A Freelancer’s Rest Day and a Radio’s Legacy

Today was a day of rest. Indeed, for Su Mu now, every day could be a holiday, as long as the sky didn’t fall and his money hadn’t run out. It wasn’t necessary for it to be a weekend.

But if it *was* a weekend, that meant…

Su Mu opened the door to find Bai Ruoruo standing there, clutching a small basket of strawberries.

Elementary school students were off today. No, that wasn’t quite right. At thirteen, she was a middle schooler, and middle schoolers also enjoyed weekends.

“Big Blockhead,” Bai Ruoruo chirped, holding up the small fruit basket with a bright smile, “Sister asked me to bring you these strawberries. She said they’re a thank-you for taking care of me before!”

‘I took care of you?’ Su Mu paused, slightly bewildered. Honestly, he felt Ruoruo had helped him far more.

He quickly realized, however, that this was likely just an excuse concocted to apologize for the previous misunderstanding.

“Alright, alright, let me in already!”

Su Mu, left with no choice, stepped aside at her eager prompting.

He watched the little girl bounce into the house, completely at ease, as if it were her own home.

Su Mu scratched his head, a mix of helplessness and amusement swirling within him, but he said nothing.

Bai Ruoruo placed the strawberries on the coffee table, then settled onto the sofa, gazing at them with a dreamy expression.

She then flashed Su Mu a sweet smile. “Big Blockhead, these strawberries are so delicious and fresh! You should wash them and eat them right away!”

“Oh, then I’ll trouble little sister Ruoruo to help wash them. We can eat them together afterward.”

“Got it!”

With that, the moment she had settled, little Ruoruo scooped up the strawberries again and dashed to the kitchen to rinse them.

Su Xiaoqian had already data-replicated a tiny strawberry, taking a bite that left only the stem and leaves. Her eyes gleamed with satisfaction, filled with the sweet and sour juices in her mouth.

“Host, you certainly know how to put children to work,” she remarked.

‘What do you know? This is called a win-win! Win-win~’

Su Mu muttered a retort in his mind, though he was genuinely curious about the taste of the food Su Xiaoqian held.

But he probably wouldn’t be able to taste anything, would he? After all, it was far too miniature.

“Doesn’t Host want a taste?” Su Xiaoqian asked, dangling the tiny strawberry.

‘……’

“Hehe~ Not giving it to you~ This is mine~” Before Su Mu could even move, the little sprite zipped into the air.

“Big Blockhead, they’re washed!”

“As expected of Ruoruo! So capable!” Su Mu chuckled, patting her head.

He plucked a plump, glistening strawberry from the basket, certainly not one to boast like Su Xiaoqian.

‘Little Qian’er, I truly envy you. You’re satisfied with such a tiny strawberry. I, on the other hand, with this mouth of mine, can’t taste a thing unless it’s this big~’

‘……’ Su Xiaoqian.

“Hmph, I eat when I want to eat, unlike Host, who’s so stingy he needs others to give him things~”

“Oh, my~ Strawberries given by others are truly delicious~”

‘……’ Su Xiaoqian.

“Right? Right? Sister specially picked these out! Big Blockhead, you have a chance!”

Bai Ruoruo, naturally oblivious to the silent bickering with the little sprite, nodded profoundly in agreement.

“Uh… what do you mean by ‘chance’?”

“I’ll tell you a secret! My sister is actually single!”

‘……Wow~ I’m so surprised~’

‘No, what does that even mean?’

“Don’t let my sister’s usual appearance fool you; she just doesn’t like to dress up. If she put in the effort, she’d be an absolute stunner!”

“Mhm, that’s true.”

“Right? Big Blockhead, you can see it too. And from what I’ve observed, my sister seems to like you~ Otherwise, why would she specially buy strawberries and give you some?”

“Perhaps for neighborly harmony?”

“No, no, absolutely impossible! My sister has mild social anxiety and doesn’t like interacting with people.

Normally, she stays home and rarely goes out. If she does leave, she’s back quickly, unless her editor absolutely insists. She can stay indoors for an entire day!”

‘Wow~ She sounds just like me~’

“Oh, right, Big Blockhead, what do you do for work?”

“Hey~ Little sister Ruoruo, are you actually trying to set us up for a blind date?” Su Mu spread his hands helplessly. “But I’m not good enough for your sister. I’m a freelancer.”

“A freelancer? That sounds so cool!”

A repairman who goes door-to-door, banging on appliances that have issues, sometimes even moonlighting as a plumber. It’s exhausting, pays little, requires constant smiles, and the income is anything but stable. Was that really cool?

‘……’ Su Mu watched Bai Ruoruo’s gaze, filled with immense anticipation.

“Waaah-cool, waaah-cool~” This was a friendly voice-over from little Qian.

“Would you like to try?” Su Mu asked, raising an index finger.

“I can?”

Su Mu stood up and went to the corner, retrieving his old tools.

These trusted companions, his “aibo” for years, had been cast aside once he found comfort, a fact he felt truly remorseful about.

From among them, he pulled out a vintage radio.

“I’ll teach you how to fix a radio.”

“A radio?”

“Ah… yes. For a child your age, Ruoruo, it might be an uncommon sight.

But back in the day, especially for the older generation, a family that owned the ‘Three Turns and One Sound’ was considered well-off.

These ‘Four Big Items’ were even the standard dowry at the time; only with them would someone marry their daughter to you! Compared to modern times, it was equivalent to hundreds of thousands in betrothal gifts.”

“Wow~” Although she didn’t quite understand, it sounded incredibly impressive.

“The ‘Three Turns’ were things with wheels that could turn: a bicycle, a sewing machine, and a watch. And the ‘One Sound’ was the radio,” Su Mu explained, placing the radio on the coffee table.

“That sounds so cool~” Bai Ruoruo exclaimed, reaching out to touch it, but Su Mu stopped her.

“Keep eating your strawberries,” he advised. “If your hands get greasy, you won’t want to eat them anymore. You’ll have plenty of chances to touch it later.”

“Oh~”

“First, let me briefly explain what a radio does. As time progresses, countless radio waves float above our heads.

Each wave can correspond to a different channel, offering everything from singing and dancing to theatrical performances.

A radio catches these waves with its antenna, then amplifies the sound so we can hear it…”

“Mhm, mhm.”

“Next, let’s talk about the radio’s components. All right, we’ll take it apart. You’ll definitely recognize this piece—that’s right, it’s a magnet…”

Su Xiaoqian watched the pair, one older and speaking with focus, the younger listening intently.

She settled onto the armrest of a nearby sofa, propping her chin in her hand, observing quietly without interruption.

Come to think of it, Host’s dream was once to become a teacher, but it had died prematurely.

It wasn’t for lack of effort, but simply because he never had the chance.

In an era when superpowered individuals weren’t yet common, they enjoyed privileges in every conceivable aspect of life.

However, Host’s biggest hurdle stemmed from his family.

The overwhelming trend among parents of that era was to push their children to become superpowered, hoping their sons would become dragons and their daughters phoenixes.

For once you became a superpowered individual, truly, you had everything.

Host’s family had a relative who had awakened a rather impressive superpower.

If their academic performance had been just a bit better, they could have attended a top-tier university.

Compared to this “super-potential” nephew, it was considered normal for Host, their “good-for-nothing” son, to be abandoned.

Perhaps it had started as a casual remark at a dinner party, but his parents took it to heart, rushing to their door and proclaiming that for the sake of family revitalization, they had to sacrifice their small family for the greater good.

The outcome was that Host severed ties with them and fled.

Coincidentally, among the few things he took with him at the time, this very radio was one of them.

****

Turning away, a significant portion of time had already slipped by.

A knock at the door announced the arrival of Bai Ruoli, who had finished writing her novel.

Only then did Su Mu bid farewell to a reluctant Bai Ruoruo.

Given her genuine fondness for it, he pondered for a moment, his heart wavering, but ultimately decided to gift her the radio.

He hoped the child would tinker with it herself, perhaps even discovering some remarkable talent.

“This… isn’t this too much?”

“I feel Ruoruo has a connection with it, and it’s not worth much anyway,” Su Mu explained.

“Besides, Miss Bai has already given me those rare and delicious strawberries, so I thought I should offer something in return. Please don’t worry about it, or I’ll feel quite bad.”

“This…” Bai Ruoli hesitated. She could discern the historical traces on the radio, understanding that after being kept for so long, it had become an emotional anchor, a truly valuable item.

“Sister~ Big Blockhead already said so~”

“Alright then~”

Bai Ruoli sighed, looking at her sister’s eager expression. What else could she do?

Ultimately, she could only nod in resignation.

It seemed that the next time she bought fruit, she should remember to set aside a portion for the kind Mr. Su.

****

As night fell, Dandelion returned to her room.

She stepped inside, flicking on the light, and as the brightness filled her vision, she saw that every surface – the left wall, the right wall, even the ceiling – was covered in photographs.

Without exception, every single picture depicted Saint Lily.

From a locked drawer, she retrieved a diary.

She flipped through the pages; each one featured a girl’s portrait marked with a red ‘X’, alongside different names.

White Rose and Redbud were among them, and finally, she turned to the portrait of Hyacinth, which also bore a red ‘X’.

“Saint, look at them. With such ugly intentions, how could they ever be called beautiful by you?” Dandelion murmured, her expression reverent, like a pilgrim praying.

She smiled faintly. “Yes, Saint, only I, only I am your true companion. I will make you understand this. I will protect you~”