DLRC – Chapter 23 Breaking Away from the Original Family

Yu Wei first took little Huihui to a noodle shop for a meal. Today, she didn’t order wontons—instead, she got a bowl of saozi noodles, portioned at three liang. There was plenty of minced meat and no chili, making it just right for a child to eat.

She asked the owner for an extra small bowl, and mother and son shared the meal. Afterward, she wiped the boy’s little mouth with a tissue, and the two finally set off toward their new home.

Her phone showed a remaining balance of a little over 200 yuan. She temporarily withdrew 60 yuan—her plan was to go to Changqing Road and pay the rent to the landlord first, then buy some household necessities.

Ever since leaving the factory compound with Yu Hui, the little guy’s mood had visibly improved.

With hopeful anticipation, even the hot summer morning didn’t seem as stifling. Joy filled his heart, and Yu Hui suddenly pointed at an old building not far ahead.

“Mama.” Yu Hui had a good memory—he’d only been there once, yet he already remembered the landlady. He even recognized her from behind. What a clever little fellow.

Yu Wei followed his pointing finger. Outside a three-story residential building, an elderly woman was bent over watering a small vegetable garden enclosed with bricks. Behind her was a clean and tidy street, and neighbors passing by occasionally greeted her with smiles.

“Aihua, have you had breakfast yet?”

“Not yet. My husband’s cooking inside. I came out first to check on my vegetables. Heading to work?”

“Yeah, but gotta drop the kid off at school first.”

As the two chatted, Yu Wei held her son’s hand and walked toward the elderly woman.

“Hello.”

Jiang Aihua straightened up when she heard the voice and patted her back before turning around. “Oh, it’s you!”

“Yes, I said yesterday that we’d be moving in. I’m here now to pay the rent.”

Jiang Aihua hadn’t expected this woman with a child to arrive so early. Seeing the two cloth bags hanging from her shoulder, she figured they were probably… moving in right now. She discreetly sized them up, then smiled warmly and invited them in.

“You’re really early! Come, I’ll take you upstairs. You two go clean up the place first—I’ll grab some breakfast.”

Having lived most of her life, Jiang Aihua had a keen eye for people. She wasn’t worried that Yu Wei would run off with the key. She handed it over so they could start tidying up, and she’d collect the rent after breakfast.

When the landlord generously handed her the key, Yu Wei gave a bright smile in thanks. With her good looks, it was easy to make a good impression. The landlord waved her hand repeatedly and reminded her, “No need to thank me. Go on up and start cleaning. No one’s lived there for over half a year, it’s probably dusty everywhere.”

“Okay. Thank you, Auntie.” Yu Wei tugged on Yu Hui’s little hand. “Huihui, quickly thank Grandma.”

Yu Hui didn’t really like speaking in front of strangers, but he still obediently followed his mother’s instructions.

“Thank you, Grandma.”

Jiang Aihua liked children, especially the pretty, well-behaved ones. Hearing Yu Hui’s soft, sweet “Grandma,” her heart felt warm.

“What a sweet boy. Go on up and unpack,” Jiang Aihua said as she gently ruffled his hair.

Yu Hui flinched slightly and tightly gripped the hem of Yu Wei’s shirt.

Yu Wei smiled and affectionately touched her son’s cheek before leading him upstairs.

The stairwell was quite narrow—just wide enough for two people side by side. Any more would be a squeeze.

The little guy struggled to climb with his short legs. Not used to much physical activity, he was panting heavily by the second floor, yet stubbornly held onto Yu Wei’s hand without asking to stop and rest.

Seeing how hard he was working, Yu Wei crouched down and lifted him onto her shoulder.

“Let’s go—Mama will carry you up.” Looks like she’d have to take him out more often to build up his physical strength.

But really, he was only four. Being able to climb two flights was already impressive.

They reached the center apartment on the third floor. Yu Wei took out the key and unlocked the door. Perhaps because they’d toured the place yesterday, it didn’t feel as dusty as before when it opened.

They’d probably forgotten to close the balcony door when they left yesterday—fresh air had been flowing in, giving the space a much-needed dose of oxygen.

Yu Wei put her son down. “Huihui, we need to clean up our new home now. Be good and stay here, don’t run around. Mama’s going to start working.”

To her surprise, Yu Hui opened his little mouth and said, “I want to…”

Yu Wei chuckled at his cautious, nervous expression. “You want to what?”

“I want to sweep.”

For a moment, Yu Wei was stunned. This little guy… he wanted to help?

Warmth flooded her heart at the thought of how thoughtful he was being. Yu Wei couldn’t help but love her little darling even more.

What’s wrong with being introverted? What’s wrong with not talking much? Just look at little Huihui—so thoughtful, so sensible. He was already acting like her little cotton-padded jacket.

But even though she thought that, Yu Wei couldn’t bear to have a skinny and delicate four-year-old help her with chores.

She took one of the new towels she had bought last time out of the cloth bag and used it as a rag. After wiping the wooden bed twice, she picked up Yu Hui and sat him down on it.

“Play by yourself for a bit, okay? Mama’s going to do some cleaning. Be good.”

The little guy knew his mother didn’t want him to help. Although he felt a bit disappointed, he was still very obedient. He nodded and sat there quietly to play by himself.

Yu Wei put the toys she’d bought earlier on the bed for him, then finally got to work.

She moved the larger trash from the room out to the garbage can downstairs. As she was leaving, Yu Hui glanced at her. Yu Wei knew this child had an extreme sense of insecurity, so she smiled and reassured him,

“Mama’s just going downstairs to throw out the trash. Be good and don’t run off, okay?”

Yu Hui blinked and nodded again, tightening his grip on the panda plushie in his hand as he watched Yu Wei close the door and walk out into the hallway.

Who knows how long had passed when Yu Wei finally came back, a little late. The moment the door opened, the little guy’s excited face turned toward her.

His eyes lit up immediately. Hugging his panda, he opened his mouth—he probably wanted to call “Mama,” but in the end, no sound came out.

Yu Wei was carrying a broom in one hand and a basin in the other—both borrowed from the landlord. Thankfully, Jiang Aihua hadn’t said anything. Once Yu Wei had paid the rent and deposit, she’d readily lent them to her.

“Huihui is such a good boy. You really sat here and waited for me.”

The little guy watched his mom bend over to sweep. He crawled to the wooden railing at the edge of the bed and leaned over it, his big misty deer-like eyes following the broom’s movements intently.

He pointed to a corner of the wall. “Mama.”

Yu Wei chuckled and swept the trash in that direction.

“Huihui’s eyes are really sharp.”

Yu Hui was clearly delighted, thrilled that he could help his mother. He looked noticeably more energetic.

Encouraged by her praise, he continued acting like a little stern sanitation officer. His eyes darted around, and he pointed to another dirty spot.

“Mama.”

Yu Wei swept her way over and cleaned up the small bits of trash.

The mother and son worked together to clean the floor until it was spotless. Yu Wei wiped down the wooden cabinet several times, while Yu Hui stayed on the bed folding his own clothes. He didn’t actually know how to fold them, but he tried his hardest to fold them in half, then again, and again. Honestly, it looked close enough.

Not wanting to dampen his enthusiasm, Yu Wei praised him. “Huihui is amazing!” Then she combined both of their clothes, folded them neatly, and only placed them in the cabinet once everything was tidy.

By the time they were getting ready to go out and buy things for the house, Yu Hui’s little face was slightly flushed. Clearly, he was still excited from having helped his mother.

So the kid liked feeling useful. It looked like she’d need to involve him in more tasks he could handle. Just look how happy he was!

Looking at the freshly cleaned new home, Yu Wei, though a bit tired from all the morning chores, felt so happy she almost wanted to shout.

There was still a lot to buy for the new place, and Yu Wei planned to stream the shopping experience for her online followers, showing them what shopping in the 1980s was like.

It might sound a bit boring, but she needed to strike while the iron was hot. While people were still curious about her livestreams, she had to make more money for her and her son—so they could live a more comfortable life going forward.

Before leaving, she casually started the livestream. The cover title was in bold, eye-catching text: “Come see—your Little Fish Tail Streamer is taking you shopping in the 1980s!”

Recently, because of livestreaming, Yu Wei always wore tops with pockets. The square little pocket could hide about two-thirds of her phone.

Yu Hui had long since lost interest in the rectangular slab in his mother’s hand. He was just thrilled—he could finally go shopping outside with Mama again!

He’d been trapped in that old courtyard house for four years. More than four whole years.

For as long as he could remember, that old house had been a constant nightmare in his mind. He woke up to it. He fell asleep to it.

Only heaven knew how excited his little heart was when they moved today!

He tilted his head and looked at his mother. Lately, everything felt like a dream. Mama felt like a dream too.

A beautiful dream.

“So today, I won’t be talking much while we’re out. Dear friends, feel free to leave comments and interact—I’ll chat with you all in the community after the stream ends.”

The viewer count on the screen slowly started climbing. In the chat, there were just a few comments so far, like: “The streamer’s here,” “Can’t wait,” and “Ahhh finally!”

Yu Wei held her little guy’s hand as they headed downstairs. They hadn’t even walked far before they bumped into a woman coming toward them.

She was stunning—but not in the soft, delicate way that girls from Jiangnan like Yu Wei typically were, with gentle elegance and harmless charm.

This woman’s beauty was bold and flamboyant. From her outfit to her makeup, everything about her stood out.

Bright red lips, defined brows, a delicate nose, and voluminous, wavy hair that danced in the wind. She wore a fitted sheer printed chiffon blouse that accentuated her figure, a dark green knee-length skirt that hugged her long, fair legs, and thick-soled suede heels that clicked crisply as she walked.

Yu Wei was a little surprised to see a woman dressed like that in the 1980s. She turned back to glance at her, watching as the glamorous woman walked to the door on the right side of their unit, opened it, and went in—closing it behind her with a loud bang.

So it was a neighbor.

The woman they ran into earlier was just a minor interlude. After asking a passerby for directions, Yu Wei finally found the department store located not far from their new home.

It was quite close—only about a ten-minute walk.

“Since the streamer is moving into a new home today, there’s a lot to buy. Everyone’s welcome to share your moving tips in the comment section!”

Talking to the air felt a little strange, but fortunately, she had her son with her, and she was speaking softly. People who didn’t know better might just think she was chatting with her child.

【Got it!】

【Third time checking in on the live—everything feels so real, I can’t help but believe it】

【Here comes someone born in the ’80s! Gotta say, I can’t spot a single flaw】

【I work in prop design and even I’m impressed! So detailed, I can’t pick out anything wrong】

【Ahhh streamer, I’m here! Wait, where are you?】

【She’s taking you shopping, upstairs person】 

【Hahaha, so cute】

The comment section remained lively as Yu Wei continued browsing.

There were so many things the new home needed—pots and pans, brooms and mops, towels and tissues… She even considered going to a furniture store to buy a few stools and small cabinets.

After buying all that, it wasn’t even about whether she had enough money—the real problem was that she and her son simply couldn’t carry everything back.

There was no way she could make trip after trip. At that rate, how long would it take to move everything? Her son would be exhausted keeping up with her.

She casually asked the little one, “Huihui, how do you think we’re supposed to carry all this back home?”

Naturally, Yu Hui had no idea. His little eyes were glued to the dazzling array of goods behind the counter. Sometimes, when he spotted something especially strange-looking, his rosy little mouth would part slightly in awe.

【Streamer, you could pay to hire a truck driver to help you move it】

【Honestly, I think an electric tricycle would do the job】

【Let me butt in a sec—vehicles like that aren’t necessarily easy to find these days…】【That one nailed it】

【Looks like the comment section is full of students, huh? Don’t even know this stuff】

【No way, not even tricycles are available?】

【There aren’t any electric ones anymore—just the manual kind】

Yu Wei, oblivious to the comment section discussion, continued shopping enthusiastically. She picked up an enamel basin and gave it a gentle knock—the clear, crisp sound rang out across the store.

It was 9:30, and the department store wasn’t very crowded. A shop assistant noticed and walked over.

“Looking for something?”

Her attitude was decent. After scanning Yu Wei up and down, she didn’t show any irritation at the sight of Yu Wei’s washed-out cotton T-shirt.

Yu Wei picked up one large and one small enamel basin and asked with a smile, “Excuse me, how much are these?”

The shop assistant glanced over. “Five mao for the large, three mao for the small.”

Hmm… Just as cheap as she remembered.

Yu Wei looked around the counter. The shelves were all stocked with daily necessities. After thinking for a moment, she realized that pretty much everything she needed for the house was right here.

So much. Really, so much.

“Um… may I ask if you offer delivery upstairs?” Yu Wei leaned in and asked softly.

The shop assistant gave her a strange look and shook her head. “Of course not.”

She’d never heard of any store offering home delivery before. What a strange idea—expecting the goods you bought to be brought to your door? Did the customer really think they were royalty? Just thinking this way made the shop assistant’s expression sour noticeably.

Seeing her change in attitude, Yu Wei didn’t know what to do. But she knew there was no way she could carry everything home in one trip by herself.

Even making several trips would be exhausting.

“How about this,” Yu Wei said sincerely. “I’ll pay—like a delivery fee. Could you send someone to help bring it to my place?”

The shop assistant’s face remained unchanged. “We’ve never had a delivery policy here. If you want to buy something, carry it back yourself.”

Was she here to stir up trouble or what?

Yu Wei gave an awkward smile and waved to the shop assistant while holding her son’s hand. “Comrade, I just moved into a new home and need to get a lot of stuff. As you can see, I’ve got a child with me—it’s really hard to carry it all back, so I thought I’d pay someone to help deliver it.”

They were both women. Surely the shop assistant could understand her situation?