17 Fireworks
◎Ultimate Fireworks Warning◎
Xu Huaihuai reacted quickly, immediately turning around to be on guard.
It can defend against sneak attacks from those who lack martial ethics, but it cannot defend against unscrupulous scoundrels who lack morality.
He Qiongzhi and Xu Jianshu rushed to Xu Huaihuai's feet, each grabbing one of her legs to prevent her from moving forward.
"Let go!" The weight of the two adults was too much to move for a moment. How could people be so shameless? Xu Huaihuai laughed angrily, "What exactly do you want? Isn't this embarrassing?"
"Huaihuai, please, your parents are begging you. You can't just abandon your second uncle's family. They can't stay here anymore. Some of our friends who invested money with us have already come knocking on our door. You can't just walk away like this, Huaihuai. Please let your second uncle's family stay with you for a while to avoid trouble. Your cousin will be starting school soon. At least let them stay for the rest of the time, okay?"
"Your cousin doesn't have a job right now. Huaihuai, we're sisters by blood. Help her out. How much hardship will she have to endure if you leave her to struggle alone in a big city?"
Seeing that Xu Huaihuai remained unmoved, Xu Jianshu burst into tears, completely forgetting how he had previously acted like a domineering father. He now tried very hard to put on the appearance of an elder who was worried about the future of his juniors, as if he really cared about his relatives and descendants.
If he hadn't been sitting on the ground hugging Xu Huaihuai's legs, he would have been even more convincing.
When the female lead came to the big city alone to make a living, why didn't you care at all?
Did you care about the hardships and setbacks the female protagonist endured in her entrepreneurial journey?
Your wallets are getting fuller every day, all thanks to sucking the blood of the female lead.
“Yes, your father swore a solemn oath before your grandfather’s memorial tablet to take good care of your second uncle’s family. Huaihuai, you really can’t go too far. How will your father hold his head high in front of your second uncle if you do this? What face will he have in front of our ancestors?” He Qiongzhi also wept bitterly.
"Backbone? Dad's backbone broke the moment he got hooked on gambling. It's long gone, so why pretend to be something he doesn't now? Dad, Mom, if swearing a solemn oath is so effective that it makes you both lose face and still have to keep it, then you should swear a solemn oath to quit gambling."
Because he has a daughter who owns a company, he has the courage to gamble that he will never earn money in his entire life.
But on what grounds?
The love you give is so meager, while your greed is far more intense than that insignificant love.
The fact that Xu Jianshu and He Qiongzhi could act so matter-of-factly at the beginning clearly shows that they thought their daughter would always get what she wanted.
Would a female protagonist who can build her own beauty brand be someone without her own opinions?
There is no such thing as reconciliation with one's family of origin.
She simply thought that money could buy a few bits of love from her family.
The love she had received little of in the past, the love she had yearned for for many years and which had become an obsession, that she called love from her family.
But this kind of love is poison. Touching it will break your heart.
They are so bad.
Xu Huaihuai, could you please not want their love anymore?
Xu Huaihuai felt a few white dots flashing in front of her eyes, her vision blurred for a moment, and a sharp buzzing sound rang in her ears.
It seemed as if a familiar figure was walking towards him through the brightly lit corridor.
Xu Huaihuai had a gut feeling that she was—the Xu Huaihuai of this world.
Her face was blurred in the light and shadow. She squatted down and looked at the rogue He Qiongzhi and Xu Jianshu.
She wanted to reach out and touch He Qiongzhi's face, a face streaked with tears, a face that was both tender and hypocritical.
In the end, she didn't touch it; she withdrew her hand, seemingly with a sigh.
"This is the last time," she whispered. As she got up to leave, she said, "Huaihuai, I'm begging you."
"Where are you going?" Xu Huaihuai asked instinctively.
She did not answer, her figure disappearing into the light and shadow, and then the light vanished.
Everything returned to normal, as if she had never been there.
Xu Huaihuai looked down at the two people clinging to her legs. There was a hint of panic in their eyes. He Qiongzhi looked uneasy. She glanced back but saw nothing. "Huaihuai, who were you talking to just now?"
"You have three seconds to swear an oath. If you don't, your second uncle's whole family can go back to where they came from! Three—"
"I swear, I swear! If I gamble again, may I die a horrible death and be struck by lightning!" Xu Jianshu quickly got up and swore with three fingers.
"Your turn, Mom." Xu Huaihuai lifted He Qiongzhi up with her left hand. This woman, who had been sitting at the gambling table for many years, was thin and weak. She swore like her husband, "If I gamble again, may I die a horrible death and be struck by lightning."
After He Qiongzhi finished swearing, her eyes, which had been teary just moments before, suddenly shone with an unusual light. "Huaihuai, look, your father and I have both sworn to quit gambling. Do you agree to let your second uncle's family move in as well?"
Xu Huaihuai never believed the oaths of gamblers, but she wanted Xu Jianshu and He Qiongzhi to remember the feeling of this moment. "If you really die because of gambling, I won't let you return to your roots. I heard that ashes can be made into fireworks. I've never seen them before. I wonder if fireworks made from ashes are pretty? Dad, Mom, do you want to know?"
If one doesn't return to their roots, they'll become a wandering ghost, and no one will even receive the paper money burned for them. Xu Jianshu and He Qiongzhi's expressions changed drastically, and they shook their heads frantically. They looked at Xu Huaihuai, who was unusually calm when she said these words, as if they had never known their daughter before.
“Listen carefully about my second uncle’s family. They are only allowed to stay here temporarily. Xu Yangfan, get back to your dorm as soon as school starts! His parents can go wherever they want! As for Xu Jingya, she will move out on her own once she finds a job. My house is not a shelter, and I have no intention of taking in unemployed people. Dad, Mom, if you have any objections, I will contact a nursing home right now so you can move in directly, saving me the trouble.”
"No, no objection. Right, Lao Xu? Look, Huaihuai, your dad has no objection either."
The two were still apprehensive about the idea of burning ashes into fireworks, fearing that after they passed away, they would actually be turned into fireworks and blown into the sky, unable to return to their hometown.
Xu Huaihuai opened the door and pressed her ear against it to listen for any noise. The others quickly stepped back, pretending to be very busy.
"Can you hear me clearly through the door? Do you want me to repeat myself?"
"Who are you calling an unemployed bum?" Xu Jingya asked, her face full of displeasure.
Do you have a job?
"It's just not happening for now! Just for now!" Xu Jingya argued, blushing.
"Then there isn't one right now."
Liang Jiajia and He Qiongzhi met eyes, and she was so anxious that her eyes seemed about to pop out: Sister-in-law, this is not what you promised!
Xu Huaihuai blocked He Qiongzhi's eye contact, afraid that they would really get so excited that their eyes would pop out. "Second Aunt, calm down. I'm the boss in my own home. Either get out now, or wait until Xu Yangfan starts school. Can't you choose? Fine, then I'll help you choose."
After Xu Huaihuai finished speaking, he was about to close the door. Liang Jiajia tried to push the door open, but found that she couldn't push it open. She quickly pushed her foot in to block the door and prevent Xu Huaihuai from closing it properly.
She was also a flexible person, and her mind was quick to make plans. At least she would move in first, and then even if they didn't leave, what could Xu Huaihuai do to them? "Oh dear, niece, you're being too formal. How can you not let guests who have come from afar into the house? We'll stay, just like you said. We'll stay until Yangfan starts school and then we'll leave. During this time, we can also help Yangfan get familiar with the area around the university, right?"
"If you know you're a guest, you must follow the host's rules. Second Aunt, do you understand?"
Xu Huaihuai stood in the doorway, her gaze not like that of someone looking at an elder, but more like that of someone about to die.
Liang Jiajia didn't know why she had such a misconception. When she looked again, her eldest niece's eyes were calm as still water. She couldn't help but feel a little scared, but her burgeoning greed could suppress her inner fear. "I understand, how could I not understand? Eldest niece, please give up your seat and let the elders come in and talk first."
Liang Jiajia looked eagerly and longingly behind Xu Huaihuai, her desire for her niece's property completely on her face.
Being entangled with poor relatives can lead to endless troubles, tantamount to inviting a wolf into the house.
However, besides wolves, there are also wolf hunters in this world.
"Change your shoes. They're dirty."
Xu Huaihuai smiled and turned to go inside.
Liang Jiajia always felt that there was something hidden in her words, but she couldn't figure it out.
"The number of rooms is limited. My parents will stay in the room on the east side, Xu Jingya will stay in the room on the northeast side, and your second aunt, second uncle and your precious son will stay in the room on the west side."
"Hmm? Auntie, you seem to have something to say? What, aren't you and Uncle supposed to be taking care of Xu Yangfan closely? It seems like my cousin can't really take care of himself, except when it comes to playing video games. If you're not satisfied with this room on the west side, you can move to the small cubicle by the entrance."
Xu Jingya was quite satisfied with her room. After all, the old, dilapidated apartment she used to live in was less than one square meter of this place. She had only ever seen the interior design of her cousin's house in TV dramas before, and those were the decorations of wealthy families. "Mom and Dad, just listen to your cousin. Isn't this great? I think your room is quite big."
Liang Jiajia cursed her stupid daughter inwardly. So what if it faces west? It's bigger than the south!
"My dear niece, don't you have a room on the south side as well?"
"Second Aunt, are you trying to usurp my place as a guest?"
"I did not mean that!"
"I think so, otherwise just talk less."
Liang Jiajia shut up in a huff.
"Also, listen carefully: First, you can only use the small kitchen, bathroom, and washing machine outside; second, you cannot enter my bedroom or study; third, you are not allowed to bring outsiders back; fourth, do not touch things that are not yours; fifth, do not make noise after 11 p.m., such as watching TV loudly in the living room; sixth, smoking is prohibited in my house. I will add more as I think of them."
"Brother, sister-in-law, do you think it's proper for a junior to set rules for his elders?"
“If you think my rules are too many, you can go somewhere else. Nobody’s asking you to stay. Right, Mom and Dad?” Xu Huaihuai casually ran her fingers over the fireworks on the painting.
Xu Jianshu, who had been warned by the fireworks, said gruffly, "Listen to Huaihuai, this is Huaihuai's house."
“Jiajia, nothing can be accomplished without rules…” He Qiongzhi took Liang Jiajia’s hand, preventing her from speaking any further.
Liang Jiajia was silenced by being manually shut up, but there was still the talkative Xu Jingya: "Who can remember so many rules?"
"Your brain capacity is limited, so you can't remember it, right? I'll print it out and stick it in your room. You can spend ten minutes every day memorizing it. My silly cousin, if you can't remember it, just walk out this door and don't come back."
[Author's Note]
Fireworks][Fireworks][Fireworks]
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