Forty-seven continued to seduce his aunt.
Li Wei composed herself, not rushing to eat the ribbonfish, ignoring her mother and grandmother's calls, and dashed back to the village. She fiddled with the raw materials warehouse, took out her retirement savings book, looked at it, and tearfully kissed it: "My little darling, goodbye forever, boo-hoo—"
Clutching the savings book, Li Wei's eyes gleamed with a fierce determination. She wanted to see whether the allure of a hopeless handsome man or the allure of a life of debauchery was greater. If her aunt really chose the handsome man in the mirror, it wouldn't be worth all the effort she had put into winning him over.
Money's gone, but we can earn more. She's still so young, boohoo.
I ate a quick bite when I got home that evening, and I wasn't in the mood for my bedtime goat milk. I grabbed my guitar and headed to the old house.
Now Luo Da has risen from the lowly serf and is singing songs of triumph; he's no longer the shepherd boy.
Li Wei gave Grandpa Wu the two lambs born to the first sheep last year, along with a request for him to help herd the mother sheep and her sister while shepherding the lambs. Grandpa Wu was always going to herd the lambs anyway, and he couldn't keep exploiting Luo Da like this. However, given the increased milk production that couldn't be consumed, Luo Da's milking plan continued, occasionally affecting Luo Er, Li Lianhui, and the two fat kids, causing the children to tremble at the mere mention of sheep, making them flee in terror.
They mistook Pleasant Goat for Big Bad Wolf.
Li Wei went back to the old house and found her aunt, who was tossing and turning in bed, unable to sleep and not watching TV.
Li Wei's family gave their old TV to her maternal grandmother, and then Li Wei's family bought a new one.
Cheng Fei was already annoyed when she saw Li Wei arrive, dragging a guitar. She said impatiently, "Go sleep with your grandma tonight, don't try to squeeze in with me." She had no interest in watching Li Wei play the guitar.
Li Wei said nonchalantly, "Auntie, Auntie, don't be upset. I'll sing you a song. What do you want to hear?"
No response.
Okay. I'll arrange it for you then.
People who love spring are people with pure hearts.
...
Let's start by playing a song about the four seasons to warm up.
Then she played one of her favorite songs. I don't know if it's become popular now.
Spring flowers, autumn winds, and winter sunsets
In my melancholy youth, I naively thought this...
...
...
The flowing water carries away the stories of time and changes us.
In that sentimental and first-time-remembered youth
After singing "The Story of Time" twice, Li Wei stopped; her delicate hands couldn't handle playing too much.
Seeing her aunt lying motionless, at least she wasn't being given her back, which is a bit of progress.
Although her playing and singing were just average, the live performance was completely different from what you hear on the radio or TV. Otherwise, she wouldn't have been so eager to learn guitar back then, thinking she could show off, but she never got the chance.
Cheng Fei, hearing no further response, said without even looking at her, "Alright, you sang well, and it's rare that you can even strum a guitar. You can go to sleep now." Listening to Li Wei sing and play instruments had indeed improved her mood considerably. Of course, it would have been even more romantic if a man had been singing softly under the window, but unfortunately, it was just a child.
Li Wei felt that since she came back to life, her other skills hadn't improved much, but her shamelessness had increased at a visible rate. As if oblivious to her aunt's impatience, she put down her guitar, quickly took off her shoes, sat on Cheng Fei's bed, and said with a grin, "Auntie, don't get upset. Uncle San came to find you a job, that's good news. If you go to university, you'll be very successful in the future, that's good too. Even if you don't go, we can work together as hairdressers, and in a couple of years we'll be rich, that's even better! See, so many good things are surrounding you, you should be happy, right?"
Cheng Fei turned around and glanced at Li Wei a few times: "Easier said than done. Didn't you always talk about opportunity cost? If I choose one, I'll lose two. Don't you think that's a loss too? Do you know which one has a better future? Do you know what I'm suited for? What do you know! Stay away from me!" She was actually starting to chase Li Wei away!
Li Wei felt a surge of joy. No matter what, her aunt had taken the hair accessory as an opportunity—that was progress! She had to press her advantage: "I think you'd be perfect as a hair accessory, Auntie, for many, many reasons!" Enough said, she needed to tease her aunt a little. If she didn't show off when the time was right, she'd miss her chance.
Cheng Fei was indeed curious. This little one could be quite capable sometimes, so she decided to listen to what she had to say: "Tell me what you have to say. If you can't answer it, go out and go sleep with your grandma right now." She gave her some face and didn't tell her to go out and cry to her grandma.
Li Wei cleared her throat and held up a finger: "First, working in a bank is too boring. You sit there all day doing calculations, and you have to spend half a day calculating if even a single penny doesn't match up. Is that a job for a human being? Even if you dress formally and the work environment is clean, you can't just wander around and let more people admire you, especially since you are as beautiful and generous as your aunt. It's so boring."
Cheng Fei wasn't petty either: "You're right, continue."
Li Wei held up another finger: "Secondly, working in a bank is too dirty. You count money every day. Money is something that all sorts of people touch and take. Do you know if hepatitis patients, tuberculosis patients, flu patients, etc. have ever handled that money? It's not even as clean as toilet paper, so... hahahaha, I don't need to say more, right?"
Cheng Fei felt a chill run down her spine and hurriedly said, "Next, next." She didn't want her to say any more, otherwise she wouldn't dare to take any more money. It sounded so unsettling.
Another finger: "Third, the risk is too great. Didn't you see the news yesterday about XXX and XX who fought bravely against robbers to protect banknotes and died heroically? They were posthumously awarded the title of martyr by the state. And XX protected banknotes at the post office... I'm getting a bit off-topic, but anyway, it's a high-risk job. Especially foreign banks, they're frequently robbed. I'm not going to say anymore."
Li Wei carefully raised another finger and added softly, "Just one last thing, just one thing... if you don't have much money of your own, and you're always counting other people's money, at best you'll get jealous, at worst it'll cause psychological problems, and then one day you might lose control and make a mistake..."
"According to you, this bank has become a den of dragons and tigers!" Cheng Fei couldn't stand it anymore and interrupted Li Wei, saying unhappily.
"How could that be? Hehe, it's just a powder keg at most, hehe."
"Alright, then tell me what problems I have with my college entrance exam." Actually, what the little one said makes sense.
Li Wei held up all her remaining fingers: "Auntie, if you ask me, going to university is not as good as going to work in a bank."
"Oh, why do you say there's a place more terrifying than a bank?" Cheng Fei became interested; she wanted to see what kind of twisted logic Li Wei had.
"Think about it, Auntie. You've exhausted so many brain cells and wasted so much time and energy studying for the college entrance exam. Three years of hard work wasn't enough, and you... well, it's unexpected, you have to study for another year, and there's no guarantee you'll pass this time. These precious years of your youth have been wasted on memorizing and doing practice questions. Putting your limited youth into endless college entrance exams is simply a waste of your life. Even if you get into university, after four years—or even five or seven—you'll be an older woman when you graduate, and you'll still have to work. A woman's youth is very limited, and you have so many choices. Let's not suffer that kind of burden, okay?"
After saying that, Li Wei also wondered if all the time she had spent preparing for university was worth it. But she immediately dismissed the idea. Her abilities were limited, so she shouldn't dabble in anything recklessly and should just stick to her plan. Her aunt, on the other hand, was a natural-born troublemaker with immense influence.
Cheng Fei also fell into deep thought. She had at least made it to high school, and although she felt she'd had enough of schooling, she still felt a little resentful about not taking the college entrance exam. She decided to take it; whether she could definitely get in was another matter, but if she did, things might actually turn out as Li Wei had said. She remembered that in her senior year of high school, the school invited alumni who had been admitted to universities to give speeches and encourage everyone. Two of the girls had gotten into good universities, but they were just too unattractive. They looked dull and lifeless, though their character seemed good, which really dampened Cheng Fei's enthusiasm for university life. Who knew how much older they would look in a few years, lacking any womanly charm?
Seeing that her aunt didn't seem inclined to speak, Li Wei became a little anxious. "Auntie, you're not even giving me a chance to praise the benefits of starting your own business. That's really unfair of you. I have to remind her: 'Auntie, do I really need to say it? I don't have enough fingers. If I say anything else, I'll have to use yours. If you don't want to use them, you can use my toes.'"
Cheng Fei slowly came to her senses, and after a moment of confusion, she said, "Oh, right, there's one more thing. How's your hair accessory business going? Everyone else's business isn't doing well, so is your little business the only one that's doing well?"
Li Wei rallied her spirits, determined to explain further: "Of course! Don't underestimate this small business of hair accessories. We can make enough money to expand into jewelry, clothing, and textiles. Look at French fashion, Italian shoes, and Hong Kong garment manufacturing—they're all quite famous, aren't they? But they're all made by people, and they're all careers you can pursue for a lifetime. They all make you more and more beautiful. It's the same path as working in a bank or going to university, and you'll be starting earlier than them. By the time they graduate and have to find jobs, you'll be an industry elite, maybe even their boss. So, we can't afford to lose at the starting line. Of course, the only downside right now is that we're starting too early, which might attract some criticism."
"Alright, alright, stop nagging. You're even more nagging than your grandma. Let me have some peace and quiet." Things are a mess now; she has to start over. This girl has completely ruined everything.
Of course, Li Wei couldn't just leave like that. She hadn't even used her trump card yet. She leaned closer and said, "Auntie, I think you should take your time to think it over. There's no rush. Don't be fooled by Uncle's statement that registration is the day after tomorrow. With his connections, it's no big deal if you're ten or fifteen days late. If something happens, it'll just mean he's incompetent. I think you're about to lose your freedom, so I'll pay for it. How about we go to a bigger city for a trip? Let's relax and see the world, okay? Just the two of us. If you're too scared, that's fine too. I can just find a tour group in the city and sign up myself. I need to broaden my horizons, otherwise I'll be short-sighted and narrow-minded. What future can I have then?"
After Li Wei finished speaking, she took out the bankbook and waved it in front of her aunt: "I'm going to sleep now. Think about it, if you don't have the guts to go, that's fine, but I definitely have to go. If anyone dares to stop me, I'll run away from home, you hear me!"
Ignoring her aunt, who was still somewhat overwhelmed and unable to react, she grabbed the bankbook, dragged her guitar, and swayed away. Once out of Cheng Fei's sight, she quickly put down the guitar, found a secluded spot, and hid the bankbook in a small bucket. She had to be wary of her aunt's provocation failing and turning against her; confiscating her property was a certainty, and losing her freedom was a certainty. It was necessary for her to prepare for both possibilities.
Li Wei made her final efforts for her and her aunt's bright future, and slept soundly in her grandmother's room without a care in the world. The night passed uneventfully. Early the next morning, her aunt woke her up. Looking out the window at the barely dawning sky, Li Wei yawned and asked, "What's up, Auntie? Why are you up so early?"
Cheng Fei looked visibly listless: "Xiao Ming, how about we go on a trip?" She hadn't even realized that she was now using a suggestion-like tone.
Li Wei glanced at her aunt, seemingly understanding? But she couldn't just leave like that; people would think she was eloping with her, and she'd still be that illegitimate, less-than-honorable supporting character. "Auntie," she said, "leaving is fine, but you don't need to be in such a rush. First, you need a good night's sleep; you're more likely to get lost if you're not well-rested. Second, you need to convince your grandparents. You're so old; if you can't even convince your parents, how are you going to survive? There are plenty of people in society you can fool; convince your own family first. Finally, let me sleep a little longer; I'm exhausted from all the commotion last night." She slid into bed to catch up on sleep; too little sleep affects beauty and growth, especially a relaxing nap like this.
"Little brat, you've got a hard time getting ahead of yourself," Cheng Fei glared at Li Wei, but she had to admit Li Wei was right. Looking like that, all disheveled, she'd only scare people. She'd gotten a little carried away with her excitement and made a mistake.
Although Cheng Fei has a bad temper, she is quite capable. After catching up on sleep until late morning, she got up and went to her sister's house to find her father. Together, they went home and discussed things with her mother for a long time. In the end, she made the decision. The old man, Cheng Enjiu, supported her, while the old woman opposed her. The decision was passed by two votes: the next day, she would go on a trip with her "classmates" to Beijing. The maids who would "serve" her were Li Wei and Li Xiaoming!
That evening, Cheng Fei and Li Wei secretly planned their itinerary and packed their bags. Beijing was just a pretext; their real target was an open coastal city.
To be on the safe side, Li Wei insisted on contacting Ding Anping on the way to buy tickets tomorrow, and it would be even better if he was interested.
Cheng Fei disagreed, but Li Wei threatened to expose her aunt's shameless conspiracy to her grandfather, and she fell silent.
Ugh, I wonder whose shameless conspiracy this is.
What should have been a simple matter for Li Wei was that when she grew up, she could travel anywhere with just a bank card. But when she went to the bank, she found out that the Agricultural Bank of China didn't offer this kind of deposit and withdrawal service. So she had to bring half a bag of cash, plus the money her aunt had given her by her grandfather. The two of them were a little dumbfounded, but there was nothing they could do. Anyway, the packing for their clothes was quite sturdy, so it wouldn't be noticeable from the outside.
The group should have been quite small, at most just Ding Anping and two others. But when it came to Ding Anping, several of his classmates had just graduated, some hadn't finalized their jobs or were just waiting to start work, so a few more people joined, and the group actually expanded.
By the time they left on the third day, there were eight of them, not counting Li Wei.
Looking at the group of men and women, Li Wei felt a little depressed. What was going on? She had originally planned to take advantage of the trip to have a good time and let her aunt see the exciting world outside. Now, was that even possible?
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