Eating Melons in the Police Station

On Monday, the police station was buzzing with a new round of busyness. Little Tong, wearing her little leather shoes, stood on a scooter, stretching her neck to look into the interrogation room, when someone suddenly pinched her ear from behind.

Little Tong turned around to see Teacher Zhuang's smiling face, which frightened her so much that she immediately stepped back, "I don't want to go to preschool anymore. Goodbye." With that, she turned to make a quick escape.

However, the teacher grabbed the hood of her hoodie and pulled her back, "Don't run. I came to find your dad. Is he in his office?"

Little Tong rode her scooter to her father's office door, knocking it open with the handle of the scooter, "He's inside."

Zhong Jin looked up and was about to scold Zhong Yuntong for the umpteenth time, telling her not to kick the door with her scooter, but when he saw Teacher Zhuang, he held back the scolding and stood up from his seat, "Teacher Zhuang, is there something I can help you with?"

"No, no, I didn't disturb you, did I?"

"Not at all, please come in."

Teacher Zhuang stepped into the office and noticed the cartoon-patterned rug on the sofa, smiling slightly. She walked over to the chair, hesitated for a moment, but didn't sit down. Instead, she leaned on the chair back, standing a bit stiffly beside it.

Zhong Jin sat back down in his swivel chair, "What is it? Please have a seat and tell me."

"No, I'll just say a few words and leave. Yesterday, Miao Qingyue's father contacted me, asking for your contact information. Miao Qingyue's birthday is on Wednesday, and he wants to invite you and Little Tong. I happened to be coming to the station today to file a report for the new surveillance system, so I took the opportunity to personally tell you."

"Alright, you can give me Miao Qingyue's father's contact information, and I'll get in touch with him. If I can make it, I'll definitely go."

Zhong Jin took out his phone and noted down Miao Chong's contact information.

After delivering her message, Teacher Zhuang didn't leave immediately. She pursed her lips, hesitating for a while, her fingers fidgeting on the chair back, as if she wanted to say something but couldn't bring herself to do so. Finally, it seemed she made up her mind and bid farewell to Zhong Jin, waving to Little Tong, "Little Yuntong, goodbye."

Only after Teacher Zhuang left did Little Tong finally relax. She had really been scared, thinking that the teacher had come to take her to preschool.

Zhong Jin knew why Teacher Zhuang had come specifically to see him. If the preschool was shut down for rectification, it would probably take quite a while before it could reopen.

She must have mustered up her courage, hoping to look for some kind of connection to expedite the reopening. But Zhong Jin could also tell that Teacher Zhuang was not accustomed to such matters; she was too shy, hesitating for so long and eventually unable to bring herself to ask. She was truly a pure-hearted person, which was probably why the Little Sun Preschool had such a good reputation in the neighborhood.

However, Zhong Jin had no intention of helping her. The Little Sun Preschool had been operating for over 20 years, and it was inevitable that its facilities would show signs of aging and wear. The joint inspection and rectification by the police station, fire department, and business administration this time might not be a bad thing for them. Resolving safety hazards before newly embarking on their journey was the right way forward.

"Little Yuntong, where are you going? Come back here," Zhong Jin called out to the child who was sliding her scooter towards the door.

Little Tong, gripping the scooter's handle, one foot on the scooter and one on the ground, turned her head, "What do you want?"

Zhong Jin gestured for her to come over, "Come here, I need to tell you something."

Little Tong applied a bit of force with her foot on the ground, and the scooter smoothly glided to Zhong Jin's desk.

The kid's scooter skills were pretty good, Zhong Jin thought.

"Don't you have a friend named Miao Qingyue? Do you remember her?"

"Yes, Miao Yueyue," Little Tong loudly replied.

"Miao Yueyue is having a birthday, and her dad invited you to her birthday party. Do you want to go?"

"Yes."

"Alright, think about what gift you want to give her. Let me know tonight, and I'll take you to buy it after work." Zhong Jin wasn't sure what little girls liked, so he simply left the decision to Zhong Yuntong, as it was her friend.

Little Tong pointed to her big leather shoes on the scooter, waved her chubby little hand, and said, "I'll give her a leg."

With that determined little look, she seemed to be thinking big, like some grand gesture.

Zhong Jin replied, "We can't really give her a leg, now can we? Think again, something you can buy in a store. Let me know when you've figured it out."

"Got it, Auntie Zhong." Little Tong scooted away.

From then on, the child never returned, and Zhong Jin assumed she had forgotten about the birthday gift. He didn't expect much from a three-year-old anyway, so he planned to search online later for what four-year-old girls liked and buy a same-day delivery gift that would arrive by tomorrow.

After work, Zhong Jin took Little Tong to the dry cleaner's at the entrance of their community to pick up her giant rabbit, which was covered in dust and had been dropped off directly at the cleaners.

Carrying the rabbit under his arm, with its long ears dangling and swaying, Zhong Jin walked home. Little Tong reached out and held one of the rabbit's fluffy ears, suddenly saying, "I want to give the rabbit to Miao Yueyue."

Zhong Jin glanced at her, "Aren't you fond of this rabbit?"

"I like it, and Miao Yueyue will definitely like it too," Little Tong replied resolutely.

She was a child willing to make sacrifices, with a pure soul. Before Zhong Jin could enjoy his pride for more than three seconds, Little Tong added, "Buy me another one, okay?"

Well, she was also a child eager to fleece her dad.

Miao Chong added Zhong Jin on WeChat, expressing his gratitude for them coming to Miao Qingyue's birthday, and sent an address called "Yueyue's Seaside Courtyard" along with more polite words of thanks.

Zhong Jin could feel Miao Chong's sincere and warm demeanor through the screen. Perhaps it was a bit nerve-wracking for parents to host their child's friends for the first time.

Indeed, all parents love their children dearly.

On the day of the birthday, Zhong Jin dressed Little Tong in a slightly more formal puffy dress, and with a hair dryer and a curling brush, he managed to forcefully straighten the little strand of hair that always stuck out at the back of her head.

To make it feel more ceremonious, Zhong Jin even took the rabbit to a boutique downstairs, hoping the staff could wrap it up, but after failing to find a box big enough, he settled for tying a ribbon around the rabbit's neck.

Little Tong picked up a bottle of nail polish from the boutique's shelf, thudding it down in front of Zhong Jin, "I want this."

Zhong Jin's phone buzzed, and he nodded at Little Tong, pointing to the cashier to let her take it to pay. He answered the call.

It was Xiang Ruicheng, "You're going to Miao Qingyue's birthday too, right? When are you heading out?"

"We're about to leave."

"Then don't drive. I'll pick you up, and we can take one car."

As one of Miao Qingyue's only two friends, Xiang Zimo naturally received the birthday invitation as well, but since Mao Feixue was busy today, his father Xiang Ruicheng would accompany him.

Today, Xiang Zimo was also dressed up, wearing a white shirt and knee-length suit shorts, with soft brown hair drooping over his forehead. He looked like a young protagonist from a campus romance novel.

"Little Tong, you're wearing a dress today too?" Xiang Zimo shyly smiled, "You look really nice."

Little Tong pointed to the flowers embroidered on her dress and then to Xiang Zimo's white shirt, giggling, "We're going to get married."

Zhong Jin, sitting in the passenger seat and chatting with Xiang Ruicheng, turned his head immediately upon hearing this, his tone serious, "Little Tong, don't talk nonsense. You're just friends."

Little Tong, however, had already lowered her head to play with her newly bought nail polish.

Xiang Zimo suddenly became serious, "Can't I marry Little Tong when we grow up?"

Zhong Jin: "No."

Xiang Ruicheng: "Of course you can."

The two dads exchanged glances, and Zhong Jin repeated firmly, "No, you're just friends. Don't think about these weird things," then added sternly to Xiang Ruicheng, "Don't encourage the kids in such thoughts."

Ruicheng Xiang shrugged indifferently, "What's the big deal? They're not long-lost siblings or anything."

"That's because you had a son, so you're indifferent. If you had a daughter, try hearing someone say that and see if you'd be happy."

By the end, the two kids had fallen asleep in their child seats, while the two dads were still arguing over whether or not they could get married.

When they arrived at the seaside farmhouse and saw them dressed so formally, Miao Chong was slightly surprised, "Oh, you're dressed like that, are you not going into the sea to play?"

Zhong Jin and Ruicheng Xiang exchanged glances; no one had told them they were going to the sea to play.

Sun Xiuwen, Qingyue Miao's mother, came running out of the house with an apron on, complaining that Miao Chong hadn't made it clear and asked him to take everyone to the store to pick out swimwear.

Their farmhouse had a small store that sold some beverages, snacks, and, since there was a bathing beach nearby, also sold some swimsuits, life jackets, and other swimming gear.

While the adults were politely making small talk, Little Tong had already climbed onto Qingyue Miao's wheelchair, steadied herself by holding onto Qingyue's legs, and instructed Zimo Xiang, "Push me."

After picking out their respective swimwear at the store, everyone went to the changing rooms to get changed.

Ruicheng Xiang was a fitness enthusiast with a well-developed musculature. His muscles, clearly defined, were especially noticeable when he took off his clothes. It seemed like he was deliberately trying to show off his physique, as he walked out without a shirt on.

Zhong Jin tossed him a T-shirt over his head, "Put it on, there are kids around."

Ruicheng Xiang put on the T-shirt but deliberately flexed his chest, making his pectorals bulge.

"Hmph," Zhong Jin snorted coldly.

Although Zhong Jin had studied public security and had mandatory physical fitness requirements, he hadn't deliberately built up muscle. His body was lean and tight, his legs exceptionally long, his head-to-body ratio excellent, resembling the physique of a runway model with a stoic expression.

When the two dads stood together, their bodies were undeniably impressive; however, Ruicheng Xiang's looks slightly fell short compared to Zhong Jin. Zhong Jin's face, once the campus heartthrob at the public security university, was simply too strikingly handsome.

Seeing the volleyball net on the beach, Ruicheng Xiang glanced at Zhong Jin, "Know how to play volleyball?"

The competitive spark between men flared immediately, and Zhong Jin shot back, "Don't cry."

Sun Xiuwen helped Little Tong change into her swimsuit, a pink polka-dot onesie with a cute little skirt and matching bow headband. The child's soft, plump, tender flesh, with her round little belly, was utterly adorable, melting hearts.

Yuntong Zhong and Zimo Xiang charged onto the beach and quickly claimed a shallow part of the bathing area.

Sun Xiuwen pushed Qingyue Miao's wheelchair from behind, softly asking, "Yueyue, do you want to go play with the other kids in the water?"

Qingyue Miao was still hesitating; although kids naturally loved to play, going into the water meant not wearing pants, and her legs would be completely exposed in front of her friends.

Although she had just turned four today, due to her special condition, she had already experienced some unpleasant looks, making her more sensitive than other kids.

"It's okay if you don't want to play; Mom will sit here with you."

Sun Xiuwen pushed the wheelchair to a flat part of the beach, sat down next to it on a large rock, and said, "Tell Mom when you want to play, and I'll carry you over."

Qingyue ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‍Miao was born with amniotic band syndrome, with her right leg having been autotomized in the womb. On the fifth day of her life, she faced the amputation of her left leg. From birth to one year old, she underwent dozens of major and minor surgeries. It's unimaginable how scared she must have been as a tiny baby lying alone on the operating table.

Her mother hadn't been without moments of despair and breakdown, but eventually, she had to pull herself together and face it as a family.

Nowadays, Sun Xiuwen and Miao Chong didn't shy away from discussing their daughter's legs in front of people they were familiar with. They knew that their daughter would eventually have to face society. Rather than sheltering her in a crystal dome, it was better to help her develop a strong heart. Only with a strong inner core would she have the courage to face the shaky future.

Sun Xiuwen and her daughter gazed into the distance, the sunset slowly sinking into the horizon of the sea, golden light illuminating the edge of the world.

The hardest times seemed to have passed. After this birthday, Yueyue would be fitted for prosthetics, and in the future, she could run and jump just like anyone else with her cool steel legs.

Suddenly, a chubby child with a smiling face burst out from the sunset, giggling and shrieking, "Ah! Don't bury me, don't bury me."

The child ran straight to them, grabbed Qingyue Miao's legs with both hands, and shouted at the people chasing her, "Bury Miao Qingyue instead; she has no legs, she can't run away."