Oh, dear! Fish me again

The formation of a person's personality has a lot to do with the living environment in which he grows up.

Growing up in an adverse environment with a lack of love, boys are usually quiet and taciturn, while girls are much more aggressive and strong.

It was not until many years after he had been separated from Tang Shu that Zhang Li understood this truth.

Suddenly one day it dawned on her that her fierce personality was just a weapon and protective color to fight against the world.

When Zhang Li met Tang Shu, he was eight years old and lived in an orphanage in a small county in the north.

In the dean's office, he stood straight and listened to the lecture with a blank expression.

"Xiao Li, this is the second time you've been sent back to the care home. Although you're good-looking, you're already eight years old. How can you have so many opportunities in the future?"

"Can't you learn to be a little more obedient and lovable? Who would want to adopt a child who is lifeless every day?"

He lowered his head, his overly long bangs almost covering half of his eyes, and he pursed his lips without saying a word.

At this time, there was a knock on the door. Two policemen came in, followed by a girl who was dirty but had an incredibly beautiful face.

Zhang Li then turned around and walked out, passing the girl.

He couldn't help but turn his head to take another look. The girl keenly noticed his gaze, turned back and glared at him fiercely.

He threatened in a low voice in a dialect that he could hardly understand.

"Wang meow! I'm going to dig your eyes out!"

He was startled, wondering why he was so fierce.

*

The girl's name is Tang Shu. I heard that she was rescued from human traffickers by the police. But because their identity registration information could not be found, they had no choice but to send her to an orphanage.

After washing, it is really beautiful, but it is also really fierce.

After a week, she beat up several older kids in the yard who liked to mess with her.

Some pushed someone down from the second floor and broke their arm, some smashed their head with a stone, and some even lay in bed and strangled them in the middle of the night while they were sleeping...

No one dared to mess with her, and of course, no one wanted to play with her.

Tang Shu didn't care and just did what she wanted.

There is an unfinished four-story building behind the welfare home. The children say that it is haunted and no one dares to go near it.

Zhang Li would occasionally go to an unfinished building, stay there alone for a while, and stare at the sky in a daze.

That day, he met Tang Shu here.

The gray sky of the county town, the dirty concrete stairs, and the mottled walls are covered with ghostly graffiti.

She was wearing hand-me-down clothes that older children couldn't wear anymore. There was a rainbow pattern printed on the chest, which had turned white from washing.

Yuzhuo's face was facing the confused sky, and there was none of the liveliness that a child should have in his eyes.

There was an empty Coke bottle at his feet, not a drop left.

Zhang Li walked over, sat next to her, and handed her the Coke in his hand.

The children in the welfare home all like to drink Coke. They can only get one bottle a week and they treat it like a treasure.

But he doesn't like to drink.

Things that are too sweet will give people some unfounded hopes.

"Give me?"

"Ah."

"Haha~"

The girl raised her eyebrows, took the plastic bottle, tilted her head back and took a big sip.

The two became friends.

*

Later, Tang Shu said that she ran away from home and followed the human traffickers on her own.

"We are particularly biased towards boys over girls, and it's even worse in the countryside. I'm so old, but I don't have a household registration or a name, let alone going to school..."

"My mother was beaten every day because she couldn't give birth to a son. I will be beaten when I grow up too. Maybe I will be married off in exchange for a few hundred thousand yuan in gifts, and I will be a slave to others for the rest of my life..."

"A college student from the village who came to travel told me that there are many opportunities out there and that girls are also treasures... I ran away in the middle of the night that day."

Zhang Li listened quietly and asked her,

"Then what are you going to do?"

Tang Shu said, "First I will find a rich family to adopt me, so that I can have the opportunity to study. My college sister said that knowledge can change one's destiny! When I succeed, I will go home and bring my mother out to live a good life..."

"Zhang Li, the welfare home won't support our schooling. At most, we can graduate from junior high school, and then we'll have to go out to work. We'll never be able to turn our lives around this way."

Zhang Li frowned. He had never thought about this question before.

She continued, "I overheard that a group of people will come to the orphanage to pick children the day after tomorrow. This is our last chance."

There was a different kind of shrewdness on Tang Shu's face, which was different from that of other children.

She stood up and looked down at Zhang Li, raising her chin proudly.

"Zhang Li, give me the Coke you got this morning, and I'll teach you how to get adopted."

"it is good."

Zhang Li immediately went back to the dormitory and took out the unopened bottle of Coke.

It was originally left for her...

The girl took a big gulp, then burped and squinted her eyes.

"Do you like drinking Coke so much?" he asked curiously.

Tang Shu glanced at him, raised her head and sighed comfortably.

The tone was very old-fashioned and lamented.

"No coke, no hope..."

Oh...I must have learned it from the human traffickers...

*

Zhang Li’s last memory of the welfare home is that mottled staircase.

He sat obediently on the steps. Tang Shu squatted in front of him, holding a pair of rusty scissors and helping him cut his bangs with a serious face.

Look into his eyes from time to time and tell him earnestly:

"Chinese people are very traditional and will not adopt a child unless they have no other choice. They like boys who are obedient, positive, motivated and grateful, or girls who are pitiful, helpless, introverted and gentle."

"Your bangs are too long. They don't look sunny enough. I'll cut them shorter for you."

"Just smile more and smile at everyone you see, especially the aunties. And be a little sweeter. With your face, you will definitely succeed."

"When you get to your new home, remember to always wear a mask. Give your adoptive parents gifts every now and then. It's best if they are handmade and made overnight... Be polite with everything, and don't accept it if it's given to you! You will only accept it with tears of gratitude if the other party forces it on you..."

"Also, don't call them dad and mom right away. There needs to be a process of taming..."

"Don't spend any money, not even your pocket money..."

...

Zhang Li listened blankly, his eyes fixed on the tip of the girl's small nose.

The sunshine that morning was particularly beautiful, shining on Tang Shu's face. A thin layer of sweat appeared on the tip of her nose, which made her look very cute.

Before entering the house, Tang Shu blew chili peppers into her eyes, which made her eyes red. She looked really pitiful and heartbreaking.

Later, as expected, both of them were adopted.

Unfortunately, both families are not locals and live in two cities far away from each other.

I probably won’t see him again in this life, Zhang Li thought.

When leaving, Tang Shu came over to say goodbye to him.

The eyes are red.

"I didn't cry, it was just too spicy."

"Ok, I know."

She said, "Zhang Li, you must be well and try your best to stay at home. Only then will your life change one day in the future."

She said, "When I grow up...I will go to City A. If you still remember me, please come find me."

She said, "Zhang Li, don't forget me."

Zhang Li always kept her stubborn face deep in his heart.

......

*

When Zhang Li met Tang Shu again, he was 22 years old and had just returned from studying abroad.

Planning to establish future business in City A, he had no choice but to join so-called alumni associations to expand his network.

"Everyone, this is Zhang Li. You've all heard of him, right? He's a genius from Wharton Business School. He's made millions during his college years. He's returned to China and opened an investment company. You guys should get to know him."

In occasions full of feasting and revelry, there are more gorgeous women than men, but they all have other intentions than drinking.

Zhang Li, wearing a white shirt, smiled and nodded, then picked up the wine glass and took a sip.

After sitting down, I looked up inadvertently and saw Tang Shu sitting opposite me.

She grew up and became even more beautiful.

Her eyes were particularly bright and shining on her lightly made-up face. She was only wearing a simple black dress, and she looked cool and beautiful.

Their eyes met and she looked away first.

He picked up the cigarette on the table, lowered his head, took one in his mouth, and lit it skillfully with his beautiful hands.

She took a light puff, then took the cigarette from her lips and put it into the mouth of the man next to her.

Zhang Li knew that man, he was the famous top playboy in City A, Gu Chiqi.

The man took the cigarette naturally, continued talking to the person opposite him, and raised his hand to ruffle her long hair as a reward.

Tang Shu said something in the man's ear, stood up, and walked out of the private room wearing her exquisite and beautiful high heels.

Almost all the men's eyes were glued to her.

The friends around him sighed and gossiped with Zhang Li in a low voice.

"Isn't that girl stunning? If you ask me, she's much prettier than those movie and TV stars! It's a pity that she's a gold digger who only cares about money."

"I heard that she was a princess who accompanied Nine in the KTV. I don't know how she hooked up with our Master Gu. That's how she became a phoenix overnight."

"Mr. Gu is such a high-ranking person, he will surely get bored after playing around for a while. By then, we can all get a seat at the table by just spending some money..."

Zhang Li drank the wine in the glass and glanced at him coldly.

Use the most vulgar words to scold him,

"Did you eat shit this morning? Your mouth stinks."

He made an excuse to go out and smoke and left the private room quietly.

Instead of going to the smoking room or the bathroom, he entered the emergency passage in the corner of the elevator hall.

Sure enough, I found her on the dim staircase with faint green light.

*

Tang Shu stood on the third or fourth steps, leaning against the wall, looking up and smoking.

Hearing the sound of the door being pushed open, he looked down with an expressionless face and cold eyes.

When he saw it was Zhang Li, he didn't say anything and silently put out the cigarette.

"You can always run into people even if you hide here..."

The woman's smile was sweet and soft, and this smile looked particularly charming and beautiful on her cold face.

But Zhang Li knew that this was just a mask she wore on her face.

"I'll give you the place~"

After brushing off the remaining cigarette ash on her hands, Tang Shu walked down the stairs charmingly, brushed past him, and reached out to open the door.

"Shushu,"

Zhang Li spoke and at the same time grabbed her left hand.

Tang Shu shuddered slightly and froze in place, not daring to look back at him for a long while.

Maybe I was afraid that this was just a dream.

Zhang Li sighed, used a little more force, and pulled her into his arms.

"Shushu, I'm here to see you."

The coquettish mask was finally completely peeled off. Tang Shu bit her lower lip and stubbornly maintained her pride.

But in the end, she was completely defeated by the longing in his eyes.

Tears streamed down my face, I spoke with grievance,

"Zhang Li... why did you come just now..."

"Yes or no, it's all my fault."

*

That night, Tang Shu followed Zhang Li back to his home.

She didn't even take her bag or cell phone, she was determined to get out of that turbid pool.

And Zhang Li also knew about Tang Shu's experiences over the years.

In the third year after being adopted, she was abandoned and sent back to the welfare home.

Because the adoptive mother was pregnant, they were worried that Tang Shu would divide the family property when she grew up and infringe on the rights of their own children.

At the age of eleven, it was no longer possible for Tang Shu to be adopted, so she lived alone in that shabby little county town until she turned 16 and got her ID card.

Zhang Li couldn't imagine how she managed to protect herself and her beautiful self in that place.

After graduating from high school, Tang Shu came to City A with two hundred yuan.

With her beautiful face and figure, as well as her intelligence and ruthlessness, she strives to survive.

First, fall in love with the leader of the gangs in the community to ensure your own safety.

Then he climbed up step by step, and after a lot of effort, he finally caught up with the current Mr. Gu.

Zhang Li took out a can of Coke from the refrigerator, opened the can and handed it to her.

I don't think her past is bad, I asked with a smile,

"So... did you make a lot of money?"

Tang Shu nodded, "Yeah, I made a profit."

Zhang Li praised earnestly, "Shushu is awesome."

"Of course~"

She finally smiled, a pure smile like the one she had in her childhood.

So he asked again, "What about mom? Did she bring her to City A?"

Tang Shu pursed her lips and lowered her head.

"He's dead..."

"I came back too late, and was beaten to death by that man... I am so useless..."

She couldn't even save herself, so who else could she save?

Zhang Li squatted down beside her legs and forced her to look into his eyes.

"But you saved me, Shushu. In my world, you are the savior."

*

Later, Zhang Li helped Tang Shu rebuild her academic record and hired a tutor to teach her all the high school knowledge within a year.

Tang Shu was smart and used to hardship, and she was admitted to an ordinary university in City A in the second year.

At the age of 26, several years later than others, she received her bachelor's degree.

That night, Zhang Li knelt on one knee in the rooftop restaurant of the tallest building in City A and proposed to her in exchange for 51% of the company's shares.

He says,

"Shushu, you are the first ray of light that descended into my black and white world, and you are also the dream lover who accompanied me throughout my youth. You are the most beautiful rose in the world, and I want you to bloom in my soul forever."

Tang Shu hesitated and refused to nod, using her cold appearance as a protective color for her inferiority complex.

she says,

"But Zhang Li, there is no such thing as love without reason in the world."

She has been let down by love too many times in her life.

The original family, adoptive parents, the welfare home, and the countless setbacks that followed.

The man on the ground was wearing a well-tailored suit, had black hair and black eyes, and was handsome.

Gently and patiently kissed the back of her hand,

"Shushu, I love you, from the age of eight to eighty, to eight hundred. If you don't believe me, why don't you come and see for yourself?"

Tang Shu finally nodded.

She thought, let’s just take a look.

Anyway, I have hands and feet, and the knowledge to change my destiny, so I won’t suffer any loss.

.....

I have been watching this for sixty years.

China's richest man, Zhang Li, and his wife, Tang Shu, loved each other deeply throughout their lives.

*

There is a sprawling estate behind the suburban villa.

Two white-haired old men sat under an overly dense holly tree halfway up the mountain, leaning against each other tightly.

The wrinkled hands never loosen their grip, walking hand in hand through all the ups and downs.

The old man took out a Coke from his coat pocket, unscrewed it and handed it to his wife.

"Drink it quickly. I stole it from home with great effort."

"Old man, you are amazing."

The old lady smiles like a young girl, which shows the result of being loved and spoiled all her life.

She tilted her head back and took a sip, but when she handed it back, no one took it.

When I turned around, I found that the old man had passed away peacefully.

Tang Shu, with white hair, slowly drank a bottle of Coke and burped loudly.

She leaned against the still broad shoulders of the man beside her and closed her eyes.

nocoke, nohope...

This life is worth it.

Full text (end)

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