Chapter 25: A Mother’s Pity and a Child’s Plight

“Wang Jian, why are you so harsh with the child? A little gentleness wouldn’t hurt, would it?” The female police officer in the office paused her typing and remarked.

“I know, I know. I’ll speak more gently next time,” Wang Jian replied listlessly from the sofa.

“Can the child’s parents be reached? She looks quite pitiful,” Officer He asked again.

“About that… I’m trying to contact the child’s parents. I should find them very soon,” Wang Jian fabricated a lie, having no other choice.

“The child’s grandfather passed away, and her parents probably don’t even know. If you manage to contact them, I’d like to speak with them briefly,” Officer He said, taking a sip of hot water from her thermos.

“Let me handle it. I’ll talk to them properly,” Wang Jian said, trying to keep his tone normal.

“Sigh, I’m a mother myself. Seeing such a young, pitiful child, it just… I guess being a mother for so long makes it hard to stomach things like this,” Officer He said calmly, her words somewhat startling.

“What? Sister He, you’re so young, and you’re already a mother? How did I not know?!” Wang Jian exclaimed, quite astonished.

“I married early, back in university. My child is already in kindergarten. Usually, my child is taken care of by their grandparents, so I can work without worry.

“Today, seeing that child, I couldn’t help but think of my own. As a mother, I can’t understand what her parents are thinking, not knowing her grandfather has been dead for so many days.

“Oh, I suddenly miss my little rascal so much. Tomorrow, I’m taking a day off to spend time with my mischievous little imp.” A faint smile touched Officer He’s lips, and her eyes held a hint of maternal love.

Wang Jian watched the overflowing maternal affection in Officer He, and an idea, albeit a less-than-ideal one, suddenly struck him. He realized she might be persuaded to adopt the child.

With this thought, Wang Jian felt a surge of excitement. He quickly organized his words before speaking.

“Sister He.”

“Hm?”

“If you feel pity for that child, you could adopt her. The paperwork is simple; it would only take a few days to—” His words were cut short before he could finish.

“Impossible, absolutely impossible. My husband and I are currently raising our own child and supporting our elders. We simply don’t have the spare funds or energy to raise a child with no blood relation to us.

“Besides, this child isn’t parentless. Even if her parents are terrible, surely they’ll still raise her,” Officer He said casually.

Wang Jian was momentarily speechless. He had already devised a plan for the child and couldn’t reveal too much, so he decided to say nothing further.

He returned to his desk chair, his gaze silently falling upon the laptop, which was still booting up.

He suddenly felt a profound pity for the child. With her grandfather gone, no one would care for her anymore. No one would love her. Homeless, she would have to fend for herself. If he hadn’t taken her to the hospital that day, she might have frozen to death.

‘But what does that have to do with me? If no one loves her, it’s not my concern. Even if she froze to death, I wouldn’t be responsible. She has no connection to me, so why should I bother?’ These thoughts flooded Wang Jian’s mind. Gradually, he began operating his computer, settling into his work.

Hao Yang sat on the metal chair by the police station’s main entrance, resting her small head in her hand as she gazed out at the beautiful snowy scenery.

The police station was located near a bustling plaza, so looking out from the entrance to the street, occasionally, pairs of people would stroll by.

Perhaps it was due to the Spring Festival, but there were always young men and women carrying large bags of purchased goods, often followed by a child whose face was full of smiles. Hao Yang watched intently, noticing that most of the bags contained toys, clothes, and food.

Scenes of a family of three walking together were not uncommon; sometimes, she even saw families of five happily strolling along. Private cars came and went, and the traffic, in fact, seemed noticeably congested.

Hao Yang understood. These were likely parents returning from out of town, wanting to spend these few days of the New Year well with their families. Perhaps taking them out for a good meal, or buying them food, clothes, and other necessities. Because so many people shared this idea and were out, the crowds felt exceptionally dense today.

Hao Yang’s father, due to his work, spent almost the entire year away from home.

Her father, wanting to make it up to the family, had organized a road trip.

Their original plan was to spend a day traveling to their destination, enjoy a few days there, and then rush back while the highway tolls were still waived.

However, a small accident occurred. While sitting comfortably in the car, she inexplicably found herself in the body of a little girl who had frozen to death. So, she was now a little girl.

The very next day, a murder occurred. When she told the police, they didn’t believe her. The slightly older police officer said he would investigate, though she wondered if he truly would.

That officer had shouted at her quite fiercely to leave. Hao Yang couldn’t shake the feeling that he was trying to rush her out, but she supposed it was just her imagination.

Logically, as a child of just over ten years old, the police should temporarily help her find lodging or settle down. Once she endured this winter, she could then figure out how to return to Sichuan Province, go home, and find her parents. She might even be able to find a way to return to her original body.

Then, she would help the little girl find her mother, and everyone would be happy. This was Hao Yang’s entire plan for now, and of course, it was the best possible outcome.

Unfortunately, she had no idea how difficult the journey home would be for her.