"But actually she was just afraid, afraid of the world outside this mountain, just like when I first took the bus, I didn't dare to sit down even though there was a seat next to me."
Qiao Xia didn't quite understand what Chen Xi was saying.
Chenxi, who repeatedly met with rejection from her mother and sister, clearly saw that her father would often linger in the town's tavern.
Their lives consisted only of the mountains before them, and no matter how beautiful the life she described, they were filled with fear of the unknown.
If Chenxi were to rashly shatter their world and force in new things, they might go crazy.
Chenxi jumped down from the tree. "So, I'm saving money to build roads on the mountain and then build schools in the town. People on the mountain can't even watch TV, so they can't see the outside world. But as long as they know that the outside world isn't so scary, they'll be able to go out on their own."
Qiao Xia couldn't help but applaud her, "I'll help you."
Chenxi wasn't being pretentious. With the show "Idol Producer" being so popular, she knew that Qiao Xia had become rich again, and with her help, she would get closer to her dream sooner.
Her background remains a mystery in the entertainment industry, and there are many things she can't tell others. This is the first time she has fully expressed her thoughts.
Chenxi couldn't stop talking. "You know what? There are only a dozen or so families in these mountains. They've been intermarrying with each other for years. I think it's a miracle that I'm still in human form."
Chenxi's words made Qiao Xia's heart skip a beat, and she raised the importance of road construction and school building even higher.
When they returned, Niu Ping'an and the other two were already half-drunk. Seeing Qiao Xia's remaining consciousness, he quickly stood up and held Qiao Xia's hand.
"Thank you, I have to thank you on behalf of the old and young men in the mountains. I never thought that I, Niu Ping'an, would have such good luck one day."
Qiao Xia pulled her hand away and explained about the road repairs and school construction.
Niu Ping'an readily agreed, "That's great, that's great!"
Niu Ping'an staggered out of the house, pointed to an empty plot of land outside, and said, "This is where we'll build a primary school, and I'll be the teacher..."
Qiao Xia was overwhelmed by the smell of alcohol on him and took a half step back.
Niu Ping'an became even more enthusiastic, "Don't let my current appearance fool you, I graduated from high school back then, which is considered a high level of education in our village..."
Qiao Xia couldn't help but kick him in the butt. Niu Ping'an fell flat on his face, but he regained most of his senses.
"What I mean is to build roads on all the mountains so that all the children can go to school."
Niu Ping'an fully regained his senses and hurriedly got up, asking, "What did you just say? Say it again."
Qiao Xia ignored him and sat down at the table to serve herself a bowl of rice.
Five flowers kept peeking out of the kitchen, but Aunt Niu scolded them and told them to continue eating at the small dining table.
Before Qiao Xia could speak, Chen Xi said angrily, "I've told you several times already, and you still keep doing this low-class thing. Come and sit down and eat."
Five pairs of clear, black and white eyes stared straight at her, but none of them made a move.
Chenxi said nothing more, only placing her hand under the table.
"You brat, are you really going to give up?" Aunt Niu slammed her hand on the table in three quick steps.
Qiao Xia and Chen Xi exchanged a smile; she had flipped tables quite often.
When Chenxi was little, she hated it when her father brought people home, because whenever he invited people over to drink, her mother would get very angry and sad, and would secretly wipe away tears in the kitchen.
But in the end, she still had to busy herself in the kitchen, bringing the meat that they might not be able to eat even once every six months to the table.
At that time, Chenxi could only watch them clinking glasses and laughing through the crack in the kitchen door. Even though they were both in the mountains, they seemed to live in two different worlds.
A plate full of meat never belonged to her; all that belonged to her were the leftover scraps soaked in wine.
After their banquet, a fierce argument usually breaks out between the parents, which often ends with the father slamming the door and leaving.
Her mother would cry as she cleaned up the messy table, then angrily scold her.
When Dad comes home, he will argue with Mom again and drag her into his camp, saying that Mom is stingy, menopausal, mentally ill, and doesn't understand him.
When she was little, Chenxi really thought her father was better than her mother, and she would resent her mother because of this, just like her younger sisters resent her now.
But when she grew up, she realized that the reason her father thought bringing people home was a small matter was because all he had to do was bring them back.
The kitchen was filled with smoke and fumes, and all the mess they made after their carefree departure left Mom to deal with alone.
The mother became numb and even assimilated in this kind of life. When faced with the olive branch of her new world, she would run away, refuse, or curse.
All she had to do was flip the table and give herself some time.
The table was full of people. Under Aunt Niu's disapproving gaze, Qiao Xia and Chen Xi kept putting food on Wu Zhi Hua's plate without prior arrangement.
Niu Ping'an was squeezed so much that he pulled his chair back a little. He shifted uncomfortably, glancing frequently at Qiao Xia. He wanted to ask her if what she said was true, but he was afraid of upsetting her.
"If you need to pee, go to the toilet," Qiao Xia retorted coldly.
Niu Ping'an immediately quieted down, but still kept glancing at Qiao Xia from time to time.
After finishing their meal at a leisurely pace, Qiao Xia settled the completely drunk Qiao Zhaoxing in the bedroom, and then called to Niu Ping'an, "Let's go, let's find someone who can make decisions."
Niu Ping'an quickly agreed, "Okay."
Seeing that the three of them were about to leave, Aunt Niu slapped her thigh anxiously, "You! This is so suspicious! You're leaving your dad, a grown man, alone in my house! Oh dear!"
Chenxi rolled her eyes. "My dad's drunk, not dead. There are so many kids watching over him. What's there to be afraid of?"
Qiao Xia joked, "If he dares to do anything to betray my mother, just take a knife and chop him up, I promise I won't sue you."
Aunt Niu stood there, stunned.
Niu Ping'an hurriedly urged them to get on the oxcart, "Let's go quickly, the town mayor will be off work soon."
Qiao Xia hesitated to lift her foot.
Niu Ping'an asked uneasily, "You won't regret this, will you?"
Then he quickly waved his hand, "It's fine if you don't build roads for our village, just build a school. It doesn't matter if you don't give us 300 million, 300,000 is fine too."
Niu Ping'an had long thought that 300 million was a pipe dream, but he really didn't want to miss the chance to meet a wealthy person. "Consider it a gesture of goodwill from you, for the sake of the children..."
Qiao Xia was both amused and exasperated. "Do I look like someone who's broke? I was just wondering, does driving an oxcart after drinking count as drunk driving?"
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