'I...'
Dong Qingfang suddenly felt her face burn.
As soon as she saw Ji Pianran, she remembered the two slaps and felt a vague pain throughout her face.
'You bitch, you saw someone's clothes and ran faster than anyone else. It's true that clothes make the man, but you also have to look at the foundation! With a face like yours, what can you wear to look good?
Leibo rushed up and pulled Dong Qingfang back.
He was really afraid that on New Year's Eve, Gu Chen would get angry and beat Dong Qingfang up.
After that day, he and his father had also figured it out.
This Gu Chen must have something on them, otherwise he couldn't be so reckless.
Their family is well-known in this village for being unyielding.
But now, there is someone like Gu Chen.
You can't beat him, and you can't scold him.
You never know what kind of dirt he might have on them, so it's really annoying.
'This shirt? I bought it in the city, at the biggest department store. It wasn't expensive, just a few hundred.'
Gu Chen smiled.
He wanted to say that he could have gotten a shirt for just a few slaps.
But the words stuck in his throat.
After all, they were from the same village.
Let bygones be bygones, you can't keep picking on people.
'I know, I know...'
Leibo forced a smile and pulled Dong Qingfang away.
As he watched the Gu family of three walk away, he couldn't help but spit out a silent curse.
Gu Chen had remembered, and he would get what was coming to him one day.
When that day came, he would see how he would deal with him!
When they arrived at the door of Teacher Li's house, Gu Chen knocked.
'Is Teacher Li at home?'
There was silence in the courtyard, and there was no response.
He was about to knock a second time when a familiar voice once again appeared in his mind.
'Congratulations to the host for being merciful where possible, and you are rewarded with intermediate calligraphy.'
Gu Chen: '???
This system is sick, isn't it? He walked to the door and was rewarded?
Why didn't you do it earlier?
If you had given it to me earlier, I would have written it myself at home!
And what the hell is intermediate? Shouldn't it be god-level?
With Ji Pianran around, Gu Chen couldn't bring himself to ask directly, so he could only complain to himself in private.
'These skills are divided into five levels: beginner level requires ten years of calligraphy experience, intermediate level requires thirty years, advanced level requires fifty years, master level requires seventy years of calligraphy experience, and hall level requires one hundred years of calligraphy experience.'
As if it heard Gu Chen's grumbling, the system's voice rang out once again.
Now Gu Chen understood.
The system had given him thirty years of calligraphy experience.
That was not bad.
Seeing that Gu Chen was not moving, Ji Pianran whispered, 'What's wrong? Why aren't you knocking?'
On hearing this, Gu Chen raised his hand again and continued knocking.
'Knock, knock, knock.'
Three more times.
This time someone finally heard the knocking.
Not only did someone come out, they also answered enthusiastically.
'I'm coming! I'm coming!'
But the voice sounded a little familiar.
Before he could think about it, he saw the door pushed open, and the person who came out was actually Shen Cuilan.
Looking at Shen Cuilan, Gu Chen's eyebrows twitched, a little surprised.
Although Shen Cuilan was a chatterbox, at this juncture on New Year's Eve, she also wanted everyone to get along.
She gave a strained smile.
'You've come to ask for couplets too? What a coincidence! Teacher Li twisted his back yesterday and can't write them, so everyone is still discussing whether to send someone to the city to buy some.'
As soon as she heard that Teacher Li had hurt his back, Gu Chen hurriedly took his daughter-in-law and Tang Tang and went inside.
'Gu Chen, you've come at the right time. Everyone is just talking about it. Do you want to chip in and let Lei Bo go to the city to buy the couplets?'
suggested an elderly man next to the door.
The Lei family was the only one in the village with a three-wheeled motorcycle, which made it convenient to go to the city.
'Yes, just chip in a little extra and Lei Bo can earn an extra dollar for running errands!'
The crowd chimed in.
After all, the more people came, the more Lei Bo would earn, and the more willing he would be to go.
If there were fewer people, Lei Bo wouldn't earn enough for gas money!
'Hey, here comes Lei Bo. Everyone was just talking about you. Yesterday, Teacher Li hurt his back and can't write the couplets, so everyone was wondering if you could run an errand.'
Just as they were talking animatedly, Lei Bo and Dong Qingfang walked in.
'Yes, everyone is pooling their money together. You go to the city for everyone and bring back some couplets. We still have to celebrate the New Year, don't we?'
Everyone said, and Lei Bo sort of understood.
His face relaxed a little.
Just now, when he saw Gu Chen outside, he was so scared that he wanted to turn around and leave.
'Well... in theory, we should help everyone with this, but if we have to run around a bit longer, we should at least be paid a little for our trouble.'
Dong Qingfang perked up at this and became excited instantly.
If everyone can give a little more, won't he get his clothes back?
'Well... we can't let you go on this errand for nothing, so each family can give an extra... no, three yuan.
Will that work?' The old man next to her said.
Dong Qingfang did some rough calculations and found that there were at least 20 households in this room and courtyard, and there were several hundred households in the village. If everyone gave three yuan, wouldn't that be enough to get everything back?
She wanted to buy three pairs of Ji Pianran's little leather shoes!
Wear them every day!
Seeing everyone in this state, Gu Chen couldn't help but frown.
'Excuse me, I'm going to go see Teacher Li.'
No one said anything, and they let her go to the inner room.
Dong Qingfang rolled her eyes and leaned closer to Lei Bo.
'This Gu is quite the actor, but when he begs you later, you have to give him a good beating!'
Lei Bo nodded, looking very pleased with himself.
Without their family's three-wheeled motorcycle, Gu Chen would have to ride a two-stroke motorcycle to buy the couplets.
Not only would it be a waste of time, it would also be tiring.
It shouldn't be a big deal to get Gu Chen to say something.
Otherwise, he shouldn't even bother celebrating the New Year!
It would be best if the Gu family was the only one in the village without couplets, so he could be humiliated.
So what if he was rich?
Even if you have money, you still have to beg him now!
Gu Chen led Ji Pianran into the back room.
Looking at Teacher Li lying on the bed, he couldn't help but ask with concern, 'Teacher Li, are you okay?'
'Hey, it's fine. I put some ointment on it, and the doctor said it will be fine in ten to fifteen days. This person just can't keep up as he gets older. He just carried some water yesterday and that was it.'
Mrs. Li sighed as she sat by the bed.
She couldn't get up during the New Year, so how was she going to get through the year?
But then she saw Gu Chen's daughter behind him, and couldn't help smiling
'Little Sugar has not been to your house for a long time. It's the New Year, so she's come to get some candy to eat.'
Sugar is pretty and looks younger than her age, and she is much smarter than other children her age.
That's why many people in the village like her.
Especially these uncles and aunts, they just can't help it, everyone who sees her has to stroke her head and give her something delicious.
Li Dajiang said that she was going to get some candy from the cupboard.
Teacher Li sighed, 'You're here to get the couplets, too, right? I can't write them this year. My dear, go give Lei Bo 8 yuan and ask him to bring back a pair for me. Alas, how will I get through this New Year?'
In previous years, just writing the couplets for the villagers, even though they were only 3 yuan a pair, he could still earn a few hundred yuan.
In short, there was no problem with money for the New Year, but this year, there is no way to make any money.
Gu Chen looked at Teacher Li on the bed and couldn't help but start thinking.
Teacher Li was in his fifties this year and should be at an intermediate to advanced level.
His current level was roughly equivalent to having studied calligraphy for thirty years, and he could write a couplet without any problems.
'Auntie, I don't think you should worry. In the past, when I wasn't around, you helped out at Piranha a lot. Piranha is on her own at home, so it's not easy for her. Have you prepared the red paper, ink and brush this year? I'll help you write them, otherwise they'll just go to waste.'
After Gu Chen finished speaking, everyone in the room was shocked.
Are you kidding?
Did Gu Chen even go to school?
He can't even write legibly with a pen, and yet he can write a couplet?