Chapter 61

It was four o'clock in the afternoon.

The office had let out early for the Mid-Autumn Festival, giving everyone a bit of extra time off.

Zhang Ye thought about resting the next day, so he stayed at the office for half an hour longer to record the next day's "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" before heading home. His mother had called in the morning asking him to visit his grandmother, and Zhang Ye naturally had to comply. So, he first returned to the rented apartment near the corner to change into something more presentable.

As he entered the hallway, he happened to run into Rao Aimin coming down the elevator.

"Hey, Landlady?" Zhang Ye greeted, "Where have you been these past few days? I haven't seen you around. I slipped the rent under your door, did you see it?"

"I saw it, wait a moment." Rao Aimin, holding a garbage bag, threw it into the trash can by the door and then got into the elevator with Zhang Ye, glancing at him sideways, "Not bad, you're making a name for yourself again. Did you win first place at that Mid-Autumn poetry recital just now?"

Zhang Ye said proudly, "It was just okay."

Rao Aimin flicked a small thread off her arm, "You're getting cocky now. It's just that those people don't understand. Your poetry is terrible!"

Zhang Ye was taken aback, "What? My poetry is terrible?"

"Read it, let's hear it," Rao Aimin said.

"Fine, then analyze it for me. I don't believe it," Zhang Ye argued, thinking to himself that if someone could find fault with Su Shi's most famous work, it would be ridiculous. The people at the Writers' Association were speechless, so how could she do it? He recited with a deep, emotional tone, "When did the bright moon appear..."

Rao Aimin sneered, "That's just nonsense! When did it appear? On the 15th of August!"

Zhang Ye was speechless but continued, "I raise my cup to the blue sky..."

Rao Aimin interrupted, "Do you need to ask the sky? Just ask me, I'll tell you it's the 15th of August!"

Zhang Ye was already getting annoyed, "I wonder what the celestial palace is like, what year it is tonight."

Rao Aimin cut in again, "I already told you, it's the 15th of August! The 15th of August in the lunar year 2014! Don't you have a calendar at home?"

Zhang Ye was at a loss for words, "......%￥#@@#@）（*&!"

Rao Aimin once again showed her sharp tongue, and Zhang Ye had never heard such a scathing poetry critique before. He was momentarily stunned!

What the heck!

You're interpreting "Tune: Prelude to Water" like a series of "Ten Thousand Whys"!

Zhang Ye realized he couldn't communicate with someone who had no literary appreciation, so he turned and went home to change his clothes. If he continued talking to the landlady, Zhang Ye thought he would either die of frustration or Su Shi would come back to life in anger! But on second thought, Zhang Ye was also looking forward to having a fan like Rao Aimin. Her sharp tongue would be a powerful asset in any online battle, and she could match a thousand people in combat. Yes, in this regard, the landlady was a rare talent!

...

5:30 PM.

The sky was still overcast, looking like it might rain.

Zhang Ye arrived at his grandmother's house in Liuliquiao. It was an old neighborhood, but it looked a bit newer than he remembered because it had been repainted recently. Clearly, the game ring had changed many things in this world, and Zhang Ye was cautious about coming to his grandmother's house after starting his job, as this was no longer the world he knew. He was afraid of exposing himself.

Upstairs.

The door was open, but the security door was not closed, and the laughter of his younger sisters could be heard.

Zhang Ye opened the unlocked security door and went in, first seeing his mother and his third aunt cooking in the kitchen, "Mom, Third Aunt."

His mother smiled, "My son is here?"

His third aunt smiled, "Oh, our big star is here."

"I'm not a star, just a broadcaster. Don't flatter me," Zhang Ye said modestly, then turned to the sofa, "First Uncle, First Aunt, Second Uncle, Third Uncle." He greeted each of them, "Everyone is here? Happy Mid-Autumn Festival!" Only his second aunt was missing, and he didn't know where she was.

"Hey, Xiao Ye."

"It's been a long time since we saw you."

"Come in and see your grandparents."

Zhang Ye said, "Alright," and then entered the small room. The door was closed, and since some of the uncles were smoking, his grandmother was afraid of the smell. He pushed the door open and handed the nutritional supplements and health products he had just bought from the supermarket to the two elders, "Grandma, Grandpa, Happy Mid-Autumn Festival. How are you both doing?"

His grandmother, who loved Zhang Ye the most, pulled him to sit down, "We're fine, just missing you. Why haven't you come in a month?"

His grandfather also doted on Zhang Ye. Although he was a grandson, he was the only boy among the younger generation on this side of the family, and the elders still had traditional views, favoring boys, "Xiao Ye is busy with work, just started. He can't come as often as before."

His grandmother said, "Hey, how much did you spend on all this? That must have cost a lot."

Zhang Ye smiled, "Not much, just a little something for you two. It's good for your health."

"Look at our Xiao Ye, how thoughtful," his grandmother beamed.

At that moment, the voices of the girls in the living room echoed, clear and melodious like the songs of larks.

"My brother is here!"

"Brother! Let me see!"

"A big star! I have to see too!"

The three younger sisters crowded into the small room.

His mother's family was interesting. His mother was the eldest sister, and she had three younger brothers, who were Zhang Ye's first uncle, second uncle, and third uncle. Each of the uncles had a daughter, who were Zhang Ye's three younger sisters.

The eldest sister, Cao Dan, was in her early twenties, not much younger than Zhang Ye, and was in college.

The second sister, Cao Tong, was in high school, with a straightforward personality, like a boy, always playing and joking around.

The youngest sister, Cao Mengmeng, was in junior high school, the most mischievous of the three, always making a fuss, and there was nothing she wouldn't do.

In short, none of the three girls were easy to handle.

Zhang Ye greeted them one by one, "Xiao Dan, Xiao Tong, Mengmeng."

The eldest sister, Cao Dan, was relatively quiet, and she called out, "Brother."

The second and third sisters were less reserved. Cao Tong patted Zhang Ye's shoulder, "Not bad, brother, you've become a star in just a few days!"

His grandmother glared at her, "How do you talk to your brother like that?"

Cao Mengmeng, giggling, held Zhang Ye's arm, "I heard from my aunt that I looked you up online yesterday. I found a lot of your works. Our school even promoted 'The Little Rabbit Who Listened.' I only found out yesterday that it was written by my brother. You're so amazing, hehe. Brother, how much money did you make? Come on, tell us the truth. We're broke, and our parents don't give us pocket money. We're counting on you."

Money?

Ha, that's no problem!

You're my sisters, and I'll give you money if you need it.

But talking about money can be hurtful, so let's change the topic!

Zhang Ye changed the subject and chatted with them about other things. His first and second uncles also joined in the conversation.

After a brief exchange, Zhang Ye had a good understanding of the situation. His relatives hadn't changed much, but there were some differences. For example, his youngest sister's school was not the junior high school he remembered, and her older sister's college entrance exam scores were higher than he remembered. His first aunt's workplace had also changed to a place he didn't remember. These were minor changes, considering the world had become a new place, and many cultural industries had changed. Understanding this, Zhang Ye felt more confident in speaking without fear of making major mistakes.

As dinner time approached, everyone was still talking about Zhang Ye.

"Xiao Ye has really made it."

"When did Xiao Ye start writing? I never saw it coming."

"Right, I never saw Xiao Ye having that kind of talent. Even if he suddenly found it, it couldn't be this good. I heard he even wrote poetry?"

His third aunt sounded skeptical, but she meant no harm. She was genuinely puzzled because, apart from doing well in school and getting into a good university, Zhang Ye had always been very ordinary. They had even discussed it before, thinking that after graduation, he would probably find a behind-the-scenes job at a radio station or newspaper, writing documents or setting up lights. They never expected him to find a job in his field and become a steady broadcaster at the city's radio station!

His father didn't say anything.

His mother, however, didn't like the tone and was about to argue.

Suddenly, his second aunt came in, carrying a bag of steamed buns, having gone to buy groceries. As soon as she entered, she started chattering, pulling out two newspapers from under her arm, "Hey, Xiao Ye is off work? Look, look, I just bought the newspaper, and Xiao Ye is in it. He won first place at the Mid-Autumn poetry recital today, even outshining the professional writers from the city's Writers' Association!"

"Ah?"

"Is that true?"

"Let me see."

"What newspaper? A tabloid?"

Everyone was surprised.

His second aunt said, "Not a tabloid, it's the City Evening News and the Capital Times, both major newspapers with huge circulation!"

Zhang Ye glanced over, having passed by the newsstand earlier but not bought the newspapers, thinking the events of the morning wouldn't be reported in the afternoon. But it turned out they were, and he hadn't seen the content.

His youngest sister, Cao Mengmeng, snatched the newspaper, "Wow, brother, you're really famous. I thought it was just a small thing, but you're so well-known?"

The relatives passed the newspaper around, finally believing that Zhang Ye had truly made it.

His grandparents were very pleased, praising their grandson.

His mother was proud, boasting about her son, "You don't know, Xiao Ye is amazing. Just take the last time, a poem saved a life. A college student was about to commit suicide, but after hearing my son's poem, she decided not to. The next day, her family came to my son's workplace with a banner, crying and thanking him. And the promotion of the fairy tale, which seemed like a simple story, but it wasn't. When my son released 'The Little Rabbit Who Listened,' it shocked the whole country... even the Ministry of Education. I think it might even be included in elementary school textbooks. And the last time..."

The whole dinner, his mother kept boasting about her son.

Zhang Ye sometimes blushed, thinking to himself, "So, I'm that amazing!"