An autumn wind had barely passed when another cold rain arrived. The next morning, a chill seeped through the cracks in the window frame, only to dissolve into the warmth inside the room.
Jason crawled out from beneath the soft, comfortable covers, ran a hand through his messy bird's-nest hair, stretched beside the bed, and opened the window.
The instant the cold air rushed in, he shuddered and hurriedly narrowed the gap in the window.
He shuffled into his slippers, opened the door, and headed toward the communal washroom at the end of the hall without looking back to close it.
The washroom was about the size of two bedrooms. Four rows of faucets stood in the middle, with more mounted along the walls. At this hour, it was packed shoulder to shoulder with children. Some were washing their faces, some were drying them afterward, and others were filling cups with hot water.
Jason yawned. Seeing that a faucet beside him had just become free, he walked over, turned it on, splashed his face twice with cold water, then went to the cabinet at the far end of the washroom to take out his toothbrush cup and toothbrush.
Two children beside him had mouths full of foam, laughing as they sprayed bubbles at each other. Most of them found brushing their teeth fascinating, especially since the toothpaste bought in bulk by the Odd Jobs Agency foamed so much that, after brushing, they could practically pass for Santa Claus.
After washing up, Jason returned to his room to change, then made a round through the Odd Jobs Agency office and found everything as usual.
The children were like schools of fish weaving through coral and seaweed. The fierce wind outside did not affect them in the slightest; some had even worked