Chapter 268

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Protagonist:

Lin Xiyu

"Do you believe it?"

Female Cousin looked at her with great interest.

"I believe it!"

Zhang Juan answered even more decisively this time than last time.

Obviously Female Cousin having money was more convincing than whether she was pretty or not.

"Believing it is right."

Female Cousin was very pleased with herself, then changed the subject and said: "However, speaking of which, studying is still very necessary. After all, you're young now, and besides studying, you can't do anything else. Even if you want to go out and work, you have to wait until you're at least 18 years old."

"My brain is stupid, I always test badly......."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Juan's eyes dimmed again, looking very troubled.

"How bad?"

Female Cousin didn't take it seriously: "Tell Sister, I just don't believe there's anyone who studies worse than me."

Zhang Juan: "......."

It didn't seem to have comforted her.

——

"When I graduated elementary school, Chinese barely passed."

"Passing is not bad......"

Female Cousin didn't mind at all publicizing her glorious history: "I didn't even pass. My composition went off-topic, the teacher drew a big X on it, and I happily got a zero."

"Math only got 53 points."

Female Cousin: "That's a bit low. I got a bit more than you, 56 points."

"English 45."

Female Cousin: "We didn't have English in elementary school back then. In middle school I was at the bottom of the class. I don't remember the exact score, but it seemed like it never exceeded 30 points."

Zhang Juan: "......."

She originally thought Big Sister was trying to comfort her by saying this on purpose.

She didn't expect it was actually true.

——

"Just because of this, you lost confidence in yourself?"

Female Cousin saw her stunned by her own words, almost couldn't hold back a laugh.

"Is my brain not stupid?"

Zhang Juan didn't understand why Female Cousin could still laugh.

With grades this bad, shouldn't she be crying?

"There are many aspects to poor studying, it doesn't have much to do with intelligence."

Female Cousin used herself as an example: "Take myself for instance. I just loved to play, didn't put any energy into studying at all. During class I read comic books, drew in textbooks, secretly passed notes with classmates. If I had put in even a little effort, my grades wouldn't have been this bad."

Zhang Juan lowered her head and blinked, clearly agreeing with her viewpoint, just too embarrassed to say it out loud.

Female Cousin guided her patiently: "What's your situation? Tell me and let me hear."

"I fall asleep as soon as class starts."

Zhang Juan had thin skin, her voice as small as a mosquito's, almost inaudible.

"Why do you fall asleep?"

Female Cousin leaned forward hard, finally managing to hear it.

Zhang Juan stammered: "My eyes get blurry looking at the blackboard, can't see clearly."

"Nearsightedness?!"

Female Cousin realized, so the crux was here: "You never told your dad and mom?"

"I told them."

Zhang Juan lowered her head painfully: "They don't care. They think I'm stupid to begin with, wearing glasses won't make me smart. They don't want to spend money to get me glasses."

"That couple really......"

Female Cousin thought for a long time but couldn't think of a suitable adjective to describe her hatred.

At this moment, she admitted her knowledge was somewhat shallow.

She wanted to curse someone, but couldn't even curse smoothly.

——

The crux was found. Buying a few new clothes, getting a pair of glasses — for Female Cousin it was effortless.

As for tutoring homework, she admitted she didn't have that ability. After thinking it over, she still decided to send the person, clothes and glasses together, packaged off to the Old House.

When the two entered the house in the afternoon, the little babies were napping. Lin Xiyu happened to be free, talking with Guben in the Study. The couple were just chatting about Zhang Juan, and coincidentally the person arrived.

Zhang Juan at this moment had already changed greatly from when she was seen in the countryside last night.

A head of long hair like dry grass was cut into a crew cut. Her thin figure was hidden inside a black long down jacket, paired with a pair of knee-high boots, inexplicably looking somewhat handsome.

"Why did you cut her hair?"

Guben saw the little girl's hairstyle even shorter than his own, and raised an eyebrow in some surprise.

"Her hair quality is too poor, it's all split ends......"

Female Cousin's reasoning was very sufficient: "Cut it short and let it grow out for a while, wait until it grows long then tie it up."

"I actually think this look is quite good-looking."

Lin Xiyu smiled and praised: "A girl with short hair is also very handsome, looking even more spirited than a boy."

Zhang Juan's heartbeat skipped a beat.

It was still the first time she had heard someone praise her as good-looking.

Although the word handsome is usually used to describe boys.

As long as someone thinks it looks good, keeping short hair all along is also not impossible.

"I also think this image suits her quite well......"

Female Cousin boasted: "What do you mean my eye isn't good, I'm the best at dressing people up."

"You're getting a bit carried away......"

Lin Xiyu smiled and teased her: "Don't know who it was, from childhood acted like a little stinker, not a trace of womanly air."

"Put that way, Zhang Juan really does take after me quite a bit."

Female Cousin self-deprecatingly joked: "I was wondering why dressing her up went so smoothly, turns out it was modeled after my childhood image."

"Exactly, I think so too......"

Lin Xiyu smiled and agreed: "The moment she came in, my eyes blurred for a second, felt a bit familiar, you say that, look more carefully, it really is true, dressed up like this, she really resembles you as a child by several points."

"Zhang Juan, did you hear?"

Female Cousin proudly raised her brow: "Sister wasn't wrong, right? Sister used to be teased as a man-woman, no womanly air, now still glorious without limit, plenty of people pursuing."

"Where are your pursuers then?"

Lin Xiyu smiled and needled her: "Hurry up and say, so I can tell Maternal Grandmother, let her old person be happy too."

"Uh."

Female Cousin's smile stiffened, she laughed and scolded in bad humor: "You girl, why react so fast, can't even let your sister brag a few sentences."

"Hehe."

Guben listened and found it funny, letting out a pleased laughter from his throat.

Zhang Juan was also amused by the sisters' dialogue, wanted to laugh but didn't dare laugh, could only purse her lips, trying her best not to make a sound.

——

"Xiyu ah, don't blame me for giving you trouble....."

The sisters chatted for a while, touched on proper business, Female Cousin deliberately sent Zhang Juan away, said with some apology: "Tutoring homework this matter, I really can't handle it, just right you run a Training Class, let her audit a class at your place."

"Attending class is no problem."

Lin Xiyu readily agreed: "I'll have Mengmeng add another desk for her."

"Also......"

Female Cousin laughed awkwardly again and spoke: "Can you let her live at your place? I'm used to living alone, suddenly having an extra person I'm unaccustomed, besides I have no experience taking care of a child, at most I've raised a dog before, and the kind that got sick often......"

"You put it like that, how can I not agree?"

Lin Xiyu pretended to look at Guben with difficulty, said with a half-smile: "Who made you two so fond of heroic deeds, bringing the person out."

"Cough cough."

Guben couldn't fathom his beloved wife's intention, coughed twice, didn't dare make a peep.

"Hah!"

Female Cousin was quite speechless toward a certain henpecked husband, could only brace herself and explain: "At that time that kind of situation, really was just brain got hot, felt if I didn't bring the person out, would be sorry to my own conscience."

"I didn't blame you two."

Lin Xiyu saw a certain Bin's gaze wandering, not daring to meet her eyes, for a moment couldn't hold back, *pu-chi* laughed out.

"Wife also agrees we bring her back?"

Guben quietly let out a breath of relief.

"Letting her live at our home isn't impossible either."

Lin Xiyu had her own considerations: "I'm thinking, perhaps there's a better way to place her, more suitable than her living here."

"What way?"

"Where do you want her to live?"

Guben and Female Cousin looked at each other, both had a moment of stunned blankness.

"I'm thinking......"

Lin Xiyu pondered briefly, gave an unexpected answer: "Rather than letting her go to the Training Class to audit classes, understanding only half, better to directly find a teacher to teach her."

"That's the logic."

Guben nodded in agreement.

"Finding a teacher still needs to solve lodging ah?"

Female Cousin was a bit worried: "Not that I want to shirk responsibility, I'm used to living alone, an extra person really is very awkward."

"I didn't think to let her live at your home."

Lin Xiyu touched her chin, seriously pondering feasibility.

"Whose home do you want her to live at?"

Female Cousin is an impatient person, if she doesn't ask clearly, her heart and liver are scratched with anxiety.

"This matter I can't decide......"

Lin Xiyu smiled slyly, deliberately sold a cliffhanger: "I have to make a Phone Call first, ask clearly, then tell you two."

Female Cousin: "......."

——

Chen Xiulan doted on them across generations; ever since the four little treasures left the hospital, rain or shine, she made the trip to the Old House at least twice a week, remarkably diligent.

Receiving her daughter's phone call asking her to come home to discuss something, and thinking she would see the four little treasures, the resentment at being ordered around by her daughter vanished; before long she appeared at the Old House doorway riding her bicycle.

"Mom, you're here."

Hearing the bicycle bell, Guben enthusiastically welcomed his mother-in-law inside.

"What's Xiyu up to now?"

Chen Xiulan was no longer angry at heart, but her mouth remained unyielding: "Couldn't say it on the phone, had to make me run a trip."

"There's a special situation, can't explain clearly over the phone."

Guben grinned sheepishly, explaining for his wife.

"Are the babies awake?"

Chen Xiulan missed the little treasures; she locked her bicycle and headed toward the Bedroom.

"Auntie, you're here."

The Female Cousin heard the noise in the living room, lifted the Curtain, and greeted her.

"Leilei's here too?"

Chen Xiulan was pleasantly surprised: "You're a big shot, rarely seen."

"I heard Auntie was coming, so I specially waited here for you."

The Female Cousin had a silver tongue, deliberately coaxing her into happiness.

"Where's Xiyu?"

Chen Xiulan listened happily, temporarily abandoning her plan to visit the little treasures, turned the corner, and walked toward the living room.

"She's inside."

The Female Cousin made way and respectfully ushered her in.

"This child..."

Chen Xiulan started nagging again: "Won't come home herself, makes her mother run the errand."

"I just thought you coming over could conveniently let you see the babies too."

Lin Xiyu had a favor to ask and spoke especially sweetly: "The babies miss Grandma too; if they don't see her for a day they fuss and won't sleep properly."

"Is that so."

Those words hit Chen Xiulan right in the soft spot.

"Of course..."

Lin Xiyu continued buttering her up: "No wonder they say affection skips a generation; however you dote on the babies, that's how close they are to you — right now Grandma's status in their hearts, no one can compare; it makes me, their birth mother, jealous just watching."

"Hahaha."

Chen Xiulan found it utterly pleasing to the ear and laughed heartily.

"Auntie..."

The Female Cousin seized the chance to interject: "Do you know about last night, Grandma having me and Guben take Nana home to acknowledge kinship?"

"Acknowledge what kinship?"

Chen Xiulan froze, her smile stiffening on her face.

"It's like this..."

The Female Cousin had already grasped her Younger Sister's intent and recounted yesterday's events exactly as they happened.

"Oh my..."

Chen Xiulan's complexion changed drastically: "Such a big thing happened, why didn't anyone tell me?"

"It happened suddenly, there wasn't time."

Speaking on Grandma's behalf, the Female Cousin answered smoothly: "Guben and I returned when it was already the middle of the night; Grandma also didn't want you to be burdened along with us, so she didn't tell you, right?"

"Sigh."

Hearing this, Chen Xiulan indeed lost her temper.

"Auntie, we asked you here to ask a favor."

The Female Cousin continued persuading, laying out the talking points the sisters had pre-arranged, not missing a single word.

"You want me to teach that child?"

Hearing the truth, Chen Xiulan was genuinely a bit bewildered.

"The little girl is quite pitiful..."

Lin Xiyu played the family-affection card to the hilt: "Abused by her birth father, studies neglected; right now only you have the ability to tutor her."

"I still have to teach at the Training Class."

Chen Xiulan hesitated slightly: "Don't have that much time to teach her."

"I'll pay, Auntie teaches — how about that?"

The Female Cousin played the deep-pockets card: "Before Xiaoyi returns from vacation, let her stay at your place for a while; food, clothing, expenses, including tuition fees, all covered by me."

"Look at what you're saying..."

Chen Xiulan feigned displeasure: "Is Auntie someone who cares about money?"

"Two hundred a day."

The Female Cousin didn't mince words either, waving two fingers before her eyes.

"Two hundred..."

Chen Xiulan was a bit tempted, just about to decline symbolically once more, when she heard her niece add an extremely domineering line: "If Auntie thinks it's too little, three hundred works too."

"Not too little, it's settled then."

Chen Xiulan didn't wait for her to finish, slapped her thigh, and made the decision on the spot.

Who was just saying they didn't care about money?

The female cousin secretly chuckled, pretending to be very impressed as she gave a thumbs-up: "Maternal Aunt is straightforward, I'll leave the rest to you."

—

"Juanzi, once you're at Maternal Aunt's house, study hard."

Having settled Maternal Aunt, the female cousin came before Zhang Juan and said earnestly: "You saw it too—for you, I give Maternal Aunt nearly ten thousand yuan a month just to get her to tutor you."

"Before retiring, Maternal Aunt was the Academic Affairs Director at a school; her teaching ability is top-notch, there's no student she can't teach. My younger brother, under Maternal Aunt's guidance, skipped two grades in a row, and at your age—thirteen—he's already in high school."

"With Maternal Aunt tutoring you, just relax and study hard. One hundred percent, no, two hundred percent, you'll get into a good middle school."

"Later, high school, university—as long as you're willing to further your studies, Sister will treat it as charity and sponsor you until you finish all your schooling. Study hard, don't let Sister's efforts go to waste."

—

"Thank you, Sister."

Zhang Juan was moved to tears, nearly kneeling and kowtowing to her on the spot.

"Juanzi, come here."

Lin Xiyu waved her over, pulled her close, and carefully instructed: "My mom is good at Chinese and math, but not English. You should go to the Training Class; if you can't keep up, you can come to my house and ask me."