Chapter 58

The people at [Miaoyu] didn't actually expect Xu Gui's publicity to be so effective.

After all, Xu Gui is just a nobody, with no fame or many fans. Even if she promotes [Miaoyu], what good will it do?

Before yesterday, these staff members were whispering among themselves, saying that their boss was probably wasting money again. But after the online and offline data came out yesterday, they were stunned because the sales were unexpectedly good. The "Douyu" that Xu Gui had promoted yesterday was even sold out.

Staff: Yeah, my face really hurts.

Therefore, they specially changed the type of fish to continue promoting Xu Gui today, hoping that today's effect would be as good as yesterday's.

However, it must be said that the goldfish delivered by [Miaoyu] are truly beautiful. Their intense and vibrant colors are so captivating that even adults can't help but take a second look, let alone children passing by.

The same children that Xu Gui had met yesterday came over again. After getting Xu Gui's permission, they huddled together like three short, chubby mushrooms next to the tank, staring at the goldfish inside with starry eyes.

"This fish is so beautiful! You're amazing, sister, you've got such a beautiful fish again!"

"Sister is beautiful, and fish is pretty too."

"I know, this fish is like JoJo's palette!"

According to them, Qiaoqiao is also their friend, but it's summer vacation and she has to attend extracurricular classes, so they can only play together for a while in the evenings each day.

The little girl said in a serious tone, "Qiaoqiao works so hard every day. Besides art class, she also has piano class and has to learn some kind of dance. I saw her yesterday, and she had lost all her weight."

As the girl spoke, she pinched the chubby little belly of her stomach—such a cute little chubby belly, just like that, it's gone, Qiaoqiao really suffered too much!

At that moment, the girl seemed to remember something and suddenly looked up at Xu Gui, asking expectantly, "Sister, how much is this fish?"

Xu Gui didn't sit down, but stood beside the aquarium watching the three of them to prevent any accidents. Hearing this, she looked down at the little girl and asked, "What, do you want to buy it?"

The little girl nodded and said seriously, "Qiaoqiao and I are good friends. I'm sure Qiaoqiao has never seen such a beautiful goldfish before, so I want to buy one so she can see a pretty fish too."

Upon hearing this, before Xu Gui could say anything, the two little boys next to the little girl looked at her with amazement and praised her one after the other:

"Wow, Xiaomin, you're so clever! How come I didn't think of that? We could buy the fish and bring them over to show Qiaoqiao!"

"Xiaomin, are you a genius mom? No wonder my mom always says I'm stupid. It seems I'm really not as smart as you."

Among the three children, it was obvious that the girl named Xiaomin was the dominant one. Not only was she quick-witted, but she also spoke eloquently and logically to adults, which was both well-organized and mature beyond her years.

Now that her friends were praising her, a hint of pride crept onto her face. However, this pride didn't last long, because the little boy next to her asked innocently:

"But do we have enough money to buy fish? This fish looks so expensive."

"..."

That one sentence ended the discussion about buying fish.

Xiaomin's proud expression crumbled. She touched the pocket money in her pocket, feeling a little uncertain in her heart.

The goldfish in this tank look really expensive, completely different from the other goldfish on the roadside. Does she have enough money to buy a goldfish?

Xiaomin wasn't sure, but she still wouldn't give up, so she asked Xu Gui again, "Sister, how much is one of these fish?"

Just as Xu Gui was about to say something, a loud and somewhat noisy voice came from the side: "Grandma! Grandma, look! It's a goldfish, and a really pretty goldfish!"

As soon as the voice rang out, a chubby little boy rushed towards them like a small train.

Seeing this, Xu Gui's eyelids twitched. Just as the chubby boy was about to rush into the aquarium, she quickly stepped forward and blocked him with her body.

The chubby boy rushed forward very fast, his momentum undiminished, and he crashed headfirst into Xu Gui.

His chubby body was thrown back by the force of the impact, and after taking two steps back, he felt dizzy and sat down on the ground with a thud. He tilted his head back, looking somewhat bewildered.

However, he didn't seem to be about to cry; he just looked bewildered, with an expression that said, "What happened to me?"

Instead, a series of heart-wrenching cries suddenly rang out behind him.

"Oh, Xiao Bao! My precious grandson! Are you alright?"

A short, stout figure rushed up from behind, squatted down, and began to fuss over the chubby boy, asking, "Did you bump into anything? Does anything hurt?"

Upon closer inspection, she turned out to be an elderly woman with a round figure and a round face.

The chubby boy turned to her and said, "Grandma, I'm fine."

Upon hearing this, the old lady seemed relieved. Then, she turned her head, glared angrily at Xu Gui, and pointed the gun directly at her.

"Are you blind? Didn't you see a child coming? You're still blocking the way. What if you hurt my little one?" the old woman started cursing.

As she spoke, she turned to look at the chubby boy, reached out and rubbed his head where he had been hit, and said with heartache, "Grandma's eldest grandson, you've really suffered. You hit such a big head, it must hurt a lot, right?"

The chubby boy touched his head, feeling that it didn't hurt much, and muttered, "No, Grandma, I feel very strong now."

The old lady ignored her eldest grandson's words, then turned to glare at Xu Gui, and threw a tantrum, saying, "You! You hit my eldest grandson and hurt him like this! Pay up! You pay up right now! Otherwise, I'll let everyone around see how you bully us, the old and the young!"

The way he threw a tantrum was so practiced, as if he had done it a thousand times.

Xu Gui: ?

Xu Gui shifted his body slightly, revealing the aquarium on the table behind him, and stated a fact: "Did you see that? If I hadn't blocked your grandson just now, he would have bumped into this aquarium, and he would have fallen on his butt."

The aquarium was placed on the table. Because the space under the overpass was limited, the table was not very big, and the aquarium looked a bit cramped on it.

If the child is lucky, he might just fall when he bumps into the table. But if he's unlucky and knocks the aquarium off the table, he might be fine if it doesn't hit him, but if it does, he might lose half his life.

Besides, this aquarium and the fish inside don't belong to Xu Gui. Since [Miao Yu] took it, Xu Gui has a responsibility to take care of it. He can't just watch it get damaged, can he?

The old lady was momentarily speechless upon hearing Xu Gui's words, but she quickly resumed her tirade with a righteous indignation.

"No matter the reason, you bumped into my little one, so you're responsible! You have to pay for it!" the old lady shouted. "My grandson was bumped like that, and I don't know if you've hurt him anywhere. I have to take him to the hospital for a proper check-up, right? These things don't cost money, do they?"

As the old woman spoke, she simply plopped down on the ground, slapped her thigh, and exclaimed in a dramatic, almost theatrical, voice, "Heavens above! Open your eyes and see how heartless this person is! She hit someone but refuses to pay compensation!"

"They're clearly taking advantage of us, the old woman and the young grandson, thinking we're easy to bully!"

She cried with great force, attracting the attention of passersby who couldn't help but look over with curious eyes.

Xu Gui, who suddenly felt countless gazes falling on him, was speechless.

Having been human for twenty-three years (including the period when her body was still immature), this was the first time she had encountered such a shrewish and unreasonable old woman.

Xu Gui thought for a moment, then calmly pointed to the camera next to him and said, "You don't need to throw a tantrum. My camera has recorded exactly what happened."

She smiled and said, "Well, there must be millions of people watching you throw a tantrum right now."

"I just hope there aren't any people you know here, or anyone who knows your children. Otherwise, you'll lose face not just for yourself, but for yourself and your children."

She "kindly" reminded the old lady.

"..."

The old woman suddenly froze, like a duck whose throat had been suddenly grabbed and rendered speechless. Her face, too, was quite striking, alternating between pale and bluish-white.

Finally, she glanced at Xu Gui's calm and composed demeanor, as if realizing that this person was not easy to extort, and suddenly stood up from the ground.

"I see now, you young people these days really have no manners at all!" she said angrily to Xu Gui, spitting out a curse.

Then, she grabbed her eldest grandson's hand and tried to pull him away, but her grandson clearly didn't want to leave and held on tightly, determined not to be dragged away.

His head was turned toward Xu Gui... no, toward the aquarium next to Xu Gui, his eyes looking pitiful.

"No, no, I don't want to go, I want the goldfish..." he cried. "Grandma, you said you would buy me a goldfish last time, but you never did. I want this goldfish now!"

"Buy it for me! Buy it for me!"

As he spoke, he plopped down on the ground and started rolling around, perfectly mimicking his grandmother's tantrums.

Seeing this, Xiaomin couldn't help but complain to her friends, "He's so big already, and he's still rolling around on the ground. My two-year-old sister doesn't even do that anymore!"

"Exactly, the ground is filthy. My mom says kids have to be clean, or they'll end up in the garbage bins."

"Kids are just like that, so annoying."

The three of them chattered amongst themselves, their tone condescending and old-fashioned. In their words, the chubby boy, who was their age, seemed to have become their junior.

Meanwhile, the old lady's heart skipped a beat when she saw her grandson like this. She hadn't expected her eldest grandson to suddenly remember buying goldfish again.

It's all that brat's fault for selling goldfish here. Her grandson had already forgotten about it!

The old lady glared at Xu Gui with hatred.

“Xiao Bao, listen to Grandma, let’s not take this stuff, okay? This family isn’t good people, and the fish they sell probably aren’t good either. Let’s not take theirs. Grandma will take you to the fishmonger at the square to buy some later, okay?” the old lady said.

Xu Gui remained silent when accused of not being a good person; he simply smiled.

With tears welling up in his eyes, the chubby boy complained, "You said you'd buy me some last time, but then you forgot! You clearly just didn't want the money, you didn't want to buy it for me! Besides, the fish at the square uncle's place aren't as pretty as this lady's fish, so I want this lady's fish!"

The chubby boy's mind was clearly very sharp, and he also had a good eye for aesthetics, even knowing which fish looked better.

"What's so pretty about her fish?" The old lady glanced at the fish in the aquarium and said reluctantly, pouting, "Grandma didn't bring any money today. I'll buy you some later when I do, okay?"

Upon hearing this, the chubby boy burst into tears again, wailing, "You're just stingy! You're so miserly! Waaah, how can you be so stingy?"

The old lady got anxious and said, "What stinginess? Didn't Grandma say that Grandma didn't bring any money today? Look!"

To make her words more convincing, she even pulled out all the pockets on her body, which contained only a few coins.

The chubby boy pointed at the coin: "This is money."

The old lady said, "This is only a few dollars, how can that be enough to buy goldfish?"

The chubby boy looked at Xu Gui questioningly, and Xu Gui said, "This amount of money really can't buy our family's goldfish."

She wasn't speaking up for the old lady; she was simply stating a fact.

Fatty: The sky has fallen.

He started crying again.

The old lady hurriedly said, "Grandma doesn't have any money with her right now. I'll buy it for you later when I have the money."

The old lady was very clever. Putting aside whether she wanted to buy goldfish for her grandson, even if she did, she wouldn't buy goldfish from this store.

Xu Guijia's fish looks very precious; it would cost a lot of money to buy one. How could she bear to part with it?

"When Grandma has money, she'll definitely buy it for you!"

"Really?"

"Really, really."

The chubby boy was eventually coaxed away by his grandma, but as he left, he was still wiping away tears, his eyes fixed longingly on the goldfish in Xu Gui's aquarium, filled with reluctance.

Just as the grandmother and grandson were leaving, Xu Gui suddenly spoke up: "Wait a minute."

She called out to the grandmother and grandson.

Upon hearing this, the old lady immediately looked at her warily. "What? Do you have something else to say? Looking for trouble?"

Her eyes darted around again, and she asked with a whimsical idea, "Could it be that you've come to a realization and decided to do something charitable and give my grandson a goldfish?"

Xu Gui: "..." This old lady really does dream.

"I just wanted to remind you that you've already promised your grandson something, so you absolutely must keep it." She looked intently at the old lady, her attitude very serious and earnest.

“Children aren’t ignorant; they know how to feel sad. You’ve broken your promise to him several times already. This time, whether it’s for his own good or for something else, you shouldn’t break your promise to him again.”

Seeing the old lady's nonchalant expression, Xu Gui continued, "Believe me, if you break your promise to him again this time, something will definitely happen that you'll regret for the rest of your life."

Upon hearing this, the old lady curled her lip in disdain and sneered, "Are you trying to scare me with these words? But let me tell you, I'm not easily frightened. You can't scare me."

Seeing that she didn't believe him, Xu Gui simply said, "What if I told you that the thing you'll regret for the rest of your life is that your grandson will die?"

The old lady's expression finally changed.

Xu Gui pointed to the two characters "fortune telling" on his fortune telling banner and said, "I am a fortune teller, and I have never made a mistake. I usually charge five hundred for a fortune telling, but this time I'm doing you a favor and giving your grandson a free fortune telling..."

“Your grandson is facing a life-threatening crisis soon. If he can overcome it, everything will be fine. If he can’t…”

Xu Gui didn't say what would happen if she couldn't overcome it, but everyone else understood what she meant—since it was a death tribulation, if you couldn't overcome it, you would naturally die.

Xu Gui: "I hope you can believe me. I'm not joking. If you really ignore this, your grandson will definitely die."

The chubby boy, his eyes still wet, didn't quite understand the concept of death, his expression blank. But his grandmother was different; for the elderly, the word "death" was a vivid and jarring one.

However, the old lady did not believe Xu Gui's words. She felt that Xu Gui was cursing her grandson by saying these things.

So, she started cursing at Xu Gui, using very offensive and vulgar language, including all sorts of offensive and obscene words.

After she finished cursing, she glared at Xu Gui and said hatefully, "I thought you were a pretty young girl, but I never expected you to be so vicious. My grandson just bumped into you, and you cursed him like this! Are you even human?"

Xu Gui felt that it was probably because she herself had grown up in an orphanage in a certain sense, so she naturally felt a sense of pity for the children, which was why she spoke up to remind them.

However, this does not mean that she enjoys fawning over others.

So, faced with the old lady's outburst of insults, her smile faded and her expression turned cold.

"It seems I've been meddling in other people's business." Xu Gui's eyes were as cold as knives. She turned to leave, but when she saw the chubby boy with clear eyes, she paused.

Sigh, she still can't handle children.

"...Let me remind you one more time: do good deeds. Sometimes helping others is helping yourself!"

After saying that to the old lady, Xu Gui turned his gaze to the chubby boy and said, "Chubby boy, come here."

The chubby boy instinctively wanted to walk over, but as soon as he moved his foot, his grandmother grabbed him.

The old woman asked warily, "Why are you calling my grandson over? Do you want to harm him?"

Xu Gui ignored her. Since the old lady wouldn't allow her eldest grandson to come over, Xu Gui didn't plan to meddle. She only reminded the chubby boy, "Little chubby boy, remember, you can't go near water during this time, especially rivers and ponds, understand?"

The chubby boy looked bewildered: Huh?

After saying those two sentences, Xu Gui felt a sense of relief. She had said everything she needed to say.

Sigh, she's still too kind-hearted. Is it because she's become human that her heart has softened?

Xu Gui realized that the memories of twenty-three years of human life had been integrated into her soul and had ultimately had some impact on her.

Fortunately, she didn't seem to mind too much. Being soft-hearted means she's a particularly kind turtle!

Xu Gui couldn't help but sigh in his heart: Alas, it's really rare to find a turtle as kind as myself!

Thinking about all this, she turned around and went back to her fortune-telling stall. This time, she didn't stop and didn't hesitate at all.

Throughout those few steps, her expression remained unchanged, still cold and aloof, an expression rarely seen on her face, as Xu Gui was usually very cheerful.

She actually has an oval face, but she still has baby fat on her cheeks, making her face look chubby. She loves to laugh, so she gives off a harmless vibe, exuding cleverness and playfulness, as well as a childlike innocence.

However, now that she has turned cold, everyone suddenly realizes that Xu Gui actually has an extremely bright and pretty face, with beautiful eyes and fair and delicate skin. Upon closer inspection, she has a radiant and charming beauty.

As viewers in the live stream watched her face turn cold, they had the illusion that they were seeing her face for the first time.

[I was wrong. I always thought I was a "mommy fan" of Xu Gui, then I thought I was a "girlfriend fan," but only now do I realize that I'm actually a fan of her looks!!]

The biggest misconception in the world is that I thought Xu Gui had a baby face. I've only just realized that she actually has a classic beauty face. She has almond-shaped eyes, peach-like cheeks, and fair, radiant skin, like a ripe peach that looks like it could burst with sweet juice if you poked it. Her skin is just amazing.

Xu Gui has very beautiful features and a full face. She would definitely look stunning if she lost weight! But personally, I think she looks her best right now!!

[Vulgar! You guys are so vulgar! I'm different from you; I'm a huge fan of Xu Gui's career!]

[Ha, acting like career-oriented fans aren't fans at all. Where does your sense of superiority come from? Besides, does Xu Gui even need your support? Everyone can see her career is going smoothly... No!! I suddenly think being a career-oriented fan of Xu Gui isn't so bad, is it? If you were a career-oriented fan of Xu Gui, with her seemingly unstoppable career, that would be awesome, right?]

Am I the only one concerned about that departed grandmother and grandson? The grandmother doesn't seem to believe Xu Gui's words. What if something really happens to her grandson?

[What to do? Well, whatever. As the saying goes, put aside your altruistic spirit and embrace a life of wickedness. Xu Gui has warned her before, but she doesn't believe him. He can't just keep chasing after her, can he? If Xu Gui really does that, I think people will suspect he's trying to harm them. So, if something still happens to this child in the end, we can only say it's fate!]

At this moment, the grandmother and grandson, who had already left, indeed did not take Xu Gui's sincere warning to heart, just as the comments on the screen said.

The chubby boy is too young to understand anything; he doesn't even have a clear understanding of the definition of death. He remembers Xu Gui's advice to stay away from water, but he might forget it later.

The old lady hadn't forgotten; she simply didn't believe Xu Gui's words at all. In her view, Xu Gui's words weren't a prophecy, but a curse.

"How could there be such a vicious woman?" The old lady was still cursing all the way, but when she thought of Xu Gui's cold face, she didn't dare to go and curse at Xu Gui face to face. So she could only vent her anger by cursing to herself.

It's quite strange, though. She's lived most of her life and has rarely been afraid of anyone, especially such a young and tender-looking girl.

But the result is that she was intimidated by the little girl's look. The old lady felt both aggrieved and ashamed.

"Ouch!" Suddenly, she stumbled and fell to the ground with a thud.

The fall was quite solid, and the old lady couldn't help but cry out twice. After sitting up, her frustration reached its peak, and she couldn't help but say while still sitting on the ground, "Why does it feel like nothing is going right today?"

First, I encountered that sharp-tongued little girl who seemed a bit eerie, and now I've fallen down like this. Why does today feel so unlucky?

"Ouch." The old lady was brought back to her senses by the pain and cried out softly.

The chubby boy squatted down beside her, looking at her with his big eyes, and asked, "Grandma, are you alright?"

The old lady waved her hand and said, "It's alright, Xiaobao, help Grandma up first."

The chubby boy obediently replied, "Okay."

He reached out and tried to help his grandmother up. The two of them stumbled and walked home. However, the little fat boy was still thinking about the goldfish. When they passed a square near his home, his eyes, which were red from crying, looked at his grandmother.

The square near their home is always bustling; it's a small hub in the area. There are many kinds of things sold in the square, especially children's items. The uncle at the square I mentioned earlier not only sells goldfish but also small turtles.

As they were about to cross the square, the chubby boy couldn't help but speak up: "Grandma, you said you'd buy me goldfish..."

The old lady had just fallen and was in a bad mood. Hearing this, she said irritably, "Why would I want a goldfish? Those things are a scam. They die within a few days of being brought home! Didn't Tian Tian next door have one? She cried a lot when it died."

"Hmph!" The old lady snorted, her tone disdainful: "These unscrupulous merchants are the best at swindling money from children... Xiao Bao, be good, we won't buy this."

The chubby boy got anxious: "But you just said you were going to buy it for me!" He puffed up his cheeks, making his face look even fatter, like a little frog.

"Ouch!" The old lady had a sudden idea. She rubbed her head and said, "Grandma just fell and it hurts so much. Xiaobao, quickly take Grandma home. Grandma needs to lie down and rest."

Fatty: QAQ.

He sniffed, glanced longingly at the direction of the square, his expression a mixture of grievance and envy: Everyone else has a goldfish, but he doesn't. When will he get his own goldfish?

*

When Xu returned to the fortune-telling stall, the three children were still guarding the aquarium. Compared to the chubby little boy who was rolling around, the three of them seemed very well-behaved.

"Sister, don't be angry." Xiaomin came over with a sweet smile. "That chubby boy was mean, but we're different. We're obedient!"

The two little boys beside her nodded in agreement, echoing her like insects: "Yes, we'll be good."

Xu Gui smiled and said calmly, "I'm not angry. I never waste my emotions on irrelevant people."

Xiaomin peeked at her and, seeing that she was still thinking about the fish in the tank, asked in a low voice, "Sister, how much does one of these goldfish cost?"

Xu Gui glanced at it and casually said, "Eighteen yuan and fifty cents a piece."

The precision is accurate to the cent.

Upon hearing this, the three children went to the side and started chattering. The camera panned over and showed them taking out their pockets, seemingly calculating how much money they had in total.

A few minutes later, Xiaomin ran over excitedly, holding a handful of money in her hands, and said, "Sister, we've calculated it, and we have exactly eighteen yuan and fifty cents on us. Can we buy a small fish with this money?"

Xu Gui glanced at the money in her hand, smiled, and said, "Of course, there are seven fish inside. Take a look and see which one you want to choose."

The three children were immediately delighted. Xiaomin gave the money to Xu Gui, and then she and her friends gathered in front of the aquarium, carefully looking at the fish inside, determined to pick out the best and most lively one.

"The more lively you are, the longer you'll live!" Xiaomin sounded quite experienced.

Finally, they chose one, "Sister, we want this one!"

Xu Gui glanced at the one they had chosen and nodded: "Okay."

She looked around but couldn't find a suitable container to hold the fish. Finally, her gaze fell on the small fish tank on her table. Just then, the little turtle that was lying on the pebbles at the bottom of the tank suddenly raised its head, stretching its neck out as if looking around at something. Then, it was grabbed by a hand that seemed to fall from the sky and placed on the table.

Xu Gui, holding the now-empty fish tank, said with satisfaction, "This is not bad!"

The little turtle placed on the table: ??

Xu Gui filled the fish tank with water and reached out to grab the little goldfish that the children had chosen.

Unlike others who catch fish, when Xu Gui went to catch fish, the fish in the aquarium were not scared at all. Instead, they came over very eagerly, as if they were kissing her fingers with their mouths.

Xu Gui frowned, reached out and pushed aside the two people who were leaning towards him, and said, "Wait, we're not here for you."

Then she caught the "chosen fish" and easily put it into the fish tank. The fish was very obedient in Xu Gui's hands and did not struggle at all. After landing in the fish tank, it flicked its beautiful tail and swam around lively in the fish tank.

Seeing this, Xiaomin put her hands on her hips and said proudly to her two friends, "See? I told you this fish was the most lively. Let me tell you, when you go to the market, you should choose one that looks very energetic. Otherwise, if you bring the fish home, it will die and the taste won't be good."

The boys asked in a terrified tone, "...Xiaomin, are you going to eat this little goldfish?"

Xiaomin scratched her head and said embarrassedly, "Hehehe, I misspoke. I meant the fish at the market, the kind we eat at dinner. Such beautiful fish, I can't bear to eat them!"

Three children huddled around the small fish tank, their eyes fixed on the goldfish swimming inside, their eyes filled with delight.

"So beautiful..." The three of them are quite discerning children.

"Sister, let me tell you something."

Having known each other for two days, the children felt they had become familiar with Xu Gui and began to confide in her. "Actually, Qiao Qiao doesn't want to learn Barba dance at all, but her mother insists that she go. She says the Barba dance teacher is very good, and she finally managed to book a class with him and paid a lot of money. She insists that Qiao Qiao go."

Xu Gui had wanted to ask this before: "What kind of dance is the 'Baba dance'?"

Xiaomin looked confused: "Barba dance is just barba dance."

"Maybe it's ballet?" the cameraman whispered to Xu Gui. "Maybe the kid misheard and thought it was 'Baba dance'."

Xu Gui nodded slightly, finding this explanation more plausible.

"So, why doesn't Qiaoqiao want to learn Barba dance?" she asked with a smile.

Xiaomin looked around, then pulled Xu Gui aside and said, "Sister, I'm only telling you about this. Qiaoqiao said that the uncle from Baba Dance Teacher's family keeps touching her, and she feels very uncomfortable and scared."

Xu Gui was stunned.