Eating Melons in the Police Station-Chapter 96
Not all the officers at the police station were from Haishan. Strictly speaking, they came from all corners of the country. On New Year's Eve, the cafeteria staff not only prepared a lavish spread but also made dumplings and tangyuan (sweet rice balls) to cater to both northern and southern customs. Everyone pushed the tables and chairs together, sitting around one big, lively table.
Little Tong, once at the station, stopped clinging to her parents. Seated between Gu Le and Hu De, she didn’t even need to lift a finger—whatever she wanted to eat, someone would immediately feed her.
Pointing at the sweet and sour pork on the table, Little Tong said, "I love that—it’s tangy and sweet."
No sooner had she spoken than someone stood up and moved the dish right in front of her.
Qiu Sheng finally understood why the kid was always so eager to return to the station—she was practically the station’s collective darling.
Midway through the meal, the cafeteria lady suddenly stood, weaving through the crowd to reach Little Tong. She discreetly slipped a red envelope into the pocket of the little girl’s padded jacket, then hurried back to her seat as if afraid of being refused.
Qiu Sheng nudged Zhong Jin. "The auntie just gave Little Tong a red envelope. Should we accept it?"
"It’s fine. It’s the New Year—let them be. I’ll send red envelopes to the group chat later to return the gesture."
Reassured, Qiu Sheng relaxed. After all, everyone worked hard for their money, and she didn’t want anyone to feel shortchanged.
Once the cafeteria lady set the precedent, several other officers followed suit, handing Little Tong red envelopes. The little girl, oblivious to their purpose, seemed unimpressed.
Qiu Sheng coached her: "Sweetheart, say ‘Thank you, wishing you prosperity.’"
Little Tong stood up, clasped her hands together like she’d seen on TV, and obediently bowed. "Thank you, wishing you prosperity!" she announced brightly.
Several people rushed over just to hand her red envelopes and hear those auspicious words.
Clutching the envelopes, Little Tong asked, "What’s these for?"
Hu De helped her organize the red envelopes, tucking them into her little satchel. "These are good things, kiddo. The more, the merrier. Hold onto them for now—I’ll teach you how to use them later."
By the time the New Year’s Eve feast ended, Little Tong had a satchel full of red envelopes slung over her shoulder. But when Hu De mentioned taking her to buy fireworks, she immediately forgot all about them.
Riding her scooter, Little Tong followed Hu De to a nearby store, where he bought her handheld sparklers and "snap pops"—tiny firecrackers she could throw to the ground.
The first time she tried the snap pops, the loud crack startled her.
But she quickly grew addicted, tossing them near drunkards who’d been hauled into the station.
One particularly inebriated man shrieked, "The Earth is exploding!" as he scrambled away on all fours with surprising agility.
It took several officers chasing him down to finally restrain him.
Unsurprisingly, Zhong Yuntong got a stern scolding from the station chief and was banished to the courtyard, where she was only allowed to play with her fireworks and snap pops.
Holidays always brought a surge in incidents, and New Year’s Eve was even busier than usual. After dinner, Zhong Jin stayed inside, helping handle cases.
Meanwhile, Qiu Sheng and Little Tong sat on the courtyard steps, playing with sparklers. Little Tong borrowed a lighter from an officer and had Qiu Sheng light two sparklers—one for her mother and one for herself.
Waving the glittering sparks, Little Tong cheered, "Mommy, we’re both princesses, that’s why we’re so pretty!"
Qiu Sheng clinked her sparkler against her daughter’s like a toast. "My baby’s so clever."
Little Tong turned to her, suddenly serious. "Mommy, I also know Daddy’s the knight—he’s the one who protects us."
As if in response to her words, fireworks suddenly burst across the night sky, one after another, painting Haishan in a kaleidoscope of colors.
Little Tong’s starry eyes widened in awe as she pointed upward. "Mommy, look! The grown-up fireworks from the little ones’ families are here!"
Qiu Sheng laughed at her description. "Sweetheart, it’s the New Year arriving."
Zhong Jin worked overtime until past 2 a.m. on New Year’s Day. Qiu Sheng and Little Tong dozed on the couch under a blanket, waiting for him to finish before he woke them to drive home.
By the time they washed up and settled into bed, dawn was already breaking.
Exhausted from days of poor sleep, they finally rested soundly in the comfort of their own home.
They slept until noon, when Little Tong—still in her pajamas, hair a mess—charged into the master bedroom’s bathroom. After using the toilet and washing her hands, she marched to Zhong Jin’s bedside and pinched his nose shut.
Gasping awake, he blinked at her. "What’s wrong?"
Little Tong patted her belly. "Daddy, I’m hungry."
Squinting at the clock on the nightstand, Zhong Jin bolted upright—it was almost 2 p.m.
"No groceries at home. We’ll eat out later. Grab a snack first to tide you over."
Little Tong dashed to the snack cabinet, returning with a bun and milk, which she handed to Zhong Jin to unwrap.
Toothbrush in mouth, he poured the milk into a glass, warmed it in the microwave, and handed it back.
Still brushing his teeth, he knocked on the guest room door. "Qiu Sheng, time to get up."
Once both parents were ready, they called Little Tong to the couch and each gave her a red envelope.
Clasping her hands, she recited cheerfully, "Thank you, wishing you prosperity!"
Then she pedaled her tricycle to the entryway, retrieving her satchel from the day before. Inside were stacks of red envelopes and assorted treats like jelly cups and hawthorn cakes.
Kneeling on the rug, Little Tong frowned at the pile. "What’re these really for?"
Zhong Jin sat cross-legged opposite her, teaching her to extract the cash inside. "This is money. With it, you can buy things—fried chicken, grilled sausages, rides on the mini train, even trips to the amusement park or aquarium."
Little Tong tilted her head. "But… isn’t money inside phones?"
Only then did Zhong Jin realize he’d overlooked this detail.
Unlike kids raised in this world, Little Tong had come from a place where money didn’t exist. Here, she’d only ever seen adults pay with phones, leading her to assume currency lived inside them.
Seizing the moment, Zhong Jin explained where money came from, how it was stored in banks, and how phones linked to bank cards for payments.
Little Tong still didn't fully understand.
Zhong Jin decided to let her experience spending money firsthand by using the cash from her own red envelope that day.
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Most restaurants on the street were still closed, so they drove to the mall for lunch. After eating at a teppanyaki place, Zhong Jin had Little Tong pay the bill herself with the money from her small crossbody bag.
Little Tong took a few short steps toward the cashier but then nervously scurried back, clutching Zhong Jin’s knee. "Come with me," she said.
Zhong Jin stood up and followed her to the counter.
Little Tong pulled out a stack of hundred-yuan bills from her bag, tossed them onto the counter, and tiptoed to peer over the edge. "Can I pay with this?" she asked.
The cashier, surprised to see such a cute little girl suddenly appear, smiled warmly. "Of course!"
After giving Little Tong her change, the cashier also handed her a lollipop—a treat for the round-faced little one.
Her cheeks flushed with excitement, Little Tong pressed a hand to her bag and puffed out her chest. "I spent money!"
Zhong Jin patted her head and guided her toward the exit. "Come on, let’s go ride the mini train."
Qiu Sheng took the opportunity to teach Little Tong about the denominations of the change she received—how larger bills were worth more, while a single yuan couldn’t buy much these days.
Hearing that one yuan couldn’t get her anything good, Little Tong casually tossed the bill into a nearby trash can.
"Hey!" Qiu Sheng quickly fished it out, relieved it wasn’t dirty.
She handed the coin back to Little Tong. "Even if one yuan can’t buy much alone, you can combine it with other money. Haven’t you learned basic math?"
Little Tong suddenly understood and pulled out a five-yuan note. "So if I add one yuan and five yuan, I’ll have six yuan, and then I can buy something worth six yuan?"
"Exactly!"
Little Tong used her own money to ride the mini train while Zhong Jin and Qiu Sheng let her enjoy the experience without interference. The two adults sat on a bench nearby to rest.
Zhong Jin took two checks from his wallet and handed them to Qiu Sheng. "This is the red envelope money your parents gave her last time they visited Haishan—two million in total. I think it’s better to return it to you."
"Keep it for now," Qiu Sheng replied. "My brother called and said he and Mom are coming to Haishan on the fifth day of the lunar new year, staying until after the Lantern Festival. They’ll definitely give Little Tong more red envelopes then. We can save all the big amounts and give them to her in a lump sum when she turns 18."
"Alright." Zhong Jin tucked the checks back into his wallet.
After the mini train, Little Tong headed to the arcade, spending money on a claw machine, whack-a-mole, and a rocking ride.
After several failed attempts at the claw machine, Zhong Jin offered to help if she exchanged more coins.
But Little Tong, noticing her money dwindling, shook her head. "No, we already have lots of plushies at home. I’ll save the money for something else."
They continued wandering the mall, and Little Tong splurged over 300 yuan on an eye-searingly fluorescent bag. Her parents didn’t interfere, letting her fully enjoy the thrill of spending.
Watching the salesperson grin ear to ear, Qiu Sheng turned to Zhong Jin. "If Little Tong had just a bit more cash, she’d single-handedly clear out this mall’s inventory of unsold ugly items."
Then it hit her—something was off.
Her child couldn’t possibly have such questionable taste. By age three and a half, Qiu Sheng herself had already been picking out Chanel princess shoes.
Wait—was Zhong Jin’s genes really this dominant?
Even their kid’s aesthetic sense took after him?
Annoyed, Qiu Sheng stomped on the back of Zhong Jin’s shoe with her toe.
Zhong Jin turned and gave her a puzzled look. "Watch your step." He bent down to pull up the heel she’d stepped loose.
After a full lap around the mall, Little Tong grew tired and wanted bubble tea.
Zhong Jin teased her, "We’ve been walking around with you all day. How about you treat us?"
Little Tong patted her little bag and gave a confident thumbs-up. "I’ve got money!"
At the bubble tea shop, she confidently placed her own order. Staring at the price list, she counted on her fingers—though not very accurately—before cautiously deciding on just two drinks.
Zhong Jin and Qiu Sheng watched with amusement, curious how she’d divide the two cups between the three of them.
Soon, the drinks were ready. Since Little Tong was too short to reach the counter, the staff kindly brought them to the table.
One large cup and one small cup. Little Tong kept the small one for herself and slid the large one toward her parents, tossing two straws their way. "Here, my treat."
Zhong Jin: "...We’re sharing one?"
Little Tong waved her hands defensively. "This is not about saving money, okay?"
