The two words “bottom line” flashed through Xia Hongxia’s mind.

She didn’t think much about it.

After all, even if she had let Xia Junbao work in a small restaurant, she wouldn’t have mistreated him like this.

Xia Hongxia tossed aside the clothes in Xia Junbao’s hands:

“Stop washing. Come with me to Pengcheng!”

Xia Junbao nodded.

He didn’t dare ask if Xia Hongxia would let him return to school in Pengcheng.

It would be fine even without school.

Xia Junbao had been to Pengcheng before and knew he could find odd jobs there. No matter how difficult life might be, it would still be better than in Shangdu.

At least no one would make him wash diapers with cold water in the dead of winter.

“Xia Hongxia, you’re crazy! If you dare take him away today, I’ll report you to the police station!”

Fan Yu rushed in screaming.

Xia Hongxia wasn’t afraid of her. “Go ahead and report it! Only a coward wouldn’t go. You’re just a poisonous woman who waits until my Second Uncle is away to abuse his nephew!”

Fan Yu pulled at Xia Hongxia’s sleeve, “No way! If you take him away, there’ll be no one to care for your grandmother. If you want to take him, take her too!”

Xia Hongxia was stunned.

She did have some feelings for Grandmother Xia.

Grandmother Xia loved Xia Ziyu the most and disliked Xia Xiaolan the most, with her being somewhere in between.

But taking a paralyzed person to Pengcheng to care for? Those slight feelings weren’t enough to support that.

Xia Hongxia thought to herself that she definitely couldn’t continue her business.

Because neither Xia Hongbing nor Wang Jingui had enough filial piety to care for Grandmother Xia. No, she couldn’t take her back. She wasn’t being heartless – Grandmother loved Xia Ziyu the most, so when she saw Xia Ziyu later, she’d asked him to find someone to care for her.

Xia Hongxia pulled money from her pocket and waved it at the neighbors who had gathered to watch:

“Don’t say I’m not filial. This is all I can manage. Neighbors, please be my witnesses. I’m giving all this money to my Second Aunt. I’m taking my cousin away, and this should be enough for my Second Aunt to hire someone to care for my grandmother. Such a young child should be learning a trade if he’s not in school. Keeping him here is ruining his future. I’ll take him away even if people curse me for it!”

Xia Hongxia pulled out several hundred yuan at once.

The neighbors all praised her, saying this young woman was honest and filial.

Fan Yu was so angry her nose went crooked. Several hundred yuan wasn’t a small amount – even at 100 yuan per month to hire someone to care for Grandmother Xia, it would last several months.

But what about when it ran out?

Fan Yu would either have to pay for herself or care for her.

Fan Yu refused to do such a losing business and pulled at Xia Hongxia, insisting she go see Grandmother Xia, cursing her for being heartless.

When Xia Hongxia was pushed into the room, she immediately smelled the stench.

People who were incontinent were the hardest to care for. The speed of changing bedding couldn’t keep up with how quickly Grandmother Xia soiled it. Xia Junbao had to manage all household chores alone and couldn’t watch over Grandmother Xia 24 hours a day… Xia Hongxia found it pitiful. Fan Yu complained about the smell and said that eating more meant more waste, so she gave Grandmother Xia very little food, making her look particularly thin.

She never imagined that one day her grandmother would become so pitiful, her eyes filled with pleading upon seeing her.

Xia Hongxia hardened her heart and turned away.

She couldn’t soften now.

Her own life was miserable too!

Each generation should care for its affairs. Her grandmother should be cared for by her Second Uncle – it was his responsibility.

Second Uncle wasn’t poor; everyone said long-distance truck drivers earned good money. It was his fault for choosing a bad wife – what did that have to do with her?

Xia Hongxia squeezed out of the room and berated Fan Yu again:

“You don’t even have a job, why aren’t you taking care of my grandmother? You’re the most unfilial! When I see Second Uncle, I’ll tell on you, tell him how you’re abusing my grandmother. Look how thin she’s become!”

Xia Hongxia had more standing than Fan Yu.

With the son’s generation still alive, it wasn’t the granddaughter’s duty to provide elder care. If Xia Hongbing and Wang Jingui had come today, she wouldn’t have been able to stand so tall.

Xia Hongxia pulled Xia Junbao away, with the neighbors making way for them.

Fan Yu was nearly mad with anger, but as she wanted to chase after them, her son started wailing at home.

As soon as Xia Hongxia left, she bumped into a girl.

The girl wasn’t much older, looking half a head shorter than Xia Junbao. She helped at the baozi shop at the street corner. The shop owner claimed she was a relative, but most neighbors knew she was a child laborer like Xia Junbao.

However, the baozi shop owner had more shame than Fan Yu and didn’t openly beat or scold her.

The girl and Xia Junbao shared similar fates, and she often secretly helped him out. They were good friends who could talk to each other.

“Brother Junbao, where are you going?”

“My sister is taking me to Pengcheng.”

“You’re not coming back?”

“I don’t know, I’ll do whatever my sister says.”

Xia Junbao knew who to please. Xia Hongxia had no patience to listen to their childhood friend’s farewell. “Hurry up, if Second Aunt comes to her senses, neither of us will be able to escape.”

Xia Hongxia pulled Xia Junbao along, practically running the whole way.

She couldn’t even get an introduction letter for Xia Junbao and had to buy expensive train tickets from scalpers. Adding the several hundred given to Fan Yu was killing Xia Hongxia. Just as she bought the tickets, someone grabbed her legs from behind – it was the girl who had spoken with Xia Junbao. She had secretly followed them and was now kneeling before Xia Hongxia, desperately pleading:

“Sister, could you take me to Pengcheng too? I can endure any hardship, do any work.”

Xia Hongxia: ???!

Damn, did she look like a good person?

“Whose child are you? If I take you along, wouldn’t I become a child trafficker? Xia Junbao, tell your friend to go home quickly! You’re so young, don’t learn about running away from home!”

Xia Junbao hung his head: “Xiao Yan has no family. Her parents are dead, and her uncle wanted to marry her off to an old cripple, so she ran away to the provincial capital alone. Sister Hongxia, Xiao Yan says the baozi shop owner often leans at her and takes away the money she brought. Can’t we take her with us?”

Xia Hongxia’s head was about to explode.

“How old are you?”

“Thirteen, sister. Please help me, I’ll work like an ox or horse to repay you…”

Only thirteen, and already being married off to an old cripple?

And that baozi shop owner, leering at such a young girl.

Xia Junbao looked at her with tears in his eyes, pleading. Xia Hongxia thought, that taking one or taking two was the same, it wasn’t her concern. It was Xia Junbao who found himself a little wife, and let Xia Ziyu worry about it.

“Junbao, this was your idea, don’t blame me later!”

Xia Hongxia made things clear up front, though Xia Junbao didn’t understand and was just incredibly grateful.

So Xia Hongxia bought another scalped ticket and took Xiao Yan onto the train.

Xiao Yan was extremely grateful to her, serving her attentively throughout the journey, making Xia Hongxia quite comfortable. Xia Hongxia initiated a conversation with her, and Xiao Yan said she was from Anqing, though she wouldn’t say which village or township.

“Sister Hongxia, I’m afraid my uncle might find me.”

That made sense – a girl who had run away would be more cautious.

Xia Hongxia didn’t press further, “I’m only responsible for taking you to Pengcheng, not for what you can do there. When you earn money, you need to pay me back for the ticket. By the way, what’s your surname?”

Xiao Yan lowered her head, “…I don’t have a surname. Sister, you saved me, could I take your surname, Xia?”

…

Little did Xia Hongxia know, that at the baozi shop where Xiao Yan had helped, the couple running it were dumbfounded. Their home had been ransacked, and their unsaved business earnings were completely stolen. The pitiful helper had disappeared at the same time. The shop owner’s wife chased her husband with a rolling pin:

“This is what you get for being kind-hearted! What’s so pitiful? The money I worked so hard to earn is what’s pitiful! You took in a thief!”