Chapter 58
Wen Xiuwei has been living in the countryside for two days, and she has never seen a child as clean and beautiful as Chu Jiujiu.
Rural children run around everywhere, swollen and worn winter coats, their faces stained like the rough red of Fuji apples. Their lack of hygiene leaves them grimy from head to toe, their hands stained with mud from who knows where. There are two kinds of children: one is the silly one, grinning at everyone they see, their smiles bubbling with snot. The other is the unmistakable, unruly brat. No matter who you are, they'll circle around you, teasing you as they go.
In the past two days, Wen Xiuwei met many adults and children, most of whom came to see her because of her reputation. She would not be angry with others, but she really hated this situation. When she first saw the two children coming over, Wen Xiuwei thought they were also watching her as a circus, but after seeing Chu Jiujiu's appearance and dress, she dispelled this idea.
Chu Jiujiu's clothes looked brand new, not the kind that had been washed a hundred or eighty times and had faded to a pale color. Her hair was jet black and shiny, carefully braided into two neat pigtails. Her face was fair and tender, without any signs of chapping or sunburn. One could tell at a glance that she came from a wealthy family and didn't have to help with housework.
Perhaps the appearance that everyone is least familiar with is their own. Wen Xiuwei didn't even realize that Chu Jiujiu looked very similar to her. She just thought that this child was really cute.
Wen Xiuwei would definitely not initiate a conversation when someone came to the dormitory door, but looking at Chu Jiujiu, Wen Xiuwei smiled lightly and asked, "Are you here to look for someone?"
Chu Jiujiu's throat was practically smoking. She was usually a chatterbox, but now she didn't know what to say to start her speech. Upon hearing Wen Xiuwei's question, two healthy blushes appeared on Chu Jiujiu's cheeks. She placed her hands in front of her, stirring them constantly, lowered her head slightly, and nervously replied, "Um... um! I came to see you."
Taking a deep breath, Chu Jiujiu raised her head, mustered up her courage, and began to introduce herself: "Hello, my name is Chu Jiujiu, the charming Chu, the bright lights and wine wine. I'm nine, no, no, I'm ten years old. That person over there is Han Shengyi, he's my good friend. I live in Qingzhu Village. I have a boy named Chu Shao at home. He's thirteen years old, 1.7 meters tall, with regular features and a healthy body. He loves learning and loves his country. He owns a house but no car, but he has savings. He's hardworking, kind, and doesn't smoke. He didn't come today, but if you want to see him, I'll take you home right away!"
Wen Xiuwei: “…”
Han Shengyi: “…”
Han Shengyi was standing not far away. He pursed his lips and turned his head away, unable to bear to look.
Chu Jiujiu couldn't bear to listen any longer. She hadn't intended to say any of this before, but when she saw Wen Xiuwei's face, she couldn't control her mouth. Like a brothel owner, she couldn't wait to take the beautiful girl back to her home. Standing there, Chu Jiujiu was so embarrassed that she almost died.
What is she talking about? This will scare grandma away!
Wen Xiuwei held the basin and listened to her in a daze. Seeing the expression on Chu Jiujiu's face changing from moment to moment, Wen Xiuwei chuckled, "My name is Wen Xiuwei, Wen means gentle and elegant, Xiu means beautiful and intelligent, and Wei means rose. Don't make jokes like this in the future, some people will take it seriously."
Wen Xiuwei lowered her head and bent down, looking at Chu Jiujiu with curved eyebrows. She was not angry at all, and her words were so gentle, unlike other adults who did not take children's words seriously.
Chu Jiujiu looked at Wen Xiuwei in a daze. She sniffed, suddenly rushed over, hugged Wen Xiuwei's waist, and buried her face in her chest. Chu Jiujiu was moved to tears.
"Woo--you're exactly as I imagined!"
Wen Xiuwei: “……???”
When she first rushed over, Wen Xiuwei didn't know what was going on. Her first reaction was not to dodge, but to quickly lift the basin with clothes to prevent it from hitting Chu Jiujiu. Now, she was holding the basin with a confused look on her face, holding the little girl with no intention of letting go. Finally, Han Shengyi couldn't stand it anymore and came over. He pulled Chu Jiujiu away and apologized to Wen Xiuwei.
"Wen Zhiqing, I'm sorry, that's just her personality."
After being pulled apart, Chu Jiujiu felt a little embarrassed. She calmed herself down and quickly took out the things she had brought from her pocket. "Wen Zhiqing, these gloves are for you, and this pack of snacks is also for you."
After hearing what Han Shengyi said, she didn't give him money right away, but Wen Xiuwei didn't want to accept just these things.
She politely refused Chu Jiujiu: "Thank you, but I can't accept it."
Chu Jiujiu, however, stuffed the gloves and snacks in without a care in the world. "Just take them. It's so cold now. It's so cold to work without gloves. Also, I heard that there's very little food here in Xujiawan. The food for the educated youth isn't even half as good as what we have in our village. If you're hungry, just eat two snacks. After you finish these, I'll bring you more!"
She insisted on giving it to her, and Wen Xiuwei almost dropped the basin while holding it. Han Shengyi saw this and quickly helped her take it and put it on the ground. Wen Xiuwei was a little overwhelmed when she took the gift from Chu Jiujiu, "But we don't even know each other, I really can't accept your things..."
Chu Jiujiu: "If you accept it, we'll know each other. Don't worry, my family is rich and can afford to give you snacks every day!"
If Wen Xiuwei really had to eat snacks every day, then Chu Jiujiu and Chu Shao would probably have to eat steamed bread every day. But Chu Jiujiu didn't care about that. The most urgent thing at the moment was to make Wen Xiuwei feel good about their family. If she could make her think, "Oh, I really want to marry into this family," that would be even better.
…
Chu Jiujiu had sinister intentions, and Wen Xiuwei was completely unaware of them. She was about to refuse, but then she saw the wooden basin on the ground. Inside were several sets of clothes, some large, some small, some new, some old. It was obvious that they were not Wen Xiuwei's own. She looked up and asked curiously, "Are you going to wash clothes?"
Wen Xiuwei's attention was diverted. She also glanced at the wooden basin on the ground, and the smile on her face faded a little. "Well, I was just about to go to the river."
Chu Jiujiu's eyes widened. "With so many clothes, you need to go to the river to wash them. The water in the river is so cold. Your fingers will turn into radish heads after washing. Don't you want to boil water?"
Wen Xiuwei was a little embarrassed. "We only have a small kitchen to boil water, but there's only one pot there, which is used for cooking. And boiling water for washing clothes is a waste of firewood. Others told me that here, everyone uses cold water to wash clothes."
After hearing this, Han Shengyi couldn't help but look inside the door. From just a few words and a few details, he had already discovered that although Wen Zhiqing was famous, her fame did not seem to bring her any convenience, but instead brought her a lot of trouble.
Chu Jiujiu hadn't realized Wen Xiuwei was being bullied. She was just very angry. "Nonsense! My family washes clothes with a mixture of hot and cold water. In winter, everyone heats the kang, so boiling water is just a side job. Who wants to wash clothes with cold water when there's hot water? They're not afraid of getting frostbite."
As she spoke, she lowered her head and saw the wooden basin filled with clothes again. Chu Jiujiu suddenly realized, "Who asked you to wash clothes? There are so many clothes here, and they asked you to wash them all. Why?"
Wen Xiuwei was stunned. She wasn't surprised by Chu Jiujiu's observation skills, but by the inexplicable yet reasonable protection and concern in her words. She was a little at a loss, but still answered her: "The educated youth divided the work and cooperated. They went to cook, so the laundry was given to me."
Chu Jiujiu narrowed her eyes, smelling the scent of battle. "How many of them?"
Wen Xiuwei: "...Yes, Luo Zhiqing, Lu Zhiqing, and Sun Zhiqing."
Chu Jiujiu almost kicked over the wooden basin. "There are only a few educated youth in total, and three of them are cooking together. What kind of meal are they making? A state banquet? Even the chefs in state-owned restaurants don't have such high standards, and they are professional chefs. A few amateurs really think they are in the know! No, I have to go find them. I want to see if they are missing limbs or if they were born with cerebellar atrophy and need each other's support to move normally!"
After saying that, Chu Jiujiu turned around angrily. Wen Xiuwei was stunned. She didn't expect Chu Jiujiu to have such a bad temper, and she didn't expect her to be so active. Is this still the weak little girl who would blush at the sight of her?
Wen Xiuwei was stunned. She didn't react to stop her. Han Shengyi was already used to Chu Jiujiu's personality. He skillfully grabbed Chu Jiujiu and tried to persuade her even more skillfully: "What did you say to them? What did you say just now? Don't forget, you are not from this village. If you quarrel here, you have to be humble. Besides, Wen Zhiqing just arrived here, and you let her quarrel with others. You left after the quarrel, and Wen Zhiqing has to continue living here. How do you expect her to get along with the other educated youth?"
Chu Jiujiu wanted to say, let's not get along anymore, just move out and let her live in her own home. But before she could say it, Chu Jiujiu realized how unrealistic this statement was. She shut her mouth in displeasure, but finally couldn't help but kick the wooden basin on the ground.
"We can't just let them bully us. It's only been a few days. If time goes on, they'll definitely get worse!"
Wen Xiuwei was moved. A little girl she had just met was so caring towards her, while her family, who had lived with her day and night for several years, had ruthlessly used her as a scapegoat and kicked her out to this unfamiliar countryside. She comforted Chu Jiujiu, "It's okay. It won't last long. I'm not that easy to control."
At home, she was ordered around because she couldn't go anywhere except her uncle's house, so she just had to do the chores. But here, the situation was different from her uncle's house. She still couldn't go anywhere, but no one could drive her away. She wasn't living under someone else's roof; her status was the same as everyone else's, equal.
Sun Yuqin formed cliques as soon as she arrived. The other two old educated youth were purely led by her. When everyone was unfamiliar with each other, she might be able to get some benefits, but over time, no one is a fool. If she wants to control and use others, she also has to see whether they are willing to be used.
Wen Xiuwei is not good at being high-profile, but she has her own way of dealing with things. The fact that she can come to the countryside proves that she is not completely incompetent. Otherwise, her "kind-hearted" aunt would have sold her to another family as early as when she lost contact with her parents.
Chu Jiujiu frowned. Before she could say anything, two women approached from the back of the room. One was Sun Yuqin, and the other was Luo Shuyang, Xujiawan's most famous educated youth. Chu Jiujiu didn't find Luo Shuyang particularly beautiful, but men were always full of praise for her. She possessed a pure and sweet aura, something men gravitated towards, automatically classifying her as a great beauty.
Luo Shuyang came back to get her textbooks. After dinner, she had to go to class again. Sun Yuqin and her sister accompanied her back. In fact, she wanted to see if Wen Xiuwei was slacking off. The result was just as she thought. Wen Xiuwei was standing at the door, and her clothes were still dry, not wet at all.
Sun Yuqin raised her eyebrows and immediately shouted, "Wen Xiuwei, why haven't you washed the clothes yet? We are cooking over there, and the meal is almost ready. You don't want to work, but you still want to eat the fruits of our labor?"
Sun Yuqin didn't see Chu Jiujiu and Han Shengyi, but Luo Shuyang did. She stopped and stood there, not agreeing with Sun Yuqin, but also not speaking for Wen Xiuwei.
This was Luo Shuyang's attitude. If someone showed her kindness, she would accept it, but if someone tried to get her involved in a fight, she would ignore them. They were educated youth, not colleagues. Living together meant they were roommates; there was no need for closeness, nor was there any need for a life-and-death struggle.
Luo Shuyang had never seen these two children before, so she took a closer look at them, and after this look, her gaze fixed on Chu Jiujiu's face.
Sun Yuqin walked over to Wen Xiuwei and saw the wooden basin on the ground. She screamed, "My clothes are all covered in dirt!"
The kick Chu Jiujiu just made happened to kick her clothes out of the wooden basin, leaving only a sleeve, and then it got rubbed with some dust on the ground. If you didn't know, you would think that the clothes were torn.
Sun Yuqin: "My dad spent two months' salary to buy me this skirt, and you deliberately threw it on the ground. What? You can't afford it yourself, so you don't want me to wear it? Wen Xiuwei, you're going too far!"
Everyone saw Wen Xiuwei's plight, but this was a time when everyone was poor. Wen Xiuwei had no money, and neither did anyone else. It was just that everyone else had lived in the village for a few years and had bought everything they needed, so they were doing OK. Sun Yuqin's father was a local bureau chief, and compared to the others, she had a limited background, so she looked down on Wen Xiuwei even more, seeing her as a mere beauty.
Usually, Sun Yuqin excluded her in secret, but today she showed her dissatisfaction with her openly. Wen Xiuwei's face gradually turned cold. She took a step forward and was about to speak, but Chu Jiujiu spoke first.
"You spent two months' salary on a tattered skirt like this? Auntie, did your father get scammed, or is his salary so low that he can only afford a skirt like this?"
Sun Yuqin is nineteen years old this year. When she heard Chu Jiujiu calling her, she almost fell down in one breath.
"Who is your aunt! You——"
Finally seeing Chu Jiujiu's appearance, she couldn't help but be suspicious, "Who are you to Wen Xiuwei?"
Her facial features are exactly the same as Wen Xiuwei's, with only some differences in details. Although they have the same looks, Wen Xiuwei has a quiet and elegant temperament and a kind of classical beauty, while Chu Jiujiu is cute, sunny and energetic. No one would mistake them for the same person, but no one would think that they have no relationship.
Hearing Sun Yuqin's question, Wen Xiuwei didn't understand what she meant. She looked at Chu Jiujiu belatedly and realized that Chu Jiujiu looked a bit like herself. She subconsciously wanted to touch her face. Over there, Chu Jiujiu smiled lightly and started her infuriating rant again.
"I have nothing to do with Wen Zhiqing. I'm sorry, but my family taught me to be polite when speaking to others and not to shout, otherwise it would be very rude. Also, you should call your elders uncle or aunt. If you don't like it, then I'll change the name."
Sun Yuqin: “…”
Girl, don’t think I didn’t hear you saying I’m impolite!
She was indeed much older than Chu Jiujiu. If she really cared about the address, she would lose face. So she simply stopped mentioning it and talked about another thing that bothered her a lot.
"My father is a director, and his monthly salary is more than 50 yuan. He spent 120 yuan to buy me this skirt in the provincial capital. You little girl, don't say anything if you don't know the goods!"
Chu Jiujiu snorted and muttered softly, "He's only the director yet. My father is still at the division headquarters."
She seemed to be speaking quietly, but in fact everyone present could hear her. Except for Han Shengyi, the other three people all showed surprise. How did Chu Jiujiu be intimidated by the four words "Division Headquarters" in the past? Now she was intimidating others in the same way. Chu Jiujiu didn't pay attention to the others' expressions. She turned to Han Shengyi and said, "Puff sleeves are no longer popular. This kind of skirt is called a braid, right? I remember Grandma Han said that she used to have several skirts like this, but that was more than ten years ago. Is it really worth 120 yuan now?"
Han Shengyi smiled slightly and said to her, "Jiujiu, you should be more sensible. When you first meet someone, you can't directly point out their shortcomings. Even if they are true, you can't say them so bluntly. People like to hear nice compliments and don't like to hear the unpleasant truth."
Chu Jiujiu blinked innocently, then agreed obediently, "Okay."
Turning her head, she looked at Sun Yuqin again and smiled brightly at her: "Comrade Zhiqing, your skirt is really beautiful."
Sun Yuqin: “…”
Wen Xiuwei: “…”
Luo Shuyang: “…”
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