Chapter 281: What Are You Feeling Guilty About?

The temple fair tradition in this Four-Nine City has a long history, dating back to festivals held since the previous dynasty.

Even after liberation, the temple fairs in Four-Nine City continued to be held; Li Li Xuewu remembered how vibrant and bustling the fairs were during his childhood.

The Longfu Temple Fair, the Huguo Temple Fair, the Baita Temple Fair, the Tudimiao Temple Fair, and the Huashi Huoshen Temple Fair—these were the most historic temple fairs in Four-Nine City.

There were also quite a few other temple fairs, large and small.

However, starting from when Li Li Xuewu was eight or nine years old, many temple fairs gradually ceased operations; even the Changdian Temple Fair, which held out the longest, was interrupted for three years during a certain period.

The year before last, which was the second year after Li Li Xuewu enlisted, the relevant departments reopened the Changdian Temple Fair, causing a sensation throughout the city; straw sheds and cloth tents stood in dense rows, while merchant stalls and vendors crowded shoulder to shoulder.

The temple fair that Li Li Xuewu was taking his sister to today was the only one remaining in Four-Nine City at that time.

Actually, Li Li Xuewu had already planned everything out for today: he intended to buy things with his sister at Wang Fu and then head straight to Liulichang.

This would have been a direct route, but Ding Ayi spotted them, brought them back home, and thus they ended up making an extra trip.

Why say this?

Because the Gu family lived near Andingmen, which was even further north than Li Li Xuewu's home, out by the North Second Ring Road.

And where was Wang Fu? That was almost over at East Chang'an Avenue.

If one walked southwest along Da Qianmen Street, that led to the temple fair Li Li Xuewu and his sister were heading to.

Now, it amounted to traveling the distance from home to Wang Fu all over again.

After more than 400 years of historical development, the Changdian Temple Fair had gained fame throughout Jingcheng for its unique charm of promoting both culture and commerce, blending the refined with the popular, and integrating business with entertainment.

Held annually from the first to the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, the Changdian Temple Fair used Liulichang as its central axis, stretching from Hepingmen intersection in the north to Hufangqiao intersection in the south, west to Nanliu and Beiliu Alleys, and east to Yanshou Temple Street.

Its core was Haiwang Village Park located on Nanxinhua Street, which later became the China Bookstore.

The entire area of the temple fair would be closed off, prohibiting the passage of motor vehicles.

The roadsides were filled with various small stalls and all kinds of food.

At the temple fair, one could see land boats racing, banner performances, and tea being brewed from large copper kettles into small bowls—these were sights rarely seen in ordinary times.

Therefore, for old Beijing residents, regardless of wealth or poverty, the New Year was not considered complete without visiting the temple fair during the Spring Festival.

As mentioned earlier, the official start time for the temple fair was from the first to the fifteenth day of the first lunar month.

Today was still before the New Year, with two days remaining until the Little New Year; how could there possibly be a temple fair?

There was.

Because common people had the custom of purchasing New Year goods for the upcoming festival, stalls began setting up even before the Little New Year, although the number of vendors and visitors was not yet large.

Currently, stall operations at the temple fair were under the collective supply and marketing system; stalls were organized collectively, and individual vending was not permitted.

Of course, artisans holding business licenses issued by the Handicraft Department and the Industry and Commerce Bureau were allowed to set up stalls.

For instance, shoe repairers, key cutters, and basket weavers—since these handicrafts could not form a collective operation model, operating permissions were opened up to individual artisans.

Therefore, one should not make sweeping judgments about a certain industry or condition based on policy requirements from specific time periods.

The market changes, people change, and thus policies change as well; one must pierce through the mist of history to view the scenery of a specific time.

Just as now, Li Li Xuewu drove Li Xue directly to Liulichang and found a place to park the car.

Since there were items in the car, Li Li Xuewu chose a parking spot that cost three cents more than the bicycle parking fee.

As soon as they got out of the car, Li Xue saw two foreigners holding cameras and taking photographs.

"Second Brother,"

Li Xue looked nervously at Li Li Xuewu; although she had seen foreigners before, it was rare to see them wandering around with cameras.

Li Li Xuewu walked around the rear of the car to Li Xue's side, allowing his sister to take his arm.

Seeing Li Li Xuewu wearing a leather jacket, a cotton hat, and sunglasses, with leather shoes on his feet, which stood out against the surrounding grays, blacks, and blues, the foreign man and woman shifted their lenses toward him.

Li Li Xuewu was about to lead his sister inside when he noticed Li Xue's earlier warning that these two people wanted to photograph him, so he raised his hand to block the direction of the lens.

"Excuse me, would you like me to take a picture of you?"

Seeing the blond man speaking English to Li Li Xuewu and requesting a photo, the three young men in Zhongshan suits following behind the foreign pair stepped forward.

One of them, a female comrade wearing glasses with short hair cut even with her ears, moved forward to translate for Li Li Xuewu.

But unexpectedly, Li Li Xuewu, with a serious expression, waved the hand he had previously raised to block the lens, signaling the group not to approach, and politely declined the blond man's request.

"Sorry, I don't like to be taken into the camera."

Seeing Li Li Xuewu reply to the blond man in fluent English, not only was the blond man slightly surprised, but even the female comrade who had stepped forward to translate was momentarily stunned.

In the country, few people could speak such fluent English; usually, they were either working in foreign affairs departments, had received education in this area at home, or were engaged in teaching, yet Li Li Xuewu appeared somewhat young.

Judging by Li Li Xuewu's attire and the car he drove, these three individuals guessed that Li Li Xuewu might be a person of status and background, or perhaps the descendant of such figures.

"Why? Just take a picture."

The blond man frowned slightly and spread his hands, expressing his confusion to Li Li Xuewu.

Since he saw that Li Li Xuewu could communicate with him, he no longer spoke to the staff members beside him.

"Personal privacy."

Wearing sunglasses and sporting an expression that warned strangers to keep their distance, Li Li Xuewu replied with the words "personal privacy."

This left the blond man somewhat embarrassed; even the three young men in Zhongshan suits who had come with them could sense the blond man's discomfort.

"Comrade,"

It was the young woman with short hair cut even with her ears who spoke up, saying, "They are news scholars who have come to our place for a visit, so they need to collect some material; you see..."

Li Li Xuewu shook his head at the young woman and said, "We have brilliant and diverse traditional culture, rich and colorful street life, and outstanding model representatives; please ask them to photograph these instead. I am just an ordinary citizen and do not need to be photographed."

"This..."

Nowadays, taking a small passport-sized photo cost several mao; photography was a fashionable activity, so could there really be someone who did not want their picture taken?

Seeing the young woman in a dilemma, and noticing that the person wanting the photo was about to leave, the blond woman, who had remained silent until now, suddenly asked Li Li Xuewu, "May I ask you a question?"

Li Li Xuewu was preparing to leave with Li Xue, but upon being asked by the blond woman, he stopped in his tracks.

He neither said yes nor no; he simply looked at that woman.

The meaning was clear: I'd answer if I wanted to, and not if I didn't.

"Judging by your distinguished attire, you must hold high status in your country; the vehicle you drive is a Willys Jeep—do you have a particular fondness for American cars?"

This blonde woman could also speak Chinese, a rarity even compared to encountering Chinese speakers back home; she had likely worked or studied within the country.

"No."

Li Li Xuewu shook his head and said, "First, my attire here is nothing novel; it's rather unconventional. The most beautiful clothing belongs to these three ladies beside you; you might wish to understand the culture they represent, so I won't elaborate."

"Second, we do not emphasize status here; we speak of comrades. Those who rule as masters of the house are not the wealthy, but the people who walk these streets with peace of mind; I too am one of the people."

Li Li Xuewu addressed the woman, whose expression had already begun to change, saying, "Third, the vehicle I use for work is our domestically produced Model 212 Jeep; I am very fond of that one, but it is a work vehicle."

Under the astonished gazes of the group, Li Li Xuewu helplessly stated, "In my personal life, I can only drive an old antique captured from the Americans by my elders."

Even seeing the blonde woman's face turn ugly, Li Li Xuewu still said, "It cannot be helped; we advocate diligence and thrift. Captured goods are still goods; consider it making use of waste."

Having finished speaking, he paid no heed to their reactions and, taking his sister Li Xue by the hand, walked into the inner street.

Upon entering the inner street, the festive atmosphere became apparent; stalls had already been set up along both sides of the road.

Sellers of couplets, sellers of New Year paintings, sellers of firecrackers, buyers of wall calendars, sellers of lanterns, buyers of diablos, sellers of pinwheels... it was a dazzling spectacle.

Since today was Sunday, many people were off work; furthermore, as it was the last Sunday before the New Year, everyone had come today to purchase New Year goods.

The items displayed on the stalls were all related to the New Year celebrations.

The most representative item of this era was the candied hawthorn.

Hey, the candied hawthorns of this time were unlike those commonly seen in later generations; they were truly long.

Just how long could they be?

Haha, a child could wrap a candied hawthorn around their waist two and a half times.

That is just how long they were.

Younger children, upon buying a skewer, would hold it aloft only for it to wobble.

Wobbling or not, they held it up, looking as if drunk, walking along while beaming with joy.

This signified that one was impressive indeed, capable of affording candied hawthorns.

Having walked this far, Li Xue looked back behind her, then summoned the courage to ask, "Second Brother, what did you say to them just now?"

Because the street was noisy, Li Li Xuewu pulled his sister closer and said, "I told them not to take photos, and by the way, blew some hot air, hahahaha."

"Hehehehe."

Li Xue felt that going out with her Second Brother was truly interesting; she could see people and things unavailable at school or at home.

"Second Brother, your skin is truly thick."

"Mm-hmm-hmm."

Li Li Xuewu nodded and said, "So don't learn from me; and later, don't ask me for things."

"I won't!"

"Hahaha."

Li Xue felt that the longest road in this world was the path of her Second Brother's schemes.

"Second Brother, how do you know how to speak foreign languages?"

After laughing for a while, Li Xue suddenly remembered the gibberish bird-language her Second Brother had spoken earlier.

This was the only merit Li Li Xuewu from his previous life could truly boast of: his talent for languages.

When Li Li Xuewu was in school, he studied English; he could memorize vocabulary after seeing it just three times, and for unfamiliar words, he could deduce their pronunciation and approximate meaning simply by examining their structure.

Whether he had mastered some method or possessed innate talent, Li Li Xuewu's foundation in English was excellent.

Additionally, having been publicly dispatched to work for a year in a certain region of Africa, his English listening, reading, and writing skills became superb; incidentally, he also learned French there to about eighty or ninety percent proficiency.

This might sound mysterious, but for some people, learning languages is simply easy.

An older brother in Li Li Xuewu's dormitory, distressed by the lack of subtitles when watching films—and finding existing translations lacking—found a book and taught himself.

Hey, as they say, interest is the best teacher; with effort plus talent, this older brother truly mastered Japanese.

Whenever the dormitory collectively "critiqued" Japanese action films, it was this older brother's time to perform.

That translation was truly vivid and expressive, conveying the spirit with such depth that it was a hundred times more evocative than the dubbing of official localized films.

Not to mention those girls who learned Korean fluently by watching Korean dramas.

"Oh, our reading room has Chinese-English parallel documents; if you read them slowly, you'll pick it up."

Li Xue curled her lips and said, "Pure lies; can't your mouth utter a single truthful word, Second Brother?"

"Hahahaha."

After laughing for a while, Li Li Xuewu took his sister to a stall selling New Year paintings.

For the common people of the Four-Nine City, New Year paintings were an indispensable festive element of the celebration.

Where was this place? This was Liulichang; this was a gathering place for cultured individuals.

On both sides of the street, the most numerous establishments were stationery stores and shops selling antiques, calligraphy, and paintings.

Therefore, these New Year paintings each possessed distinct styles and unique merits.

Do not doubt whether there are masterpieces on these makeshift stalls constructed from broken door panels; hey, if you stroll the streets now, you might encounter a grand master whose paintings will be worth over a hundred million in later generations, and their works can also be found in shops and stalls.

What Li Li Xuewu was currently viewing was a painting of Ai Yue Fei.

On the New Year painting, Ai Yue Fei rode upon a horse, with Zhang Bao before the horse and Wang Heng behind the horse, each holding weapons, guarding Ai Yue Fei front and rear.

The New Year painting belonged to the gongbi style; the figures were lifelike, the postures majestic, and the colors vibrant.

Lao Lao Biaozi had loved this sort of thing since childhood; previously, when strolling together, they would only look, satisfying their visual craving.

Since everyone had agreed this year to celebrate the New Year in the backward-facing rooms, Li Li Xuewu thought to purchase New Year paintings for those rooms as well.

"How much is this?"

The old man behind the stall raised a single finger.

Damn!

You're giving me this routine too?

Li Li Xuewu felt this gesture was very familiar; could it be that Director Wu had put on makeup and come to settle an old score?

"One cent, ah? Alright then, give it all to me; I'll take the whole lot."

"Hahahaha!"

Li Li Xuewu's words made the surrounding crowd burst into laughter; seeing Li Li Xuewu's attire, they had thought him a person of status, only to discover he was also a rascal.

"Buddy, it's the New Year and you're teasing me, right? One cent wouldn't even cover the cost of materials, and this is hand-painted!"

"Hehehehe."

Seeing the old man had grown serious, Li Li Xuewu smiled and said, "How would I know what amount your finger represents? What if it meant one yuan? Hahaha!"

"Cut it out; you're just being bad."

The old man rolled up this New Year picture of Ai Yue Fei and asked, "Do you want anything else?"

Li Li Xuewu looked at the New Year pictures on the table, picked one of a golden boy holding a fish, and then selected another depicting abundance year after year.

"Alright, that'll be thirty cents."

The old man rolled up the New Year pictures, took Li Li Xuewu's money, and then handed the rolled paintings to Li Li Xuewu.

And so, Li Li Xuewu took Li Xue to buy New Year pictures, red paper, big red lanterns, and other items for celebrating the New Year.

Snacks like pea-yellow cake, donkey-rolling cake, aiwowo, fermented mung bean milk, and fried dough rings filled Li Xue's stomach to bursting.

When they came out, they saw toys being sold by the roadside, and Li Xue actively pulled Li Li Xuewu to a stop.

"Second Brother, Li Shu doesn't like playing with her big carp anymore; let's buy something that can withstand being thrown."

With red paper tucked under his arm and a lantern in his hand, Li Li Xuewu really did not wish to buy anything more.

"Even iron can't withstand her throwing things; what should we buy?"

Li Xue pointed at a wooden horse placed on the ground and said, "Let's buy this one."

Li Li Xuewu looked at this wooden horse and fell into deep thought.

"Sister, have you forgotten something?"

"What?"

"Our maternal grandfather is a carpenter!"

"..."

Li Xue, her face flushing red, stood up and hurriedly walked out, as if walking fast meant that once she left this place, she would no longer have to feel embarrassed.

"Hahahahaha!"

Li Xue was teased by her Second Brother all the way, so much so that even Bao Du Wang stopped calling her to eat with her Second Brother.

Finally, after buying some preserved fruits at Xinyuan Zhai, the two siblings headed back.

By the time they reached the car, that group led by Huang Mao had long since left.

After handing the ticket to the old man watching the cars and placing the items in their hands into the rear cabin, they finally breathed a sigh of relief and hurried home.

Looking at the rear cabin packed full of wonderful things, Li Xue smiled and said, "It would be great if every weekend could be like this."

"Hehehe."

Li Li Xuewu asked with a smile, "Then can you rank first in the entire grade on the final exam every weekend?"

"How is that possible?"

Li Xue wrinkled her nose and said, "There is only one final exam per semester; how could there be one every week?"

"Exactly; there is only one Spring Festival each year, so how could we shop for New Year goods every week?"

"Second Brother, if you're so good at talking, why don't you have a partner yet?"

Li Li Xuewu laughed angrily, "So you can't handle the banter anymore, is that it?"

Chatting and laughing, the two returned to Sihe Academy.

Seeing the car enter the alley, Chen Xiaoyan ran from far away to help Li Li Xuewu open the main gate of Bai Bai Xiyuan.

Once Li Li Xuewu entered the courtyard, she was about to close it again.

"No need to close it; I'll have to go out again in a little while."

Hearing Li Li Xuewu say this, Chen Xiaoyan left the main gate at the entrance wide open.

With Second Master currently keeping watch at the shop, Yu Li and Chen Xiaoyan both came out to help Li Li Xuewu unload the goods.

Li Xue, meanwhile, hugged her toy box and shoe box and went home first.

By the time Li Li Xuewu finished tidying up the items in the car and entered the room carrying the pipe and his parents' shoe boxes, Li Xue was being scolded by Liu Yin.

"Just look at what you've bought; is this thing really that good? Do you think your Second Brother's money blows in with the wind?"

"What's going on here?"

Li Li Xuewu placed the items in his hands on the kang bed in the north room; looking at the dejected Li Xue and Liu Yin on the kang, it was surely about that ethnic doll of Li Xue's.

Li Xue had intended to show off, but unexpectedly, once the price was asked, it made her mother fly into a rage.

"Grandma, this is a pipe bowl bought for you; take a look."

As he spoke, Li Li Xuewu handed the pipe bowl in his hand to the old lady who was supporting Li Shu.

Smiling, the old lady handed Li Shu over to Liu Yin and accepted the pipe bowl her grandson had bought.

Upon first opening it, one might not notice much, thinking only the mouthpiece was fine.

But only after pulling the entire pipe bowl out did one see the extraordinary nature of this pipe stem.

"Didn't this cost quite a bit? You even knew to buy white copper."

"Hehehehe."

Li Li Xuewu smiled; very wisely, he did not state the price.

"The brass stem has a distinct coppery taste; you mentioned this to me before."

The old lady smiled and nodded, gazing at the tobacco pipe in her hand, which was even longer than her own broken one.

"Alright, since my grandson bought it, I won't ask about the price, hehe."

Li Li Xuewu pointed at the tobacco pouch and said, "Grandma, you must take good care of this pouch."

Having said just that, he picked up the shoebox Li Shu was reaching for and handed it to Liu Yin, saying, "These are shoes I bought for you."

Liu Yin looked at her son with delighted surprise, only to be further stunned by the leather shoes revealed when Li Shu lifted the lid of the box.

"Why... why buy such expensive shoes? Even with a raised salary, you shouldn't spend like this; we still have a household to run!"

Ignoring his mother's nagging, Li Li Xuewu picked up the shoebox from the kang, walked into the main hall, and addressed Li Shun, who was sitting in a chair: "Dad, I bought you a pair of shoes; try them on."

As he spoke, Li Li Xuewu squatted down, preparing to help Li Shun remove his footwear.

Li Shun had initially intended to maintain his paternal dignity and scold Li Li Xuewu a bit, but seeing his second son squat to change his shoes for him, his throat suddenly tightened, and he found himself at a loss for words.

"Then... then I'll change them myself."

Li Li Xuewu had already helped Li Shun take off his cotton-padded shoes and proceeded to put the leather shoes from the box onto his father's feet.

Seeing that his son remained silent, Li Shun simply allowed Li Li Xuewu to continue.

Once the shoes were changed, Li Li Xuewu stood up and said to Li Shun, "Dad, please stand up and see if they fit properly."

"They fit quite well."

Noticing Li Shun's somewhat uneasy expression, Liu Yin realized her husband was feeling too embarrassed to accept the gesture gracefully.

So she also got off the kang and persuaded him, "If the child asks you to try them, just try them; why must you be so stubborn?"

With no other choice, Li Shun stood up and took a few steps.

"They're very good; they don't pinch my feet."

Liu Yin watched with a smile as Li Shun walked around the room in his leather shoes, remarking, "They really do look smart; this time we've truly made it big, even wearing leather shoes."

After walking two laps, Li Shun returned to his chair, preparing to take the shoes off.

"Just keep them on."

"Keep them on? How can I wear such fine shoes like this?"

Li Shun replied to his son, then allowed Liu Yin to help him change back into his old footwear.

At that moment, Li Xue arrived carrying Liu Yin's shoebox and voluntarily helped her mother change her shoes.

Li Li Xuewu knew his sister was eagerly trying to show her worth, so he simply stood aside with a smile, watching.

Liu Yin also smiled and said to Li Xue, "It's still Mom's little Miss who cares most for her mother."

"Hehehehe."

Li Li Xuewu's laughter made Li Xue blush slightly, but she still supported her mother as she stood up to test the shoes.

"So soft; look how shiny the uppers are!"

After offering this praise, Liu Yin immediately looked up and asked, "One pair for your father, one for me, and one for Li Xue; how much money did you spend today?"

Li Li Xuewu dared not give his mother an itemized account; if he told the truth, she would walk straight to the store to return the shoes.

"Not much; after all, it's the New Year, and you two elders have worried so much about me."

"Mm-hmm."

Liu Yin nodded and said, "That sounds pleasant to hear."

Li Li Xuewu seized this opportunity to quickly make his escape.

"Mom, I still need to go visit a friend; I'll be back a bit later."

"Will you be back for dinner?"

This wasn't Liu Yin trying to drag Li Li Xuewu home for a meal, but rather asking whether he would return before dinner time.

"We'll see then; it won't be too late."

As he spoke, Li Li Xuewu had already stepped out the door.

Walking to the inverted sitting room, he saw Yu Li organizing the New Year goods Li Li Xuewu had bought and moving them into the east room.

"Sister-in-law, once you're done here, come to the backyard to help me tidy up; I need to leave shortly."

After saying just this, Li Li Xuewu headed toward the backyard.

Yu Li didn't pay much attention to Li Li Xuewu's words; as soon as she finished arranging the lanterns, firecrackers, and such, she went to the backyard to help Li Li Xuewu clean his room.

The moment she entered the room, she saw that Li Li Xuewu had already changed into the old military uniform he wore when he was demobilized.

"Where are you off to?"

At that moment, Li Li Xuewu was standing before a mirror, adjusting his clothes.

"Meeting a friend; it's not far from here. He said we'd practice some wrestling."

Yu Li saw that the room, which had been cleaned in the morning, was not messy at all, but since that rascal had asked, she had to come anyway.

She stepped forward to help Li Li Xuewu smooth out his clothing.

"You're just full of excess energy; doesn't wrestling hurt?"

"Hehehe."

Seeing Yu Li acting like a nagging housekeeper, Li Li Xuewu smiled and said, "When experts spar, they stop short of causing harm; how could they use lethal force?"

After offering this explanation, he pointed to the shoebox on the desk and said, "I bought this for you; try it on to see if it fits."

"What is it?"

Yu Li hadn't expected this person to actually buy something for her; it looked like a pair of shoes, but she couldn't help asking anyway.

"Just open it and you'll know."

Having finished arranging his clothes, Li Li Xuewu turned and headed for the door.

Yu Li walked over to the desk, opened the box, and saw a pair of shiny black low-heeled leather shoes resting inside.

"Ah~ it's leather shoes!"

At this time, no woman could resist the temptation of leather shoes.

If there was one, it must be a woman you couldn't obtain.

Yu Li lifted her head, looking at Li Li Xuewu in surprise, and asked, "Did you buy these for me?"

Li Li Xuewu turned around with a smile and said, "Who else could they be for but me?"

"You're so bad~"

Yu Li walked over and threw herself into Li Li Xuewu's arms.

This was the first time Yu Li had dared to get this close to Li Li Xuewu during the daytime.

Li Li Xuewu chuckled and patted Yu Li's back, saying, "It's almost Little New Year; go home for a visit, just use the money I gave you."

"No need, that money is for buying you tonics."

Li Li Xuewu, also fearing the white gauze curtains wouldn't block the view, patted Yu Li's shoulder and said, "I'll give it to you later."

While speaking, Li Li Xuewu walked to the entryway and put on his yellow rubber shoes.

"Don't bring my dinner tonight; I'm not sure what time I'll be back."

"Li Xuewu."

Yu Li stepped forward a few paces, hugged Li Li Xuewu's head, and gave him a kiss.

Li Li Xuewu was quite surprised by Yu Li's initiative and responded with a smile.

After a while, the two separated, both breathing somewhat heavily.

"Try the shoes on; the size should be right. I need to rush, or it will get dark soon."

Watching Li Li Xuewu leave, Yu Li naturally knew that Li Li Xuewu knew her shoe size.

It was just lacking the equipment; otherwise, Li Li Xuewu could even help Yu Li make a custom-made insole.

The feet of Technician Number 8...

Li Li Xuewu had just driven out of Bai Bai Xiyuan when he saw Qin Qin Huairu leading Banggeng into the alley.

He drove the car out a bit further, stopped beside the mother and son, and asked, "Where have you two been?"

Seeing Li Li Xuewu wearing a military greatcoat, looking as if he were about to go out, Qin Qin Huairu pulled Banggeng, who was about to touch the car, backward.

"Isn't it almost New Year? I took him out for a stroll. Where are you heading?"

Li Li Xuewu turned around, retrieved a shoebox from the rear compartment while shielding it, then turned and handed it to Qin Qin Huairu.

"A friend at Dongsi Dongsi Liutiao invited me to practice wrestling; these are the shoes you asked me to buy. See if they fit."

Qin Qin Huairu stared at the shoebox in her hand, stunned, wondering when she had ever asked him to buy shoes.

But hearing her son exclaim, "Wu Shu, you're going to wrestle? Take me with you!"

She finally understood it was Li Li Xuewu's excuse, and he was actually giving her the shoes.

"Go where? Your Wu Shu is going to wrestle; are you going to wrestle too?"

Banggeng held the jeep's door handle and pleaded with his mother, saying, "I want to learn wrestling."

Qin Qin Huairu's face was currently beaming with joy; how could she control Banggeng?

Li Li Xuewu smiled and asked the big fat face, "Why do you want to learn wrestling?"

Banggeng said to Li Li Xuewu, "Older students keep bullying me..."

Before Banggeng could finish his sentence, Qin Qin Huairu, like a hen protecting her chicks, asked anxiously, "Who bullied you? Why didn't you tell the teacher? When school starts again, I'll..."

Seeing Qin Qin Huairu's reaction, Banggeng became somewhat nervous himself.

"Hey, hey, hey."

Li Li Xuewu interrupted Qin Qin Huairu, saying, "You can't use your methods on a boy; wouldn't that spoil him?"

After chiding Qin Qin Huairu once, Li Li Xuewu said to Banggeng, "You can come with me to play, but whether you learn anything is uncertain; furthermore, no bullying others, understand?"

"Understood, Wu Shu."

Banggeng looked at Li Li Xuewu with hopeful eyes.

Li Li Xuewu waved his hand at Banggeng, saying, "Why are you standing there dumbfounded? Get in the car."

"Okay!"

Banggeng jumped high with joy, ran around the front of the car, and climbed into the jeep.

"Li Xuewu."

Qin Qin Huairu wasn't worried about Banggeng following Li Li Xuewu; she was concerned that Banggeng would cause trouble for Li Li Xuewu.

She hadn't felt this way before, but after studying and interning at the guesthouse for so long, her understanding of Li Li Xuewu's identity had become increasingly clear.

Her feelings toward Li Li Xuewu had also taken on that flavor of an official connection.

Li Li Xuewu didn't pay it any mind; instead, with Banggeng's back turned, he winked at Qin Qin Huairu and said, "Don't save dinner for him tonight; we'll eat outside together."

After saying this, Li Li Xuewu drove the car out of the alley, heading toward Dongsi Dongsi Liutiao.

Watching Banggeng chattering and laughing with Li Li Xuewu, Qin Qin Huairu felt only a sourness in her heart.

Qin Qin Huairu also knew that two women in the family couldn't raise a real man, but conditions were what they were; what else could be done?

Now seeing Banggeng getting along quite well with Li Li Xuewu, she felt even more that her choice had been correct.

Not to mention Li Li Xuewu's help and arrangements for herself; just regarding Banggeng.

Ever since he started "hanging out" with the "Li Li Erbala" her mother-in-law spoke of, Banggeng had actually become less of a worry for her.

Strangely enough, Li Li Xuewu didn't treat Banggeng with the same kindness as Seeing Sha Zhu did; Seeing Sha Zhu was obedient to Banggeng's every wish.

But Li Li Xuewu? He was always scaring and scolding him, occasionally even playing tricks on her son.

Tricking her son was a common occurrence, yet Banggeng simply preferred being with Li Li Xuewu.

She just felt Li Li Xuewu was more of a real man than Seeing Sha Zhu, and she often said at home that a real man should be like Li Li Xuewu.

What does a child like Bang Geng know about being a real man? Of course, he just follows and learns from whoever is good.

If Bang Geng had a father, he wouldn't have ended up imitating Li Li Xuewu.

Qin Qin Huairu held the shoebox in her hands, gazing at the entrance of the alleyway for quite a while.

Her mind was filled with many thoughts, including her relationship with Li Li Xuewu, Bang Geng's maturity, and her own current independence and changes.

After Li Li Xuewu left home, Liu Yin began interrogating Li Xue.

"Exactly how much money did your Second Brother spend? Where did you eat lunch? Did he take you to a restaurant? Look at the smell of wine on your breath!"

Liu Yin poked Li Xue's forehead and said, "Your Second Brother has separated from the family to live on his own; he's relying on his wages to save for a wife, he can't afford for you to gnaw away at his savings like that."

Pressed by her old mother, Li Xue, lacking any experience, could only sell out her Second Brother.

After mentioning the money spent on shoes, she added, "We didn't go to a restaurant at noon; we ate at an auntie's house."

Liu Yin was just about to bring up the matter of buying shoes again, but upon suddenly hearing that they had eaten lunch at an "auntie's" home, she halted her words and instead asked, "What auntie?"

Li Xue recalled the miraculous experiences of the morning and said, "She lives in a large compound with security guards, specifically in a small courtyard within that large compound."

The more Li Xue spoke, the more confused Liu Yin, Li Shun, and the others became.

"What large compound, what small courtyard? What kind of place is this?"

Li Xue shook her head and said, "I don't know either; it was just a courtyard with service staff and security guards. Auntie Ding's family lives in a two-story small building."

Liu Yin asked doubtfully, "Service staff? Security guards? How many families live there?"

"Oh, just Auntie Ding's family!"

Li Xue nodded and said, "Only her family lives there; they even have a car. The car my Second Brother has was given by Uncle Gu."

"Hmm?"

Li Shun frowned and asked, "Didn't Li Xuewu say the car was allocated by the Scrap Company?"

"It seems not."

Li Xue shook her head and said, "The license plate on that car belongs to Uncle Gu. We met Auntie Ding today at the entrance of the Wang Fu Department Store."

Li Xue then recounted from the beginning her experience of accompanying her Second Brother to visit the Gu family today.

The Li family listened to a series of names, various things distinct from their own lives, and the family banquet Li Xue described.

Especially when Li Xue mentioned that Gu Ning might be her Second Brother's partner, and that her Second Brother had already started calling Auntie Ding "Mom."

"This child..."

Liu Yin complained slightly, then said, "If he has a partner, why didn't he say anything? He's already changed how he addresses her, yet we haven't even met the in-laws; what kind of situation is this? Won't people say we've been rude?"

Li Shun, however, still frowned, pondering the environment of the Gu family that Li Xue had described.

From Li Xue's account, Li Shun could detect something amiss, but he did not say it in front of Liu Yin.

"Let's ask Li Xuewu when he returns; perhaps the child has his own ideas."

Seeing Li Shun say this, Liu Yin could only temporarily let the matter drop, though her occasional glances outward still betrayed her worry.

"What does this Gu Ning look like?"

Seeing her mother turn her gaze toward her again, Li Xue knew that the four toys and leather shoes her Second Brother gave her were not given for nothing.

"Hmm..."

Li Xue thought about Gu Ning's appearance for a moment, then said, "Very tall, almost up to my Second Brother's ears."

"And then?"

Li Xue nodded and said, "She looks quite pretty; a melon-seed face, big eyes, and double eyelids."

Li Xue had never dealt with the issue of describing people, unlike those old ladies in the courtyard.

Their vocabulary certainly couldn't compare to Li Xue's, but when it came to describing people, their use of analogies and metaphors, their rhetorical techniques, would make even literary scholars sweat with shame.

Listening to her daughter's description, Liu Yin felt as if a kitten were scratching her heart; she pulled Li Xue close and asked in a low voice, "Compared to your eldest sister-in-law?"

"Hmm?"

Li Xue widened her eyes and looked at her mother; was this even something that could be compared?

Hell mode?

Glancing at her eldest sister-in-law reading in the south room, Li Xue replied in a voice only the two of them could hear, "Much better looking."

"Mm."

Now Liu Yin was satisfied; indeed, if one couldn't describe it, one could always make a comparison.

Li Xue whispered, "She's very easygoing, doesn't like to talk, very tall, wearing a woolen coat, and looks very upright."

"Mm-hmm."

Now even more satisfied, Liu Yin asked in a normal voice, "Do you know what their families do for a living?"

Li Xue frowned, thought for a moment, and said, "The service staff call Auntie Ding 'Editor Ding,' so she must be an editor, right?"

"You child..."

Liu Yin smiled at Li Xue and said, "What else could an editor be? What about the others?"

Li Xue answered, "Gu Ning and her sister-in-law are both doctors; I heard my brother call them that. As for that..."

Li Xue hesitated for a while, then shook her head and said, "I don't know what Uncle Gu does."

Just what Li Xue had said was enough for the entire Li family to start imagining things.

"Did it look to you like those two were dating?"

Li Xue shook her head and said, "I don't know how to tell."

Liu Yin complained, "You child, aren't you usually quite smart? I mean, were they talking, holding hands..."

"How could that be possible?"

Li Xue shook her head and said, "When I came out, I asked my Second Brother, and he said it doesn't count yet."

"Aiya~"

Liu Yin sighed and said, "Take this Qin Laoer; if you look for a partner when you're too young, it's a chaotic mess, but once you reach the proper age, you start running into difficulties again."

The old lady placed Li Shu into the rocking cradle and slowly pushed it while coaxing her.

"Let's ask when the child returns; there's no use rushing now. Our second son is stubborn in his ideas; we mustn't ruin things."

Hearing the old lady speak thus, Liu Yin ceased discussing the matter.

Li Xue, however, was freed.

Seeing her mother no longer questioning her, she immediately hugged her four dolls and headed for the door.

"Where are you going?"

Seeing her daughter about to leave again, Liu Yin asked.

Li Xue turned her head and replied, "I'm taking the dolls to my second brother's house; I'm afraid Li Shu might break them if I leave them here."

"Treating them like precious treasures,"

Liu Yin smiled and told her daughter, "Go ahead."

Li Xue answered with a sound and went to the rear courtyard.

As soon as she entered the room, she saw Brother Brother Jiecheng's wife carrying a shoebox and heading out.

"Sister-in-law."

Li Xue offered a greeting, then glanced at the shoebox in Yu Li's hands.

It looked somewhat familiar.

Seeing Li Xue looking over, Yu Li spoke somewhat unnaturally, "Coming to play at your second brother's? You stay; I'm leaving."

With these words, Yu Li quickly sidestepped Li Xue and exited the door.

Li Xue, holding her dolls, turned to look at Yu Li and muttered in confusion, "What is she guilty about?"

After muttering this, she entered the room and hid her dolls in the tea cabinet of Li Li Xuewu's living room.

Yu Li, holding the shoebox in her hand, felt as though she were carrying a red-hot honeycomb briquette.

Originally, she had intended to place it in Li Li Xuewu's shoe cabinet first and come back for it later.

But just as she was about to put it away, Li Xue entered, forcing her to carry the shoebox back out.

What made her particularly uncomfortable was that single stare from Li Xue; it felt as though someone had been watching her all along.

Hey, no wonder they say when Qiao'er's mother opens the door for Qiao'er, Qiao has arrived home.

As soon as Yu Li entered the moon gate, she saw Qin Qin Huairu coming in through the third gate.

Coincidentally, both held shoeboxes in their hands; not to mention the packaging being similar, they were practically identical.

Since both were now walking toward the central courtyard and their homes were right next to each other, the atmosphere in the yard was extremely awkward.

"Qin Yan Jie."

"Ah, went to tidy up the rear courtyard?"

"Yes, just finished."

"Alright, you get on with it."

"Okay."

Both tacitly avoided looking at what the other held in their hands and said nothing nonsensical.

Yu Li entered He Yushui's room, while Qin Qin Huairu returned to her own home.

As soon as Yu Li entered the room, she placed the shoebox under the bed, but feeling it wasn't safe enough, she moved the shoebox into the cabinet.

Shifting it back and forth, she still felt uneasy; in the end, the shoebox returned to under the bed.