Chapter 90
Ruan Jinguo looked at the waitress and felt that she looked familiar.
But the other person was only eighteen or nineteen years old. Apart from his niece, he had never met a girl of this age before. How could he recognize her?
Ruan Jinguo whispered in Su Jingjing's ear: "Do you know her? I feel like I've seen this girl somewhere, but I can't remember where."
"I don't remember, but this girl is really pretty, with big eyes, a high nose bridge, and fair skin." Su Jingjing stared at her for a while and said, "Have you ever eaten in this restaurant before when you were discussing business with someone?"
"It shouldn't be." Ruan Jinguo said, "This is my first time in this hotel. Besides, I always bring you with me when I go out to discuss business. If you don't remember me, then you must have mistaken me for someone else."
He always felt that he had seen this girl more than ten years ago.
But at that time, he was just a child.
Ruan Jinguo withdrew his gaze.
At the same time, the waitress had been taken back to the kitchen by the manager and was scolded.
"It's only been a few days since I started working, and he's already broken a plate! Luckily the guests at that table were easy to talk to and agreed to let me make up for it with a new one. If they were difficult to get along with, even if I gave them a new serving of the same dish, they would still be upset and might not come back next time."
"I agreed to let you stay because I think you're pretty and you can be a good presence in the store. Otherwise, at the age of 19, with no education or work experience, what kind of job can you find?"
"What on earth were you thinking about just now? The floor of our restaurant is not wet or slippery, and you could break a plate for no reason!"
The waitress' eyes were red from being scolded. When she looked up, she said pitifully, "Manager, I know I was wrong. I was watching the Spring Festival Gala just now, and I was not fully focused for a moment. I accidentally slipped and knocked it over..."
"The Spring Festival Gala?" The manager became increasingly angry. "How dare you say that! You're getting paid by the hotel to watch the Spring Festival Gala? If you like it so much, just go home and watch as much as you want!"
"No, I recognized the girl on the Spring Festival Gala, so I looked at her a few more times." She explained anxiously.
This time the manager did not yell at me, but laughed in anger: "You even know the girls who appeared on the Spring Festival Gala, you are really good at flattering yourself! I am too lazy to argue with you about this matter, I will deduct 50 yuan from your salary as a lesson. If you make the same mistake again in the future, pack up and get out immediately. Nie Xiaojia, don't think I can't recruit waiters during the Chinese New Year!"
After the manager finished speaking, he glared at Nie Xiaojia fiercely, and as he turned to leave, he irritably said, "Also, don't look like you're about to cry all the time. If you're working outside, you have to do your job well. It's useless to just shed tears. No matter how pretty a girl is, she can't be eaten."
Nie Xiaojia's face suddenly turned red. She bit her lips tightly and forced back the tears in her eyes.
The restaurant was very busy on New Year's Eve. In addition to serving dishes, Nie Xiaojia was also responsible for washing and rinsing.
She squatted in the back kitchen, cleared the food residue off the plates, then placed the plates in a large stainless steel basin and washed them one by one.
In the hotel lobby, the conversation of the guests reached her ears again.
"Your niece is so successful. She is so young, but she can actually perform on the Spring Festival Gala. Young people in big cities are really capable. She went to college and joined an art troupe. She has everything."
"Of course not. My niece has been so outstanding since she was little. For example, when she was just over five years old, she went to the village commune primary school for the first time. She only studied for one semester, but at the end of the semester, she ranked second in the class."
"It's amazing that he's already in primary school at the age of five, and he even got second place in the class!"
"To be honest, the top student in the class was my nephew, who was only three years old at the time."
Listening to this conversation, Nie Xiaojia closed his eyes in pain.
She still remembers that exam vividly.
She was only six years old at that time, and she followed her mother to the commune primary school for the first time, and was required to get good grades.
But she was too stupid. Not only did she fail the test, she even made the stupid mistake of cheating, which later caused her mother to be expelled from the primary school.
By around nine o'clock in the evening, the guests had finished their meal one after another.
"Sister Meng, the last table of guests has just finished eating. Can I pack up and go home first?" Nie Xiaojia asked one of the waitresses.
"Go back, leave this to me." The other party said with a smile, "I remember your child was only a few months old, right? Go back and take care of her quickly."
Nie Xiaojia changed out of the hotel's work clothes and hurried home.
As soon as she walked out of the restaurant, a gust of cold wind blew into her thin clothes. She hugged her arms tightly and quickened her pace.
"Xiaojia, Xiaojia..."
A familiar voice was heard, Nie Xiaojia frowned irritably, and turned to look at the middle-aged woman who came out from the corner.
That's Jin Minmin, her mother.
More than ten years ago, her mother instigated her uncle to rob and steal from Meng Jinyu's house. After they were caught, the villagers reported to the police.
Jin Minmin was sentenced to eight years and her uncle Jin Qiangqiang was sentenced to ten years.
A few years ago, they were both released.
"Xiaojia, do you have money? Give me some money." Jin Minmin spread out her hands and said.
Nie Xiaojia looked at her mother.
She remembered that her mother used to be a famous beauty in the village, and everyone who saw her would stop and take a second look at her.
But now, Jin Minmin has aged a lot, with many wrinkles on her face, her hair is dry and tangled, her cheeks are sunken, and she looks extremely greedy when she stretches out her hand for money, without any shame in her eyes.
"Where do I have money? I'm just a waiter. How much do I get paid a month? Can't you go and ask around yourself? I already gave you 100 yuan last month. You have your own family to support, so I can't give you more. You should find a job yourself." Nie Xiaojia said.
Jin Minmin's face darkened, and her eyes, which had long been dull, stared at her daughter. "You have no money, so why don't you ask your man for it? I told you then that you should find a partner who is responsible and can at least let you rely on him. You have such a pretty face and such a stupid brain. You found a useless man and still have to wait on him!"
Nie Xiaojia could no longer bear it: "If you want to find a man you can rely on, go find one yourself, don't rely on me. With my living conditions and a daughter to raise, I can't afford your life."
After a pause, she sneered again: "Are you still going to tell my daughter to find a man to rely on as soon as possible when she grows up? Mom, if it weren't for what you said, I would never have fallen to this point! Youyou has now been admitted to Jingshi University and even appeared on the Spring Festival Gala! What is the difference between me and her? After thinking about it, the only difference is that she has a good mother who knows how to work hard with her own hands, while you only know how to rely on men to live! I heard just now that Youyou is living a good life now, and her mother has opened a company with a well-known name, and most people in Jingshi know it. And what about me?"
Jin Minmin hasn't thought about Meng Youyou and Meng Jinyu for a long time.
Hearing what Nie Xiaojia said at this moment, her whole body stiffened and her eyes were full of hatred.
"You asked me to look for my brother because you wanted to find someone to take care of you, right?" Nie Xiaojia said, "My brother is already a teenager now. Even if I find him, do you think he will recognize you?"
Jin Minmin frowned: "Did you find your brother?"
Nie Xiaojia remained calm and said, "No, I asked around. Not long after the couple moved away, there was no news of them. They may have gone to another city, or they may have gone abroad."
In fact, she had already heard news about her younger brother Nie Xiaowen.
Originally, Nie Xiaojia wanted to give the address to her mother, but now, she decided not to do so.
My younger brother was only a few months old when he was sent away. Now he is living such a peaceful life, why should I make things difficult for him?
As siblings, Nie Xiaojia hopes that Nie Xiaowen can live a good life.
At the same time, she was even glad that her mother was arrested by the public security comrades and punished by law when she was a child. Otherwise, if she had always been with her mother, she would inevitably be influenced by her mother and be completely corrupted.
"You ruined my childhood. Now I want to start a new life. Even if life is hard and tiring, we both earn our living with our own hands. At least we can have a stable life." Nie Xiaojia rubbed his temples. "Don't bother me anymore, and don't try to find my brother anymore."
Jin Minmin came to see her daughter just to ask for some money. But unexpectedly, not only did he not get the money, he was also scolded.
She was so angry that she cursed at her daughter's back.
After cursing enough, she turned around and saw an acquaintance.
That was Ruan Jinguo. He was holding a gentle and elegant woman with one hand and a child with the other. The family of three bought some things in a small shop opposite the hotel, then turned around, took out the car keys, and walked to a private car.
"Dad, we'll be home soon and I don't want to walk up the stairs. Can you carry me on your back?" said the little girl.
"No, Yiyi is already this big, she has to walk by herself." Su Jingjing said.
The little girl pouted and acted coquettishly.
Ruan Jinguo smiled: "Okay, okay, dad will carry me."
"You always spoil your daughter." Su Jingjing said helplessly.
Ruan Jinguo hooked Su Jingjing's nose with his hand: "Who said that? In addition to spoiling my daughter, I will also spoil you."
Ruan Yiyi was jumping up and down beside him, and said happily, "Then Dad will carry Yiyi upstairs first, and then carry Mom upstairs."
"Then you have to carry mom on your back first. Yiyi is waiting downstairs." Ruan Jinguo teased his daughter.
The family chatted and laughed, and soon got into the car.
Ruan Jinguo sat in the driver's seat, started the car, and with a "boom" sound, the car disappeared at the end of the street.
Jin Minmin stared at him blankly, with a hint of jealousy in her eyes.
She knew that Nguyen Jinguo would be a good husband and a good father.
But back then, he didn't like me because Meng Jinyu interfered.
She hated and resented, and finally suffered the consequences and went to jail.
Looking back on the past now, Jin Minmin feels like it was just a dream.
Today, she met Ruan Jinguo again, and learned about Meng Jinyu and Youyou's recent situation from her daughter, and her jealousy only increased.
But what can we do?
She couldn't move anymore, and if she provokes them again, she might be sent to jail again.
…
On this day, Meng Youyou spent the most unforgettable New Year's Eve of her life.
Backstage at the Spring Festival Gala, she borrowed a phone from a staff member and called home to wish her family a happy new year.
The first person to answer the phone was Meng Jinyu.
Meng Jinyu was extremely happy to hear her daughter's voice and had countless questions to ask, but after a while, the phone was snatched away.
Gu Zhimin said, "Youyou, do you have a New Year's Eve dinner? Your mom made your favorite shrimp dumplings and put them in the refrigerator for you."
Before Gu Zhimin finished speaking, Old Man Gu leaned closer to the receiver again.
"Youyou! Grandpa just saw you on TV! Our Youyou is really talented, and the way you dance is so beautiful. I wonder if the old men and women in the compound have seen it... I will go to the compound tomorrow and show off to them."
Following closely were the voices of Meng Shan, Gu Qi, and even Wen Yan.
Meng Youyou was amused by them and kept laughing while sitting backstage.
After a lot of effort, the call was finally over, and Meng Youyou found that she didn't even have time to say a few more words.
Everyone rushed to speak.
"Sister Yun, can we play another one?" Meng Youyou asked.
The staff member waved his hand and said with a smile: "Of course, you can take as many as you want."
Meng Youyou called her uncle again.
But my uncle didn’t answer the phone, so he probably wasn’t at home.
She thought about it and took out a letter from her bag.
This letter was sent by Jiang Xiangjia a few days ago. Because she was too busy recently, she took a look at it and had no time to reply.
In the letter, Jiang Xiangjia said that he was living a good life now and that there was a telephone installed at home.
Meng Youyou dialed the phone number written on the letter.
Jiang Xiangjia quickly picked up the phone. When she heard a soft “Hello”, she immediately became excited: “Sister! It’s my sister, right?”
Meng Youyou laughed and shouted, "Little green bean eyes."
"Sister, I don't have small green bean eyes anymore, I have big green bean eyes now." Jiang Xiangjia said excitedly, "Sister, I just saw you on TV, you are so beautiful and amazing!"
I don’t know why, but Meng Youyou was unable to get a word in during the phone calls today.
The call lasted several minutes, and Jiang Xiangjia was the only one talking nonstop.
After a lot of effort, Meng Youyou finally found an opportunity and asked, "Big Green Bean Eyes, are you doing well now?"
"Okay!" Jiang Xiangjia said seriously, "Dad has become something now. He helps me with my studies every day."
Meng Youyou was sitting backstage, the bright light fell on her face, the gold powder on her face was shining, making her even more dazzling.
At this time, a female star in performance costume came over, raised her chin towards her, and motioned her to give up the phone.
"I won't chat with you for now, Big Green Eyes, Happy New Year." She said with a smile.
After hanging up the phone, Meng Youyou tilted her head and said to the female star, "I'll give you the phone this time. Be more polite next time."
"You--" The female star was about to speak, but saw Meng Youyou running away with light steps.
On the other side, Jiang Xiangjia let out an "ah" reluctantly, and after a long while, he was still holding the phone.
At this time, Jiang Huanming came out of the kitchen after washing the dishes: "What were you yelling about just now? You were like a crosstalk artist, you couldn't stop once you opened your mouth."
Jiang Xiangjia raised his head and suddenly said in surprise: "Dad, if I become a crosstalk artist in the future, can I perform on the Spring Festival Gala with my sister?"
Jiang Huanming also watched the Spring Festival Gala just now.
It was a very different feeling to see my daughter on TV.
He looked at Jiang Xiangjia's excitement and said, "You can try it."
"Oh, if I had known earlier, I should have asked my sister on the phone." Jiang Xiangjia said.
Jiang Huanming was stunned: "Youyou called home? You missed home, why didn't you ask me to come out and answer the phone!"
Jiang Xiangjia put the phone receiver back to its original place and said seriously, "Dad, my sister called me. It's New Year's Day. She definitely doesn't want to hear your voice."
Jiang Huanming: ...
Jiang Xiangjia patted his shoulder again and said sympathetically, "Don't take it to heart."
Jiang Huanming glared at her unhappily.
In recent years, he moved to Jiangcheng with Jiang Xiangjia and rented a house. The small grocery store he opened was not doing well and could only barely support the lives of him and his daughter.
When Jiang Xiangjia was still young, someone introduced him to a girl. He took a few looks at her and felt something was wrong when he saw how picky she was when interacting with children.
If I find another partner like Ruan Wenwen, my peaceful days that I have finally found will be ruined again.
He has already failed once and cannot afford to make the same mistake again.
Many times, Jiang Huanming wanted to keep in touch with his four original children.
But the children were indifferent to him, so he stopped making trouble for himself or them.
On countless quiet nights, Jiang Huanming always felt extremely regretful, wishing he had cherished Meng Jinyu better back then.
It’s a pity that there is no medicine for regret in life.
All he could do now was to take good care of Jiang Xiang's family and raise them as he had promised Youyou before.
…
Backstage at the Spring Festival Gala, Meng Youyou had dinner with several other art soldiers.
Although the food here is not as sumptuous as at home, participating in the Spring Festival Gala is a rare experience for her. It is worth it to be able to perform here, even if she just eats a big bun to take home.
"Youyou," Xu Xi asked, "You are thinking and laughing at the same time. What good things are you thinking about?"
When Meng Youyou raised her head embarrassedly, there was still rice in her mouth and her cheeks were puffy.
She chewed slowly, swallowed the rice, and whispered, "I was thinking about the buns."
"Dumplings?" Xu Xi laughed out loud, paused, and said sadly, "I really want to eat the dumplings my mom makes."
"My mother also made dumplings." Meng Youyou held her chin with one hand, "This is the first time I don't celebrate the New Year with my family."
The little girl looked lonely, with her head drooping, but she soon raised her delicate little face and said energetically, "I can go home tomorrow. When I get home, I want to eat twenty dumplings!"
"I want to eat dumplings, too. I'll have a bowl with soup and a plate with dipping sauce."
"The sauce my mom makes is incredible, sour, spicy, and very fragrant."
"My father also knows how to make xiao long bao. The skin is thin and the meat is thick. When you bite into it, it bursts with juice."
Listening to the chattering of the little girls, the female star put down the phone, turned around and glanced at them lazily.
She had noticed Meng Youyou a long time ago.
The little girl had snow-white skin, which made her stand out in the crowd. When she opened her mouth, a smile appeared at the corner of her mouth, and she spoke in a very childish voice.
No matter how I look at it, it just doesn't look good.
"Sister Ruoxin, let's go change out of our costumes first. They're too heavy and uncomfortable to wear." The assistant held up her skirt and said as they walked, "By the way, I saw the famous director Zhao Jiang here just now. Do you think he's here to see you?"
Wu Ruoxin's eyes lit up: "Director Zhao?"
Zhao Jiang is a popular director in recent years. Several of his films have received rave reviews and he has won many prestigious awards at film festivals.
Wu Ruoxin has always wanted to work with him.
She asked her assistant to hurry up and accompany her to change out of her performance clothes.
After changing her clothes, Wu Ruoxin prepared to look for Director Zhao, but after walking around in a circle, she didn't see anyone.
Finally, a little girl's clear voice was heard from outside the backstage.
"Director Zhao, I like dancing and don't want to make a movie."
Wu Ruoxin was startled and ran out in a hurry.
At a glance, she saw Director Zhao standing in front of Meng Youyou with a look of regret on his face.
"In fact, many years ago, when I watched the movie "Cannon War", I felt that you were very talented. In the following years, I was still wondering why I hadn't seen you filming again. I asked many people, but the staff of the film studio at that time didn't keep your contact information. They only knew that you were a child of the Jiangcheng Art Troupe."
"It turns out that Director Zhao also contacted me." Meng Youyou said with a smile.
"That's right. I originally wanted to ask you to act in my first movie, but you're not interested in it. What a pity." Director Zhao shook his head and said, "By the way, when I asked your Director Li just now, I heard that you didn't join the art troupe. I wonder if you want to develop in other directions? I also know a few young dancers. If you are interested, I can provide you with some information about international dance competitions."
Meng Youyou has been in the art troupe for so many years and has participated in all kinds of performances. Now she is on the stage of the Spring Festival Gala and has already had enough of it.
The art troupe was very interesting, but the dances they performed were all about military themes, and she really wanted to develop in other directions.
After hearing what Director Zhao said, the little girl's eyes lit up immediately: "I'm interested!"
Seeing Meng Youyou's straightforward look, Director Zhao said with a smile: "Then leave me a contact number and I will send you the information when the time comes."
Not long after, Meng Youyou found paper and pen and quickly wrote down the contact address.
Director Zhao's eyes widened when he saw it: "You are actually a student of Jingshi University!"
Wu Ruoxin was also confused.
Beijing University...
She heard that the university had a very high admission score.
Director Zhao kept the address and promised to send her some information about international dance competitions when he had some free time.
Seeing this, Wu Ruoxin stepped forward and said politely: "Director Zhao, I am the actress Wu Ruoxin. I have heard of your name before and would like to have further cooperation with you..."
"You're not suitable." Director Zhao's tone turned cold. "I want to find a young actor who is full of spirit for my next movie."
After saying this, he left without waiting for Wu Ruoxin to speak again.
Wu Ruoxin's face suddenly turned red with anger. She raised her eyes and saw Meng Youyou looking at her curiously. She said angrily, "What are you looking at? What's so good about it?"
Meng Youyou raised the corners of her lips and gave her a sweet smile: "No, I think you are very special."
Wu Ruoxin felt a little relieved, raised her chin, and snorted, "Don't think you can get close to me like this. What's so special? Tell me about it."
Meng Youyou pursed her lips and said in embarrassment: "I always thought female celebrities were very fashionable, but I didn't expect you to be so unfashionable."
Especially rustic?
Wu Ruoxin was so angry that her eyes widened again, but the little girl had already run away with a "whoosh".
…
After the winter vacation, students in school were all talking about Meng Youyou.
Nowadays, no one doesn’t watch the Spring Festival Gala on New Year’s Eve. When people see their schoolmates on TV that day, they almost scream.
"My parents complained about me. Others can study and dance, but I just read books like a nerd."
"But Youyou is different. I met her once when I was helping my tutor get materials, and we chatted for a while. I could tell that she must have been a very smart girl since she was a child. She didn't put too much effort into studying, but her test scores were very good."
Lin Man finished cooking and sat down when she heard these words. She muttered, "Who can get into our Jingshi University who is not very smart?"
But who would have thought that the student at the next table in the cafeteria would argue with her: "You have to go to school and dance at the same time, and you do so well. You are so smart. It's useless even if you say something sarcastic."
"How could I say anything sarcastic!" Lin Man's ears suddenly turned red.
The classmate curled his lips and said to the people around him, "I know her. She and Meng Youyou are in the same dormitory. There are six people in the dormitory. Now Meng Youyou and the others don't play with her anymore. It's obvious that they don't have a good relationship."
Lin Man felt uneasy.
Ever since she came back from Meng Youyou's house after spending the day there, the other students in the dormitory haven't been paying much attention to her.
She suspected that she was showing her superiority too obviously and making others unhappy.
But the problem is, Meng Youyou didn’t suffer any loss in the end, so is it necessary for everyone to stand up for her?
Lin Man thought that six people would live in a dormitory for four years, so she had to keep up with them, otherwise she would always be alone, which would be very uncomfortable.
So she began to show kindness to everyone intentionally or unintentionally.
Now she came out of the cafeteria, bought some fruit and brought it to the dormitory: "Everyone come and have some, I just bought these apples, the boss said they are very sweet."
The classmates in the dormitory didn't plan to exclude Lin Man. They just felt that her constant sarcasm was a bit annoying. Now that she had become polite, no one took the previous incident to heart.
Lin Man washed an apple specially and gave it to Meng Youyou: "You can have one too."
When she handed over the apple, she was a little nervous and hesitated, and her face turned red.
Lin Man originally thought that Meng Youyou would not take it, but unexpectedly, she took it directly and took a big bite.
"Thanks."
Lin Man stood there, staring blankly at Meng Youyou eating an apple.
Finally, she was surprised to realize a problem.
Other people are very generous and don't care about anything. In comparison, she seems particularly petty.
"Youyou, you said this morning that your brother was coming. When is that?" Wu Shuangru asked.
"It seems to be afternoon."
Lin Man is in high spirits.
After spending a few months together, she heard from other roommates chatting that Ye Aidi's younger brothers were not easy to deal with and often bullied their sister to death at home.
Could it be that Meng Youyou’s younger brother is also like this?
"What is your brother doing here?" Lin Man couldn't help asking, "Did he get into trouble at school and ask you to clean it up?"
Meng Youyou looked at Lin Man deeply with the eyes of an idiot: "My brother never gets into trouble."
Lin Manle laughed and didn't believe it at all.
In her opinion, Meng Youyou's life was too smooth and she had everything she wanted. How could anyone be so lucky?
"Can I go with you to meet your brother?" Lin Man said.
…
After the afternoon class, Lin Man followed Meng Youyou, fearing that she would leave her behind.
Wu Shuangru and Ye Aidi are Youyou’s best friends, so naturally they are with her at this moment.
The two of them held each side of Meng Youyou's hand, and Lin Man followed behind, walking slowly.
When she reached the school gate, she saw a naughty kid from afar.
The little boy, who had a chubby face and a school bag on his shoulders, said to his classmates, "Wait, my sister will definitely buy me some marbles."
"What if your sister disagrees?"
"No way, how dare she! I'll let my parents beat her!"
Lin Man couldn't help but want to laugh when she saw it.
She walked forward and said to Meng Youyou sympathetically, "Children are like this. Just give them a beating and they'll be fine. But if you beat him, will your family members beat you even harder?"
"Lin Man, what are you talking about?" Wu Shuangru was speechless.
"I'm talking about her brother. Isn't that her brother over there?" Lin Man asked.
"Youyou's younger brother is already sixteen years old." Ye Aidi said.
"Really? Then I guessed wrong." Lin Man stuck out her tongue, "Youyou, your brother is in high school this year, right? How is his academic performance?"
"Lin Man, don't talk to me anymore." Meng Youyou puffed up her cheeks and glared at her, "You're so annoying."
"Youyou!" Suddenly, a clear young voice came.
Meng Youyou turned around and saw Meng Shan standing across the street.
She was about to jog over when she heard her brother shout, "There's a car! I'm coming."
The breeze blew the boy's white shirt, and when he came over, Lin Man was already stunned.
This brother is so handsome.
"Shanshan, it's ok to do that normally, but you don't even call me sister in front of my classmates." Meng Youyou muttered.
Sixteen-year-old Meng Shan grew up very quickly and is now taller than his older sister.
"I'm so embarrassed that I've never called you sister since I was a child." Meng Shan laughed and took out an envelope from his pocket, "I got a scholarship, let me treat you to a meal."
"What to eat?"
"Eat whatever you want, let's go."
Meng Youyou turned around and said to Wu Shuangru and Ye Aidi, "Then I'll leave first."
The brother and sister talked and laughed as they walked.
"Youyou, do you know Zhounian, the boy in our dormitory? He applied for an exchange student spot at the school and will be going abroad to study soon."
"Happy anniversary? I don't have any impression."
"That tall, good-looking classmate..."
"You still know that she is pretty. It seems that she is not like before, just reading books."
"Not really. Female students from other departments in our school often pass love letters to Zhounian, but he never accepts them... Zhounian studies computer engineering, and after receiving a scholarship, he applied to study abroad."
Lin Man looked at the backs of the brother and sister, and was reluctant to look away.
"How old did Youyou say her brother is?" she asked.
Wu Shuangru ignored her.
"Sixteen."
Ye Aidi replied, and in her heart she envied Wu Shuangru and Meng Youyou, who could write their dislike on their faces.
"Sixteen years old." Lin Man said with a smile, "I'm eighteen years old."
"What do you want to do?" Wu Shuangru asked unhappily.
"No." Lin Man asked, "By the way, how good is his academic performance? If Youyou is busy, I can help him with his homework."
"It's not bad." Wu Shuangru said, "He was from Huaqing University's Junior Class and went to university at the age of twelve."
Lin Man was stunned, and met Wu Shuangru's meaningful smile: "Is this just okay?"
What did the people in Meng Youyou's family grow up eating?
Why are they all more capable than the other?
"You want to tutor others, but I'm afraid you are overestimating your abilities." Wu Shuangru said with a smile.
…
It was late at night, and Lin Man tossed and turned in her bed in the dormitory, unable to fall asleep.
Ye Aidi couldn't sleep either.
She turned around and said to Youyou who was lying on the bed next to her, "Youyou, I envy you so much for having such a good brother. He got a scholarship and would treat you to a meal. My brothers are not so good. They just want me to get a job quickly so that they can give them pocket money after I start working."
Meng Youyou was almost asleep. After hearing Ye Aidi's words, she asked in a sleepy voice, "Will you give them pocket money after you start working?"
“No!” Ye Aidi shook her head vigorously, with a bit of stubbornness in her eyes, “I worked hard to get into Jingshi University just to stay away from them, and the entire Ye family.”
"That's right."
Ye Aidi laughed at herself again: "I'm not afraid of you laughing at me, but there are actually too many things I can't get rid of. The name Ye Aidi seems to remind me all the time that my life is to serve my brothers."
"If you want to change your name, I can help you."
Ye Aidi was stunned.
She thought about changing her name, but never took action.
She was afraid of being laughed at when registering her former name, and she was also afraid of being completely disappointed after being rejected.
"Can you help me?" Ye Aidi murmured to herself, and suddenly said, "I remember that your family member is the director of the Public Security Bureau..."
"I'll go with you to go through the name change procedures, okay?" Meng Youyou said softly.
“Okay.” Ye Aidi nodded quickly. “Of course… I’ve always wanted to change my name. Also, I’ve always wondered if my brothers would come looking for me after I escape from that family. They’ll need money to get married and have kids in the future.”
"As long as you want to escape, you can always escape. It's never too late to start." Meng Youyou's voice was soft and gentle, but her tone was firm. "Your life is not meant to serve anyone. After changing your name, forget all the unhappy things in the past and live only for yourself in the future, okay?"
Ye Aidi's eyes were red.
She was very grateful to Youyou for being able to put herself in her shoes and consider the problem from her perspective.
It feels very warm.
"If they come looking for you again, all of us in the dormitory will help and use brooms to drive them out!"
The dormitory was quiet, with only Youyou's gentle voice echoing in my ears.
Ye Aidi couldn't help shedding tears. When she looked at her delicate face again, she saw her wrinkled nose and made a gesture as if she was using a broom to hit someone.
This childish expression and action made Ye Aidi burst into laughter.
Meng Youyou rubbed her eyes, her fluffy long hair scattered around her fair face: "Go to bed early, we will go to the police station together tomorrow."
Lin Man, who had been eavesdropping with her ears perked up, could no longer sleep.
That day at Meng Youyou's house, she saw a photo of Gu Zhimin when he was young wearing a police uniform.
Lin Man guessed that it was Youyou's father.
I originally thought that her father was just a leader of the Public Security Bureau, but who knew that he was the director of the Public Security Department.
What a high-ranking official.
Lin Man felt completely bored.
Comparing yourself with others will only make you angry!
…
Meng Youyou didn't know that Lin Man thought Gu Zhimin was her father.
But even if she misunderstood, it doesn't matter.
After so many years of living together, Gu Zhimin treats her like his own daughter. Even though he hasn't changed his words yet, in Youyou's heart, Uncle Gu is already a family member who is much closer to her than her father.
"Youyou, someone sent you a package, I brought it to you." Roommate Huang Lulu came back from outside.
Director Zhao really sent a lot of information.
She flipped through it several times and learned about the locations and relevant requirements of several dance competitions.
Do I have to go out and explore the world alone?
She has never traveled far away by herself since she was a child.
Meng Youyou thought about it for a long time, even thinking about this problem during class.
"Youyou, are you scared?" Wu Shuangru asked.
"I'm not afraid." Meng Youyou smiled and shook her head, saying confidently, "My sister is so brave, of course I have to be as brave as her."
Wu Shuangru knew that Meng Youyou had a sister who was a model.
At first she didn't know what a model was until that day when she saw the cover photo of Jiang Guo on Entertainment Weekly at a newsstand.
She is tall, radiant and beautiful on the cover.
Since then, Wu Shuangru has always wanted to meet her.
But Meng Youyou said that her sister was very busy with work and had been away from China for six or seven years and had only returned three times.
However, Youyou also said that her sister would definitely come back.
The next time she comes back, my sister will stay in the country to develop and never go out again.
"Aidi, you have been writing for the entire class. What have you been writing about?" Wu Shuangru asked.
Meng Youyou turned around and saw Ye Aidi holding a piece of white paper, writing hard.
She’s naming herself.
"The police station doesn't work on weekends, Aidi, you can think about what name to change in the next two days."
Ye Aidi raised her head and saw that Youyou had packed up her books. She smiled and asked, "Youyou, are you going to the art troupe now?"
"I'm going to find my mother." Meng Youyou picked up her bag and said, "Let's go!"
Every Friday after school, she would go to the art troupe and practice dancing with everyone.
But this time, Meng Youyou wanted to go directly to Meng Jinyu's company and give her a big surprise.
By the way, she was still a little hesitant and wanted to seek her mother's advice.
Is there any point in travelling a long way to participate in an international dance competition?
Meng Jinyu's company has been growing larger and larger, and now has a total of twenty employees.
She hired several designers and usually designed clothes with them, but more design inspiration still depended on Shen Yuqing.
After returning to China a few years ago, Shen Yuqing went on a long journey again. This time, she applied to another design school.
From beginning to end, Meng Jinyu did not stop her.
She knows better than anyone how wonderful it feels to pursue your dreams.
"I think that no matter what it is, as long as Youyou wants to do it, it will be meaningful." Meng Jinyu said with a smile, "Youyou, go and bring back a big trophy and show it to your mother, okay?"
"Okay!" With her mother's encouragement, she became more motivated, "Then I'll give it a try!"
Meng Youyou still loves to act like a spoiled child like she did when she was a child, and the mother and daughter have endless things to talk about.
However, as they chatted, she suddenly discovered that something was wrong with her mother's mood.
Like he was forcing a smile.
"Mom, are you unhappy?"
Meng Jinyu flipped through the documents on her desk and put them back: "No, I've just been busy lately."
"Don't lie to me." Meng Youyou said seriously, "I'm not a child anymore. I can see that you are unhappy."
At this moment, a reckless figure broke into Meng Jinyu's office.
"Boss Meng, this is bad. Another foreign trade order worth two hundred thousand has suddenly been cancelled. I can't contact the other party. I don't know what to do now."
"You're right. Several large orders have been cancelled in a row. Someone must be targeting us behind the scenes."
"If we want to expand our brand, we have to rely on the order fair you came up with. But the order fair is next month. We have suffered a huge loss. If there is an emergency at that time, I am afraid the company..."
Meng Youyou's snow-white face sank, and she said angrily, "Who is secretly sabotaging this? I'm going to find that person!"
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