Da Ge

Chapter 30
“Canghai Hengliu, Fangxian Yingxiong Bense.” – Guo Moruo.vRqbPhAlxVtTabiaSfRLnerNXssgOb

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Those two years of life were almost calm and smooth.JfQEqLfAEmnbzmyNYjbhCIiqaOEGRi

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Wei Qian entered the final year of high school with the highest grades in the class. Every time he saw himself in the school uniform in the mirror, the words “nothing special” involuntarily came to his mind.tHohbESzTesEWCavQHYLJVhatmnYSL

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The heavy workload compressed his leisure time, but it couldn’t suppress his burning desire for wealth. His summer and winter vacations, as well as all weekends, were devoted to the great career of working—among which, the most lucrative position was undoubtedly his experience working part-time at Lao Xiong’s pharmacy.bfRYnxdflLAWtRzDodWmJKmGybthdy

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Lao Xiong’s name was shamelessly bold, called “Xiong Yingjun.” Every time people called his name, they couldn’t help but want to add a “pah” behind it, so eventually, no one called him by that name anymore.bybJrKiDtCsIRxfsjQlsoFVDacDPuP

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When he was young, others called him Little Xiong, but unfortunately, he didn’t remain “Little Xiong” for long. Despite being only thirty-something years old, he looked ten years older, naturally becoming “Lao Xiong.”ORMOSRXiDysqkOwOaCtFsiKURYAnee

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Lao Xiong was a very irregular second-generation rich, sticking his nose into everything, wanting to meddle in everything. Unfortunately, he couldn’t be in multiple places at once, so he often disappeared without a trace. The pharmacy was often left unattended, requiring someone to help manage it. During the summer vacation, Lao Xiong coincidentally hired Wei Qian as a part-time worker and left the pharmacy in his hands, disappearing without a trace. Wei Qian became the store manager, cashier, accountant, and janitor all at once for two months until Lao Xiong finally returned.HhhqJLRcNjXUeulZmsOPCnPhjNQEoY

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Upon meeting, Lao Xiong handed Wei Qian a salary of five thousand yuan.TuLzglCIvPatBfoXRSEhyWXpkOephg

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The previously agreed-upon one thousand yuan per month had been forgotten by Lao Xiong!VYnrOKohvRskIVMWPnkjTaJbRtTaEo

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Wei Qian was initially taken aback and almost felt embarrassed to accept it—whether the rundown pharmacy could even make a profit of four thousand yuan in two months was uncertain. However, he eventually accepted it. Wei Qian realized that suckers like himself, always ready to be swindled, were just giving gifts to those rich people who deserved to be burned.AcwjljWKYgKFefVaUAwceIUDQuegqh

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There was no need to waste any guilt on such rich people who deserved to be burned.QzDUIIcKWILmqLsLSpLBRvcRaWbvnu

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While Wei Zhiyuan diligently studied for a year, he directly skipped a grade and entered the graduating class. It seemed like he was determined to fulfill the promises he made to his older brother through tears late at night in a foreign land. Ever since returning from the south, he had been meticulously preparing for this.bNiyTeRjqzGdUhBvCEBcpjTjYGBJZe

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Wei Zhiyuan’s heart and body were growing impatiently.kIOIIytoGSDOunuXxoiMddGoMtALEE

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Skipping a grade was something the young lad applied for himself, without informing his family beforehand. He acted first and sought forgiveness later. However, Wei Qian didn’t say much even after finding out. Though he didn’t mention it verbally, Wei Qian was aware. With Wei Zhiyuan’s intelligence and the same level of schooling as Xiao Bao, it did seem a bit unfair to the child.ebysdFtmNaGOjzbutOfvqsdqfZaZiT

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While Xiao Bao was still struggling through fifth grade, Wei Zhiyuan had already entered the graduating class.meNqUtzuvpKcXRjrtxMdqNtcRumdrC

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Normally, girls would grow taller before boys, but it was the opposite in their family.uDnjvXXcGbQBEqJXxXgGPgHbWKapVs

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In the time it took for Xiao Bao to grow from a little girl to her current stature, Wei Zhiyuan had only needed half a year to shoot up from just above Wei Qian’s chest to nearly touching his older brother’s nose.ZJeJuDhexrPjtXlBndSSygqeuUSTUN

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His increasingly monstrous appetite matched his rapid growth. The whole family used regular rice bowls, but Wei Zhiyuan was given a large soup bowl instead.BgJiAcsGdraVSwbwRvtZlGTPmiOqJh

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The soup bowl was larger than his face. Once, when San Pang came to their house for dinner, he was truly astonished. He witnessed Wei Zhiyuan devouring two full bowls of rice piled high and finishing it off with a bowl of vegetable soup. He nervously asked, “Little brother, are you full?”eyiwkGjUAQstdAkiJPZdzCgrVRtEol

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After wiping his mouth, Wei Zhiyuan replied with dignity, “Almost, about seventy to eighty percent. I’m going for a run tonight, so I’ll stop here for today.”frBwmnoaLceTxcHYzyrnAdMYxewFQI

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San Pang tearfully complained to Wei Qian, “Why does this kid eat twice as much as me in one meal and still isn’t even half as fat as I am?”IWUZlkbWjLdhVKJIcmAXKBAhWtKREq

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Without lifting his head, Wei Qian replied, “Because you’re old, and your metabolism has slowed down, San Pang.”sYeSxCVEwkteMsvNdXOYvHfcwChDdM

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Feeling utterly defeated by the blunt truth of being both old and fat, San Pang silently walked away.WKhYuNEmMkDvlwByVbWPDYnlkSFsMJ

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Wei Qian was already accustomed to Wei Zhiyuan’s bottomless appetite. He knew that after Wei Zhiyuan finished his run, he could still devour a dry steamed bun along with a glass of water.TNHzAwomJbvHBBCNsQDChliqspWJHJ

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This kid’s eating capacity surpassed that of all humanity; he could turn any leftovers into crumbs.LYHZdxpoYGYdBPRrGNgsQxLlMfKsdX

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In comparison, Xiao Bao was a cause for concern. She started school late, and when standing next to her classmates, she seemed even younger.KbUOBBXqLNvBILEnzzPLAXVILppoaP

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Xiao Bao’s growth process was extremely peculiar. From puberty until her twenties, she maintained a steady growth of two centimeters per year, neither fast nor slow.TlrJsjcNjkNLZYCsRerRAsrRziEfWB

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At twelve or thirteen, Xiao Bao resembled a malnourished little cabbage. Wei Qian once doubted whether she would remain like this her whole life, barely reaching womanhood. However, by the time she reached fifteen or sixteen, when most girls stopped growing taller, she slowly caught up, inch by inch. When she finally matured, she was no shorter than anyone else.cjKVlJIVrMkAHXSeOJrucdOCpoIMEl

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In the year leading up to the college entrance exam, Song Lao Tai practically treated Wei Qian like an emperor, constantly showering him with attention and inquiries in her unique, incessant manner.JcFLTZqSIiiruytaDJRMdJspEMRuKZ

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But Wei Qian was annoyed to the point of wishing he could sentence her to death with a single bamboo board.VshbaDENjxqGViccAchsbobZagfymI

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But every weekend, when a pot of chicken soup was served, and he watched as the old lady urged him to take a few more sips like she was serving him during his confinement period, Wei Qian couldn’t stay mad at her.GsFukKwYfPfpuMUqGMYSBqbSnJPuka

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For a while, Song Lao Tai, somehow deceived, got involved with a local MLM group, attending meetings daily to learn about various health products and their prices.kmvlMVmzFeMkjxkjETfUJQStTEQUbw

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It seemed like she was determined to turn Wei Qian’s single brain into two with each snap of her fingers.lXanmDliZAWswUoALnpQzOsEuWGhfC

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…Fortunately, when it came time to pay, San Pang’s mother saw what was happening. She quickly informed Wei Qian, who rushed to the scene of the health product seminar and brought Song Lao Tai back home.RZZzCzVkKJmAaVwlPSKqKZNmGhJvHB

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As they left, the true nature of the MLM group thugs was revealed. Seeing that they weren’t making any sales, a bespectacled salesman blocked their way, but Song Lao Tai, still oblivious, cheerfully introduced Wei Qian, “This is my eldest grandson, who is about to take the college entrance exam. His grades are excellent, and I wanted to buy him some of that ‘brain-enhancing’ product…”grgUHjuCxkDCNDnUkDltSktCQwRjvi

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Wei Qian interrupted, “Shut up, just shut up.”SbtzqWiIzyUrVCWsRFolfjMgPpRIed

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The pushy salesman, though thuggish in style, was perhaps a bit slow on the uptake. Before he could understand what was happening, he hastily began trying to brainwash Wei Qian, his lips moving rapidly as he said, “Classmate, our product has been patented and approved by relevant departments in the United States. After one course of treatment, your memory can improve by eighty percent…”bpuFLLjMILwCPUfLxXcYbWJYbHuXDv

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Wei Qian looked at him coldly. “I don’t need a course of treatment. A brick is enough to ensure you’ll live forever in the memory of the people.”elWacCElzTdQtCqHKjDROigcwUpWKB

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His menacing demeanor made the bespectacled salesman, who had been swindling and deceiving all along, swallow hard and take a step back. But Wei Qian found him still blocking the way, so with a quick motion, he pushed the man onto his haunches and grabbed the increasingly nervous old lady, leading her away.HMLxZVhIeJBFlqylKmncRVOLJcFwZG

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The chaos stirred up by Song Lao Tai left the whole family in disarray and anxiety. Wei Qian couldn’t help but feel that if he hadn’t been a poor child forced to mature early, with a tumultuous youth and a strong will, she would have driven him mad.BETAPmDnUggGLQpRLymhbGnEhbDrJE

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In early April of that year, while Wei Qian was studying in the classroom, Teacher Li came in and called him out.PLWMOWIWoojlNvmIdvKmDpDIShEVFs

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Wei Qian, who slept less than four or five hours a day and rushed through meals hurriedly, sometimes even eating while walking or solving problems on the way, had noticeably lost weight. Standing in front of the teacher, his school uniform looked loose on his tall, sturdy frame.jSvlDlHnLtmrtgxnQhjylJeLPhZFbU

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Since the second half of his sophomore year, Teacher Li had made him class monitor, perhaps because of his experiences outside of school. He appeared mature and had a knack for managing the mischievous boys in the class, who all seemed to listen to him.CveGwDadmouUJLxlQdTjiLmPkMSMAk

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Comparing Wei Qian’s age with Teacher Li’s own child, Teacher Li couldn’t help but feel sorry for him.JsfZkneZjpZfQRuHIWpwLoiTZztqJs

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Teacher Li called him out into the corridor and said, “We are in the key class, you know that, right? Every year, our school’s key class has a quota for outstanding student cadres. This year, the quota is for University A, which is a good school and also a local university. Considering your family situation, staying local for school would be convenient for you. What do you think? Would you like to go?”UoyPyVDyqBVysbeLxKikjLRyblrzQs

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Wei Qian was stunned for a good half minute before hesitantly asking, “N-No, Teacher… Are you saying… you want to recommend me for it?”uXrelskerNofqYHiKzNazHZzpseGFq

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Teacher Li chuckled at his reaction, good-naturedly responding, “Why else would I be asking you?”LyrUZEvvnbCMvffebMhnQRNiqxTUdP

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This news dumbfounded Wei Qian. He had never imagined such an opportunity would fall into his lap.GeTRvyhYLQmwkhczXLNuOogMwKWPxC

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His early exposure to the diverse aspects of society had cultivated a gloomy and cynical worldview. Although with age and experience, the radicalism of his youth had softened, Wei Qian still deeply believed in one principle – for someone like him, from his background, to succeed, he had to be fiercer and work harder than everyone else. Besides himself, there was no one else to rely on.DHNGadVOCfOqFzZLbnnnjAXikWHlmY

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Wei Qian had never considered that a reserved spot for university could fall into his lap.JKtYXGuTcdQVAySpfyaUfhUUKiQnmZ

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“I…” Wei Qian was at a loss for words, a jumble of thoughts swirling in his mind. He forced himself to appear composed as he asked Teacher Li, “So… so it’s okay for me? Others don’t have any objections? Other students, or students from other classes…”HsvlWyShJPPJwdiCCIbtLxYHuQWRHZ

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Teacher Li replied, “Why wouldn’t it be okay? The decision for the reserved spot isn’t solely up to me. It’s discussed and decided upon by the grade level team, then reviewed by the head teacher, and finally signed off by the principal. The document just arrived in my office with the principal’s signature. Do you want to take a look?”zZrbmDxFyZEwNKjTSssCIbCvQFIUNT

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Wei Qian fell into silence for a long while. Countless thoughts swirled within him, but they all got stuck in his throat. He lowered his head before his head teacher, who was a whole head shorter than him, clenched his fists, and after a long moment, he bit his lip and uttered in a suppressed voice, “Thank you, Teacher.”PbAHrhQLQkLVcnsbpHveWrRfEgCvZZ

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Teacher Li sighed as she looked at him. She had never left the school her entire life, and yet the ups and downs she experienced paled in comparison to this child’s. She couldn’t quite figure out what she should say to him, what she could say to him.RTHpNnpIgcmAdNBETECukzgOEDLHji

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After a while, Teacher Li carefully spoke in a soft tone, “You have talent, and what’s even more commendable is your willingness to work harder than others. I have high expectations for you, so I hope you can become a good person. Do you understand what I mean?”OEjRicJiInthSZHtHbtbshccZPnmlC

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Wei Qian nodded and replied in a low voice, “I understand. You mean that taking the right path is harder than taking the wrong one.”CLvpWztMVEUvyhKixoqnQoRwBynmEB

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Because taking the right path is harder than taking the wrong one, those who take the right path are stronger than those who don’t.oJAmoJmwldcNcbqFcNEIwlcJzdALfA

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This was a firsthand experience shared by everyone who had struggled between two paths.lHkqvISernTVhVINPdLAXdqYigLyDL

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And isn’t it true that people are always striving to become a stronger version of themselves?gUZLHtUDCOzSqFPoVoNeLkzIRuygbn

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Teacher Li pushed her glasses up. “As long as you understand in your heart, I won’t say more. Go back now. Come to my office during evening self-study, fill out a few forms, and once you’re done, you can go back and discuss with your family which major to choose.”pBqNvKVyhazxcVInYJgLRJzlRHgPGd

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That’s how Wei Qian’s high school career, which lasted only a year and a half, ended abruptly, both inexplicably and joyously.kRwxYLFCmLobBetKAFIbJVxLDKgibe

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He quickly submitted the forms, sought Teacher Li’s opinion, and chose the popular major of life sciences—although at the time, computer science was the hottest major. Unfortunately, computer science had higher tuition fees compared to other majors, and it required students to have their own computers. Wei Qian was somewhat reluctant to bear the additional costs.CvWPfvsYVEBxbnxAgTpzImWVUXXYGM

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So, he officially became a prospective college student. As Wei Qian left the school, the large cherry blossom tree at the entrance was in full bloom. He stood there for a moment, truly buried under the falling petals.woWfQYfDKbqBTheTgyJOedcMqkhJlf

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Wei Qian wandered aimlessly at home for two days, pacifying the almost heart-attack-inducing excitement of Auntie Song. Finally, he remembered to check on the two little rascals left to their own devices.uOxAoGGQxWxToQInSIXtCaGQvhABcO

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He noticed a subtle change in his little sister’s behavior while she was doing her homework. Previously, when she couldn’t solve a problem, she would fiddle with her fingers. Now, she had started using the pen to twirl around her hair, then pinching it to secure the twist. A strand of hair would temporarily form a small curly wave, and she would admire herself for a moment before returning to her homework.NAaVIXDgQrKertSrcwXoYLUuMhDKFJ

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Wei Qian took note and realized that his sister had become interested in her appearance.WcFcifOhAnRPTgGMPzBVTxikWAQJPu

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When she was younger, Little Bao loved to sleep in and hated waking up early. Wei Qian would have to drag her out of bed and forcefully splash cold water on her face by the sink. Now, she washed her face without any reminders. On weekends at home, she would wash her face multiple times a day, spending ages in front of the bathroom mirror each time.sseCLrnhOqkeXgwdpryTJSckpMMPQU

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The transformation in girls was like a whole new level of “metamorphosis” in biology. They could change so drastically that they appeared completely different.uEeNcqrdCvhehTMxQFdMDEZxkogjHw

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From the dark monkey-like appearance she had as a child, Song Xiao Bao was now undergoing a transformation, becoming fairer. Her eyes elongated, growing long and thick eyelashes. Although her nose bridge remained low, it no longer appeared flat as the cartilage took shape. Below her lips, a small chin emerged. Wei Qian was amazed to discover that she was like a caterpillar, swiftly heading towards becoming a butterfly. He could already see the beginnings of a little beauty emerging.oVUSmvMkNNZUoIXIZBruVGPRgOUrkJ

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However, to her warlord-like older brother, these budding changes meant nothing at all.VKUWIHJOZigQtTmaWhRDAbYkJUGjIi

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In Wei Qian’s eyes, Song Xiao Bao was still “half a person.” Before these little rascals grew up, they were all in a state of neither being male nor female, without any real gender.JrJQgLgUqsSKPoZYuvBVZeYlnlRGLn

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With no breasts and no buttocks, she was like a bean sprout, and Wei Qian couldn’t understand what there was to admire about her.yjCQvZoPVELFykUoTZjNwfNMIrYqPE

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He firmly believed that aside from wasting time and affecting her studies, there was no benefit to Xiao Bao’s vanity.bhvohjwBnqRgPVGQPpIpadhyxpMMPH

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So, upon seeing Xiao Bao twirling her hair with a pen again, he walked into her room and had a serious talk with her, in the manner of Jia Zheng to Jia Bao Yu… No, he unilaterally scolded the girl once more, even confiscating a small bottle of nail polish he found on Xiao Bao’s desk.HGihMyEDCjuSGxLWPxmCwTBrtzfbzY

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Finally, he arbitrarily decreed that Xiao Bao was not allowed to spend more than one minute each day looking in the mirror.kYOgXHNLziSlQRpNELSNUTNgXYBPpJ

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Xiao Bao felt extremely wronged. For the first time, she harbored rebellious feelings towards her older brother. Yet, Wei Qian still found it insufficient. Before leaving, he leaned against the doorframe, turning back with a stern tone, “Oh, by the way, I noticed that other girls in your school have cut their hair short. Why don’t you do the same? It will save you time in the morning, and I heard that long hair absorbs nutrients, affecting the brain.”ZbHgHSWLXNjQOFdbjiLiYVzTiexlAG

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This remark sparked intense resistance from Song Xiao Bao. She jumped up, bravely facing her brother and shouting, “I’m not cutting my hair! I refuse! If you cut my hair, you might as well cut off my head!”bDqgbOqbqaFHcwahvupCjhfZtnlvUp

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Wei Qian was momentarily stunned, surprised at how important her hair was to her. Before he could reprimand her, Xiao Bao was frightened by her own audacity and burst into tears.MpWKLDTCvdiefOhxElggDsQwqJUNRm

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Wei Qian sighed, feeling helpless, and adopted a stern expression. “Stop crying. If you keep crying, I’ll give you something to cry about.”GAbeIdhfEYriCTgEmNjNhZTQeCEpak

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He came up with a compromise and gave Song Xiao Bao a suspended sentence: “Fine, based on your grades and performance. If you decline by the end of the term, don’t argue with me. I’ll promptly cut off your hair, got it?”uitmRyAwIvfDgzjgWFTaYMJWfCTjbV

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Song Xiao Bao, sniffling, asked, “Cut… cut what kind?”XvWCKvpjvFMOHXqJEbTrxfqyaHREEZ

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Wei Qian replied without much thought, “Just cut it all to the same length, like a bob, it’ll be cooler.”cJcwzJmWsUESeuCBRqJWPfHIsbnpSh

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Song Xiao Bao imagined what it would be like to have a bob cut, and it frightened her to the core. From that moment on, she entered the most diligent period of studying in her life, determined to defend the territory of her little head, refusing to fall into her big brother’s clutches.jWjazXQErZCFsuYnBefwKnTFPpXtwd

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As Wei Qian exited Song Xiao Bao’s room, he was bumped by Wei Zhi Yuan coming out of the kitchen. Wei Zhi Yuan’s forehead almost collided with his nose, and he quickly leaned against the wall beside him to avoid it.RmrWnGSIDfuCekAtCbnmcPboClWBdH

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Wei Zhi Yuan muttered “Brother” in a muffled voice—he was starting to experience voice cracks, his throat uncomfortable, so he had to lower his voice an octave lower, sounding surprisingly deep like a grown man.PTaCxpUKefvDqNPbpDHGRynvtUnHaF

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Wei Qian was momentarily stunned, remembering when he first picked him up, he wasn’t even tall enough to stand, and now he had grown into half a young man.qbUBxkfqFqgBnJOscrBCZcUHMWQqGv

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The two brothers still lived together, but Wei Zhi Yuan had stopped snuggling into his arms, and even if he wanted to, he couldn’t fit anymore.gwMyPdNxgEAHmyMuqHLhXWyfZCjPiH

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Truly… where there’s a sprout, there’s no worry about growth.MzYFmgRhYdmuCXDsVWoOccQQZCYwLN

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Wei Qian remembered the task given by Auntie Song, asking him to buy some eggs wholesale from the suburban area. So, he dragged out his bicycle and headed towards the chicken farm in the suburbs. On his way back, he happened to pass by Old Bear’s shop and saw Old Bear directing a few young men to load luggage onto a car, as if they were going on a long journey.nhAznUgXrdlXHKCSHehOOMNZtXsIfK

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Wei Qian stopped to greet him, “Old Bear, are you being sent somewhere to help with poverty alleviation?”PmqnxGZjwuTmdLdphJFpgsNCTlCHff

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The boss Bear glanced at him and said slowly, “The dog’s mouth can’t spit out ivory.”zSirezaACoSVbGjKxXbJyiEyqPnkaU

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Wei Qian hopped off his bike and parked it aside, “Alright, where are you going to make your fortune this time?”IPCDyteOJLwNvMCZEQbmVgUBVrvDkz

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Old Bear replied, “Around the time of the summer solstice, it’s the season for harvesting Cordyceps. I’m planning to go to Tibet to deal in some Tibetan medicine. Oh right, I was just thinking of finding you. Are you still looking for part-time work on weekends? Do you have time to help me watch the store?”VPrmPZBHLEJEIXXgXANAHGgEWdmNDk

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Wei Qian’s mind raced. Two years ago, he brought back thirty thousand yuan, and after Auntie Song’s frugal management and their efforts to find odd jobs to supplement the household income, they still had twenty-two thousand left… most of which went to Auntie Ma.BWjGIwyYqzgiDQtsGIOtcEFtbJyLVG

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Eighteen thousand… Would it be enough for him to hitch a ride with Old Bear and try his hand at some small business?QlBGILEWPvBVJQvXoqQdqBUDXMmfwZ

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