Rebirth: Slice-of-life Cultivation Chapter 1613 - 881: The Art of Hospitality (2)

"Jiang Ning, you’re being too rash..." Xue Chuchu spoke softly, her hands busily rinsing the cabbage.

Sitting close by, Jiang Ning munched on sunflower seeds; he understood Chuchu’s worry: "Hey, Chu, go ahead and list my seven deadly sins."

Xue Chuchu’s voice hesitated, the speech she’d rehearsed getting caught in her throat.

"I believe my actions were justified." Jiang Ning clarified: "Do you recall when we inquired about the cost of Ding Ding Candy, and there was that little girl in the pink padded coat standing close?"

"Yes." Xue Chuchu remembered clearly; without the elderly man’s stern look, the girl might have warned them against purchasing the Ding Ding Candy to spare them from the scam.

Xue Yuantong was wiping down the tomatoes that Jiang Ning had handed to her: "That old guy was intimidating; I truly thought he’d clobber me with his hammer!"

Xue Chuchu commended: "The little girl showed real courage; it proves there are plenty of compassionate folks out there."

Jiang Ning remarked: "That elderly man has surely deceived others in the past. I kicked him and left him hurt, ensuring he won’t trick anyone anymore. So, doesn’t that make me a hero for good?"

Xue Yuantong backed him up: "Previously, when Jiang Ning performed a kind act, he received a banner plus one thousand yuan!"

Watching the pair, Xue Chuchu felt her spirits sink for no clear reason.

For quite some time now, she avoided meddling in strangers’ affairs; once, returning from school, she witnessed a case of domestic abuse but stayed silent instead of intervening.

Xue Chuchu acknowledged her own ’flaw’, yet she preferred her close friends viewing her as ’flawed’. She pressed on:

"Tongtong, have you considered that doing good might cost your life? What would you truly gain then?"

Xue Yuantong went still all of a sudden.

Xue Chuchu went on: "You’d abandon heartbroken parents, a broken home, fleeting admiration from online strangers, and afterward... just an icy gravestone."

Her face grew calmer: "Does that seem worthwhile?"

Jiang Ning laughed lightly: "You’re overlooking something—friends and relatives could still enjoy a feast at the memorial."

Xue Yuantong waved her hand: "I’d end up at the children’s table!"

Xue Chuchu fought to keep the mood grave, but it crumbled right away; even she burst into giggles.

Yet, Jiang Ning’s grin vanished, his tone steady: "That outcome fits most folks, but remember, I’m Jiang Ning."

"Whenever I jump in to assist, I’d at least earn a silk banner and a one-thousand-yuan prize."

Xue Chuchu sighed in resignation, shooting a look at Tongtong.

Xue Yuantong grasped her intent perfectly; as a loyal sister, she recognized Chuchu’s call for backup.

Jiang Ning lured: "One thousand yuan, Tongtong—what delicious treats could that buy for you?"

Xue Yuantong gulped, reining in her temptation.

Her expression turned solemn, speaking from the heart: "But, Jiang Ning, I’d rather have you safe at home for meals than some pointless one thousand yuan."

...

In her mind, Xue Chuchu praised Tongtong with a thumbs-up—well put; surely Jiang Ning would feel a touch of emotion, wouldn’t he?

Instead, Jiang Ning replied: "Oh? So one thousand yuan doesn’t matter to you? Then, could you hand over the one thousand yuan you’re carrying?"

Hearing that, Xue Yuantong gasped: "How did you know I have one thousand yuan?"

Naturally, Jiang Ning was aware; earlier that day, Aunt Gu had slipped her a generous red envelope of New Year’s money before returning to the countryside. This girl actually tried to keep her secret savings from him—quite daring.

Jiang Ning understood how cash could corrupt young girls easily; he pressed: "Are you handing it over or not?"

Xue Yuantong: "Hmph, do you see me as an ATM, demanding a thousand yuan on a whim?"

"Fine." Jiang Ning responded: "Truthfully, I don’t crave that one thousand badly; I just wanted to test your resolve..."

At that instant, Xue Chuchu deemed him utterly insincere.

"Since you refuse, there’s no point sharing Dongdong’s labor profits with you later. I had planned to allocate you 51% of the shares, granting you controlling say..."

Xue Yuantong sulked, pulling out her small wallet: "Here, take it."

Jiang Ning took it gleefully, proclaiming: "Congratulations, Tongtong, on becoming the top chairwoman of Niu Madong Joint Stock Company!"

Watching from the side, Xue Chuchu muttered inwardly: ’51% shares? Dongdong’s already under your thumb; extra shares for Tongtong won’t mean a thing!’

...

In 8th class, the group chat buzzed with intense discussion, sparked by Meng Zi Yun’s Moments post about someone treating her to hotpot.

Spotting it, Cao Kun felt a sharp sting of irritation, so he typed in the group: "Gifting isn’t always joyful; often, the recipient’s reaction after receiving makes the giver regret it entirely."

Guo Kunnan: "Lots of girls skip posting about gifts on social platforms."

This hit home for Cao Kun, who showered it with approval.

The group’s expert, Lu Qiqi, fired off a sharp retort: "Come on, who’s the sarcasm aimed at here? Are your presents so lavish that posting them online is mandatory? Gifts costing just tens or hundreds of yuan, and you expect a post? Hilarious!"

Following her fierce blast, with no counterarguments, Lu Qiqi prodded: "What’s up, all quiet now?"

Still, silence from the others.

Lu Qiqi scrolled back and saw an update in her QQ space. Tapping it, she found Xue Yuantong flaunting her fresh succulents, captioned: [Jiang Ning brought me to the flower and bird market and got them for me (smiley grin)]

Cao Kun commented: "Cool."

Guo Kunnan: "Thumbs up!"

Lu Qiqi stood speechless. Usually, she’d mock it, but today she held back, considering how Jiang Ning and the rest had aided her the previous night.

As Class 8’s influencer, Xue Yuantong’s updates swiftly attracted heaps of views.

Take Chen Qian, for example.

Chen Qian sat in his room, poring over books, his eyes fixed on the display of Xue Yuantong’s succulent snapshot.

Despite the winter holidays, as the top performer at Fourth Middle School, Xue Yuantong ranked as his chief competitor, so he kept tabs on her discreetly.

Xue Yuantong’s feeds brimmed with fun: grilled fish one day, strawberries the next, duck hotpot after that, then hotpot again...

Now succulents popped up; she appeared to revel in leisure, oblivious to the looming threats!

Chen Qian broke into a genuine smile.

Studying demands constant progress, like sailing against the current—if you slack, you drift back. And winter break? It’s prime time for intense effort!

As Xue Yuantong frolicked, he powered through his studies. The school term’s return would flip the script!

Chen Qian grabbed his Chinese book and began chanting ancient prose.

The seventh day of the Lunar New Year marked relative-visiting time, and a knock echoed at Chen Qian’s home. His parents answered, ushering in two kin with a youngster, soon filling the space with chatter.

These days, plenty of youth dread relative visits, whether outbound or inbound.

Today’s guests hailed from his mother’s brother’s household, notorious for penny-pinching. Amid the grand holiday, they offered merely a carton of basic Mengniu milk, then tracked dirt onto the newly cleaned floors in their shoes.

The little cousin, barely a few years old, proved a real terror, darting about curiously right upon arrival, while Chen Qian’s folks scrambled for treats to offer.

His aunt inquired, "Qianzi, were you outside having fun?"

Just then, Chen Qian emerged from his room, books in hand.

His aunt continued, "Qianzi, you’re always buried in studies; how’d the finals go? The neighbor’s boy goes to Yu Zhou Second Middle School and hit over six hundred on the city exam—they claim that secures a top uni spot!"

Certain family members thrive on comparisons.

Chen Qian answered coolly: "I scored six hundred thirty-five."

His words halted the room’s buzz briefly.

His aunt hastily added: "Oh, that’s decent, though still short of Qingbei admission..."

Chen Qian eyed the toddler wreaking snack havoc indoors, mind flashing to how this cousin once doused his keyboard with soda, wrecking his computer.

His aunt had brushed it off as childish play, so Chen Qian overlooked it before.

Now, Chen Qian queried: "Is he as wild as ever? How’s he faring in school? The children next door ace every test with perfect scores."

His aunt’s expression soured: "He’s only little..."

Chen Qian: "The TV stresses early discipline for children."

With that, he whipped out his phone, posting dire parenting warnings in the family chat, pinging his aunt directly:

"Four signs your child will be unfilial in the future, the second one must be corrected immediately!"

"If parents have these four traits, the child is likely to be unfilial when they grow up"

"Why isn’t your child filial? You made a mistake from the first day of vacation!"

His aunt’s face flushed with fury: "You’re such an expert, with stellar marks—great, you watch the boy for me!"

And so, the diligent Chen Qian summoned the rambunctious cousin and drilled him on "Record of Yueyang Tower."

Soon, the living room filled with rhythmic recitation.

The little cousin appeared utterly confused—wasn’t this visit meant for playtime?