Eating Melons in the Police Station

Chapter 14

Teacher Zhuang's mother is the principal of the Little Sun Daycare Center. Teacher Zhuang herself grew up in this daycare center and has witnessed many first-time separations, which are always a difficult process for both parents and children.

Therefore, when it comes to reporting on the children's behavior at the daycare center, Teacher Zhuang usually only shares the good news and avoids mentioning the bad, so as not to cause unnecessary anxiety for the parents.

But now, she has received a message from Zhong Jin, asking how Little Tong is doing at the daycare center. Teacher Zhuang is at a loss. She usually only reports the good news, but the problem is, there isn't much good news to report about Little Tong. She has no choice but to be honest.

[Little Tong has been lying on the floor in this position all morning.]

The message is accompanied by a photo of the scene.

Zhong Jin is currently at the scene of a breaking-and-entering case. The case itself is not complicated: the landlord owes money to a renovation company, and the company has broken into the property and damaged the interior.

The case is straightforward to handle—one issue at a time. First, charge the renovation company for breaking and entering and damaging property, then mediate the issue of the landlord's unpaid debt. But the officers on the scene are puzzled. Why is the station chief personally present for such a routine case? They don't dare ask too many questions, though. Perhaps he's here to oversee the work, so they proceed with extra caution.

Zhong Jin stands by the floor-to-ceiling window of the newly renovated apartment, opens his phone, and sees the message from Teacher Zhuang. He also sees the photo of Little Tong lying on the floor like a puppy, her little hands tucked under her and her bottom sticking up. The sight of her being so well-behaved breaks his heart.

He would rather she be a bit naughty, crying and making a fuss, than see her like this.

The officers notice the change in Zhong Jin's expression, his eyes darkening, and assume there's a problem with the case. Just as one of them is about to ask, Zhong Jin says, "Take them back to the station and follow the usual procedures. I need to step out for a bit."

Leaving the scene, Zhong Jin drives straight to the Little Sun Daycare Center. It's not far, just a ten-minute drive.

As soon as he approaches the wrought-iron gate of the daycare center, he hears a familiar voice call out, "Daddy!" Then, like a little cannonball, the child rushes out of the classroom, grinning at him through the bars, shaking her head and wiggling her bottom, overjoyed.

Teacher Zhuang runs out after her and speaks to Zhong Jin through the bars, "Little Tong's dad, what brings you here?"

Zhong Jin tightens his jaw, trying to appear composed to cover up his momentary lapse, "I'm here to take her home."

Teacher Zhuang sees right through him, "Little Tong's dad, calm down. It's normal for children to struggle with their first separation from their parents. Besides, Little Tong isn't crying or making a fuss. She just needs more time to adjust."

Zhong Jin has been in the police force for over a decade. It's always been him telling others to stay calm. This is the first time someone has told him to calm down. To be honest, he's starting to waver again. Spoiling a child too much isn't good.

Little Tong grips the bars with both hands, her big, watery eyes fixed on him, pleading pitifully, "I don't want to get used to it. I want to be with you."

Zhong Jin meets her teary gaze and, as if under a spell, his mouth moves faster than his brain, "Alright, I'll take you home."

And so, Little Tong's first day at daycare is cut short. By the afternoon, she's back at the police station. Her little backpack is stuffed with snacks and drinks, and she toddles around, weaving through various mediation scenes. When a case catches her interest, she stands on tiptoe, stretching her neck to get a better look. The adult world is far too bewildering, and she occasionally needs a snack to calm her nerves.

It's rare for the station not to have overtime today. As the workday ends, Mao Feixue receives a voice message from her son, Xiang Zimo: [Mom, are you off work yet?]

Mao Feixue smiles and replies with a voice message, [Sweetheart, I'm off work now and heading home.]

Another voice message comes through, [Can you make braised pork for dinner tonight?]

[Of course.]

Xiang Zimo's clear voice comes through again, [Oh, and how did Little Tong's first day at daycare go?]

Mao Feixue chats with her son as she grabs her bag and heads toward the exit. She spots Little Tong leaning against the glass door and smiles at her, "Little Tong, want to come to Auntie's house for braised pork tonight?"

Little Tong has a lollipop in her mouth. When she hears Mao Feixue speaking to her, she takes the lollipop out. At the mention of braised pork, her eyes light up, and she swallows hard. But after a moment's thought, she shakes her head,

"No,

I have to wait for Chief Zhong to finish work."

Mao Feixue tries to smooth down the little tuft of hair sticking up at the back of Little Tong's head, but it refuses to stay down. After a few attempts, she gives up and ruffles the top of her head instead, then walks out the door with a smile.

She sends another voice message to her son, [Little Tong didn't have a smooth first day. She only stayed for half a day before her dad picked her up.]

Little Tong stands behind the glass door, watching Mao Feixue get into her car. She lifts her little legs and dashes into Zhong Jin's office.

Her small hands grip the edge of the desk, and the effort causes dimples to form on her chubby little hands. She stretches her neck as far as she can, "Daddy, Auntie Mao is having braised pork for dinner tonight."

Zhong Jin is reviewing a surveillance video sent by the cybersecurity department. He absentmindedly replies, "Hmm."

Little Tong blinks, "I want some too."

Zhong Jin, "Alright, I'll order some braised pork for you later."

"Can't you make it?"

Zhong Jin finally looks away from the screen, "What?"

Little Tong stares at him and repeats, "Auntie Mao can make braised pork. Can't you?"

Zhong Jin feels a strange sense of competitiveness stirring within him, "Not only can I make it, but I can make it even better than hers."

As he pushes the shopping cart with the child inside through the supermarket aisles, Zhong Jin begins to regret his decision. What could have been solved with a simple takeout order has now become unnecessarily complicated. It's not that making braised pork is difficult, but Zhong Jin has forgotten one crucial detail—his kitchen is completely devoid of basic seasonings.

To make a single dish of braised pork, he now has to buy an entire arsenal of seasonings: oil, salt, soy sauce, sugar, ginger, scallions, star anise, cinnamon... It's the classic case of going to great lengths for something trivial.

Little Tong, oblivious to her father's growing frustration, sits in the shopping cart, calmly chewing on the stick of her lollipop. She points confidently, "Push me over there. I need some yogurt."

Zhong Jin can't stand her carefree attitude and plucks the stick from her mouth, "Stop chewing on that stick after you finish the lollipop."

Little Tong covers her head in protest, "Give it back."

Zhong Jin, with a straight face, spins a tall tale, "Once, I handled a case where a kid was chewing on a stick just like you. He fell, and the stick went right through his mouth, pierced his brain, and came out the back of his head."

He points to Little Tong's shadow on the floor, where the tuft of hair sticking up looks like a little stick poking out of her head, "Just like that."

Little Tong stares at her shadow, gasping in horror, "Throw it away!"

"Will you chew on sticks anymore?" Zhong Jin tosses the stick into the trash, his expression unreadable.

Little Tong shakes her head vigorously, "No, no, never again."

As they push the cart into the fresh produce section, Little Tong asks, "Did he die?"

"Hmm?"

"The kid whose head got pierced. Did he die?"

"Oh, no. The doctors stitched his head back together, and he was fine."

Hearing that the kid survived, Little Tong lets out a huge sigh of relief.

After finishing their shopping, Zhong Jin carries Little Tong in one arm and a massive shopping bag in the other. The bag is so full that it even contains a pressure cooker.

Back at home, Zhong Jin tells Little Tong to go wash her hands while he heads straight into the kitchen.

The apartment was bought after he moved to He'an for work. It was a move-in-ready, fully furnished unit, and he only bought a few pieces of furniture before settling in. He's never cooked in this kitchen before, so today marks its first use. As he rummages around, everything feels unfamiliar, as if he's stepped into someone else's home.

Little Tong finishes washing her hands and follows him into the kitchen. She walks straight to the cabinets, climbs up on her tiptoes, and peers over the edge to see what her dad is up to.

"Daddy, what's that?"

Zhong Jin is busy cutting the pork belly into pieces and replies casually, "It's a loose Peppa Pig."

Little Tong, "..."

Zhong Jin pauses, the knife resting on the cutting board. He immediately regrets making such a joke. Peppa Pig is one of Little Tong's favorite characters, and children take these things seriously. It was a thoughtless thing to say.

He's about to explain himself when

Hearing Little Tong say, "Peppa Pig is a cartoon, not real. You're a bit silly."

Zhong Jin, "......Go play somewhere else."

Little Tong, like a little tail, kept circling around Zhong Jin. A few times, she almost stepped on her, and Zhong Jin was worried she might get splashed by hot oil. She tried to shoo her out, but Little Tong would come running back after a few minutes.

Zhong Jin had no choice but to go outside and find a curtain tie. She tied one end around Little Tong's waist and the other end to the handle of the kitchen sliding door, keeping the child about one or two meters away from the stove.

Little Tong tugged at the rope, still trying to get closer, like a little calf, charging forward with all her might.

Zhong Jin scolded her, "No charging."

"Charging" was a term often used when training police dogs back in the day, and Zhong Jin felt it fit this little rascal perfectly.

With the help of the pressure cooker, the braised pork was ready in no time. Zhong Jin was quite skilled in cooking, preparing three dishes and a soup: braised pork, scrambled eggs with tomatoes, and blanched Chinese broccoli. The meal was well-balanced and looked appetizing.

Little Tong was too short to sit on an adult dining chair, so Zhong Jin had to hold her on her lap.

Zhong Jin had recently looked up some online tutorials on how to deal with picky eaters, and today seemed like a good day to test them out. She scooped a small spoonful of rice into a little bowl, added some greens and meat, and then mashed everything together with a spoon, mixing it all up.

Looking at the bowl of unrecognizable food, Zhong Jin fell into deep thought.

She took out her phone and checked the tutorial she had saved, making sure the label read "#Human Toddler Meal Plan#" and not something like "#Homemade Pet Food#."

But the perfectly good meal now looked like dog food, and Zhong Jin couldn't help but wonder how anyone could eat it.

Little Tong, however, was getting impatient. She tugged at Zhong Jin's sleeve and asked, "Can I eat now?"

Zhong Jin pushed the bowl of "dog food" in front of her. "Go ahead."

Little Tong picked up a big spoonful of the "dog food"—well, the mysterious concoction filled with her dad's love—and stuffed it into her mouth. She covered her mouth with her little hands, chewing seriously.

Zhong Jin asked curiously, "Is it good?"

Little Tong gave two thumbs up, the highest level of approval. "Super 100 points delicious."

Zhong Jin, "...Let me try a bite." After tasting it, she said, "It actually tastes okay." Except for its ugly appearance.

While they were eating, the power suddenly went out. Looking out the window, the buildings across the street were also pitch black. Zhong Jin checked her phone and saw a notification in the neighborhood group chat: the entire complex had experienced a power outage, and repairs were already underway.

Despite the sudden blackout, Little Tong wasn't scared and remained focused on her meal. Zhong Jin lifted her up slightly by the hood of her sweatshirt to keep her face from falling into the bowl.

The moonlight was bright tonight, and without the electric lights, the house wasn't too dark. The full moon hung high outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting a soft glow throughout the room.

Life truly was unpredictable. Just two weeks ago, Zhong Jin had firmly believed she would never have a family again. But today, she was holding her own flesh and blood, eating a simple home-cooked meal, as if in a dream.

Little Tong quickly finished the food in her bowl, even eating the grains of rice stuck to the sides with the meat sauce.

Zhong Jin asked, "Do you want more?"

Little Tong patted her round little belly. "I'm full."

Zhong Jin set her down on the floor. "Then go play for a bit. If the power doesn't come back soon, I'll take you to the public bathhouse for a bath."

Little Tong took a couple of steps toward the sofa but then suddenly ran back. She waved at her dad and said, "I want to tell you a secret."

Zhong Jin bent down, and Little Tong leaned in. Her chubby little arms wrapped around Zhong Jin's neck as she whispered in her ear, "I love you so much."

As soon as she finished speaking, the appliances in the house beeped, and the lights in the living room, kitchen, and hallway turned on one by one.

Zhong Jin stood there, momentarily stunned by the sudden brightness.

Little Tong, still close to her ear, asked, "So... do I still have to take a bath?"

"No. Even if you love me, you still have to take a bath."