Chickens and dogs fly in chaos and rebirth

Chapter 32

The staff asked Qiu Shanglin about it, but she had already made an appointment to meet with the advertising department of the TV station to discuss matters. After thinking for a moment, she went along with it and invited them to join her.

It won't hurt for everyone to get to know each other!

The section chief assumed Qiu Shanglin's family must be extraordinary. The reason someone is so remarkable is because they have such a powerful background. Look at Yin Yeyao; who doesn't praise the Yin family heir for his intelligence, wisdom, and composure? But how many people are truly impressed by him personally? It's all because of the Yin family behind him!

But no matter how he tried to probe indirectly, he couldn't find out Qiu Shanglin's family background.

This only intensified his awe, making him think she must have some powerful connections—what kind of powerful connections are those! According to the person in front of him, her father was an ordinary worker in a printing factory, and her mother owned an ice cream factory… an ice cream factory!

Looking at Qiu Shanglin's work again, I understand it even less.

Could it be that geniuses truly exist in this world?

The mother and daughter harbored murderous intentions, each with their own thoughts, while the two boys, oblivious to the undercurrents among the adults, glared at each other like cocks.

Xia Lin held the bumblebee tightly in his arms, not letting a single hair out. He glared at it with his big eyes, threatening it, but dared not throw a punch to scare it because his sister was present.

The third-grade student thought he was dealing with a clueless country bumpkin who could easily coax the toy away with a few sweet words. But the boy was unmoved by any persuasion or threats, clinging tightly to the toy. Looking at his cool sailor uniform, the Bumblebee toy he was holding, and then at the backpack that had just made him so happy, the student's temper flared. He threw the backpack hard on the ground and stomped on it.

His mother quickly pulled him back and scolded him in a low voice, "Stop making a scene!"

She picked up the backpack with a pained expression, brushing off any non-existent dust: "You didn't like it much before, but now you've changed your mind?"

It costs over two hundred yuan. If it were me, I wouldn't be willing to buy it for my son!

He pointed at Qiu Xialin: "I want his sailor uniform, and I want his toys!"

The mother scolded, "Stop fooling around!"

The commotion had already attracted attention. The men, engrossed in their drinking, didn't notice, but Qiu Shanglin, who had been keeping a close eye on her younger brother, immediately noticed. To divert Zhang Hongwei's attention, she quickly asked:

"Auntie, what's wrong?"

The woman she called "Auntie" seemed a little embarrassed: "It's nothing, it's nothing."

Her son, determined not to embarrass her, insisted, "I want it! I want it!"

She snapped, "If you keep making trouble, I'm leaving you!"

Despite her high self-esteem, after listening to the introductions of everyone in the room, whose titles were all impressive, even her husband had to greet her with a smile. And all these people were very polite to Qiu Shanglin, and by extension, they also respected Zhang Hongwei. How could she, who had been eating banquets with her husband for a long time, not see the reason for the change?

Then look at Zhang Hongwei's self-deprecating children—let alone her son, look at her daughter's dress, the fabric, the shoes, and the silver bracelet on her snow-white wrist—none of them are cheaper than her own clothes.

Because it was a banquet today, Shanglin had dressed up specially. She wore a creamy white gauze dress with ruby-red polka dots and wrinkles on the bodice, and a red butterfly fluttering as if about to take flight at the hem. Since it was early autumn and the mornings and evenings were a bit chilly, she wore a light black cardigan over it, the three pearl-like buttons gleaming against the fabric. A silver bracelet adorned her snow-white wrist, engraved with a cute mocha cat dozing off. Her short hair had grown to her neck, styled into two small braids, each dangling a pale pink bead. On her feet were a pair of light creamy white strappy leather shoes, perfectly complementing the white dress.

She looks both composed and playful like a little girl, with exquisite details.

She already had thick eyebrows and big eyes, and in the past two years she has also taken care of her skin to make it fair and tender. Her cheeks are chubby and her lips are rosy. She has big, watery eyes and is not much different from the child stars on TV.

She acts with composure and speaks calmly and deliberately. She addresses everyone as "uncle" and "aunt," yet the confident gleam in her eyes is undeniable. How could anyone say such a child is hopeless? She would never agree!

Shang Lin's eyes darted across the face of the sulking little boy, and then she noticed the toy her brother was clutching tightly, and she smiled.

"Oh, Xia Lin, give this to the little brother to play with."

Xia Lin's eyes widened in disbelief, and she shook her head in refusal: "No!"

Qiu Shanglin smiled gently and repeated in a soft tone, "Xia Lin, give it to the little brother to play with."

Xia Lin shivered, looking conflictedly at the toy he had just acquired, then at his sister's expression. His desire for the toy outweighed his fear of his sister, and he firmly shook his head: "I haven't played with it yet!"

Although rebellion is necessary, it must be justified—his brother, oh, that is, his brother Li, taught him.

Doesn't your sister like to present facts and reason things out? Well, I'll present facts and reason with you then. Look, I just got the toy, I haven't even had a chance to enjoy it yet, and you want me to give it to someone else? Isn't that bullying?

Before Shang Lin could react, the other child's mother quickly smoothed things over: "No need, no need, we have plenty of toys at home. This child just wants one of them every time he sees one!"

The child she was talking about stared longingly at the toys in Xia Lin's arms.

Shanglin laughed too, but very politely: "Xialin, did you hear that? The little brother isn't asking for your toy. If you have a new toy, shouldn't you share it with your friend? You're so stingy!"

Xia Lin hesitated, looking at the other person's longing, then at his own mother, and finally made up his mind, handing it out: "Let's play together!"

The other person smiled broadly, the two shook hands and made peace, then took their toy cars and went to play elsewhere.

The section chief's wife said enviously, "Sister Zhang, your son is so well-behaved! How did you raise him?"

Zhang Hongwei felt ashamed.

My son is sensible and targets his sister. You try asking him to give up his toys, and he'll throw a huge tantrum! As for how to discipline children... well, my policy has always been not to discipline them. His sister is already strict enough, and I'm too worried about my son to discipline him.

But can she really say that?

He could only manage a halting laugh.

The section chief's wife praised Qiu Shanglin's fair skin and delicate features again, then suddenly remembered something and asked, "By the way, sister, where did you buy that sailor uniform? It's different from ordinary sailor uniforms; it looks really smart!"

Zhang Hongwei couldn't answer, so he turned his head and stared at Qiu Shanglin again.

You're asking me? I barely care about my own clothes, let alone his! Sailor uniform? I thought it was just two pieces of different colored fabric pieced together and worn casually...

Shang Lin smiled and said, "My friend brought it back from Guangzhou."

She suddenly realized, "Is this also a new product from Mocha Cat? I saw their logo on it." She added regretfully, "We're so behind the times here. We're years behind Guangzhou in everything we wear. Did you buy it from a specialty store? When my husband goes to Guangzhou on a business trip, I'll make him buy a set too!"

Shang Lin smiled with pursed lips, but did not answer.

Well, to put it another way, this outfit isn't available on the market, and it was specially designed as a welcome gift for Qiu Xialin's enrollment? It's not like the sailor uniforms in the military today. It incorporates many elements of modern military uniforms, and the materials, workmanship, and design are all unique. She doesn't plan to mass-produce it; she just made three different colored sets for Qiu Xialin as a token gesture. You can't buy it anywhere in China, let alone Guangzhou.

The other person touched Shang Lin's skirt, then her cardigan, and then lifted her snow-white wrist to stroke the silver bracelet, clicking their tongues in delight: "Is this also a new product from Mocha Cat? I saw my cousin's daughter wearing one, with her name engraved on it. She said it's a limited edition and very expensive!"

When asked, Zhang Hongwei was once again embarrassed.

I'm sorry, I really didn't know. I had no idea that the bracelet was so expensive, or a limited edition. I thought she was just wearing it for fun; I was just thinking that it was too much for a little girl to wear jewelry, so she should take it off!

"Was it brought back from Guangzhou too? I wanted to buy one as a gift a few days ago, but the stores here said it hasn't arrived yet!" The husband wanted to advance his career as section chief, so he had to cultivate connections and give gifts. Giving gifts required skill; you had to say it touched the recipient's heart. The bureau chief had twins, a boy and a girl. His grandmother preferred girls to boys, doting on her granddaughter and always worried about not giving her enough.

She thought that sending flowers and a limited-edition bracelet directly to the old lady would be effective, as the order would be given from the top down.

But to my surprise, the shop assistant in the provincial capital said that this kind of bracelet was a limited edition, and it was expensive and scarce. Since the purchasing power in the provincial capital was limited, they did not stock it.

Shang Lin smiled, took off the bracelet, and handed it to her: "Auntie, if you don't mind, you can give it away. I just put it on today, and I'll take it to the shop later and have them engrave my name on it."

She quickly declined, saying, "That won't do!"

Shanglin said, "Please don't mind. School starts tomorrow, so I can't wear it either."

Zhang Hongwei chimed in, "Yes, yes, she's just a little kid, why would she wear a bracelet? If you need it, take it!"

She accepted it with great joy and gratitude.

Suddenly it dawned on me: "Oh right, doesn't this bracelet have a name engraved on it?"

Shang Lin smiled and comforted her, "I didn't like it, so I didn't carve it."

Well, actually this was specially made, and the materials used are more substantial than other bracelets, but I don't really like the designs they drew. I'll give it to you; it'll help my mom with some things too.

I gave him a pitiful look, and he pleaded, "Mom, I've spent a fortune, please spare my life!"

Disputes over school admission

That evening, the Qiu family couple returned to the Hongxing Compound, a rare occurrence, and specially invited Shanglin's maternal grandparents to sit in on the occasion, as they were going to hold a family meeting!

The meeting's agenda included discussions on issues related to children's education and the scope of Qiu Shanglin's freedom of movement.

At the meeting, Zhang Hongwei spoke first, reflecting on her mistake as a mother who only focused on work and did not care enough about her children. She said that from now on she would try her best to go home for meals, communicate more with her children, and ensure that she spends one day a week with them. Qiu Shanglin had reservations about the last point.

Urged on by Zhang Hongwei, Qiu Jianguo also gave a speech, bitterly criticizing himself for being an incompetent father. From the birth of his children until now, he seemed to have done nothing for them, and was simply the scum of the earth—when she spoke, Shang Lin had to tightly grip her thighs to keep from bursting out laughing.

Dad is so talented!

Then Zhang Hongwei announced that from now on, Qiu Shanglin shall not act without permission. If he needs to leave Zifang Town, he must report one day in advance, obtain approval, and be accompanied by someone.

Secondly, Qiu Shanglin's treasury and savings book were confiscated, and from now on he would only receive pocket money.

This statement immediately drew a chorus of opposition from Shanglin and Xialin. Shanglin remained calm and argued with her while sitting down, while Xialin jumped up and into her grandmother's arms for support.

Just kidding! Not only is his sister grounded, but her secret stash of money has also been taken away, directly impacting his quality of life! Look at the house! Everything they eat, drink, play with, and use comes from his sister's secret stash. His sister knows how to enjoy life and demands quality in everything, and he benefits from that. But once their secret stash is taken away, given their parents' carelessness and busy schedules, they might not be able to take care of the house for ten days or half a month. What will he, his sister, and his brother do?

Oh, at least his brother doesn't have to starve; his maternal grandfather leaves him money every month for living expenses.

After a difficult debate, Mr. Zhang initiated an out-of-court mediation, and the two sides, who had been at each other's throats, reached an agreement:

The largest savings account in Bing Dong Qiu Shang Lin's account was left with a smaller savings account that she could freely use. It was also stipulated that if she needed to withdraw more than 1,000 yuan at a time, it must be done under the supervision and guidance of Zhang Hongwei, and she was not allowed to ask her aunt!