Chapter 58

After sending out the exam papers, Song Haowen felt much relieved. He took some time to visit the four courtyard houses he had purchased and had a conversation with Professor Wang and his wife. By this time, they had adapted to the change in their roles and politely invited him to stay for lunch. They even brought out a bottle of well-aged Maotai liquor as a gesture of hospitality.

Through this interaction, Song Haowen felt that his decision to leave them behind initially was indeed correct. The entire courtyard seemed even neater and more beautiful than when he first bought it.

Flowers bloomed by the artificial hill, goldfish swimming in the small pond, birds sang in the tall trees, creating a refreshing and pleasant atmosphere everywhere.

He remembered how Zhu Hongyu and Ren Hua had insisted on keeping two rooms for themselves, but in the end, they didn’t buy a single bed, let alone live there. If it weren’t inconvenient, he would have loved to spend some time living there.

However, just like a real estate developer who builds thousands of houses but can only live in a few, no matter how wealthy a person is, they can only enjoy so much. While sighing at the limitations of human existence, Song Haowen also felt that this arrangement seemed more fair. If all the benefits were monopolized by one person, what meaning would there be for others to live?

Soon, the weekend arrived. In the evening, Tian Yuxi came to the store’s office and invited Song Haowen to have lunch at her place the next day, with Tian Nana also joining. At this point, Tian Yuxi had decided to go to Harvard for further studies after the school openning.

In the evening, Song Haowen invited Zhu Hongyu, Ren Hua, Qian Youlai, and Wang Li to accompany Tian Yuxi for dinner. Upon learning about her scholarship for studying abroad, they all expressed envy and congratulated her.

Thinking of scenes from his past life, where some people went to extremes in idolizing foreign cultures and even resorted to drastic measures to stay abroad, Song Haowen calmly said, “Studying abroad needs to be approached with balance. Learning more knowledge and returning to serve the country is the right path. If studying abroad is just a stepping stone for a green card, it’s not something to envy. I fully support Tianjie’s idea: studying abroad without forgetting patriotism, studying abroad to help the motherland, and returning after completion.”

Tian Yuxi solemnly said, “No matter how good it is overseas, it’s still someone else’s homeland. It has nothing to do with me. If I study abroad, I will definitely come back. It might be one or two years at least, or three or four years at most.”

Zhu Hongyu agreed, “No matter how poor our motherland is, it’s still our mother. It’s better to come back and contribute.”

Narenhua disagreed, saying, “Many people don’t think like that. Blond hair, blue eyes, Western civilization – these are irresistible temptations for them.”

Qian Youlai sarcastically remarked, “Those people just want their descendants to become hybrids.”

“That’s a harsh thing to say,” scolded Wang Li, playfully punching Qian Youlai.

Everyone burst into laughter. Qian Youlai’s face turned slightly red. “I’m just being straightforward.”

Song Haowen aware of the rapid development during the forty years of reform and opening up in his past life, confidently said, “The current policies are favorable to us common folks, and the future looks bright. Even if someone hasn’t had much education, as long as they seize the opportunity, everyone can have a brilliant future.”

…

After dinner, everyone went their separate ways. Song Haowen returned alone to the Store’s office, where he repaired a Sanyo dual-card recorder before taking a rest.

The next morning, Song Haowen was busy at the Store until 10 a.m. He first bought a basket of fruits from the street and then took a taxi to Tian Yuxi’s house.

Inside the house, there were only Tian Yuxi and her mother, Lin Min. Lin Min was delighted to see Song Haowen and took the fruit basket from him.

She complained, telling him not to be formal and not to bring anything next time.

“Sis, does Nana have time today?”

“Don’t worry, she will definitely come over.”

While Song Haowen and Tian Yuxi were chatting, a sweet voice came from the front gate, “Auntie, I’m here!”

Song Haowen turned around to see that it was Tian Nana, who had arrived. It had been some time since they last met, and Tian Nana had become even more beautiful.

She seemed to radiate a sparkling charm, making a lively and lovely contrast to her sister Tian Yuxi. Truly, they were both outstanding in their own ways.

“You, this girl, only know how to come when you become famous? Forget about us.” Lin Min complained.

Tian Nana greeted Song Haowen and Tian Yuxi playfully, making a funny face and sticking out her tongue. Then, she coquettishly clung to Lin Min. “Auntie, I’ve been thinking about you all this time. It’s just that I’ve been so busy that I didn’t have time to come over.”

“Alright, don’t pester me. Go play with XiaoSong and your sister.” Lin Min said happily.

Since the rumors, Song Haowen hadn’t seen Tian Nana. Now, when the two met again, there was a bit of awkwardness. Blushing, Tian Nana asked, “Haowen, everything’s fine, right?”

“It’s fine. The disciplinary action hasn’t been lifted yet, though.”

“Is it really that student named Yang Wei who did all this? How did you offend him?”

Song Haowen shared his personal grievances with Yang Wei.

Tian Yuxi said, “Brother, I heard from Ren Hua that Yang Wei has been arrested. Is that true?”

“Yeah. He got caught for drug-related offenses by the police.”

“Real retribution. Such people are despicable; even shooting them is too lenient.” Tian Nana spoke through gritted teeth.

Tian Yuxi arranged for Song Haowen and her sister to sit in the pavilion in the courtyard and have tea. She went to the kitchen.

“I’ll help Mom cook. You guys can chat first.”

“I’m sorry.” Song Haowen apologized to Tian Nana first. “If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t have suffered this setback.”

Top of Form

“It’s okay. At that time, you were just trying to save your sister, and there wasn’t much you could think about. Besides, even without this incident, there might have been other things. That’s what they call ‘when people are famous, rumors abound,'” Tian Nana generously waved her hand.

“I didn’t expect that guy to be so despicable. If there’s an issue, he could have come directly to me. There was no need to involve others.”

Tian Nana patted Song Haowen’s hand. “Forget about this. In fact, people around me can be much worse than him.”

Song Haowen expressed his concern, “You have to be careful; these people won’t give up until they achieve their goals.”

“That’s why I’m starting to feel like not singing anymore. It’s too tiring for my me,” Tian Nana said with a somewhat subdued mood.

“I came here today to talk to you about this.” Song Haowen looked into her beautiful eyes and said, “When you go out to sing now, you’re following the band alone. This has some risks.”

“I’m worried about this too. But I can’t stop singing. Otherwise, if I’m not seen for a long time, fans might forget me.”

“Don’t worry about that. As long as there are works circulating, people will remember you even decades later. However, you’re currently performing alone with the band, which may lead to harassment. Additionally, you lack life experience, making it easy for you to be deceived. So, if you want to continue your singing career, you need to find an assistant. This person must be very reliable, good at socializing, mature, not greedy, and also knowledgeable in finance and tax law. Otherwise, you might accidentally get involved in legal troubles. Furthermore, never hire a male assistant, even if you plan to marry him. There are many bad examples of female celebrities hiring male assistants abroad, and it often leads to both financial and personal deception.” Song Haowen had seen many such cases in his past life, though he couldn’t say the same for the situation in China, so he used the excuse of examples from abroad.

“I can’t hire a male assistant. But your conditions are too strict; it’s not easy to find such an assistant,” Tian Nana worriedly said.

“First, see if your mother is suitable. If not, try looking among relatives. If that doesn’t work, check among friends.”

“Little brother’s idea is good.” Tian Yuxi came out of the kitchen and, upon hearing Song Haowen’s suggestion, approved. “Nana, let your mother help you. With your mother taking care of you in daily life, it will be easier to negotiate fees with others, and generally, scumbags won’t dare to mess with you.”

“But my mom doesn’t understand singing matters. Moreover, she still has an accounting job.”

“As long as your mom is willing to help you, these are not issues. You can learn what you don’t understand. Even if you don’t get it the first time, you’ll figure it out by the third time, right? Most importantly, your mom won’t harm you. Nana, with your current appearance fees, it’s probably going to surpass your mom’s total salary for the past ten years. Let your mom take a leave of absence from her job; even if she has to quit, it’s not a big deal. You can pay her a salary by then.” Song Haowen encouraged.

“What salary? Except for keeping some pocket money, the rest is all given to my family.”

“Even better. Go back and have a good discussion with your mom and uncle. I think your career and safety should be the top priorities,” Song Haowen suggested.

Lin Min walked over at this moment and jokingly said, “Nana, if your mom doesn’t agree, I’ll resign and become your assistant.”

Tian Nana laughed, “Sure, I don’t mind. I’m just afraid that my sister won’t talk to me then.”

“Why? Did you offend Xixi?” Tian Pengfei, Tian Yuxi’s father, walked in from outside and shouted after hearing only one sentence.

“I’m not that petty,” Tian Yuxi said unkindly. “Nana, seriously, if you have an assistant, we’ll feel more at ease too.”

Suddenly, Tian Nana thought of a problem. “Haowen, what if the school or the dance troupe gives me trouble for this?”

“How is that possible? Your assistant doesn’t need them to pay his salary. Can they control it?”

“Wouldn’t they say I’m acting high and mighty? Many veteran singers don’t have assistants.”

“Finding an assistant is really not a big deal. In the future, stars like you will have a dozen assistants, and that’s normal. You can have a life assistant, a financial assistant, a fitness trainer, a dance coach, a makeup artist, a stylist, a nutritionist, a public relations specialist, a doctor, a lawyer, a driver, a bodyguard…”

“Oh my god, isn’t that too exaggerated? Is it a prince or princess going on an outing?” Tian Yuxi exclaimed.

Song Haowen continued, “Moreover, even if they don’t agree, what’s the big deal? You’re still a university student now, not restricted by any organization. That’s a good thing. If you sign a contract with a certain dance troupe, you’ll have to obey their management. If the person in charge is upright, it’s okay, but if you encounter a scoundrel, that’s troublesome. Those people often have power not only in their own organizations but also in friendly neighboring units. As long as you don’t comply, you may face a comprehensive blockade.”