Chen Zikun listened with rapt attention for half a day and figured out that this uncle was Mr. Lin's paternal uncle, currently working in the Presidential Palace's Foreign Affairs Committee, seemingly holding a much higher position than Mr. Lin, as his wife showed extreme enthusiasm, ordering Lin's mother around, serving tea and coffee with great fanfare.

  After a while, Lin Wenjing and another slender girl came out hand in hand. The girl was fifteen or sixteen years old, with two braids tied with rose-colored ribbons, delicate eyebrows, and a pair of bright eyes.

  "Where does your sister go to school?" the girl asked.

  "I'm a probationary student at Peking University, and I'll be formally enrolled this summer. How about you?"

  I studied at Pei Hwa Girls' School.

  "What I know is a church-run middle school with foreign teachers, which university are you planning to take the entrance exam for in the future?"

  "I don't know yet, maybe I'll go study in Europe."

  Two girls stood under a Osmanthus tree, chatting somewhat awkwardly, completely unaware that the male servant sweeping the floor beside them was eavesdropping on their conversation.

  The great uncle sat for a while and then bid farewell, the whole family sent him to the door. After returning, the lady began to chatter endlessly in Shanghainese, first scolding Mr., then scolding his daughter and Lin Ma. The whole family was silent, subdued by the lady's feminine power.

  Chen Zikun took advantage of everyone's attention to the mistress's instructions and slipped out to take a peek at the two side rooms. The windows were made of small pieces of glass embedded in the window frames, allowing him to see clearly inside. The furniture in the east room was rough and crude, obviously belonging to Lin Ma. In contrast, the west room was tidy and clean, with a redwood desk holding several books and a piece of paper covering the remains of a fountain pen.

  Isn't Half Immortal saying that going to Tianqiao can solve this small trouble? Chen Zikong's mind moved, looked around, no one noticed himself, pulled out the dagger and opened the window, stretched his hand to grab the remains of the fountain pen, then closed the window, pretending to be a normal person, slipped out.

  When Chen Zikun left like this, the gatekeeper Zhang Bo couldn't believe his eyes. The rickshaw pullers who worked for other families were all very attentive to their masters and mistresses, helping with household chores such as sweeping, watering flowers, and waiting at the gate, ready to serve at a moment's notice. Now that Chinese New Year was approaching, it was peak season for using cars, and no one knew when they would be needed next. But this little Chen was really audacious - he only pulled Miss once a day to and from school, and then left without even saying goodbye.

  "The world is getting worse and worse." Zhang Bo shook his head and sighed.

  Lin Wenjing's mother scolded her, and she lowered her head and returned to her room. From around her neck, she took out a chain with a small, delicate locket hanging from it. Inside the locket was a black-and-white photograph of a woman who was elegant and beautiful, with eyebrows and eyes that resembled Lin Wenjing's.

  "Mom, I think of you..." Lin Wenjing choked back a sob, reached out to grab the remains of the pen on the table, but found it was gone. She quickly ran out the door and asked Lin Mama: "Lin Mama, have you seen the things on my desk?"

  Lin's mother shook her head: "Didn't see."

  "Has anyone been in my room?"

  "No... it seems like the young master went in once."

  Lin Wenjing went to find her brother again: "Younger brother, did you take sister's things?"

  "No?" The little boy shook his head like a rattle drum.

  "What's lost? You're so suspicious! Your brother isn't a thief with three hands, how could he take someone else's things?" The gentle voice of the lady came from outside, Lin Wenjing's eyes dimmed and she didn't speak again.

  ……

  Chen Zikun strolled all the way to Tianqiao, where winter nights fell early. The street performers had all packed up and gone home, leaving behind only a desolate expanse of fruit peels and scraps of paper.

  Wasn't it the half-immortal who was deceiving me? Chen Zikong looked around four times, and suddenly saw a sign being carried away by someone in the distance, with several words written on it: "All-purpose glue, sticks to everything." His heart suddenly cleared up, the half-immortal really had a god-like foresight, wouldn't using all-purpose glue make the pen stick together?

  He rushed up and shouted loudly: "Vendor of universal glue, wait!"

  The man indeed stopped, Chen Zikun caught up with a look, but was very embarrassed, it turned out that the one selling universal glue was actually the performing big girl whose business had been ruined by himself.

  The big girl seemed as if she didn't recognize him and asked: "Sir, are you buying universal glue?"

  "Is it? Can a pen stick?" Since the other party didn't mention it, Chen Zikong was happy to pretend not to know.

  "Of course it can stick, otherwise how can it be called universal glue? Not to mention pen holders, even gold, silver, copper, iron, bamboo, wood and cloth can all be stuck." The big girl rolled her eyes and said with disdain.

  "Alright, bring me some."

  "Sorry, sold out. If you want it, follow me home and I'll get one for you."

  "Alright."

  Two people walked one in front of the other, Chen Zikun still chatted: "Where are you living, is it near or not?"

  "It's just arrived." The big girl said indifferently.

  In front of a foul ditch, several large courtyards were scattered beside the ditch, also where poor and destitute people lived. The big girl stopped in her tracks, pointing to the stone bench by the road and said: "My home is just ahead, would you mind waiting here for a moment, I'll be right back."

  As she spoke, she also helped Chen Zikun wipe the stone bench clean.

  "Go ahead, I'm waiting." Chen Zikun plopped himself down on his butt.

  The big girl smiled slightly on her face, "Wait for it." She swung her ponytail and left.

  Just a dozen or so steps away, three thugs emerged from the corner and blocked the young woman's path.

  "Those who owe money to the Xia family should pay up." The first one-eyed dragon said with a tone, lifting his short jacket to reveal the copper-headed belt inside.

  "Didn't we agree on a month's repayment?" The big girl remained calm and composed.

  "Our master said that we must collect all accounts before the end of the year. Sorry, it's a total of 150 big yuan, please take it."

  The big girl suddenly changed color: "I borrowed thirty bucks from you, how did it become one hundred and fifty in less than a month? Even the King of Hell's accounts aren't calculated like that!"

  "Then I won't care, today you either take out 150 yuan or... humph."

  "How come?"

  "Either pay up or use someone as collateral." As he spoke, the one-eyed dragon couldn't help but take a glance at the tall girl's towering breasts, his drool almost dripping out.

  The other two thugs also hugged their arms and sneered, their greedy eyes rolling over the tall and slender body of the big girl.

  "How dare you rob a woman in broad daylight?" The big girl glanced at him with obvious disdain.

  One-eyed Dragon got angry: "Ah, you dare to challenge me? Brothers, come and get him!"

  Three people rushed forward and pushed the big girl into a nearby alley.

  Chen Zikun had long noticed their conversation, but he remained calm and waited for this moment. As soon as he saw the big girl being kidnapped, he was about to take a step forward, but his buttocks were stuck firmly on the stone stool.

  "I'm up!" With a burst of energy, he still sat firmly on the stone bench.

  "I'll rise again!" Still the same.

  The stone stool is not very heavy, at most 100-200 catties, Chen Zikun can easily pick it up, but using his buttocks to lift a hundred or so catties of weight, he doesn't have that skill.

  A loud scream came from the alley, Chen Zikun didn't care about that anymore, he pulled out his dagger and decisively cut a big hole in the buttocks of the cotton pants, only then was he able to escape. Looking back, a piece of cloth was stuck firmly on the stone bench, several cotton threads floating in the wind.

  Chen Zikun held a dagger and rushed into the alley, only to find three men lying on the ground with bruised faces. The leader had blood flowing from his mouth and a large bump on his head. A woman patted her palms and scolded, "Those who lend money must follow the rules, they can't charge less interest than agreed upon, no one owes you a penny! You think you can take advantage of me? No way!"

  "You little girl, our Fourth Master has taken a liking to you, it's your good fortune, don't be so shameless and ungrateful!" the rascal retorted with a swollen mouth.

  "Get out!" The big girl kicked over, the green velvet boots kicked on the cheek, and the taste was not good. Two teeth and a stream of dirty blood flew out like an arrow, almost splashing Chen Zikun's body.

  "Ouch, I'm dying of pain." Du Yanlong spoke with a lisp.

  "Get out!" The big girl lifted her small leather boot again.

  The one-eyed dragon hurriedly slipped away with the support of two fellow party members.

  The big girl spat at their backs and then turned around to look at Chen Zikun, suddenly bursting out laughing.

  Chen Zikun was laughed at by her husband, Jin Gang, who couldn't understand what was going on. Suddenly, he realized something and touched his own buttocks, which were cold to the touch. His cotton pants had a big hole in them, and all the cotton padding inside had fallen out, leaving only a single layer of fabric.

  "Ah, you, you, you!" Chen Zikun's words were incoherent and heartbreaking. This girl had taken advantage of his momentary distraction to apply glue to the stone bench, ruining his reputation forever.

  "What's wrong with me? Who told you to ruin my dad's event? Serves you right." The big girl surprisingly flicked her ponytail and turned around to leave.

  "Don't move!" Chen Zikun stepped forward, and the big girl turned around and kicked out with one leg. This kick was really high, and Chen Zikun's tall head almost got kicked in the brain.

  However, Chen Zikun was still one step ahead, quickly grabbing the big girl's small leather boots. The big girl had one leg standing on one foot and the other leg resting on Chen Zikun's shoulder, trying to pull it back but unable to do so. She glared at him angrily: "Let go!"

  "Are you going to kick me again if I let go?" Chen Zikun held the small boot tightly, and through the soft deerskin, he could feel the big girl's delicate and plump ankle. His eyes glanced over, these two legs were really long, this small waist was really thin, this face was really tender, all of which could be pinched to produce water.

  Chen Zikun swallowed a mouthful of saliva and said, "I smashed your dad's place, you got me back with one move, let's call it even. If you kick me again, I won't be polite."

  After finishing speaking, she let go of his hand, gave him a white eye, hummed and turned her head to leave.

  "You haven't given me the universal glue yet." Chen Zikun shouted.

  The big girl turned her head and threw a wax pill over: "Be careful when using it, don't get your fingers stuck."

  Chen Zikun took the wax pill and hurried back to the dormitory, covering his buttocks with his hand all the way. Xiao Shunzi was showing off his new uniform in the courtyard, a white top and black trousers, both issued by the Liuguo Restaurant.

  "Tomorrow I'll be on duty, helping customers in the cloakroom to collect their coats and hats. It's a great job, you know? Think about it, how many customers come in and out of this restaurant every day? Each one has to pass by me, even if they just give me a small coin, it adds up at the end of the day." Little Shunzi said with pride.

  Bao Qing's eyes blazed with envy: "Xiao Shunzi, you've really made it now. Don't forget about me when you get any benefits in the future."

  Xiao Shunzi said: "That's natural, but from now on you can't call me by my nickname anymore. I'm now a dignified waiter at the Six Nations Restaurant, going in and out of Dongjiaomin Alley every day, dealing with respectable people. You should either call me by my full name Li Yaoting or my English name Tom."

  "Blowing the cow, suddenly saw Chen Zikun, Xiao Shunzi's eyes lit up: "Chen Dage, you're back, thanks to you today. By the way, who is Professor Guo to you? Are you pulling a monthly package for their family?"

  Chen Zikun didn't say anything, just nodded slightly and smiled: "Awesome, you all have foreign names now."

  Xiao Shunzi's face turned red: "I'm with Baoqing, teasing him."

  Yan Hong shouted from inside the house: "Xiao Shun'er, get the iron ready and bring in the clothes."

  Xiao Shunzi responded with a "yes" and took the clothes into the house. Chen Zikun also followed in. Yan Hong's face lit up with joy as she took the clothes from him, spread them out on the kang table, covered them with a layer of fine cloth, and picked up an iron to press along the pant seam. The iron contained fiery hot coals, and as it pressed down, the straight pant line appeared.

  "Work hard, sister will be counting on you from now on." Yanhong was exceptionally happy today, and her face didn't have as much powder on it, revealing her natural complexion. She seemed to be getting older.

  Xiao Shunzi said: "You've supported me for over a decade, now it's my turn to support you. Once I make some money, we'll buy a courtyard house and eat white noodles every day, listening to Peking Opera."

  "That's great." Yanhong smiled and ironed her clothes, but tears kept falling down.

  "Thanks to Chen Da's help, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to get into the Liu Guo restaurant in eight lifetimes." Xiao Shunzi looked at Chen Zikun and exclaimed: "How did your woolen pants get torn?"

  "It's nothing, it's nothing, just a mess." Chen Zikun covered up.

  Yan Hong put down the iron and said: "Quickly take it off and mend it."

  Chen Zikun hesitated, but was still forced by Yan Hong to take off his cotton pants and hand them over for mending. He covered his legs with a quilt, lit the kerosene lamp, took out the wax pill and fountain pen, and began to assemble and paste with great concentration.

  ……

  The next morning, Lin Wenjing woke up from her dream with tears still on her face. She suddenly saw a red fountain pen on the table, quickly got out of bed wearing her pajamas and walked over to pick it up. To her surprise, it was the same pen that had been trampled yesterday, but now it was in perfect condition.

  Lin Wenjing cried like rain, holding her fountain pen tightly against her chest: "Mom, you've come to see me."