I was surprised, but thinking about how I make money, it seems... kind of like being an online beggar...

Am I a beggar?

My mind went blank, and I instinctively asked Shen Linzhou.

Shen Linzhou took out a tissue and wiped his frozen nose. He put his arm around the thin shoulder and comforted him, "They're not beggars. They like to see you and give you tips voluntarily. You provide them with emotional value, which is an equal exchange."

The wick immediately beamed with joy and told Nanxingjian:

"I'm not a beggar. Many people are doing live streaming online. It's a new industry. If you want to get involved after you graduate from high school, and I haven't lost my job yet, we can do it together."

Nan Xingjian: "..."

After the minor incident, Nan Yu gave her younger brother 20,000 yuan to help with household expenses and his living costs.

Nanxing returned the money to his brother, turning his head away and saying, "I don't want it."

Nan Yu: "I'll give it to my parents, but they won't spend it. I'll give it to you so you can go home and buy some things this weekend."

Nan Xingjian still refused, feeling that this was money his brother had earned at the cost of his dignity, and he would feel guilty spending it. The two brothers kept pushing and shoving each other, and Nan Yu's patience slowly wore thin.

He angrily threw the money on the ground, scattering it all over the floor.

Nanxingjian frowned.

Nan Yu: "Do you think my money is dirty? If you don't want it, don't pick it up!"

After saying that, he got on the tricycle, and Shen Linzhou abandoned it, releasing the handbrake and leaving the two of them behind.

Shen Linzhou stood there, stunned.

Nan Xingjian had already squatted down to pick up the money.

The money dispensed from the ATM was all loose bills, which Nan Yu had thrown away. Red bills were scattered all over the white bricks, and passersby wanted to come in and pick them up.

Shen Linzhou didn't know the way home either, so he could only help his future brother-in-law pick up the items, and then rely on him to lead the way home.

They picked up all 20,000.

She straightened the cloth and handed it to Nan Xingjian, her voice calm: "Your brother is just worried about you. Just take the money he's giving you. If he runs out of money, I'll take care of him."

Nan Xingjian ultimately put the money in his inner pocket. He wanted to cry, but his pride as a boy wouldn't allow him to shed a tear, and he stubbornly remained silent.

"Your brother and I haven't officially started dating yet, at least not before I came to your house. But given the current situation, things might change next semester."

You should know your brother too.

I had no choice but to do live streaming. Last semester I had a full schedule of classes and things to do on Saturdays, so I simply didn't have time to go out and do part-time work.

Your family is short of money, so he has to find a way to make money. The live streaming industry is booming right now, which is an opportunity for him. This is not a shameful job.

He is a clean person, and the money he earns is clean too.

If none of you spend his money, he'll feel like there's no point in him earning it. I hope you won't feel disgusted, or don't blame me for trying to sow discord between you. Next year, come to my house for Chinese New Year.

Nan Xingjian's eyes grew redder and redder, and he finally couldn't help but raise his sleeve to wipe away his tears. During his teenage voice change, when his voice was tinged with sobs, it was hoarse and high-pitched.

“I’m not disgusted! I don’t want my brother to lose his dignity and beg for a reward from them. At worst, I’ll drop out of school and go work on a construction site to help support the family!”

Shen Linzhou scoffed, "Young man, it's good to have high aspirations, but you also need to be realistic. As for manual labor, the real estate market is currently in a downturn. How old are you? If you want to make money, you need to know how to go with the flow. We live in the internet age now. Even a pig can take off if it stands in the right place at the right time. You think your brother has lost his dignity? In two years, you can look back and see if you're being old-fashioned or if your brother made the wrong choice."

"Also, your brother didn't ask for any rewards. He never asks for money on his own initiative. He just chats and people are willing to give him money. What, if money is put into your pocket, would you throw it away?"

"I don't want him to suffer." Nan Xingjian's voice grew increasingly strained as she wiped away her tears.

Shen Linzhou: "I will protect him."

Nan Xingjian clenched his fists, his eyes red as he glared at Shen Linzhou: "What are you going to do to protect him? You're both men, don't you think that's weird?!"

Shen Linzhou didn't want to waste any more words with him, but if he didn't get through to him, it would cause trouble later, so he could only patiently say:

"That's because you haven't met someone you like. If it were me who had a crush on someone, it would be fine if you couldn't stand it. But your brother also likes me. The result of stopping him would simply be that your brother compromises, marries a girl he doesn't love, and has children."

"Isn't getting married and having children a good thing?" Nan Xingjian still stubbornly insisted.

"Of course it's great, but it also depends on whether your brother wants it or not. Whether the girl can accept the past of the man he likes, there will be a series of obstacles in the future no matter who she chooses. You might as well make your brother happy."

Nan Xingjian shoved Shen Linzhou with just as much force as he had pushed Nan Yu; this time he used real strength, causing Shen Linzhou to stagger backward.

She retorted angrily, "What do you know? Life in the countryside is never smooth sailing! If the neighbors and relatives find out that my brother is with you, not only will he be bombarded with gossip, but our whole family will be cursed behind our backs! I can pretend I don't hear it, but what about my parents? Or do you think my brother can handle it?"

So you want to persuade me to give up?

Nan Xingjian turned his head away again and said fiercely, "I didn't say that!"

Shen Linzhou raised an eyebrow, patted his brother-in-law on the shoulder, and said, "Alright, I will treat your brother well. If he doesn't want to talk about it anymore one day, I will set him free. If you don't want your parents to know, I will treat you as a friend visiting. Come on, your brother is angry, buy a cup of milk tea to coax him back."

Nan Xingjian glanced at Shen Linzhou, regained his composure, and probably felt that crying was a bit shameful. He used his shoulder to push away the other's hand and strode forward.

Shen Linzhou followed.

Nan Xingjian finally stopped in front of a milk tea shop. Not knowing what flavor his brother liked, the shop assistant asked twice. He bit his tongue and asked Shen Linzhou in a low voice:

What kind of milk tea does my brother like to drink?

He likes everything you buy.

Nanxing bought a cup of strawberry milk.

Nothing else, it's the most expensive large size in the store.

Nan Yu ignored the two of them, strolled around the market again, and drove her tricycle home. On the way, she encountered two people, one in front and one behind.

Nan Yu honked the horn: "Beep beep—"

He parked the car on the side of the road, pulled the handbrake, and ran over quickly, pouting like a wronged little wife, grabbing the boy's clothes.

"You're angry with your brother, so why did you abandon me?"

Nan Yu asked him softly, "Did you find the money?"

Before Shen Linzhou could speak, Nan Xingjian had already arrived. Shen nodded, and Nan Yu was slightly relieved, then coughed.

Nan Xingjian came over, handed the milk tea to Nan Yu, and apologized with his head down: "I'm sorry, brother."

Nan Yu glanced at the milk tea, reached out to take it, inserted the straw, and took a sip. "Okay, okay." She smacked her lips, savoring the taste, and said, "The milk tea is quite sweet."

He knew his younger brother was afraid he would be mistreated in this job.

Getting angry with him was out of necessity; otherwise, given Nan Xingjian's personality, he would have argued with you until dark.

"Get in the car, let's go home and make lunch."

There were too many things on the bus, only enough for one person to sit in. Nan Yu offered the seat to Nan Xingjian, but Nan Xingjian wanted to give the seat to Shen Linzhou, since he was a guest.

The next second, his brother moved to the left, making room for half of the space, and said to Shen Linzhou, "You sit next to me."

Shen Linzhou readily agreed.

Nan Xingjian: "..."