Chapter 238: Nineties: The Spring Water Family Chapter 238: From Mockery to Acclaim, All in the Knock and Beat of the Clappers

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Protagonist:

Lin Xiyu

"Accept a disciple?"

Da Yifu was stunned when he heard she wanted him to teach a disciple, mistakenly thinking his niece was joking with him.

Although he often boasted about having performed on the same stage as Jiang Kun, in reality his fame was a far cry from the other's.

Having him perform on stage was fine, but accepting a disciple was something he had never considered.

"Da Yifu, I'm not fooling you, I'm serious......."

Lin Xiyu didn't hide anything, and detailed his actual situation to him right in front of Wang Bo.

"So that's how it is."

After hearing the full story, Da Yifu readily agreed: "Alright then, bring him over. Da Yifu can't do much else, but teaching a child is still doable....."

"Great, I'll bring him over right away......"

Getting a definite reply, Lin Xiyu quietly let out a breath of relief, happily hung up the phone.

——

"Da Yifu agreed, let's go now."

"Go right now?"

Guben raised his wrist to check the time: "It's almost 5 o'clock, going over at this hour would disturb Aunt Da and her family's dinner."

"No problem."

Lin Xiyu knew what she was doing: "I'm just taking him to meet Da Yifu, won't take much time. As for subsequent arrangements, let them discuss it themselves."

"Then go and come back quickly."

Guben didn't stop her further, saying very considerately: "I've made dinner and I'll wait for you, so don't go mooching a meal at Aunt Da's."

"Okay."

Lin Xiyu felt warm inside, smiling as she agreed.

——

Wang Meng and his wife were a bit bewildered when they first heard about letting their son learn Shandong Kuaishu, not knowing what this Teacher Lin, rumored to be quite experienced, was up to.

Lin Xiyu had to explain her teaching philosophy again before the two made up their minds to take a gamble for their son's future.

Facts proved they bet right.

Lin Xiyu's approach wasn't a desperate all-or-nothing gamble, but truly pointed a clear path for their son.

The moment the bamboo clappers in Da Yifu's hands sounded, Wang Bo's eyes lit up with a brilliance never seen before.

Da Yifu's authentic Shandong dialect, entering his ears, was like the sound of heaven.

The young boy had never imagined that the Shandong dialect his classmates mocked as hickish could sound so pleasant when performing Kuaishu.

Every sound entered the ear, every thread entered the heart!

——

"Wang Bo, want to learn?"

After finishing a segment, Da Yifu put away the bamboo clappers, looking at him with great interest.

"Yes!"

Wang Bo answered without a second thought, carrying a trace of barely perceptible unease, fearing Da Yifu wouldn't agree.

"Hahaha."

Da Yifu was very happy, laughing loudly: "Never thought Liu Baolin would have a day of accepting a disciple."

"Since you want to learn, properly follow Da Yifu and practice your oral skills."

Lin Xiyu was very gratified: "Once you've mastered it, come back and learn English from Teacher."

"Mm-hmm."

Wang Bo was very excited, nodding vigorously.

At this moment Lin Xiyu also didn't expect that an unintentional act of hers would achieve the young boy's transformation.

Not long after, at the school's 30th anniversary cultural performance, Wang Bo stunned the whole audience with his talent for performing Shandong Kuaishu, winning unanimous praise from all teachers and students.

The young boy's status in the class also underwent an earth-shattering change because of this, from being mocked to being sought after, all in the span of the bamboo clappers' every knock and beat.

——

Wang Bo's remarkable change was not only seen with joy by Wang Meng and his wife, but also reached many people's ears; even Wu Meng was moved to use the famous teacher as a gimmick to attract more people to the training class.

"You want me to give them one-on-one tutoring?"

Hearing Wu Meng's proposal, Lin Xiyu kept shaking her head: "No, no, I'm still too busy with Grandma Hu's matter, and have to teach at the Youth Palace, I really have no time to stay in the training class and teach students regularly."

"It's too much of a waste not to teach.

Wu Meng urged persistently: "Already many parents have come to inquire, all because of you. They offer high prices, 200 per hour, teach two hours every afternoon, that's 400 yuan a day."

"It's not a matter of money or not, it's that I really have no time."

Lin Xiyu rubbed her brow with a bit of a headache: "Grandma Hu wants to imitate Along the River During the Qingming Festival, integrating Jinan's Three Great Attractions, Seventy-Two Famous Springs, and historical figures into one large handscroll. This sounds easy but is hard to do; just designing the draft will consume enormous energy, not something that can be completed in a year or two. I really have no spare time to do other things."

"Use paper-cutting to cut out an Along the River During the Qingming Festival?"

Wu Meng was greatly surprised: "This thing's difficulty is too high, right? Why do you have to go to such trouble? Can't you cut something a bit simpler?"

"Applying for Intangible Cultural Heritage status is nowhere near that simple, right?"

Lin Xiyu smiled and countered: "You think ICH is Chinese cabbage, that any Tom, Dick, or Harry can apply? Paper-cutting isn't only in our Jinan, other cities have it too. We not only want to apply for City-level Intangible Cultural Heritage, but also Provincial-level Intangible Cultural Heritage, even national level. Without representativeness, without ingenious design, without local characteristics, unable to highlight Quancheng's unique historical culture, what would we use to compete with others......"

"Hey hey, I understand everything you're saying......"

Wu Meng gave an awkward laugh: "It's just a bit of a pity for you, putting all your energy into unpaid volunteer work. Good thing you married a good husband, so you don't have to worry about making ends meet. Otherwise, doing charity all day without earning money — in anyone else's family, you'd be starving."

"On this point, I really am grateful to Guben....."

Lin Xiyu sighed sincerely: "Just like you said, without his support, I could never have made applying for Intangible Cultural Heritage status my life goal. Paper-cutting would only be a hobby to me — occasionally cutting a couple pieces when I thought of it, to amuse Hu Nainai, and to keep myself from being too bored......"

"Alright then, you do whatever you want."

Wu Meng smiled helplessly, giving up on further persuasion: "Having a goal of your own is pretty good too. In this life, one should do something meaningful. Who knows, maybe when I've made big money, I'll go do charity too."

"Build a few dozen or a hundred Hope Primary Schools in impoverished mountain areas. When I'm old, I can brag to my grandkids about how glorious their grandma's life was, how much she contributed to society. Let them carve those great achievements onto my tombstone, so descendants will all remember......"

——

"Hehe."

Lin Xiyu found it funny, laughing as she teased: "You really think far ahead — you've even thought up the epitaph. I just want to ask one thing? Wu Grandma, are you pregnant with a girl? Where does this 'Grandma' title come from?"

"Hey hey."

Wu Meng was embarrassed, gave two awkward laughs, feigned annoyance: "I was just saying it casually, and you listened that carefully. You refuse to teach classes, but you're quite energetic when it comes to picking at me......"

"Teaching classes really won't work, just let me off."

Lin Xiyu justified herself: "My mind is full of paper-cutting right now. Wang Bo only tutors him occasionally when he has time, and hasn't taken a penny from him."

"You didn't ask him for money?"

Wu Meng was stunned again, clicked her tongue twice, quite moved: "This kid really has good luck, running into a sucker like you, letting him bask in the glory, doing charity."

"This child's heart isn't bad, he knows gratitude....."

Lin Xiyu felt the need to speak up for him: "His parents are also quite diligent, bringing things over all the time — meat, eggs, vegetables, buying everything. Since Mid-Autumn Festival is coming up, a few days ago they sent over quite a few mooncakes too. You weren't coming to see me, but I was just thinking of telling you — don't buy mooncakes for the holiday, take some from me. Otherwise with just our family, we can't eat them all and they'll go bad."

"Deal."

Wu Meng didn't stand on ceremony, eyes smiling: "Pregnant and craving sweets, I'll pick a few pieces to taste first."

"Do you have plans to go back to your in-laws for the holiday?"

Lin Xiyu brought out a few mooncake gift boxes from the inner room while chatting and laughing, placed them on the tea table.

"Going back, why wouldn't I go back?"

Wu Meng spoke with righteous confidence: "I'm the Li family's legitimate daughter-in-law. Before divorce, this position is mine. Not going back — would that be making room for another woman?"

"Why are you bringing up divorce again?"

Lin Xiyu's hand opening the box lid paused: "Who provoked you this time?"

"Who else could it be....."

Wu Meng pouted disdainfully: "That mother-in-law of mine who favors sons over daughters."

"She still hasn't settled down?"

Lin Xiyu raised her brows slightly surprised.

"She finds us mother and daughter an eyesore — it'd be strange if she settled down."

Wu Meng hmphed indignantly from her nose: "But my mindset now is different from before. As long as Liangzi's heart is with me, no matter how sarcastic she is, I don't take it to heart. As long as I can earn money myself, my backbone is straight, I just treat her like a fart — let it go and be done with it."

"Hehe."

Lin Xiyu laughed in agreement: "Though this talk is a bit crude, the parable is quite apt."

"Right now I'm just hoping the house can be finished soon, so I don't have to stay aggrieved at my natal home......"

Wu Meng giggled, eyes full of anticipation: "Once renovation's done, Liangzi can move out from home too, no longer affected by his mom."

"With your situation, you shouldn't buy a pre-sale property. Buying a second-hand house directly would be much better."

Lin Xiyu picked a red bean paste mooncake to her taste and handed it to her.

"Buying a second-hand house doesn't get a discount. We were thinking, with Wang Fan's connection, we could buy cheaper, save a bit more money."

Wu Meng smiled embarrassedly, reached out to take the mooncake while carefully lifting her eyelid to glance at her.

"How much discount did he give you?"

Lin Xiyu pretended not to see her little move, picked another mooncake to her liking for herself.

"Cash discount of 150,000, plus a basement gifted."

Wu Meng didn't hide it: "123 square meters, total price 350,000, equivalent to a half-price deal."

"Not bad."

Lin Xiyu speared the mooncake with a fork, said with a half-smile: "This kid disregards friendship to bleed Xingyao dry, but toward you two he's quite sincere. This differential treatment, he plays it quite smoothly."

"Hey hey, Xiyu......"

Wu Meng hurriedly distanced herself: "He and Li Liang are close, the discount is for his face, nothing to do with me."

"I know it's not your business......"

Lin Xiyu stabbed the mooncake a few more times forcefully, still angry: "I'm just mad. This kid is getting more and more arrogant, actually daring to openly threaten us — disagree and he'll dump the stocks."

"Hey hey."

Wu Meng's little eyes trembled, she didn't dare respond.

"Hmph, this guy. The few hundred million he pulled from Xingyao is probably because funds were tight, letting him take it to plug the hole. If this keeps up, sooner or later it'll blow up, and he'll have his suffering to eat......"

Lin Xiyu ignored her, just sulked on her own.

At this very moment, she could never have imagined that a certain someone's retribution would come this fast. Less than three months after pulling funds from Xingyao, Dingsheng Industry faced a credit crisis, capital chain snapped, construction sites everywhere halted work one after another.

New Year's Eve, another winter day with warm sun, wind gentle and sun beautiful afternoon. The two best friends still chatting and laughing in the same living room. An urgent phone ring sounded. Bad news from Shanghai broke the peaceful life. In the days that followed, it stirred up no small waves.

——

"Brother Bin, bad news. Dingsheng blew up, capital chain broke. Our new office building Xingyao Building also stopped construction. Quick, think of something. If it really becomes a stalled project, the 300 million spent will go down the drain."

Guben was accompanying the two best friends talking. Seeing it was a call from Xingyao Shanghai Headquarters, he didn't deliberately avoid Lin Xiyu, put the phone on speaker, so the two best friends both clearly heard Li Hao's anxious loud voice.

"Bang."

Wu Meng trembled in shock, and the teacup in her hand fell to the floor.

"Mengmeng, are you all right?"

Lin Xiyu saw her flustered expression; even though scalding hot tea had splashed onto her foot, she felt nothing, and a measure of worry welled up unbidden.

"The Ding Sheng thunderstorm, Xingyao Building construction halted......"

Wu Meng wore a grief-stricken face, anxious and afraid: "The off-plan apartment Liangzi and I bought won't end up unfinished too, will it?"

"You don't......"

Lin Xiyu tried to comfort her, but before she could speak, she saw that, from excessive agitation, the woman's round, plump belly contracted violently.

"Ow ow, no, my stomach hurts so much, it seems I'm about to give birth......"

The living room was in an uproar; Lin Xiyu and Guben, husband and wife, had no time to ask for details and hurriedly sent her to the hospital.

—

On December 30, 2004, as the new year was about to begin, Wu Meng, amid the eager anticipation of relatives and friends, successfully gave birth to a daughter.

The Obstetrics and Gynecology Ward was filled with joy; the family gathered around the newborn baby, laughing so hard they could not close their mouths.

The only regret was that Li Liang's mother was not part of the family.

His mother had also come to the hospital before the delivery; seeing that the nurse carried out was indeed a girl, her expression changed on the spot, she did not deign to say even polite words, and left without looking back.

Wu Meng's mother gritted her teeth in anger; were it not for the presence of outsiders, she would have rushed over on the spot and put on a full-scale brawl.

"That person is Wu Meng's mother-in-law......"

Lin Xiyu was also seeing Li Liang's mother for the first time; seeing that she was indeed as rumored, favoring males over females, she found it quite unbelievable: "No matter what, she is her own granddaughter; she won't even bother with superficial courtesy, so blatantly disliking her—no wonder Wu Meng's mother is angry, she feels like tearing her heart out."

"Li Liang looks like his mother."

Guben analyzed from another angle: "A hooked nose and thin lips; this physiognomy on a man's face is especially resolute, but for a woman it seems somewhat mean."

"She's not just ordinarily mean......"

Lin Xiyu felt sorry for Wu Meng and was very dissatisfied with her mother-in-law: "She's too mean; having such a mother-in-law, Mengmeng has truly been wronged."