Ten Thousand Soul Banner: Deceased, do you have any unfulfilled wishes?-Chapter 980 - 976: Formalities

The morning fog had not yet dissipated, veiling the campsite in the Han Zhong Suburb like a light gauze. The golden fields of rapeseed flowers appeared faintly in the mist, with a humid scent of earth and a faint floral fragrance lingering in the air. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

"Who are you?"

Shen Siyuan was quite surprised to see these people looking so old-fashioned.

Before the other party could speak, Taozi chimed in beside him, "They are staff from the civil affairs bureau."

Shen Siyuan understood upon hearing this and roughly guessed the purpose of their visit.

Sure enough, the middle-aged man leading them quickly stepped forward, displaying a humble smile on his face, and handed a thick brown paper file bag to Shen Siyuan. "Mr. Shen, I apologize for disturbing you so early in the morning. I am from the Han Zhong City Civil Affairs Bureau. This time, I’ve come mainly to deliver the adoption paperwork for Zhou Xiaoya. All the procedures have been reviewed and approved."

"Thank you for going out of your way." Shen Siyuan reached out to take the file bag, feeling the texture of the bag with his fingertips, sensing that it contained quite a bit of material.

He did not open it on the spot but instead handed it to Taozi beside him.

"It’s our duty. It’s our oversight that Zhou Xiaoya was not properly placed earlier." The middle-aged man spoke with a humble tone carrying a hint of apology. "It’s fortunate we encountered a kindhearted person like you, Mr. Shen, or else we wouldn’t know how long the child would have suffered."

"What did you do about Xiao Ya’s biological father?" Shen Siyuan asked again.

Shen Siyuan waved his hand and changed the subject: "By the way, how did you handle Xiao Ya’s biological father after that?"

Hearing this, the middle-aged man’s eyes flickered slightly. He subconsciously observed Shen Siyuan’s expression and slowly said, "Oh, his mental state showed obvious abnormalities afterward, and his words and actions were quite erratic. We have already contacted a mental hospital to have him sent there for treatment. Given his condition, it’s unlikely he will ever come out."

Shen Siyuan understood in his heart.

Xiao Ya’s father was previously a rogue but always sane. Only after being disciplined by him last time did he become erratic, and it was apparent that there was something odd about it.

The civil affairs staff must also have doubts, but they did not dare to ask more questions.

"That’s good."

Shen Siyuan spoke in a calm tone as if he were talking about something trivial. "In a mental hospital, they don’t have to worry about food and shelter, and someone looks after them. He should be much happier than wandering outside."

The middle-aged man forced a slight, awkward smile upon hearing this and didn’t know how to respond.

Shen Siyuan turned his gaze to Mao Sanmei, who was busy preparing breakfast. She was deftly setting out the bowls and chopsticks, and the faint aroma of porridge drifted from the pot. "If you don’t mind, why not stay for breakfast?"

Although it seemed like a warm invitation, it was actually a polite way to send them off. The middle-aged man naturally understood the indirect hint, hurriedly shaking his hand: "No, no need, Mr. Shen. We already had breakfast before we went out. There is still quite a bit of official business to handle back at the bureau, so we’ll head back after delivering the paperwork. We won’t disturb you and the children any longer."

Shen Siyuan nodded, not pressing further: "Alright, thank you for your hard work. Since the procedures are all done, I’ll inform my friend as well and thank her for her help on behalf of Xiao Ya."

The middle-aged man’s face lit up joyfully upon hearing this. Going through all this in the early morning was all for this reassurance from Shen Siyuan.

Getting to connect with Shen Siyuan’s friend was a significant gain for them.

"Mr. Shen, you’re too kind. This is all part of our duty."

With that, he turned to leave with his team.

"Wait a moment." Shen Siyuan suddenly called out to them.

The middle-aged man halted his step and turned back, with a look of surprise on his face, "Is there anything else, Mr. Shen?"

"There is indeed something I’d like your help with," Shen Siyuan remarked.

"Please, go ahead. We’ll do our utmost to help if it’s within our capacity." The middle-aged man immediately approached Shen Siyuan, showing more respect than before.

"Sorry, I’ve been too engrossed in the conversation that I forgot to ask your name?" Shen Siyuan realized his oversight. He hadn’t asked for their names and felt a bit impolite about it.

"My name is Su Yongcheng. I’m mainly responsible for the civil affairs work in our city." Su Yongcheng didn’t explicitly state his position, but there was a hint of confidence in his tone, indicating he held a high position in the civil affairs bureau.

"It’s Director Su then. It’s my oversight," Shen Siyuan responded politely.

"Oh, please, just call me by my name, Mr. Shen." Su Yongcheng quickly gestured humbly, showing a very modest attitude. "Feel free to let me know if there’s anything you need."

Shen Siyuan didn’t beat around the bush and directly explained Liu Yuqin and her son’s situation in detail: "Director Su, yesterday I met a mother and son. The mother is named Liu Yuqin. She was born without both arms and has to rely on weaving socks with her feet to make a living. The child is Shan Wenbo, only six years old. The child’s father passed away in an accident two years ago, making their life very difficult. I thought their situation should meet the assistance policy of the civil affairs department, so I wanted to bring it to your attention to see if some necessary help could be provided."

"Mr. Shen, it indeed is an oversight on our civil affairs department’s end to let such a struggling family go without timely aid."

"Rest assured. I’ll arrange for a dedicated person to handle it as soon as I return. We’ll apply for subsistence allowances and specific disability subsidies for them, and also see if the community can provide some suitable handcrafting work so that Ms. Liu doesn’t have to toil at an outdoor stall."

He paused and added, "Moreover, you mentioned the child’s father had accident insurance. Our civil affairs department can assist in handling the insurance claim procedures too. As you know, Ms. Liu’s condition might make communication with the insurance company challenging, and we can help alleviate a lot of hassle."

"Thank you very much, Director Su," Shen Siyuan expressed his gratitude.

"With your help, their days should be much easier."

"Not at all, this is our duty."

Su Yongcheng exchanged a few polite words, then assured them that he would carry out the task promptly before hurrying away with his people.

The sound of the engines gradually faded away into the morning mist.

Watching their departing figures, Taozi couldn’t help but remark, "It’s true that knowing someone in office can make things a lot easier. If it were ordinary citizens, who knows how many trips they’d have to make to get this done, yet you solved it with just a few words."

"Don’t say things that disrupt harmony."

Taozi rolled her eyes at him and raised her hand, waving towards the direction of the RV.

Shen Siyuan followed her gaze to see Tang Tang pressing her little face tightly against the RV’s window, her cheeks squashed flat, looking like a curious little gecko watching Mao Sanmei busy with breakfast outside.

Seeing Taozi wave, Tang Tang immediately extended her chubby little hand and excitedly waved back.

"If you’re awake, come down. Why are you leaning against the window?" Shen Siyuan called out to the RV with some amusement.

"han~" At his words, Tang Tang swiftly disappeared from behind the window like a nimble little squirrel.

Within seconds, she appeared at the RV door barefoot, wearing loose pajamas, with a silly grin on her face.

"Look at you, coming out barefoot and without changing clothes." Shen Siyuan helplessly stepped forward and picked her up.

The little one’s short legs kicked around wildly in the air, her mouth letting out "Oh~han~" sounds, clearly having a great time.

Taozi also went inside the room, where Xiao Ya was already awake, sitting on the bed rubbing her eyes, still half-asleep. "If you’re awake, get out of bed. Aunt Mao has already made breakfast, we can eat soon."

Shen Siyuan handed Tang Tang over to Taozi and turned to head back to the pod to change his clothes.

He had come out in his pajamas earlier, still carrying the coolness of the morning on him.

When Shen Siyuan emerged after changing, Tang Tang and Xiao Ya had been dressed neatly by Taozi, sitting at the picnic table with their little hands on the tabletop, waiting obediently to be "fed" breakfast.

"han~"

"Daddy."

The little ones greeted Shen Siyuan in unison.

"Call me uncle." Shen Siyuan reached out to pat Xiao Ya’s little head.

He turned to look around and noticed that Ruan Hongzhuang, Xiao Yue, Dou Dou, and Duoduo were absent. He couldn’t help but ask, "Where are they?"

"Ruan Ruan went for a run, first Dou Dou wanted to follow, then Xiao Yue and Duoduo joined in too," Taozi replied.

Shen Siyuan nodded in understanding.

"They should be back soon." Taozi said.

Sure enough, just as she finished speaking, Dou Dou’s noisy voice could be heard.

Turning towards the sound, they saw Dou Dou running at full speed on the narrow road, with Duoduo chasing after her with an angry face.

Taozi, half amused and half exasperated, commented, "Is she provoking Duoduo again? If she doesn’t stir things up for a day, she feels uneasy, doesn’t she?"

"Isn’t this good? Look how happy they are," Shen Siyuan said.

"Oh~"

Seeing Dou Dou return, Tang Tang immediately stood up from her little chair to greet her, but Shen Siyuan quickly grabbed her.

"They’re coming over soon. Don’t run around."

Shen Siyuan didn’t let her run because it had just rained lightly the night before, and raindrops still clung to the grass. If Tang Tang were to run over with her short legs, she’d probably get half of her body wet.

"Hmm?"

Tang Tang turned her head, wrinkling her nose at Shen Siyuan, clearly unhappy about being restrained.

Shen Siyuan didn’t care, "Eat breakfast, and after that, I’ll take you to see Wenbo."

"Huh?" Tang Tang looked at him, confused.

She seemed to be asking who Wenbo was.

Shen Siyuan: ...

"Wait for me, wait for me... Don’t eat first..."

From afar, Dou Dou saw everyone gathered around the picnic table, and got a bit anxious, speeding up even more.