18. The Little Wit

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Zhang Tan spent two days outside of work to finally finish editing the video analysis of "The Pursuer." The original video was over an hour long, but after editing, it was compressed down to 20 minutes. From now on, all videos he produced must not exceed 25 minutes; in today’s fast-paced world, people won’t watch anything too lengthy.

“This is the first time I’ve done it, so it took longer. Next time, I should be able to finish one in 2-3 days,” Zhang Tan reflected on his video production experience. He had spent four nights in total but felt that after familiarizing himself with the process, future videos would be completed more quickly.

He opened the short video platform and watched the video again to make sure no additions or changes were needed, then uploaded it to the Xililili video site.

Immediately after uploading, Zhang Tan couldn’t resist refreshing the page to check the stats.

The view count was two—both from himself, of course.

Comments were still at zero.

Likes were one, also from him—alas, one account can only like once.

Favorites were also one, again contributed by himself.

Shares were at zero.

Coins given were also zero.

Everyone shares the universal desire for recognition; after uploading a video, they hope for broad public approval. For half an hour, Zhang Tan did nothing but refresh the data, watching the comment count rise from zero to five.

“The young man’s voice is so warm,” the first comment read, bringing him encouragement. Zhang Tan silently liked the user named “Mei A Mei A,” imagining behind the comment was a gentle, well-behaved young girl.

The second comment was less impressive.

“Dear customer, please come in~”

The third was similar.

“Strong man’s magic power is boundless, poke me~”

Zhang Tan winced and deleted those two comments. Then he looked at the fourth.

“I want to go to the balcony tonight.”

He hesitated—is this a flirtatious remark? The balcony, to watch the stars? The moon? The world of innocent people is simple.

Still, Zhang Tan deleted it; he was not an innocent man.

The fifth comment was spam advertising.

Zhang Tan felt exhausted; what kind of people were these?

He closed the webpage, out of sight, out of mind.

Just moments ago, he had been full of ambition, hoping to make a fortune daily; now he only hoped for a few likes and dared not ask for more.

He found another movie, clicked play, and settled into the sofa.

Life after crossing over was truly lonely. Recently, he had not been without invitations to hang out, but they were all from old friends—people who no longer fit with who he was now.

Strictly speaking, these people were not his friends. They couldn’t get along, couldn’t even share a bathroom break. The old Zhang Tan was somewhat of a second-generation wealthy heir, and his acquaintances had been a mixed bag, few of them truly respectable.

Because he had no friends, Zhang Tan left work on time every day, returned to the academy, bought groceries, cooked, and lived as if he had a family watching over him—more self-disciplined than even a strict wife.

In this way, his leisure life was even less lively than Old Li, the security guard.

Old Li, in his spare time, would often go to the village entrance, chat with old men and women, play chess, or dance some square dances. Actually, his specialty was ballroom dancing, but the old men wouldn’t let their wives dance with him.

At the start of the movie, Zhang Tan couldn’t help but analyze the plot professionally. He first despised the protagonist’s stupidity, then immediately felt a secret delight.

As the saying goes, heartless but flavorful.

When one’s needs are simple, happiness is pure.

Usually, movies that Zhang Tan would harshly criticize were surprisingly enjoyable this time—until someone knocked on the door.

At this hour, he thought it was Xiaobai again, so he didn’t get up and said, “Come in, the door’s unlocked.”

The door opened, and Aunt Huang stood outside.

“Watching a movie?”

“Ah? Aunt Huang.” Zhang Tan paused the movie and stood to invite her in.

“I won’t come in, just wanted to tell you—come over for lunch tomorrow. Xiaomei is coming back.”

“Oh, great. Her trip really took a long time.”

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“Yes, their company really is something. They let a young girl stay alone in Yuezhou for over half a month. She stayed in hotels for meals and lodging. It’s really worrying. Recently, there was news about a girl almost being dragged away by a stranger while staying in a hotel—in broad daylight. Just thinking about it is scary.”

Aunt Huang seemed quite resentful about Xiaomei’s company.

Zhang Tan listened patiently to her rant and then saw her off.

Just as he was about to close the door, he heard Aunt Huang talking downstairs.

He listened for a moment and realized it was Xiaobai.

Xiaobai had wanted to come to his place but ran into Aunt Huang in the corridor and was then dragged back.

Poor Xiaobai!

He shut the door and settled back on the sofa to continue watching the unfinished movie.

He had underestimated Xiaobai. She was a persistent little one—not only unlucky the first time but determined. Despite being caught by the director aunt, she slipped away again, sneaking past Teacher Xiaoliu’s watch and made it to Zhang Tan’s door, knocking.

Zhang Tan opened the door to see the little girl holding a glass bottle, beaming up at him with a smile.

“Uncle, Xiaobai came to visit. Do you welcome me or not?”

Asked like that, how could he refuse? You can’t hit a smiling face.

“Welcome, welcome, warmly welcome.”

If he knew Xiaobai had told her aunt that he was “mysterious,” he might not be so enthusiastic.

Xiaobai was delighted and held out the glass bottle for him to see.

“Look at my bottle! I caught something called a ‘chicken’ in the grass.”

The soft, adorable Sichuan dialect left Zhang Tan puzzled and only half understood.

“Come on in first,” Zhang Tan invited her inside.

Xiaobai took off her little shoes by the door but stopped, not stepping further in.

“Uncle, have you been drinking?”

“...No.”

“You’re so good.”

After praising him, her big eyes glanced around the shoe rack by the door and asked, “Where are my kids?”

“What?” Zhang Tan involuntarily echoed in Sichuan dialect.

“My kids, my kids,” she repeated.

Zhang Tan frowned, thinking, “You’re only four and a half, where do you have kids?” Then he saw she was pointing at the shoes and suddenly remembered that in Sichuan dialect, shoes are called “kids.”

He laughed, both amused and speechless, took her shoes from the shoe cabinet, and placed them by her feet.

“I washed them, so I put them away.”

“Okay.”

Zhang Tan closed the door, invited her to sit, and brought out some fruit and snacks.

Xiaobai quickly licked her lips and curiously asked why he always had so many good things whenever she came. When she learned it was a regular household stock, she immediately expressed envy.

“You really love yourself, buying so many tasty things.”

Zhang Tan: “...”

Xiaobai, wanting some but shy, handed him the glass bottle again.

“Uncle, look! I caught a ‘chicken’ in the grass.”

Zhang Tan didn’t understand the term but saw a black cricket inside the bottle.

“Is this the cricket you caught?”

Xiaobai proudly said, “This is my specialty. I can show you a performance.”

Did she want to climb a tree again? Zhang Tan urged her to believe him—he definitely believed this was her specialty, so no need to perform.

Perform catching crickets? If she let it loose, the little creature would jump away in a flash, settling in his house, breeding, and becoming a permanent resident.

Xiaobai enthusiastically introduced the mighty “chicken,” claiming it was the king of the grass, incredibly powerful.

She was like a little salesperson.

Was she trying to sell crickets to him? Did he look like a second-generation rich kid? Zhang Tan thought, then suddenly heard another knock on the door.

Xiaobai immediately stopped talking and looked at him.

Zhang Tan asked, “Who is it?”

“It’s me.”

Aunt Huang.

“Chanchan! It’s the director auntie~” Xiaobai exclaimed.

Trouble was brewing. Her expression was sly, like a thief caught in the act locked in the room, or a pinwheel caught by a fake old hand.

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“Coming!” Zhang Tan called out loudly, got up to open the door, only to see Xiaobai dart quickly into the kitchen, peeking out from the doorframe. She put a small hand to her mouth, signaling Zhang Tan not to reveal she was there.

Remembering Xiaobai had been sent back by Aunt Huang not long ago, Zhang Tan nodded and opened the door.

Aunt Huang said, “Sorry, Zhang Tan. I forgot earlier—we’ll have two kids joining the kindergarten next week, and I need your signature.”

She handed him a document containing the admission information for two children.

“Come in and have a seat,” Zhang Tan invited her inside.

Aunt Huang noticed the glass bottle on the floor, glanced down, and smiled.

“Zhang Tan, do you like cricket fighting?”

In the city village, some elderly people enjoyed cricket fighting, but it was mostly old folks. Young people playing this were either fools or second-generation rich kids.

Zhang Tan covertly glanced at the kitchen—Xiaobai was no longer by the doorframe but hidden inside, though one little foot peeked out.

“...”

Fool! You’ve shown your little trick! Put it back!

Zhang Tan forced a smile and casually said he liked to play with them. Seeing a small stool near the bottle, he subtly kicked it aside and asked about the kids enrolling.

While they were talking, a loud crash suddenly rang from the kitchen, startling them both.

“What happened?” Aunt Huang asked, instinctively moving toward the kitchen.

Zhang Tan quickly said, “I’ll go check. You sit here, Aunt Huang.”

She stopped and watched him enter the kitchen.

Inside the kitchen...

Xiaobai was pressed against the corner, hands behind her back, wide-eyed and shaken, as if she had committed a grave mistake.

On the floor lay the base of the rice cooker, still trembling slightly.

Zhang Tan and Xiaobai stared at each other.

Xiaobai squeezed herself further into the corner, her little feet shuffling nervously.

“I’m sorry,” she said quietly.

From the living room came Aunt Huang’s voice.

“Zhang Tan, who’s talking? Is there someone else home?”

Xiaobai’s eyes darted around, then she meowed softly.

Zhang Tan: -_-||

Aunt Huang asked from the living room, “Huh? Is there a cat?”

Zhang Tan glanced at Xiaobai and silently thought, you little clever one.

Hehe~ Xiaobai grinned, showing two rows of clean baby teeth.

Now was not the time to say much. He made a shushing gesture to Xiaobai and returned to the living room calmly.

“A stray cat got in but has already left.”

“There are so many stray cats in the village now, climbing walls and squeezing through nets. You need to protect your fish and other things at home from being taken.”

“Cats are mischievous but quite cute.”

“They’ll scratch you if provoked.”

Zhang Tan signed the documents and handed them back to Aunt Huang.

She said, “Alright, I’ll be going now.”

At the door, she changed her shoes. Zhang Tan saw Xiaobai’s little shoes there and quickly stepped on them to hide them.

“Remember to come for lunch tomorrow noon,” Aunt Huang reminded again.

“Okay, definitely.”

After finally seeing Aunt Huang off, Zhang Tan breathed a sigh of relief, then realized something was amiss. Why was he acting like a thief? He could have just told her openly that Xiaobai was here.

Closing the door, Zhang Tan went to the kitchen, where Xiaobai, inspired, was standing on tiptoe at the sink washing the rice cooker base.

Seeing him return, she turned and said, “Uncle, sorry! I broke your pot, hehe. I didn’t do it on purpose.”

Then she added, “I’m not scared of Director Aunt. I was playing hide and seek with her. This is my specialty. I’ll show you.”

Yeah, right. Does she think he doesn’t know she got caught once already?