Originally, Xu Wenyin thought that this trivial matter concerning the Xu family relatives would come to an end once she had the house in hand. She had also decided to sell the unexpectedly acquired house and then buy a newer, larger one in a better location elsewhere in Mo City.

After all, she had promised Youyou that she would accompany her to the ice park in Mo City in the future. Having their own house there would be much more convenient.

Now, Xu Wenyin’s house-buying plan was no longer limited to Jiang City. She planned to obtain several property certificates for Xu Youyou in various places across the country.

A few years later, she plan to expand the scope to the whole world.

She was no longer the bumpkin system she once was. Xu Wenyin’s future goal was to make Xu Youyou the strongest landly in the world!

Who would have known that on the second day back in Jiang City, Qin Yiren brought another piece of news.

It was Butler Wang who first informed Qin Yiren.

More precisely, it was because the Xu family was intimidated by the tattooed men. They were afraid that even if they moved out and paid a large compensation, the tattooed men wouldn’t let them off so easily.

After all, they knew what they had done themselves. Whether it was the big or small matters, both families had not hesitated to look down upon and bully Xu Wenyin back then.

While they didn’t resort to physical violence or anything of that sort, considering Grandpa Xu was still around at that time, they didn’t refrain from using insinuations, sarcasm, and ambiguous remarks.

Occasionally, even the children would intentionally trip Xu Wenyin or give her a shove. Such incidents did occur.

If Xu Wenyin had a smaller mindset, now that she had allied herself with a wealthy and influential family, she would certainly seek revenge.

Eldest Aunt Xu became increasingly terrified. Somehow, she recalled an incident that had happened over three years ago.

Her intuition told her that this incident might just be the key to getting her family out of trouble.

“According to that Eldest Aunt Xu,” Qin Yiren paused for a second, “About three years ago, a handsome and imposing man once came to your house in Mo City looking for you.”

But at that time, Xu Wenyin was already buried at Yu County. The man happened to encounter Eldest Aunt Xu, and upon learning her identity, he inquired about Xu Wenyin’s whereabouts.

Eldest Aunt Xu didn’t know the relationship between the man and Xu Wenyin. But since nothing would change even if she did, she simply told the man that Xu Wenyin had perished in the earthquake in Yu County.

The earthquake in Yu County was widely known, not just in the country, but throughout the world. There were indeed too many people who perished in that earthquake. It also seemed that the man had conducted some investigation beforehand.

After Xu Wenyin’s death was confirmed by Eldest Aunt Xu, he quickly left.

But Eldest Aunt Xu never mentioned the existence of Xu Youyou. Despite their shameless actions, they still cared about their reputation and didn’t want to be looked down upon by others.

They were unwilling to take care of the child after their only niece passed away, fearing that it would lead to gossip behind their backs.

To save face, apart from their immediate family, no one knew that Xu Wenyin had a daughter. Naturally, Eldest Aunt Xu wouldn’t disclose this information to the man.

They initially thought it was a trivial matter, and the man never appeared again afterward. Who could have imagined that Xu Wenyin hadn’t died at all?!

Not only did she not die, but she also managed to hug a big thigh!

Perhaps it was the man’s imposing demeanor and handsome appearance that left a lasting impression on Edest Aunt Xu. Now, she still remembered and tried to make amends with Xu Wenyin, hoping to sell her a favor.

Of course, the version Eldest Aunt Xu told the tattooed men was embellished, but someone of Butler Wang’s caliber could easily deduce the gist of the original story with just a little thought.

He thought for a moment and then told Qin Yiren about this incident. Qin Yiren’s initial reaction was whether this man could be the biological father of Xu Youyou, whom Xu Wenyin had referred to as ‘long dead’.

Indeed, most people would likely perceive the word ‘dead’ as a figure of speech. Qin Yiren, considering Xu Wenyin and her daughter’s tumultuous experiences, also thought that even if the man hadn’t died, he couldn’t be relied upon.

Now that Xu Wenyin and her daughter were living their lives peacefully, there’s indeed no need to invite trouble.

However, keeping this matter hidden wouldn’t be wise. Since Youyou and Juanjuan were playing elsewhere, Qin Yiren decided it was best to inform Xu Wenyin about the situation.

After speaking, she still felt a little uneasy.

“Wenyin, don’t be too sad. Men are like that. It’s okay, you don’t need them……”

Facing Qin Yiren’s consolation, Xu Wenyin was puzzled. “I’m not sad, why would I be sad?”

“And who’s that guy anyway?”

Qin Yiren paused, “Could it be Youyou’s father coming to find you?”

That would be a normal assumption for most people.

Unexpectedly, Xu Wenyin was even more surprised. “Huh? That’s impossible. That man is already dead,”

In this world, there wouldn’t be another system, so that guy couldn’t possibly ‘come back from the dead’ like her, could he?

Qin Yiren: “……”

So, this ‘dead’ was real, not just angry talk?

Xu Wenyin asked in confusion, “Do you think I’m lying to you?”

She was too lazy to tell lies about such a matter since it was both troublesome and unnecessary.

The matter concerning Xu Youyou’s father was also mentioned in the novel, but it wasn’t until nearly twenty years later that Xu Youyou learned about it.

According to the timeline, Xu Youyou’s father should have died before she was born.

Although the real Xu Wenyin was unaware and still waiting anxiously in Yu County, even giving her daughter the name ‘Youyou’, the system knew the truth.

The setup of the female protagonist in angsty stories having both parents deceased was quite common. However, there were also scenarios where biological parents mistreated their own children. Regardless of the setup, it’s always unfortunate for the child.

Xu Wenyin never considered deceiving Xu Youyou with things like her father being a star in the sky or the like. No matter who asked, her response was always one word: Dead.

Did none of these people believe it, like Qin Yiren?

Heaven knows, except for that one time when she deceived Youyou, she’s truly an honest system!

“Then who’s that man?”

“I don’t know ah!”

Someone with handsome looks and a commanding presence, there must be tens of thousands of men fitting that description. How could Xu Wenyin possibly pinpoint him with just those two adjectives?

Qin Yiren: “……”

The two best friends exchanged glances and simultaneously decided to skip over the topic.

Forget it, he was never an important person anyway. It’s been several years now, and they’re living their lives just fine. Why bother stirring up trouble?

As for that Eldest Aunt trying to cozy up, Xu Wenyin pondered for a moment and then said, “Let’s have the tattooed guys chat with them for another couple of days.”

Qin Yiren smiled ‘gently’ and said, “No problem, let them visit once a month.”

They smiled at each other, each appearing more innocent than the other.

Sure enough, some people can become good best friends for a reason.

———pr

This translation is by Pocketrobbin at S h a n g h a i f a n t a s y . c o m

The scorching summer vacation quickly passed, and as the new school year began, Xu Youyou officially transitioned from the bottom class to the middle class.

It was still the same classmates and the same teacher, just a bit more ‘mature’ compared to the bottom class!

In the class, the boys’ topics had evolved from Ah Momo to Ultraman. Xu Youyou had already seen several boys holding the so-called transformation device and shouting, “Ultraman transform!”

They would also do the iconic hand movement.

At first glance, it seemed a bit silly and funny.

Even Qian Xin didn’t escape the craze; he often performed this action in front of Xu Youyou and the others, earning applause from his admiring friends.

This made Qian Xin even more pleased, as he wished he could perform it eight hundred times a day.

However, during lunch break that day, when Qian Xin made the move again, a little boy beside him spoke up, “Ultraman isn’t fat!”

This remark garnered agreement from two other boys. They looked at Qian Xin’s chubby appearance and frowned, adding, “Qian Xin, you’re too fat. You definitely can’t beat monsters.”

“Hahahaha.”

“That’s right! Qian Xin, do you eat a drum of rice^[1]tǒng fàn every day? Qian Xin is a glutton^[2]fàn tong~”

They say children speak without filters, but sometimes their words can be the most hurtful.

Compared to other children his age, Qian Xin was indeed a bit overweight, giving him a plump appearance.

According to his mother, Qian Xin weighed over eight pounds at birth, making the delivery quite strenuous. Moreover, he also had a good appetite.

With Mother Qian being a great chef and their family being in the catering business, their table was filled with precious cuisines throughout the year. If one wasn’t careful, the children would keep eating and gaining weight.

Around the time Qian Xin was three years old, his parents realized that things couldn’t continue like it was. While being chubby as a child might be considered cute, Qian Xin’s weight had clearly surpassed the boundaries of being just chubby.

He was overweight indeed!

Under the doctor’s advice, Father and Mother Qian embarked on a long journey to help Qian Xin manage his weight.

Unfortunately, the results weren’t very promising. In the end, unable to find a solution, Father Qian learned about the training camp. Since Liu Yanzhi was also going, they decided to send their son there and let the instructor help him with his training.

Otherwise, if he kept gaining weight, it could really affect his health.

Fortunately, the training camp worked well. Although Qian Xin’s weight didn’t change much, he appeared much stronger. He transformed from a soft chubby kid into a sturdy…… chubby kid!

Father Qian could only reassure Mother Qian, saying that when their child grew taller, he would surely slim down.

Mother Qian was able to take it in stride. As long as her son was healthy, she didn’t mind him being chubby.

Qian Xin can now even perform a majestic set of military-style exercises for his parents.

But in kindergarten, Qian Xin’s physique still attracted attention. While children usually joke around, this time it was clear they were mocking him.

Xu Youyou immediately retorted, “Xiao Pang— Qian Xin isn’t fat! He’s much better than you guys!”

Even though the training camp was tough, Qian Xin never missed out on training. Compared to other children his age, he was much healthier. He hadn’t suffered from minor illnesses like colds for almost half a year.

“That’s right!” Liu Miaomiao’s voice was even louder than Xu Youyou’s, and she slammed the table heavily, making a loud noise. “If we encounter a monster, you guys would definitely be the first to run!”

Children of this age value their pride the most, especially the boys who idolize Ultraman. How could they tolerate being spoken to like this?

“You’re the one who would run!”

“Liu Miaomiao, you’re such a tigress^[3]shrew! Grrr! You won’t be able to get married in the future!”

Even though children at the age of four might not fully understand the concept of marriage, they still grasp the negative implications of ‘can’t get married’ and ‘tigress’. So, they didn’t hesitate to use these terms to scold Liu Miaomiao.

Could Liu Miaomiao tolerate this?

Her temper had always been bad. During this period, under the guidance of Mother Liu, she had learned to restrain herself, but that didn’t mean it had disappeared entirely.

And then, as they continued to exchange insults, somehow, they ended up in a fight!

It was Liu Miaomiao who kicked first, and naturally, the boy, who was also spoiled at home, wouldn’t take it lying down. He definitely fought back.

Qian Xin and the others wouldn’t stand by and watch their friend being bullied. Even Xu Youyou, impulsively, joined the fray.

Seeing that the situation was getting out of hand and that he couldn’t pull Xu Youyou away in time, Lu Chenjun quickly ran to find Teacher Xu.

Because they had just finished lunch, the other aunties went to clean up the dishes, while Teacher Xu was on the other side of the classroom comforting a child who had just wet his pants.

The classroom was quite large, and with many children, the noise level was naturally high. Teacher Xu didn’t notice what was happening on Xu Youyou’s side for a moment.

By the time Lu Chenjun ran towards her and shouts erupted nearby, it was almost too late.

When the teacher finally separated the fighting children, Qian Xin’s side was relatively unharmed. Besides a few scratch marks on their arms, they hadn’t been hit anywhere else, thanks to the few moves they had practiced.

But the three boys were in a worse condition.

They had noticeable bruises on their faces and bodies, and each of them was crying bitterly.

Liu Miaomiao, with a look of indignation, wanted to land a few more blows, but she was intimidated by Teacher Xu’s stern expression and backed off.

By now, Xu Youyou had calmed down and couldn’t help but feel nervous.

Grandma Wu said that good children shouldn’t fight.

Teacher Xu also mentioned that if there’s a problem, they should tell the teacher. In any case, fighting wasn’t allowed.

But now the fight has already happened……

Xu Youyou didn’t regret her impulsiveness, but she was worried that her mother would be angry. She couldn’t help but look down at the floor beneath her feet as if a flower had grown on it.

With things having reached this point, Teacher Xu couldn’t possibly keep it a secret.

Or perhaps she should be grateful that Lu Chenjun didn’t get involved?

Otherwise, if Lu Chenjun got hurt, it would be hard to explain to Elder Qin.

So, while discussing work with Zhao Tao, Xu Wenyin received a call from Teacher Xu.

“What? Youyou got into a fight? Is she hurt? Who did she fight with?”

Teacher Xu: “……”

Was Xu Youyou’s mother a bit too indulgent?

At two o’clock in the afternoon, Teacher Xu’s office was packed to the brim.

The parents of the three children, as well as Qian Xin, Liu Miaomiao, and Xu Youyou’s parents, had all arrived.

Liu Yanzhi’s father expressed that he was too busy to come and entrusted the matter to the teacher.

The parent of Lu Chenjun, who didn’t actually participate in the fight, Qin Yiren, also arrived. She had received inside information from her son and, concerned with the other children, came along with Xu Wenyin.

“Oh my, why was the blow so heavy? There, there, don’t cry, don’t cry.”

In contrast to the quietness on Xu Youyou’s side, there were continuous sounds of comfort and crying on the other side.

After a while, the injuries to the children became more apparent. The school doctor came to take a look and did some minor treatment. None of the injuries were internal; they were all superficial wounds.

However, children have delicate skin, so even minor injuries were quite noticeable. It looked as if they had been severely beaten, which naturally distressed the parents greatly.

These days, every child is pampered like a treasure at home. Even minor bumps and bruises were cause for considerable distress, let alone being hit by other children!

Knowing that this matter was difficult to resolve, Teacher Xu showed the classroom surveillance footage to everyone present.

The children attending this kindergarten all come from privileged backgrounds, so the kindergarten was particularly cautious about accidents. Every nook and cranny, especially the classrooms, were equipped with numerous surveillance cameras.

Ensuring there were no blind spots.

So the sequence of events was also very clear.

It was those three children who first mocked Qian Xin and even insulted him, but it was Liu Miaomiao who made the first move.

In Teacher Xu’s opinion, both sides had their faults. The best scenario would be for them to apologize to each other, shake hands, and make peace.

After all, it’s not a deep-seated grudge, just a childish fight, which, to be honest, was quite normal.

But clearly, neither set of parents agreed with this approach.

On one hand, they felt that even though their children had insulted someone, the other party shouldn’t have resorted to violence, especially to such an extent!

On the other hand, they felt that their children were simply playing peacefully, so why should they be mocked? They hadn’t even scolded their precious children before!

Especially Xu Wenyin, upon seeing the clear nail scratches on Xu Youyou’s tender, fair arms, she felt like rolling up her sleeves and joining the fight herself!

I’ve raised my child so tenderly, never scolding, let alone hitting her. And today, your child hit mine?!

If it weren’t for Qin Yiren constantly holding her back, Xu Wenyin might have actually resorted to violence.

Don’t talk to the system about social norms. She hadn’t been brought up with those principles from a young age. Her compliance with the law was solely to avoid causing trouble for Xu Youyou and to prevent detection by the rules of this world.

If someone were to tell Xu Wenyin things like ‘Even if he/she insulted you, you shouldn’t hit him/her’, she would just retaliate on the spot.

In the end, the discussion could be described as ending on an unhappy note.

No one apologized, and it was unlikely that anyone would.

Teacher Xu was truly overwhelmed.

But what could she do? She was just a powerless teacher!

———pr

“I’m so frustrated! I’m so frustrated!”

Back at home, Xu Wenyin was still angry!

She paced back and forth in Qin Yiren’s living room, each step as if she was stepping on those children who fought with Xu Youyou.

Meanwhile, Qin Yiren was examining the injuries on Xu Youyou’s body. Although the school doctor had already treated them, she wanted to take another look herself for peace of mind.

Qin Yiren’s home also had better medicine prepared, so both mother and daughter were now present there.

“Wenyin, calm down. You’re scaring Youyou.”

Qin Yiren, feeling helpless, gently stroked Xu Youyou’s head. “Don’t be afraid, Youyou. Your Mom isn’t blaming you.”

“Of course, I wouldn’t blame Youyou!”

Xu Wenyin rushed over and looked at the injuries on Xu Youyou’s arms with a heart full of concern. “Youyou, next time you get into a fight, remember to protect yourself first.”

Qin Yiren blurted, “Next time???”

Xu Wenyin replied seriously, “Of course! When encountering bullies or people who insult Youyou, should she just endure it?”

Qin Yiren responded, “If it’s not too serious, she can tell the teacher. Fighting is generally not a good solution.”

Qin Yiren wasn’t suggesting that they should tolerate everything, but if they resort to violence at the slightest disagreement, what if the child grows up to be someone who only knows how to solve problems with violence?

Moreover, considering Youyou is a girl, she would inevitably end up at a disadvantage if she gets into fistfights.

Xu Wenyin, however, didn’t agree with that perspective. “Telling the teacher about such matters would likely result in just a few words of reprimand, right? It’s practically insignificant. It’s better to just give them a beating and let them know you’re not to be messed with. It’s more efficient!”

Well, one could say that neither mother’s perspective was necessarily wrong.

It’s just a matter of viewing the issue from different angles.

But in front of the children, Qin Yiren still felt that they shouldn’t encourage the use of violence, especially considering that as Xu Youyou continued to participate in training camps, her combat abilities would only increase.

Qin Yiren doesn’t want Xu Youyou to become a delinquent in the future.

For the first time, the two parents had a disagreement over their children’s education.

Xu Wenyin asked, “If you have the strength, why can’t you use it?”

Qin Yiren answered, “Having strength doesn’t mean you should always use it. You need to consider the situation and the person you’re dealing with, otherwise, what’s the difference between humans and animals?”

Xu Wenyin retorted, “Of course, there’s a difference. Rules are meant for the weak to obey. Yiyi, don’t tell me you’ve always been obedient?”

Qin Yiren: “……”

A knockout blow. She had no way to refute that.

Qin Yiren wasn’t a well-behaved child either; she skipped classes and got into fights during her school days.

However……

“What TV dramas have you been watching lately?” Qin Yiren calmed down and felt that arguing with Xu Wenyin over this thing was unnecessary.

Since she found out that Xu Wenyin would learn parenting techniques from palace dramas, she completely lost hope in Xu Wenyin’s common sense.

The fact that Xu Youyou was so kind, lovely, and well-behaved now was probably just heaven’s arrangement.

Statements like Xu Wenyin’s earlier one, ‘rules are meant for the weak to obey’, sound like they’re straight out of a certain source.

Upon hearing that question, Xu Wenyin wagged her right index finger from side to side and said, “Yiyi, you’re behind the times. What I’ve been watching recently are anime shows.”

“There are some really interesting things in there!”

Qin Yiren: “……”

Just as she was about to speak again, her hem was tugged by Xu Youyou, who was standing between the two of them.

Uh oh, was her tone okay just now? She hoped she didn’t scare the little girl.

“Mom, Aunt, don’t argue.”

Xu Youyou looked earnestly at the two adults. “I won’t fight randomly.”

She mainly joined in this time because she was afraid her little friends would get hurt, especially when she saw Liu Yanzhi almost being grabbed by the hair. She couldn’t just wait for the teacher to arrive.

“Humph.” Xu Wenyin looked a bit unhappy. “You can’t be soft on those who bully you, Youyou!”

She’d rather have Xu Youyou be feared by others, so no one dares to bully her than have everyone think they can step on her and insult her.

“Youyou understand.” Xu Youyou turned around and climbed into Xu Wenyin’s arms. “I know Mom is worried about Youyou, but Youyou promise no one can bully me!”

With her small hands, she tried her best to mimic the swearing gesture she saw on TV, even though it wasn’t quite right.

Upon seeing Xu Youyou like this, Xu Wenyin couldn’t muster any anger in her heart. She simply tickled Xu Youyou who had her head buried in her arms.

Of course, she also carefully avoided Xu Youyou’s injured arm.

Watching the little one laugh so hard that she was almost out of breath, Xu Wenyin ‘generously’ let someone off the hook.

They had thought the discussion would end there. Those children who had been beaten probably wouldn’t have the courage to come back and find Qian Xin and the others. But unexpectedly, Lu Chenjun chimed in.

“Foolish Xiao Lu.”

Lu Chenjun, with a serious expression on his face, said, “Only fools get into fights and end up hurting themselves!”

Xu Youyou objected, “Youyou isn’t a fool, Youyou won the fight!”

Indeed, from the outcome, Xu Youyou’s side emerged victorious in this fight.

Otherwise, Xu Wenyin wouldn’t have let it go so easily.

But Lu Chenjun didn’t think so. He frowned as he looked at Xu Youyou’s injured arm. “But you also got hurt, and it’s painful!”

Xu Youyou still argued back, “But they hurt more!”

“Wham!”

Another small hand appeared on top of Xu Youyou’s head, and a disgruntled Lu Chenjun vigorously rubbed her hair. “There are clearly other solutions!”

“Zhou Ziming hates eating vegetables the most. We can sneak the vegetables from our bowls into his, and the teacher will surely make him eat them!”

“Zhao Xuan likes eating sweets. We can swap his candy for really sour and bitter ones!”

“And there’s Li Hengrui.” Lu Chenjun paused for a second. Li Hengrui was the one who first spoke about Qian Xin and was currently in the top three of Xu Youyou’s least favorite people.

“We can wait until he’s alone, go to a place where the surveillance cameras can’t see us, and beat him up together. That way, none of you will get hurt!”

Qin Yiren: “……”

Xu Wenyin: “!!!”

“Juanjuan, you’re really something!” Xu Wenyin gave Lu Chenjun a thumbs-up.

This little boy was usually indifferent and silent, but she didn’t expect him to be cunning— no— strategic.

Indeed, after Lu Chenjun’s explanation, Xu Wenyin also found some logic in it.

Fighting impulsively often leads to self-injury, even if one is skilled, accidents can happen. It’s better to target what the other person hated the most, achieving revenge while protecting oneself.

Upon hearing his words, Xu Youyou seemed to find it reasonable as well. Suddenly, she lost the aggressive demeanor she had before and didn’t mind Lu Chenjun messing up her hair anymore.

“Juanjuan, you’re right. The first thing to do when dealing with bad people is to protect ourselves!”

And then, they can find an opportunity to strike, without getting caught by the teacher!

“Juanjuan, you’re so smart!”

Xu Youyou looked at Lu Chenjun with admiration, feeling that her good friend was really amazing. She resolved to learn more from Juanjuan in the future.

Qin Yiren who heard her own son’s plan with her own ears: “……”

Son, your wit never fails to amaze me!

She probably no longer needed to worry about her son being bullied by anyone.

With that kind of brain, he would have been a perfect villainous military strategist in ancient times, capable of leading a hundred men to defeat ten thousand enemies!