CHAPTER 605: CHAPTER 604

"Granny Cui used to sell fried fish at the street corner..."

"Granny Cui’s fried fish was delicious, and every day after school, her stall would be surrounded by a lot of people..."

"Granny Cui had a daughter named Li Meihua, who was very pretty. Even when she was in school, lots of boys liked her..."

"Back then, people here were very poor, and the only way out was through education. However, most people didn’t do well in school, and many spent their whole lives unable to leave this place..."

"Although Granny Cui’s daughter wasn’t good at school, she was beautiful, so she married early. I heard the man she married was from a well-off family..."

"I don’t know exactly what happened because by then I had gone to another place for school and only came back during summer and winter breaks. Sometimes I’d run into Granny Cui on the street, and she seemed to be doing well..."

"After graduating from university, I went to work elsewhere, and returned less frequently. But I heard from the village folks that her daughter divorced, leaving behind a child that neither parent wanted, so they left the child with Granny Cui..."

"Is it Xiao Xiao?" Dou Dou interrupted.

"Xiao Xiao? Yeah, I think that was the name. She should be a bit older than you," the middle-aged man said, sizing up Dou Dou.

Then he continued, "The next time I saw Granny Cui, she looked much older and said the street planning didn’t allow stalls anymore..."

"I chatted with her for a while, but she barely remembered me. I asked about her daughter Li Meihua, and Granny Cui said her daughter seemed to have remarried and hadn’t come back to see them or the child..."

"What a terrible mother," Dou Dou said angrily from the side.

The middle-aged man smiled, but his smile carried a hint of bitterness.

"Later on, Granny Cui passed away from an illness. As for when exactly, I’m not sure, because I hadn’t returned for a long time..."

He finished speaking and turned to look at Xiao Yue.

Clearly, Xiao Yue’s age made him more willing to talk with her.

"Thank you," Xiao Yue nodded in thanks.

"You’re welcome, I hope it helps you," the middle-aged man said with a friendly smile.

"What about you?"

"What?"

"I mean, what about yourself?" Xiao Yue continued to ask.

"I don’t understand what you mean."

"I mean, how did you die? You don’t seem to be old enough to have died of natural causes," Xiao Yue said.

The middle-aged man sighed upon hearing this, "I died suddenly at work."

"Do you have any unfulfilled wishes?" Xiao Yue asked.

"No unfulfilled wishes, just a bit of regret," the middle-aged man replied.

Clearly, the middle-aged man wasn’t telling the truth. There must be a reason for his regret; it couldn’t be without cause.

"I see. I thought you might have some unfulfilled wishes we could help with."

"Help? How would you help?" The middle-aged man asked, curious.

But instead of explaining, Xiao Yue said, "Since you don’t need help, there’s no need to explain. Dou Dou, Duoduo, let’s go."

With that, Xiao Yue transformed into a whirlwind of Yin Wind and shot up into the sky.

"Ah... Hey..."

The middle-aged man was just about to call out to her, but Dou Dou and Duoduo also took to the sky with the same whirlwind.

Middle-aged man: ...

"My big mouth..."

The middle-aged man patted his mouth in frustration.

"Why can’t I ever seize the chance? I don’t even know who they are..."

Suddenly, the frustrated middle-aged man thought of Granny Cui. Since they came looking for Granny Cui, they’re bound to meet her, so if he finds Granny Cui, he’ll surely see them again.

With that thought, the middle-aged man hurriedly returned towards Granny Cui’s house.

-----------------

Actually, Granny Cui wasn’t far from them at that moment; they were at a nearby tourist spot.

Grandpa Li was selling sugarcane juice by feeding sugarcane into a press, making fresh juice, and Xiao Xiao was helping out.

However, she spent more time digging through trash bins for plastic bottles.

This is why Dou Dou found her so dirty.

Even though the weather was hot, Grandpa Li’s business wasn’t doing well because everyone preferred a cold drink.

The convenience store next to the tourist spot had all sorts of chilled beverages and bottled sugarcane juice. Though not freshly squeezed, it had the advantage of being cold, so more people bought it compared to Grandpa Li’s freshly squeezed juice.

"Xiao Xiao... Xiao Xiao..."

Grandpa Li called out from a distance when he saw his granddaughter with half her body inside a trash bin.

Upon hearing the voice, Xiao Xiao pulled herself out of the bin.

She looked back at Grandpa Li with some confusion, not knowing why he was calling her.

"Come here," Grandpa Li beckoned to her.

Hearing this, Xiao Xiao, carrying her bag, quickly walked over to Grandpa Li.

"It’s too hot, don’t pick bottles for now. Here’s a dollar; go buy yourself a popsicle," Grandpa Li said, giving her a dollar.

Xiao Xiao didn’t take it but said, "Grandpa, a dollar isn’t enough for a popsicle."

"Have popsicles gotten that expensive?"

Grandpa Li said this, yet gave Xiao Xiao another dollar.

Xiao Xiao took the two dollars and headed towards the nearby convenience store.

Grandpa Li saw she still carried her bag, initially wanting to tell her to put it down, but thought it was just a few steps away and let it be.

As Xiao Xiao arrived at the convenience store entrance, she saw a man and a woman coming out.

She glanced at them casually, but then her whole body froze.

She stared intently at the middle-aged man passing by her.

Like someone who’d lost her soul, she forgot about the popsicle and quietly followed them.

The woman noticed Xiao Xiao first, turned back to see her, and then said to the man beside her, "Why is that little girl following us?"

The middle-aged man looked back at Xiao Xiao, then smiled and said, "Maybe she wants your drink bottle."

"But I just bought it," the woman replied.

Upon hearing this, the middle-aged man turned back to Xiao Xiao and said, "Kid, stop following us. We haven’t finished our drinks yet, but we can give you the bottle when we’re done."

Xiao Xiao looked at the middle-aged man. She wanted to scream, but the sound rolled around in her throat, unable to come out.

Seeing her standing there dazed, the middle-aged man didn’t pay much attention and said to the beautiful young woman beside him, "Ignore her, let’s continue browsing."

Watching the middle-aged man’s figure as he left, Xiao Xiao’s throat rolled twice and finally let out a faint voice.

"Dad."

Yes, this man

Watching the middle-aged man’s figure as he left, Xiao Xiao’s throat rolled twice and finally let out a faint voice.

"Dad."

Yes, this man

Yes, this man

Watching the middle-aged man’s figure as he left, Xiao Xiao’s throat rolled twice and finally let out a faint voice.

"Dad."

Yes, this man