Fifty-three new lives
Seeing a dark-skinned young man charging towards her, Li Wei could see the cold glint of light on the stool leg. Terrified, she jumped up onto the windowsill beside her. She was very skilled at this; she lifted one leg and straddled the windowsill. Before jumping out the window, she glanced back and thought, "Um... no need to jump."
Several young thugs rushed past her seat and headed straight for Luo Da and Luo Er in the last seat.
Luo Da and Luo Er had their slingshots confiscated by the teacher for playing with them in class, and were also ordered to copy the newly learned ancient poem ten times. They were writing when they were startled by a few boys rushing in. Looking up, Luo Da, almost without thinking, picked up the bench he was sitting on—and in doing so, also knocked Luo Er, who was sitting on the other side and hadn't even realized what was happening, to the ground.
Although Luo was not as big as the children who rushed in, he was quite strong. He swung a bench and started fighting with the boys. In an instant, benches flew through the air, and the students were terrified and ran around in panic.
Despite her usual ability to manage Li Lin and Luo Er, Li Wei is actually not much bolder than a rat. Now that she sees people fighting right under her nose and getting serious, she doesn't stand on the sidelines. Jumping off the windowsill and running to the office to get help.
Li Wei quickly led the PE teacher back. The teacher entered the classroom, and Li Wei, along with many other students, peered through the windows, relieved. Luo Da, after all, was exceptionally talented and had practiced martial arts for a long time. With heavy weapons in hand, he not only didn't suffer any losses, but several boys wielding short bench legs were actually badly beaten by Luo Da's powerful swings, with two even bleeding from their heads and faces.
The scene was a bit frightening, but fortunately the teacher arrived in time, stopped everyone, and led them to the office.
Seeing that everything was alright, Li Wei went into the classroom and righted the overturned chairs and benches. The other students who came in also helped. Among them was Luo Er, who was tidying up his and his brother's desks and the books and pens that had fallen, seemingly unaffected.
Li Wei thought to herself that Luo Er had a good mentality: "Hey, Luo Jianzhong, why did those guys come and fight your brother? Why didn't you help them?" Didn't they say that brothers should fight side by side?
Luo Er continued packing his things without looking up: "A bunch of little potatoes, not even worth a finger of my brother's, they don't need my help. A few more would just be sweet potatoes."
The adoration for him, Golo, flowed like a gentle stream, nourishing the potatoes and sweet potatoes.
So... what exactly was the reason for the fight?
According to Luo Er's more authoritative official account: "The two kids from Hedong, Gou Shengzi and Mao Danzi, were defiant towards my brother. My brother beat them up. They asked for help, but got beaten up again. They asked for help again..."
This is the third conflict.
Li Wei just couldn't understand it. Why was this boy so fond of fighting? Heads bleeding was terrifying. Why did he keep doing it? Was it because he had too much energy? Or was it early puberty? It was baffling.
Li Wei keeps her distance from such violent incidents. She's always been a law-abiding citizen, living a quiet and honest life. She doesn't invite trouble or cause problems, and trouble shouldn't bother her either.
After school that evening, Li Wei and several of her neighbors went straight to the old house to do their homework and play together. Luo Da didn't come. According to Luo Er's inquiries, he was still being held in the teacher's office writing a self-criticism. He probably wouldn't be back for a while.
Li Wei never thought Luo Da was a child who could be judged by common sense, and she didn't pay any attention to him. After finishing her homework, she went straight to the storeroom where her aunt lived, and suddenly found a strange woman sitting on her aunt's bed, tidying up books and clothes.
Who... is this? So uninhibited, helping with chores so readily at someone else's house, that's quite something... Ah, Auntie... Auntie!
Li Wei was stunned; this fashionable woman was her aunt!
Cheng Fei looked up and saw Li Wei come in. A slight, almost imperceptible blush flashed across her face, but she quickly regained her composure and asked Li Wei, "How is my new image? Is it acceptable?"
Li Wei looked you up and down for a while: "Auntie, your look is more than just acceptable, it's outstanding! You exude the aura of a modern white-collar female boss. With your image and temperament, being a bank clerk is a waste of your talent! Let's strive to become big bosses, ah, Auntie! Let's make a lot of money, eat meat to our hearts' content, drink wine from large bowls, let's make a big splash, how about it?"
Cheng Fei smoothed her newly styled hair, continuing to pack her things: "Alright, stop with your clever talk and scheming. I've thought it all out these past few days. I'm going to work for you from now on. Let's find some time to discuss how to do business properly. I can tell you're exceptionally talented; you're born knowing how to shrewdly speculate and profiteer. With your skills, it'll be hard for you not to get rich..."
"Auntie, you have such great taste! You won't regret it! I love you to death! Aww—"
Li Wei ignored the derogatory term used by her aunt, took a few steps over, jumped up and hugged her aunt, kissing her passionately. Cheng Fei was so frightened that she tried to pull her off her body. She couldn't stand it. Was this how one expressed affection? She wasn't a foreigner.
Li Wei didn't care about any of that. From this moment on, her aunt was no longer just her aunt; she was now her aunt who provided for her. Unable to contain her excitement, she frantically smeared saliva on her aunt's face.
Cheng Fei faced immense pressure when she chose to become self-employed instead of working at a bank, from her parents, relatives, and friends. However, Cheng Fei was never a girl in the conventional sense. Once she made a decision, no one could sway her, just like her several marriages in her previous life. Despite the criticism of millions, she went her own way. Such a person may be lonely, but she will never be mediocre.
Now that she had made the decision, she naturally wouldn't be as casual as before. While continuing to operate according to the original model, Cheng Fei also bought a large number of books and subscribed to many newspapers, immersing herself in the study of the market and business management. Whether it was to prove herself to the world or for some other reason, she was doing her business in a down-to-earth manner.
Besides continuing to be a primary school student, Li Wei also took on some work, including hair accessory design and financial management. The two decided that after this year, they would accumulate more funds, then officially register a company, hire more staff, and explore more fields...
Two years passed in the blink of an eye, and Li Wei entered junior high school.
For Li Wei, time, though busy, seems to stand still. Just like an actor in a play, when she is fully immersed in the role, her state of mind changes with the character's transformation.
Therefore, as time went by, Li Wei's original detached attitude towards the people and things around her gradually changed without her realizing it.
Li Wei and her group of children graduated from Linjia Village Primary School and went on to attend Yanglin Town Middle School, the highest-ranking school in Yanglin Town, where Linjia Village is located. There's only one middle school in the entire Yanglin Town, which comprises over a dozen villages, so the school is several times larger than the primary school, with twelve classes in the first year of junior high alone. The school is a bit far from Li Wei's home, a twenty-minute walk, but Li Zhaoxing and his wife bought bicycles for the children in advance, making the journey only five or six minutes by bike, which isn't too far.
The first day of school was for class assignments. The classes were assigned in advance, and the names were written on the blackboards in each classroom. Li Wei, Li Lin, and Wu Feng went to each classroom to find their assigned classes. Now, Li Lianhui and Erpangzi no longer played with the girls; boys and girls were officially separated.
After a lot of work, the classes for a few people were finally determined. Li Wei, Wu Feng, and Luo Da were assigned to Class 6, Li Lin and Erpangzi were assigned to Class 3, Li Lianhui was in Class 1, and Luo Er was in Class 8. In short, everyone was officially separated.
When Li Wei returned home at noon, she was still a little worried, wondering if Li Lianhui and Li Lin could adapt to the new environment. However, the two were excitedly discussing who in their class or school was in the same class as them. Li Wei realized she had worried for nothing; the two little ones were probably secretly happy to be free from her control. What a waste of her time!
Li Wei's class naturally included a few of her elementary school classmates, such as Xiao Hei and Xiao Huang, who often hung out with Luo Da. Li Wei really didn't understand how the middle school teachers were doing their jobs. They didn't even bother to find out anything before putting these three in the same class; wasn't this just increasing the workload for the homeroom teacher? It's no exaggeration to say that the amount of self-criticisms, apologies, and repentance letters these three guys wrote in elementary school combined would be as thick as Li Wei's height. Her elementary school homeroom teacher, Ms. Zhang, was already struggling with her eyesight, showing signs of developing presbyopia and nearsightedness. And look at the current homeroom teacher—a nearly forty-year-old unmarried spinster—hopefully she won't go through premature menopause because of these three troublemakers.
When they entered junior high school, the workload increased, especially with the addition of subjects like English, geometry, and algebra. Li Wei's neighborhood gang had all received extra tutoring from her, so learning English was quite easy for them. The boys, in particular, were all very bright, and they learned math while playing and fighting.
Li Wei dared not be careless. She wasn't worried about the humanities, but math and physics had always been her weak points, and she had to work on them diligently; failing the high school entrance exam would be disastrous. Her goal, of course, was higher than in her previous life: the city's top high school. It was said that getting into the top high school guaranteed a place in university. Although her aunt had debunked this claim, Cheng Fei alone couldn't completely tarnish the reputation of the top high school. It also reflected the school's strength and authority.
Li Wei promised her aunt that she would definitely make her aunt proud, striving to get into the top high school with one foot in and squeeze into university with the other, so that her aunt could enjoy university life to the fullest.
Cheng Fei, now the CEO of a company with over a hundred employees, said without looking up from the documents, "Alright, I'm waiting for you to prove yourself. But don't just talk big yet, hand over last month's financial statements first. I'm waiting to see them, along with the autumn children's clothing designs and the winter women's cotton-padded coats..."
Li Wei immediately deflated like a punctured balloon: "Auntie, I actually think you don't need to work so hard in your career. You should enjoy yourself when you should. Go on a vacation with Uncle and nurture your relationship. By the way, when are you two getting married? I've heard that dating for too long can lead to problems..."
Cheng Fei finally lifted her pretty face from the documents, coldly looking at Li Wei, who was advocating loving work but loving life even more: "I don't think I need to remind you, but I'm already practically idle. Making excuses won't work. Think about how to finish your current work as soon as possible, instead of spending all your time thinking about vain, being lazy, being infatuated, and being averse to work..."
Before Cheng Fei could expose all of Li Wei's shortcomings, Li Wei had already gone out to work. While organizing the reports, she thought to herself, "It's not good that this concubine is so capable. My small body can't withstand her exploitation. It seems I need to find a financial manager and upgrade myself to a financial director. At least I can keep an eye on things."
As for designers, shouldn't we hire a few more? With so many people thinking about clothes and skirts every day, how can they possibly fit into high school and university settings themselves...?
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