have done more harm than good. But Jian Yue nodded knowingly and accepted:

"Thank you very much, then."

Twenty-eight servings in total.

Costing less than 160 yuan.

In this materialistic city, some sincerity had become priceless.

The heavy food hung on the left and right of the handlebars, with a large bag in Lin Zhengmo's arms.

Jian Yue rode them into the pouring rain.

Lin Zhengmo was still worried. "How will we finish all this?"

Jian Yue nodded. "Don't worry, I have a plan."

Director Jian was like a guide in a game, always knowing what to do next. Even though Lin Zhengmo had no idea what came next, her interest was piqued. It felt like being with Jian Yue was never boring.

If not for Jian Yue, she would have stayed home all day, from dawn to dusk, hugging a cat until the new workweek began, utterly dull.

After about ten minutes of riding, they arrived at an old building. In the center of the gate were large characters: Dezhi Women's Welfare Institute.

There was a security guard, but Jian Yue entered without even greeting him.

It was raining, so the outdoor area was empty. When people inside saw Jian Yue, they hurried out to greet her: "You're back?"

It was a middle-aged aunt in her fifties or sixties, speaking to Jian Yue with great affection.

"Back!" Jian Yue's lips curved into a smile as she greeted her, "Brought some food for them. Call them out to take it."

The woman turned and said, "Sister Jian is here to see you all!"

The little girls came bustling out, ignoring the rain, running to grab Jian Yue's arms.

Jian Yue laughed, "Careful, careful! Take these and go inside quickly—don't get drenched!"

"Sis, don't get rained on." A little girl held her hand above Jian Yue's head.

"I'm not." Jian Yue gave them the food from the scooter. "Take them. I'll visit again in a couple of days."

"You're leaving already?"

"Yep, I have things to do."

"Will you really come back in a couple of days?"

"Really." Jian Yue tilted her chin slightly, urging, "Go on, all of you inside."

The girls obediently ran into the building, then turned back to look at Jian Yue and Lin Zhengmo, their eyes bright and clear, filled with curiosity.

Lin Zhengmo was confused, not knowing Jian Yue had connections to the welfare institute.

Was this person a social network diagram? She knew everyone.

"I'm leaving! Eat them while they're fresh—they can't stay overnight!"

"Okay, it's raining hard. Go home quickly! But remember to visit us again!" Another girl chimed in, "And you too, other sister! Bye!"

Suddenly addressed, Lin Zhengmo nodded instinctively, offering a gentle smile.

Then Jian Yue started the scooter, and they rode back into the rain.

The rain poured down, a torrential downpour, with only the deafening sound of raindrops.

Through the white noise, Lin Zhengmo asked Jian Yue, "How do you know these kids at the welfare institute?"

The scooter kept moving.

The rain grew heavier.

Vaguely, she heard Jian Yue say:

"I don't just 'know' them—they're family."

"This is my home. I used to be an orphan."