Chapter 190 Yaozu in the Mountain Village (Part 5) *Beep!* The campaign to be a good person is underway...

The siblings went through the ticket check and entered the station. Soon, the train whistle sounded and began to slowly move forward.

Song Xi sat by the window, watching the scenery rush past. But at that moment, her mind was in turmoil, and she still couldn't believe that her younger brother had actually bought her a house.

Seeing his sister lost in thought, Song Ce reached out and opened the bottled water he had just bought, handing it to her with a smile, "Sis, have some water. This train ride will take more than six hours!"

Song Xi looked at her gentle-looking younger brother, took a sip of water, and finally spoke: "Xiao Ce, can that old book really sell for that much money? You don't mean..." Before she could finish, she swallowed the rest of her sentence, afraid of asking something inappropriate that might hurt her brother's feelings.

Song Ce smiled and took out a newspaper he had bought in advance from his schoolbag and handed it to Song Xi.

This is a local evening newspaper in Xingshi. In the lower right corner, there is a news article: "Mr. Bai Jingyuan, a collector of ancient books, recently exhibited a copy of the Song Dynasty book 'Yi Zhun Jing Lue'. The well-known expert Mr. Li Chuan estimated its value to be over 24 million yuan."

Seeing Song Xi's shocked expression, Song Ce smiled and said, "Sister, look, it's true. Mr. Bai is an expert in ancient book restoration. He said that the old book I found is a rare and unique copy, and the money he gave us is enough for us to use for a long time."

Upon hearing this, Song Xi stroked the printed words on the newspaper and nodded gently.

The six-hour journey wasn't short, but it wasn't long either. By the time the siblings got off the train and had their tickets checked, it was already 12:30 a.m.

Song Ce found a comfortable hotel across from the train station and told his sister to get a good night's rest and recharge so they could take care of business the next day.

Song Xi responded and then closed the door. Looking at the flickering light and shadows outside the window, her mood suddenly brightened.

The next morning, sunlight streamed through the gaps in the hotel curtains, casting long, thin shadows on the floor. Song Xi had barely slept that night and woke up just as dawn was breaking.

At 7:15, Song Ce knocked on the door: "Sis, let's go have breakfast! After we eat, we'll go get our household registration done."

"Yes, it's here."

The siblings arrived at the hotel restaurant, where there was a wide variety of buffet breakfast options. Song Ce brought out Song Xi's favorite vegetable porridge, steamed buns, and eggs and placed them in front of her.

Seeing Song Xi eating the steamed buns in small bites, and noticing that her complexion was much better than yesterday, Song Ce finally felt relieved.

"Sis, once your household registration is settled today, I'll take you to see the house." As he spoke, Song Ce handed Song Xi a tissue and continued, "The furniture is all ready-made, and we can buy the appliances. You can move in right away with just your bags."

Song Xi hesitated for a moment, "Xiao Ce, I'm a girl, so the house thing is still..."

"Sister, please don't refuse."

Song Ce interrupted Song Xi, looked at her seriously, and smiled, "If it weren't for my sister taking care of me since I was little, I wouldn't be where I am today. This house is in your name so that you can focus on your studies. After you graduate, whether you take the postgraduate entrance exam or stay in Beijing to work, having a house to rely on will never be a disadvantage for you."

Seeing her younger brother's solemn expression, Song Xi's eyes welled up with tears again. Touched, she also felt a surge of joy and longing for what her brother had said.

After breakfast, the siblings went straight to the Beijing Municipal Household Registration Hall.

The streets of the capital were different from those of the county town; they were spacious and bustling. People came and went, and everywhere was filled with hurried passersby. Song Xi followed closely behind her younger brother, feeling both nervous and excited.

Upon arriving at the household registration hall, there were only two people in line. Soon, the person in front left, and it was Song Xi's turn next.

The staff member took all the prepared materials, carefully looked them over for a while, then looked up at the siblings and asked Song Ce directly, "Is your name on this property certificate?"

Song Ce shook his head and smiled, "It belongs to my sister, Song Xi."

"Song Xi, right? You just turned 18 this year?"

"Yes."

The staff member nodded and continued checking the materials in his hand.

Seeing his sister's slightly nervous profile, Song Ce gently patted her shoulder. Song Xi turned her head and saw her brother wink at her, suddenly feeling less panicked.

After a while, the staff member smiled and said, "Alright, the materials are fine. However, the new household registration won't be issued so quickly; it will take ten working days to process."

"Okay, thank you."

Song Ce took the supporting documents and carefully put them away. He then took the certificate issued by the other side and handed it to his sister.

Holding the certificate in her hand, Song Xi recalled the embarrassing situation of being dragged by her father at school a few days ago, and then looked at her brand-new identity. Tears fell onto the back of her hand.

"Sister, don't cry. I promise you, things will get better and better from now on!"

Song Ce hurriedly wiped Song Xi's tears with his sleeve, drawing curious glances from those around him.

Looking at her panicked younger brother, Song Xi finally couldn't help but burst into laughter through her tears.

"Come on, let's go to our new home!"

The security guards at Xingcheng Residential Complex already recognized Song Ce and greeted him with a smile from afar.

Song Ce led Song Xi to Building 6, where the elevator was stopped on the first floor.

As the elevator slowly ascended, Song Xi looked at the lit-up number 8 and her heart began to race.

"arrive."

Song Xi hurriedly took out the keys and handed them to her younger brother, but Song Ce smiled, took a step back to make room for her to leave, and gestured for her to go out.

"Sis, this is your home now, so naturally you should open the door." Song Xi felt a little embarrassed, but still did as she was told, inserting the key and opening the door. The security door made a soft "click," and sunlight instantly flooded into the room.

Song Xi stood in the entryway, looking at the spacious and bright living room, and subconsciously took a small step back.

Even though the property certificate was in her bag, seeing the house with her own eyes still gave Song Xi quite a shock.

"This...this is too big."

"It's alright, sis. Go in and see if you like it."

Song Xi nodded and stepped into the living room onto the soft entryway carpet. Sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, bathing her in warm light. She then looked at the other rooms and was pleasantly surprised to find that the master bedroom even had a spacious balcony.

"Xiao Ce, look here..."

Song Xi was excited and wanted to call her younger brother over to see, but when she turned around, a bouquet of fresh light pink lilies was handed directly to her.

“When I went to the flower shop, I told the clerk that my sister had just been admitted to university and I didn’t know what flowers to buy. The clerk suggested that lilies would be the most suitable, so I chose the prettiest bouquet.” At this point, Sun Ce smiled and said gently, “I wish my sister a future filled with flowers and all things going smoothly.”

Looking at her younger brother's proud smile, Song Xi couldn't help but turn her head away and choked out, "...Aren't you stupid?"

Although she said that, she still accepted the flowers with red eyes and carefully placed the lilies in a glass vase in the living room.

The faint fragrance of flowers mixed with the warmth of the sunlight brought the whole room to life.

For several days in a row, the siblings were busy buying home appliances and daily necessities, making their new home warm and comfortable. Song Xi felt sorry for her brother as she watched him running around doing everything for her.

"Xiao Ce, I'm not in a rush to move in, it's okay to buy these appliances later. I know you mean well, but don't overwork yourself!"

Song Ce smiled and said, "Sis, I'm not tired. It's just running around a few more times, what's the big deal?"

As the siblings were talking, Song Xi's newly purchased cell phone suddenly rang. She had only given the new number to Teacher Yao, so she smiled and pressed the answer button.

But Song Xicai's expression changed instantly after saying only a few words.

On the other end of the phone came Teacher Yao's hurried and apologetic voice: "Song Xi, it's all my fault. That day, I was chatting with the other teachers in the office, and we happened to talk about you. I just mentioned that you went to Beijing with your younger brother, but I didn't expect your father, who was waiting outside the office, to overhear me... These past few days, he's been coming to the school and making a scene, saying he wants the school to take him to Beijing to bring you back..."

Song Xi subconsciously stood up and tried to keep her voice steady as she asked, "Teacher Yao, is my dad still at school?"

"He was just asked to leave by security, but judging from his expression, the teacher is sure he won't let this go..."

With that, Teacher Yao sighed and continued, "Song Xi, be careful lately! Your admission notice has been sent to the school, and I've kept it safe for you. I'll mail it to you in a few days."

Song Xi nodded, "Okay, teacher, then I'll trouble you."

"No trouble at all, no trouble at all, just be well."

It wasn't until she hung up the phone that Song Xi realized her palms were sweaty.

Seeing this, Song Ce poured her a glass of water and handed it to her, saying gently, "Sister, have some water first."

Song Xi's face turned pale, and she subconsciously picked up her water glass and took a big gulp.

"Xiao Ce, did you hear that? Dad... is coming to Beijing to find me."

"Sis, don't worry. Now neither of us has to worry about tuition fees. Even if Dad comes looking for you, what do you have to be afraid of? Don't worry, your brother is here for you!"

"Hmm... I'm not afraid, I'm not afraid."

Although Song Xi said that, she was actually quite nervous inside.

She knew her father's temper all too well. He appeared weak and honest on the outside, but once he returned home, he would never allow anyone to disobey him in words or actions. Not even if that person was his son, whom he cherished like his own life.

Now that we know those siblings have "grown up," who knows what they might do!

For the next few days, Song Xi was restless and even lost her appetite. Seeing this, Song Ce specially bought two train tickets back to Xing City.

“Sister, let’s go back tomorrow.” Song Ce smiled slightly and continued, “Some things need to be said face to face.”

“Explain yourself… Xiao Ce, what do you mean by explaining yourself? I don’t know what to say.”

Seeing Song Xi's forced composure, Song Ce suddenly asked her, "Sister, what are you afraid of?"

"I'm not afraid, I'm not afraid..."

"Sister, you must remember that you were born owing no one anything, nor do you have any obligation to sacrifice yourself. Over the years, you have given enough to this family. This time we are going back not to admit our mistakes, but to say what has been on our minds."

Seeing tears welling up in Song Xi's eyes, Song Ce continued, "If he threatens you with tuition fees, there's a million in the card I gave you yesterday. If you want, that's enough for you to study at university for 100 years. If he wants to kick you out of the house, just come back to your home in Beijing. You can live a carefree life, buying whatever you want and eating whatever you want. If he wants to sever ties with you, don't worry, you just got into university, he won't do that. No matter which path you take, he has no leverage over you anymore. So, sister, don't be afraid, never be afraid."

After listening, Song Xi remained silent for a long time, and finally covered her eyes and slowly nodded.

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Author's Note: I was in the mountains and didn't bring my notebook, so the signal was very poor. There might be some formatting issues. I'll check it again when I get back in a few days. [heart emoji]