Chapter 2 Chapter two

Then, she heard someone ask her: "I'm here to attend school, are you a Mandarin teacher?" It was a man's voice. Oops, the sleepy bug was driven away immediately after being startled. She opened her eyes and saw a young man squatting nearby and staring at her. Mindful that this shock was no small matter, he immediately jumped up. "I'm sorry, I'm Zhuo Yuansheng, I'm late, I'm tired of waiting for you." Ming Xin looked at her watch, it was already past four o'clock in the afternoon, she slept so soundly that no one came to wake her up. But she was smart and nonchalantly seized the opportunity and said, "Don't be late again next time," sweating down her spine.

They sat down at the desk. Zhuo Yuansheng is tall and handsome. The most special thing is that he has long shoulder-length hair, just like Yuan Xin. He wears jeans and a white T-shirt. This must be the most popular outfit recently. In order to save time and money, Ming Xin has been wearing these two colors and styles of clothes, but he did not expect to become a part of the trend by mistake. After sitting down and talking for a few words, Mingxin knew that Zhuo Yuansheng didn't come to study at all, he just passed by when he had time, driven by curiosity, he came to see what happened and chat for a while.

Well, it’s good to get to know the students first. She asked, "Why learn Mandarin?" "It's not that I want to learn, it's that my father wants us to learn, and it's best to do it quickly." "He doesn't want you to forget Chinese culture." Zhuo Yuansheng laughed dumbly, "No, he goes to Beijing to hold meetings with the leaders from time to time, and he will take us there in the future. Of course, he hopes that we can speak fluent Chinese." Ming Xin was stunned again. "Tell me, Xia Mingxin, why is your name so touching?"

Ming Xin remained calm and asked, "Why is this mansion called the hometown?" Unexpectedly, Zhuo Yuansheng already had the answer: "My mother's name has an ancient word, and her apartment is called Guyuan." I see. "Madam Zhuo is traveling abroad?" Zhuo Yuensheng corrected: "She is already immortal, and my mother passed away five years ago." "I'm sorry." She knew a little more about them. Zhuo Yuansheng suddenly became serious, and he said: "The pain of losing a mother is very difficult to overcome, and Yuan Hua is the saddest among them. She seems to have never adjusted to it."

Instantly Mingxin even forgave the proud eldest lady. Zhuo Yuansheng said in a low voice: "You will understand." Ming Xin sighed, "I don't even remember what my mother looks like, I need to see the photos to know." Zhuo Yuansheng was surprised, "Are you an orphan too?" Ming Xin nodded, "I'm most jealous of the sixty-year-old woman who has both parents." "me too!" The two found something in common and smiled at each other. "Xia Mingxin, there is a dance tonight, and I want to invite you to attend." Ming Xin immediately replied: "I am a teacher, not a dance partner."

Yuan Sheng hurriedly explained: "I have no malicious intentions." "Pay attention to the textbook." Zhuo Yuansheng is smarter and smarter than his younger sister, and his aptitude is rare. Mingxin believes that he is the kind of student who never forgets. If you teach pinyin once, you will remember it immediately. You can use it flexibly and draw inferences from one instance. Mingxin predicts that he will study for twenty or thirty hours. Then he can go north for a meeting with his father. During this period, Zhuo Yuansheng had been conversing in English, and Mingxin asked: "Are you fluent in Cantonese?"

"I will say a few words." "tell me the story." "Wonton noodles, chicken wings, steamed lobster." It's all food, that's fine, people depend on food. "Can you write your own name?" "Poorly written." "What do you study in college?" "Electrical engineering, graduating this year." It seems that he can't be blamed. Suddenly discovering that Chinese is useful, the parents rushed to tell them to make up for it. Unexpectedly, Zhuo Yuansheng was willing to make good use of barley. When the time came, Ming Xin reminded him to come to class the next day.

He suddenly asked in Mandarin: "How is Lehui tonight?" Ming Xin was taken aback, and said with a smile, "I said that I'm here to teach." She cleared the table and turned to leave. The mediocre came into her room with some snacks. At first glance, it is a very thin cucumber sandwich and iced lemon tea. Ming Xin took the iced tea to the terrace to see the scenery, and began to feel that life was not too bad. She heard the sound of a sports car engine. Driving into a small open sports car on a private road, the driver is a beautiful girl, Chinese, but dyed brown hair, with her hips crossed as soon as she got out of the car.

After all, Ming Xin was young, and he became an audience member with relish, hey, who are you looking for?There is a good show to watch. As expected, it was Zhuo Yuansheng who greeted him. Without saying a word, the girl slapped her. Strange to say, Yuan Sheng stated that he could get out of the way, but he didn't dodge it, with a slap on his face. Hey, Mingxin immediately looked at him differently, he is a real hero, he doesn't fight with women!It doesn't matter if you suffer a little. If it's an inferior man, how can he be so generous, at least he has to push the woman to the ground to be considered a real man.

It seemed that the girl drove to her hometown specially to appreciate Zhuo Yuansheng's slap. She drove away immediately after finishing her work. Zhuo Yuansheng raised his head and saw Xia Mingxin on the balcony. He shrugged, spread his hands, and went back into the house. Ming Xin was smiling all afternoon. In the evening, she went for a walk in the garden. There are all kinds of floral fragrances in the air, which are extremely clear, making people happy and unforgettable. The gardener was tending the flowerbed when he heard footsteps and raised his head in surprise, as if he wanted to say: This garden is rarely visited by people, how could there be rare visitors?

Ming Xin smiled, "You must be Ruburt." "Miss Xia, please sit down." "Ming Xin sat down on the stone bench. There is a pile of stones under her feet, one of which is polished and engraved with words: imagination, peace, remembrance... It turned out to be a small memorial garden. "To bother you." "What kind of flowers does Miss Xia like?" "I am more greedy, all fragrant flowers." Ruburt smiled, "I'll arrange it for you." Ming Xin thanked him, sat for a while, then walked away. At this time, she packed her luggage. There were ready-made satin hangers in the closet and dried rose petals in mesh bags in every corner. At this time, someone pushed the door and came in. When he saw it, it was Yuan Xin. She giggled, "How about it, do you still like the guest room I designed?" "beautiful." Yuan Xin sat down, "Have you seen Yuan Sheng?" "He just came to class." Yuan Xin was surprised. "Yeah, I thought he wasn't back yet." "So, you have to work harder, don't let him take the lead." Yuan Xin couldn't look up to her smile, "Ming Xin, you are so cute, yet you still use aggressive methods." Ming felt helpless and had no choice but to give up. "Come out dancing with us on weekends." "I have somewhere else to go." Yuan Xin was not convinced, "What better show do you have?" "I participated in a volunteer program called "Sending Charcoal in the Snow". I served three hours a week, helping the elderly repair and clean their houses. Sometimes they painted, sometimes they cleared the drains, or they washed the floors." Yuan Xin stared at her, "I can't believe it." Ming Xin smiled, "Some elderly people have limited mobility, and they are very happy to see us." Yuan Xin thought about it, "Can I go too?" Ming Xin deliberately teased, "You want to dance." "No, just pause once." Someone at the door said, "I'm going too." At first glance, it was Yuan Sheng. Ming Xin was annoyed and funny, "This is not a picnic," he refused straight away, "I'm going to rest." The two siblings had to leave. Ming Xin closed the door. She seemed to hear the sound of the violin, and she was curious, and went to the balcony to look around, but the sound of the violin stopped in an instant. Is it Yuan Hua practicing the violin? That night, she went to bed early. Thirsty in the middle of the night, I got up to look for water, and heard music again, but this time it was not a violin, but pop music. Someone is having a dance party on the grass. Ming Xin looked out, and saw that the girls were all wearing tutu skirts, squatting or sitting, laughing crisply from time to time, and their male companions were carefully waiting on them. You don't have to go to work tomorrow. The night is as cold as water, Mingxin closes the window, continues to search for dreams in a strange bed, looks for home everywhere, and is not unaccustomed to it. Get up early the next morning, wash up, and go to the kitchen to have breakfast. The mediocre man hurried over, "Miss Xia, I'll help you." But Ming Xin said: "I will do it myself." "Miss Xia, please go ahead." She ate her own fried eggs and sausages. Walking into the library, she unexpectedly saw Zhuo Yuanhua sitting in her place. Yuan Hua is flipping through a wedding dress magazine, is she getting married soon? Hearing footsteps, Yuan Hua raised his head. Ming Xin said, "Welcome to class." Yuan Hua sneered, "This is my home, you don't need to welcome me." Wrong again. "Every time people say a word, do you like to rush to respond?" Yuan Hua put down the magazine, "You are too ridiculous, I have to remind you." "I can tell you don't like me." Yuan Hua looked Xia Mingxin up and down again, "How does it feel to be a teacher to find a living, but are you still used to it?" "Very hard and very angry." Yuan Hua sneered, "But because of the low salary, I can't help but bow my head, but this?" Ming Xin watched her smile, and said in a calm and unhurried manner: "How can you not bow your head when you live under the eaves of others." On the contrary, Yuan Hua didn't know what to say. If he was sharper than Xia Mingxin, he was not as good as Xia Mingxin. Mingxin lived in the real world and was well-trained. Yuan Hua was still wearing the sky blue satin canopy dress she wore at the open-air dance last night. Ming Xin said softly: "I don't sleep every night, I work day and night, and I get old quickly." Yuan Hua stood up and walked out of the library without saying a word. It's ten o'clock. Ming Xin didn't think there would be students coming to class, but unexpectedly, Yuan Sheng poked his head in. "I'll take you for a ride behind the mountain." Ming Xin immediately said: "Please sit down, please turn to the third page." " Yuan Sheng smiled and sat down. "Please read after me: The bright moonlight in front of the bed is suspected to be frost on the ground." "I miss you all night." "Looking up at the bright moon, bowing your head and thinking about your hometown." "It's the first time I'm so worried about gains and losses." "Please read with me: You come from your hometown, you should know the things of your hometown." "Ming Xin, look how good the weather is, we—" "You come from your hometown." "Okay, okay," he raised his hands in surrender, "you come from your hometown, you should know the things of your hometown." Overcome by Ming Xin's willpower, he sat there and started his class. Soon his interest was aroused, and he argued with Ming Xin on the study of pronunciation. Soon, Yuan Xin also came, joined the team, laughed and talked, and the room was full of spring. The butler walked by and was amazed and amazed to see the three of them so devoted. I only heard Yuan Sheng say: "If you roll your tongue for every word, it will really make you cramp. I decided not to roll it, to save a little." Yuan Xin deliberately raised the bar, "I decided to read every word." Ming Xin shook his head, "Don't be casual, please concentrate on studying and practice according to pinyin." "It's totally different from what we've been taught before." "Why hasn't there been a set of formal learning methods for more than a hundred years?" Ming Xin said, "Hush." "Yes, yes, the moonlight in front of the bed." The siblings suddenly burst into laughter together, and even Ming Xin couldn't help but be infected by their worry-free personality. The butler has been sharing the joy outside the door. Originally, the three brothers and sisters had fun in their own way. When they met, they just nodded and said okay. They didn't expect to be pulled together by a tutor to study obediently. She decided to report to the boss. This class went on for more than an hour. "We'll come back in the afternoon." The meaning was still unfinished. At this time, the mediocre came in and said, "The Admiralty is looking for Miss Xia." Yuan Sheng and Yuan Xin asked together: "Navy?" Ming Xin hurried to answer the phone. Yuan Xin chased him out, "Navy?" Ming Xin hung up the phone, "I'm a reserve lieutenant in the navy. I receive training exercises once a month. They informed me to report for duty on the 1st of next month." Yuan Sheng opened his mouth wide. Yuan Xin was more straightforward, "Wow, brilliant, amazing." Ming Xin rolled her arms and smiled, "But some people like to dance." Zhuo Yuansheng quickly bowed, "I admire, admire." "Ming Xin, talk more." Yuan Xin held her hand tightly. Ming Xin smiled, "You can also participate, I'll give you the regulations." Yuan Sheng said, "How about going out for dinner? As a reward for the students." Yuan Xin said, "I'll go too." Yuan Sheng gave him a wink, "I have something to say to the teacher." Yuan Xin protested: "It's suffocating to death at home." Ming Xin laughed in astonishment, in such a big house, all the facilities are available, such as reading, playing football, swimming and watching theatre, if it were her, she wouldn't be bored if she didn't go out for a year. She shook her head, "I have something to do, so I won't go." Yuan Sheng was discouraged, "Oh." Yuan Xin clapped her hands and laughed. After a while, a boy drove up and took Yuan Xin away. Ming Xin was puzzled, "We obviously have an appointment with someone, but also said that we want to go out with us, what should we do if someone comes?" "Tell him to wait." Ming Xin was dumbfounded, "How long will it take to go?" "Waiting endlessly." "Wow." Ming Xin couldn't believe it. "There is a small lounge on the left side of the hall entrance, and there are two cold benches inside, specially for Zhuo Yuanhua and Zhuo Yuanxin's suitors to sit and wait." Ming Xin bent over with a smile. "You don't believe it? I'll take you to see it." "Can you be mean to the opposite sex like that?" "Why not, girls can arrange their lives at will, but only in those few years, someone is willing to wait, tell him to wait for her." Ming Xin suddenly felt desolate, "What about after that?" "Afterwards, it was her turn to wait for her husband to come home and for her children to leave school. I saw my mother wait all her life." Ming Xin coughed and stopped talking. He simply took her to visit the hometown, using a bicycle to travel farther. "Lieutenant, this is the fish pond." "Lieutenant, that's the workers' quarters over there." "Going down the path, there is a small pier where you can sail out to sea. You are a lieutenant in the navy, so you must not be afraid of the sea." "How many people take care of the hometown?" "You need a housekeeper, I don't know." "You're not interested?" "My ideal home is an apartment converted from an old warehouse. I live alone, free and unrestrained." Ming Xin nodded. "And you?" Ming Xin replied: "The garden is big, the house is small, I raise two golden retriever dogs, and make bread by myself every day. "Sounds like a good fit for me, too." Ming Xin looked at him and smiled, pointing to his cheek, "Does it still hurt?" Yuan Sheng wasn't embarrassed at all, just smiled and didn't answer. Walking to the octagonal pavilion, there are wisterias all around, long strings of flowers hanging down, fragrant and fragrant, and white butterflies are flying, just like a fairyland. "Come in and sit." The invitation is hard to resist. Zhuo Yuansheng took off the rattan basket behind the bicycle, opened it, and there was iced tea and champagne. Ming Xin smiled and said, "I can drink tea." This will be choreographed, but it still needs to be slapped, it's really not worth it. Preconceived, Ming Xin thinks that Zhuo Yuansheng will always be her student and younger brother, no matter how friendly they are, no matter how close they are, they will never deviate. He took out a box and opened it, smelling of old butter. Ming Xin asked in surprise, "What is this?" "Terra Dipping Cake." "Never heard of it." "Lieutenant, tara honey dip is a kind of Italian cheese, made into a cheesecake, that's it, come on, try it?" "Know how to eat fat people." Ming Xin's voice was weak. Yuan Sheng took a spoon, "Open your mouth." "No." "What are you afraid of? Let's talk after this meal." The delicious food has already reached her mouth, and Ming Xin's weakness is caught right, ah, the cream is on her lips, Ming Xin greedily sucks it in with the tip of her tongue, the sweet and creamy taste makes her dying, she said softly: "Give me again More." What a gaffe. "Enough is enough," refusing, shaking his hand, "That's fine, just have another bite." Just like that, Zhuo Yuansheng fed her the whole cake. She let out a long hiss. "Thank you." "I didn't expect you to be abstinent." "It's a diet." Ming Xin corrected. "No, food can satisfy the most primitive desire of human beings, which is abstinence." At this moment, Yuan Sheng suddenly stood up. Ming Xin asked: "What's the matter?" "There seems to be someone," Yuan Sheng looked around and turned his head, "Let's go." "who is it?" Yuan Sheng laughed, "I heard wrong, maybe it's just a squirrel." Will it be Missy?Ming Xin took a look, there are no strangers in the garden, so you can rest assured. They went back by bicycle. Yuan Sheng said: "I haven't tried such a happy date for a long time." Ming Xin was surprised, "This is not a date." "A date, of course." Ming Xin didn't want to argue with him. "Can you come to class this afternoon?" "I'll be here tomorrow morning." Ming Xin shrugged and went back to the room to rest. Spreading out the book, I realized that I owed a dictionary. She wanted to look for it in the library of her hometown, and when she found out it was in the basement, she went downstairs. Due to the careful design of the basement, a row of skylights illuminate the interior very brightly. There is a long mahogany table, bookshelves on all four walls, and leather chairs. Reading here can really kill the day. Now that you're here, let's see if there are any reference books she wants. Sitting in front of the computer, she checked the directory. This private library has been edited by a special person and is well organized, and she has found the book she wanted for a moment. It's a pity that Yuanhua Yuansheng Yuanxin is not interested in these books. At the other end there are French windows leading to the garden. There is another table near the window, on which is an impressionist painting album and half a glass of mineral water. Hey, who's here? Ming Xin didn't dare to do anything wrong, he didn't want to disturb others, so he left quietly through the long window. At three o'clock in the afternoon, Yuan Sheng and Yuan Xin no longer appeared. Mind to explore new possibilities. She went to knock on Yuan Hua's door. "Who?" Missy got up. "Xia Mingxin." She opened the door, "It's you, what's the matter?" "Could you come in and say a few words?" "I told you I don't have classes." Ming Xin said, "I don't care." "real?" "I've tried my best to pull off, and if I fail, I can't blame myself." Yuan Hua thought about it, "Come in." The eldest lady's bedroom originally included a small reception room. "This is where my mother used to live." Ah, no wonder Bi Yuanxin's dormitory is much more refined. There are more than a dozen evening gowns piled up on the sofa, full of flowers, there are gauze and satin, sequins and tassels. It seems that the eldest lady is going out again at night and is choosing a dancing skirt. All of them like to dance. Yuan Hua asked, "Which one would you like to wear?" Mingxin took a look at the stack of colorful dresses, and said, "I don't know anything about this, but you have a pretty face and fair skin, and you wear a simple little black dress and put on a lot of rouge. Gorgeously overwhelmed the audience." Coupled with family status, there should be no disadvantages. Yuan Hua was stunned, "Really?" Ming Xin nodded. She stood up and said the old saying: "Come to class when you are free." The library has become her world, and she always regrets that she doesn't know any kind of musical instrument, otherwise she can entertain herself and relieve her loneliness. Voice. While concentrating, it stopped again. Ming Xin put down the book, went out of the room to explore around, but there was no one on either side, so it must be upstairs. Only the eldest lady is changing clothes on the second floor, could it be the third floor. It was a private place, it was inconvenient for idlers to go upstairs, so Ming Xin simply walked outside the gate and looked up. There is indeed a third floor, which should be an attic, with a steeple, two round windows, and a watchtower-style balcony. Mingxin can see the honey water bottles for feeding hummingbirds. Who, who lives there? When you go to bed at night, you need to lock the door. Xia Mingxin must know how to take care of himself. Just bowed her head, someone called her. "Look at what?" Yuan Sheng came back, smiling and Mimi looked at her. In white clothes and white trousers, with long hair and shawls, he has basked in the sun, his face is shining with golden brown, and Ming Xin applauds in his heart: he is really handsome. He added: "I have always thought of you in my heart, so I don't want to linger outside." Ming Xin couldn't help laughing. "Lieutenant, you don't believe me?" "Yes," Ming Xin said, "I don't believe a word of it, but it really helps me to hear it." Yuan Sheng could only laugh, and accompanied Ming Xin to the room. A young man heard footsteps coming out of the small drawing room to visit. Seeing him, Yuan Sheng asked casually, "Waiting for Yuan Hua or Yuan Xin." The young man was surprised, "I'm waiting for Wang Biyan." Yuan Sheng was annoyed, "This is the Zhuo family, the Wang family is on Yiqing Road, you are completely mistaken." There are such funny things in the world: go the wrong way, enter the wrong house, wait for the wrong person. Yuan Sheng couldn't help but said: "You have nothing better to do, don't you think it's a waste of time?" The young man ran away in panic. Zhuo Yuansheng and Xia Mingxin bent over with a smile. The housekeeper passed by and couldn't help asking, "What's so funny? Ever since Miss Xia came, the room was full of laughter." Yuan Sheng said, "That's really good." Ming Xin looked at Yuan Sheng, "Come on, let me analyze the mysteries of the Beijing-Shanghai Cantonese dialect with you: the same word for shrimp has a completely different pronunciation." Yuan Sheng looked at her and said softly, "You are a tireless and lovely worker bee." "You don't like to hear it, forget it." Yuan Sheng said: "Time should also be used to smell the fragrance of roses." At this time, Yuan Hua came down. She was wearing a black skirt with thin straps and a large velvet scarf with tassels, she was very beautiful. " She asked in surprise, "Where is the person who picked me up?" Yuan Sheng deliberately joked with her, "I'm really tired of waiting, let's go." Unexpectedly, Yuan Hua couldn't hear this joke, his face suddenly turned pale, and he covered his chest with his hands. " Fortunately, Yuan Xin appeared behind her, "Sister, Chen Huilin's car is here." She just glared at Yuan Sheng, and hurriedly opened the door and went out. This is a woman with no confidence. Yuan Sheng asked, "Why is Yuan Hua nervous?" "It seems to be because of Chen Huilin." "Is she still with Chen?" "As if explained." "Spent the night at Du Weiwei's house and left in the early morning. All the photos were taken by reporters and published in entertainment magazines. Can you explain?" Yuan Xin sat on the stairs, resting her chin on her hands, also puzzled. Yuan Sheng said: "This kind of person, get rid of it." "She doesn't want to." Yuan Sheng stamped his feet. Mingxin sees their siblings discussing private matters, so he avoids them wisely. In recent years, there have been a lot of daughters who are doted on by small businessmen in the society. They were sent to the best prestigious schools to graduate from universities. Like to pursue female stars. You see, money is not everything. Ming Xin has been reading in the room. As soon as it got dark, Zhuo Yuanhua came back. At first, Ming Xin didn't know it was her, first she heard a loud noise outside, she was stunned, put down her book and went to the balcony to check. Seeing that the garage door was hit by a sports car and had a big hole dented, Yuan Hua got out of the car and screamed like a madman. The mediocre people rushed out to see what happened, at a loss, not knowing what to do. Xia Mingxin felt that he couldn't stand by and watch, so he also ran downstairs. I saw Zhuo Yuanhua making a fuss, he was clearly stimulated and drank too much alcohol, fortunately he was not injured, and he was dancing. With her clothes off, Ming Xin quickly took off her coat, put it on her shoulders, and helped her to sit down. Yuan Hua burst into tears and fell to the ground. Her male partner was dumbfounded, and slowly got out of the car. He seemed to have suffered a skin trauma, and blood oozed from his knee. It was too late and then soon, Yuan Sheng rushed out and grabbed the unlucky man, yelling, "What did you do to Yuan Hua, tell me, tell me!" The scene was in chaos, somehow, Ming Xin raised his head to look at the attic in the midst of his busy schedule, there was indeed a light on there, it could be seen that there were indeed people living there. Yuan Xin ran out and hugged her sister, Yuan Hua was still crying. Ming Xin stepped forward to persuade: "Let the driver take this Mr. Chen out to see a doctor first, he is injured." Yuan Sheng's forehead was full of veins, "You don't want to leave, you have to explain the matter first." Just as the commotion was raging, a calm and calm voice suddenly came: "This kind of person, what are you talking about with him, Lao Zhong, send him out, and he is not allowed to enter Zhuo's house again." Ming Xin raised his head immediately, only to see a tall, thin and slender figure standing at the gate with a cane on his back, with the light behind his back, so he couldn't see his face clearly. He went on to say: "Yuan Xin, help Yuan Hua go upstairs to rest, Yuan Sheng, don't make trouble, and everyone hasn't returned to the house yet? It's not too late to clean up the mess tomorrow morning." A few simple instructions have brought the chaotic scene under control. Ming Xin secretly admired it. Who, who? Seeing that Yuan Sheng obediently let go of Chen Huilin, the man limped into the car and left as if receiving an amnesty. On the other hand, Yuan Xin took her crying sister upstairs to comfort her. Then the servant turned off the street lamp. Moreover, the mysterious person suddenly disappeared.