Chapter 95: Principles Have Their Exceptions Too

Shao Ziyang hurriedly scrambled up to stop Yang Tianxing: "Little Yang, I was just joking."

If Yang Tianxing really tore up the tickets, his own mother might even call the police to report a missing person.

Yang Tianxing looked at Shao Ziyang: "Do you know what to say after we go back?"

"I know, I know."

Shao Ziyang nodded immediately and even took the initiative to say: "Let's think about where there are still loopholes; Little Zhiliao is very smart, there are some things she just doesn't want to expose."

Yang Tianxing thought to himself, could I not know whether Little Zhiliao is smart or not? If everyone were like Liu Jiaoyue, I wouldn't be this tired.

The next morning, Yang Tianxing was woken up by the sound of a dog barking outside the door; he lazily opened his eyes, originally wanting to laze in bed for a while longer.

Unexpectedly, with a "creak," the door was pushed open, and a small head poked in from outside; it was actually Little Aning.

"Has someone come to the courtyard?"

Yang Tianxing asked.

Little Aning shook her head.

"Then why is it so noisy?"

"The dog is chasing the cat."

Little Aning answered honestly.

Yang Tianxing couldn't help but smile; are the children in this place all this simple-minded?

He sat up and woke Shao Ziyang while getting dressed, but when Yang Tianxing put on his shoes and got out of bed, Little Aning ran out again in a flash.

She was both curious about Yang Tianxing and a bit shy around strangers.

Curiosity meant she wanted to get close, and shyness meant she was a bit afraid, so that was how she expressed it.

Yang Tianxing walked out the door and saw Liu Jiaoyue cooking breakfast; her gentle goose-egg face was flushed red by the glow of the stove fire, her naturally wavy hair was tied into a bundle, and her peach-blossom eyes were watery from the smoke, coughing softly from time to time while covering her mouth.

It was just that she was wearing a puffy, bloated thick cotton-padded jacket, which immediately ruined the impression.

This cotton-padded jacket looked like it was handmade; not only did Liu Jiaoyue wear it, but Aning also wore this kind, so it must be very warm.

"You're up?"

Liu Jiaoyue greeted him shyly; she felt especially strange now that Yang Tianxing had actually appeared in her own small courtyard.

Yang Tianxing walked over and said: "No need to make too much, we'll leave after we finish eating."

Liu Jiaoyue was stunned for a moment.

"It's almost the New Year, the roads are too crowded and uncomfortable; I'll come pick you up after the winter break ends," Yang Tianxing explained.

"No, no need..."

Liu Jiaoyue didn't want Yang Tianxing to go through such trouble, but Yang Tianxing waved his hand to interrupt: "I already bought the tickets; are you willing to let them go to waste?"

"Oh, oh, oh, then I'll wait for you at home."

Liu Jiaoyue, fearing she would be scolded again, lowered her head and packed up the breakfast she had made.

While the two were talking, Liu Jiaoyue's grandmother-in-law was sitting in the small courtyard; there wasn't much sun in Sichuan and Chongqing to begin with, so it was likely the old lady couldn't get much sunlight.

But she just sat there quietly, with Aning leaning on her lap.

Yang Tianxing called the dawdling Shao Ziyang out to eat; he saw only two bowls on the table and asked quite strangely: "Why aren't the grandmother, Liu Jiaoyue, and the little girl coming over to eat together?"

"They won't eat until we finish; stop talking nonsense and start eating."

Yang Tianxing didn't want to nag about this matter.

Liu Jiaoyue had pan-fried two egg pancakes; Aning rarely got to eat this kind of thing, and Shao Ziyang took a look to see the little girl staring longingly at the egg pancakes, her mouth smacking from time to time, probably swallowing her saliva.

Shao Ziyang couldn't hold back anymore after seeing this, and took out the remaining 190 yuan and 6 jiao from his wallet: "Grandmother, I didn't have time to buy a gift the first time I came, I only have this much money on me, but I will definitely come again! When I do, when I do, I'll buy you some Naobaijin!"

Yang Tianxing smiled; Shao Ziyang had little social experience and in the end could only squeeze out a familiar advertising slogan.

Liu Jiaoyue's grandmother naturally didn't want it, but Shao Ziyang was very insistent, and the money he took out would not be put back into his pocket no matter what; he didn't know how to persuade her, so he just held the money in the air, refusing to take it back.

Yang Tianxing finished his meal in a few bites, walked over, and patted Shao Ziyang on the shoulder: "Give the money to me."

"You must make Grandmother accept it!"

Shao Ziyang was a bit emotional, with tears welling up in his eyes; this was the reason why Yang Tianxing, a big hoodlum, was willing to be friends with an honest person like Shao Ziyang—his pure heart.

Yang Tianxing took the 190 yuan and 6 jiao from Shao Ziyang's hand, then took a stack of money from his own wallet and stuffed all the money into the little girl's left pocket: "Do you want Grandmother to eat meat every day from now on?"

Little Aning nodded.

"Then do you want Big Sister to buy pretty clothes later?"

Little Aning continued to nod.

"Does Aning herself want to buy stationery and textbooks?"

Aning nodded again.

Yang Tianxing revealed a rare gentleness as he touched the little girl's head: "Then Aning, you must keep this money safe for Grandmother and Big Sister, okay?"

Aning looked back at Grandmother, then at Big Sister; Liu Jiaoyue just wanted to speak, but was glared at by Yang Tianxing, and she lowered her head in grievance, not daring to speak.

Liu Jiaoyue's grandmother was silent for a long time, looking at the unruly Yang Tianxing, then at the well-behaved Liu Jiaoyue standing to the side, and finally nodded.

"Thank you, Big Brother, I can buy a schoolbag now!"

Aning was the happiest; it was her first time seeing so much money.

Shao Ziyang, who was eating nearby, saw this scene and felt a pang in his heart, suddenly bursting into tears.

Yang Tianxing slapped him: "Don't be sentimental, this is a good thing; why the hell are you crying?"

The two finished breakfast, packed their things, and prepared to leave; the old lady packed a sack of chili peppers for Yang Tianxing and the others to take home.

Shao Ziyang quietly said to Yang Tianxing: "They are already having such a hard time, shouldn't we not take these things?"

"Not take them?"

Yang Tianxing glanced at Shao Ziyang: "If we don't take them, they will feel even more uncomfortable, and besides, your mother and my mother both know we came to Sichuan and Chongqing; it won't look good if we don't bring back some local specialties."

Yang Tianxing comforted him.

Shao Ziyang nodded: "Looks heavy, this big bag."

Yang Tianxing spread his hands, looking indifferent: "It's fine, let it be heavy, it's not like I'm the one carrying it anyway."

Shao Ziyang spat: "Son of a bitch, only knows how to order me around."

…………

After Yang Tianxing and Shao Ziyang went out the door, Liu Jiaoyue held A-Ning's hand and followed them all the way to see them off.

Yang Tianxing saw that things couldn't go on like this, so he turned back and said with a stern face: "If you want to follow me back to Jinzhou, then hurry up and pack your clothes."

"I, I, I can't bear to..."

Liu Jiaoyue looked up, her eyes already brimming with tears; she was never one to lie, and at a time like this, she didn't even know how to hide it.

Yang Tianxing helped Liu Jiaoyue wipe away her tears, then pinched her cheek: "I know, I can't bear to either, I can't bear to leave any of you."

However, after saying that, he picked up a tree branch and drew a horizontal line on the ground: "You are not allowed to cross this line, understand?"

Liu Jiaoyue nodded obediently.

Then Yang Tianxing crouched down and patted little A-Ning on the head.

Yang Tianxing waved and left again; Liu Jiaoyue truly did not step over that horizontal line, just blankly watching Yang Tianxing walk away.

A-Ning, standing to the side, felt her pocket become heavy after Yang Tianxing had just patted her head; she put her right hand into her small pocket and was surprised to find another stack of banknotes.

"Big Sister..."

A-Ning handed the money to Liu Jiaoyue.

"Didn't we give all the money to Grandma?"

Liu Jiaoyue counted it; it was exactly 800 yuan, no more, no less. She suddenly realized, but she could no longer see the figures of Yang Tianxing and Shao Ziyang.

For Yang Tianxing, his parents were naturally the most important; no one could exceed that standard, this was his principle. However, giving two portions under this principle didn't count as violating it, right?

If one doesn't know how to be flexible, how can one be a scumbag?