「The next day.」

Lin Feng set his alarm, got up to make breakfast, then knocked on the door to call the quadruplets. The quadruplets yawned as they came to the table, but they were wide awake after eating.

Lin Feng told them to dress warmly. "It's cold out this early, so wear extra layers. Put your work clothes on over everything, and don't forget your hats. The tools you brought back are by the door. Let me know if you'll be back for lunch."

Watching his children's retreating figures, Lin Feng's eyes were full of concern.

Back in the bedroom, Zhang Yuxi groggily asked, "Have the kids left?"

Lin Feng lay back down. "They've left. The place isn't far from here, just a quick ten-minute walk."

Zhang Yuxi glanced at the still-dark sky and snuggled back into Lin Feng's arms, falling asleep.

「Meanwhile,」

As soon as the quadruplets stepped outside, the cold wind made them shiver.

Their first stop was the subway station. The people already working there greeted them.

"You're here! Right on time!"

"Is it cold? Did you eat this morning?"

The elderly workers, a mix of grandmas and grandpas, were very kind to Erbao and Sanbao, which made the girls feel warm inside.

Dabao led Sibao to the next area, reminding Erbao and Sanbao, "Call me if anything happens!"

This was the first time the quadruplets had ever woken up this early for anything besides catching a flight. Good thing we went to bed early last night, otherwise we'd be exhausted right now.

Each girl was paired with an elderly woman, sweeping opposite sides of the street. Erbao was strong and worked quickly. Sanbao, on the other hand, was meticulous, so she naturally fell behind. Chatting while they swept the street and picked up trash made the work less boring, even with the occasional person rushing past.

"You're quadruplets? That's amazing! What number are you in the birth order?"

Erbao, sweeping with brisk, fluid motions, smiled and replied, "I'm the second. Grandma, how old are you? How long have you been doing this job?"

"I'll be fifty-nine after the New Year. I've been doing this for seven or eight years now. My base salary is over three thousand, but with everything else added in, it comes out to almost four thousand a month."

From the way the old woman spoke, four thousand a month seemed to be a considerable amount. But this is Yangcheng!

"Do you have any grandchildren?" Erbao asked.

The old woman paused to pick up some litter. She carried two bags: one for trash and another for recyclables like plastic bottles and cardboard that could be sold. She would even pick up promotional flyers.

"They've settled down in another city," the woman said. "They want me to move in with them. It's a kind thought, but I don't want to go and be a burden."

"So, I found this job. It keeps me active and provides an income. It's quite nice."

Erbao handed the woman an aluminum can she found and added, "I can tell you have great spirit, Grandma! But still, this must be very hard work..."

The old woman gave a faint smile. "It all depends on how you look at it. It's hard, of course, but if you want to earn money, you have to accept that, right? Otherwise, how would you eat and drink?"

"When you get old, it's taxing to have to ask for money. I don't want to trouble the younger generation. I've been through hardships before, so I'm not afraid of a little hard work."

After a moment, the old woman offered some advice to Erbao. "You young people nowadays have it good. Your families provide for you, so you haven't experienced much hardship. With your father taking care of everything, you're very fortunate."

"But it's hard to make money now, and it will only get harder when it's your turn! That's why you have to study hard. Use knowledge to change your destiny!"

"What school do you go to?"

Erbao adjusted her mask. "Oh, we go to Yangcheng Middle School."

The old woman's face lit up. "That's a key high school! How are your grades?"

Erbao replied humbly, "Among the top."

The old woman was even happier. "You have a bright future! You must keep studying hard!"

「On the other side.」

Sanbao was helping another elderly woman and chatting with her. The conversation was much the same. When the woman learned that Sanbao could sing and was quite famous online, she looked at the girl in a new light.

"Your family must be wealthy, right?"

Sanbao had the air of a little princess, her every move carrying an elegance that spoke of a refined upbringing.

"I guess so," Sanbao replied.

She knew her family had money, but she had no idea how much. In the same way, she had no concept of how much money she herself had earned. She wasn't as strong as Erbao, so she could only do lighter tasks like carrying trash bags, fetching things, and picking up litter. Across the street, Erbao and her partner were already a long way ahead.

Dabao and Sibao were assigned to different locations. When Sibao reached his destination, an old man was already busy at work. Though Sibao was lazy by nature, he was perceptive enough to hurry over and help.

The old man, a man of few words, assigned Sibao a task. "Pick up the trash in the greenbelt."

Sibao looked. The greenbelt is as long as the entire street…

After finishing his own area, Sibao ran to help Dabao. Dabao's section was a garbage collection station. In front of them was a massive dumpster, where two elderly men were shoveling trash into a garbage truck. The sheer volume of trash and the smell made both boys' skin crawl.

The two men told Dabao and Sibao to stand aside to avoid getting their clothes dirty.

The brothers exchanged a look, pulled their masks up securely, and joined in. The smell was truly indescribable. If it were summer, the stench would be even worse.

At first, the brothers nearly gagged. The stench was too overpowering to bear. But when they saw the two men, both in their fifties, working without complaint, the brothers—who had never been coddled—had a thought. We can do this too. It's just a matter of gritting our teeth and pushing through.

Once they overcame that mental block, the work became much easier. The smell no longer seemed so pungent, and their only focus was on getting all the trash shoveled. With this much garbage, who knows how long this will take.

Back at the subway station, the crowds started to swell after seven o'clock, with people rushing to and fro.

Erbao and Sanbao had completed a full circuit and returned. They stuck close to the two women, mimicking their actions.

"Have you two eaten?" one of the women asked.

Erbao and Sanbao nodded. "We did, but we're hungry again."

Having worked from four-thirty to seven, the bit of congee they'd eaten had long since been digested.

One of the women said warmly, "I know a great bun shop. It's delicious. I'll take you there to eat."

The shop specialized in congee and steamed buns but also sold fried dough sticks, soymilk, and tea eggs. It was their busiest time of day, and all the tables outside were full.

The woman seemed to know the owner well. She turned to the girls and asked, "What do you want to eat?"

Erbao said, "I'll have two fried dough sticks, a cup of soymilk, and a tea egg."

Sanbao added, "I'll have the same."

The two women ate large meat buns and drank congee. There was nowhere to sit in the crowded area, so holding their bowls in one hand and buns in the other, they squatted down by the side of the shop to eat. Erbao and Sanbao followed suit, squatting down to eat their fried dough sticks and drink their soymilk.

When they took off their masks, the two women gasped.

"You girls are so beautiful! Like movie stars from a magazine!"

Erbao and Sanbao were used to such compliments and just smiled as they continued to eat. Passersby couldn't help but cast curious glances their way. They had been wearing masks before, so they only drew attention once they took them off. People began to murmur as they walked past.

"They're so beautiful, but they're working so young? Surely not?"

"Maybe it's a winter break job? The schools are all on holiday now."

"But why this kind of part-time work? It's so difficult."

"Who knows, but they are stunning! Especially the long-haired one, she's gorgeous!"

"I know, right! They just have a different air about them compared to other girls."

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