Something to make up for her past self

An He drove to the parking lot outside the hospital and waved to Jin Xia from a distance.

Jin Xia nodded to her and hurried over. As soon as she got into the car, she opened her mobile banking app, then looked up at An He. "An He, what's your Zhifubao account? I'll add you as a friend."

Without thinking much of it, An He blurted out, "193***. Xia, what do you need my Zhifubao for?"

"You did me a huge favor this time. I've transferred your commission."

As Jin Xia finished speaking, An He's startled shriek rang out beside her-

"Oh my God, three hundred thousand! That's so much money!"

An He hurriedly picked up her phone, ready to transfer the money back. "We're friends. All I did was help you with a little favor, and I even got a good reputation out of it. Why are you being so formal with me? This is too much money."

Jin Xia held down An He's restless hand as she tried to make the transfer and explained with a smile, "This should be enough for the down payment on a small apartment. You and your child can have a stable place to live."

Hearing this, An He looked at her with tears welling in her eyes. "Xia, I know you're kind and mean well, but I really can't accept this money."

"Keep it. This is my rule."

Jin Xia gave her an assuring smile.

Only after a long while did An He put down her phone. Wiping away her tears, she said with tearful gratitude, "I'll make sure to drive you well from now on! As long as you keep me as your driver, I'll drive for you and no one else for the rest of my life!"

A lifetime was a little too long, at least in Jin Xia's eyes.

Promises only held true at the moment they were made. Over a lifetime... there were too many variables.

Besides, after spending time with An He lately, Jin Xia had come to understand her character. What sense would it make to keep her driving for her forever?

Once she found a way to make money that she could invest in and develop over the long term, she would certainly give An He a hand, too.

Back at the hotel, Jin Xia shed her exhaustion and soaked in the bathtub.

Looking back on everything that had happened over the past few days, it felt like a dream.

Messages kept refreshing in the group chat, rows of familiar names popping up in the chat window.

These people had all been Jin Xia's university classmates in her previous life. She was fortunate to be able to study in the same class as them again in this life.

Only...

In her previous life, she had squandered her time instead of focusing on her studies, and she had suffered for her lack of education. If she had used her lottery winnings to make money back then, as she was doing now, how could she have ended up behind bars, reported by someone... hounded by creditors, and finally throwing herself off a building?

Jin Xia read the messages in the group chat-

"When does term start? I'm so excited for university life!"

"Hello, everyone! My name is Zhang Niannian. I hope we'll all get along."

Just reading these exchanges, she could imagine the youthful faces behind those phones.

Jin Xia quickly typed her two-character name on the screen: "Jin Xia."

That counted as her self-introduction.

Before turning off her phone, Jin Xia glanced again at the list Teacher Bai had sent. Half the children at the orphanage could currently take care of themselves, and a small number had no intellectual impairments either. It was just that they were normally kept inside the orphanage.

They were a little like tigers and lions that had been conditioned for too long in a zoo. Many of the children displayed stereotyped behaviors. Even those without intellectual impairments would sit in chairs constantly picking at their hands or tugging their hair, their eyes vacant.

She had come from the orphanage herself, so naturally, she knew how such an environment affected children's healthy physical, mental, and emotional development.

Early the next morning, she called Teacher Bai as soon as she got up.

The sounds of children crying and making a racket came from the other end. At this point in her previous life, she would certainly have found them unbearably noisy.

But now...

Jin Xia was gradually coming to understand why the caregivers would lose their tempers and scold them at the slightest provocation.

With one teacher having to look after so many children, no one could maintain such a good temper.

It was a long while before Teacher Bai's voice came through the receiver. "Xia, is something wrong? I'm teaching the children right now. They've only just moved and haven't adjusted, you see. They're making so much noise I can barely hear the phone."

"Teacher Bai, how about this? I'll arrange a few minivans for the orphanage in a little while and take the younger children to the amusement park near us for the day, so they can relax."

Jin Xia opened the search bar on her phone. As she recalled, this amusement park in the suburbs had closed down around the time she was at university. Because it was remote and sparsely populated, hardly any visitors went there.

She figured that letting the children play there for a day wouldn't cost much, and it would give Teacher Bai and the others a chance to relax, too.

With the director away, the orphanage had almost descended into complete chaos.

When Jin Xia arrived at the orphanage, the first thing she saw upon stepping through the gate was the messy courtyard, with all the equipment and teaching materials piled up haphazardly.

There were children crying in every classroom...

"Wahhh! I want Mommy Director! I want to see Mommy Director!"

"She's my Mommy Director!"

The children could suddenly start arguing over this in the middle of crying, and then the little boy at the front swung his arm and struck the little girl beside him!

Teacher Bai failed to intervene in time, and little Mengmeng took a punch!

With tears streaming down her face, Mengmeng clung to Teacher Bai's leg. "Teacher Bai, where did Mommy Director go? I want to find her. Does Mommy Director not want us anymore?"

Hearing the children ask such questions, Jin Xia couldn't help drawing her slender brows together.

Deep furrows formed between her brows. "Mengmeng, Mommy Director isn't feeling well and is resting to recover. She hasn't abandoned you."

Teacher Bai gave an awkward smile. "Xia... well, you know how it is. The director means something different to the children. Now that she's away, we're at our wits' end, too."

Jin Xia nodded, then bent down and gently took Mengmeng's hand. "How about I take you all out to play today? We'll go together, every one of us!"

At Jin Xia's words, surprise and shock flashed in Teacher Bai's eyes. She hesitated. "Xia, did I hear you right? You said you're taking everyone out to play?"

Jin Xia glanced around. Five minivans would be enough for the people here at present.

Some of the children with intellectual disabilities, who couldn't even communicate normally, wouldn't be able to join the outing this time.

The teachers had limited staff, and Jin Xia also had to consider every child's safety.

Tears glimmered in Teacher Bai's eyes with excitement. "The children at our orphanage have never been far from home in all their lives, and now they're going out together! To an amusement park, too. This is wonderful!"

Afraid that Teacher Bai would grow suspicious, Jin Xia hurriedly added, "This was Miss An He's idea, too. She said staying in this courtyard all day wasn't good for the orphanage children's physical and mental health."