Chapter 203: Chapter 87: The Top Sister of the 60s Cultural Troupe (26)
"Thatâs right! Grandma, do you know what the Golden Microphone is?"
"I know! The Golden Microphone is when all the announcer aunties and uncles from all over the country come to our Capital City for a competition! Lots and lots of people, hundreds and thousands of them! Then they go on stage and give speeches, and Mommy and Godmommy were able to stand out from the crowd. Theyâre super amazing and talented!"
The little ones were quick learners who loved to mimic the adults, peppering their speech with four-character idioms.
The two little rascals were like a comedy duo, taking the intel theyâd gathered over the past two days, adding their own interpretations and exaggerations, and showing it all off with smug pride.
And so, the crowd was stunned, and a sour taste of jealousy filled their mouths as they watched the spectacle.
The people living here were all relatively well-off; it wasnât like they couldnât afford a radio. The issue was that this prize was won in a competition against hundreds, even thousands, of people. Its significance was extraordinary.
"Comrade Xia, arenât you a dancer? Why did you enter a broadcasting competition?"
The real issue was that she had supposedly won first place. Was this some kind of joke?
It was like a boiler operator becoming a chef and whipping up a gourmet meal!
"Exactly, Comrade Xia. You may have adopted these children, but you canât just indulge their every whim. How can you live with yourself when such little kids do nothing but lie?"
The crowd nodded in agreement. âYes, that must be it.â
âComrade Xia was pretty, young, and could dance. How could she really be staying faithful to Little Hero Huo?â
âShe must have been out with this man. Otherwise, why would he be chauffeuring her all the way back home? A man and a woman, all alone...â
âTo cover it up, sheâs gone so far as to heartlessly teach her children to lie!â
âWho knows, maybe she was rolling around in the sheets with him while the two kids were just on the other side of the door.â
The crowdâs gazes turned loaded and meaningful, shifting between Xia Zhaoyun and Huo Tianhao, carrying a fierce, accusatory air.
"Comrade Xia, youâre a woman. Even if youâve adopted children, you still need to maintain a certain distance from other men. You canât just get the house and immediately turn around and forget the promises you made, can you?"
The woman who had stirred up the crowd chided sharply again.
Before Xia Zhaoyun could speak, Huo Tianhao let out a sneer. "Aunt Xue, youâre so close to my âlittle mother,â you really spare no effort to slander my wife, do you? Did you think that just because I was gone, there would be no one to protect my wife when sheâs been wronged?"
His words hit like a thunderclap on a clear day.
The crowd was a bit dazed, their minds struggling to catch up. âAunt Xue... "little mother"... wife... gone?â
And besides, this man looked incredibly familiar...
Someone suddenly howled, "Heâs come back from the dead!"
The crowd instinctively turned and fled, but after a few steps, they thought, âWait a minute, somethingâs not right. Itâs broad daylight. How could a corpse reanimate?â
âBesides, this is the new society. There are no such things as ghosts. Why are so many of us being such cowards?â
âThis is a golden opportunity to watch the drama unfold! Itâs like a live broadcast! Weâd be fools to miss it!â
So, they all crept back in unison.
"You... you are..." Aunt Xue, having been called out, turned pale, a chill running through her.
Xia Zhaoyun chuckled lightly. "Donât you recognize him, Auntie?"
"This is Huo Tianhao. Back when he fell from the cliff, he was lucky enough to get caught on a tree branch and wasnât eaten by wild animals. But he suffered a blow to the head and lost most of his memory, so heâs been living with his maternal grandparents all this time."
"It was just by chance that I ran into him while I was competing for the Golden Microphone. Thatâs when he regained his memories. Hmm, his personality might also be a bit different because of the severe trauma. The doctor said itâs called... what was it... post-traumatic stress disorder."
"It means sometimes he canât control his temper and can be impulsive or aggressive. Please bear with him. Itâs a miracle he even survived. No matter what Brother Hao has become, I will always stand by him!"
Huo Tianhao glanced at her, the coldness in his eyes warming slightly.
He knew she was putting on an act again, but she was providing a perfect explanation for his future behavior.
After all, his return meant he would inevitably have to confront the Huo Family, and in this world, filial piety is held above all else.
No matter how he chose to deal with them, the slightest misstep could become leverage in their hands. Thatâs when this âpost-traumatic stress disorderââconveniently acquired from nearly sacrificing himself to save the factoryâs suppliesâwould come in handy.
Still, a pang of heartache flashed through Huo Tianhaoâs mind. âJust what has my new wife been through? Sheâs like a little hedgehog, never daring to relax for a moment, always laying the groundwork for the future with everything she does.â
The crowd was completely dumbfounded. They looked at Xia Zhaoyun, then at Huo Tianhao. It was like one of the myths the elders used to tell them as children, full of legendary drama!