Chapter One Hundred and Thirty-Five: Suppression by Status (Please Subscribe)

"Brother Yang, why don't you register for a Weibo account?" Wang Ming said with a smile to Yang Qing. "You can just post a reply on Weibo."

"Will that work?" Yang Qing asked, a bit dazed. He really didn't know much about these kinds of things.

"It will," Li Dongning said. "After you register with your real name, just mention the official Weibo account of the Beijing Music Association in your post to acknowledge them. They’ll be able to see it."

"Right, okay. Let's do it then. Sigh..." Yang Qing let out a melancholic sigh. He fetched his ID card and handed it to Wang Ming, asking him to help with the registration.

Before long, Wang Ming finished registering the account on his own phone and handed it to Yang Qing. "I've already tagged the official account of the China Music Association for you. You can just edit your message and post it now."

"All right." Yang Qing took the phone and began to type: "I am grateful for the favor and invitation from the China Music Association. On this trip, I will surely showcase the charm of our nation's traditional instruments and bring glory to our country!"

After hitting publish, Yang Qing handed the phone back to Wang Ming. He looked at Bai Zhijun, who was still drinking away to himself, and said speechlessly, "Brother Bai, stop drinking. Otherwise, you’re going to get an earful from your wife again later!"

"Bah! What are you blathering about? I, Bai Zhijun, am a grown man—would I be afraid of that stubborn woman? Who do you think you're looking down on? Do you think I..."

"Ahem! Ahem!" Just as Bai Zhijun was getting into his stride, Fang Du, sitting across from him, gave a loud, pointed cough to interrupt him.

Bai Zhijun’s eyes were glassy with drink. "Little Fang, why are you coughing? Did you catch a cold? Here, have a drink to warm up!" As he spoke, he poured himself another glass and downed it.

Fang Du stood up, feeling both exasperated and helpless. Looking behind Bai Zhijun and Yang Qing, he called out, "Sister-in-law."

Sister-in-law?!

Yang Qing was startled. He quickly turned his head and saw Mother Bai standing behind them with a face full of fury.

"Si... Sister-in-law, that... that..." Yang Qing started, stammering, but was silenced by a single glare from Mother Bai.

Bai Zhijun stopped his boasting instantly. The alcohol seemed to have been shocked out of him, and he stood up with his head hanging low.

"Finished drinking?" Mother Bai asked coldly.

"Fi... finished."

"Good. Let's go!"

The brief exchange between the couple ended. Mother Bai turned and walked away, and Bai Zhijun hurriedly followed. But after only a few steps, Mother Bai stopped and turned back to Yang Qing. "Qingzi, do you remember what you called me the first time we met?"

Yang Qing nodded. "I remember. Sister."

"Good. As long as you remember. So, do you still recognize me as your sister?"

"I do!"

"Good," Mother Bai said with a smile. "In the future, if you invite Brother Bai to drink, your sister-in-law might be too embarrassed to scold you, but your sister won't have any such reservations. Do you understand?"

"I... I understand," Yang Qing replied helplessly.

"Good. And another thing," Mother Bai continued with a smile. "In the future, if your brother-in-law sneaks off to drink, you don't have to tell his wife, but you must tell your sister! Can you promise me that?"

"I..." Yang Qing looked at the dejected, head-hanging Bai Zhijun. He struggled for three seconds before nodding with a bitter smile. "I promise."

Upon hearing this, Mother Bai stepped forward, patted his shoulder, and said, "Good. Remember your promise. I come from the countryside, and I value my word above all else. I hope my brother does too!"

Mother Bai led Bai Zhijun away, leaving behind a speechless Yang Qing and a stunned Wang Ming and the others.

"Sister-in-law is truly... truly formidable," Wang Ming said after a long silence. "With her dual identity, she has you and Brother Bai completely under her thumb!"

Yang Qing didn't reply. In truth, he wasn't afraid of Mother Bai; he simply didn't want to oppose her. Over the years, she had been truly kind to him, Chun'er, and Qiu'er. She had helped him so much, and she really treated him like a younger brother.

As for Bai Zhijun, he wasn't truly afraid of her either. He loved her deeply—he loved the kind woman who had stood by him, endured hardship, and worked hard to build a life with him when he had nothing.

...

At four in the afternoon, Tan Jin'er and Bai Lingyue returned with the little ones. As soon as they entered, little Qiu'er wrinkled her nose, sniffing around here and there. Little Xi'er curiously followed suit, and eventually, the two little ones sniffed Yang Qing.

"Brother, why did you drink again?" Qiu'er asked, her small face looking very serious. "Drinking isn't good for your health. Can you please not drink anymore?"

"Yeah, Brother Qing, don't drink anymore. Drink bear-milk instead!" little Xi'er added, looking up at him.

Facing such questions from his little sisters, Yang Qing felt a sudden wave of guilt, but also felt very warmed. He made a gesture as if taking an oath. "Alright, brother promises! From now on, I will never drink again! I will never let my treasures worry about me again!"

"Mm-hmm!" Qiu'er and Xi'er nodded happily, then crowded around Yang Qing, chattering away to tell him about their day. Yang Qing listened, occasionally chiming in to praise them and their kindness.

Tan Jin'er and Bai Lingyue chatted for a while, but just as they were about to open for business, Yang Qing stopped them.

"Jin'er, Lingyue, I need to tell you something."

Tan Jin'er smiled. "Sure, Brother Qing, go ahead."

"I have to go to Beijing the day after tomorrow, June 13th," Yang Qing said. "I'm not sure how many days I'll be gone, so I'll have to leave the shop in your hands."

Tan Jin'er was stunned. "Beijing? What are you going to Beijing for?"

"Sigh..." Yang Qing let out a helpless breath. "To attend the International Instrument Exchange Conference."

"What!" Both women were dumbfounded, staring at Yang Qing in disbelief. Attending an international conference! Was this for real?

Seeing the look in their eyes, Yang Qing knew what they were thinking. He said dejectedly, "I was forced into it, honestly..."

His sigh broke the shock in their hearts, leaving them feeling like they had just been shown up. Nearby, little Qiu'er listened quietly without a word, instead playing with little Dong'er alongside Xi'er.

Later that night, after Xiao Bai and Xi'er had fallen asleep, little Qiu'er quietly got up, crept to Yang Qing's room, and went inside. Yang Qing hadn't returned to his room yet; he was still with Bai Zhijun, discussing matters regarding Bai Dazhu and the others. The renovations on the house for Wang Ying and her brother were almost finished, and their next steps needed to be planned.

After about an hour of discussion, they finalized a few things and then headed back to their respective shops to lock up and rest.

When Yang Qing returned to his room and turned on the light, he saw a small figure roll over on the bed, staring at him intently.

"Qiu'er, why are you still awake?" Yang Qing asked softly, reaching out to pat her head.

"Brother..." Qiu'er called out, wrapping her arms around his neck and sobbing softly. "Brother, Qiu'er... Qiu'er doesn't want to be separated from you."

Yang Qing's heart skipped a beat. He understood immediately and hugged her, comforting her gently. "Brother will never be separated from my treasure forever. I'm just going away to work for a few days, and then I'll be back. You just wait for me at home, okay?"

"No, I don't want to! Qiu'er wants to be with you. I don't want brother to go alone. Qiu'er... Qiu'er... wuu wuu..."

As she spoke, she began to cry. She was just a child and didn't understand much; she only knew that her brother, who loved her most, was going to a very far place, all by himself.

Seeing her cry, Yang Qing was at a loss. After a long silence, he wiped away her tears and smiled softly. "If you want to come with me, then let's go together. I'll take you with me, how about that?"

"Re... really?" Qiu'er looked up with tear-filled eyes.

"Really! How could I lie to my treasure?" Yang Qing affectionately tapped her nose. "Alright, let me carry you back to your room to sleep."

"No, I want to sleep with brother."

"Hmm... alright."