Chickens and dogs fly in chaos and rebirth

Chapter 48

Xia Lin stepped forward to protect Chen Hao, who was walking in with his head down in shame: "It's not his fault, I came here of my own accord!"

Shang Lin grinned and said, "Wow, that's quite the loyalty."

Looking at Chen Hao's small chest, which was initially fearful but later puffed out, he must be struggling inside, right? On one hand, he's afraid of being reported to the school, but on the other hand, he's thinking, "What right does a third-grader like you have to tell me what to do?"

Their commotion grew louder, and the observant manager went to another billiards room to fetch the owner. It wasn't a stranger; it was Xu Lishui, the same Xu who had gotten into a fight with Li Changsheng and been thoroughly punished by Yin Yeyao. He was older now, having failed his high school entrance exam after graduating from junior high. His family paid for him to attend a vocational school, but he only attended sporadically, frequently skipping classes to visit his friends in Zifang Town. He was expelled before the semester was over. His family, having exhausted all other options, decided to have him learn to do business.

He was lucky, and his years of idleness finally paid off. He partnered with someone to invest in the Happy Arcade, but it was only because his father was the head of the police station. Others used his father's power to gain benefits, and he used their luck to make money. It was a win-win situation.

With a base of operations, he and his cronies spent their days in the billiards room, which served as a form of security and fulfilled their duties as small business owners.

Qiu Xialin came to Dajiale, which in his eyes was a legitimate reason.

Over the years, he had been dealt with by Yin Yeyao, and he was also good friends with Lü Shun. Lü Shun was superstitious about Qiu Shanglin, so they knew each other and had been dragged to eat together a few times by Lü Shun. Of course, he was also familiar with Qiu Xialin.

As soon as he arrived, Xu Lishui gave instructions: this is his little brother, and no one should even think about bullying him. It happens every day in the arcade that older kids bully younger kids. The fact that Xia Lin and his gang of little brats haven't been robbed or beaten up by others is really because of Xu Lishui's influence.

As a result, when others saw the commotion, some of the more sensible people went to get reinforcements.

Xu Lishui was engrossed in playing billiards when he heard the news. Without even putting down his cue, he stomped his feet, lifted the curtain, and came out. It was so dark that he couldn't see anyone. He walked towards the group of people gathered around him and cursed, "Damn it, did I say Qiu Xialin is my little brother? Who the hell is so blind?!"

A crisp sound came from the crowd: "Qiu Xialin, when did you become sworn brothers with someone again?"

He paused, and instinctively hid the pool cue behind his back. As his eyes adjusted to the dim light, he could see who was sitting in the middle.

He laughed awkwardly: "Xiao Linzi, come join us!"

It wasn't that he was afraid of Qiu Shanglin; it was just that this little girl was incredibly talkative, even more so than Tang Sanzang (the monk in Journey to the West). Every time they met, she would nag him and Cheng Laojiu about it, driving him crazy, yet he couldn't really hit her. Who knows how Cheng Laojiu's family got involved with hers? His parents had forced him to call the little girl "Auntie!"

Zifang Town is only so big; it's not surprising that you can easily find two people who claim to be related. But Cheng Lao Jiu is from the city... Even though his hometown is Zifang Town, he's still a city dweller. Why should he call her "Auntie"? The brothers almost laughed themselves to death at this, but then they thought about it: they and Cheng Chong are sworn brothers. If Cheng Chong calls her "Auntie," what about the others? Wouldn't that lower their seniority as well?

Cheng Chong was afraid of Qiu Shanglin and would avoid her whenever he saw her, but now...

Just as I was feeling relieved, Cheng Chong behind me said impatiently, "Ah Shui, why did you take the pole too!"

Uh...it's so lively...

Qiu Shanglin laughed: "Cheng Laojiu."

Cheng Chong shivered. Who, who called me? It sounds like Qiu Shanglin.

Then he called out, "Ninth Brother, Cheng Chong."

Seeing Xu Lishui desperately trying to wink at him, Cheng Chong felt like grabbing him and giving him a good beating—why didn't you say so earlier!

He laughed awkwardly and shrank back: "Shanglin is here, haha, I remember now. Um, I have something to do, you can have fun."

Shang Lin said calmly, "Cheng Lao Jiu, you should be at school."

Business school also recruits people by paying money. Shang Lin thought highly of his brains, and his family had some relatives involved, so he simply recognized him as a relative and started to make connections. He used his silver tongue to persuade Cheng Chong's parents to send him to business school, and after graduation he would work for him - could this be considered a targeted training program?

Cheng Chong was filled with hatred. He was just unlucky and shouldn't have gone back to Zifang Town!

With a forced smile, he slowly walked over and stroked Qiu Xialin's head: "It's a holiday, it's a holiday today."

"Wow, you're so amazing! You must have gotten up really early this morning to catch the bus, right?"

No matter what she said, Cheng Chong just chuckled, never refuting or retaliating. Qiu Shanglin was furious and wanted to vent her anger on someone, and I didn't want to run into a brick wall.

After a few sarcastic remarks, she asked gently, "Xia Lin, would you like to learn billiards with your nephew? Don't worry about money. Our family lacks many things, but not money. Spend as much as you want. What do your parents do with the money they earn? It's all for you. I'm a girl, so I can't inherit the family business. You're different. No matter how much our family earns now, it will all be yours in the future. It's okay, don't be afraid. Spend as much as you want. Your parents will be happy if you spend it all!"

He had planned to fight back if his sister used violence.

"I only borrowed fifty yuan from you. I can pay you back at worst"—that was his initial thought.

But Shanglin did not resort to violence. Instead, he gently encouraged him to spend money. No matter how cunning Ren Qiu was, he was dumbfounded and at a loss.

Listen to what your sister is saying; it doesn't sound like nice words.

I had a vague feeling about the lower forest.

These words seemed to come from my parents' casual conversations. They said that since my sister is a girl and can earn money herself, there's no need for her to build a family business. They both work themselves to the bone, all for me—the only boy in the family… Xia Lin vaguely felt that all the family's money was mine, and it was no one else's business how I spent it.

That's what I usually think, but it doesn't sound right coming from my sister.

After finishing the remaining sunflower seeds, Shanglin clapped his hands, shaking off a pile of shells, jumped down, straightened his clothes, and said casually, "You guys keep playing, I'm going home first."

Ignoring everyone's expressions, she took a few steps, then suddenly remembered something, turned back, took out her wallet, and handed it to Xia Lin, disregarding his fear: "You're out of money, aren't you? I'll lend you some, is 150 enough?"

Xia Lin was stunned, his mind went blank, and he mechanically took the item, staring straight at Shang Lin.

"You borrowed two hundred yuan from me in total, Qiu Xialin. A man should keep his word. Aren't you going to pay me back?" Shanglin stared into his eyes and asked.

Xia Lin Machinery nodded.

He smiled with satisfaction: "Okay, I'll wait for you to pay me back."

After saying that, he left, passing by Chen Hao and kindly telling him, "Don't worry, I won't tell the teacher. You guys have fun."

At the same time, he kindly reminded him: "Cheng Chong, you should be doing your internship next summer, right? I forgot to tell you, your dad signed a three-year contract for you. Since you like Zifang Town so much, you should do your internship here. Hmm, the boutiques here are quite nice too!"

Cheng Chong's face fell. The Mocha Cat Boutique in Zifang Town? It's full of little kids... He wailed inwardly, "Dad, you're going to kill your son! Why did you sign that contract? Why did I listen to her!"

Qiu Xialin returned home very late that day. Before leaving, Shanglin told him that he could only go home after he had spent all the money.

He was worried, but he forced himself to save face. He lost interest in playing games because he was terrified. He quickly spent all his money and went home. His parents were not there as usual. His grandmother kindly called him to eat. Shanglin was reading in the inner room. It seemed that nothing had changed, but something had changed as well.

Qiu Xialin couldn't put it into words, but he vaguely sensed that something had changed.

But he didn't know the specifics. He only knew that, given his sister's personality, she wouldn't let him off so easily.

Shang Lin already had a plan in mind. He couldn't deal with him by force. What good would it do if he was scared? They had fought him more than once or twice over the years. He would admit defeat verbally but not in his heart, which would be a waste of time.

He must admit his mistake and correct his bad habits—what's most infuriating isn't that he plays games; after all, who doesn't love to play? Shanglin doesn't want to confine him to a bookworm, and he also allows for some mischief within certain limits.

His biggest mistake was using money to do favors, being extravagant, and acting like a rich man.

Putting aside Shang Lin's emphasis on money, just considering how hard his parents work to earn it, he shouldn't waste it!

Zhang Hongwei rarely gets to be home more than a few days a year, and her busy schedule has left her with a host of ailments. If it weren't for Shanglin's supervision and encouragement, she would probably work even harder.

Why? Initially, she wanted a better life for her family. Later, as her horizons broadened, she wanted to earn more money for her children, giving them a head start over others. But where does the motivation to earn money come from? No matter how capable they are, there will always be families and wealth they can't match. Shanglin couldn't persuade Zhang Hongwei. She was a strong-willed woman. She hadn't had the means before, but now that she did, she was eager to earn mountains of gold and silver for her children, to bring them the wealth of her previous life.

Shanglin could only force her to have a physical examination twice a year and take mandatory rest from time to time.

You're just a kid who's never earned a single penny yourself, so why are you pretending to be a rich kid while taking your parents' hard-earned money?

She was determined to correct his bad habits. She needed her parents' cooperation, no problem. She'd persuade her father first, then reason with Zhang Hongwei and appeal to his emotions. If that didn't work, she'd scare him. She wasn't afraid of her son's future. Qiu Xialin, you're dead…

At the dinner table, Changsheng stole a glance at the sinister-looking Qiu Shanglin, shivered, and felt that something bad was about to happen... "Have I made any mistakes recently?" Reflecting on himself, he felt that he had not made any mistakes recently.

But after taking another look at Qiu Shanglin, Changsheng decided that he would behave better recently—oops, I mean, he would study hard and make progress every day!

Gu Zhiyuan

The morning sunlight streamed in, illuminating Shang Lin's face. Her eyes, brimming with soreness, glanced sideways through the crack in the door. The rising sun radiated a dazzling golden-red glow.

The corridor outside the small auditorium was paved with old wooden floors, which creaked and groaned with every step. The creaking sound grew louder as it approached, the footsteps were very light, and the groaning of the wooden floor seemed particularly gentle. I silently counted in my mind, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5... With a heavy creaking sound, the door was pushed open, and the sunlight instantly enveloped half of the auditorium. I squinted uncomfortably and looked up at the person approaching.

Li Changsheng approached without surprise and put down the three-tiered lunchbox.

"You don't have to stay up all night just to throw a tantrum, do you?"