Twenty-four special skills

"Xiao Ming, what are you doing?"

Just as Li Wei was enjoying the beating, her maternal grandfather Cheng Enjiu's displeased voice came from above, and at the same time, Li Wei was also lifted up.

Ugh, that's the downside of being small; you're always being carried around.

"Grandpa, don't stop me! I'm going to teach this brat a lesson today!"

Let him know that offending his mother has dire consequences.

The old man was both amused and annoyed. It seemed his granddaughter always thought she was an adult, while that little brat was no less than her. He pulled up the disheveled Luo Da with his other hand and asked Li Wei, "What did he do to offend you this time? Last time you said he robbed you, what about this time?"

Li Wei grabbed her grandfather's thick arm. She was exhausted, but still retorted fiercely, "He helped your friend, Old Veterinarian Lin, and used violence to force me to get the injection. And Grandpa, don't send money to that clinic for the injection. I was forced to get it, and I'm never going back, never again!" What kind of rubbish is this? Is this how they treat consumers? Li Wei harbored deep resentment.

The old man patted the dust off Luo Da's clothes. He didn't take Li Wei's complaints too seriously, but he was still quite concerned about his granddaughter's health. He inquired about her condition and listened to Li Wei's reluctant explanation of Old Lin's diagnosis. Reassured, he took Li Wei and Luo Da home.

The old man knew that although the old man was a bit unpredictable, his medical skills were still reliable.

Of course, the old man wasn't as ungrateful as Li Wei. He deeply appreciated Luo Da's "heroic act" and warmly invited Luo Da to come over often when he got home.

Li Wei pursed her lips. "Do we even need to invite him? Isn't he just following you around like a shadow?"

Li Wei ate a little something in the evening and went to bed early.

I don't know how long I slept. I was vaguely awakened by a melodious piano tune. Lying on the kang (heated brick bed), I listened with half-closed eyes. It seemed to be someone playing the erhu (a two-stringed bowed instrument) next door. It seemed to be playing "Ode to the Red Plum Blossom," then "A Great River," and then "The Song of the Two Little Cowherds"...

Songs that usually sound cloyingly sweet, now, in the dark silence of the evening, sound strangely beautiful. They seem to float away from the depths of my soul…

Li Wei sighed inwardly. She was truly beautiful.

She had never really liked the erhu. She thought it looked too rustic and the sound too melancholic. But now, listening to different pieces, she had a completely different feeling.

The sounds of children and adults praising and laughing could be faintly heard around the sound of the piano. Li Wei could roughly tell who it was.

That was Grandpa Wu Feng, an old man who had been a carpenter all his life.

I had a bit of a fight with my son and daughter-in-law a while ago, so I stayed at my eldest daughter's house for a bit. Hearing the music, I guess she must have just come back. There really aren't many people in her village who can play an instrument.

Li Wei listened to music, lost in thought. In her past life, she had learned guitar for a year during her university years, enjoying the feeling of playing and softly singing along. However, the excruciating pain in her fingers from practicing was also unforgettable. After starting work, she played the guitar less often, mainly because time had passed and she had lost the passion. Actually, if she could choose, Li Wei still loved the piano. The image of someone wearing a beautiful dress, sitting on the piano bench, their delicate hands dancing on the keys, had always been captivating to her.

But she knew that the piano was an instrument that required a lot of perseverance.

I suddenly remembered the piano in Ding Anni's house. When I was playing with it, I asked Ding Anni about it. She said she only studied it for a little over a year and then stopped, but she has been learning dance at the Children's Palace. No wonder she has such a good temperament.

The Children's Palace, oh the Children's Palace, what a place that children of this era yearn for when they grow up. Unfortunately, at least for now, it's out of their reach… Thinking of this, Li Wei's heart suddenly skipped a beat, and a word popped into her mind—special talent!

Yes, Li Lin and Li Lianhui are both eight years old. It's about time they started learning some hobbies. But given their current circumstances, what can they learn? They can manage their academic studies until junior high, so that's not a problem. The remaining issue is learning a special skill, but what to learn and where to learn it are both questions.

Li Wei tossed and turned, thinking that going to the city to study like she did more than ten years later was a bit unrealistic. She was too young to handle the hassle, and her parents wouldn't allow it either...

Li Wei was racking her brains trying to figure it out when she suddenly heard her grandfather's hearty laughter. His unrestrained spirit... wow, no wonder he learned the martial arts of the Liangshan heroes... Wait a minute, isn't martial arts a skill too? Why go to all that trouble? Right, let Li Lianhui learn this from her grandfather. No tuition fees, no need to go anywhere else, hehe, so convenient! We can even bring that Fatty Er and Luo Er along.

Subconsciously, I completely ignored Luo Da.

As for Li Lin... well, she can learn the erhu from Grandpa Wu. We should talk to Grandpa Wu about it; the old man has nothing else to do anyway. If it works out, we can buy Li Lin an erhu and that will settle things.

As for herself, forget it. Practicing martial arts would easily make her legs thicker and her height shorter, and playing the erhu wouldn't look fashionable—both would negatively impact her image. Her career as a beauty couldn't tolerate any changes.

Okay, it's settled then.

The next day, Li Wei neither went to school nor got her injection.

The reason given was quite grand: being sick, of course one needs to rest.

inject?

No need, I just need to rest.

Her mother, Cheng Min, was worried and gave her an ultimatum: "Have your maternal grandfather take you to Dr. Lin for another injection, otherwise it will be a big problem and you'll have to get an IV or go to the hospital. Hurry up, get up, put on your clothes, and go to the clinic with your maternal grandfather."

Li Wei was eager to get an IV drip, but she didn't want to make her illness worse.

Forced by her mother, she slowly got up and said, "Alright, Mom, I'll go by myself. Just give me some extra money so I can pay for the medical expenses and buy some canned fruit to help me recover." Back then, canned fruit was a popular supplement for visiting patients. Li Wei wasn't really interested in using canned fruit to improve her health; she just wanted to get more money.

After changing her clothes and eating something, Li Wei declined her grandfather's offer to accompany her and set off.

Before she left, her mother praised her: "You've really grown up. You even dare to go get your shots by yourself now. Sigh, when I was little, I would hide far away from anyone wearing a white coat. If I went to the hospital, I would cry and run around everywhere."

Li Wei was speechless. "Mom, are you praising me or insulting me?"

As for her maternal grandfather, he had long forgotten about Li Wei hitting someone's child yesterday for getting a shot. He patted Li Wei's head and praised her, saying, "Not bad, not bad."

Li Wei, carrying a small crossbody bag and wearing a sun hat, felt a pang of guilt towards her grandfather as she walked.

Grandpa, I have let you down.

As she approached the village clinic at the village committee's entrance, Li Wei took a detour, having already planned that if Old Veterinarian Lin accidentally examined her, she could easily make a run for it.

As for the injection, since it's an acute illness, it comes on quickly and goes away quickly, that's what acute illnesses are like. Besides, she doesn't feel any discomfort anymore, and her stomach was fine this morning. She just wanted to be lazy and not go to school. Going to school really isn't interesting to her; it's more meaningful to stay home, sleep, and do hair accessories.

Ping An made his way across the road in front of the clinic. Li Wei breathed a sigh of relief. Sigh, her buttocks were saved. Just thinking about it was scary. It still hurt when she went to bed yesterday.

But thinking about it, the old veterinarian's skills were quite good. Unlike years later, when she had a headache or fever and needed an IV drip that made her hands look like honeycombs, it didn't work. At least Li Wei didn't feel uncomfortable at all now, and she didn't know if it was just the psychological effect of being scared by the injection.

Since Li Wei wasn't going to get a shot and didn't plan to buy canned food from the convenience store, she obviously had her own reasons for doing so.

I made up my mind last night that I would go to the city today to buy Li Lin an erhu. Whether the girl wants to or not, she has to learn it. I'm doing this for her own good.

She'll be grateful to herself when she grows up.

Besides the ten yuan her mother gave her, Li Wei also had the eighty-odd yuan she spent on selling her hair in her small bag.

Li Wei had never bought an erhu before, only a guitar, but based on her father's average salary, she estimated that she should have enough money. Buying a beginner-level one for Li Lin to practice with shouldn't be too expensive.

Without hesitation, Li Wei boarded the bus to the city and swayed her way in. When she got off at the station, she first checked the prices at the state-run store's stationery section to get a general idea. Then, she asked an elderly woman selling soda and popsicles outside the store about a privately owned musical instrument shop. It wasn't far, and it was on the same street as where she used to buy her guitar. After a twenty-minute walk, she found the shop, having finished her popsicle. She felt a little regretful, wondering if it had affected her stomach; it was quite cold.

Li Wei wiped her hands with a small handkerchief as she listened to the tinkling sound of a piano drifting from inside and stepped into the music store.

The music store was slightly dimly lit, but it didn't affect visibility. The room was only about 40 square meters, and the decoration was simple but stylish. In a corner closest to the door, a woman was writing something on a table, unaware that Li Wei had come in.

The walls of the room were filled with musical instruments. In one corner of the room stood a piano, and a young man in a white shirt was sitting on the piano bench. The music that had just been played was by him. Li Wei recognized the piece; it was the familiar "Für Elise." The lively notes danced in the room, filling the dimly lit room with life.

Li Bu walked over; she loved listening to people play the piano live.

But when she got closer and saw the boy's handsome face and his hands moving calmly across the piano keys, a long-dormant guitar in Li Wei's heart suddenly and inexplicably plucked a string. A soft hum resonated in Li Wei's chest.

Li Weizhen jolted awake, inwardly cursing herself, "You've watched too many Korean dramas. You get all confused when you see a man playing the piano. You're so pathetic."

Ah, this boy is really handsome. He looks about fifteen or sixteen years old, with fair skin, jet-black hair that's neatly combed and clean, and a delicate, gentle face that suggests he's very well-mannered. As he plays the piano, a contented smile plays on his lips, and his eyes are clear and peaceful. Ah, he's just so pleasing to the eye.

Li Wei felt an itch in her heart, but couldn't quite grasp it; it was as if fifty little mice were scratching at her heart.

I was stunned.

After playing the last note, the boy paused thoughtfully for a moment, stroking the keys, before turning to look at the little girl standing beside him, who barely reached his chest. He smiled and asked, "Little sister, is something the matter?"

What a monster!

Despite the sweltering summer heat, the boy's smile felt like a gentle spring breeze to Li Wei, making her legs weak and almost unable to stand. She quickly steadied herself by holding onto the piano, pushed her hat behind her back to reveal her fair, milky face: "Little...brother, you play the piano so beautifully." She started by saying something nice to get closer to him.

"Is that so?" The boy smiled noncommittally.

"Hey kid, where are your parents?" a woman's voice came from the corner.

Li Wei had wanted to chat with the young man for a bit, but unfortunately, she didn't get the chance. Before the woman at the music store could chase her away, she quickly explained her purpose: "Auntie, I want to buy an erhu. Could you please introduce it to me?" Opportunities are something you have to create yourself.

The woman did resemble the boy somewhat, so they must be related. Seeing that Li Wei was such a young child, she didn't seem like someone who could buy things, but she didn't say much. She only told the boy, "Yueyue, you talk to this little girl, and then hurry up and go read your book. We've already wasted enough time today."

The boy's eyes darkened when he heard the second half of the sentence, but quickly brightened again. He stood up and pulled Li Wei, saying, "Come on, little sister, what kind of things do you want to see? I'll tell you about them first."

Li Wei felt as if the hand she was being held wasn't even her own anymore. Her heart pounded, and she mechanically followed along. As for what the other person was saying, it went in one ear and out the other, leaving no trace.

Finally, I managed to tell them what I wanted and vaguely bought the erhu they recommended. I only remember that it was a Dunhuang brand, and the rest is a blur.

After the boy finished his introduction, his mother urged him to go to a room inside to study.

Li Wei stood there, staring blankly at the violin case.

"Little friend, where are your parents? If you're buying it, let your parents pay for it." The woman, the boy's mother, was still somewhat skeptical that a child like Li Wei was there to buy a piano; she probably just liked it.

"Oh." Li Wei snapped out of her daze and hurriedly opened her bag while asking, "How much is it, Auntie?"

The woman was somewhat skeptical; could this child really have so much money? She figured it was just pocket money, but she still said, "Twenty-five yuan."

"It's pretty cheap," Li Wei said, taking out twenty-five yuan and handing it over.

The woman took it in surprise, but was still a little uneasy: "Do your parents know?"

"I know, Mom told me to go out and buy things by myself, saying it's to help me practice shopping independently." Getting injections independently is the real goal.

"Oh." The woman thought to herself, "She's from a wealthy family." She couldn't help but glance at Li Wei a few more times. If she wasn't mistaken, there was quite a bit of money in that little red envelope. It seems these parents are quite good at raising their child; they're not afraid of their child being scammed.

Thus, Li Wei reluctantly left the music store, carrying her instrument on her back. Before leaving, she took one last look at the closed door the boy had gone into, and walked away helplessly.

As I walked, I kept belittling myself. I'm getting more and more pathetic. Is it really worth being so infatuated with a kid? I should slap myself and go home.

Who knows what kind of torture devices, like the tiger bench or chili water, might be waiting for her at home.