56. Found a Young Lady

After seeing the four children off downstairs, Zhang Tan tidied up the dishes and finished the video he had been working on.

He added Li Rui on WeChat and received the sponsored ad insert from him, which was meant to be placed in the video. Zhang Tan sent it to him first for a look.

Ding-ding~~ A WeChat message came in.

Li Rui: The ad is fine, but I have some feedback.

Zhang Tan: Go ahead.

Li Rui: Isn't the critique in this episode a bit too harsh?

Zhang Tan paused, finding it strange that Li Rui would bring up such a question.

Li Rui sent another message.

Li Rui: It needs to be revised.

Just a moment ago, the tone had been consultative, but now it had escalated into a demand.

When Zhang Tan sent him the completed video, it was merely to have him confirm the ad insertion, not to solicit his opinions on the video content.

How to make a video, and what kind of video to make, was his personal choice. Leaving aside Li Rui, even if the president of Yonglong Entertainment Company himself were here, he could completely ignore him.

However, Zhang Tan did not refuse outright. Instead, he asked: How does it need to be revised?

After a short while, Li Rui sent a reply. Perhaps he had been pondering the question just now and had now made up his mind.

Li Rui: You made three negative points. The second and third ones need to be deleted.

This episode of Zhang Tan's analyzed a business war film released last year. The video was twenty minutes long, with the first ten minutes dedicated to its flaws, followed by ten minutes on its merits.

As usual, there were three flaws, and now, Li Rui actually wanted him to delete two of them!

Is three better, or is one better? Even a little boy would know the answer.

Besides, he had clearly said he would revise *one* thing just now, so why did it suddenly turn into revising *two* things? Did Li Rui think Little White—oh wait, did he think *he* wasn't fierce enough?

Regardless of what Li Rui wanted him to change or delete, Zhang Tan couldn't fathom why he was meddling in this matter.

Li Rui sent another message directly, clearing up his confusion.

Li Rui: Pay attention to the producer of this movie. It's our boss.

Zhang Tan: -_-||

He is your boss, not mine. Besides, I'm not bashing it just for the sake of bashing; everything I pointed out is based on facts. Moreover, I covered both merits and flaws, so it can hardly be considered negative press.

He replied directly: Alright, then I'll post the ad just like this.

With that, he didn't bother with Li Rui any further and uploaded the video straight to the Xilili website.

After a while, having presumably stumbled upon Zhang Tan's newly published video, Li Rui sent a flurry of rapid, insistent messages.

Zhang Tan opened them to look: You didn't change it?

Zhang Tan: Thanks for the suggestion, but I think this is better. I am responsible for the video content, and I've also done a lot of research on market preferences.

To put it in Little White's words: You silly goose, scram!

Li Rui did not reply again. It was impossible to tell whether he was angry, angry, or simply furious.

Zhang Tan ignored him. The time was already eleven o'clock, and he prepared to go to sleep.

Before doing that, however, he went downstairs as usual to check on the children.

Aunt Huang was there too, and Zhang Tan urged her to go home and rest. At her age, her body couldn't handle staying up late.

But Aunt Huang said that even at her age, she couldn't fall asleep, and with a chuckle, she went back into the office. Next week, a new child was joining the kindergarten, while two others had just completed their withdrawal procedures.

Zhang Tan went into the office to sign some paperwork, chatted with Aunt Huang for a bit, and then headed to the second-floor dormitory. Little White was already asleep.

He ran into Meng Chengcheng's father and watched as he picked Chengcheng up. Just as he was about to turn back, a ghostly voice suddenly came from behind him:

"My Chengcheng is gone."

Zhang Tan turned around to look. It was Little White.

She had been sleeping in her little bed just a moment ago, yet she had climbed out in the blink of an eye. And how was it that she walked without making a single sound?

Her hair was a complete mess, resembling a bird's nest in a mulberry tree, and her Chengcheng was the little bird in that nest that had just flown away.

"Chengcheng went home with her daddy," Zhang Tan said.

Just waking up, Little White's eyes held a dazed melancholy. The feisty little spitfire persona inside her was still slumbering and hadn't jumped up just yet.

In a soft, helpless voice, she asked, "Is Chengcheng not coming anymore?"

Unsure of what was wrong with her, Zhang Tan hurried over and squatted down. He hesitated, mainly fearing he might get hit, but seeing Little White's pitiful state, he mustered his courage and pulled her into his arms.

Small and soft, she was such a tiny little kid.

Zhang Tan told her that Chengcheng would come back tomorrow and that she had simply gone home with her father.

Little White didn't beat him up. After a moment, she pushed him away and wriggled out of his embrace.

She said that Xiaoling and Wenwen had said goodbye to her, and they would never come back.

Xiaoling and Wenwen were the two children who had completed their withdrawal procedures today. Xiaoling's parents were about to leave Pujiang and return to their hometown to live, while Wenwen no longer needed to come to the Little Red Horse Kindergarten because his maternal grandmother was about to arrive in Pujiang to take care of him.

Zhang Tan felt Little White's sadness and was pondering how to comfort her when Little White suddenly pointed behind him and said, "Big Uncle, there's someone over there."

***

Zhang Tan turned around to look. Outside the perimeter wall, through the iron bars, he could see a figure leaning against the wall, seemingly collapsed.

"There really is someone. What's wrong?"

"What's wrong, huh?" Little White imitated his words, then phrased it in her own way, "What's the play here?"

Though she was asking, the little one had already darted over in a flash.

"Wait, Little White, don't run."

Zhang Tan gave chase. The two of them stood by the perimeter wall, separated by the iron bars, sizing up the person on the opposite road. With a drooping head and long hair masking her face, her features were indistinguishable, and a heavy stench of alcohol and vomit wafted over.

Little White leaned forward, but not daring to get too close, she looked the person over, raised her little face, and said to Zhang Tan, "It's an older sister."

Indeed, it was a young woman, clearly dead drunk.

Directly across the street was the bustling West Chang'an Street, lined with bars. People frequently got drunk and collapsed by the roadside, and this girl was likely just one of the many in the intoxicated army.

Zhang Tan glanced down the way they had come. Two men were standing not far off, repeatedly peering in this direction.

They definitely weren't the girl's companions! Because... even Little White could tell.

The little kid had somehow fished out a small water gun from goodness knows where. Holding it up in her hand, she said to Zhang Tan nervously, "Two bad eggs! Big Uncle, what's the play here?"

Then, probably remembering that she was just a little baby, she concluded that she could only...

"Big Uncle, you charge!"

Just like when she used to egg Old Lao on to give Zhang Tan two slaps to the ear, she was now instigating him to deal with the bad eggs.

But a second later, perhaps recalling that Big Uncle was a decent person who had just treated her to cold noodles tonight, she grew concerned and asked, "Big Uncle, will you get beaten to death?"

Zhang Tan: (￣ェ￣;)

I wasn't taking it seriously at all, but the way you put it is making me nervous too.

"She drank alcohol, oh. What's the play, Big Uncle? We have to help her," Little White said again. This time her courage grew a bit; she took a tiny step closer and poked the person with her finger. There was no reaction.

"Bleh~~~~"

Little White jumped in fright. Like a startled bunny, she swooped back behind Zhang Tan in a flash, clutching his pants and exposing only half of her little head.

The girl collapsed in the corner of the wall had thrown up. Blech, blech, blech~~~~ The volume was so substantial—more than the combined portions eaten by Little White, Chengcheng, Liuliu, and Xiaomi.

A sharp, sour, pungent odor drifted through the air. Zhang Tan genuinely wanted to call Old Lao out to take a whiff.

"Let's go save her quickly!" Little White scurried back into the building in a flash. True to her kind heart, she was a good kid who dreamed of being a police officer.

"Where are you going, Little White?" Zhang Tan called out to her retreating back.

"I'm getting my baby cup to give her water-water."

Little White ran into the building, while Zhang Tan turned toward the front gate and called out Old Lao. He didn't make him smell it, no—he got him to help carry a person.

The two men stepped out of the campus and rounded the perimeter wall.

The utterly drunk girl was still collapsed in the corner, but she now had company. The two men who had been lingering nearby were now standing right beside her.

Zhang Tan barked, "Get lost!"

The two men looked around left and right, then said with guilty consciences, "Don't stick your nose into other people's business!"

Zhang Tan stepped forward, meeting their fierce gazes. Old Lao gave him a yank, but couldn't hold him back.

"There's a police post just 50 meters ahead. With you two carrying someone, are you sure you can outrun them?"

Hearing this, the expressions of the two men shifted.

Old Lao took out his mobile phone and said, "I'm recording you."

The two men glared with bitter resentment, then turned and walked away in frustration.

Watching them disappear completely, Old Lao stepped forward to inspect the drunken girl. With a look of heartache, he said, "Whose daughter is this? Drinking to this state with nary a soul by her side—she almost had her life ruined."

"Since we've run into it, we might as well lend a hand. Let's help her back into the kindergarten," Zhang Tan said.

"Only right."

The two of them propped the girl up and walked toward the kindergarten.

The girl muttered a couple of times and feebly struggled, appearing to retain a shred of self-defense instinct.

Old Lao said, "Don't worry, we're good people."

Hearing this, she possibly understood, opened her eyes, gave the two of them a hazy, drunken look, and then obediently allowed herself to be led away.

Once inside the kindergarten, Little White came charging over in a whirlwind, clutching her water cup.

"Does the older sister want water-water?"

Zhang Tan said, "Wait a moment. Let's help the older sister inside first."

"What's this?" Teacher Xiaoliu had arrived as well.

"Found her collapsed by the roadside. We don't know her either," Zhang Tan said. "Is there a place for her?"

"Yes, bring her to the second-floor dormitory."

Teacher Xiaoliu led the way, guiding them to a dorm on the second floor. There were several rooms here, and every teacher had their own.

They helped her onto the bed to lie down. Teacher Xiaoliu sat on the edge of the mattress to tend to her, brushing aside the hair on her face to reveal a young and pretty visage.

***

Old Lao brought over some hot water and handed her a towel, and Teacher Xiaoliu wiped the face of the girl on the bed.

Little White hovered by the bedside, asking, "Do you want water-water?"

Whether the girl lying on the bed heard her or not, she weakly uttered a single word: "Water."

"Look at that," Little White said happily, holding out her baby cup. "Have a drink."

Without even looking, the girl took Little White's cup and gulped down more than half of it. It seemed she was truly parched.

After drinking the water, the person became a bit clearer-headed. She looked around, and although Zhang Tan and Old Lao were there, catching sight of Teacher Xiaoliu and Little White put her slightly more at ease.

Zhang Tan and Old Lao tactfully departed. Teacher Xiaoliu comforted the stranger, while Little White stood off to the side. Though she didn't speak, her mere presence brought a sense of reassurance, for the presence of a child served as a certain guarantee that the scene was safe.

Ten minutes later, Teacher Xiaoliu emerged with Little White in tow.

Zhang Tan had been standing guard outside the door the whole time and asked, "How is it?"

"She went to sleep-sleep," Little White answered preemptively.

Zhang Tan praised her for knowing how to take care of others and for thinking to bring her water cup.

With considerable pride, Little White declared, "This is my strong suit."

Well, looking after people had now become her strong suit as well.

Teacher Xiaoliu stated that the girl was already asleep and would likely not wake up again tonight.

Zhang Tan arranged for another female teacher to spend the night in the dormitory to look after her, as Teacher Xiaoliu had to tend to Xiaomi and couldn't manage both.

Finally, he said to Little White, "Little White, your aunt-in-law is here. Hurry home."

Malan Hua had arrived five minutes ago and was waiting on the first floor. Zhang Tan handed Little White over to her and remarked, "Little White behaved exceptionally well today..."

He recounted her stellar performance—from being the first to spot the intoxicated woman, to bringing her water and caring for her—praising the little girl until she unconsciously puffed out her chest.

On the way home, her aunt-in-law said with a hint of pride, "You little glutton, how come you're actually quite impressive?"

"What glutton?" Little White raised her little head, asking in confusion. Her aunt-in-law rarely praised her.

"Boss Zhang told me all about it. You fished up a drunk young lady."

Little White let out a "ha," looking all smug and claiming this was her strong suit. Then, displeasure clouding her face, she demanded, "Aunt-in-law, why are you calling me a little glutton again? What's going on in your head?"

"What's going on in my head? I'm not scolding you."

"Then why are you calling me a little glutton?"

"Don't you call other kids little gluttons too?"

"No such thing."

"I know all about it, as if I didn't know. By the way, did anyone praise you for being cute today?"

"Loads of little gluttons praise me for being cute every day."

"You little blockhead, did they praise your new clothes?"

"..."

"Well?"

"They praised them, oh. They said I was extremely well-behaved."

The two of them walked down the quiet alley. The street lamps cast their silhouettes against the walls, and the only sounds accompanying them were their footsteps and the chatter of their own voices. If one listened closely, however, tiny insects were keeping up a dense, chirping chatter in the corners of the walls—unconspicuous, yet full of joy.

As they walked, Little White suddenly said, "Aunt-in-law, Boss Zhang wants to take me out to play."

"What??" Malan Hua was startled. She stopped dead in her tracks, lowered her head, and asked Little White.

* "Big Uncle wants to take me out to play."
* "Play what? It wouldn't be mountain-climbing, would it?"
* "How would I know?"
* "You little glutton, you silly goose, you can't go! What'll you do if you get sold off? Mountain-climbing is a death trap."
* "Huh? Big Uncle isn't that kind of person."
* "You can know a person's face, but not their heart. Who knows?"
* "What are you saying? I don't understand a word of it."
* "You little blockhead. You are not allowed to go!"
* "Why are you calling me a blockhead again?"
* "Do you want to go, or not?"
* "I want to, yeah."
* "Blockhead! Silly goose! Simpleton! Dunderhead!"

Having hurled so many insults at her in one go, Little White flew into a rage and blew her top.

"Crap! Aunt-in-law, you're bullying me~~~ I'll fight you to the death~~~"