northernbook Chapter 132 Shen Xi, Welcome!
Chapter 132 Shen Xi, Welcome!
Shen Xi's embarrassment was just an act; now, Uncle Jiang's analysis made Shen Xi's blood boil, and he wanted to kneel down and shout, "Godfather!"
Giving money, delegating power, and building connections—what else is this but being a godfather?!
But very young children probably wouldn't understand these things.
Or rather, what they understood was only the most basic and superficial solution to the problems of food, clothing, shelter, and transportation.
So when Jiang Hui finished speaking and looked at her again for the second time, she nodded slightly in agreement with a reserved air.
Jiang Hui breathed a sigh of relief. In front of the children, he maintained the gentle demeanor of an elder and warmly invited Shen Xi to eat snacks.
He had investigated Shen Xi's identity and background before Shen Xi arrived. Although he guessed that the boy had suffered in his childhood, he was still secretly shocked when he got the information. The boy in front of him still did not have an identity of his own.
In other words, he was an unregistered resident.
How he has survived in this world all these years is a question worth pondering.
Undeniably, Jiang Hui never thought that her son was a child with a chick-like mentality. This child had a very high level of self-awareness from a young age. Perhaps due to the influence of his family, he was inevitably somewhat cold-blooded and unsociable, and it was difficult for him to have his own friends. In other words, he looked down on the group of children his age.
So Jiang Hui was very curious as to why her son would fall for such a boy.
Or rather, what qualities of this boy attracted Jiang Ci, enabling him to be so decisive and uncompromising?
The refined young man leaned slightly to one side, his legs crossed, his hands clasped over his abdomen, looking at the two boys opposite him with a subtle gaze.
At that moment, he was still unaware of the gravity of the situation.
Hua Lan slowly made her way down the stairs, holding onto the handrail.
Shen Xi held the cup and looked over. Ms. Hua Lan was still an elegant woman, but she looked younger than when she was in her fifties. She looked like she was only in her twenties. She had a fishtail braid and a pearl hair clip in her hair. Compared to her appearance as a noblewoman in her fifties, Ms. Hua Lan now had the air of a young lady.
As Hua Lan was going down the stairs, Jiang Hui got up from the sofa, walked to his wife's side, took her hand, and helped her down the stairs.
Shen Xi lowered her eyes and thought that this was probably a typical example of mutual respect among wealthy families; their relationship was very good.
At this moment, Xiao Jiangci, who had been sitting quietly next to Shen Xi, suddenly hooked his little finger with Shen Xi's little finger.
Shen Xi looked up and met Jiang Ci's smiling face. Jiang Ci rarely smiled as he grew up, but at this moment his eyes curved slightly, giving people a feeling of spring warmth and blooming flowers.
Xiao Jiangci whispered, "Don't be afraid, they won't hurt us, they're very nice."
Shen Xi lowered her head and responded by hooking his little finger around his. Her lowered eyes were moist. Jiang Ci was really rare, even though many people thought he was aloof and unreasonable.
But look at this moment.
The way you split the profits with us is enough to make anyone want to cry.
"Good afternoon, Shen Xi. Auntie was carsick and was resting upstairs, so I couldn't come down to see you right away. This is a gift from your uncle and me. Here, open it and see if you like it."
Hua Lan was, after all, a daughter of a prominent family, and her manners were impeccable wherever she went. Even when facing a child who was not even ten years old, she did not treat him perfunctorily but with seriousness and sincerity.
She spoke with a gentle smile, and sitting next to Jiang Hui, she exuded the soft charm of a woman from the Jiangnan water towns.
Shen Xi accepted the gift, looked up, and sincerely thanked her. Under Hua Lan's warm gaze, she opened the gift, which contained a thin card.
If it were the Shen Xi of the past, she wouldn't know what it was, but now she does, because Jiang Ci had given her a card like this before and explained it to her.
This is a Jiang family card from Beijing. The holder of this card has unlimited spending power, and more importantly, it represents a right—the right to control the Jiang family business and its various powers under any circumstances. The Jiang family gold badge on this card, if shown, could even garner respect and… fear from other families.
In most families, only a handful of people possess their own family card, and in some smaller families, it's even passed down from father to son. So, isn't it a bit too much to just hand her this card directly?
Isn't she afraid that she'll abscond with the money?
But then Shen Xi thought about it again and realized the key point: what could a little kid like her know about the value of this card?
If she truly integrates into the family, she will naturally understand the usefulness of this card; but if she harbors ulterior motives, it will likely be a useless card.
It must be said that when it comes to understanding people's hearts, they are still a level above her.
The next second, Shen Xi showed a puzzled expression, took out the card and examined it slowly, then looked up and said, "Thank you for the gift, Uncle and Aunt, but I'm not well-educated and don't know what this is?"
The implication was clear: I'm not well-educated, so don't try to fool me.
Xiao Jiangci immediately recognized what the card was; he didn't have it. Because, given his status, his face was more useful than any card.
His lips twitched, as if he was about to explain...
Hua Lan smiled and said, "This card has a lot of money, which you can use as you please. This is our most sincere gesture as family. If you ever need anything in the future but can't express it, this card will come in handy."
She then added, "If you are being bullied, you can show this card to the other person's adult or parent, which can greatly protect your safety."
Aside from this aspect, she did not provide any further explanation of other uses of the card.
Shen Xi thought that the Jiang family was genuinely kind to people; they didn't say anything else, but their words conveyed a sense of protection. For a beggar like her, what they feared most was being penniless and being beaten.
Now, Ms. Hualan has solved her predicament and fear about her identity with just one card.
Seeing Shen Xi's bewildered expression, Jiang Hui glanced at his obedient son and the boy beside him who was a head taller than him, and spoke slowly.
"You must be tired after a long day out. There's a game room upstairs and a toy room next door. Jiang Ci, why don't you take your brother upstairs to relax?"
Hua Lan nodded in approval.
We can't expect children to accept them right away. They'll feel more comfortable without the adult world around them.
As soon as she finished speaking, Shen Xi's face fell, and she was trying to figure out how to explain that she wasn't a boy.
As a result, Xiao Jiangci, with a stern face, spoke in a flat and indifferent tone.
"Not brother, sister."
"what?!"
Jiang Hui's mind went blank for a moment. This was a girl?!
Hua Lan was taken aback for a moment when she heard this, but quickly broke into a heartfelt smile. "Oh, it's a girl! How wonderful! We already have two girls in our family, and Jiang Li has friends visiting, so this girl won't be so lonely on her own."
Compared to raising a son, she prefers raising a daughter, as she can dress her up, let her wear floral dresses, and kiss her sweetly.
Ahem, I'm getting carried away.
While Shen Xi was still feeling uneasy, Hua Lan's heart softened when she saw her like this, and she felt a pang of heartache. How could a little girl grow up without a registered residence or protection, sometimes not even having enough to eat while relying on those bottles?
With such a small frame, she experienced the growth that life had to give her far too early.
Hua Lan smiled even more gently as she walked up to Shen Xi, her voice as soft as flowing water.
"I like girls, I like you a lot, don't be afraid."
With just a few words, he accepted Shen Xi.
Hua Lan didn't say much, but took Shen Xi's hand and led her upstairs. Xiao Jiang Ci stood with Shen Xi, also holding her hand, and occasionally shook her arm for some unknown reason.
Hua Lan personally led them to the game room. She adjusted some of the gaming machines, and some of the screens immediately changed, switching between two modes.
"There are lots of games here, and an auntie will bring you some snacks later. Relax here, just think of it as a vacation."
"Shen Xi, welcome."
Shen Xi suddenly looked up, her heart pounding like a drum, as if something was slowly flowing into her heart, bringing her great joy time and time again.
After Hua Lan finished speaking, she took off the pearl hair clip from her hair and gently pinned it in Shen Xi's hair. "Since you are a girl, I will give you an extra gift to express my unique welcome."
Under the pearl light, it shines brightly, as if at this moment, this hair clip has played its greatest role and value.
Hua Lan kissed Shen Xi's cheek, and then secretly kissed her son back when he wasn't looking.
After she finished kissing him, she turned and left with a girlish smile, a smile that also held a hint of cunning, like a kitten that had just stolen some fish.
The two children were kept still and motionless until Hua Lan gently closed the door, at which point they touched their little faces in the same way.
Shen Xi was shocked to learn that Ms. Hua Lan was so approachable and outgoing, and that she actually liked her...
Xiao Jiangci blinked and touched his face because he felt uncomfortable and didn't really like being kissed. His mother used to respect his wishes and wouldn't kiss him, but this was the first time in years.
But Xiao Jiangci doesn't seem to be that annoying.
"Jiang Ci, I really envy you."
His family has never given up on him, not in the past, and not now.
Jiang Ci wouldn't have done that when he was seriously ill, and he certainly wouldn't now.
Xiao Jiangci blinked, took her hand, and looked up into her eyes. "It's okay, sister. What's mine is yours. I can give you anything you want, anything at all!"
Later, Jiang Ci indeed lived up to his promise and became Shen Xi's.
Shen Xi's feelings were just a sudden thought. She couldn't help but think of the old woman in another time and space who, like Shen Xi in the past and present, almost became a child who had to wander and beg.
She reached out and ruffled his cheek, laughing, "I know, I know, you're such a sweet-talking kid at such a young age, who will ever be able to out-talk you in the future!"
Xiao Jiangci carefully observed that there wasn't a trace of gloom on her sister's face, and slowly revealed a smile.
In his heart, there would never be a winner or loser between them.
As long as her sister wants to win, she will always win.
Because he wanted her to win.