After transmigrating, he supported his family by working at a garbage dump.

Xu Wenjie quickly finished his lunch and headed to town while it was still early.

Bai He was an itinerant doctor who could only prescribe medicine but could not dispense it directly; patients still had to go to the town to get the medicine.

Before leaving, Zhang He stuffed half of the family fortune into his hand and instructed him, "If there's anything left, buy some more pots and pans. You'll need them for daily life, and you'll have to buy them sooner or later. You can't save on them."

Xu Wenjie kept it in mind.

He was always quick on his feet and returned before dark. Xu Wenjie carried a basket full of things on his back. Xu Zhuzhu and Xu An curiously and excitedly approached him, and Zhang He, who had just finished repairing the leaky window on the bed, also came forward to greet him.

Xu Wenjie, however, was panting heavily from exhaustion.

It wasn't that the things were heavy, but the weather was extremely cold. Although the sun was out, the wind picked up in the afternoon. In addition, since the second half of their escape, they had only been able to eat once every three to five days for the past month or two. Even if he were made of iron, his body couldn't withstand such hardship.

After making several trips back and forth today, he could clearly feel his strength declining. His hands and feet were numb from the cold. Zhang He noticed this and quickly took the things from him and put them down.

Xu Zhuzhu and Xu An, the two children, helped Xu Wenjie to the fire, one on each side, and asked with concern, "Daddy, are you alright?"

"How could something have happened to Father?"

Xu Wenjie naturally didn't want his two children to worry, so even though he was very tired, he forced a smile and said, "Have you forgotten how your father pulled the oxcart all by himself to bring you to Xu Tong's residence?"

At the beginning of their escape, they had a horse-drawn carriage, which they sold. Later, they had an oxcart, which broke down. Finally, they had to walk. When their legs could no longer carry them, they finally arrived in Tingzhou.

When this matter was brought up, the usually clever Xu An believed it without much doubt. This was a very important opportunity for him to admire his father. Whenever his father mentioned this matter, Xu An would support him unconditionally.

At that time, her mother was sick, and her father pulled an oxcart alone, with her, her mother, and a pile of luggage on the cart. Her father kept his head down and pulled the cart from Huaiqing Prefecture to Xutong Prefecture, which took more than half a month.

Xu Zhuzhu looked at her father's forced smile and pursed her lips. She didn't believe it at all, but even if she didn't believe it, what good would it do her to expose him?

not at all.

"Is everything okay?"

Zhang He frowned deeply, her eyes filled with worry. She hurriedly handed over a bowl of warm water.

"much better."

After drinking a bowl of warm water, Xu Wenjie felt better and chuckled softly.

Zhang He couldn't help but complain.

"If you can't carry it all, just buy less. The shopkeeper isn't going anywhere. You can buy it in a couple of days. Why rush?"

Xu Wenjie knew his wife was worried about him, so he quickly laughed and changed the subject: "I was just afraid the snow would be too heavy for us to go out!"

Then they pulled over the two baskets that Xu Zhuzhu was surrounding and took them out one by one.

Xu Zhuzhu brought a large bag of medicine, four new bowls, a spatula, and a bamboo ladle. The wooden basin was too heavy and expensive, so he didn't buy it. However, he bought an extra bag of very new cotton cloth, a bag of unknown contents, and a bamboo basket.

"...I bought everything you asked for, and I also bought some plain cotton cloth. Although we can't afford new cotton-padded clothes for the New Year, we can't let you go without new clothes. Make a new undergarment for me...This is a sewing kit, so you don't have to keep borrowing from Madam Hu..." Xu Wenjie said gently.

"Oh, it's a sewing kit?" Xu Zhuzhu wasn't interested.

Zhang He then realized that half of the twelfth lunar month had already passed, and the end of the year was fast approaching.

In previous years, she would prepare new clothes for her family for the New Year well in advance. This year, she had been traveling around for several months and forgot about it. Xu Wenjie, on the other hand, still remembered. She was both touched and worried.

I don't know if we'll be able to get through this year safely.

Seeing how thin and bony the two children were, Zhang He felt a pang of heartache, especially for Xu Zhuzhu, who was always happy during the Lunar New Year.

While she was busy at the stove, Xu Zhuzhu followed closely behind, chattering away...

After thinking for a moment, Zhang He said nothing more. As long as it was for the sake of the two children, she had nothing to be reluctant about. Besides, she could get some food from Zhuzhu now, which put her mind at ease.

However, looking at the long bolt of fabric, Zhang He couldn't help but mutter, "It's enough to buy it for the two children, why waste that money?"

Xu Wenjie smiled and said, "You haven't worn new clothes for almost a year, so I bought them together. It didn't cost much."

The trip was fine except for Xu Zhuzhu's medicine being a bit expensive; it cost a total of half a string of cash.

"But this isn't enough for four people!"

Xu Wenjie smiled again, "Didn't I buy a new one a few days ago? This one is specially for you three."

The long gown that Xu Wenjie bought for the household registration process was actually made of fabric from a few years ago, but the fabric he bought for them was new this year. Zhang He felt both swollen and sour.

Xu Zhuzhu, standing to the side, squinted at her parents' almost puffy eyes, thinking to herself that her father was truly a good man, praising him for a long time...

In the morning, everyone thought Xu Zhuzhu was very ill, so Xu Wenjie didn't have time to think about what was happening in the fairyland.

Now that Xu Zhuzhu is alive and kicking, he wanted her to take him there again after he had rested. He felt like he had understood something last night.

Xu Zhuzhu naturally had no objection. She asked Zhang He if she wanted to come along, but Zhang He declined, saying, "I'll start decocting the medicine now, so you can drink it when you get back."

Upon hearing about taking medicine, Xu Zhuzhu's face turned green. She blinked her big, watery eyes, trying to coax Zhang He, but Zhang He turned away and ignored her, saying, "Go on! Bring back more vegetables."

Xu Zhuzhu stomped her feet angrily.

She then asked Xu An if he wanted to go. Children are generally more interested in unfamiliar things, and Xu An and she, as children, hadn't been able to get a word in edgewise earlier.

Xu An was very upset. Seeing his father's current condition, he spent extra money to buy them fabric for making clothes, and he developed a bit more admiration for his father.

He secretly made up his mind to be a good son to his father and help him reduce his burden. When he heard Xu Zhuzhu call him, his eyes lit up.

"go with!"

He hurriedly came over and took Xu Zhuzhu's hand, very proactively, which surprised Xu Zhuzhu.

Fearing there was too much stuff, Xu Wenjie also carried his newly bought basket on his back. The three of them, father and daughters, opened the door to find themselves back in the garbage dump.

There seems to be less trash today than yesterday, and it's not piled up outside the garbage station. However, the trash is still being thrown around haphazardly without being sorted. And some trash that was correctly thrown into the recycling and food waste bins hasn't been turned into brand new wood and vegetables.

Xu Zhuzhu figured that the modern world and the garbage dump they were in were probably two different alternate dimensions, or that there was some kind of special barrier or something, so people outside couldn't see them, and the garbage thrown in wouldn't have any effect.

His father, being a man of action, emptied all the trash from the bin and called Xu An over to pick through the garbage together.

Xu An was responsible for finding the recyclable garbage, while Xu Wenjie used a handkerchief that appeared out of nowhere to cover his mouth and nose and rummage through the sour and smelly leftovers.

Xu Zhuzhu was arranged to be examined on the side.

In Xu Wenjie's words, she was still sick. If it weren't for the fact that there were some things he couldn't recognize, he wouldn't have let Xu Zhuzhu stay here. He would have just waited until later to have her come and pick them up.

Seeing this, Xu Zhuzhu sighed inwardly, thinking how lucky she was to have been born into such a wonderful family.

Xu Zhuzhu looked up at the sky, wondering if this was compensation.

She obediently accepted Xu Wenjie's arrangements. Occasionally, when she tried to intervene, Xu An stopped her, saying, "Just watch, little sister. If your brother makes a mistake, you should point it out."

Xu Zhuzhu could only stand by with her hands in her pockets and watch, occasionally telling Xu An what kind of trash this was and what kind of trash that was.

Time passed by, and the kitchen waste we collected today was quite varied, but still too little: one tomato, one onion, one scallion, one clove of garlic, a bunch of cilantro, a bunch of green onions... a small half-bag of rice, and some leftover steamed buns that no one knew who had finished eating, so we also collected a handful of flour.

The items were all packed in plastic bags they found at the garbage station. Xu Zhuzhu told Zhang He that plastic bags could still be used after being washed, so they kept all the sturdy plastic bags they found.

Xu An packed everything up, and Xu Zhuzhu was responsible for picking them up and putting them into the basket. While picking them up, Xu Zhuzhu was muttering to herself, "Why are they all spices and side dishes?"

However, there was quite a lot of recyclable waste, and Xu Zhuzhu's family harvested a pile of wood. As for the other waste and hazardous waste bins, nothing happened to the garbage thrown in.

After tidying up, Xu Wenjie didn't move. When Xu Zhuzhu was about to call him, she found her father staring intently at the two trash cans: one for general waste and one for hazardous waste. Xu Zhuzhu went over and asked, "Daddy, what's wrong?"

Xu Wenjie pointed to the icons on the bucket, "Zhuzhu, look, why are these two pictures half green and half red?"

Xu Zhuzhu looked closer and burst out laughing, clasping her hands together.