Chapter Nine: Reminiscence (2)

He has always greeted people with a faint smile, as if that subtle smile were born at the right corner of his lips. However, when those few people saw him smile, they timidly said: "I dare not, I dare not"

"Tsk tsk, look at how fair her skin is, and how slender her waist is." A few people were making inappropriate comments, following her closely, yet they did not dare to lay a hand on her, only resorting to vulgar language.

Tong Chunxiao couldn't help but laugh. Indeed, her uncle had such a perspective, viewing people with an old-fashioned outlook

When Shen Xiquan planned to pursue Mo Dan, Tong Xi could not help but privately ask him one time, "Aren't you fond of that so-and-so? Mo Dan is not the same type as the one you like"

"Because my cousin is his classmate, and besides, I often praise him for being impressive, so he is willing to chat with me." Tong Xi asked seriously, "Sister, do you think men like to be admired?"

Having accumulated a great deal of anger along the way, she struck quite fiercely, nearly stabbing that person's eye.

Tong Xi had never encountered such humiliation, and she was so furious that her vision darkened and her temples throbbed. When she reached the alley in front of her uncle's house, the rain had just stopped. She put away her umbrella, suddenly turned around, and fiercely jabbed the tip of the umbrella towards one person's face.

Tong Xi looked carefully and pouted, saying: "She is not as good-looking as my sister, Brother Quan, your taste is not that great."

Tong Xi heard her mention the past for the first time. The two of them, being half-siblings, had an unspoken understanding not to bring up their mothers, only discussing matters related to their father

They seem to be quite afraid of you

Tong Xi smiled and said: "You are so domineering, is it not even permissible to appreciate it in my heart?"

A few delinquents were laughing, and one of them explained: "Brother Quan, she almost poked my eyes out"

Tong Xi's face flushed suddenly, covering her forehead, her eyes revealing defiance

Later, she discussed this issue with Nie Xiu

Tong Xi sighed: You multitaskers

Later, in her fervent quest to apply for the directing and screenwriting program, she watched countless films and discovered that the actress was a Hollywood star from the 1970s. At first, merely looking at photographs did not strike her as particularly stunning, but after watching several classic films, she realized that indeed, she was a great beauty, with every smile and frown exuding a myriad of charms

At that moment, Shen Xiquan came out from the door. Tong Xi hurriedly called out "Brother Quan." As soon as those few people saw Shen Xiquan, they released their grip. Tong Xi quickly ran over and stood behind Shen Xiquan, her heart racing, truly frightened.

Shen Xiquan smiled: This is akin to the appreciation of antiques and famous paintings; it does not necessarily require possession. What passes before my eyes is as if I possess it. There are countless beauties in the world, and to restrain one's inner desires, to cherish the one before me, is true love

I like this. Shen Xiquan took out his phone from his pocket. It was a newly released smartphone, thin and very beautiful, with a screensaver of a foreign woman, voluptuous and enchanting, with fiery red lips

Tong Xi took an umbrella but had not yet walked out of the alley when she encountered a few delinquents. The town of Xi is quite small, and her identity and appearance are too eye-catching, making it difficult not to attract attention. These delinquents had noticed her for some time, but she usually went to and from school with her uncle and rarely went out on weekends, so they seldom crossed paths. At this moment, seeing her alone, her clothes soaked from the rain, these individuals approached with ill intentions, grinning and saying: "Oh, isn't this the doll?"

Of course not, the only person I admire and long for is you. Tong Xi was about to speak, but suddenly remembered that he had never uttered a single love word while pursuing her. Thus, she changed her mind at the last moment, smiled with her lips pressed together, and chose not to answer, deliberately making him anxious and flustered

Tong Xi held the bowl, laughing so hard that the armchair swayed back and forth, nearly toppling over. Tong Xi's reaction made Tong Chunxiao quietly breathe a sigh of relief, knowing that the situation was not as her uncle had imagined.

Many years later, she recalled the three examples she had initially presented, each one a tragedy

When Shen Xiquan first met her, she still looked like a little girl. Moreover, since she was Tong Xin's cousin, he did not regard her as an outsider and felt no distractions when putting his arm around her shoulders. It was only at this moment, noticing her shrinking back, that he suddenly remembered that the young girl was already fourteen.

Shen Xiquan tapped her on the head again and said, "What does a child know"

Tong Chunxiao tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and said, "Our father is a businessman. When I was very young, our family was particularly wealthy for a time, and my friends were very envious of me. However, later on, a business deal went wrong, and we ended up in negative assets. He went to do business at the China-Russia border. When my mother passed away, he didn't even have time to come back. At that time, I resented him deeply and didn't speak to him for two years. Later, when my father was gone, I felt a great deal of regret. In fact, he didn't want it to be this way; it was life that forced him into it, and he had no choice."

Tong Chunxiao was curious: "How can he discuss these things with a child like you?"

Tong Xi had heard her uncle mention many times that Shen Xiquan was a smiling tiger, ruthless and merciless, someone even small-time thugs dared not provoke. She had not believed it much until today, when she finally witnessed it for the first time, feeling more curiosity than surprise.

Two minutes later, Tong Xi pleaded for mercy: I have only you in front of me, and only you in my heart. Are you satisfied

Tong Chunxiao smiled and shook her head. Tong Xi curiously asked why. She truly believed that Shen Xiquan was a great match for her gentle and beautiful sister.

People tend to bully the weak and fear the strong; if you are even more ruthless than they are, they will naturally fear you. I was well-known in the town for my fighting skills during my teenage years.

Shen Xiquan smiled faintly and said, "Shall I apologize on her behalf?"

Hearing her sister mention Shen Xiquan, Tong Xi's expression did not change much. While picking grapes from her bowl, she said:

Shen Xiquan thought for a moment and said: Have you heard the discourse on red roses and white roses?

Tong Chunxiao's heart skipped a beat, and she cautiously asked, "You don't like him, do you?"

Modan is entirely different from that Hollywood actress; one is petite and delicate, while the other is tall and sexy; one has fiery red lips, while the other has a cherry-like mouth

Tong Xi said: "Uncle has a bias against Shen Xiquan, but in fact, Shen Xiquan has helped my cousin a lot. When he first went to the bank, he was unable to complete his tasks, and Shen Xiquan helped him come up with an idea. He suggested finding the leader of the square dance group, giving her some gifts, and having her mobilize the elderly women in the square dance to deposit money at the bank. As long as each person deposited 10,000, they would receive a set of sportswear. My cousin approached more than a dozen elderly women, and that month he achieved the highest performance. Later, Shen Xiquan also helped him establish connections to transfer to the credit department. In fact, Uncle should be grateful to Shen Xiquan."

Tong Chunxiao chuckled and tapped her forehead: "How old are you? You seem to know quite a bit, don't you?"

Tong Chunxiao did not expect these underlying circumstances, and was quite surprised

Nie Xiu is writing a report, her fingers flying over the keyboard, so busy that no one can pay attention to her, yet she seriously says: "That won't do, it's not enough to focus on the present, one must not have others in their heart either"

Tong Xi would certainly not surrender easily; she turned around and ran with the umbrella. After all, it was only fifty meters to her uncle's house. However, she did not expect the road to be slippery on a rainy day. After just a few steps, she suddenly fell, and before she could get back up, her braid was caught.

Tong Xi stuffed a grape into her slightly parted lips and then said: "The Jin Hai Group is willing to cooperate with his small company also because he can manage the various interests in the town, can handle matters related to the Land and Resources Bureau, and even the local ruffians have to pay him respect. In short, he is very capable, not the petty thug that my uncle described."

In the blink of an eye, another year has passed. After the final exams, Tong Xi and the vice class monitor were called by the homeroom teacher to help grade papers. The summer weather changed abruptly; just moments ago, the sky was clear and sunny, but in an instant, it turned dark as ink. The homeroom teacher noticed that a heavy rain was imminent and quickly sent the two back. As they exited the school gate, the raindrops began to fall. The vice class monitor lived nearby, so he took Tong Xi to his home first and found an umbrella for her.

Uncle views people as overly rigid and traditional; in his eyes, being a little clever is merely being opportunistic. Only those who are honest, hardworking, and who swallow their pride when bullied are considered good people

Tong Xi turned her eyes and said with a smile, "Sister, don't you think he is particularly handsome?"

Nie Xiu suddenly stopped what he was doing, walked up to her, and stared at her like a homeroom teacher: "Do you still want to keep another person in your heart, secretly admiring and cherishing them?"

This statement is clearly directed at the person opposite. The few individuals left silently.

Shen Xiquan ignored those few people, lowered his head to look at Tong Xi, raised his hand to wrap around her shoulder, and patted her: "If anyone bullies you again, just tell me, and I will chop off their hand and throw it into the river to feed the fish"

Tong Chunxiao did not expect her to have such thoughts, and she tapped her on the head with a mix of laughter and tears: "At such a young age, what are you worrying about? Have you finished your homework? Is your essay done? I will check your vocabulary later."

Tong Xi said: "Brother Quan, this is not right. Be careful, or I will tell Mo Dan"

Tong Xixi smiled playfully and asked: "Sister, do you like him or not?"

He lifted his hand from her shoulder and lightly tapped her forehead, maintaining a serious expression as he said: "Do not be overly sentimental; a little girl like you does not catch my interest."

I desire a stable life. There are businessmen who become wealthy overnight, and there are also those who jump off buildings in despair overnight, which leaves me feeling insecure. I do not seek a partner who is immensely rich; I only hope that he can take care of the family in peace, without the extreme ups and downs that cause me anxiety. I have grown weary of that kind of life, where one day I am a little princess, and the next day debt collectors come knocking at the door.

Modan's argument is that one must observe dynamics; static beauty does not count as true beauty. For instance, take a certain young celebrity whose photos are extraordinarily beautiful, yet whose acting is utterly terrible. He then cites Brad Pitt as an example: "I initially thought he was not handsome at all from his photos, but after watching Mr. & Mrs. Smith and Troy, I was like, oh my goodness, he was so handsome that I couldn't close my legs."

Tong Xi: `` ... ... ''

Tong Chunxiao thought to herself, was she not the same back then? It was just that she was not as bold as her younger sister. When she saw someone she liked, she would keep her distance, not daring to steal a glance, let alone greet or chat with them. Perhaps it was because her sister had a mix of foreign blood and had grown up abroad, which made her personality much more open and daring than her own

Shen Xiquan spread his hands in a nonchalant manner and said, "It doesn't matter, Mo Dan likes Brad Pitt, and you see how little I resemble him."

Tong Xi glanced at her slender arms, contemplating whether it would be too late to enroll in a taekwondo class when she returned to T City. As she raised her arm, she suddenly realized that Shen Xiquan's hand was still resting on her shoulder, causing her to involuntarily shrink her shoulder slightly.

Tong Xi laughed heartily for a long time before finally stopping, and said with a serious expression: "I think he and my sister are a perfect match, just like Yang Xiao and Ji Xiaofu, Miss Feng and Huang Yaoshi, and the Golden Snake Young Master and Miss Wen"

Shen Xiquan goes to the construction site every day, leaving early and returning late. Although he lives just a wall apart, they do not meet often

Shen Xiquan took the umbrella from her hand, shook off the water, and asked, "What happened"

A few delinquents were indeed taken aback, and the person who was poked in the face by her was furious, gritting his teeth: "You little brat, you refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a penalty. Today, I will make sure to deal with you."

She carefully considered her words, not wanting to be too blunt. After exchanging a few pleasantries, she finally steered the conversation towards Shen Xiquan. "Uncle does not like Shen Xiquan, so you should talk to him less in the future; otherwise, Uncle might get upset."

Nie Xiu remained silent, lifted her chin, and lowered her head

Tong Xi's age made her somewhat understand yet not fully grasp the situation. Observing Tong Chunxiao's slightly heavy expression, she never brought up this topic again.