Marry a female star at a bargain price

When Han Xixi said this, the other four people were stunned, including Lin Xiao.

He looked his wife up and down.

Who would have thought that such a daring and impulsive idea was hidden beneath that well-behaved and calm face?

Judging from the way she blurted it out, she must have been thinking about this idea for a long time, but she hadn't told Lin Xiao about it at all.

It's clear that she's a very opinionated person.

Lin Xiao had already experienced this firsthand—his wife might seem like a good girl, but once she had an idea, she would do it without hesitation, and nothing could stop her.

For example, after the college entrance examination, she went against her parents' wishes and secretly applied to a music academy. Another example is that in order to clear her negative image, she took the initiative to propose marriage to Lin Xiao, whom she had only met once.

These are things that those who seem loud and boisterous but are actually cowardly and afraid of trouble would never dare to do.

On the contrary, Han Xixi looks frail and delicate, as if she would fall over with a gust of wind, but she is more resourceful than anyone else.

Lin Xiao admires this quality in his wife the most: she is gentle yet resolute, soft yet strong.

at the moment.

His gaze toward Xixi was full of appreciation and tenderness, a stark contrast to the incredulous and astonished looks of the other three.

Old Cao: Indeed, human joys and sorrows are not shared.

The room was silent for several seconds.

Cao Yuanzhi chuckled and said, "Does Xixi mean for Xiaowei to go to the countryside for a short stay and get some fresh air? That's a good idea. A change of environment and some fresh air is better than being cooped up at home every day!"

Chen Jiajia quickly added, "That's great, that's great. Xiaowei really needs to get some contact with nature. The air is fresh and there's plenty of sunshine in the countryside. It's more comfortable there than in the city, right?"

It was rare for her to stand on the same side as Cao Yuanzhi, and she felt that saying these words betrayed her own conscience.

The two exchanged glances in a flustered manner, both feeling awkward.

Xie Xiaowei finally snapped out of her surprise, gave an awkward smile, and looked very uncomfortable.

After surviving a fire when she was eight, she lived with her grandparents and stopped attending school. After becoming an adult, she moved into the small house her grandparents prepared for her, and has lived there ever since, rarely leaving the house.

Now, the sudden suggestion to leave the place where she has lived alone for more than five years, even though it was just a suggestion, brought an overwhelming sense of panic that made it almost impossible for her to breathe.

Her laughter was awkward and fearful.

Seeing Xie Xiaowei's terrified face, Han Xixi felt sorry for her and hesitated.

But after a brief moment of thought, adhering to the principles of "better to suffer a short pain than a long one" and "no destruction, no construction," he shook his head with a resolute expression.

"No, I didn't mean for Xiaowei to go to the countryside for a short stay!"

Xi Xi's face was serious as she spoke slowly and deliberately, "What I mean is that Xiao Wei should leave this house completely and move with me to Mashan County. Not only should she live there, but she should also re-enter society, find a job that she likes, loves, and enjoys, and from now on, she won't be living the life of an old person in this small house anymore. Instead, she should be 23-year-old Xie Xiao Wei again, just like all girls her age!"

These words left the four listeners completely stunned.

The atmosphere in the room grew increasingly frosty, leaving Lao Cao and Jiajia at a loss for words to smooth things over, so they simply gave up.

Lin Xiao had no intention of smoothing things over. He stared at his wife with a lovestruck expression, his eyes radiating love.

There was another long silence.

Old Cao finally mustered up the courage to ask, "Xi Xi, I understand what you mean, but Xiao Wei... If she were in Ninghai, I believe she could definitely find a job if she wanted to, but in Mashan County, in that rural area, what can she do?"

Han Xixi was prepared and said seriously, "Since I said that, I must have some ideas!"

Xixi composed herself and said calmly, "You are all my closest family and friends, so I have nothing to hide. These past few days, I have indeed had an idea on my mind, and after thinking about it for a long time, I have now decided to do it!"

A few words had whetted everyone's appetite even further, except for Lin Xiao.

Lin Xiao had a lovesick look on his face, his eyes filled with hearts as he gazed at his domineering wife who was focused on her career.

"I want to establish an arts education fund specifically to support arts education in rural primary schools in the Southern Province!"

Xixi mustered her courage and said.

The words he uttered startled the three people opposite him, causing them to burp and almost choke on their breath.

"Art?"

"educate?"

"fund?"

The three of them took turns saying the phrase. They recognized all three words, but when put together, it sounded eerie.

Chen Jiajia laughed in alarm, "Sister, I understand and support your desire to be a volunteer music teacher at a rural primary school. It's about giving back, and I'm a kind-hearted person too. But it's one thing for you to give back alone, but to set up an education fund... isn't that a bit too much?"

Cao Yuanzhi chimed in, "Yes, and what rural children need most is compulsory education and basic living security. Art, which is just icing on the cake, is fine for city kids to learn, but for rural kids to learn... isn't that a bit like 'let them eat cake'?"

The two sworn enemies once again stood on the same side, exchanging a strangely satisfying glance.

Xi Xi remained calm and composed, saying, "I understand your concerns and worries, and I have thought about them carefully. But this decision is not a spur-of-the-moment decision, but one that has been carefully considered."

Seeing her resolute expression, the four audience members stopped objecting and listened attentively.

Xi Xi said, "Indeed, for children in the countryside, it would be more effective and necessary to use that money on their basic education and daily life rather than spending a lot of money, time and energy on art education. However, based on my observations as a music teacher at Shiliang Primary School, the daily lives of children in the countryside are not a problem now. After so many years of poverty alleviation efforts, our country has now achieved comprehensive poverty eradication, and there are basically no children who can't afford to eat or go to school."

"Even if they exist, these children will receive the country's safety net and protection, so society doesn't need to worry too much. What the children need is spiritual enlightenment and edification, because they live in the mountains, in relatively isolated places with weak material foundations. However, the widespread use of smartphones gives every child the opportunity and window to observe the outside world. Yet, the information cocoon pushes negative things to them, such as flaunting wealth, materialism, and debauchery, which is very harmful to children's growth and spiritual pollution."

"From my interactions with them over this period of time, I've noticed that rural children often use a lot of vulgar internet slang when they speak, and they are also short-tempered and impatient. This is completely different from the image of simple and honest rural children that we have in mind. This is the result of the combined impact of the internet and material poverty. When I first started teaching them music, I was actually quite apprehensive, thinking that the children might not like listening to it or wouldn't have the patience to listen."

"But when I actually started teaching, I found that it wasn't like that at all. The kind of disruptive behavior and deliberate defiance of the teacher that I had imagined didn't happen at all. The children were very attentive in class. Even the most mischievous child, whom the principal had specifically warned me about, stood obediently in line and followed the instructions to rehearse the choir."

"It was then that I realized that the children were not inherently irritable and impatient. Rather, it was because most of them were left-behind children, lacking parental love, and bombarded by the overwhelming amount of information on the internet that they became naughty and unpleasant. But most children are still good at heart. They also yearn for beauty and art, and they are capable of perceiving the beauty of art! My choir is the best proof of that!"

Han Xixi spoke fluently and eloquently, without uttering a single stutter. She was extremely confident and became more and more passionate as she spoke.

The three people opposite were stunned.

I wasn't shocked by Xixi's words, but rather by her completely different image and demeanor compared to her usual self.

Old Cao subconsciously gave Lin Xiao a look, as if to ask: Is this still your wife?
Lin Xiao didn't give him a chance to send the message at all.

He remained turned to the side the entire time, propping his head up with one hand, his eyes sparkling with love as he looked at his wife with a smile on his face. The overflowing love in his eyes was enough to soak the little house to pieces.

Old Cao was speechless.

"These two are hopeless!!" Old Cao thought to himself.

Han Xixi took a couple of breaths before continuing, "The day before yesterday, Friday, a class from another school came to observe the lesson. The children were all very attentive; not one of them caused trouble or even spaced out. It's clear that children in the countryside crave and desperately lack this kind of arts education."

"In this era of material abundance and information overload, what children actually lack most is artistic enlightenment and spiritual cleansing. This is the original intention of me to establish this art education foundation. I want to use my own abilities to make art reach as many children as possible, so that they can feel beauty and peace in the most carefree age in this era of internet impact."

"Of course, if you ask me what will happen to the children when they grow up, and whether their family's financial situation can support them to pursue this artistic path, my answer is: I don't know! In fact, this is not within my consideration. Because what I want to do is simply to provide art education for rural children, not to make everyone a great musician or painter. I just want to plant a seed in their hearts so that they can have more possibilities in their future lives."

"Even if they grow up to do ordinary jobs and become ordinary people, if I can leave a pure and beautiful memory in their hearts amidst the onslaught of online trash during their childhood, then I feel that my efforts have not been in vain—this is the fundamental starting point for my determination to do this."

After saying this long speech, Xixi was already out of breath and sweating profusely.

At this point.

The once gentle and quiet Han Xixi had just returned, and her eyes suddenly became timid.

"Uh... I'm done talking..."

Xi Xi shrank her neck, looking embarrassed.

The three people opposite were completely amazed, as if they had witnessed a wonderfully magical performance of turning a person into a living being, their mouths agape in astonishment.

Lin Xiao, standing beside him, is propping his head up with one hand and continuing to emit heart-shaped light waves!
The room returned to silence.

The skewers on the coffee table had all gone cold.

After a long silence, Cao Yuanzhi spoke first: "I understand what Xixi means; it's a very great idea. But you have to understand that all great things require massive financial support. This is not like donating a piano, a few air conditioners, and some teaching aids to a school, which can be done for tens of thousands of yuan!"
"Your goal is to cover all the rural primary schools in Nanzhou Province. That's a huge scope, not just music classes, but also art, dance, and so on. It's an extremely massive project, so massive that I can't even imagine the funding required... Let's talk about the most practical thing first: where will the money for this foundation come from?" Han Xixi was already prepared for this: "I can earn it! I'm so popular right now, with such a positive reputation and huge fanbase. As long as I'm willing, endorsements, commercial performances, concerts—anything I'm willing to put in the effort can quickly generate revenue. This money can be used entirely for the foundation's operation!"

"Of course, my goal is to reach all the rural children in the province, but I will definitely start with Xingguang Town and Mashan County, one level at a time. Once the funding is in place, I will consider expanding the coverage. After all, you can't get fat in one bite!"

Cao Yuanzhi nodded.

He initially thought his sister-in-law was just having a whim, but he didn't expect that she had already considered the source of funds and operational details.

Then he would have no more doubts.

After all, he had been in the entertainment industry and knew that a top star's earning power was comparable to that of a listed company, and Han Xixi's current popularity, buzz, and strength were absolutely top-tier.

In addition, she has a talented musician husband to back her up. As long as the couple is willing, they can definitely stand firm in the entertainment industry.

If they were selfish, they could definitely become incredibly wealthy.

If they dedicate themselves to this cause, it will be a blessing for society.

Old Cao had no more worries; on the contrary, he felt his blood boiling. After all, as the head of the New Rural Company, he was also a member of Lin Xiao and Han Xixi's public welfare cause.

This immediately gave him a sense of pride.

Chen Jiajia also came to her senses at this time, but unlike Lao Cao, she was not impulsive. As an agent, she had her own professional judgment and was smart and calm.

"Sister Xi, as your manager, I am definitely happy and supportive that you are willing to endorse products, perform commercially, and hold concerts!"

Jiajia said seriously, "I don't doubt your ability to make money now, but you need to know that doing public welfare work in compulsory education is a one-way street. It's not something you can do whenever you want and stop whenever you don't want to. You have the drive and passion now, and you want to make up for the shortcomings in art education in all the rural primary schools in Nanzhou with your own efforts, but what about five, ten, or twenty years from now?"
"What will you do when you get old and can't sing anymore? Will the foundation be dissolved and these courses end? Given the current development of basic education, arts education is not within the scope of compulsory education. Children in the city rely on their parents' investment to learn some special skills, but most of them stop in junior and senior high school. That's how it was for me. I learned a lot when I was young, but I stopped in junior high school because my parents only focused on my studies."

"Given the competitive and selection mechanisms of society, the government will never include arts education in the key development areas of compulsory education. This is impossible in cities, and even less likely in rural areas. In other words, your arts education fund will most likely remain an individual and private entity, and will not receive any official support."

"What will happen when you can no longer work? The foundation will be dissolved, and all art courses in the rural primary schools will be stopped?"

These concerns left Han Xixi speechless; clearly, she hadn't considered things that far ahead.

Old Cao said impatiently, "We'll deal with the future when it comes to it. Things will work themselves out! Just because we're old and can't eat good food anymore, does that mean we should abstain from food and drink every day, eating only porridge and vegetables to protect our stomach and teeth? There's no need for that!"

These words infuriated Chen Jiajia again, and the brief moment of solidarity between them completely collapsed.

What do you mean by "we'll deal with the future later"?

Jiajia retorted angrily, "You've been in the entertainment industry for so many years, both in front of and behind the camera. Don't you know how this industry works? What Sister Xixi wants to do requires a lot of financial support, which means she has to be indiscriminate and take on any job that pays quickly. The foundation needs money, but on the other hand, are you going to consider the artist's image, personal wishes, and career planning?"

"By then it was too late, and all we could do was grit our teeth and keep going! The end result was that Sister Xixi's image and persona completely collapsed. In the public's mind, she became the kind of artist who didn't cherish her reputation and just made easy money, which could even lead to a nationwide boycott. All of these are possible. It's like that big-name actor who used to have a lot of national recognition. He's acted in so many dramas in the last two years, and suddenly, suddenly, comments like 'Why is he everywhere?' appeared online. Overnight, he became the mainstream, and his image plummeted!"
"Did you say this actor did anything? Actually, no. He's just popular and has good acting skills, so directors like to use him. He's just diligently doing his job as an actor; he hasn't gone so far as to take advantage of others for money. But netizens still say they won't buy it! Aren't there enough examples like this? I don't want Sister Xixi to be the next one!"

His words left Cao Yuanzhi speechless, and he completely conceded defeat in this round.

Lin Xiao mentally assessed: In best of three, Chen Jiajia was still the better player!
The atmosphere in the room became somewhat heavy again.

Xi Xi's originally firm resolve suddenly wavered after hearing Chen Jiajia's words.

She looked at Lin Xiao with pleading eyes.

Lin Xiao understood and immediately responded with a calm smile, which reassured Xi Xi a lot.

Lin Xiao laughed and suddenly asked Xie Xiaowei, "Xiaowei, do you have any alcohol at home?"

This question caught everyone off guard.

Xiaowei shook her head.

Old Cao asked, "What's wrong? You want to drink more?"

Lin Xiao laughed and said, "I wasn't planning on drinking, since I have to drive back later, but I have to now. My wife has a very grand, spectacular, and magnificent career, and at the same time, I realized that we have three like-minded, loyal friends, best buddies. Isn't that worth having a drink?"

The two sentences stirred everyone's emotions, and the brief somber atmosphere from before vanished.

Old Cao slammed his fist on the table and said, "We definitely need to have a drink! You guys wait here, I'll go downstairs to buy some!"

With that, he got up and left.

Chen Jiajia rolled her eyes: "It made him stand out..."

But the muffled sound in his voice was gone, and there was even a faint smile on his lips.

Lin Xiao, Xi Xi, and Xiao Wei exchanged glances.

All three sensed that there seemed to be an inexplicable spark between these two rivals, though they themselves were unaware of it.

Xixi then got back to the main topic and asked Xiaowei, "Xiaowei, if—and I mean if—this foundation can really be established, would you be interested in joining and becoming a volunteer teacher at a rural primary school with me? I'll teach music, and you can teach art!"

After that impassioned explanation and debate, Xiaowei had already guessed her best friend's intentions.

But at this moment, when she actually heard Xixi ask that question, she couldn't help but feel nervous and hesitant.

She subconsciously touched the scars on her face and her legs that she couldn't walk on, and a huge sense of inferiority and panic instantly swept over her.

"me……"

She didn't finish her sentence; she suddenly felt like crying.

Seeing this, Lin Xiao quickly said, "It's not even close to being settled yet. Let Xiaowei think about it. There's no rush to make a decision tonight!"

Chen Jiajia chimed in, "That's right, Sister Xi. This is a big deal. It not only concerns the children's early art education, but also your career development, my brother-in-law's career development... There are still many details that need to be finalized slowly, there's no need to rush!"

Xi Xi understood what they meant. Although she was somewhat unwilling, she forced herself to suppress her eagerness.

"All right……"

Lin Xiao changed the subject, and the atmosphere quickly became harmonious.

Before long, Old Cao came up carrying a whole case of beer.

"My God, did you rob the convenience store downstairs?" Chen Jiajia immediately complained.

Old Cao, unusually, didn't fall for the trap and excitedly laughed, "Now that we've started drinking, why don't we drink to our hearts' content?"

As he spoke, he picked up a bottle opener and pried open five bottles of wine in quick succession. He drank two of them chilled and gave the three at room temperature to the girl.

The smooth movements made Chen Jiajia unable to hold back her exclamation: "No wonder he's the prince of nightclubs, his technique is obviously professional!"

Old Cao said irritably, "Chen Jiajia, would it kill you to stop insulting me?"

Jiajia turned her head triumphantly, a smug smile on her face.

Lin Xiao raised his glass: "Come on, brothers and sisters, let's have a drink!"

Chen Jiajia said, "Let's each say a toast! I'll go first, for friendship!"

"For happiness!" Old Cao said.

"For the sake of our ideals!" Xi Xi said.

"For...today!" Xiaowei said gently with a smile.

Finally, everyone turned to look at Lin Xiao.

Lin Xiao's eyes flickered, and he smiled, "For youth!"

These words made Chen Jiajia glance at her sideways and couldn't help but complain, "Brother-in-law, you're almost thirty, and the person next to you is over thirty... are you still thinking about youth?"

Cao Yuanzhi immediately objected: "You can talk about him, but why drag me into it? I never said I had the nerve to say 'for the sake of youth'!"

Jiajia rolled her eyes and ignored him.

Lin Xiao laughed nonchalantly, "A fire in your heart and light in your eyes—that's youth—cheers to youth!"

Now everyone agreed, and their eyes blazed with intense passion.

"Cheers to youth!!" (End of Chapter)