Babysitting duty

They waited a long while.

The cameraman and the two of them followed Wang Jianhua, who led the way, listening to his instructions.

"Most of the children's parents work away from home. They're all too young for school, so they've been left in the village for us to look after."

"Don't worry. Most of the children in our village are very well behaved. Just play with them or sit with them for the afternoon. It's fine even if you don't do anything."

After a pause, Wang Jianhua added, "A few of them might be a bit mischievous, though. If they bother you, don't get angry. Just ignore them."

Duan Mufeng laughed easily. "It's fine, it's fine. No big deal."

As they spoke, the three of them reached a somewhat dilapidated courtyard, with bursts of cheerful laughter coming from inside.

Wang Jianhua pushed open the gate, and the slightly older children immediately gathered around. The dozen or so children in the courtyard were clustered in groups of three or five; some rushed over excitedly, while others sat shyly in the corners.

The children in the courtyard all looked about five or six years old. Some wore clothes that were too big, others too small. They all had healthy, wheat-colored skin, and every pair of eyes shone as they looked at the people before them.

After playing house in the courtyard all day, they were covered in dirt and unidentified substances, each looking like a grubby little dumpling.

"Uncle!"

"What a pretty big sister!"

"Uncle! I've been taking good care of the little ones!"

Wang Jianhua stepped forward and introduced them to the children. "These are the people I told you were coming. These two big brothers will play with you today, all right?"

"Don't be naughty or cause trouble."

"Be good, and don't make your big brothers angry."

"Okay!"

The children in the courtyard answered in unison.

Wang Jianhua turned around. "I'll leave the children with you. I have some things to take care of in the village."

The middle-aged man waved and left.

Several children turned to study the two newcomers in unison.

"Big brother, why is your hair yellow? Are you a foreigner?" The children hopped around Duan Mufeng, their faces full of curiosity.

Facing the noisy, playful children, Duan Mufeng forced a smile. "I dyed it."

"Did you dye it with paint?"

"Big brother, what's your name?"

The children piped up one after another, their questions never ending.

The corners of Duan Mufeng's mouth twitched as he patiently answered them one by one.

Dealing with children was what he was worst at.

Wen Yanyu looked around the courtyard when a child suddenly tugged at his clothes.

A young girl held out a handful of flowers to him. "These flowers are for you."

"Big sister, what's your name?"

Startled by the way she addressed him, Wen Yanyu crouched down and accepted the flowers with a smile. "Thank you for the flowers. My name is Wen Yanyu."

"And I'm a big brother, not a big sister."

The little girl who had given him the flowers froze for a moment, her bewildered gaze wandering over his long hair.

"Big brother?"

"Yes, that's right. Big brother."

"Big brother! Big brother! You're so pretty. I thought only girls could be that pretty."

Wen Yanyu let the curious children gather around and look him up and down.

[But hahaha, how did they mistake him for a big sister?]

[Kids' stereotypes, I guess, hahaha. Anyone with long hair is a big sister.]

[I thought only girls could be that pretty-hahaha, I'm dying.]

[But what have these kids been doing? Why are their faces and hands so dirty?]

[They're kids. They were probably digging in the dirt while playing house.]

It had only been ten minutes or so. Having taken on all kinds of roles during his reincarnations and encountered all kinds of children, he knew how to handle them.

With the candy and chocolate he had brought in his bag in case of low blood sugar, Wen Yanyu soon hit it off with the children in the courtyard.

The children all gathered around Wen Yanyu.

Their eyes sparkled as they treated him as their leader.

Happy to be left alone, Duan Mufeng pulled over a stool and simply sat in the courtyard, doing nothing.

Every so often, he exchanged a few words with Wen Yanyu.

Wen Yanyu finished braiding the hair of a child beside him. His gaze swept past the children around him toward the little room with its door ajar, where he could just make out a little girl's figure.

Following the principle that no child should be left out, Wen Yanyu patted his clothes and got up to take a look.

A little boy tugged at his sleeve. "Big brother, you don't have to bother with Little Flower. She doesn't like playing with people, and she's super weird. Just leave her alone."

Wen Yanyu paused, then crouched down and caught the child's wrist. "Why would you say that about her?"

The little boy pursed his lips. "She is weird. And she's a lot of trouble."

Several children nearby suddenly chimed in.

"Whenever we try to play with her, she barely says anything."

"Yeah, and she needs the big brothers and grandpas to look after her. She's the biggest hassle ever!"

The children kept speaking over one another.

Wen Yanyu's brow furrowed as he listened, and his voice grew unusually stern. "Little Tiger, and the rest of you, you mustn't say things like that about other children again. It's very rude, and it would hurt her feelings to hear it."

The little boy turned his head away. "Oh. I won't say it anymore."

The children exchanged looks and stopped talking, though they grumbled a little.

Wen Yanyu glanced at the children, then turned and walked toward the room.

He pushed the half-closed door open, letting sunlight fall into the room again.

"Hello, I'm Wen Yanyu. What's your name? Why don't you come outside and play with us?" His gentle voice was like clouds crumbled from the horizon, drifting softly into her ears.

The little girl had already heard the conversation outside. Suddenly hearing this voice, she panicked and instinctively shrank back. But there was no wall behind her, and she lost her balance, about to fall off the stool.

A pair of hands caught her steadily, then gently let go.

She raised her empty eyes, her unfocused gaze directed toward the person before her.