Achieving fluent English was not as simple as Ji Zhaoxi had imagined.
Every morning, she would go to the park to practice her English aloud, and in the evening, Gao Lin would tutor her.
However, during her major classes, her English pronunciation was still tactfully criticized by the teacher.
This made Ji Zhaoxi feel incredibly frustrated.
Everyone else read so well, so why couldn't she do it like the others?
She secretly hid in the small woods to cry, and after crying, she went back to the park to continue practicing.
Following the pronunciation techniques the teacher taught in class today, she practiced until her jaw ached and the tip of her tongue stung from being bitten.
She looked at her grimacing reflection in the pond, then looked at the other people around her.
Everyone else was practicing like this too. No one cared if their mouths looked weird when they opened them; they only cared about whether their pronunciation was standard enough.
The school provided a stipend, issuing about fifteen yuan a month. This money was enough for Ji Zhaoxi to eat at the cafeteria for a whole month, and to eat very well for every meal.
Only then did Ji Zhaoxi clearly realize how absurdly large the sum of money Qin Du had given her was.
Gao Lin was going clothes shopping this week, and Ji Zhaoxi tagged along. She wanted to buy some things to send back home, and mail a letter while she was at it.
"For men, we usually buy things here," Gao Lin said, leading Ji Zhaoxi into a clothing store.
Ji Zhaoxi looked at the clothes with a headache. How was she supposed to choose? She had never bought clothes for a guy before.
The shop assistant noticed Ji Zhaoxi's dilemma. "Who are you buying for? Do you know his height?"
Ji Zhaoxi thought for a moment and gestured, "I probably reach about his chest."
"Do you know his weight?"
Ji Zhaoxi tried to gesture again.
Gao Lin smiled at her actions. "Who exactly are you buying this for?"
Ji Zhaoxi's face instantly turned red. "For my brother."
Brother?
Gao Lin raised an eyebrow. Probably not a biological brother, she thought.
Ji Zhaoxi bought Qin Du a dark, pure wool turtleneck sweater made in Shanghai and a pair of durable leather work shoes. It was still very cold back home, so he would definitely be able to wear the sweater.
She also bought a wool sweater and a trench coat for Ji Zhuxin. Knowing her sister loved to look pretty, Ji Zhaoxi also bought some Dacron fabric and a few silk scarves.
After buying all this, Ji Zhaoxi hurried back to the dorm to write her letters. She had so much she wanted to tell them.
She leaned over her desk, thinking earnestly.
Sister, how have you been lately? I am doing very well at school, so please don't worry. Shanghai is much warmer than home; I wear a lot of clothes, so I won't catch a cold. The cafeteria food is delicious, and my roommates treat me very well. They help me study English and even took me to buy clothes.
I am studying hard and putting in a lot of effort every day. It's just that I miss you a little. I miss you when I'm eating, and I miss you when I'm buying clothes. Sister, you must take good care of yourself.
Sister, you don't need to send me money anymore. The school gives me fifteen yuan every month, saying that Xinniu Village is very poor and our family lacks labor. The money you and Brother Qin Du gave me is already enough to last me a very, very long time.
I mailed some things back for you. Do you like them, Sister? I think you will.
As she wrote, Ji Zhaoxi couldn't help but get teary-eyed.
If only her sister were here, then she wouldn't be afraid of anything.
The people in the dorm were chatting, but seeing Ji Zhaoxi writing a letter, they didn't disturb her.
When writing to Qin Du, Ji Zhaoxi hesitated for quite a while before putting pen to paper.
A few days ago, I dreamed that you went hunting in the mountains and got badly hurt. I woke up terrified and secretly cried for a long time. Brother Qin Du, please don't get hurt, okay?
Ji Zhaoxi sniffled. At the thought of Qin Du covered in blood in her dream, her eyes instantly turned red.
I was criticized by the teacher because my pronunciation wasn't good enough. But I've been trying so hard. I practice every day, and my roommate even helps me, but I still haven't made any progress. Actually, my English isn't good at all.
English is so hard. I practice every day until my mouth hurts. Brother Qin Du, if only you were by my side. I went clothes shopping with my classmate and spent some of the money you gave me.
Ji Zhaoxi took out the receipt paper from the time and detailed everything in the letter.
Brother Qin Du, did you see the gift I sent you? Do you like it? I mailed you a photo that I went to take with my classmate. The old master photographer applied some things to my face and lips. And one last thing, please say hello to Aunt Qin for me.
Qi Zhenzhen lay on her bed, watching Ji Zhaoxi blushing as she wrote her letter, and clicked her tongue, shaking her head.
She didn't expect this little country bumpkin to have such a side to her; usually, she acted like a blockhead.
Seeing Ji Zhaoxi carefully place the letter into the envelope,
Qi Zhenzhen joked, "Oh, finished talking to your sweetheart?"
Ji Zhaoxi knew Qi Zhenzhen was teasing her on purpose and didn't want to engage, so she just kept her head down and packed her things.
Looking at her red ears, Qi Zhenzhen sighed. "In the beginning, you had such a good temper, agreeing to whatever was said. Now you've got such an attitude."
She began to miss the little blockhead who used to let her boss her around.
During the days Ji Zhaoxi was gone, Xinniu Village had also undergone massive changes.
A while ago, on his way to the black market, Qin Du was cornered by a few local thugs. They not only wanted to rob him of his money but also wanted to cripple his hands.
A fight broke out immediately. Although Qin Du managed to get his goods back, he was viciously stabbed in the back and suffered a severe wound. Fortunately, he also killed a few of them, so it wasn't a total loss.
Mother Qin looked at the wounds on Qin Du's body, her eyes growing increasingly disappointed. She knew that Qin Du could never go back to the way he was before.
But the other people in the black market lacked Qin Du's ruthlessness. When those local thugs came to rob their goods, they only dared to stand aside and let them take it, praying they would be left with a little something.
The local thugs in the black market almost all knew Qin Du and didn't dare touch his goods. It was around this time that the thugs he had previously beaten off said they were willing to follow him.
"Brother, I'm definitely useful. I know almost all the hunters in the mountains. If you want their goods, I can get them all for you," a man sidled up to Qin Du like a sycophant.
A few others also bowed their heads in agreement.
Qin Du ignored them and just continued selling his own goods.
As a result, the next day, the man dragged a large sack of goods directly to him, offering Qin Du an incredibly low price.
Qin Du finally nodded.
These men all had some physical defects. One was missing a few fingers, one had lost all the fingers on his left hand, and another was missing half an ear.
And what they needed Qin Du to do was obvious.
They wanted Qin Du to protect them. As discarded pawns, nothing was more important than their lives.
Honestly, watching Qin Du fight that time, they really felt he wasn't human.
Several people had surrounded him, iron pipes continuously smashing against his body, but he didn't even sway. He just stared at the leader and beat him mercilessly, his fists digging ruthlessly into the man's flesh until the leader was foaming at the mouth.
This way of fighting looked as if he had never planned on walking out alive.
He was ruthless enough, but he also left no way out for himself.
