Chapter 18

Zhang Tan spent two days of his free time, finally finishing the analysis video of *The Chaser*.

The video was originally over an hour long, but after editing, it was compressed to 20 minutes.

All future videos he makes must not exceed 25 minutes. In today's fast-paced world, no one watches long videos.

"This is the first time, so it took a bit longer. In the future, I should be able to finish one in 2-3 days," Zhang Tan summarized his video-making experience. It took him four evenings to complete this one, but with familiarity, he should be able to finish in 2-3 days from now on.

He opened the short video platform and watched it again, making sure there was nothing to add or modify before uploading it to the Xilixi video website.

As soon as the video was uploaded, Zhang Tan couldn't resist checking the various data.

There were two views, hmm, all contributed by himself.

The number of comments was zero.

The number of likes was one, also contributed by himself. Sigh, one account can only like once.

The number of favorites was one, also contributed by himself.

The number of shares was zero.

The number of coins donated was zero.

People have a common flaw of desperately wanting praise. After uploading the video, Zhang Tan hoped for widespread recognition from the public. For half an hour, he did nothing but refresh the data, watching the number of comments grow from zero to five.

"Brother, your voice is so warm."

The first comment was very encouraging. Zhang Tan silently liked the user "Mei Ah Mei Ah," imagining that the person behind the comment must be a gentle and kind girl.

The second comment wasn't good.

"Sir, please come in~"

The third one wasn't good either.

"Strong man, boundless power, click me~"

Zhang Tan reluctantly deleted these two and looked at the fourth one.

"I want to go to the balcony tonight."

He was unsure if this was a double entendre. Balcony, to watch the stars? The moon? For a simple person, the world is simple.

Zhang Tan still deleted it; he wasn't a simple person.

The fifth comment was also spam, from a game.

Zhang Tan felt exhausted. What kind of people are these!

He closed the webpage, out of sight, out of mind.

A moment ago, he was full of ambition, hoping to make a fortune, but now he just hoped for a few likes, not daring to ask for more.

He found another movie, opened it, and nestled into the sofa.

Life in this new world was lonely. During this time, he wasn't without invitations, but they were all from old friends, and they didn't get along with his current self.

Strictly speaking, these people weren't his friends. They didn't share the same interests, and the original Zhang Tan was a bit of a playboy, with all sorts of people around him, few of whom seemed serious.

Because he had no friends, Zhang Tan went home on time every day, bought groceries, and cooked, as if he had a family to check on him, more disciplined than a henpecked husband.

In this regard, his leisure life was even less active than the old security guard, Old Li.

Old Li, in his free time, often went to the village entrance to chat with the old folks, play chess, and dance in the square. In fact, he was best at ballroom dancing, but the old men didn't let their wives dance with him.

As soon as the movie started, Zhang Tan couldn't help but analyze the plot with a professional eye. He had just criticized the protagonist for being brainless, but the next moment, he felt secretly pleased.

As the saying goes, carefree and content.

When a person's needs are simple, their happiness is also pure.

A movie that Zhang Tan would usually criticize to pieces, he found quite enjoyable today, until someone knocked on the door.

At this time, he thought it was Xiao Bai again, so he didn't get up, saying, "Come in, the door is unlocked."

The door opened, and Aunt Huang stood outside.

"Watching a movie?"

"Ah? Aunt Huang." Zhang Tan paused the movie, got up, and invited her in.

"I won't come in. I just wanted to tell you that I'm inviting you to my place for lunch tomorrow. Xiao Mei is coming back."

"Oh, okay, she's been on a long business trip."

"Indeed. Her company is really something, sending a girl to stay in Yuezhou for over half a month, all alone in a hotel. It's really worrying. There was a news story recently about a girl in a hotel almost being dragged away by a stranger in broad daylight. Scary to think about."

Aunt Huang seemed to have a lot of complaints about Xiao Mei's company.

Zhang Tan patiently listened to her for a while and then saw her off.

Just as he was about to close the door, he heard Aunt Huang talking to someone downstairs.

Zhang Tan listened for a while and realized it was Xiao Bai.

Xiao Bai wanted to come to his place but ran into Aunt Huang in the hallway and was taken back.

Poor Xiao Bai!

He closed the door, nestled back into the sofa, and continued watching the movie.

He had underestimated Xiao Bai. She was a persistent little girl. Although she was unlucky the first time, running into the principal, she tried again! She avoided Teacher Xiao Liu's watchful eye, sneaked around, and made it to Zhang Tan's door, knocking.

Zhang Tan opened the door to see the little girl holding a glass bottle, looking up with a smile, saying, "Uncle, Xiao Bai is here to visit. Do you welcome me?"

Since you asked, what could I say? I can't hit a smiling face.

"Welcome, welcome, warmly welcome."

If he knew that Xiao Bai had called him "strange" to her aunt, he might not have been so enthusiastic.

Xiao Bai was delighted and showed him the glass bottle. "Look at my bottle. I caught a cricket in the grass."

Her soft and cute Sichuan dialect made Zhang Tan a bit confused, understanding only half of it.

"Come in first." Zhang Tan invited her in.

Xiao Bai took off her shoes at the door but didn't come in.

"Uncle, did you drink?"

"…No."

"You're so good."

She praised him, then looked around the shoe rack and asked, "Where's my child?"

"What?" Zhang Tan inadvertently used a Sichuan phrase.

"Child, my child."

Zhang Tan frowned, thinking, "You're a 4.5-year-old, where do you get a child from?" Then he saw her pointing at the shoes and suddenly remembered that in Sichuanese, shoes are called "children."

Zhang Tan found it amusing and speechless. He found her shoes in the shoe cabinet, placed them by her feet, and said, "I washed them, so I put them away."

"Okay."

Zhang Tan closed the door, invited her to sit down, and brought out some fruits and snacks.

Xiao Bai licked her lips and curiously asked why there were always so many snacks when she came. Learning that they were always stocked, she said enviously, "You really love yourself, buying so many snacks for yourself."

Zhang Tan: "…"

Xiao Bai wanted to eat but was polite, showing him the glass bottle.

"Uncle, look, I caught a cricket in the grass."

Zhang Tan didn't understand at first but saw a black cricket in the glass bottle.

"Is this the cricket you caught?"

Xiao Bai proudly said, "This is my specialty. I can show you."

Do you want to climb a tree again? Zhang Tan assured her that he absolutely believed it was her specialty, so there was no need to show him.

Perform catching crickets? If you let it out, it will jump away and settle in my house.

Xiao Bai enthusiastically introduced the cricket, saying it was the king of the grass, very powerful.

She seemed like a little salesperson.

Do you want to sell the cricket to me? Do I look like a playboy? Zhang Tan thought, then suddenly heard a knock on the door. Xiao Bai immediately stopped talking and looked at him.

Zhang Tan asked, "Who is it?"

"It's me."

Aunt Huang.

"Wow! It's the principal!" Xiao Bai exclaimed.

Trouble! She looked like a little thief caught in the act, or a windmill with its tail caught by a fake experienced person.

"Coming."

Zhang Tan responded loudly, got up to open the door, and saw Xiao Bai dart to the kitchen, peeking from the door, her hand over her mouth, frantically signaling him not to say she was there.

Thinking of how Xiao Bai was chased back by Aunt Huang earlier, Zhang Tan nodded and went to open the door.

Aunt Huang said, "Sorry, Zhang Tan, I forgot. Two children will be joining the kindergarten next week, and I need your signature."

She handed him a document, the enrollment materials for the two children.

"Come in and sit down."

Zhang Tan welcomed Aunt Huang in. She saw the glass bottle on the floor, looked at it, and asked with a smile, "Zhang Tan, do you like cricket fighting?"

In the city, some elderly people like cricket fighting, but they are all old. Young people who play this are either fools or playboys.

Zhang Tan secretly glanced at the kitchen. Xiao Bai wasn't peeking anymore but had hidden herself, but! One of her little feet was still visible!

"…"

Stupid! You've shown your little hoof! Quickly hide it!

Zhang Tan awkwardly laughed, pretending to like it, and casually kicked a small stool next to the glass bottle away, then asked about the new children.

While they were talking, a loud crash came from the kitchen, startling both of them.

"What's that?" Aunt Huang asked, instinctively heading for the kitchen.

Zhang Tan quickly said, "I'll check. Aunt Huang, please stay here."

Aunt Huang stopped and watched Zhang Tan go into the kitchen.

In the kitchen.

Xiao Bai stood in the corner, hands behind her back, looking flustered and guilty.

The bottom of the rice cooker was lying on the floor, still trembling slightly.

Zhang Tan and Xiao Bai stared at each other.

Xiao Bai pressed herself against the wall, her little feet shuffling on the ground, saying nervously, "Sorry."

Aunt Huang's voice came from the living room, "Zhang Tan, who's talking? Is someone else here?"

Xiao Bai's eyes darted around, and she meowed, "Meow~"

Zhang Tan: -_-

Aunt Huang asked from the living room, "Hmm? Is there a cat?"

Zhang Tan looked at Xiao Bai, thinking, "You're a clever little thing."

Hehehe~ Xiao Bai grinned, showing her white baby teeth.

It wasn't the time to talk much. He made a shushing gesture and returned to the living room as if nothing had happened.

"A stray cat came in, but it's gone now."

"There are many stray cats in the village now. They climb walls and slip through nets, impossible to stop. Be careful with your fish and other things, don't let the cats take them."

"Kittens are mischievous but cute."

"They can scratch you if provoked."

Zhang Tan signed the documents and handed them back to Aunt Huang.

"Alright, I'll go now."

She put on her shoes by the door. Zhang Tan saw Xiao Bai's shoes there and quickly stepped on them to hide them.

"Remember to come for lunch tomorrow."

"Sure, I'll be there."

Finally, he saw Aunt Huang off and sighed in relief. Then he realized something was wrong. Why did he act like a thief? Why not just tell her Xiao Bai was here?

He closed the door and went to the kitchen. The clever Xiao Bai, who had meowed, was now standing on tiptoe, washing the bottom of the rice cooker. Seeing him, she turned around and said, "Uncle, sorry, I broke your pot, hehe, I didn't mean to."

Then she added, "I'm not afraid of the principal. I'm playing hide-and-seek. This is my specialty. I'll show you."

Forget it, do you think I don't know you were caught once?