An An tried his best to persuade Li Zhaodi to stay, but she insisted on leaving. Finally, An An had to compromise and let Qin Ningyi drive them back together.
The car stopped in front of a run-down residential complex. The area was so packed with various cars that they couldn't drive any further inside. The three of them had to get out and walk.
Several streetlights were out, and the path just inside the complex was dark. Qin Ningyi used his phone to illuminate the way, carrying An An as they walked. Li Zhaodi felt embarrassed and wanted to ask the father and son to just drop her at the entrance of the complex. An An refused, saying it was too dark to see anything, and they couldn't let a girl walk alone.
Qin Ningyi also insisted on escorting Li Zhaodi to her door. The three of them navigated between cars, guided by the faint light of their phones. The sound of insects chirping was constant, and occasionally they could hear residents arguing.
After walking a considerable distance, Li Zhaodi stopped in front of a building at the very corner. The father and son followed her into the stairwell and went down to the basement.
The basement was pitch black, so dark that you couldn't see your hand in front of your face without a phone light.
The basement had been divided into several small rooms. Li Zhaodi led them to a small door.
"I'm home. An An, hurry back with Uncle Qin," Li Zhaodi said to them, thanking them. "Thank you for today."
An An still wanted to go in with Li Zhaodi, but Qin Ningyi sensed Li Zhaodi's reluctance; she had been unwilling to open the door.
"Then get some good rest and follow the doctor's orders to stay in bed," Qin Ningyi nodded. "We're leaving."
Hearing Qin Ningyi say this, An An obediently said goodbye to Li Zhaodi.
On the way back, a drunk man was sleeping on the side of the road. An An sadly said to Qin Ningyi, "Dad, Sister Zhaodi is so badly injured, and she has to live here. Can we help her?"
"Tomorrow, ask Assistant Xiao to find a better place for her. Will you and Grandma come with me to persuade her?"
"Okay, okay, Dad is the best!" An An hugged Qin Ningyi's neck, snuggled, and cheered.
Qin Ningyi enjoyed An An's reliance and affection, feeling very content.
Having a child wasn't so bad after all.
The next day, Saturday, An An accompanied Qin Ningyi to work for a while. In the afternoon, they went home and persuaded Su Nianzhu to come with them to find Li Zhaodi.
From the moment they entered the complex, Su Nianzhu's face showed nothing but concern.
"Your sister lives here? It's too hard. Where are her parents?" Su Nianzhu asked.
Mentioning Li Zhaodi's parents, An An became a little angry. "Grandma, Sister Zhaodi's parents are not good to her. They like Brother Qinghua, and they don't like Sister Zhaodi."
"Brother Qinghua plays at home after school. Sister Zhaodi has to cook, wash clothes, feed pigs and chickens after school… she does so many things," An An said indignantly, frowning.
"Several times when Sister Zhaodi was beaten by her aunt and uncle, it only stopped after Mom went over and scolded them."
"These parents are truly unbearable," Su Nianzhu also began to sympathize with Li Zhaodi's experience.
"Mom says they believe in favoring boys over girls!" An An led Su Nianzhu into the building and towards the basement. "Every time Uncle Shen brings medicine, Mom shares some with Sister Zhaodi. If we don't help her, no one will."
They arrived at the small door where Zhaodi had stopped the previous night. Xiao Konglin walked to the door and knocked.
"Coming," a voice replied.
A strange girl opened the door. "Who is it?"
An An was surprised that Sister Zhaodi wasn't the one living there. He looked up and asked, "Sister, we're looking for Sister Li Zhaodi."
Faced with such an adorable child, the girl couldn't help but smile. "You're looking for Li Zhaodi? She was beaten up by the barbecue stall owner yesterday and he didn't want her anymore. She went out to find a job this afternoon."
"The doctor clearly said she needed rest! Why isn't Sister Zhaodi listening?" An An frowned, looking worried.
"Her family called asking for money. There was nothing she could do," the girl said with a helpless smile. "If you don't mind, you can come in and wait for her. She should be back soon."
"Uncle Xiao, please help An An call Sister Zhaodi."
"Do you know the number?" Xiao Konglin looked at the strange girl, who shook her head.
An An, however, fluently recited a phone number.
"An An, you've memorized it?" Su Nianzhu was surprised. It was usually a great feat for such a young child to remember their parents' phone number.
"My godmother, Sister Zhaodi, and I came to Yuchang City together. We went to get a phone card together for Sister Zhaodi, and I heard it then."
Xiao Konglin was almost used to An An's "divine powers." There was indeed a difference between geniuses and ordinary people.
It was just that in An An's case, the gap between genius and ordinary people had widened even further.
His father was already abnormal, so it was understandable that he was a little abnormal too.
Xiao Konglin had An An repeat the phone number slowly and then dialed.
Soon, the call was answered. "Hello?"
"Sister Zhaodi, it's An An," An An said into the phone.
"An An? Why are you calling Sister?"
"Sister Zhaodi, you're not being good. The doctor said you need to rest well, don't run around," An An lectured in a mature tone.
Li Zhaodi didn't find anything wrong with it and even smiled. "An An, Sister isn't running around, she's resting."
"Sister Zhaodi, lying is also wrong. I'm at your place, and you're clearly out," An An exposed Li Zhaodi's lie, becoming even more serious. "Sister Zhaodi, tell me where you are quickly. An An is coming to find you."
An An was very stubborn, and unable to refuse, Li Zhaodi told them her current location.
Xiao Konglin, An An, and Su Nianzhu rushed over.
"Sister Zhaodi, the doctor said you need to rest. I've asked Dad to find a place with a better environment. You should move there," An An stated his purpose directly.
Su Nianzhu persuaded her, "An An and I were looking for you just now. It's really not safe for you to live there alone, especially since you're injured." Su Nianzhu looked at the injuries still on Li Zhaodi's face and felt heartbroken that she was out looking for work. "The air in the basement is not circulating well, which is not conducive to your recovery."
Li Zhaodi smiled and shook her head. "Thank you, Grandma, but no need. Uncle Qin took me to see the doctor yesterday, and I'm already very grateful. It would be too much trouble if you helped me further."
"Sister Zhaodi!" An An said, displeased. "An An can help you now, so please agree!"
Li Zhaodi still refused with a smile. A poor person can still have pride. She couldn't afford the medical expenses from yesterday, and she had already troubled An An's family enough. How could she dare to accept their arranged accommodation?
"An An, Sister is an adult. I need to support myself and can't rely on others anymore."
"Sister Zhaodi, you're clearly still a child."
Hearing An An's words, Li Zhaodi's eyes instantly turned red, and a tear slid down her cheek.