Call Me Daddy

“Before, when I worked at the construction site, my salary increased rapidly. I could earn several hundred a day. The prices also went up, so food, drink, and clothing became quite expensive. But because of certain issues, I’m no longer working at the construction site. The foreman introduced me to a car repair shop. During my years in prison, I didn’t waste my time and learned some skills. The car repair shop provides meals and accommodation, and the salary is quite high.”

Su Aobai didn’t want the Dean Mother to worry, so he took the initiative to mention his current job.

“You don’t have to give me so much.”

Hearing that her child had found a reliable job after being released from prison, Dean Mother Ji felt relieved. One of her biggest concerns had finally been resolved.

In fact, during this period, she had inquired about many job opportunities for her Xiao Bai.

But due to Su Aobai’s low education and criminal record, very few reputable companies were willing to hire him. Even some private factories would rather employ elderly guards in their sixties or seventies than a young man with a criminal record.

Dean Mother Ji had been rejected several times, which caused her much anxiety. Unfortunately, the last time Su Aobai visited, he hadn’t left any contact information, and Dean Mother Ji had been unable to reach him. For a month, she hadn’t had a good night’s sleep.

Now, she could finally rest easy. As long as he had skills, he would never go hungry wherever he went.

“You should work hard. Over time, your boss will know what kind of person you are. It’s impressive that you could earn so much money in the first month.”

Dean Mother Ji wanted to return the stack of money to him. He needed money for various expenses, and staying at the company all the time wasn’t ideal. He should save more money and buy a house to truly settle down.

Su Aobai naturally refused to take the money back.

“Just keep it. Over the years, I’ve been grateful for your support of that child.”

Su Aobai couldn’t bring himself to care for the little girl named Yi Xing, but he understood that since he hadn’t stopped her from coming into the world when he could have, she was now a living being. At the very least, he had to fulfill his responsibility to support her for 18 years.

“It didn’t cost much.”

Dean Mother Ji shook her head, still unwilling to accept the money.

“You’d be better off saving that money to buy a house and then bringing Yi Xing to live with you.”

She still stubbornly brought up the topic.

Su Aobai’s expression immediately turned much colder, which made Dean Mother Ji feel a pang of frustration.

“I don’t understand what you’re so stubborn about! Did we all want to see Ji Xing die? Does Yi Xing really wish she had no mother from birth? It’s nobody’s fault, and certainly not the child’s!”

Dean Mother Ji even wondered if her own educational approach had been flawed, leading Su Aobai to blame the child for the mother’s death.

Ji Xing was also a child she had raised. Didn’t she feel sorrow and regret? But they needed to differentiate right from wrong. In this matter, Yi Xing was innocent; she had never had a mother since she was small. Wasn’t she deserving of pity?

“I know you care about her. She’s better off with you than with me.”

Su Aobai stood up, preparing to leave. There was no point in continuing this argument, as standing on different sides meant differing truths, and thus, there was no way to resolve the right or wrong.

“Just keep the money. I grew up in this orphanage as well. I’ll send living expenses every month from now on. Apart from what’s for the child, use the rest to buy extra meals for the children in the playground.”

Having said that, he turned and left.

Dean Mother Ji sat down despondently, took a deep breath, and then got up.

“At least take some back.”

She pulled out a small bundle of money, around 1 or 200 yuan.

“You must need some of that money yourself. Don’t just eat the fast food provided by the unit. Occasionally have something better. Look at how thin you’ve become.”

Dean Mother Ji looked at his body, even more emaciated than when he had first been released, with her eyes reddening.

Although she still couldn’t forgive Su Aobai for his cruelty towards his daughter, since he disliked the child so much, she couldn’t force him to take her in. That wouldn’t be good for either of them.

“Buy an electric razor to shave your beard and get a few decent outfits. Just… just think of it as not worrying Ji Xing. She definitely wouldn’t want to see you like this.”

Dean Mother Ji noticed the worn razor Su Aobai used. The kid must have bought cheap blades. Even now, electric razors weren’t expensive and could last a long time. There was no need to be so frugal.

This time, Su Aobai did not refuse the money she offered.

***

Leaving the director’s office and walking through the front yard of the orphanage, Su Aobai saw the children playing in the yard.

Over the years, the number of compassionate people had increased, and the financial situation of the orphanage had improved significantly.

Su Aobai remembered that when he was young, there was a large pit in the front yard dug by an orphanage worker. It was filled with sand they had brought back from the seaside, and that sandpit was their only big toy.

The sandpit was still there, but now the yard also had swings, seesaws, and slides. Many children in clean clothes played in the front yard.

Some older children, around 8 or 9 years old, not only played but also took care of the younger siblings.

Su Yixing stood behind a swing. A 4 or 5-year-old girl sat on it, and as Yi Xing pushed with force, the swing went high, filling the yard with the girl’s carefree laughter.

Su Yixing stood behind her, her round almond-shaped eyes turned into crescent moons as she smiled, showing her two prominent rabbit teeth, which made her look especially adorable.

For a moment, Su Aobai seemed to see another overlapping scene.

He and Ji Xing had secretly gone to the park. Ji Xing sat on the swing while he pushed from behind. That day, Ji Xing wore a donated dress. Though the dress was a bit old, it was a beautiful tutu with a pink tulle overlay. When she wore it, she looked like a little princess. The girls at the orphanage loved it and took turns wearing it.

It happened to be Ji Xing’s turn to wear the dress that day. She sat on the swing in her beautiful princess dress, and every time she swung up, the skirt would spread out in a graceful arc.

Su Aobai couldn’t see her expression at that time, but from her laughter, he knew she must have been smiling sweetly.

Su Yixing was a bit nervous. She tried to stay calm and, as before, pushed the swing with a certain force. Only she knew her palms were slightly sweaty.

He stopped…

He walked away without turning back…

Su Yixing’s heart, which had been in her throat, fell back into her stomach. She should be relieved, shouldn’t she? He hadn’t taken her away from the dean.

But tears unshed filled her eyes. Su Yixing looked up at the sky, blinked, and forced the tears back. She wasn’t sad; she wasn’t sad at all.

***

Days passed uneventfully, one after another.

Su Aobai gradually established himself at the car repair shop. He never caused trouble, worked diligently, and was always willing to share his knowledge with others. Over time, people began to recognize his character and no longer viewed him through prejudiced lenses.

In addition to repairing cars, Su Aobai occasionally helped the boss train apprentices. With his exceptional skills, the shop’s reputation in the local area improved, leading to more vehicles coming in for repairs. The boss began to consider expanding the business and increasing staff.

As a result, the boss naturally stopped withholding Su Aobai’s wages due to his past criminal record. Not only had his base salary been increased to the appropriate level, but he also received additional teaching fees for training apprentices. Now, his monthly salary could consistently reach 20,000 to 30,000 yuan.

With this decent income, his colleagues at the factory even considered setting him up, despite knowing he had a daughter. However, Su Aobai declined all these offers.

His daily routine was extremely stable. At work, he focused diligently on his tasks. Since he lived in the car repair shop’s dormitory, he often worked night shifts. He took one day off each week, which he spent visiting Peacock Mountain Cemetery to talk with Ji Xing. At the end of each month, he would visit Dean Mother Ji at the orphanage and deliver living expenses.

Apart from that, he had no other recreational activities. His only distractions were his second-hand phone and the television in the shop’s break room.

He didn’t look for a partner or go out for entertainment. To outsiders, he led a monk-like existence.

Many colleagues criticized him behind his back, wondering if he had grown accustomed to prison life and was now living as he had in confinement.

Su Aobai was aware of their gossip. If it came to enjoying life, few could match his expertise. But in this world, he simply lacked the desire for leisure.

Perhaps it was because his heart in this body had already died.

Su Aobai believed that most love in this world eventually transformed into familial affection. No matter how intense the feelings, they would gradually turn into something more mundane. The relationship between the original owner and Ji Xing likely combined both romantic and familial affection, making it particularly intense and genuine during their youth.

But like most romances, after 10 or 20 years of marriage, raising children, and dealing with the mundane aspects of life, the passion faded and turned into a deeper but more subdued familial love.

However, they didn’t have a future. Their relationship ended abruptly at its most intense moment.

All he remembered was the beauty of Ji Xing and the tragic end of their relationship. In the years that followed, this unresolved love tortured him daily. No one could ever replace Ji Xing in his heart.

Time could heal most wounds, but the regret, guilt, pain, and deep love left in his heart only became scars over time, deeply etched into his chest.

Sometimes, death might truly be a form of relief.

But he could not die, because he had promised to live well. If he couldn’t live well, at least he had to live.

**

In the following years, Su Aobai and Su Yixing, father and daughter, had almost no contact. Dean Mother Ji, not giving up, made many attempts, but without their cooperation, these efforts were in vain.

In the blink of an eye, seven years had passed. Su Yixing had celebrated her sixteenth birthday and officially started high school.

2 years ago, Dean Mother Ji retired from her position as the head of the orphanage. She had delayed her retirement for several years, but now she had found a successor she felt could properly care for the children. She could finally retire with peace of mind.

She had neither married nor had children. Her only relative was her sister’s son, but that nephew and his family had moved abroad decades ago. She had once owned a house, but she sold it to fund the operation of the orphanage.

Fortunately, she had a pension. After retiring, she rented a small two-bedroom apartment in an old residential building. The remaining money was enough to cover her daily expenses.

Since Su Yixing wasn’t an orphan and had turned 16, the old lady took her with her when she retired and left the orphanage. Given Yi Xing’s special status, the old lady had invested the most effort in her among all the children. Yi Xing was the child of her two children, and she had raised her as if she were her own granddaughter.

Su Yixing was also very attached to the old lady. Living together, they provided mutual support.

Today was Su Yixing’s school opening ceremony. The old lady had notified Su Aobai well in advance, but unfortunately, he still didn’t show up on the day of the ceremony.

After all these years, there was no sign of reconciliation between the father and daughter.

The old lady was supported into the school by the young girl. Seeing other children with their parents, she felt that Yi Xing’s situation was truly pitiful.

Before the opening ceremony, everyone needed to report to their classrooms. At the start of the school year, the seating was arranged according to the names from the college entrance exams, with each desk labeled accordingly.

Su Yixing, having ranked first in the exams, was placed in the best “Rocket Class” in Yangcheng No. 2 High School. Her seat was in the center of the first row of the classroom.

Yangcheng No. 2 High School wasn’t the best in Yangcheng, but after the new principal took over, the school seemed to have made a determined effort. They offered extremely favorable conditions and recruited seven of the top ten from this year’s middle school exams, including all three top ranks.

Su Yixing had originally wanted to attend No. 7 High School because it had the highest university admission rate in recent years and offered a guaranteed spot at Huake University. However, the conditions offered by No. 2 High School were too attractive to refuse. Not only was the tuition waived, but she also received an 800-yuan monthly cafeteria subsidy. If her grades remained in the top three of the school each semester, she could earn between 5,000 and 10,000 yuan in bonuses.

This money was enough for her to get through her senior year without relying on the living expenses provided by others, and the remaining bonus could be saved for university expenses.

She helped her grandmother sit down and then wondered what kind of desk mate she would have.

If arranged by exam scores, it should be the second highest from the exam. She hoped that the person was a student who spent all their time studying.

Su Yixing frowned, recalling some less friendly memories.

“Hello, I’m your desk mate, Zhu Xining.”

A graceful and poised girl stood next to her desk, without any accompanying family members.

“Hello, I’m Su Yixing.”

Su Yixing smiled warmly, a reflexive habit she had developed.

“Is this your grandmother? Hello, Grandma.”

Zhu Xining crouched down slightly and gave the old lady an enthusiastic hug.

This surprised the old lady a bit. However, having raised many children, she had developed a natural charm that easily attracted younger people. The old lady quickly regained her composure and looked at the girl hugging her with kind, affectionate eyes.

She felt that such a warm and friendly girl must have a good character, and she was confident that Su Yixing would make a good friend this time.

Zhu Xining only hugged for a moment before letting go and wiping her slightly reddened eyes.

“I’m sorry. I just felt you looked a bit like my grandmother, and I miss her.”

Zhu Xining knew that her recent action might have seemed abrupt and odd to them.

Upon hearing the reason, Su Yixing immediately felt at ease.

She understood this girl, as she couldn’t imagine life without her own grandmother.

This shared feeling made Su Yixing develop a liking for the girl in front of her. Maybe… she thought; we might become good friends.