Chapter 56

After sending the four children downstairs, Zhang Tan tidied up the bowls and chopsticks and finished the video he had been working on.

He added Li Rui as a friend on WeChat and received a sticker from him, which he placed on the video and showed it to him first.

Ding ding~ A WeChat message came in.

Li Rui: The sticker is fine, but I have some suggestions.

Zhang Tan: What are they?

Li Rui: Isn't the criticism in this episode a bit too harsh?

Zhang Tan was taken aback, finding it strange that Li Rui would raise such a question.

Li Rui sent another message.

Li Rui: It needs to be changed.

At first, it seemed like a suggestion, but now it had turned into a demand.

Zhang Tan had only sent the video to him to confirm the sticker, not to seek his opinion on the content.

How he made the video and what kind of video he made was his personal choice. Even if the CEO of Yonglong Entertainment came, he wouldn't care.

But Zhang Tan didn't refuse outright; instead, he asked: How should it be changed?

After a while, Li Rui replied, possibly having just thought about the issue and now having a clear idea.

Li Rui: You mentioned three negative points; the second and third need to be deleted.

In this episode, Zhang Tan was analyzing a business war film released last year. The video was 20 minutes long, with the first 10 minutes discussing the flaws and the next 10 minutes the strengths.

The flaws were, as usual, three points, and now Li Rui wanted him to delete two of them!

Three points or one point? Even a little boy would know the answer.

Moreover, he had just said to make a change, but now it had turned into two changes. Does he think I'm a fool, or does he think I'm not fierce enough?

Regardless of what Li Rui wanted him to change or delete, Zhang Tan couldn't understand why he was so concerned about it.

Li Rui directly sent a message to clarify.

Li Rui: Pay attention to the producer of this film; it's our boss.

Zhang Tan: -_---

It's your boss, not mine. Besides, I'm not criticizing just for the sake of it; I'm stating facts. The video covers both strengths and weaknesses, so it can't be considered negative news.

He replied directly: Alright, I'll post the sticker as it is.

After that, he ignored Li Rui and uploaded the video to the Xilixili website.

After a while, Li Rui sent a message, the ding ding ding sound was urgent.

Zhang Tan opened it: You didn't make the changes?

Zhang Tan: Thanks for your suggestions, but I think this way is better. I'm responsible for the content, and I have a good understanding of market preferences.

In Xiaobai's words, it was like saying, "You silly, get lost!"

Li Rui didn't reply, and Zhang Tan couldn't tell if he was angry or not.

Zhang Tan ignored him. It was already 11 PM, and he was getting ready to sleep.

But before that, he went downstairs to check on the children as usual.

Aunt Huang was there, and Zhang Tan told her to go home and rest. She was getting older and couldn't handle the strain.

But Aunt Huang said she couldn't sleep because of her age and laughed, returning to the office. Next week, a new child would be joining, and two were leaving.

Zhang Tan signed the papers in the office, chatted with Aunt Huang for a bit, and went to the second-floor dormitory. Xiaobai was asleep.

He met Meng Chengcheng's father, who was taking Chengcheng home. Just as he was about to turn back, he heard a faint voice behind him:

"My Chengcheng is gone."

Zhang Tan turned around and saw Xiaobai.

She had just been sleeping in her bed and suddenly got up. Moreover, she walked without making a sound.

Her hair was messy, like a bird's nest on a mulberry tree. Chengcheng was the little bird in the nest, just flown away.

"Chengcheng went home with her father," Zhang Tan said.

Xiaobai, who had just woken up, had a melancholic look in her eyes, still drowsy. The little girl inside her was still asleep and hadn't woken up yet.

She asked in a soft, helpless voice: "Is Chengcheng not coming back?"

Zhang Tan didn't know what to do, so he squatted down. He hesitated, mainly because he was afraid of getting hit, but seeing Xiaobai's state, he mustered the courage to hug her.

She was small and soft, a little girl.

Zhang Tan told her that Chengcheng would come back tomorrow; she just went home with her father.

Xiaobai didn't hit him but pushed him away after a while, freeing herself from his embrace.

She said that Xiaoling and Wenwen had said goodbye to her and wouldn't come back.

Xiaoling and Wenwen were the two children who had just completed their departure procedures. Xiaoling's parents were about to leave Pujiang and return to their hometown, while Wenwen no longer needed to come to Xiaohongmao Academy because his grandmother was coming to Pujiang to take care of him.

Zhang Tan felt Xiaobai's sadness and was thinking about how to comfort her when Xiaobai pointed behind him and said, "Uncle, there's someone over there."

Zhang Tan turned around and saw someone leaning against the wall outside the fence, as if they had fallen.

"Really, what's going on?"

"What's going on?" Xiaobai repeated, then said in her own words, "What should we do?"

Although she was asking, the little girl had already run over.

"Wait, Xiaobai, don't run."

Zhang Tan chased after her. They stood by the fence, looking at the person on the road, who had their head down, long hair covering their face, and a strong smell of alcohol and vomit.

Xiaobai leaned forward but didn't dare get too close. She looked and then raised her little face to Zhang Tan, saying, "It's a big sister."

Indeed, it was a girl, clearly drunk.

On the other side of the road was the bustling Xichang'an Street, lined with bars, where people often got drunk and fell by the roadside. This girl was likely one of them.

Zhang Tan looked back and saw two men nearby, frequently glancing this way.

They definitely weren't the girl's companions! Even Xiaobai could tell.

The little girl pulled out a water gun from somewhere, held it in her hand, and nervously said to Zhang Tan, "Two bad guys, Uncle, what should we do?"

Then, perhaps realizing she was just a baby, she said...

"Uncle, you go!"

Just like when she had incited Old Li to give Zhang Tan two ear cuffs, now she was inciting him to deal with the bad guys.

But then, perhaps remembering that Uncle was a good person who had just treated her to cold noodles, she asked, "Will Uncle get beaten up?"

Zhang Tan: (￣ェ￣;)

I wasn't worried at first, but now I'm getting nervous too.

"She's drunk, Uncle. What should we do? We need to help her," Xiaobai said, this time a bit bolder, taking a small step closer and poking the girl, who didn't react.

"Ugh~~~"

Xiaobai was startled, like a frightened little rabbit, and quickly hid behind Zhang Tan, grabbing his pants and only showing half her little face.

The girl lying in the corner vomited, and it was a lot, more than what Xiaobai, Chengcheng, Liuliu, and Xiaomi had eaten combined.

The air was filled with a pungent, sour smell, and Zhang Tan really wanted to call Old Li to smell it.

"Let's go help her." Xiaobai ran back into the building, a kind-hearted child who dreamed of becoming a police officer.

"Xiaobai, where are you going?" Zhang Tan called after her.

"To get my baby cup for her to drink water," she replied.

Xiaobai ran into the building, and Zhang Tan went to the gate, calling Old Li to help, not to smell, but to help carry the person.

They left the campus and went around to the fence.

The drunk girl was still lying in the corner, but now she had company. The two men who had been lingering nearby were standing beside her.

Zhang Tan shouted, "Get lost!"

The two men looked around nervously and said, "Mind your own business!"

Zhang Tan stepped forward, facing their fierce gazes, but Old Li pulled him back, to no avail.

"There's a police booth 50 meters ahead. Do you think you can run away with her?"

The two men's faces changed.

Old Li took out his phone and said, "I'm recording you."

The two men glared at them angrily and reluctantly turned and left.

After they were gone, Old Li approached the drunk girl and said, "What a poor girl, drinking herself into this state, with no one around. She could have ruined her life."

"Since we've encountered her, let's help her. Let's take her to the academy," Zhang Tan said.

"Of course."

They helped the girl to her feet and walked her to the academy.

The girl mumbled a few words and struggled weakly, showing some defensive awareness.

Old Li said, "Don't worry, we're good people."

She might have heard them, opened her eyes, and looked at them with blurred vision before being led away quietly.

Inside the academy, Xiaobai ran in, holding her water cup.

"Does the big sister want some water?"

Zhang Tan said, "Wait a moment, let's get her inside first."

"Who is this?" Teacher Xiaoliu also came over.

"A drunk person we found on the street. We don't know her," Zhang Tan said. "Is there a place?"

"Yes, come to the second-floor dormitory."

Teacher Xiaoliu led the way, and they took the girl to a room on the second floor. There were several dormitories, each teacher having their own.

They helped the girl lie down on the bed, and Teacher Xiaoliu sat on the edge, brushing the hair from her face, revealing a young and beautiful face.

Old Li brought hot water and a towel, and Teacher Xiaoliu wiped the girl's face.

Xiaobai stood by the bed and asked, "Does she want some water?"

The girl, perhaps hearing her, weakly said, "Water."

"See?" Xiaobai said happily, handing over her baby cup. "Here you go."

The girl took the cup without looking and drank half of it, clearly very thirsty.

After drinking, she became more alert and looked around. Despite Zhang Tan and Old Li being there, seeing Teacher Xiaoliu and Xiaobai made her feel a bit more at ease.

Zhang Tan and Old Li left tactfully, and Teacher Xiaoliu comforted her. Xiaobai stood by, not speaking, but her presence was reassuring, as having a child around indicated the scene was safe.

After about ten minutes, Teacher Xiaoliu and Xiaobai came out.

Zhang Tan, who had been waiting outside, asked, "How is she?"

"She's asleep," Xiaobai answered first.

Zhang Tan praised her for taking care of the girl and bringing the water cup.

Xiaobai said proudly, "That's my strong point."

Indeed, taking care of others had become her strong point.

Teacher Xiaoliu said the girl was asleep and probably wouldn't wake up that night.

Zhang Tan arranged for another female teacher to stay in the dormitory overnight to take care of her, as Teacher Xiaoliu had to take care of Xiaomi.

Finally, he said to Xiaobai, "Xiaobai, your aunt is here. Go home."

Malanhua had arrived five minutes ago and was waiting downstairs. Zhang Tan handed Xiaobai to her and said, "Xiaobai did a great job today..."

He recounted how Xiaobai had first discovered the drunk girl and brought water and took care of her, making the little girl stand up straight with pride.

On the way home, her aunt said proudly, "You're quite capable, aren't you?"

"Capable?" Xiaobai raised her little head, puzzled, as her aunt didn't praise her often.

"Mr. Zhang told me you found a drunk girl."

Xiaobai laughed, boasting that it was her strong point, but then she got upset and said, "Aunt, why do you call me a silly child? What are you thinking?"

"What am I thinking? I'm not scolding you."

"Then why do you call me a silly child?"

"Don't you call other children silly children?"

"It doesn't apply."

"I know, I know. Did anyone praise you today?"

"Many people praise me every day."

"Arrogant, did anyone praise your new clothes?"

"..."

"Capable?"

"They praised me, saying I'm very good."

The two walked down a quiet alley, their shadows cast on the wall by the streetlights. The only sounds were their footsteps and their conversation, but if you listened closely, you could hear the faint chirping of insects in the corners, unobtrusive but joyful.

As they walked, Xiaobai suddenly said, "Aunt, Mr. Zhang wants to take me out to play."

"What?!" Malanhua was shocked, stopping and looking down at Xiaobai.

"Uncle wants to take me out to play."

"Play what? Not climbing a mountain, right?"

"How would I know?"

"Silly child, you can't go. What if you get sold? Climbing a mountain could be dangerous."

"Huh? Uncle isn't like that."

"You can't judge a person's heart. Who knows?"

"What are you saying? I don't understand."

"Arrogant. No going!"

"Why are you calling me arrogant again?"

"Do you want to go?"

"Yes."

"Arrogant! Silly! Silly! Silly!"

Being scolded so much, Xiaobai got angry and burst out.

"Shut up! Aunt, you're bullying me~~ I'll fight you~~"