Chapter Seventy-Four: New Year, Memories

  What Chen said was true, if you had to face a stunning beauty every night and suck on her fingers, it would be strange if you could bear it.

  "No way, one person can't be as fast as two people. You've taken all the advantage, and now you're not even willing to help me with a small favor." Chao Xiaoyu said, looking out the window.

  Fortunately, there were not many people in the book house. Apart from Chen Jiu Chao and Xiao Yu, there was also Yi Xiao Xiao and Chen Yi. Otherwise, the next day, the academy would have stirred up a huge storm. The female teacher's favor was taken by a student, which is absolutely a shocking scandal.

  Chen Yi quietly gave Chen Jiu a thumbs up while tidying up the desk, and Yi Xiao's face turned somewhat pale, not looking too good.

  "Give me a massage tonight, I've been working so hard every day, this is considered a reward for me."

  Chao Xiao Yu turned his head and looked at Chen Jiu for a moment, then tilted his head and said, "Deal".

  "See you later, see you later, brother Chen Yi!" After saying that, Chen Jiu directly pulled Zhao Xiaoyu's hand and walked outside, even sucking on his fingers. What's the big deal about holding hands?

  New Year's is everyone's favorite day, kids get red envelopes and adults can improve their diet a bit.

  Chen Jiuyi wore a purple robe and stood by the window on the third floor, looking out at the crowd in the distance across the street.

  Chao Xiao Yu rarely changed into a set of women's clothes, brocade hat and sable coat, white dress as snowy, like an elf in the mortal world, a fairy from heaven.

  Looking at Chen Jiu's somewhat dull eyes, Chao Xiao Yu smiled complacently, revealing two rows of white teeth. Chen Jiu was stunned for a moment, then unnaturally turned his head to look at the scenery outside.

  "Ha ha, what's so funny? Does it look good?"

  Nor does he know whether it's asking about the outside scenery or his own face.

  "Looks good" Chen Jiuxin said absent-mindedly, but after the words came out, he explained: "I mean the outside scenery looks good, not you".

  This remark caused even greater misunderstanding, and Chao Xiao Yu's tears began to flow.

  Chen Jiu turned his head and shouted loudly towards the outside: "Fei Yan, Fei Yan, you dead girl, where have you run off to?"

  "Master, Master I'm here."

  A figure in a pink new dress, with two pigtails on her head, holding an apple that had been bitten more than half, came bouncing and jumping up.

  Chen Ji rubbed the temples of Fei Yan: "Today, my first floor has a discount. This young master will compose a poem. As long as someone can surpass this young master in literary elegance, they can eat for free for a day."

  "Good, good, I can hear the young master recite poetry again!" Fei Yan said happily.

  Xiao Yu's eyes sparkled: "Little wine, can you make poetry?"

  Chen Jiu gazed out at the car's window at the festive scene and smiled lightly: "Let's make this New Year's Eve our theme."

  "Don't worry about the cold, it will pass; what's important is that you arrive early."

  "The wind blows open the jade steps of plum blossoms, and the fragrance wafts from the golden incense burner."

  "The pheasant's teeth are glad to be an adult, but the white hair is even older."

  "Time flies like an arrow, and good times are long and peaceful."

  "Alright, girl, go and hang up the poem now. Remember, it must be on the theme of New Year's Eve," said Chen Jiudao.

  The little girl's eyes sparkled with delight, and she excitedly hugged Chen's poem and ran downstairs. She turned to Xiao Yu and teased: "I really didn't expect that you would have such talent! This poem may not be the best, but it's already excellent."

  "Conceding, conceding, all these are good teachings from the master."

  "Smooth talker, asking for a beating." Chao Xiao Yu made a gesture as if he wanted to hit him.

  Chen Jiuyi sneered: "You're the one who taught him to be oily-mouthed and smooth-tongued, aren't you?"

  "You," Chao Xiao Yu's face turned red with rage, and he directly threw a fireball over.

  "Hey, hey, don't set fire to my wine shop!" Chen Jiu hastily said.

  "Master, there's a group of scholars outside looking for you. They said there's a poetry gathering tonight and asked if you'd like to go," the young servant downstairs yelled at the top of his lungs.

  "What's the point of going out? It's New Year's Day and you're not staying home with family, gathering together. Why go out? I'm just saying I won't go."

  "After saying that, Chen Jiuyi was stunned: 'Family, do I still have family?'"

  Perhaps Pangzi and Zhong Shu are, but they are not around at the moment. After a few days, I will send them a letter to tell them my thoughts.

  "Chen Jiu, what's wrong?" Chao Xiaoyu looked at Chen Jiu with low emotions and asked.

  "Do I still have a home? The whole world is without relatives."

  The atmosphere froze for a moment, and after a while, Chen Jiu looked at Chao Xiaoyu: "It's New Year's, why haven't you gone home yet?"

  "My home is quite far from here, I won't be able to go back," Xiaoyu murmured in her sleep.

  "Sympathizing with each other, but you're a bit better off than me. At least you still have a family. Looking at your luxurious clothes, it's clear that your family is quite well-off." Chen Jiu sized up Zhao Xiao Yu.

  "Your clothes aren't luxurious too? It seems your family background isn't bad either."

  Chen Jiu walked over to the table and picked up two cups of wine. He handed one to Zhao Xiao Yu and held the other in his own hand: "You don't know my past."

  "Can you hear it?" Xiao Yu said in a low voice.

  Chen Jiu downed the wine in one gulp: "I lost my parents at the age of six, I don't know where they went, anyway, all memories before the age of six suddenly disappeared, I only remember that when I was six years old, I had nothing to eat or drink, and begged along the street".

  As he spoke, Chen Jiu's eyes revealed a hint of reminiscence, and the memories hidden deepest within his body gradually emerged in his mind.

  "I competed with wild dogs for food, fought with human traffickers, tree roots, grass skin, and wild vegetables were my food, the sky was my blanket, the earth was my bed, I didn't know the cycle of years, I didn't know the cold and heat of human society, in the end I still couldn't hold on, and fainted from hunger."

  "Then what?" Chao Xiaoyu asked, Chen Jiu's life was indeed much more miserable than his own, and he couldn't imagine how Chen Jiu had achieved his current wealth and status. The Chen Jiu in front of him seemed to have no connection with the beggar at all.

  "Then I was rescued," Chen Jiubai said calmly.

  "Ah, this must be your fate's turning point, from now on it will definitely be Tai Chi".

  Chen Jiu downed his wine in one gulp again: "You think you're watching? No, that's just a fairy tale, a boring script written by a wandering poet."

  In the morning, Xiao Yu didn't speak, lightly took a sip of wine, she was waiting for Chen Jiu's next move.

  "I entered a mountain bandit's lair."

  It sounds easy-going, but it's hard for Zhao Xiao Yu to imagine how a six-year-old child could survive in the lair of mountain bandits.

  I can't practice martial arts because all my meridians are problematic, begging for a living has exhausted the foundation of this body, I am weaker than normal people, and even physical development has stopped.

  The small wine cup was stiff on his lips, motionless, as if he were stunned.

  "Those bandits in the mountain den are all extremely evil, a frail old man or a weak-looking child can be responsible for dozens of lives. Fortunately, although I'm frail and unable to practice martial arts, my brain is better than all the bandits', so I became the little leader." Chen pointed at his own head.

  "The Grand Master was very good to me, I was the Grand Master's confidant. Later, the Grand Master offended Fang Xian Dao, and the entire mountain stronghold was slaughtered, with thousands of lives lost."

  Chen Jiu stopped talking at this point.

  "And then?" Chao Xiaoyu wanted to ask again.

  Chen Jiu put down his wine cup and poured a cup of wine for Chao Xiao Yu: "There was no then, from then on I understood that this is a society where people eat people. The outcome of being kind and compassionate is only death. Because I am ruthless, that's why I have such a large enterprise and can enter the Qingyang Academy."

  "I'm much luckier than you, but you should thank fate for making you understand what reality is, how cruel it can be, and the way to survive."

  Chen Jiuyang looked up at the sky: "Yes, I should be grateful. I have seen through the essence of this world - the strong prey on the weak."

  Chen Jiu turned his body and stared straight at Chao Xiao Yu: "You won't look down on me because of my background, will you?"

  Zao Xiao Yu put down his wine cup, looked straight into Chen Jiu's sharp eyes, stepped forward and grasped Chen Jiu's hands: "No, I only saw your bravery, maturity. You're not that kind of person. Being with you for this period of time, I feel you're good, understand survival, understand what is the law of heaven, what is survival of the fittest".

  "Haha, today I'll treat you to a drink of the old shopkeeper's secretly hidden aged wine, Niang Hong. This is the last jar, you're in luck!" Chen Jiu laughed loudly from somewhere.

  "However, we still need to watch the lanterns tonight, can't drink too much," said Zhao Xiaoyu.