"Are you a guest from out of town?" The man put down the broom, "If you don't mind, come in and have some tea."
Xu Huo followed him into the teahouse and looked at the architectural drawings spread out on the table. "These houses look quite new. Do they need to be demolished and rebuilt?"
"My family has moved out one after another, and the empty houses are also empty. Let's take this opportunity to renovate them. These houses are in the original old style, and today's children don't like them." The man came over with a teapot and a cup, and put the drawings on the
At the same time, he asked about Xu Huo’s origin.
"I came here because of my reputation." Xu Huo picked up his backpack and was about to take out the book inside. The bald kid he met earlier rushed in like a cannonball and stood in front of him. "You thief, you stole the fruit and you want to steal it from me."
's home?"
The little bald man thought he was well-informed, "I heard others say that some people make a living by being thieves, just stealing a few things, but they also want to occupy the magpie's nest and drive out the original owner. If someone else comes to drive him out,
, he shamelessly said that the house belongs to him!"
Xu Huo smiled and took out the book and put it on the table, then opened the bag and showed it to him, "I didn't steal the fruit."
The little bald man glanced at it, as if he couldn't understand it, but his head turned quickly and he immediately said: "I know! You are a player! So you can put things into the game!"
"Go away! You are not welcome in our home!" The little bald man took out the slingshot toy from the back of his pants and pointed it at him. "If you don't leave, I will beat you."
The man frowned, scolded lowly, and apologized to Xu Huo.
Xu Huo didn't take it seriously, but said: "This is really a good place."
In other places, children of this age already have a preliminary understanding of players, but the children here have no fear of strangers and have no clear idea of what "players" are. They take it for granted that they are
A group of adults who can be "beat away".
The children didn't understand, but the adults understood. The man opposite wanted to drive the little bald man away angrily, but Xu Huo took out the candies and snacks he always had. "I drank your tea, is it okay to exchange these things for me?"
Although I don’t have money, exchanging things for things is not considered a thief, right?”
The child's eyes were attracted by the colorful packaging, and he pretended to be calm and said: "That doesn't count. Many people in the city exchange things for things, but I can only agree to it if my dad nods."
Xu Huo smiled and looked at the man opposite.
Zhuang Shanbai nodded and signaled the child to take the things and share them with his companions. The little bald man greeted Xu Huo politely before jumping away.
"Thank you." Zhuang Shanbai said: "Generally foreign players will not be so patient with children."
"I also have children at home." Xu Huo took a sip of tea and pushed the book in front of him forward, "Besides, I really came here because of his reputation and wanted to know about the legendary character in the book."
Zhuang Shanbai's eyes stayed on the book for a second, and then said: "Although I don't know why you want to know about my uncle, the things I know are all written in this book. I was born late and have never seen him."
Pass him."
Xu Huo glanced at the fruit forest outside, "Is it his arrangement for you to live here?"
Zhuang Shanbai smiled helplessly, "The relationship between my uncle and my parents was actually not very good. You also know that he is very powerful. For such a powerful person, it is just a piece of cake to influence the family, but he does not allow the descendants of the Zhuang family to do so.
Entering the game, not only that, he also secretly warned the District 001 government and local forces that if anyone dares to promote this matter, he will destroy his whole family."
"The last sentence is his exact words. Listen to it. Will the relationship between family members improve if this is done?"
"I am not an adventurous person, and I also like to live a peaceful life. I have no feelings about his decision, but my aunts and uncles hate him very much."
"The only one in the family who has a good relationship with my uncle is my father, but it's not that good. It's just that my father is willing to listen to him and move. My father is the boss in the family, and it was only at his insistence that the whole family moved here.
Live a secluded life in a remote city."
His eyes fell on the architectural drawings next to him, and he said quietly: "Not everyone can tolerate such peace."
"From the time my father was ill to the time he passed away, the family moved almost everywhere. He never came back to visit throughout the year. He only occasionally asked people to pick fruits..."
"What people want is very different." Xu Huo moved the teacup, "How many people in the district have dreamed of living like this."
"My father also said the same, maybe because he didn't have that kind of experience, so they don't understand." Zhuang Shanbai said with emotion, "Looking at it from the Jixin terminal is different from experiencing it in person."
"Are they still living in this city now?" Xu Huo asked.
Zhuang Shanbai shook his head with a lonely expression, "They have dispersed to different cities. Some people have moved several times, and they didn't even tell me their addresses."
"Then those relatives of yours are quite heartless." Xu Huo said lightly: "Mr. Zhuang has put up defensive barriers throughout the city. It can be said that he has good intentions."
Zhuang Shanbai was slightly surprised, "The whole city? You are mistaken, it's just that my orchard is fortified and ordinary people can't get in."
Xu Huo smiled slightly and said, "The barrier outside is not to protect people."
Zhuang Shanbai didn't quite understand, so he had to refill his tea once, and then said: "Actually, it doesn't matter whether we have these defenses or not. We have been living very well for so many years, and no one will bother us when we go out."
"Most people in Area 001 don't remember my uncle, so naturally they won't remember us either."
Xu Huo did not answer the topic, but said: "It's getting late, can I stay here for one night?"
Zhuang Shanbai looked at the very bright sky and said, "Welcome."
"Can I visit these houses?" Xu Huo asked again.
Zhuang Shanbai said yes, and said: "Except for the main house where I live now, which has a lock, the doors of other rooms are open. You can see if it's OK, but many furniture have dust covers, which makes it more troublesome to dismantle."
He was not going to lead the way for Xu Huo, but planned to continue doing his own work.
Xu Huo started to visit from the right side alone, and then returned to the main house after taking a quick look.
Zhuang Shanbai was preparing dinner at this time, and he went up to help. The former did not refuse, and even called the little bald man who had just returned from playing.
With snacks and candies, the little bald man got a lot of fruits and vegetables in exchange. He was very proficient in using kitchen utensils and quickly made a fruit platter and invited Xu Huo to eat it together.
Xu Huo touched his head and asked him if he could write.
The little bald man proudly said that he had learned a lot of words from his father and could read and write diaries. For this reason, he even went to get his own reading notes.
"The child is very cute..." Xu Huo stood behind Zhuang Shanbai and said slowly: "You can't stay alone. You also need a child, so you chose your own son, right?"