The Best Life

Even though she was mentally prepared, when Teacher Lu arrived at the mailbox and took out the thick envelope, her expression instantly changed. She only opened it slightly to take a glance before closing it again immediately, even letting out a surprised gasp.

Then she turned around, looking at Lu Xin with a vigilant and questioning gaze.

Her voice was already trembling slightly as she lowered it and said, "You really didn't do anything bad?"

Lu Xin could only explain helplessly, "It's all legal income... and I've already paid taxes..."

"But that's... that's too much!"

Teacher Lu hugged the bag, her voice sounding a bit flustered. "Actually... actually, things are already very good here..."

"These... these little beasts, they get enough to eat every day, and they're dressed warmly. Some kind people have helped us find some school textbooks, and... and I've been running to the Administrative Hall, hoping to get official qualifications so they can all get identification and attend middle school in the future... Everything is going smoothly, we really don't need this much money..."

Listening to Teacher Lu speak so earnestly, Lu Xin's mood also improved. Especially seeing how nervous Teacher Lu looked, he felt like he had won something back. He smiled and explained, "It's always good to have more saved. Let's buy them more meat to eat, and when winter gets cold, we need to think about getting them new clothes. In the future, we should also move to a bigger place. And, your legs..."

He spoke slowly, looking at Teacher Lu's legs.

She was actually quite a tall girl, but unfortunately, she had been confined to a wheelchair.

At this moment, small faces appeared at the window, their eyes wide open, watching Lu Xin and Teacher Lu. Some were covering their mouths and giggling, others were whispering, and one mischievous child, with their hands clasped together, was making kissing gestures.

Lu Xin couldn't help but blush a little under the gaze of these little ones.

Teacher Lu, however, looked up sharply and glared at them.

With a "whoosh," all the little faces disappeared, and they obediently returned to their seats to copy their work.

Teacher Lu, still sitting in her wheelchair, looked restless. She glanced left and right, then, as if she were a thief, she quickly pulled out a roll of money from the paper bag, stuffed it under her clothes, and then shoved the bag back into Lu Xin's hand. "Don't leave it all here," she said. "If you give me too much, my little cabinet can't hold it anymore. Besides, what if it attracts bad people?"

"This..."

Lu Xin originally wanted to refuse, but after hearing her words, he could only hold onto the bag.

Teacher Lu said seriously, "You keep it for now. I'll definitely find you when I need it!"

Lu Xin was silent for a moment before nodding gently.

"Also..."

Teacher Lu looked at Lu Xin seriously and cautioned, "I don't know what kind of work you do, but if people are paying this much, it must be either very tiring or very dangerous. You need to eat more every day, at least. Don't just eat vegetables and tofu every day..."

"I do..."

Lu Xin took the money and smiled, "I eat chicken legs every day!"

"Someone who can afford chicken legs every day wouldn't eat only chicken legs every day..."

Teacher Lu ruthlessly exposed Lu Xin's lie and then sighed softly.

Lu Xin didn't know how to respond, and the two of them stood by the windowsill, in front of the bare flower bed, one sitting and one standing, in a bit of silence.

Only the pale sunlight cast a dim glow upon the world.

After a while, Lu Xin suddenly said hesitantly, "Sister Lu, about what happened back then..."

"What do you want to ask?"

Teacher Lu turned her head and saw Lu Xin's confused and hesitant expression.

She looked at Lu Xin seriously, then smiled and said in a low tone, "Little Lu Xin, don't always dwell on the past. To ask how much sorrow a person can have, it's a blessing not to remember some things..."

"..."

Lu Xin was silent for a moment and said, "Can you stop quoting old movie lines all the time? I watched that too..."

"Pfft, so boring!"

Teacher Lu changed the subject and said, "Come over for dumplings in a few days? We can put eggs in them now!"

Lu Xin's mood also brightened, and he nodded, "Okay!"

"What exactly happened at Crimson Moon Orphanage all those years ago?"

As Lu Xin left Crimson Moon Elementary School, he was still silently pondering this question in his heart.

He clearly remembered all the details of what happened at the orphanage and what happened after the incident at Crimson Moon Orphanage, but the memories in between were always a blur. He had always wanted to figure out what happened back then, so he would sometimes ask Zeng Xiaolu, but she refused to tell him, always deflecting the question with clumsy jokes.

He had even asked his family, but they also refused to say.

A long time passed like this, and sometimes he didn't even want to recall it himself.

Many times, he just did his best to help Teacher Lu because he felt that rebuilding Crimson Moon Orphanage was a task for both of them.

Since he had his family with him and couldn't help here, he could only earn more money.

He used to feel that this kind of life was always oppressive and endless, but now, he finally saw hope.

Being able to work and earn money on his own, could there be anything better than this?

Thinking this, his mood gradually improved.

After walking a few blocks, he got on the bus and dropped in a coin.

As he neared home, he got off one stop early and went to a vegetable market that had gathered in the alleys.

Every night, many people would gather here to sell various vegetables and even wild game. Many residents from the satellite cities would try every means to grow vegetables. Some cultivated gardens between abandoned buildings, some filled the rooftops with soil, and some even snuck out of the city to open up wasteland outside the farms of Qinggang City, or to hunt wild beasts to bring back and sell.

The Administrative Hall of the satellite city generally turned a blind eye to this, and sometimes even offered protection.

Lu Xin bought some things at the market and returned to his apartment building, carrying large bags.

By this time, night had fully fallen. The streetlights were long, with one every considerable distance, making the surroundings appear desolate and dark. As he went upstairs, the stairwell was completely silent and devoid of any light. The building was very old, and coupled with the fact that Satellite City No. 2 was still experiencing a situation where there were few people and many buildings, residents had never moved in. The few families that had lived here before had also gradually moved out.

The elevator had never been repaired, so Lu Xin took the stairs up to the fourth floor.

As soon as he rounded the corner, Lu Xin saw the warm light emanating from Room 401 and his father's angry scolding.

"You stinking brat, get back here, or I'll split you in two!"

His father stood at the doorway, his face ashen, his expression furious and contorted, his eyes bloodshot, yelling.

Meanwhile, his sister was crawling on the ceiling of the hallway, talking back: "I won't! Come out if you dare..."

"Come back, and I'll chop you up..."

"Hehehehehehe, come out and hit me if you can..."

His father roared in fury: "Roar..."

His sister, not to be outdone, hissed: "Hiss..."

Lu Xin sighed, feeling the warm atmosphere of home, and slowly walked over.