Chapter 82 - 080 Tang Qiubai
Days went by, with Tian Sisi sometimes sleeping at her own home and sometimes at her birth father, He Xuewen’s place, leading a very happy life. Since He Xuewen had largely recovered his health, he often went out for business on his own without taking He Chengsi along, as he was just pale but otherwise indistinguishable from a healthy person.
Although he was not lacking in money, he continued to do business mainly because he was unwilling to cut off his connections and also seize the chance to inquire about the current situation. He was constantly concerned about the movements of those people.
Some special local products from Yuequan Village were sold by He Xuewen, and although the price was only a cent or two more expensive than what the procurement stations used to pay, it was enough to satisfy the villagers immensely. An extra cent or two per pound could add up to 20 cents, which was not a small sum, so the people of Yuequan Village were very grateful to He Xuewen. Whether it was on the street or at home, they greeted him with a smile. Even those few who were looking to take advantage were polite to him, fearing that offending He Xuewen could cost them those few extra dimes.
Time flew by, and before they knew it, it was the end of April. The weather was getting hotter, and the mountains were lush with greenery. Tian Sisi often took her camera to take pictures on the mountain with Tian Xinhua and the others, then went back to develop them in the darkroom. He Xuewen had long ago bought her the chemical solutions and photo paper for developing photos, and even set up a darkroom for her, teaching her how to develop photos himself.
As for film and batteries, He Xuewen bought them by the stack, letting Tian Sisi shoot to her heart’s content without having to worry about saving money. With such ample supplies, Tian Sisi was thrilled. Every weekend, she would take pictures of her family or herself. Tian Xinhua and He Chengsi had already been trained to become photography experts by her. As a result, the most photos on the walls of the Tian Family’s house were of Tian Sisi’s fine shots, although she regretted that there was no color film yet, and all shots were black and white. To add color, she had to find a master to hand-color them, which was a hard-to-find skill that was virtually lost in later generations.
However, He Xuewen was skilled in this art, having learned it from an old master in Shanghai. Although his skill was not perfect, it was good enough for personal appreciation. Whenever He Xuewen had time, he would be wrapped up by Tian Sisi to color her photos, and of course, he enjoyed it himself. He would always agree to dress up his precious daughter’s photos beautifully.
On a day in early May, Old Man was up early and excited. After breakfast, he didn’t even listen to the radio but instead wandered around his room. Tian Sisi thought it strange and asked what was happening. Old Man smiled, fondling his granddaughter’s head, "Ah Nan, would you like Grandpa to find you a little friend?"
Tian Sisi was puzzled. What little friend? She didn’t lack for friends now, but she still nodded her head, happy as long as the Old Man was. Seeing her agree, the Old Man smiled even more, saying, "Today, an old friend of Grandpa’s is coming over, and his grandson is coming with him. His name is Tang Qiubai, and he’s two years older than you. They’re going to stay here for a while. Ah Nan, try to make friends with Qiubai, okay?"
Tang Qiubai? Wasn’t he the scumbag from the original host’s previous life? It seems the scumbag appeared at this time. Tian Sisi couldn’t help but be on guard. She really wanted Old Man’s old friend to roll back to his hometown immediately, but seeing Old Man’s rare happiness, Sisi still pretended to be pleased and nodded in agreement. After all, she now knew Tang Qiubai’s true nature. As long as she stayed away from him, she definitely would not marry this scumbag in this lifetime.
After breakfast, Tian Sisi went to school as usual, but because her mind was preoccupied, she was somewhat absent-minded all day. Jin Duofu and He Chengsi, seeing this, did not bother her. Jin Duofu was very friendly towards Tian Sisi, following her instructions obediently, and after being reminded by He Chengsi, he also changed his habit of nose picking. With a clean and refreshing face, he too looked like a handsome young lad.
When she returned home from school in the afternoon, there were indeed two new people in the hall, one old and one young. The old man looked frail, though he was tall and his face was so gaunt one couldn’t see any flesh. Yet from his still-strong voice, it was apparent this elderly man had a firm will, unlikely to be crushed by any suffering. It seemed this must be Tang Qiubai’s grandfather, Tang Tieshan.