Epiphanies of Rebirth (重生之豁然)

Chapter 36. 2

The sound of firecrackers outside was endless. Usually, the compound was calm and peaceful, but during the New Year, all sorts of "cow demons and snake spirits" found their way to the door: distant relatives of all kinds, former subordinates, and a multitude of acquaintances and people claiming they were acquaintances. These visitors brought with them a horde of children that swarmed the compound like an invasive species, instantly overrunning the area.

But they also had their natural enemy—the Xiao family.

No one knew when or where it started, but there was an unspoken convention in the compound: the children, whether it was those who lived here or those who came to play, avoided the Xiao family's house. Even the devil spawns who dared to climb through the windows and throw firecrackers to scare their elders, walked quietly and behaved themselves when passing by the Xiao family's doors.

In fact, this was a very ordinary family. Their house and the garden were no different from other families, and they also put up spring couplets and other decorations, celebrating the New Year like everyone else. Three generations lived together—mother and father, son and daughter, and grandmother, an always cheerful old lady.

And yet, this ordinary family was terrifying—

The old lady's gentle smile was actually only a disguise—any kid that fell into her hands would be subjected to a relentless examination of their school knowledge. The parents, who both held important positions, looked stern and never smiled; barely a cough could scare a child who was being questioned about traditional Chinese poetry by the grandmother into jumping up in fright. The son and the daughter? The son was solemn and austere, always holding a string of Buddhist prayer beads; if you dared to do anything out of line, he wouldn't rebuke you, but would only look at you silently with an enigmatic expression in his eyes. The daughter was elegant and dignified, her manners and behavior perfect as though she had stepped straight out of an etiquette book. She was also a top student and would read foreign books whenever she was free, as if she was afraid that others would not know she was able to speak a foreign language. As a target of comparison, her overall level was just too high, so during visits, all parents would give their own not-as-excellent offspring bitter, frustrated looks.

The devil spawn would walk out of the Xiao house's door meek and docile, feeling as if they were fleeing from the persecution of the Heavens. They didn't dare to even think about provoking this family!

At this time, China was striving to develop internationally. The Xiao parents, who'd been hard at work throughout the year, flying all over the world visiting various countries, were finally able to return home for the Spring Festival. They closed the door and looked at their outstanding daughter who, once the visitors left, instantly revealed her true colors and slouched on the sofa, even putting her feet up on the tea table. "Look at you! Aunt XX praised you so much a moment ago, what would she say if she saw your appearance now!"

"Oh, relax. Miao Miao is usually so well-behaved, just let her be," the smiling old lady defended her granddaughter, and then asked her daughter-in-law, "Didn't you go to Belgium last month? Why haven't you brought anything back?"

When Mother Xiao heard this amiable inquiry, she immediately got a headache. This woman, who was a canny and competent person when outside, gave her husband a helpless look and quickly ran away. She didn't forget to throw the hot potato to her husband before she fled: "Ask him, I don't know!"

The old lady looked at her son with a smile.

Faced with her gaze, Xiao Shenxing felt a trickle of sweat run down his neck. He said helplessly, "Mom, didn't the doctor say that chocolate isn't good for your health? You know you shouldn't eat too much."