Chapter 45
Many people started to arrive at the restaurant, and the restless heat surged among the crowd. The proprietress, menu in hand, paused at each table for a moment, like a fluttering butterfly. The restaurant was slow to serve food. Bei Xia finished her glass of water and stared at the money on the table. She said, "Uncle, I don't need this money. Take it back. There are so many people here, and I'm afraid it will get lost if I leave it there."
She did not choose to answer Bei Dawei's words.
Bei Dawei touched his head and said, "Then uncle will keep it for you first. When you need it, you can ask uncle for it again."
Besha said nothing.
She watched the steam rising from the cup, and silence spread between them.
Bei Dawei looked at Bei Xia and thought, isn't this the same as before? His wife said Bei Xia had changed, and that outsiders were bullying them. Bei Dawei thought this was impossible.
He has seen Bexia grow up since he was a child.
Bei Dawei felt a little relieved.
Feeling the money in his trouser pocket, he thought again, if Bei Xia had really listened to other people's instigation, their meeting today would not have been so peaceful. Even a child can't keep his composure.
After waiting for a long time, the two dishes were finally served.
Bei Dawei ordered a dish of spicy and sour potato shreds, a dish of fried eggplant, and two bowls of rice. He greeted Bei Xia and finished his meal in a daze.
Besha had no appetite.
She used to think that her uncle was a good person and her aunt was mean and harsh. After her parents passed away, her uncle brought her the rare warmth and affection. But now it seems that her uncle may never have cared about her.
They may have the same blood, but since their mother's death, that blood connection has been in jeopardy.
Bei Dawei wiped his mouth with a tissue and said to Bei Xia, "We don't have many people in our family. Your grandparents passed away long ago, so the people who came should be relatives from your father's side, right? Don't listen to what they say. They are the most disloyal people. When your parents were still dead, they said they wanted to divide their property. Ahem, their belongings."
Bei Dawei barely reacted, muttered something, and turned.
"I wanted to send you to an orphanage at the time. It's not like they have no one left. I was the one who got you here. Anyway, don't listen to their nonsense. You're still young, and these people are very hateful!"
Bei Xia watched Bei Dawei perform. She couldn't quite remember what happened at that time. She only remembered that she was kneeling in front of her parents' coffins and the pitiful looks of those people. It was indeed her uncle who stepped forward to preside over the final chaos. After all, no family wants to have another mouth to feed, especially since she is still an adult.
The day her parents were buried was the only time Besha realized that she had so many relatives she had never met, but there was no place for her in such a big world. She would always be grateful to her uncle for standing up that day, but that was no reason for him to seize her parents' property, and the house, which was Besha's only remaining memory of her parents, was buried by him.
Bei Xia's black pupils looked at Bei Dawei quietly, as if she was listening to him carefully, or as if she was carefully sizing up Bei Dawei.
No one was listening, so Bei Dawei's voice got lower and lower. He touched his head and asked, "What are you looking at me for?"
"Uncle, do you still remember my mother?" Bei Xia asked suddenly. Her black pupils looked a little creepy under the incandescent light of the restaurant.
Bei Dawei felt a cool breeze passing by. Bei Xia actually looked nothing like her mother, but her eyes were especially similar. In fact, his sister's wife was not bad. Knowing that the Bei family was almost finished, she gave the first child, Bei Xia, his wife's surname, hoping to leave more descendants for the Bei family. Bei Dawei was very grateful to his brother-in-law for this. Especially since his sister had a calm but strong character, she looked down on Bei Dawei for marrying his sister-in-law, and it was his brother-in-law who mediated between them.
Bei Dawei once envied his sister's better life, but accidents often come faster and faster.
There was a reason why her brother-in-law didn't want Beixia. It was because he wanted to come back to celebrate her birthday, so he boarded that flight. Her grandmother had lost her son and couldn't accept it emotionally. If anyone on Beixia's father's side had the idea of raising Beixia, the old woman would make a fuss with him. The matter came to a stalemate, and after being pushed back and forth, it finally came to Bei Dawei.
Bei Dawei didn't want to raise a child at first. He was a laborer and didn't have a diploma like his sister. The wife he married was a she-devil from a common family. But he didn't expect that those things that others looked down upon would be considered a huge fortune for Bei Dawei's family.
He had always known that his sister's house had a mortgage, and he had also heard his brother-in-law mention that the mortgage was suffocating him and that he had no choice but to work hard to make money, but he didn't know that the house appreciated so quickly?
Bei Dawei's family rents a house in the city. They have a homestead left by his parents in the countryside, but they had no money and had been delaying it. Now, Bei Dawei has successfully transferred all the money back to build his own house and also built a mausoleum for his parents.
This can be considered as a way for my sister to show filial piety to her parents, Bei Dawei thought.
He couldn't help himself and pulled out a crumpled cigarette case from his trouser pocket. He then took out a lighter and lit it. The tobacco was choking. As he puffed out clouds of smoke, Bei Xia heard Bei Dawei say, "Remember."
Beixia lowered his head, feeling sad.
Bei Dawei asked: "Do you miss your mother?"
Bei Xia nodded gently. Bei Dawei felt a little reluctant and took a deep drag on his cigarette. Then he flicked off the ash and said to Bei Xia, "You're right to miss your mother. You still have a conscience."
Who is the heartless person? Bei Xia felt sad.
She didn't want to discuss her parents with Bei Dawei anymore. The words coming out of her uncle's mouth really made her feel sick.
It gets dark early in winter. It was still bright just now, but it was dark by the time they had finished their meal. Bei Dawei put on his felt hat, turned up his collar, and said to Bei Xia, "I'm leaving first. You study hard and remember to come over for dinner on the weekend. Your aunt specially asked me to call you for dinner, don't forget."
Bei Xia pursed her lips, and Bei Dawei just thought she agreed, waved his hand, and rode away on the electric bike on the side of the road.
Beixia looked at the figure in the night, her eyes filled with heavy sadness.
During evening study, Beixia was also a little absent-minded.
She didn't go forward to watch the movie, but sat in her seat at the back, took out the test paper and wrote it seriously.
Teacher Zhao looked at Beixia's grades and asked teachers from various subjects to give her a test paper to get a feel of Beixia's current level. Then he made a targeted study plan for her, determined to improve Beixia's grades before the college entrance examination. Beixia was very busy.
Wu Huimin originally wanted to sit in the front to watch the movie. The lights in the back were on, so she couldn't see the blackboard clearly. But seeing that Bei Xia didn't move, she stayed with Bei Xia out of loyalty. However, she was not as serious as Bei Xia. She was distracted, writing a few words, looking for a while, and laughing along with the movie.
Bexia was not disturbed, but he was not as focused as before.
After evening self-study, the weather became even colder. Bei Xia packed his schoolbag, said goodbye to Wu Huimin, and went home with his backpack.
The streets were filled with a Christmas atmosphere. There were many Christmas stickers on the windows of shops around the school, and Christmas ornaments were also displayed at the doors of clothing stores. Bexia put her hand to her mouth and blew out a breath. She walked slowly along the street. When she was about to reach her door, she saw the light coming out of the house, and her heavy mood eased a little.
Zhou Li stayed at home today. She wrote a column article and saw the latest event in the news. She participated in the event, added a tag to the article label, and then concentrated on contacting the lawyer. The two first communicated on the phone, and then made an appointment for Zhou Li to go to the law firm. There was nothing to do in the afternoon, so Zhou Li took a nap, ordered takeout, and curled up on the sofa to find a movie to watch.
When Beixia came back, Zhou Li was watching the second part. She curled up on the sofa and giggled until tears came out.
Seeing Zhou Li like this, Bei Xia completely relaxed physically and mentally. All the resentment that he had buried in his heart when he saw his uncle in the afternoon seemed to have disappeared. Bei Xia put down his schoolbag and did not go into the room to study. Instead, he sat on the sofa, covered with the same blanket with Zhou Li, and watched a movie together.
Zhou Li didn't think much about it, but she felt Beixia's closeness. As she watched, she leaned her head on Beixia's shoulder. A heartwarming scene about Christmas was playing on TV. This funny family was finally reunited on Christmas.
Bei Xia tilted her head to look at Zhou Li. The movie did not attract her more than Zhou Li. Zhou Li had thick and long eyelashes. She pulled the blanket to cover her chin, her legs curled up, and her whole body leaned on Bei Xia, as if she was relying on Bei Xia with all her heart. She was obviously very tall when she stood up, but now she looked like a small ball.
After the movie ended, Zhou Li stretched out his arms and legs, stretched himself, and asked, "Are you hungry?"
Beixia found that the question Zhou Li asked her most often was whether she was hungry, and she shook her head.
"Not hungry?" Zhou Li touched her stomach and said to Bei Xia in a coquettish tone, "But I am hungry. I want to eat instant noodles. Do you want some?"
Besha nodded again.
Zhou Li went to cook instant noodles and Bei Xia followed her.
Zhou Li put vegetables, tomatoes, ham and fried eggs into the instant noodles and divided them into two bowls. Zhou Li ate very happily. At this late night, he had to eat something with soup to feel comfortable.
After eating, Zhou Li collapsed on the chair. Looking at her, Bei Xia couldn't help but curl up the corners of her mouth. Eating with Zhou Li always made her very happy. Her stomach, which originally said it was not hungry, seemed to be rumbling with hunger.
Bei Xia finished the remaining noodles in his bowl in a few bites, put down his chopsticks and said to Zhou Li, "My uncle came to see me today."
Zhou Li suddenly became serious, sat up straight and asked, "What does he want from you?"
Bei Xia: "Just came to see me, wanted to find out about you, and then asked me to have dinner at home this weekend."
Zhou Li sneered, "If I want to treat you well now, why didn't I do that earlier?"
Bexia asked, "Should I go?"
Zhou Li really liked Bei Xia's attitude of consulting with her. After thinking about it, she said, "Go, of course. I can take the court documents with me so I can find them."
Zhou Li smiled at Bei Xia and said, "I have already contacted the lawyer and will sue them in a couple of days. If they come to the school to look for you again, you can see them later."
Zhou Li was a little worried: "I'm worried that they will do something desperate."
Besha nodded.
Seeing Bei Xia being so well-behaved, Zhou Li became worried. She didn't want to affect Bei Xia at such an important moment, but what had to be done had to be done. According to the information Zhou Li had now, if he didn't ask for the money, Bei Dawei would have squandered all the death compensation for Bei Xia's parents. He had built a homestead and his parents' tombs, and soon the village would have to build the ancestral tombs. The villagers were all relatives, and with this encouragement, Bei Dawei would probably have to pay again.
The small money in the family is managed by Bei Dawei's wife Lei Hua, but Bei Dawei has the final say over the big money.
Zhou Li said to the system in his mind, "Please keep an eye on Bei Xia for me at all times. If Bei Dawei and his wife go looking for her, please contact me immediately."
System: "Received."
Late at night, Bei Xia returned to her room and saw that her pillow was not on the bed. Then she remembered that she had slept with Zhou Li yesterday. Bei Xia was stunned. The door behind her opened and Zhou Li poked his head out and asked, "Aren't you sleeping with me today?"
Zhou Li took the initiative to invite...
Beisha's heart was pounding. She whispered, "I'll change my clothes and come right away."
Zhou Li got herself ready first. She habitually read a book or magazine before going to bed. The desk lamp on the bedside table was on, shining a yellow light. Zhou Li continued to read what she had read the day before.
What Bei Xia saw when he came in was Zhou Li looking very focused.
She couldn't help but move more quietly. Zhou Li wasn't asleep, so she naturally noticed. She put down the book and smiled at Bei Xia, "Come quickly."
Patting the seat beside him, Zhou Li waited until Bei Xia got into bed and asked, "Do you want to sleep, or read for a while like me? I have some novels and magazines here."
It was still early, not yet Beixia's usual bedtime, and she wanted to spend more time with Zhou Li. After the weekend, Zhou Li would be busy again, and their schedules would not match.
"Novels." Zhou Li went downstairs to get it. She opened the bookcase and said a few titles to see which one Bei Xia was interested in.
Bei Xia randomly named one, and Zhou Li smiled: "I like this book too."
Zhou Li pulled out the book with her slender fingers, closed the cabinet door, and handed the book to Bei Xia.
Beixia took a look at the cover and found that the books Zhou Li bought were all made of hardcover paper and had a very textured feel.
It feels hard when you tap it with your hand.
Noticing Bei Xia's actions, Zhou Li covered himself with the quilt and smiled, "What's wrong?"
Bexia shook his head. "This kind of book feels very heavy."
Zhou Li nodded, "Yes, but I prefer this kind of books."
Zhou Li said a little embarrassedly, "I feel that this kind of book would be better, even though it has the same content."
After she finished speaking, she couldn't help laughing: "The hardcover books are more expensive than ordinary books of the same publication, but I just like them, so I blindly bought a lot. Some books are not as good as I imagined, so I was blindly spending money again."
Bei Xia flipped through the book casually. Zhou Li had a good habit of reading. Although he had read it before, the paper was still new.
She stopped talking and looked down.
Zhou Li glanced at her and seemed to enjoy the reading atmosphere.
Beixia is a very quiet person. She is always quiet when you are around her, and the same goes for doing things. Zhou Li can't help but feel at ease. It is really good to have a sister like this. Zhou Li once again feels the joy of raising a child. If all the children in the world are like Beixia, then being a parent will surely be much less stressful.
It was late at night. Zhou Li glanced at the time and reminded: "It's time to go to bed."
Bei Xia handed the book to Zhou Li and lay down.
Zhou Li stacked the two books together and placed them on the bedside table. She turned off the desk lamp and the room became dark.
Zhou Li's bedroom is not big, with only a bed and a wardrobe, but it is full. Zhou Li is used to working in the living room. Her bed is placed against the wall, and Beixia sleeps inside, with the wall on one side and Zhou Li on the other.
The darkness magnified everything infinitely. Bei Xia buried her face in the quilt and heard Zhou Li turning over. She seemed to be looking for a sleeping position. Her legs touched Bei Xia's legs, then retracted them. Then she adjusted the quilt, patted the pillow, and lay on her side. It seemed that the posture was right and her breathing gradually became even.
Beixia faced Zhou Li and felt her breath.
Zhou Li slept very well and fell asleep as soon as she closed her eyes. Beixia didn't dare to move. She listened to Zhou Li's breathing, slowly stretched out her feet, touched Zhou Li's skin, felt the warmth of their skin, and then slowly closed her eyes.
In the morning, Zhou Li woke up before Bei Xia and lay on the bed. Just as he was about to reach out, he found a lump of something beside him. Bei Xia was buried in the quilt with his face against Zhou Li's arm. Zhou Li opened the quilt and took a look, and was amused. Bei Xia was like a puppy, wanting to sleep next to his owner.
Zhou Li nudged Beixia and said, "Bexia, it's time to get up."
Besha woke up in a daze and regained consciousness after a while.
She looked at the distance between them, sat up suddenly, and blushed. Zhou Li looked at her in confusion.
"Having a nightmare?"
"No...no..." Bei Xia stuttered. She glanced at Zhou Li's collar, then looked away. Her face flushed, and she stood up and was about to get out of bed. "I'm going to the bathroom!"
"Ah? Oh." Zhou Li was stunned. She turned around and tilted her head in confusion.
Then she stood up, her pajamas slipped down, and the buttons on her collar came undone without her noticing.
Zhou Li glanced down, buttoned it up nonchalantly, and went to make breakfast for Bei Xia.
Breakfast is usually simple.
Zhou Li fried luncheon meat and eggs, heated bread slices in a toaster, and soaked oatmeal. She brought out breakfast while yawning, and then it was Beixia's turn to wash up. When she came out, Beixia had finished her breakfast and was ready to go out with her schoolbag.
Zhou Li was even more puzzled. "Why are you arriving so early today?"
Beixia responded with a low "hmm" and walked out.
When the cold air outside the door blew, Bei Xia felt the heat on his face subside.
The innocent high school girl felt for the first time the difference in size between her and Zhou Li's figures.
His face turned red again, and Besha shook his head vigorously, unable to think about it anymore.
Zhou Li wandered around the house, holding a piece of food and looking at her phone. After playing for a while, she went out to take a taxi when it was time to go to work.
When they arrived at the TV station, her colleague returned the car keys to her, saying that he had parked the car in its original place in the basement, and thanked Zhou Li.
That batch of materials was needed urgently, and it was Christmas Eve, so it was difficult to get a taxi. If Zhou Li hadn't come to his aid, his work would have been ruined.
Zhou Li took the key and waved, telling him not to thank him.
When he reached his workstation, he ran into Yan Xu again. Yan Xu had just come from the tea room with a cup of coffee. He stopped by Zhou Li's workstation and asked, "You didn't have a fight with your sister, did you? She's still young and going through puberty. Just talk to her nicely."
Zhou Li didn't know whether to laugh or cry: "No, you weren't there when that kid said that. There's nothing wrong between them. It's just a normal student exchange."
Yan Xu nodded and said to Zhou Li, "I just want you to be mentally prepared."
Zhou Li rolled her eyes disrespectfully at Yan Xu, "Brother Yan, I find that you sometimes deserve a beating!" She waved her fist, and Yan Xu smiled and walked away with his coffee.
Monday morning was still as busy as before. Zhou Li mainly talked about the New Year's Day plan. The plan was approved by the higher-ups, and all members of the team got busy, asking people to prepare materials. Zhou Li was mainly in charge of the overall situation, and worked with Yan Xu to grasp the general direction.
Zhou Li and Yan Xu reviewed the manuscript again. Yan Xu also expressed his thoughts and Zhou Li nodded.
Zhou Li is very busy at the TV station, and Bei Xia is also working hard at school.
Although Wen Chao had been admitted through recommendation, he still spent most of his time at school, tutoring Bei Xia and his two apprentices during breaks and study sessions. Bei Xia was particularly easy to teach; they could even discuss whether a math problem had a second solution. Tomorrow was the monthly exam, and Wen Chao twirled his ballpoint pen and asked Bei Xia, "Are you confident?"
Besha casually wrote down the second solution on a piece of paper, then pushed the paper over and said, "What faith?"
"Monthly exam!" Wen Chao looked at Bei Xia and nodded. It seemed that Bei Xia was very confident about this exam.
He glanced at the solution on the paper and said, "This solution is good, but there is a simpler one, but it involves university knowledge. Do you want to know?"
Bei Xia looked at him. Wen Chao smiled innocently. He spread his hands and said, "I've already been recommended for admission. Can't I learn some university knowledge in advance?"
Bei Xia lowered his head and said, "Write it for me to see."
Wen Chao wrote it down casually, and the process was indeed more concise, but this method omitted many steps, which would result in a score deduction in the high school exam. Bei Xia just took a look to understand Wen Chao's idea of solving the problem.
The two of them exchanged a few words, and Wen Chao's other disciples were stunned.
Apprentice One nudged Apprentice Two and whispered, "Why do I feel like Bei Xia is just like the boss, like we can't even reach him?"
The second apprentice also nodded repeatedly.
"Was she so powerful before?" another disciple whispered.
"I don't know. Isn't she the last one in the class?" another replied.
"What are you talking about? Have you done the questions given to you?" Wen Chao turned around and asked.
The two of them sat up straight with a start, and said with a smile, "Little teacher, the questions you asked are too difficult. We are just discussing this."
Wen Chao leaned over to take a look and said helplessly, "Is this difficult? How poor is your foundation?"
The two of them smiled foolishly, and Wen Chao could only explain it to them in detail.
The sunlight poured in through the window, Besha turned a page, and it was a new day.
Today, Zhou Li has finished discussing the lawsuit with her lawyer and formally submitted the lawsuit to the court. At noon, she arrived at the gate of Bexia School early and was picked up to have lunch.
Zhou Li mentioned this to Bei Xia in the morning and was not worried that she would miss it.
When Wu Huimin heard that Bei Xia was going out to eat again, she lamented, "I wish someone would treat me to a meal someday. I'm tired of eating in the cafeteria."
Bei Xia stood up, wrapped her scarf around her, hiding her face, and said in a muffled voice, "What do you want to eat? I can bring it to you when I come back."
Wu Huimin was just happy for a moment, then waved her hand and said, "Forget it, forget it. You should also pay attention to your diet. You have an exam in the afternoon. Don't eat too much and get an upset stomach."
Bei Xia nodded and went out to find Zhou Li.
Zhou Li's car was parked on the side of the road, and Beixia was already very familiar with it.
She got in the car, and Zhou Li said happily, "Let's go."
When they arrived at the restaurant Zhou Li had booked in advance, Zhou Li showed the complaint to Bei Xia.
"We have formally filed charges against them."
Zhou Li lifted Bei Xia's chin: So innocent? How dare you covet me?
Beixia covered her face and it suddenly turned red.
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