The sky collapsed, and in the blink of an eye, I found myself transported to Nanluoguxiang.

After leaving the courtyard house where my master lived, the next stop was the home of Director Wang from the neighborhood committee.

The gifts prepared for Director Wang were the same as those for Director Xie's family.

After getting ready, Li Kaixin carried his things and headed towards Director Wang's house, following the address given by Director Xie.

Director Wang's home is not in the cadre building, but in a detached courtyard house.

Arriving at the gate of the courtyard house, Li Kaixin straightened his clothes and knocked on the door.

A moment later, the door opened a crack, and a small head peeked out.

It was a little girl, about ten years old. Looking timidly at the unfamiliar older boy carrying many things outside the door, she asked, "Big brother, who...who are you looking for?"

Seeing this, Li Kaixin immediately put down what she was holding, then bent down with a smile and said, "Hello, little sister. Is this the home of Director Wang from the neighborhood committee?"

Upon hearing this, the little girl nodded, her voice slightly louder: "Yes! Are you looking for my mother?"

Looking at her well-behaved appearance, Li Kaixin couldn't help but think of her younger sister, Li Xiaoxiao.

Her heart softened further, and she spoke even more gently, "Yes! I need to speak with your mother. Is she home?"

"Mom hasn't gotten off work yet." The little girl shook her head, her braids swaying gently.

Upon hearing this, Li Kaixin looked at the things on the ground and discussed it, saying:

"Little sister, look how heavy these things are, you definitely can't carry them all by yourself."

"Big brother, could you go inside first and I'll put your things in the yard?"

"I'll leave right away. When your mother comes back, please tell her, okay?"

The little girl looked at Li Kaixin's gentle face, a hint of hesitation on her face, but finally nodded with difficulty and stepped aside to open a crack in the door.

She said softly, "Well... alright then, big brother, please come in."

"Okay, thank you, little sister."

After Li Kaixin finished speaking, he deftly picked up the things and stepped into the courtyard. He went to the stone table in the courtyard and gently placed the things on the stone table.

The little girl followed, standing not far away, her big eyes curiously observing the older boy.

Li Kaixin put down his things and saw the little girl looking at him with her bright, blinking eyes.

Li Kaixin immediately liked it very much.

So, he reached into his pocket and, under cover of it, grabbed a handful of White Rabbit milk candies from the secret space, spread them out in his palm, and handed them to the little girl.

He smiled and said, "Little sister, please have some candy."

The little girl's eyes were instantly drawn to the tempting milk candy, her gaze brightening as she subconsciously pursed her lips, clearly showing her strong desire.

But she still firmly shook her head and said in a clear voice, "Thank you, big brother, but my mother said I can't just take things from other people."

Li Kaixin secretly praised Director Wang, thinking how well he had been raised.

His smile softened even more: "Little sister, how about this, big brother will give you a task, okay?"

"A mission?" the little girl asked, blinking her big eyes.

"Yes, it's a mission," Li Kaixin said, looking at the little girl.

Seeing the little girl's puzzled expression, he pointed to the things on the stone table and patiently explained:

"When your mother comes back, tell her that a brother named Li Kaixin came by."

"These things are to thank your mother for giving me this opportunity, and also a small token of my appreciation as a junior visiting an elder for the first time. Please don't refuse them."

"Can you help the older brother with this task?"

The little girl looked at Li Kaixin, then at the things on the table, and then nodded solemnly: "Okay, big brother! I will definitely finish it."

After hearing this, Li Kaixin once again pushed the candy in her palm forward.

He smiled and said, "This candy is a reward for completing your task. It's not free. You can accept it now, right?"

The little girl returned a happy smile and said sweetly, "Thank you, big brother!"

Only then did she reach out her little hand and carefully take the few candies.

Seeing that the matter was over, Li Kaixin straightened up and said goodbye to the little girl.

"Then I'll be going now, big brother."

Goodbye, little sister.

After speaking, Li Kaixin arrived at the gate of the courtyard house.

Goodbye, big brother!

The little girl stood at the gate of the courtyard, holding a candy, and waved vigorously at Li Kaixin.

After leaving Director Wang's courtyard house.

Li Kaixin glanced at his watch; it was already 5 p.m., so he decided to go home.

When Li Kaixin entered his own courtyard, he was carrying two dragonfish, two crucian carp, a monkey head mushroom, a bottle of Moutai, and two kilograms of White Rabbit milk candy in his hands.

Pushing open the door to the main room, I saw the family sitting around the table, on which sat the box of braised pork from lunch. The atmosphere was somewhat somber.

Upon hearing the door open, four pairs of eyes turned to Li Kaixin, focusing on the items in his hands, and finally settling on the watch on his wrist.

Qin Xiuli, the mother, spoke first, her voice slightly strained: "Xiaoxiao, Xiaokai, help your eldest brother with this."

Li Kai, the younger brother, and Li Xiaoxiao, the younger sister, immediately got up, walked over quickly, took the things from their brother's hands, and placed them on the table.

As she received the candy, Li Xiaoxiao, the younger sister, quietly tugged at Li Kaixin's sleeve and whispered, "Big brother, Xiao Kai told us about what happened at noon."

Seeing the serious expressions on the family's faces, Li Kaixin understood the situation and tried to ease the tension.

"Um... how about I cook first? We can talk while we eat?"

Qin Xiuli, the mother, suddenly stood up, her eyes already red.

"Have a meal?"

"Without an explanation for what you've brought, and that watch on your wrist, how are we supposed to eat?"

His voice trembled, a mixture of anger and worry.

Li Kaixin knew she couldn't hide it any longer, so she decided to confess part of it. So she began:

"Mom, don't worry. Some of these things are game I hunted in Changbai Mountain, which I exchanged for tickets at the Pigeon Market to buy them."

"Some of it is wild game hunted on Changbai Mountain. Those walnuts and pine nuts from yesterday were also picked up on Changbai Mountain."

He paused, glanced at his parents' expressions, and continued, "This watch was a reward from the transport station for my good behavior when we encountered robbers on our way back from the convoy."

The mother, Qin Xiuli, breathed a sigh of relief, first thankful that her son hadn't done anything petty theft.

But then my heart tightened again.

She knew how dangerous Changbai Mountain was, and on her long journey back, she encountered bandits again.

Thinking of the tattered cotton coat she saw for her son yesterday, she finally couldn't hold back her tears.

The father, Li Mingde, who had been silent all along, let out a long sigh.

He said earnestly:

"Kaixin, you've grown up, we can't control you anymore. If you want to go up the mountain, if you want to explore, we can't stop you."

"But before you do anything, you have to think about your mother, think about this family, and think about everyone who cares about you."

Looking at his mother's red eyes and his father's furrowed brows, Li Kaixin felt a pang of guilt.

"Father, I understand."

Li Kaixin solemnly said that he silently vowed in his heart that he would always put safety first in the future.

When Li Mingde saw that his son had taken his words to heart, his expression softened slightly.

He said to Li Kaixin, "I'll go and comfort your mother. You can cook dinner tonight."

As he spoke, he helped his mother, Qin Xiuli, up and slowly walked towards the inner room.