BTYFOV Chapter 42

 Chapter 42: The Lawyer

"Customers are gods," but Miaomiao couldn't care less.

─── ⋆⋅☼⋅⋆ ───

Qin Feng was too scared to nod after being yelled at.

Uncle Zhou lowered his head guiltily.

Sitting directly across from her brother, Madam Zhou noticed the shift in his expression. Her heart skipped a beat, and she tested the waters, saying, "Have you softened your heart? Aren’t you afraid that one day Wang Genbao will be out of money, come to borrow from you, and if you refuse, he’ll openly rob your store?”

The old couple suddenly felt a chill of fear and instinctively turned to Qin Feng for help.

Qin Feng wasn’t surprised at all. If his uncle were truly that cold-hearted, he wouldn’t have gone out of his way to introduce him to potential matches. “Cut off all contact with him.”

Uncle Zhou nodded obediently. “I’ll listen to you. This time, I definitely will!”

Madam Zhou, still uneasy, added, “You better not—” She stopped mid-sentence, unable to articulate her concern.

Qin Feng completed her thought. “Don’t say one thing to his face and do another behind his back.”

Madam Zhou nodded. “Exactly what I meant.”

Uncle Zhou chuckled at her comment. “You’re talking to me like I’m a child.”

But after being siblings for over fifty years, Madam Zhou saw through him in an instant. “With the way you are, my eldest son is more reliable.”

Uncle Zhou’s smile froze on his face.

Gu Wuyi, holding back his laughter, said, “You guys keep chatting. We’ll go back and help Xiao’er and Miaomiao sell popsicles.”

Old Qin reminded them, “And the melons!”

Fu Qingyun went to get a basin.

Once the three kids had left through the front gate, Uncle Zhou complained, “Can’t you at least leave me some face."

In the past, Madam Zhou wouldn’t have spoken so harshly.

Before Qin Ying was born, she still held on to some hope.

But even after having a daughter, Qin Ying never came to reconcile or repent. Instead, she kept going down the wrong path. That’s when Madam Zhou knew — her daughter had completely aligned herself with the Wang family and was beyond saving.

Madam Zhou said, “Xiao Feng said it before. If he hadn’t shown too much consideration for us, he would’ve made a scene at Qin Ying’s wedding. If that had happened, things wouldn’t have gotten this bad.”

Old Qin agreed: “Even if she only likes men like Wang Genbao, it’s impossible for her to find another temporary worker like him.”

Workers in state-owned enterprises were also subject to the one-child policy.

Even if they rushed to have children before family planning policies tightened, they could only have two at most — they didn’t want to wait until they were in their thirties to suffer again.

Uncle Zhou understood this well because his eldest son had been affected by the family planning policies. He had looked into it thoroughly — things were different in rural areas compared to cities. In rural areas, if the first child was a girl, they could have a second child, regardless of gender, without facing any fines. Luckily, his wife had a boy for their second child.

But even if it had been another girl, he wouldn’t have let his wife have a third child. For one, they feared they couldn’t afford to raise more children, and for another, they still had hopes for their younger son.

Suddenly, Uncle Zhou thought of his three daughters, who had recently been dropping by the shop for no apparent reason. Whenever they got a chance, they’d ask if the shop was busy and whether he needed more help. They even hinted that he was getting older and should consider resting at home.

In the past, Uncle Zhou would have thought his daughters were just concerned about him. But ever since Qin Ying got herself so blinded by greed, he couldn’t help but think more negatively.

He asked Qin Feng, “Xiao Feng, what do you think? In this scorching weather, your cousins don’t mind the heat and keep showing up at the shop to help out. Do you think they have something in mind?”

Qin Feng replied bluntly, “What else could it be?”

Uncle Zhou thought for a moment. “They’ve never been this filial before. I know I’ve always favored my son over my daughters, so I never expected them to be filial.”

Qin Feng’s aunt chimed in, “I used to think we’d keep control of the money from the shop. Your sister-in-law is clever, and we don’t even know how much she’s made. I thought once we finished paying off the house, we’d quietly give each of them a little something. But now, do you think we shouldn’t give them anything at all?”

Qin Feng said directly, “If you ask me, don’t give them a single cent. I’ve never given any money to Qin Ying. I haven’t given anything to you two either, nor to my other aunts.”

The old couple hesitated.

Their daughters weren’t living well, and the thought of standing by and watching them struggle made them uncomfortable.

Qin Feng said, “Let them go to Qin Ying. They used to admire her for marrying into the city. They fawned over her and had a good relationship with her. Qin Ying liked them too. There’s no reason she wouldn’t help them.”

Uncle Zhou was confused. Why was his nephew’s stance changing again?

Qin Feng explained, “You can be upfront with them. Tell them directly that you won’t be lending them any money. They’ve always been good at sucking up to Qin Ying, praising Wang Genbao as if having three daughters was better than me having five sons. Wang Genbao shouldn’t mind taking care of them, right?”

Old Qin quickly interjected, “Don’t come up with such bad ideas! What good can come from following Wang Genbao?”

Qin Feng glanced at his father. “Let’s not even talk about my cousins’ character for now. Just look at their husbands. If any of them were ambitious and decent, they wouldn’t let their wives covet their father-in-law’s assets.”

Old Qin was left speechless by this.

Still worried he might be mistaken, Qin Feng asked his uncle, “Did both the husband and wife go, or just my cousins?”

Uncle Zhou replied, “Both of them went.”

“Then there’s no doubt about it,” Qin Feng confirmed.

Uncle Zhou couldn’t help but sigh. “Why are all the daughters in our family like this?”

“That’s normal.”

Qin Ying’s behavior wasn’t surprising to Qin Feng. He believed that his own success — being someone who had ‘transmigrated’ and was far more capable than most — triggered Qin Ying’s subconscious envy and jealousy. With Wang Genbao encouraging her, it brought out the worst in her.

As for Uncle Zhou’s family, they had two sons. The younger one was still a student, a blank slate. The older one had always been treated well, never needing to show any ugly traits. The daughters, on the other hand, were often overlooked. Later, when the family became more financially secure, the imbalance grew. Seeing that their cousins hadn’t yet developed such selfish thoughts, it made the sisters appear even more thoughtless by comparison.

Qin Feng remarked, “You bear some responsibility too — you didn’t find them good husbands.”

Uncle Zhou sighed deeply. “We tried. But we were poor and couldn’t afford dowries. Polite, well-educated boys from decent families wouldn’t be interested in marrying our daughters, who barely had any education.”

Madam Zhou nodded. “Otherwise, why do you think I married your father?”

Old Qin, hearing this, burst out laughing in exasperation. “What does that have to do with me? How did I get dragged into this?”

Qin Feng’s aunt shot a glare at her sister-in-law.

—Why are you blurting out such harsh truths?

“We didn’t shortchange them,” Qin Feng’s aunt continued. “In our village, families like ours would normally keep the bride price money. But we didn’t take a single penny and tried our best to find them decent husbands.”

Old Qin agreed. “They had food to eat, clothes to wear, and their own homes. Even ten years ago, that wasn’t common. Even now, in our village, which is so close to the city, there are still families where several brothers live together in the same house.”

Qin Feng chuckled. “You’re talking about how things were in the past. But times have changed. Either you take them all in and give them jobs, or you let them go out and make a living on their own.”

Sending a group of clueless women out into the world would only invite trouble.

Old Qin was left speechless again.

Uncle Zhou shook his head. "I'll ask them later what they really think. If they genuinely want to work with Wang Genbao, we’ll help take care of their kids and send them to the nearby elementary school. But if they think Wang Genbao is unreliable, doesn’t that mean they’re just making small calculations and still have decent intentions?”

Qin Feng nodded. “Open a small restaurant for them. Pay the first three months of rent, teach them the cooking techniques, and let them manage it themselves.”

Uncle Zhou thought for a moment and agreed that this was the most practical solution.

Having six people run a restaurant might be a bit much, but they could divide into shifts — two people handling breakfast, and four taking care of lunch and dinner.

His own family had fewer hands, so they couldn’t offer dinner service. By 7 or 8 PM, they’d wash up and go to bed, then wake up around 3 or 4 AM to prepare porridge, buy vegetables, and steam buns.

“I’ll come by next week and talk to them,” Uncle Zhou sighed. “Running a restaurant is exhausting. You have to deal with customers all the time and develop thick skin. It’s not like when I used to play the suona at people’s events — they probably won’t be able to handle the hard work or swallow their pride.”

Qin Feng replied, “You can’t help someone forever. Take me, for example. I let the kids sell popsicles not just because they enjoy it but also to teach them life skills. Life is unpredictable. If something happens to my parents and me one day, at least they’ll have the freezer and won’t starve.”

His mother frowned, not liking what he said. “Why are you saying such things?”

“It’s true,” Qin Feng insisted. “If they’re used to interacting with people, they won’t be easily taken advantage of later on.” He added, “Uncle, my cousin is in her thirties, right?”

Uncle Zhou nodded. His daughter was older than some people’s children by twenty years. There really wasn’t much reason to worry too much about her. Besides, he had so many children that even if he spoon-fed them, he wouldn’t be able to feed them all.

“Alright, let’s do it that way. Should we go check on the kids?” Uncle Zhou asked.

Qin Feng glanced at his watch. It was 10:30 AM. “No need. We’ll go at 11:30. My eldest is responsible, and even if Miaomiao throws a tantrum crying for a popsicle, he won’t give in.”

Sure enough, Gu Wuyi hadn’t given in.

A watermelon vendor had appeared outside the staff residence gate, and the little girl immediately wanted watermelon.

The watermelons were freshly picked from the fields, with tendrils that still looked dewy — much fresher than the ones sold at the nearby market. Even Gu Wuyi was tempted.

Their neighbor, an old lady, bought two watermelons. Seeing that, Gu Wuyi thought it might be worth buying one.

But there was a problem — he didn’t know how to pick watermelons.

In his previous life, when he was poor, he never dared to buy them. Later, when he became wealthy, he just bought watermelons from supermarkets, where they were guaranteed to be good quality. There was no need to be picky.

So, he decided to follow some of the adults from the staff residence, taking Miaomiao and Fu Lingyun with him to learn how to choose watermelons from them.

Whatever the other person does, he does the same. It looks quite convincing. The watermelon farmer, initially wary, got fooled by his serious demeanor. Seeing the boy hesitate, as if worried the watermelons might not be good and planning to leave, the farmer quickly picked two large ones for him.

The gatekeeper, coming out to join the commotion, casually remarked to Gu Wuyi, “The bigger ones are sweeter.” Encouraged by this, Gu Wuyi decided to buy three watermelons.

The farmer originally thought the kids had come with an adult. But when he saw Gu Wuyi pull out money to pay, he was stunned. Even after the kids walked away, he still hadn’t fully processed what had happened. Scratching his head, he asked, “Aren’t those kids from one of your families?”

The gatekeeper chuckled. “They’re from one of our factory engineers’ families. Impressive, right? Don’t be fooled by their age. That boy is better at business than most adults. He probably makes more in a day than you do in a week.”

The farmer, surprised, asked, “What does he sell?”

“Popsicles. They bought a freezer and make them at home to sell.”

The farmer exclaimed, “Good heavens! City kids really are something else!”

A few adults picking watermelons nearby were amused by the praise. Embarrassed, they laughed, “His dad, our Engineer Qin, is from Wuli Village, just across the river.”

The farmer nodded knowingly. “Ah, then the family must have a strong foundation in education.”

The gatekeeper shook his head. “It’s not just that. Engineer Qin himself is a capable man. If the kids are this talented, it’s because of his teaching. Honestly, if my family were as well-off as his, I wouldn’t dare let kids that young run a business.”

Several workers from the Northern Railway Factory nodded in agreement. They wouldn’t have the heart to let their kids do it either.

In the past, when parents were scolding their kids to study harder, they would point at the fancy little house and say, “Look at Gu Wuyi and Gu Qingkuang!”

Now, when kids argued back, saying, “Gu Wuyi learned math from doing business! If you let us sell popsicles, we’d be just as good at math,” the parents had no comeback.

Back to the present — the Northern Railway Factory staff residence was bustling with people who had money to spend, thanks to the high wages of skilled workers. By the time Qin Feng came to check on the kids, the farmer had already sold out his cartload of watermelons.

Judging by the farmer’s smile, about half the households hadn’t bought any yet. By four or five in the afternoon, the farmer returned with another cartload, but this time he brought along a teenage boy.

The gatekeeper, escaping the heat inside, came out for some fresh air. Seeing the farmer under the shade of a tree, he joked, “What’s this? Are you trying to learn from our Engineer Qin?”

The teenager, shy and self-conscious, immediately lowered his head, embarrassed.

The gatekeeper mistook the boy’s reaction for shyness and laughed, “No need to be embarrassed! You’ll get the hang of it after a few tries.”

Just as he finished speaking, the sound of wheels rolling over the pavement reached their ears.

The gatekeeper followed the sound and saw Gu Xiao’er and Fu Lingyun pushing a freezer, while Gu Wuyi and Fu Qingyun walked on either side, making sure it didn’t veer off course. Little Miaomiao trailed behind, hugging a large money box.

“You got your dad’s permission?” The gatekeeper was surprised.

Engineer Qin really was someone who made quick decisions.

In just the time it took for a meal, he had thought it through.

Gu Wuyi explained, “A batch of new equipment just arrived at the factory. The instructions are all in English, and the workers don’t understand them, so my dad went to help. He won’t be back until evening.”

The gatekeeper stepped in to help with the freezer. "Grandpa and Grandma don't know either, right?"

“No need to bother them for something this small.”

Just then, a bus pulled up nearby. Gu Wuyi glanced over. “Miaomiao, quick!”

Qin Miaomiao handed the money box to his brother, grabbed the wooden sign from the top of the freezer, and sprinted about ten meters toward the bus stop. “Uncles and aunties, would you like to buy a popsicle to quench your thirst."

The passengers getting off the bus burst into laughter. “Little Miaomiao, you’ve brought your business right to us?”

Miaomiao’s enthusiasm deflated when he recognized them. “Oh, it’s you guys?” He turned and started to walk away in disappointment.

Wu Zheng chuckled. “The only people getting off here are from Wuli Village or the factory. It’s either us or someone else we know.”

Miaomiao stopped in his tracks. “So… are you buying or not?”

Wu Zheng hadn’t planned to buy any more popsicles from the Qin kids — after all, he was getting tired of the same flavors. But he had just eaten a mung bean popsicle before getting on the bus, and there was an odd sticky taste left in his mouth.

His wife, Xue Qing, suspected that the mung beans used weren’t good quality, or that the cooking process wasn’t right. Maybe they even used saccharin instead of real sugar. The couple decided that the homemade popsicles from the Qin kids would help get rid of that lingering taste.

With a sigh, Wu Zheng said, “Alright, I’ll buy some.”

Miaomiao lit up with joy. He held the wooden sign with one hand and dramatically waved the other. "Serving customers!"

Wu Zheng choked on his own saliva and coughed awkwardly.

Feng Mai Miao’s husband couldn’t help but scold gently, “Kids shouldn’t say things like that carelessly.”

Miaomiao, completely unfazed, grinned. “You’re right, Uncle. I won’t say it again.” He nodded earnestly without giving it a second thought.

Feng Mai Miao’s husband, Accountant Zhao, was left speechless by the scene.

Who said the youngest from Engineer Qin’s family was the cleverest and the hardest to deal with? Show yourself! Let’s have a serious talk about that right now!

Seeing his reaction, Qin Miaomiao’s eyes sparkled with realization. No wonder his dad loved being straightforward.

Turns out, taking a step back could be this satisfying too.

Dad really was amazing.

No doubt about it — he was his dad, after all.

“Uncle, how many do you want?” Without waiting for him to reply, Qin Miaomiao continued confidently, “I know Uncle Wu will want four. Your family has four members.”

The two little girls next to Wu Zheng looked up at him expectantly.

Originally, Wu Zheng hadn’t planned on letting his kids eat something cold. But with those eager little eyes staring at him, he couldn’t bring himself to say no.

His plan was completely thrown off — by a kid no less. Feeling a bit defeated, Wu Zheng playfully ruffled Miaomiao’s shaved head. “You’re so clever at such a young age. What will you be like when you grow up?”

“Thank you for the compliment, Uncle,” Miaomiao accepted the praise with a nod.

Wu Zheng was left at a loss for words and couldn’t help but pinch his soft little cheek.

Miaomiao’s good temper vanished instantly. Pointing at him, he shouted, "Petty! Vengeful! I'm going to tell my dad!"

Wu Zheng’s face turned red in embarrassment.

Xue Qing gave him a light punch on the arm, then took Miaomiao’s hand and bent down to her level. “He doesn’t know any better. Honestly, he’s not as mature as you. Auntie will apologize on his behalf.”

The little one glared at Wu Zheng and muttered, “If it weren’t for making money, I wouldn’t sell to you at all!”

Wu Zheng couldn’t help but laugh at her words. “Thank you, Miaomiao!”

Miaomiao huffed in frustration and marched back to his older brother. “Give him a bad one!”

After making popsicles for years, the brothers were pros — there were no “bad” ones.

Still, wanting to humor his little brother, Gu Wuyi picked one with a wrinkled wrapper. “This one okay?”

Miaomiao nodded in satisfaction and stretched out his hand. "Give me the money!"

Wu Zheng shook his head and handed over the money for four mung bean popsicles.

Gu Wuyi quickly shut the freezer lid.

Wu Zheng chuckled. “Do you think I’d take more than I paid for?”

Gu Wuyi explained, “Uncle, you’ve misunderstood. The freezer isn’t plugged in. If it’s left open, everything will melt in two hours.”

“Oh, I see.” Wu Zheng noticed a small blanket covering the freezer. It was an old, thin blanket that used to be wrapped around popsicles in wooden boxes. He had seen it before. “I was just wondering earlier why you’d cover a perfectly good freezer with a blanket. It looks so shabby.” He gave Wuyi a playful look and teased, “You’re getting smarter, aren’t you, young man?”

Gu Wuyi smiled shyly.

Wu Zheng and his wife took their kids for a walk. After wandering around outside for a while, they felt sticky and itchy from the heat. They soon returned to say their goodbyes, popsicles in hand.

Feng Mai Miao, however, didn’t leave right away. For one, the courtyard was cooler than the street, and for another, she and her husband hadn’t gone shopping for leisure. They had just visited the main market to buy some sweet potato starch for making jelly noodles.

The starch was placed at one end of the freezer. Accountant Zhao asked Gu Wuyi to lift the blanket so he could peek through the glass lid and see what kinds of popsicles they had.

Gu Wuyi explained, “People say mung bean popsicles cool you down, and red bean ones taste better. So we’ve only made mung bean and red bean popsicles for now. But in a few days, when it gets even hotter, we’ll make some salted water popsicles.”

Curious, Feng Mai Miao asked, “You know how to make salted water popsicles?”

“My dad knows the process and recipe,” Gu Wuyi replied, glancing at the freezer. “He taught us how to make these. If it weren’t for Grandpa saying we’re still kids and should focus on school — that selling popsicles is just a way to make money while playing — Dad would’ve gotten us a pressure cooker.”

Accountant Zhao frowned in disapproval. “Pressure cookers are dangerous. I don’t even dare to use one.”

Gu Wuyi agreed. He was especially scared of the whistling sound when the pressure cooker released steam. It was creepy. So, for once, he decided to listen to Grandpa and be a good grandson.

“Uncle Zhao, do you want some popsicles?” Wuyi asked.

Accountant Zhao shook his head. “They’re not enough to quench my thirst. Is there any space left in your freezer? I’m thinking of buying some sodas from the little store up north and chilling them in here.”

Feng Mai Miao couldn’t help but give him a look. “Aren’t you worried the bottles might freeze and burst?”

Gu Wuyi laughed. “It’s not plugged in. The glass bottles will just get cool, not freeze.”

The gatekeeper glanced two meters away and saw two watermelon farmers. One was an elderly man, probably in his fifties, and the other was a young boy who didn’t seem much older than Gu Wuyi. They looked like a struggling father-son duo.

With a bit of sympathy, the gatekeeper said, “Hey, Xiao Zhao, why not buy a watermelon instead? Why drink soda? It’s all artificial flavoring and sweeteners anyway.”

Accountant Zhao nodded. "You're right. And after drinking the soda, I'd have to return the bottles. In this heat, it's already hard enough to get motivated to go to work — what a hassle." He turned to the watermelon farmer and picked out a big watermelon. Then, he went to the gatekeeper's house to fetch some water to wash it clean. After that, he borrowed two plates from the gatekeeper’s wife, cut the watermelon in half, placed each half on a plate, and put them in the freezer.

Miaomiao couldn't help but comment, “You really know how to enjoy life.”

Accountant Zhao’s expression stiffened. Before he could say anything, the little kid piped up, “Big Brother, I want some too!”

Accountant Zhao immediately realized he had misunderstood. The kid wasn’t criticizing him — he was just envious.

“I’ll cut you a piece in a bit.”

Gu Wuyi opened the money box and took out a handful of small bills.

Miaomiao immediately grabbed his hand and followed him.

Gu Wuyi glanced at him helplessly. “Do you really think I’d trick you?”

The little boy clung to his arm. “I like you, Big Brother!”

Gu Wuyi thought to himself, Of course you do. You’re just hoping I’ll buy you some watermelon. If I don’t, I’d probably be your worst enemy.

“Wait for me, Big Brother!” Gu Xiao'er hurried after them.

Accountant Zhao asked, “Are you all done with your business?”

“Third Brother, Fourth Brother, it’s up to you now,” Gu Xiao'er said with a wave, then quickened his pace to catch up.

In front of outsiders, Fu Qingyun had become much bolder. “I’m coming too! Fourth Brother, you’re in charge!” he said, giving his brother a pat on the shoulder before following the others.

Fu Lingyun watched them with envy.

Feng Mai Miao couldn’t help but laugh. “Ah, they’re still kids at heart.”

Realizing he wasn’t a “real” kid anymore, Fu Lingyun immediately stopped staring and tried to act more mature.

But his attempt to seem grown-up only made Feng Mai Miao laugh harder. “I’ll go take a look too.”

Accountant Zhao glanced at her in surprise.

Feng Mai Miao explained, “That watermelon won’t be enough for all the kids at home. That one looked pretty fresh — let’s buy two more and save them for tomorrow.”

The gatekeeper chimed in, “They grow them themselves. They already sold a whole truckload this morning at the gate.”

Feng Mia Miao didn’t hesitate any longer and quickly walked over to the donkey cart. “ Xiao Wuyi, pick one that’s not too big or too small. You kids shouldn’t eat too much cold stuff.”

There were still two big watermelons at home, and Gu Wuyi knew that ripe watermelons wouldn’t last more than two days. “Got it. Is it still the same price as this morning?”

The old farmer smiled and nodded, picking out a medium-sized, round watermelon that looked perfectly ripe.

Feng Mia Miao, unaware of what had happened earlier that morning, thought Gu Wuyi didn’t know how to pick watermelons. She took it from him, patted it approvingly, and handed it to the farmer. “This one’s good!”

The farmer weighed the watermelon and called to his son. “Xiao Bo, take the payment.”

Gu Wuyi’s brow furrowed — Xiao Bo? That name sounded familiar.

Could it be someone he knew from his past life?

“He’s called Xiao Bo too?” Gu Wuyi asked as he handed over the money, eyeing the boy, who looked like he had just entered middle school and wasn’t much older than him.

Unfortunately, there was no trace of recognition in his mind.

The old farmer nodded instinctively. “You know someone called Xiao Bo?”

“No, my name is Gu Wuyi.” Gu Wuyi, confident that his younger brothers wouldn’t know, made up a story. “I used to have a classmate at Fifth Primary School named Zhao Xiaobo.”

The farmer chuckled. “We’re from the countryside. My son’s name is Lin Xiaobo.”

Even though Gu Wuyi had mentally prepared himself, he almost lost his composure.

Lin Xiaobo.

If he remembered correctly, this boy would one day become the secretary to Provincial Governor Cheng. But at this time, that future governor was still working in a city very close to Gangcheng.

Gu Wuyi had never met Lin Xiaobo in person, but he knew a lot about him — gossip about the governor’s inner circle had circulated widely in the business community.

One of the most sensational rumors was that Governor Cheng’s marriage was purely political, with no real affection between him and his wife. Supposedly, they lived separate lives, and the governor sought relationships elsewhere. To avoid scandals, he supposedly targeted someone close to him. How else could the son of an ordinary farmer surpass so many second-generation elites to become the governor’s most trusted aide?

Later, Lin Xiaobo mysteriously disappeared. Rumor had it that Governor Cheng’s powerful father-in-law discovered their secret relationship and had Lin Xiaobo quietly “dealt with.”

This bizarre rumor made Gu Wuyi certain that Governor Cheng must have offended someone powerful. Either they couldn’t take him down directly or didn’t have enough leverage, so they spread disgusting rumors to tarnish his reputation.

Years later, while watching the news in prison, Gu Wuyi saw that Lin Xiaobo had resurfaced as a deputy county magistrate in another province. That confirmed Wuyi’s theory — Lin Xiaobo was indeed the governor’s most trusted aide.

After all, only a true confidant would be given the opportunity to start building their political achievements in their early thirties.

Gu Wuyi paid attention to this person because he was the senior brother of the famous lawyer from the Chu family, and the two had a good relationship. He had been framed and sent to prison in the capital, and his old friends from Binhai City  dared not help him. They only dared to visit him in prison because they were intimidated by the fact that this person was the governor’s trusted aide.

At this point, Lin Xiaobo seemed completely different from the deputy county magistrate on TV. Gu Wuyi, unsure whether he was mistaken, cautiously asked, “Your son looks like a good student. Does he study well?”

Feng Mai Miao laughed.

Gu Wuyi was puzzled.

Feng Mia Miao stopped laughing and said, “You always get first place in every exam, and you’re calling someone else a good student?”

The "pretend child" Gu Wuyi blushed. “I—I was told by Grandpa that I’m quick-witted because I sell popsicles.”

Feng Mia Miao didn’t believe him, but since Gu Wuyi had said it, she couldn’t help but eye the boy collecting the money. “He does look quite honest.”

The old farmer proudly added, “This child doesn’t talk much, just like a bride getting into the sedan chair. He’s a good student. His teacher says he’ll get into the best school in the city.”

Feng Mia Miao exclaimed, “The best school is hard to get into.”

Lin Xiaobo had initially felt embarrassed about selling things, but when he saw a few kids younger than him who weren’t ashamed and even dared to speak up, he replied, “It’s not that bad.”

Feng Mia Miao was surprised, opening her mouth in astonishment.

Gu Xiao'er couldn’t help but shout, “Study prodigy!”

Fu Qingyun, who had also never finished middle school in his past life, admired those who excelled in studies. “Impressive!”

Lin Xiaobo’s face turned slightly red from the praise.

Gu Wuyi still needed to confirm something. “You’re definitely going to university. What are you planning to study?”

The farmer had hoped his son would have a stable job, like being a doctor or a teacher. Now he realized being an engineer was also impressive. “Your dad, Engineer Qin, is amazing, too.”

Lin Xiaobo furrowed his brow slightly.

Feng Mia Miao noticed this and said, “It still depends on what the child is interested in. Otherwise, they won’t learn well.”

Seeing his son’s expression, the farmer worried he wouldn’t study well and could only answer honestly, “He wants to study law. In the past, wasn't that just being a litigious person in the past?" He glanced at his son and said with disdain, “I don’t know what’s so good about it.”

Gu Wuyi was certain now; unless there was some mistake, this Lin Xiaobo was indeed the Lin Xiaobo he had been thinking of.

He had never met Lin Xiaobo in person before, but now, not only had he seen him, he was seeing the young Lin Xiaobo. Did this mean that the Chu family had found that great lawyer earlier than expected?

In his past life, that lawyer had only been found by the Chu family when he was about to graduate.

If the Chu family had found him earlier, with their financial power, it was very likely they could have trained him to become even more impressive.

The Chu family’s business was spread all over the country, and finding someone like him would have been easy. His kidneys were very suitable for the Chu family’s daughter, and he had to choose a profession that outsiders couldn't easily access.

Thinking about this, Gu Wuyi felt more at ease.

To reassure himself further, he said, “Grandpa, studying law doesn’t just mean becoming a lawyer, you can also work in public prosecution or law enforcement.”

The farmer looked at his son.

Young Lin Xiaobo only knew that being a lawyer sounded impressive.

The farmer understood his son well and, seeing his reaction, decided for him, “In the future, become a judge at the court.”

Gu Wuyi added silently in his mind, it would be best if he stayed in the capital, so that the Chu family wouldn’t have any ties to his home base in Binhai City.

Young Lin Xiaobo imagined being a judge—it sounded pretty cool. “That’s fine too.”

Gu Wuyi couldn't help but smile, feeling in a great mood. “Grandpa, please pick a slightly smaller one.”

Feng Mai Miao asked, “Can you finish it?”

Gu Wuyi replied, “We’ll cut it in half and eat it with spoons. I’ll share one half with Miaomiao, Qingyun and Lingyun will have half each, Xiao'er will have a smaller half, and the last small piece is for my dad.”

Gu Xiao'er immediately said, “I’ll go home and get spoons.”

Gu Wuyi paid, handed the small melon to Fu Qingyun, and then took Miaomiao to the gatekeeper’s house.

The farmer couldn’t help but tell Feng Mai Miao, “City kids really know a lot. They’re so young and already know about judges.”

Feng Mai Miao proudly responded, “That’s because you don’t know. His dad was one of the first group of students sent abroad after our country resumed the college entrance exams. He stayed abroad for six years, earned a Phd! He’s the youngest and most highly educated engineer at our Northern Railway Factory.”

The farmer was stunned.

He, a common peasant who scratched out a living in the dirt, actually knew the son of someone from the lofty heights of the elite.

"Oh my God!" The old farmer managed to squeeze out these three words after a long silence, his heart filled with countless emotions, but he couldn’t find another word to say.

Feng Mai Miao had seen similar situations many times before and found them interesting every time. She felt proud. "The key is, he’s good-hearted too. Of those five children, four of the older ones were adopted by him."

Young Lin Xiaobo was also shocked, unable to believe it.

Feng Mai Miao felt she had boasted enough. "I should head home now."

The old watermelon farmer muttered softly after she walked away, "There’s always someone better, right? Don’t get too proud just because you’re good at studying. Look at their kids. If you didn’t know any better, you’d think their dads are just like yours."

"As the old saying goes, 'A full bottle doesn’t make a sound, but a half-empty bottle clinks.' You’re the half-empty bottle—too ashamed to even sell watermelon with me. Those kids of theirs, though, they’re the full bottle."

The young boy nodded obediently, without any sign of impatience.

The old watermelon farmer, seeing his son behave so well, was very pleased and gave him two dimes. "Go buy some popsicles and chat with them more. Learn from them. I saw that the older one doesn’t look much younger than you. You might even end up at the same school someday."

Young Lin Xiaobo took the money, and when Gu Wuyi and the others came out, he went to buy the popsicles. "What school do you go to?"

Gu Wuyi paused, and when he saw Lin Xiaobo looking at him, he realized he was being asked a question. "I’m just starting middle school. My dad says I’m still young, so I’ll go to No. 2 High School first, then move to No. 1 for high school."

Lin Xiaobo nodded. "I’ll be in the third year of highschool when school starts." After taking the change and popsicles, he walked away.

Gu Wuyi stood there, a bit confused, and turned to his younger brothers, asking uncertainly, "What does he mean?"

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