The people at [Miaoyu] hadn't actually expected Xu Gui's promotional efforts to be so effective.
After all, Xu Gui was just a minor celebrity, with little fame and few fans. What good would her promotion for [Miaoyu] do?
Before yesterday, the staff were privately grumbling that their boss was probably wasting money again. But after the online and offline sales data came out yesterday, they were stunned. The sales were unexpectedly good; the "fighting fish" that Xu Gui had promoted yesterday were even sold out.
The staff: Yeah, their faces really hurt.
So, today they specially changed to a different type of fish to continue promoting Xu Gui, hoping for the same success as yesterday.
However, it must be said that the goldfish [Miaoyu] sent were truly beautiful. Their intense, vibrant colors were captivating, even for adults, let alone passing children.
The same children Xu Gui had met yesterday came over again. After receiving Xu Gui's permission, they huddled together like three short, chubby mushrooms beside the fish tank, their eyes sparkling as they gazed at the goldfish inside.
"This fish is so pretty! Sister, you're so amazing, you have such a beautiful fish again!" "
Sister is pretty, and the fish is beautiful too."
"I know, this fish looks like Qiao Qiao's palette!"
According to them, Qiao Qiao was also their friend, but it was summer vacation, and she had extracurricular classes to attend, so they could only play together for a short while each evening.
The little girl said earnestly, "Qiao Qiao works so hard every day. Besides art class, she has piano lessons, and she also has to learn some kind of dance. I saw her yesterday, and she'd lost all her weight." As she
spoke, the girl pinched the chubby flesh on her belly—such cute little bits of flesh, gone just like that! Qiao Qiao really works so hard!
At that moment, the girl seemed to remember something and suddenly looked up at Xu Gui, asking expectantly, "Sister, how much is this fish?"
Xu Gui didn't sit down but stood beside the aquarium, watching the three of them to prevent any accidents. Hearing this, she looked down at the little girl and asked, "What, do you want to buy it?"
The little girl nodded and said seriously, "Qiao Qiao and I are good friends. Qiao Qiao has probably never seen such a beautiful little goldfish before, so I want to buy one to take home so she can see a pretty fish too."
Before Xu Gui could say anything, the two little boys next to the little girl looked at her in amazement and praised her one after the other:
"Wow, Xiao Min, you're so smart! How come I didn't think of that? We can buy the fish and take it to show Qiao Qiao!"
"Xiao Min, are you a genius mom? No wonder my mom always says I'm stupid. It seems I'm really not as smart as you."
Among the three children, it was obvious that the girl named Xiao Min was the one who took the lead. Not only was her mind quick, but she also spoke eloquently and logically with adults, both organized and mature.
Now that her friends were praising her, a hint of pride crept onto her face. However, this pride didn't last long, because the little boy next to her innocently asked,
"But, do we have money to buy fish? These fish look so expensive!"
"..."
That one sentence ended the topic of buying fish.
Xiaomin's proud expression crumbled. She touched the pocket money in her pocket, feeling uncertain—
the goldfish in the tank really did look very, very expensive, completely different from the other goldfish on the roadside. Did she have enough money to buy one?
Xiaomin wasn't sure, but she still wouldn't give up, asking Xu Gui again, "Sister, how much are these fish?"
Xu Gui was about to say something when a loud, somewhat noisy voice came from the side: "Grandma! Grandma, look! It's goldfish, and really pretty goldfish!"
With that voice, a chubby little boy rushed towards them like a little train.
Seeing this, Xu Gui's eyelids twitched involuntarily. Just as the chubby boy was about to rush into the aquarium, she quickly stepped forward and blocked his path with her body.
The chubby boy was rushing forward quickly, his momentum undiminished, so he crashed headfirst into Xu Gui.
His plump body was bounced back by the force of the impact, and after taking two steps back, he was dizzy and sat down on the ground with a thud, his head tilted back, his expression somewhat bewildered.
However, he didn't seem to be about to cry; he was just very confused, with an expression that said, "What happened to me?"
Instead, a loud, wailing voice suddenly rang out behind him.
"Oh, Xiao Bao! My precious grandson! Are you alright?"
A short, plump figure rushed over from behind, squatted down behind the chubby boy, and began to ask him about his well-being, "Did you bump into anything? Does anything hurt?"
Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be an old woman with a round figure and a round face.
The chubby boy turned to her and said, "Grandma, I'm fine."
Hearing this, the old lady seemed relieved. Then, she turned to Xu Gui, glaring angrily, and pointed the gun directly at her.
"Are you blind? Didn't you see a child coming? You're still blocking the way. What if you hurt my little one?" the old lady started cursing.
As she spoke, she turned to the chubby boy, reaching out to rub his head where he had been bumped, and said with heartache, "Grandma's eldest grandson, you've really suffered. You bumped into something so hard, it must hurt a lot, right?"
The chubby boy rubbed his head, not feeling much pain, and mumbled, "No, Grandma, I feel pretty strong right now."
The old lady ignored her grandson's words, then turned to glare at Xu Gui, and threw a tantrum, "You! You bumped into my eldest grandson like this, pay up! You pay up right now! Otherwise, I'll let everyone around see how you bully us, the old and the young!"
Her tantrum was very practiced, as if she had done it a thousand times.
Xu Gui: ?
Xu Gui shifted slightly, revealing the aquarium on the table behind him, and stated a fact: "Did you see that? If I hadn't blocked your grandson, he would have bumped into this aquarium, and he would have fallen flat on his backside."
The aquarium was on the table, which was small due to limited space under the overpass, making it feel cramped.
If the child was lucky, he would only fall, but if he was unlucky and knocked the aquarium off the table, he might be lucky to escape with his life.
Besides, the aquarium and the fish inside didn't belong to Xu Gui. Since [Miao Yu] took it, Xu Gui had a responsibility to look after it; he couldn't just watch it get damaged.
The old lady was momentarily speechless upon hearing Xu Gui's words, but quickly resumed her tirade with righteous indignation.
"No matter the reason, you bumped into my little one, so you're responsible! You have to pay for it!" the old lady shouted. "My grandson was bumped like that, and I don't know if you've hurt him anywhere. I have to take him to the hospital for a proper check-up, right? These things don't cost money, do they?"
As the old woman spoke, she simply plopped down on the ground, slapping her thigh and shouting in a dramatic, almost theatrical voice, "Heavens above! Open your eyes and see how heartless this person is! She hit someone but refuses to pay compensation!"
"She clearly thinks we're easy to bully because we're old and young!"
she cried, her voice booming. Passersby were drawn to her cries, their curious eyes turning towards her. Xu Gui,
suddenly feeling countless gazes upon her , was speechless
. In her twenty-three years as a human (including the period when her body was still immature), this was the first time she had encountered such a tantrum-throwing, unreasonable old woman.
Xu Gui thought for a moment, then calmly pointed to the camera on the side, saying, "You don't need to throw a tantrum. My camera has recorded everything that just happened."
She smiled, "Hmm, there are probably millions of people watching you throw this tantrum right now."
"I just hope there aren't any people you know here, or anyone familiar with your children, otherwise you'll lose more than just your own face, but the face of yourself and your children."
She "kindly" reminded the old woman.
"..."
The old woman, who had been stretching out, suddenly froze, like a duck suddenly choked, unable to make a sound. Her face flushed, alternating between pale and green.
Finally, she glanced at Xu Gui's calm and collected demeanor, seemingly realizing this person wasn't easy to extort, and suddenly sprang to her feet.
"I see now, you young people these days have absolutely no manners!" she said angrily to Xu Gui, spitting as she did so.
Then, she grabbed her eldest grandson's hand, trying to pull him away, but he clearly didn't want to go, clinging tightly to her hand, determined not to be dragged away.
His head was turned towards Xu Gui... no, towards the aquarium next to Xu Gui, his eyes pleading.
"No, no, I don't want to go, I want the goldfish..." he cried, "Grandma, you said you'd buy me a goldfish last time, but you haven't! I want this goldfish now!"
"Buy it for me! Buy it for me!"
he cried, then plopped down on the ground and started rolling around, perfectly mimicking his grandmother's tantrum.
Watching this, Xiao Min couldn't help but complain to her friend, "He's so big, and he's still rolling around on the ground! My two-year-old sister doesn't do that anymore!"
"Yeah, the ground is filthy. My mom says kids have to be clean, or they'll end up in the trash."
"Kids are like that, so annoying."
The three of them chattered amongst themselves, their tone condescending, treating the chubby boy, their age, like a junior.
Meanwhile, the old lady, watching her grandson's behavior, felt a pang of unease. She hadn't expected her eldest grandson to suddenly remember buying goldfish.
It was all that brat's fault for selling goldfish; her grandson had completely forgotten about it!
The old lady glared resentfully at Xu Gui.
"Xiao Bao, listen to Grandma, let's not take this, okay? This family isn't good people, and the fish they sell probably aren't good either. Let's not take theirs. Grandma will take you to the fishmonger at the square to buy some, okay?" the old lady said. Xu Gui
, accused of being a bad person, remained silent, only smiling.
The chubby boy, with tears welling up in his eyes, complained, "You said you'd buy me some last time, but then you forgot! You clearly just didn't want the money, you didn't want to buy it for me! Besides, the fish at the square aren't as pretty as this lady's fish, I want this lady's fish!"
The chubby boy's mind was clearly very sharp, and he had a good eye for fish; he even knew which fish looked better.
"What's so pretty about her fish?" The old lady glanced at the fish in the aquarium and said reluctantly, pouting, "Grandma didn't bring any money today. I'll buy you some later when I
do, okay?" The chubby boy, hearing this, burst into tears again, wailing, "You're just stingy! You're so cheap! Waaah, how can you be so cheap?"
The old lady grew impatient and said, "What cheap? Didn't Grandma say she didn't bring any money today? Look!"
To make her words more convincing, she pulled out all her pockets, which contained only a few coins.
The chubby boy pointed at the coins... "I have money,"
the old lady said. "But this is only a few dollars. How can that be enough to buy goldfish?"
The chubby boy looked at Xu Gui questioningly. Xu Gui replied, "This amount of money really can't buy our family's goldfish."
She wasn't speaking up for the old lady; she was just stating a fact.
The chubby boy thought, "The sky has fallen."
He burst into tears again.
The old lady quickly said, "Grandma doesn't have any money on her right now.
Later, when Grandma has money, she'll buy them for you." The old lady was very clever. Even if she wanted to buy goldfish for her grandson, she wouldn't buy from this family.
Xu Gui's fish looked very precious; who knew how much each one would cost? How could she bear to part with them?
"When Grandma has money, she'll definitely buy you one!"
"Really?"
"Really, really."
The chubby boy was finally coaxed away by his grandma, but as he left, he was still wiping away tears, his eyes fixed longingly on the goldfish in Xu Gui's aquarium, filled with reluctance.
Just as the grandmother and grandson were leaving, Xu Gui suddenly spoke up: "Wait a minute."
She called out to the two of them.
Hearing this, the old lady immediately looked at her warily, "What? Do you have something else to say? Looking for trouble?"
Her eyes darted around again, and she asked with a wild idea: "Have you finally come to your senses and decided to do something charitable and give my grandson a goldfish?"
Xu Gui: "..." This old lady really does dream.
"I just wanted to remind you that you've already promised your grandson something, so you must keep your word." She looked intently at the old lady, her attitude very serious and earnest.
"Children aren't completely ignorant; they know sadness too. You've broken your promise to him several times already. This time, whether for his sake or for something else, you shouldn't break your promise again."
Seeing the old lady's nonchalant expression, Xu Gui continued, "Believe me, if you break your promise to him again this time, something will definitely happen that you'll regret for the rest of your life." Hearing this
, the old lady curled her lip in disdain and scoffed, "Are you trying to scare me with these words? But let me tell you, I'm not easily frightened. You can't scare me."
Seeing her disbelief, Xu Gui simply said bluntly, "What if I said that the thing that will make you regret for the rest of your life is that your grandson will die?"
The old lady's expression finally changed.
Xu Gui pointed to the two characters "fortune telling" on his fortune-telling banner and said, "I am a fortune teller, and I've never made a mistake. I usually charge five hundred for a fortune telling, but this time I'm being generous and giving your grandson a free fortune telling…"
"Your grandson is facing a life-threatening ordeal soon. If he can overcome it, everything will be fine. If he can't..."
Xu Gui didn't say what would happen if he couldn't overcome it, but everyone else understood her unfinished meaning—since it was a life-threatening ordeal, if he couldn't overcome it, he would naturally die.
Xu Gui: "I hope you can believe me. I'm not joking. If you really ignore this, your grandson will definitely die."
The chubby boy, his eyes still wet, didn't quite understand the concept of death, his expression blank. But his grandmother was different. For the elderly, the word "death" was a vivid and jarring word.
However, the old lady didn't believe Xu Gui's words. She felt that Xu Gui was cursing her grandson.
So, she started cursing at Xu Gui, using very foul and vulgar language, all sorts of offensive and obscene words.
After finishing her tirade, she glared at Xu Gui and said hatefully, "You seem like a pretty young girl, but I never expected you to be so vicious! My grandson just bumped into you, and you cursed him like that! Are you even human?"
Xu Gui felt that perhaps because she had grown up in an orphanage in a way, she naturally felt a sense of pity for children, which was why she had spoken up to warn them.
However, this didn't mean she enjoyed fawning over those who didn't reciprocate her kindness.
So, faced with the old woman's outburst, her smile faded, and her expression turned cold.
"Looks like I've been meddling." Xu Gui's eyes were icy cold. She turned to leave, but when she saw the chubby little boy with his clear eyes, she hesitated.
Sigh, she still couldn't handle children.
"...Let me remind you one more time, do good deeds. Sometimes helping others is helping yourself!"
After saying this to the old lady, Xu Gui turned her gaze to the chubby boy and said, "Chubby boy, come here."
The chubby boy instinctively tried to come over, but his grandmother grabbed his foot.
The old lady was wary: "Why are you calling my grandson over? Do you want to harm him?"
Xu Gui ignored her. Since the old lady wouldn't allow her grandson to come over, Xu Gui didn't intend to meddle. She only reminded the chubby boy: "Chubby boy, remember, you can't go near water during this time, especially rivers and ponds, understand?" The chubby boy
looked blank: Huh?
After saying these two sentences, Xu Gui felt a sense of relief. She had said everything she needed to say.
Sigh, she was still too kind. Was it because she had become human that her heart had softened?
Xu Gui realized that the memories of twenty-three years of human life had been integrated into her soul and had ultimately had some impact on her.
Fortunately, she didn't seem too disgusted. A soft heart meant she was an exceptionally kind turtle!
Xu Gui couldn't help but sigh inwardly: "Sigh, turtles as kind as me are truly rare these days!"
Thinking this, she turned and went straight back to her fortune-telling stall. This time, she didn't stop, and her movements were without hesitation.
During those few steps, her expression remained unchanged, still cold. This was a rare sight on her face, as Xu Gui was usually very cheerful.
She actually had an oval face, but her cheeks still had a touch of baby fat, making her face appear chubby. Her cheerful disposition gave her a harmless, clever, and playful air, along with a touch of childlike innocence.
However, now that she had a cold expression, everyone suddenly realized that Xu Gui actually possessed an extremely bright and beautiful face. Her eyes were beautiful, and her skin was fair and delicate, giving her a radiant and charming beauty.
As the viewers in the live stream watched her face turn cold, they had the illusion that they were seeing her face for the first time.
[I was wrong. I always thought I was a "mommy fan" of Xu Gui, then I thought I was a "girlfriend fan," but only now do I realize I'm actually a fan of her looks!!] [
The biggest misconception in the world is thinking Xu Gui has a baby face. Now I realize she actually has a classic beauty face—almond eyes, peach cheeks, and fair, radiant skin, like a ripe peach, ready to burst with sweet juice. Her skin is amazing!]
[Xu Gui's features are very well-defined, and her face is full. If she lost weight, she would definitely be beautiful! But personally, I think she looks best right now!!]
[Vulgar! You guys are so vulgar. I'm different from you. I'm a career fan of Xu Gui!]
[Ha, acting like career fans aren't fans at all. Where does your sense of superiority come from? Besides, does Xu Gui need you to support her career?] Everyone can see her career is going smoothly... No!! I suddenly feel that being a fan of Xu Gui's career isn't so bad, is it? If you're a fan of Xu Gui's career, with her smooth-sailing career, that must be awesome, right? ]
[Am I the only one concerned about the departed grandmother and grandson? That grandmother doesn't seem to believe Xu Gui's words. What if something really happens to her grandson? ]
[What to do? Well, as the saying goes, "Give up your altruistic spirit and enjoy a life of mischief." Xu Gui did warn her, but she didn't believe him. He can't keep chasing after her, can he? If Xu Gui really did that, I think she'd suspect he was trying to harm them. So, if something still happens to the child in the end, it's just fate! ]
At this moment, the departed grandmother and grandson, just as the comments said, didn't take Xu Gui's sincere warning to heart at all.
The little fat boy is too young to understand; he doesn't even have a clear definition of death. He remembers Xu Gui's advice to stay away from water now, but he might forget it later.
The old woman hadn't forgotten; she simply didn't believe Xu Gui's words at all. In her eyes, Xu Gui's words weren't a prophecy, but a curse.
"How could there be such a vicious woman?" The old woman continued cursing all the way, but thinking of Xu Gui's cold expression, she didn't dare to go and confront her directly. So she could only vent her anger by muttering to herself. It
was strange, really; in all her life, she had rarely been afraid of anyone, especially not such a young girl.
But now, she had been intimidated by just one look from that girl. The old woman felt both aggrieved and ashamed.
"Ouch!" Suddenly, she stumbled and fell to the ground with a thud.
The fall was quite solid, and the old lady cried out twice. After sitting up, her frustration reached its peak. Even while still on the ground, she couldn't help but say, "Why does everything seem to be going wrong today?"
First, she encountered that sharp-tongued, somewhat eerie little girl, and now she'd fallen like this. Why does today feel so unlucky?
"Ouch," the old lady groaned softly, the pain bringing her back to her senses.
The chubby boy squatted beside her, looking at her with his big eyes, and asked, "Grandma, are you alright?"
The old lady waved her hand and said, "I'm fine, Xiao Bao. Help Grandma up."
The chubby boy obediently replied, "Okay."
He reached out and tried to help his grandmother up. The two of them stumbled home, but the chubby boy was still thinking about his little goldfish. When they passed the square near their home, his eyes, still red from crying, looked at his grandmother.
The square near their house is always bustling; it's a small hub for the area. There are all sorts of things sold there, especially children's items. The uncle at the square I mentioned earlier sells not only goldfish but also little turtles.
Just as they were about to cross the square, the chubby boy couldn't help but speak up: "Grandma, you said you'd buy me goldfish..."
The old lady had just tripped and fallen, and was in a bad mood. Hearing this, she said irritably, "What goldfish? Those things are a scam! They die within days of you bringing them home! Sweetie next door had one, and she cried so much when it died."
"Hmph!" The old lady snorted, her tone disdainful: "These unscrupulous merchants are best at ripping off children... Little Bao, be good, we won't buy that."
The chubby boy panicked: "But you just said you'd buy me one!" He puffed up his cheeks, making his face look even fatter, like a little frog.
"Ouch!" The old lady, quick-witted, rubbed her head and said, "Grandma just fell and hurts so much! Xiao Bao, quickly take Grandma home. Grandma needs to lie down and rest."
The chubby boy: QAQ.
He sniffed, glancing longingly towards the square, his expression a mixture of grievance and envy: Everyone else has goldfish, but he doesn't. When will he get his own goldfish?
*
Xu Gui returned to the fortune-telling stall. The three children were still guarding the aquarium. Compared to the chubby boy rolling around, the three seemed quite well-behaved.
"Sister, don't be angry." Xiaomin came over with a sweet smile. "That chubby boy was mean, but we're different. We're obedient!"
The two little boys beside her nodded in agreement, echoing her like worms: "Yes, we're obedient."
Xu Gui smiled and said calmly, "I'm not angry. I never waste my emotions on irrelevant people."
Xiaomin secretly glanced at her, still thinking about the fish in the tank, and asked in a low voice, "Sister, how much is one of these goldfish?"
Xu Gui glanced at it and said casually, "Eighteen yuan and fifty cents each."
The amount was accurate to the cent.
Hearing this, the three children went to the side and chattered away. The camera panned over, and you could see their hands moving; the three of them were rummaging through their pockets, seemingly calculating how much money they had in total.
A few minutes later, Xiaomin ran over excitedly, holding a handful of money. "Sister," she said, "we've calculated it, and we have exactly eighteen yuan and fifty cents! Can we buy a small fish with that money?"
Xu Gui glanced at the money in her hand, smiled, and said, "Of course! There are seven fish inside. Take a look and see which one you want."
The three children were immediately delighted. Xiaomin gave the money to Xu Gui, and then she and her friends gathered around the aquarium, carefully examining the fish, determined to pick the best and most lively one.
"The lively ones live longer!" Xiaomin's tone sounded quite experienced.
Finally, they chose one. "Sister, we want this one!"
Xu Gui glanced at the one they had chosen and nodded, "Okay."
She looked around but couldn't find a suitable container for the fish. Finally, her gaze fell on the small fish tank on her table. At that moment, the little turtle that was lying on the pebbles at the bottom of the tank suddenly raised its head, stretching its neck out as if looking around at something. Then, it was grabbed by a hand and placed on the table.
Xu Gui held the now empty fish tank and said with satisfaction, "This one is not bad!"
The little turtle on the table: ??
Xu Gui filled the fish tank with water and reached out to grab the sunset goldfish that the children had chosen.
Unlike others catching fish, when Xu Gui tried to catch the fish, the fish in the aquarium were not frightened at all. Instead, they eagerly came closer, as if kissing her fingers with their mouths.
Xu Gui frowned, reached out and pushed aside the two fish that were crowding around her, saying, "Wait, I'm not looking for you."
Then she grabbed the "chosen fish" and smoothly placed it in the fish tank. The fish was very obedient in Xu Gui's hands, without struggling at all. Once in the tank, it flicked its beautiful tail and swam lively around.
Seeing this, Xiao Min put her hands on her hips and said proudly to her two friends, "See? I told you this fish was the most lively! Let me tell you, when you go to the market, you should choose fish that look very energetic, otherwise, if you bring the fish home, it will die and won't taste good."
The boys asked in alarm, "...Xiao Min, are you going to eat this little goldfish?"
Xiao Min scratched her head and said embarrassedly, "Hehehe, I misspoke. I meant the fish from the market, the kind we eat at the dinner table. Such a beautiful fish, I can't bear to eat it!"
The three children huddled around the small fish tank, their eyes fixed on the little goldfish swimming around, their eyes full of admiration.
"So beautiful..." The three children had quite an eye for beauty.
"Sister, let me tell you something."
Perhaps because they had known each other for two days, the children felt they were already familiar with Xu Gui, and couldn't help but confide in her. "Actually, Qiao Qiao doesn't want to learn ballet at all, but her mother insists that she go, saying that the ballet teacher is very good, and she finally managed to book a class with this teacher and paid a lot of money, so she insists that Qiao Qiao go."
Xu Gui had wanted to ask before, "What kind of dance is ballet?"
Xiao Min looked confused: "Balet is ballet."
"Maybe it's ballet?" the cameraman whispered to Xu Gui, "Maybe the child misheard and thought it was ballet."
Xu Gui nodded slightly, thinking that this explanation was more plausible.
"So, why doesn't Qiao Qiao want to learn ballet?" she asked with a smile.
Xiaomin looked around, then pulled Xu Gui aside and said, "Sister, I'm only telling you about this, okay? Qiaoqiao said that the uncle from Baba Dance Teacher's family keeps touching her, and she feels very uncomfortable and scared."
Xu Gui was stunned.