Rebirth: Slice-of-life Cultivation Chapter 1646 - 898: Top-tier Early Childhood Education

Deep into the night, an empty street lay silent.

During this freezing weather, Tang Jing, the lone daughter in the city, would typically relax in her cozy heated bedroom, casually gripping her iPad to marathon dramas, savor snacks, and chat idly with her buddy Meng Zi Yun.

Yet tonight differed, as she wandered the roads alongside the simple Huang Yuzhu.

Tang Jing pulled her scarf tighter; it was a vivid red one, hand-knitted by Huang Yuzhu’s mother as a thank-you gift.

Earlier, for Huang Yuzhu’s mother’s birthday, she’d picked out cosmetics for him to present.

The scarf’s pattern was simple, something Tang Jing first dismissed, but after a few days of wear, she grew fond of it—and similarly, her view of Huang Yuzhu had shifted.

Huang Yuzhu donned a bulky cotton coat, standing in sharp contrast to Tang Jing’s pristine white down jacket.

That white down jacket dirtied fast, yet Tang Jing’s home boasted a pricey Siemens dryer over ten thousand yuan, sparing her any laundry woes.

Tang Jing adjusted her scarf again, her voice thoughtful: “Hey, Huang Yuzhu, remember where you left that beat-up car of yours?”

Huang Yuzhu flashed a sure grin: “No sweat, it won’t wander off.”

Tang Jing flicked her hand casually, her tone mocking: “Nah, I’d rather skip your rustbucket anyway; it’s close enough—let’s call it a workout!”

Huang Yuzhu just smiled, aware Tang Jing’s heart was kind despite her biting words.

They walked beneath the streetlamps, bathed in a soft, warm orange glow that softened the biting wind’s edge.

Huang Yuzhu noted: “Forecast says snow’s coming tonight.”

Tang Jing ignored it, eyes fixed on a streetlamp ahead, then blurted: “This light’s perfect—snap a pic of me, it’ll look super atmospheric!”

She posed under the lamp as Huang Yuzhu fished out his outdated clunky phone.

Tang Jing scowled and passed her iPhone 5S: “Use this; its night mode crushes your junker phone!”

Huang Yuzhu shrugged off the jab at his phone—owning one at all satisfied him plenty.

Huang Yuzhu’s snapping skills fell short, drawing fresh scorn from Tang Jing, who then grabbed the phone to demo, capturing a sharp shot of him.

Tang Jing eyed the pic approvingly: “A guy’s good looks come from vibe.”

As they continued talking, a grubby little stray pup huddled by a trash bin, appearing utterly abandoned.

Spotting them, the stray let out a pitiful whine.

Huang Yuzhu gazed at it briefly, then dug a single yuan from his pocket. After pausing, he trekked to a nearby open mini-mart and grabbed a steaming sausage.

With the hot sausage in hand, Huang Yuzhu crouched and extended it to the pup, which gobbled it down eagerly, ravenous from hunger.

Tang Jing stared in shock: “You shelled out for dog food, really?”

To her, Huang Yuzhu seemed ridiculously frugal, always dodging taxis.

A trace of nostalgia softened Huang Yuzhu’s straightforward features: “We had a dog just like this back home, same age as me roughly, but it vanished years back.”

Huang Yuzhu never spotted that dog again, yet he wished silently it wasn’t suffering hunger on frosty nights.

Tang Jing nearly blurted it was likely dead after years gone—stolen, run over, or worse.

But Huang Yuzhu’s earnest look stopped her from ruining the moment.

Some folks in the world could cleanse the shadows in your soul.

She joked: “One sausage won’t cut it—let’s go!”

Tang Jing dashed into the shop, snatching five sausages to feast the stray.

The pup whined happily as it chowed down.

Just then, an elderly man rounded the bend, wheeling a stove cart in his army-green parka.

The ground-munching pup barked sharply—it had spotted its master.

The old man called out at the sound: “Da Fu, Da Fu!”

He rushed up, spotting the duo treating his dog to sausages.

The elder thanked profusely: “Young people, thanks a ton, really!”

“Without you, my Da Fu... who knows—sigh!”

“Thanks, thanks!”

Da Fu the stray wagged furiously, looping around the trio.

Huang Yuzhu flushed at the gratitude, brushing it off: “No big deal, nothing!”

Tang Jing cut straight: “Old timer, keep better tabs on your pup, or this chill could make it ill!”

The old man chafed his hands, earnest: “I got lost in thanks—have some roasted sweet potatoes on me. Home-baked, pure honey sweets!”

He rolled the cart nearer, sign proclaiming roasted sweets, and soon passed two piping ones over.

Tang Jing clutched the hot roasted sweet potato, peeling back the skin as steam curled skyward. Streetlight highlighted the golden innards.

One bite revealed softness, aroma, sweetness, and a melt-in-mouth feel that chased off the frost.

Tang Jing flashed a thumb up: “Old man, you’ve got real talent!”

The elder beamed: “Much obliged!”

The old man and Da Fu departed, their figures melting into the darkness.

Tang Jing munched her sweet potato, glancing at Huang Yuzhu’s clutched one, and burst into genuine laughter from the heart—not her typical cool smirk.

She sensed this night would linger in memory forever.

Huang Yuzhu kept his sincere expression.

Tang Jing eyed the neatly wrapped potato in his grip curiously: “Why hold off eating? It’s super sweet, right?”

Huang Yuzhu’s face warmed softly: “Saving it for my little sibs at home.”