At the signal, Xu Feng's hands paused, and his whole body "trembled."
With a desolate look, he set down his tools and pulled the little girl into his arms.
Being forty was the best advantage he had right now.
"Good girl. Mom is just as pretty as your big sister. She went somewhere very far away, but she'll come back someday."
Xu Feng spoke softly.
At the sight of this,
the couple froze.
The girl glanced at Xiao Dan, sighed, and pressed her lips together.
Then she crouched down, picked up the communicator from the stall, and asked, "Boss, how much is this used 950?"
Xu Feng let go of the little girl and smiled warmly. "I'll just charge you for the repair. 1,800."
"That's so cheap!" The girl was immediately tempted.
But the man beside her frowned and whispered something in her ear.
In the end, the woman sighed, set the item down, and hurried away.
Sigh.
This was tough.
Xu Feng didn't let it show, though.
He merely watched the pair walk away, then turned to Xiao Dan with a smile. "Not bad, little one. You did great for your first try."
At that, the little girl pouted. "I didn't fool them, Dad. You used to scold me when I failed.
"Do you think you should see a doctor? I heard this is called a mental disorder."
Xu Feng rolled his eyes, laughing as he pinched her cheek. "A disorder, my foot. You can't keep thinking of it as a trick. You have to really put yourself into it to make it come from the heart.
"Just picture what Mom looks like. Kids who have a mom are so lucky, aren't they?"
"Then find me one?"
The little girl had clearly inherited the wild child's knack.
With a single sentence, she left Xu Feng speechless.
Just then,
a young couple who looked like students approached, chatting and laughing.
Xu Feng immediately gave the little girl a meaningful look and focused on his repairs.
Soon, the two Martial University students reached the stall.
Sure enough,
the girl curiously glanced at the father-and-daughter pair: Xiao Dan, who was bent over her homework, and Xu Feng.
"Wow! What an adorable little girl!"
The young woman came over with a grin.
Xiao Dan looked up cutely, revealing a pair of sparkling little tiger teeth, and smiled at her. "You're so pretty, big sister!"
Then the little girl suddenly turned to Xu Feng. "Dad, was Mom as pretty as big sister when she was alive?"
Xu Feng's hands paused, and his whole body "trembled." He set down his tools and pulled the little girl into his arms. "Good girl, Mom went somewhere very far away. She was just as pretty as big sister."
Xu Feng turned to the student and apologized. "Sorry for making you uncomfortable."
The young woman's mouth fell open, and sympathy immediately filled her face. "Oh? N-no, it's okay."
"Dad, I'm hungry," Xiao Dan added at once.
"Would you like some water? Once Dad earns a little money, I'll buy you a chicken leg for lunch."
With an aching heart, Xu Feng took half a sesame flatbread from a bag beside him.
Xiao Dan took the flatbread and bit into it, burying her head in Xu Feng's arms. "I miss Mom so much."
Xu Feng gently patted her back. "There, there. Dad's here."
"Wah, senior, can you wait here for me?"
The young woman's eyes immediately reddened as she turned to the young man beside her.
Before she'd even finished speaking, she'd already turned and rushed into the nearby supply store.
"Hey, hey, junior!" The young man turned, still trying to process what was happening, but the girl had already run off.
Soon, the young woman ran back with a bag of things and shoved it into Xu Feng's arms.
"Boss, it's just a little something. Whatever else you go without, you can't let a child go hungry. I'm a poor student, so it's only food."
Xu Feng looked at the young woman with heartfelt gratitude, thinking how lovable the future flowers of the motherland were.
"Quick, thank big sister."
"Thank you, big sister! You're beautiful and kind. You'll definitely marry a handsome big brother someday!"
Xiao Dan said to the girl with a giggle.
"Aww, what a sweet-talking little girl!"
Seeing the young woman utterly charmed by Xiao Dan's adorable looks and sweet words,
the young man's heart stirred. He picked up a used 940 communicator. "Boss, I'll take this one."
Xu Feng was overjoyed and hurriedly said, "You're good kids. I'll just charge you for the repair. 1,500."
"That cheap?" The young man clearly froze for a moment, then his face lit up. "Perfect. Chen, my junior, is a student in financial difficulty. His communicator's been broken for ages, and I've been worrying about what to get him as a gift. This is just right, and he won't think it's too expensive."
"You're amazing, senior!" The young woman beside him gazed at him with stars in her eyes.
The young man smiled, pleased with himself. "Boss, here's 1,600. Use the extra hundred to buy the kid some meat."
"Thank you, handsome! Thank you, thank you!"
Xu Feng's gratitude was utterly sincere.
"That young man's really nice."
He smiled and glanced at the young woman.
"Boss, what are you talking about? I don't understand!"
The girl's face flushed bright red as she pulled her senior away.
Before leaving, she even said she'd bring her classmates over.
After the two had left, the father and daughter exchanged a smile. "We'll have extra chicken legs tonight."
"Yay!" Xiao Dan happily waved her fist, imitating Xu Feng.
Xu Feng smiled, sighed to himself, and ruffled the little girl's hair.
The poor kid had to stay here and help him put on an act.
Kids her age usually spent their days off studying carefree at tutoring classes, didn't they?
The wealthier ones went camping or visited museums.
He quietly resolved that once he'd saved enough money, he'd send the little girl back to Earth.
He'd find her a school and let her study properly.
The Dimension Realm wasn't a good place for a child, after all.
By two in the afternoon, Xiao Dan finally couldn't take it anymore. Her stomach was already growling with hunger.
Xu Feng got up to pack up the stall and smiled. "Come on, let's hurry home and eat."
Although he'd only sold three communicators today and hadn't gotten a single repair job, he was in a great mood.
Life was a little hard, but at least there was something to look forward to, wasn't there?
He carried his repair kit on his back, held a large bag of things in his left hand, and supported the little girl with his right. She'd fallen asleep with her head on his shoulder.
His steps were heavy, yet steady.
"Today's a lovely day~ what a lovely day~"
"Lovely days will last through spring~~"
Xu Feng hummed a jumble of nonsense under his breath, his steps gradually growing lighter.
"Oh!? Isn't that..." Liu Yu, wearing a light-colored dress, began to speak from far away. But as soon as she spotted the little girl on Xu Feng's shoulder, she lowered her voice. "Huh, what's gotten into you today? Finally willing to spend money on your daughter?"
After walking closer and greeting her, Xu Feng smiled. "Oh, I set up a stall today and sold a few used communicators.
"I only made a few thousand, so I bought some meat and vegetables to celebrate when we get home."
With that, he walked briskly around the woman.
"If you hear of any communicator repair work, send it my way. Come by the house sometime."
Watching Xu Feng walk away with a steady gait, Liu Yu raised her brows in surprise. "Well, I'll be damned. The old lecher's finally changed his ways!
"I really underestimated him. He even looks like he's lost quite a bit of weight. Has he turned over a new leaf? He's not bad-looking, either."
Xu Feng glanced back at Liu Yu, who was still standing there in surprise, and the corner of his mouth curled up. "Hmph, woman. A mature, steady guy like me could make you fall head over heels."
Xu Feng walked home into the evening breeze, feeling that the wind was especially gentle today.
Under his feet, it felt as soft as cotton.
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