Extra 3.4

After completing his undergraduate studies, Fantuan was recommended to pursue a master’s degree at the same school. Following in Han Cheng’s footsteps, he dedicated himself to research and development in the field of medicine. The motivation behind this choice was the serious illness Xiao Tangyuan had when she was twelve. The situation had been very critical at the time, and if she had not been rushed to the hospital promptly, they might have lost her. Fortunately, a special medication effectively treated her condition, allowing Xiao Tangyuan to recover swiftly.

Xiao Tangyuan’s sudden illness scared the whole family. Her older brothers skipped school every day to stay by her side at the hospital.

At the time, Fantuan was already in junior high school and waited eagerly for Xiao Tangyuan to be discharged from the hospital. As soon as she was out, he applied for another degree related to drug research. To his surprise, he became increasingly fascinated with his studies, finding them more intriguing with each passing day. As a graduate student, he continued to pursue this path.

Su Xiaoxiao had predicted long ago that a bright student like Fantuan would excel in any field he chose and would be a blessing to it. Originally, Fantuan’s research focus had been on increasing rice production. He spent two consecutive summer vacations in the rice fields of Sujia Village, working alongside Su Weimin and other experts, which significantly boosted the rice production there. However, after earning a double degree, he unexpectedly shifted his focus to medical research, which left Su Weimin feeling disheartened for a while. Despite this, Su Weimin acknowledged that whatever Fantuan pursued would ultimately benefit humanity, so he came to accept it.

Zhuzi, who initially intended to become a lawyer to speak out for the disadvantaged and injustices, also considered pursuing an additional degree in medicine. However, unlike Fantuan, Zhuzi’s energy allowed him to focus on only one thing at a time. Becoming a lawyer had always been his dream, and he had prepared for it for many years. If he really wanted to study medicine, he could only change his major, and he was not sure if he was suitable for that course.

He discussed it with Ya Li, who advised that interests and ideals should come first as they determine how far one can go in a field. If one is unsure about excelling in a new field, it is better not to easily abandon one’s original goal. Su Xiaoxiao and Xiao Tangyuan would also likely not support this decision.

After careful consideration, Xiao Zhuzi decided not to change his major but instead devoted even more attention to Xiao Tangyuan. Since she was young, Xiao Tangyuan had been the most delicate among the cubs. People joked that it was because she hadn’t competed for nutrients with Xiao Roubao in their mother’s womb, making her lighter at birth compared to Xiao Roubao. Although Xiao Tangyuan grew at a normal rate compared to Tang Tiantian, the presence of the more precocious Xiao Roubao at home made the whole family feel that Xiao Tangyuan was growing slowly.

In the year that Xiao Zhuzi entered graduate school, Xiao Tangyuan, now 15, was as tall as Su Xiaoxiao. The graceful young girl had bright eyes and a radiant smile that won the hearts of many young boys just beginning to experience their first crushes. The frequency with which she received attention from boys was even higher than the number of times the trees in the high school had been hit before her arrival.

By the late 1980s, societal customs had become more open, and Xiao Tangyuan’s schoolbag cabinet was almost daily filled with one or two love letters. Despite some male classmates being “warned” by Xiao Roubao not to write love letters to Xiao Tangyuan, the flow of letters continued unabated.

Xiao Tangyuan’s academic performance was consistently among the top. Although she did not always take first place like her brothers, she remained in the top ten of her grade for years. She had not skipped any grades and had been desk partners with Tang Tiantian since kindergarten, continuing all the way through high school.

Although Tang Tiantian’s grades were not as high as Xiao Tangyuan’s, she still performed well and should have no problem entering an average university.

Xiao Roubao, who occasionally had to take time off to film, was also smart and always ranked first in his class. He never skipped grades, always protecting his sister until high school. It was only in high school that he and Xiao Tangyuan were in different classes. As the curriculum split into science and liberal arts in the second year of high school, Xiao Roubao had to adapt to their separate classes. However, he always checked on Xiao Tangyuan after classes to ensure she was well and hadn’t been harassed by anyone, which gave him peace of mind.

From junior high school, Xiao Roubao developed his sense of aesthetics and noticed that his physique was not as attractive as his brothers’. His brothers were tall, slim, and well-defined with visible muscles, including chest and abs, which made them look especially handsome. Even their father had this build. In contrast, Xiao Roubao, with his soft physique, was considered cute as a child, but he knew that he couldn’t remain cute as he grew older.

So, Xiao Roubao began to cut back on his food intake, reducing his consumption from five bowls of rice to three and limiting his snack intake. He even restricted his favorite treats—ice cream and chocolate—to once a week. He also increased his physical activity, participating in regular exercises with his brothers and playing basketball with his classmates after school. As a result, Xiao Roubao quickly transformed into a handsome young boy, slightly more robust than his brothers. He combined Fantuan’s sunny demeanor and good looks with Xiao Doubao’s delicate beauty. With the best traits of both parents, Xiao Roubao and Xiao Tangyuan grew up to be the most attractive children in the family.

Xiao Roubao’s personality remained largely unchanged; he could still be coquettish, innocent, and charming. His sweet and cool demeanor, combined with his improved appearance, made him even more endearing.

Su Xiaoxiao looked at the nearly perfect Xiao Roubao and recalled the saying: “Every chubby person is a potential stock.” With Xiao Roubao slimmed down, he was no longer just another face in the crowd.

Gu Zhanwang and his wife had not seen their beloved godson for over a month. When they saw him again, they almost could not recognize this stunning young boy. Xiao Roubao’s mood was so elevated that it seemed to bubble over with happiness.

The only person who was distressed was Director Chen. Xiao Roubao was supposed to re-shoot a scene, but Chen’s frustration nearly boiled over when this perfect version of Xiao Roubao stood before him. The current image of Xiao Roubao did not fit the previous scenes at all! However, Director Chen couldn’t bring himself to be angry at Xiao Roubao. He had no choice but to make do with the less satisfactory footage from before. He certainly couldn’t ask Xiao Roubao to gain weight and re-shoot. Moreover, seeing such a beautiful and talented Xiao Roubao, Director Chen immediately envisioned him in ten or eight more roles. He decided that Xiao Roubao must appear in every film he made, even if there wasn’t a suitable role; he would create one just for Xiao Roubao. Essentially, Xiao Roubao could not miss any of his films!

Of course, Xiao Roubao was unaware of this. He simply enjoyed the undeniable admiration in everyone’s eyes, feeling a strong sense of achievement from seeing such looks. He regretted not starting his weight loss journey earlier, realizing how wonderful it was to look better.

Her brothers strictly monitored Xiao Tangyuan. She generally kept her distance from male classmates. Little Roubao occupied all her break time and followed her home. At home, she was constantly watched by her brothers. Whenever she took out a love letter from her schoolbag, her brothers would often confiscate it before she even had a chance to read it. Today, it might be one brother searching for her bag, and tomorrow, it might be another. As a result, she remained unaware of the content of these letters, which only fueled her curiosity.

One day, Xiao Tangyuan could no longer resist the temptation. She decided to secretly open a love letter and read it during class.

She lifted her book to shield her actions from the teacher’s view, shook the love letter she had received that morning, and whispered to Tang Tiantian, “Tiantian, keep an eye out for me. I want to see what’s written in this letter.”

Tang Tiantian, who the Han family had instructed to help look after Xiao Tangyuan, whispered, “Xingxing, didn’t your brothers say you can’t read them?” Since junior high, Tang Tiantian had only called Xiao Tangyuan by her nickname at home; at school, she generally referred to her as Xingxing, like everyone else.

Xiao Tangyuan hesitated at the sight of the badly written name on the envelope, reluctant to open it. It was the first time she had seen her name written so poorly, making her want to throw it away. All of their siblings, including Tang Tiantian, had practiced calligraphy from a young age, and it was hard to imagine anyone writing so badly.

Yet, curiosity got the better of her. She tried to ignore the awkward phrase “Please review Classmate Han Xing, ” and began to open the envelope:

“I’ll just take a quick look. Keep watch for me,” she instructed.

Before Tang Tiantian could respond, their notoriously strict math teacher had already tapped the blackboard and called their names: “Han Xing, Tang Tiantian, stand up!”

Being known for her obedient nature, Xiao Tangyuan stood up reflexively in panic, causing the “love letter” in her hand to fly out.