Tao Rui's new book is rather crudely titled "The Years I Was a Dragon Aotian." His previous free article was also quite straightforward, "The Years I Was an Emperor." While it's ordinary, it's memorable.
The new book was extremely popular right from the start, and with enough data, Tao Rui didn't update it slowly. Even in the non-V period, he updated 6,000 words every day, and the progress was very fast. In just a few days, the protagonist was driven out of the mountain gate, picked up treasures, fell into a cliff, and ran into a crazy master. Everyone was itching to read it and wanted to know what was going to happen next every day.
Many people want to wait until the series is finished before reading it, but I just can't help it. I check in every day to see if he has updated. Sometimes I even urge Ke Bailing to update, and by the way, I praise them for being a perfect couple. How can it be written so well? They are also a real couple.
There is a reason why some people in the entertainment industry like to hype up couples. As long as they hit the mark, they will attract a lot of popularity.
Tao Rui and Ke Bailing weren't trying to hype themselves up, but they were the only author couple who both wrote well. This relationship attracted more readers, boosting their literary performance, creating a seemingly virtuous cycle.
In the past, no one in the group of great masters paid much attention to the original owner. After all, a person's character can be seen in a group. Even if they just slightly disliked him, they didn't bother to talk to him.
But after Tao Rui frankly admitted his mistakes, hanged himself from the Southeast Branch, and worked hard to make a comeback, his image changed completely. Now there are no bad people like Ji Shi Yu in the group, and every day is happy. In addition, several masters know that Tao Rui is good at playing games, so they invite him to play games together, and they don’t mind live streaming. Some of them even opened a live streaming room.
So when Tao Rui occasionally does a game live broadcast, he plays games online with other masters. Many readers come to watch the masters interact, it is very lively and there are a lot of rewards.
There is a great player named Mandoshahua who likes to play with Tao Rui. Six out of ten times Tao Rui broadcasts live, he plays with him.
He was still following Tao Rui's novel and had almost finished playing games when Mandoshahua urged him, "Alright, alright, hurry up and write. Add more manuscripts to the archives so you can update more quickly. I want to read 100,000 words!"
Tao Rui smiled and said, "You have a nice dream. Do your readers know that you have such a dream? They might also want to read 100,000 words."
Mantosahua said in a daze, "I don't have any drafts saved. You know I update my posts without any preparation every day. Hey, let's write a piece together. Come on, let's write a piece together live today."
"Then you probably can't compete with me. I can tell you from my experience of condensing ten thousand words into a thousand pieces of manuscripts every day that I have an extremely fast hand."
Mandoshahua was not convinced, "Let's compare, it doesn't count if you haven't seen it."
"Come on then." Tao Rui smiled and opened the code software to compete with him. Tao Rui did not use the mental space, but actually wrote a chapter on the spot to compete with him.
The live broadcast interface was aimed at their hands and the number of words displayed at the bottom of the screen. Then the audience saw the two of them typing with their fingers flying, and the numbers on the screen kept jumping up without stopping.
[Oh my god, I only knew that great writers update frequently, but I didn't know they type so fast. How many words do they type in a minute?]
[Great Master, this is almost as good as the Six-Fingered Lute Demon, there's almost an afterimage!]
[Ahhh, I really want to see what you two are writing. I love your writing so much. Please update more! !]
[Mandosa Flower, urging for updates online, hahaha, not only urging but also forcing the other party to write on the spot, so cool, I suddenly want to be an author too, and then urge my beloved author every day.]
[As mentioned earlier, being an author is useless; you need to become a great author and befriend the great authors.]
The live coding session didn't last too long. Whoever coded 10,000 words first would stop. Tao Rui finished it in just 40 minutes, while Mandoshahua only wrote 7,000 words.
Mandoshahua said admiringly, "Awesome, you're awesome. No wonder you have so many manuscripts saved. You write for three hours a day, and even with revisions and deletions, you can still write 30,000 words. So, let's make it 100,000 words when it's released. Love you!"
"Go away! You update 100,000 first, and I'll come back." Tao Rui scolded with a smile, "I'm logging off. I've been sitting for too long, so I'm going to relax."
"Wait a minute, I write slower than you, so I'll update 50,000 and you'll update 100,000. How about that? Brother Rui, you know me well. I update without any effort every day, and 50,000 is already enough to make me break my liver."
[Ahhhh, brother Rui, promise him! Promise him, promise him!]
[Sha Hua 50,000, Rui Ge 100,000, what kind of friendship is this? Do it!]
[Brother Rui, when will your work be released? You must have some drafts saved, right? Promise him! When has our Brother Rui ever been afraid of anything?]
Tao Rui laughed and said, "I suspect you are trying to trick me, but I do have some drafts saved up, which will be released the day after tomorrow. If Huazi posts 50,000 new copies, I'll post 100,000."
"Come on! I'm going to end the broadcast. I need to go write!" Mandoshahua ended the broadcast without saying a word. She was trying her best to urge the update.
This matter was quickly moved to the Feiteng Forum, and the replies were all hahahahahahahaha.
[It would be great if all the great writers did this. I want to see them competing with each other to update more, haha]
[Can you please send me more challenge letters? I want to see the master finish it.]
[You are too naive. This book is finished, but the next one will still be serialized. It's the same as before.]
[No matter what, I'm happy as long as I keep updating! ]
Two days later, Mandoshahua really updated 50,000 words. He even went to Tao Rui's comment section and told him not to forget the promise of 100,000 words.
Mantosahua's readers were stunned. This guy who had never updated in his later years without any manuscripts actually updated 50,000 words. It was like the sun rising from the west. While cheering, they also did not forget to criticize Mantosahua: Now you also know the pain of catching up with the updates, right?
Tao Rui's readers were even more excited. They hadn't urged him much, but Mandoshahua had already helped them to push for an update of 100,000. Such a great friend must be kept and asked to continue urging!
Tao Rui received a barrage of messages from Mandoshahua's Penguin account urging him to update, and he did not slack off at all and directly posted the 100,000 words.
On the fourth day after release, you have to rank on the Thousand Word Rankings. This is the average revenue per thousand words over those four days. If you rank at the top, you'll see a surge in favorites, while if you rank at the bottom, you'll likely not be seen. Therefore, updates are generally made very carefully during these four days, trying to manage your Thousand Words. Many people try to update as little as possible.
Tao Rui dared to update 100,000 words at once, which shows that he is really confident.
His readers did not disappoint him. They did not wait for the full 100,000 words to be published, and then read it slowly. Many readers of Mandoshahua were also brought to read his works. After all, it was a work that they had worked so hard to follow, so of course they had to support it. Moreover, the work was really good.
By the fourth day when the thousand-word rankings came up, Tao Rui had so many readers that his thousand-word revenue was still far ahead, occupying the most prominent first position.
This is when the advantage of posting more frequently becomes apparent, as the day with the Thousand Words Ranking has the highest traffic, with recommended spots visible to readers across the site. If a work is good, subscriptions are guaranteed to be huge. Tao Rui posted over 100,000 words in four days, compared to around 20,000 for other writers, so you can imagine how much revenue he generated.
A week later, it was on the gold list. It can be said that this article of his had no marketing but was better than marketing. It had the right time, place and people. It was on the gold list even faster than Ke Bailing's book. Who can blame him for his frequent updates?
Ke Bailing once wrote a piece of writing with Tao Rui. Tao Rui wrote 10,000 words while she only wrote 3,000. She was a little depressed and said, "How come you write so fast? My fingers hurt from writing, but I can't write as fast as you."
Tao Rui took her hand and rubbed it, then said calmly, "That's because I exercise every day. If you run, work out, and meditate with me every day, your body will be much stronger, you won't get tired easily, and you'll naturally run faster."
When Ke Bailing heard this, the corner of her mouth twitched and she shook her head to refuse, "I don't want it. Isn't it nice to sleep in? Isn't it nice to do beauty treatments and watch TV series? I don't want to exercise every day."
She is actually a homebody. Her leisure and entertainment are reading novels, watching TV series and eating snacks. She really doesn't like sports.
Even so, Tao Rui still persuaded her to exercise three times a week. Aside from the initial back pain, she gradually got used to it and her health improved significantly. Besides, Tao Rui prepared nutritious meals for her every day, which was good for her health.
When Ke Bailing returned home for the winter break, her mother noticed at first glance that her complexion was rosy and tender, her hair was black and smooth, and she was dressed incredibly beautifully. Her temperament had also improved a lot, as if she had suddenly transformed from being self-deprecating and silent to being sunny and beautiful.
The first thing Ke's mother said was sarcasm: "Didn't you say that your living allowance is not enough and you want more? I see that you are living quite comfortably even without increasing your living allowance. You are better off here than at home. Your father and I don't have such a comfortable life as you."
It wasn't that she was unhappy with her daughter's life, but she was habitually speaking harshly because she didn't like girls. Ke Bailing had disliked her since she was born, for more than 20 years. Her dislike had been ingrained in her bones, and she was unhappy with everything she saw.
Upon hearing this, Ke's father looked at Ke Bailing and agreed with Ke's mother. "Your living expenses are too much, right? You still have some spare money to buy nice clothes. What did we teach you? You should be frugal. Don't go out and embarrass your mother and me by being extravagant. Let's reduce your living expenses by two hundred next semester. I can buy a few bottles of wine, which is better than you wasting money on clothes."
Mother Ke continued, "That's right. I haven't seen you buy clothes for me and your dad. I've raised you for so many years and you don't show any filial piety at all. You only care about your own beauty."
Ke Bailing took a deep breath. Although it was like this every time she came back, she was probably too happy with Tao Rui, so this time she suddenly felt a little overwhelmed.
She walked over, placed the bag on the table, and took out the contents. "Dad, Mom, these are cigarettes, alcohol, and clothes I bought for you. I found a part-time job and earned some money, so I bought these especially for you."
These words were a slap in their faces. As soon as they finished saying she was only concerned about herself, she took out her things, making both of them look very unhappy. Mother Ke frowned and said, "Why are you looking for a part-time job? As a student, why are you doing this useless work when you don't study hard? We don't give you any money to spend. How are your grades this semester? If you don't pass the professional qualification exam, I wonder what you will do!"
Ke Bailing handed her the printed transcript and said, "I did quite well in the exam and didn't miss out on my studies. However, I don't plan to be a teacher anymore, so I don't want to take the qualification exam."
Before Ke's mother finished reading the report card, she heard a thunderclap and looked up at her in disbelief. "What did you say? You don't want to be a teacher?"
Father Ke frowned. "What have you been doing this semester? You've lost your mind! What are you going to do if you're not a teacher? You don't know anything, what can you do?"
"I want to pursue the career I love. I have my dreams..."
This was the first time Ke Bailing rebelled against her parents. She struggled to say what she wanted to say, but before she could finish, her father was already furious. "Career? Dream? How old are you and still daydreaming? As a girl, if you don't find a solid job, what will you do in the future?"
Ke's mother said angrily, "Did you find a part-time job and earn some money, and think that money is easy to make outside? Do you want to be a white-collar or gold-collar worker in a company? Do you think it's glamorous? Do you know how hard it is behind it? You have to fight hard with a bunch of men for the top position. How many of you have ever won?
Being a teacher is so great! You have a stable job, easy marriage, and you can educate your children. You have regular working hours, winter and summer vacations, and your students and parents respect you. You also have time to take care of your family. If you do something else, no matter what you do, you will have to work from dawn to dusk all year round. What will happen to your family?
Ke Bailing actually disagreed with her parents' views deep down and harbored a rebellious streak. Otherwise, she wouldn't have confronted the original protagonist directly in the original script. It's just that no one supported her back then, and everyone was trying to discourage her, which is why she couldn't handle it. Now Tao Rui supports her in everything she does, and the novel's explosive success has given her immense confidence, so she's no longer afraid of anything.
After her parents finished speaking, she said, "I live first for myself, not for some man or my future children and family. My dream is to become an outstanding writer. I've signed a contract as an online author and now earn a considerable income every month. After graduation, I want to be a full-time author and continue to create more stories."
In the eyes of Ke's parents, being an online author is more unacceptable than working as a white-collar worker in a company. They look at Ke Bailing as if she were an idiot.
Especially Ke's mother. She'd been a Chinese teacher her whole life, and her personality was stubborn and conservative, just like Nun Miejue. She was furious when she heard Ke Bailing's words. "Is that stuff you write even readable? Time travel, superpowers, and spacetime—that's all online hoaxes. Is that serious writing? And you're calling yourself a writer? Do you think you can be a writer just by writing two words?"
Ke Bailing felt uncomfortable and looked at her retort, "Mom, the most popular TV series recently has a heroine who travels through time, and there's also a web series with supernatural powers..."
"That's one in a million. Are you that one? I think you're just daydreaming. You're signing a contract to make money. How much do you make a month? Even if you make it this month, what about next month?
The life of an online writer is unstable. You may finish writing one book but not the next one, so you will have no income. Moreover, you sit in front of the computer every day and don’t even have a colleague. How can you communicate with others?
Over time, you'll become disconnected from society, unable to interact with people or get things done, and your personality will become gloomy. Wouldn't that make you a useless person?
You're an online writer who can't even find a partner. Who would want a daughter-in-law like you?" Ke's mother dragged Ke Bailing back into the house, angrily saying, "Go back to your room and reflect on yourself. Stay here for the winter break and you'll figure it out."
Ke Bailing immediately pushed her hand away, took several steps back, and said through gritted teeth, "Mom, you are too prejudiced against online writers. This is a legitimate profession. Besides, writing novels doesn't mean I don't go out, make friends, or do things. You take it for granted and have never understood this industry at all.
I'm an adult and I can decide what to do. I didn't mean to upset you, but this is my life and I have to make my own way. I'm leaving now and will come back when you're all done.
"Ke Bailing, stop right there! You are not allowed to go anywhere today. Go back to your room and reflect on yourself!" Ke's father scolded, his stern face looking very scary.
Ke Bailing was instinctively frightened and stopped in his tracks, then was caught by Ke's mother.
Mother Ke angrily said, "Go back to your room! Your parents are doing this for your own good. How could they harm you? Becoming a teacher is your best path. Your parents have been teachers their whole lives. What's wrong with that?"
Ke Bailing was being pulled by her, feeling both frightened and unable to bear their words. He pushed her away and retreated to the door, choking with sobs, saying, "Are you good teachers? Yes, there are so many good teachers in the world, and I especially respect my teachers, but what about you? Do you really think you are good teachers? How many students have come to see you during the New Year and other holidays?
Don't you understand what's going on? You've always been disliked by students because you're so old-fashioned, so patriarchal, so fond of only the best students and solitary, looking down on the poor as if they were trash. You're always discouraging, never encouraging. So why are you still just ordinary teachers after a lifetime of teaching? Because the school leaders look down on you. If it weren't for your supposedly iron rice bowl, you'd have been fired long ago.
You are so cruel to your own daughter, why should I be a teacher like you? I never wanted to be one. I don’t want to go home when I go to school. I just don’t want to be like you! "
For the first time, Ke Bailing burst out and spoke the deepest words in her heart, tears streaming down her face. Ke's father and mother were in disbelief and then became furious.
Father Ke slammed the table and stood up, pointing at the door and shouting, "Get out of here! If you don't want to go home, don't go back. You little girl, you don't even have the basic filial piety, and you think we are happy to take care of you? Get out! Get out!"
Ke's mother was also angry, saying, "Students don't like to come because we are strict. Strict teachers produce excellent students. We don't think about anything else except teaching. We don't interact much with colleagues and leaders, so of course it's hard to get promoted..."
Ke Bailing wiped her tears and laughed, "We don't interact much. Didn't you just complain that I'm an online author with no colleagues or communication? So you two don't interact much as teachers either? You're quite different from other teachers I know."
Ke Bailing had been writing for a few months and had seen a lot of the blood and gore in the industry, so she was ready to make sarcastic remarks. But these were her parents, so she just shut up and walked away.
No matter what her parents said in the room, since the door was closed, she just pretended she didn't hear it.
She was somewhat thankful that when Tao Rui sent her back just now, he said that he would wait for her to send a message before leaving. She had not thought that a conflict would arise so soon, but Tao Rui said that he was worried and asked her to send him a message when she was at home and he would leave.
She'd been kicked out by her parents, and if she'd gone out and had to get a taxi or the subway, she'd probably have trouble controlling her emotions. But now everything was fine. Tao Rui's car was parked downstairs, and she ran out and got in, her eyes red as she said, "Let's go! They told me not to go home."
Tao Rui was also a little surprised. He thought he would have to stay for at least a few days before there would be a conflict. He unbuckled his seat belt, leaned over and hugged Ke Bailing, letting her lie on his shoulder. He whispered, "It's okay. Don't we have our own home? You can come back to our home anytime."
Ke Bailing couldn't hold it in any longer and hugged him, crying bitterly.
Tao Rui held her in his arms and patted her back gently, becoming her most reliable and warmest harbor. After being seriously injured by her parents, she immediately felt comforted and the wounds in her heart were healed.
Tao Rui hugged Ke Bailing silently for as long as she cried, without saying any extra words of comfort. Sometimes you don't need to say anything, just having him there is enough.
After crying, Ke Bailing looked up at him with red and swollen eyes, "Brother Rui, let's go home."
She has her own family. Even if Tao Rui doesn't live with her anymore, the money she earns is enough for her to rent a house and live in. So she doesn't have to go back to the Ke family. She will do her best to be filial, but she won't let them continue to attack her, belittle her, and control her life.
After leaving the Ke family, Ke Bailing worked harder to update. She bought a lot of books on writing. Whenever she had free time, she would read the books attentively and make notes. If there was something she didn't understand, she would work with Tao Rui to find a way to figure it out.
Ke Bailing is not short of imagination and inspiration, what she lacks is an attractive writing style and the structure of the entire story.
In his past life, Tao Rui had learned scriptwriting from various top screenwriters and even wrote hits. He was very good at story structure and could answer most of Ke Bailing's questions in this regard, providing Ke Bailing with great help.
As for her writing style, she had to figure it out on her own. As she wrote more and paid attention to her readers' preferences, she naturally developed suitable writing habits and her own unique style. No one else could help her with this; she had to figure it out on her own.
So, having Tao Rui was enough for Ke Bailing. She made rapid progress in her writing, improving her skills much faster than others. So, her later articles didn't break down, but became more and more interesting. Readers praised her writing for being better than when she first started, and for her significant improvement.
Ke Bailing seemed to be holding her breath, determined to prove to her parents that she had made the right choice to become an online writer. Their contempt was wrong. This gave her endless fighting spirit, and she spent her entire winter vacation working hard.
Tao Rui had originally wanted to tell her not to worry about her eccentric parents, but after seeing her state, he realized she didn't have too many negative emotions. Instead, she transformed all the negative things into positive energy and benefited from it, so he temporarily let it go. Many things can be left to chance, and this is better than other people's advice.
During the Lunar New Year, Ke Bailing called home. She had called five or six times during the winter break; after all, those two people were still her parents. But every time, Ke's parents either hung up or scolded her, or asked if she had thought it through and realized she was wrong. So, they never got along.
During the Lunar New Year, when Ke Bailing called, they actually answered the phone. Ke's mother even turned on the speakerphone and said to Ke Bailing's grandmother, "Mom, tell me about this child. She's so disobedient. She won't listen no matter what you say. You should scold her."
Grandma Ke took the phone and said, "Bai Ling, you're already in your twenties, how come you're still so naive? You don't have much talent to begin with, and getting a certificate to become a teacher is already a blessing. How well did your parents arrange things for you? Do you think it's that easy out there?"
If you were as capable as Zhezhe, we wouldn't say anything. Zhezhe already had a job offer before he even graduated, earning 15,000 yuan a month, with insurance and housing fund. It's pretty good. Besides, he's a boy, so he'll be able to get promoted. Who are we to stop him? He can do whatever he wants, right?
We must speak with confidence. Doesn't your brother have confidence? That's what it means to follow his path. What path do you have?
Look at your sister, she passed the civil service exam and married a colleague. Both she and her husband have stable jobs with good benefits. During the Chinese New Year, she gave me a lot of grain, oil and other things. She also takes good care of the family, and her mother-in-law always praises her.
It's normal that you can't compare to your brother, but you should at least compare to your sister, right? Even if you're almost there, you can't be too far behind. What you see online is unreliable and won't work. If you know you're wrong, come back quickly."
"Why should she come back?" Father Ke said angrily, "She's grown independent and disobedient. She's dared to stay out for so long. If she has the guts, she shouldn't come back!"
Ke Bailing had originally wanted to check on her parents' health and apologize for the New Year, so they wouldn't be upset. But now she wasn't in the mood to do anything.
My grandmother gave birth to three children, and the next generation also had three children. The sister who took the civil service exam mentioned on the phone was Ke Bailing's cousin. My cousin wasn't a good student and couldn't find a good job after graduation, but she worked very hard on the civil service exam and got in. Although my cousin's position was just a very ordinary clerk, Ke's parents always praised her for her ability when they mentioned her.
Later, my cousin married another civil servant, who was not in the same agency but had a higher position than her. After marriage, she gave birth to a son. She did housework all day after work. Her parents-in-law and husband did not help her, but only praised her for her ability.
However, Mr. and Mrs. Ke felt that their cousin's life was perfect.
My cousin Zhezhe is the apple of Grandma Ke’s eye. Mr. and Mrs. Ke are also very kind to him. They say that he is the only root of the Ke family. Every time they see him, they feel sorry that they gave birth to a girl and not a boy as cute as Zhezhe.
However, this adorable Zhezhe had been spoiled since childhood. Seeing he couldn't get into a good university in his senior year of high school, he applied to a vocational high school. It was the kind of school where he was given designated training and then hired by a related company after graduation, with the promise that he would earn 15,000 yuan a month when he joined the company.
There are many such schools, but in fact, there is no guarantee of employment after joining. You may be fired at any time. The strong ones may have a chance to be promoted, while the average ones may stay in the same position for life, and the weak ones will be out of the job. Of course, the good positions are recruited by highly educated people from outside. How many of these vocational high school students can be promoted?
And what can I do with 15,000 yuan in Yanjing? If there is no chance of a salary increase in the future, can I support my family?
Despite having such an ordinary future, Grandma Ke, Mr. and Mrs. Ke all praised Zhezhe to the sky.
Ke Bailing was the best student of their three children, with high scores on the college entrance exam, but her family insisted she attend a normal school to become a teacher. She resisted at the time, but she was still young, so she finally compromised.
Ke Bailing thought about how her grandmother advised her on the phone, but most of the time she was showing off her cousin. She suddenly wanted to laugh and had some insights.
That is, no matter how well she does, she is not as good as Zhezhe in their eyes. After all, she is a girl.
She will never be able to wake up those who favor boys over girls.
She figured it out and was no longer easily influenced by them. She said calmly, "Grandma, Dad, Mom, the New Year is a happy occasion. If you're angry with me, I won't go back and make you angry. I'll send the New Year gifts by express. I wish you a happy New Year and good health."
Grandma Ke was stunned. "Bai Ling, you really aren't coming back? You're going to make your parents mad! How can you be so ignorant?"
Father Ke said, "Mom, don't pay attention to this little girl. As a sister, she's not even half as sensible as Zhezhe."
Ke Bailing said, "Yeah, why didn't you, Mom and Dad, give birth to a boy as cute as Zhezhe? It would be great if you could give birth to a son. Your son would definitely listen to you in everything."
These words really touched the sore spot of Ke's father and mother. It was like a thorn in their hearts that Ke Bailing said the most regrettable thing in their lives.
Ke's mother snatched the phone and angrily shouted, "Ke Bailing, go wherever you want and never come back!"
Ke Bailing hung up silently. This was the first time she'd hung up the phone at home. Mother and Father Ke were stunned by the busy tone, their faces turning grim. They were incredibly proud of their reputation. Having never had a son, they'd already felt a bit uncomfortable in front of their brothers and sisters-in-law, and it had been like this for years. Now their daughter was being rebellious and defiant, directly contradicting them, which made them feel deeply humiliated.
Grandma Ke glared at Mother Ke. "How did you raise your daughter? Look at what she's become."
Ke's mother held her breath and said, "She will know how good things are at home after she suffers outside."
My cousin came over with the child in her arms and casually said, "Does Bailing have a boyfriend? She hasn't been home for such a long time and she's not listening. Is she living with her boyfriend?"
"He's staying at a classmate's house." Ke's mother said this, but she became suspicious in her heart, and even wondered if Ke Bailing had done something shameful.
My cousin said again, "Uncle, Aunt, calm down and find the person. It would be bad if something happens to him."
Mr. Ke said stubbornly that he wanted Ke Bailing to learn his lesson outside, but in his mind he was thinking of some unbearable news. Things like naked loans, selling oneself, and pyramid schemes flashed through his mind, but he didn't think about serious things.
With his old-fashioned and conservative thinking, he thought that his daughter's sudden beauty, well-dressed appearance, and disobedience could only be related to these unbearable things.
Ke's mother thought the same, so they tried their best not to mention Ke Bailing afterwards, not wanting to make a fool of themselves by their relatives. As for finding someone, they would wait until after the New Year when everyone had dispersed.
So this year, Ke Bailing went back to his hometown with Tao Rui for the Spring Festival. Tao Rui wanted to go back to his hometown to show his parents his pride, and if Ke Bailing didn't go back, it would be a good opportunity for relatives and friends to get to know his future wife.
Ke Bailing got along very well with Tao's father and mother, and Tao Rui was going to formally introduce her to all the relatives, which was very serious, so she agreed without saying a word.
The original owner hadn't been back to his hometown much since he started college, which was six or seven years ago. This time, he was coming back, and bringing his new wife with him. Mr. and Mrs. Tao were beaming the whole day, as if they'd won the lottery. When relatives and friends heard about it, they naturally wanted to join in the fun, so they told them to call and have a get-together.
Tao Rui asked his mother for a list of relatives in advance, and then chose gifts with Ke Bailing.
For the elderly, you should choose warm and comfortable clothes, non-slip shoes, and supplements that are expensive at first glance, which are decent.
Children's clothes should be colorful and of good quality, toys should be novel, fun and non-toxic, snacks should be delicious and not available in their hometowns, and they should also have a full set of stationery, school bags, phones and watches.
I bought nutritional supplements, good wine, cigarettes, shawls and hats for my uncles and aunts.
What I give to my brothers and sisters is a game console, making sure they like it.
The original owner hadn't been home for years, and her relatives definitely had a bad impression of her. They might even have secretly accused Mr. and Mrs. Tao of raising their son in vain, saying he wasn't filial at all. Furthermore, the way Ke Bailing's family had treated her must have upset her. Tao Rui, wanting to distract her, simply dragged her along to choose a gift.
This was no easy task. Fortunately, the two of them had enough saved drafts, so it didn't matter if they took a few days off. At least they had chosen gifts that they thought were very nice.
They had a bunch of gifts delivered directly home, and as soon as they got off the plane they saw Tao's father, mother and aunt coming to pick them up. Because the Tao family didn't have a car, Tao's mother asked her sister to drive over to pick them up because the airport was too far away.
Tao Rui first hugged his parents and said to his aunt with a smile, "Happy New Year, Auntie. Thank you for coming to pick us up."
My aunt smiled and said, "What trouble is there for family?" She looked at Ke Bailing and said, "Is this Lingling? She's so beautiful! I've heard of her so many times, and now I finally see her. Come on, get in the car! It's cold outside."
Tao Rui's hometown is in the north, and it was indeed quite cold during the Chinese New Year. However, Tao Rui and his friends came back wearing down jackets, so it was okay.
After we got in the car, my aunt sighed and said with a smile that sounded like she was complaining, "Xiao Rui, you're leaving and never coming back. We haven't seen you for how many years. Your parents must miss you."
Her sister raised such a child, working hard every day selling snacks, and her son always asked for money and didn't come home. How could she not be angry? It was just difficult to say, so she could only complain jokingly.
Tao Rui admitted his mistake directly. "I was so ignorant before that I only thought about myself and never thought about my parents. I finally made some money, but before I knew it, I squandered it all. I also took out a mortgage on my house, and I was too embarrassed to come back. Now that my life is stable, I feel comfortable coming back. Otherwise, I'd be laughed at and embarrassed for my parents."
"Hey! Kid, who's laughing at you? We're all family. Living in a city as big as Yanjing isn't easy. If you have any difficulties, just tell your family. We're all so many people, we can always find a way." The aunt saw that he really admitted his mistake and his attitude was very good. The smile on his face was much more genuine. As they drove, she said, "You have such a good girlfriend now. Your parents don't have to worry about you, and you even have a house in Yanjing. How lucky you are. You must live a good life in the future. Being down-to-earth is better than anything else."
"Hey, I've remembered you, aunt. Don't worry, people say that a man should be able to stand on his own feet at the age of 30. I'm 30 this year. If I'm still not sensible, I'd be a jerk. Aunt, please ask your uncle-in-law and younger sister to come over for dinner later. I'll show you my cooking skills. My cooking is delicious." Tao Rui lay on the chair and talked happily with his aunt. He didn't feel strange at all after not seeing her for several years.
My aunt naturally relaxed and said with a smile: "I will go home after sending you back. You just came back and the family is reunited. Let's talk to each other."
"That won't do. How can I let you come and be my driver?"
"Go, who will be your driver?"
"Then you all should come and eat, aunt. I'm not tired from the flight back. I finally have some decent cooking skills, and I have to show them off to you. I'll also be in charge of the New Year's Eve dinner. The elders are all resting and waiting for me to show my filial piety."
Most elders like children who are sweet-talking and sensible. Tao Rui's behavior just pleased his aunt, who happily agreed and even joked, "Your uncle and I must try it. Your mother praised it to us when she came back from her last trip to Yanjing. I thought you were learning to be a chef."
Ke Bailing said with a smile: "Brother Rui's cooking is really delicious, better than many chefs. We also brought back some gifts, and I'll let my aunt see if she likes them later."
"Okay, let's watch it together later." The aunt had a smile on her face all the way, and her dissatisfaction with her nephew was dissipated a lot.
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