Misconceptions and truth

Old Hai's daughter works in the provincial city, and the village is abuzz with rumors that his daughter has become a "celebrity speaker," earning a lot of money. Old Hai didn't understand what a "celebrity speaker" meant, so someone explained to him that they are like the announcers and hosts on TV; their job is to speak, and to put it colloquially, they make a living by talking. If they gain enough fame, people call them "celebrity speakers."

Hearing this, Old Hai was both surprised and delighted. Xiao Mei, his daughter, indeed had a good look, but she was born with a stutter, and she was often ridiculed since childhood. Unexpectedly, she had now become a celebrity speaker. It seemed that people changed quickly in the big city. In two days, his daughter would be coming back home for the first time in over a year since she went to the provincial city, and Old Hai was so happy he couldn't sleep.

Finally, the day arrived, and Old Hai's family waited at the station early. When Xiao Mei got off the bus, her family almost didn't recognize her. She was dressed in fashionable clothes, her face was fair and rosy, and her lips were like a ripe cherry—she looked just like a person from a painting! Old Hai couldn't believe that the person in front of him was his daughter Xiao Mei, who used to wear patches and wipe her nose.

As they walked into the village, Old Hai and his wife held their daughter's hand and asked her about her life over the past year. But Xiao Mei only nodded or shook her head, and at most, she only replied with two or three words. Old Hai thought: his daughter was said to be a celebrity speaker, someone who talks all day, and she shouldn't be as silent as before. So, he asked her, "I heard that you make money by talking in the city, and you are a celebrity speaker?"

Xiao Mei said, "Yes, I am!" Old Hai then felt relieved, thinking that his daughter must have reverted to her old habits in front of her father and was unwilling to talk much.

When they arrived home, there were several large tables set up in the hall. Old Hai told Xiao Mei to wash her face quickly and asked his younger son to call their relatives and friends to come over. Xiao Mei asked strangely, "You're hosting a banquet?"

Old Hai laughed and said, "I've informed some relatives and friends to come to our house for a meal today. I want everyone to see that my daughter has done well."

Before long, the relatives all arrived, along with many of Xiao Mei's former classmates. Everyone surrounded Xiao Mei and asked her questions, but she just smiled or nodded.

When everyone was seated, Old Hai pulled Xiao Mei and said, "Thanks to the blessings of the villagers, Xiao Mei has been out for more than a year, and surprisingly, her stuttering problem seems to have gone away. Today, she's come home to visit us, so let her take this opportunity to speak in front of everyone and let them hear that Xiao Mei is different from before."

Xiao Mei was shocked upon hearing this and shook her head and waved her hands at Old Hai, not speaking a word.

Old Hai thought Xiao Mei was just shy in front of her relatives and said, "Just say anything, a few fluent sentences for everyone to hear."

Xiao Mei had no choice but to blush and say a few words of thanks to the relatives, but as soon as she spoke, Old Hai became anxious. Although Xiao Mei's speech was a bit more fluent than before, it was clear to everyone that she was still stuttering. Old Hai reminded her not to rush, but Xiao Mei said, "I, I've always been like this, you, you know that."

At this time, a relative took out a newspaper and said, "Old Hai, I heard that hosts just read from the script. Let her read the newspaper, like an announcer, she must read it fluently."

Old Hai suddenly realized and quickly took the newspaper and put it in Xiao Mei's hands, saying, "Right, you read it for everyone, just like you do in the city."

Xiao Mei had no choice but to pick up the newspaper and read, but everyone could tell that her stuttering was not the way of an announcer.

An old man interrupted and said, "You don't have to read anymore, just sing a song for us. We all want to know what kind of songs people like in the city!" Old Hai thought it was a good idea, singers also make a living by talking, maybe Xiao Mei really was a singer, so he encouraged her to sing a few songs.

But Xiao Mei stood there and said, "I, I can't sing, I can't sing songs!"

Everyone started to discuss, and two young men whispered, "I've always said that beautiful women who earn a lot of money must not be on the right path. With her stuttering like this, how could she be a celebrity speaker?"

The voices were not loud, but every word stabbed Old Hai's ears. In fact, Old Hai had heard the rumors that Xiao Mei's money was not earned legitimately, so when Xiao Mei came back this time, Old Hai specially invited everyone to dinner to show that Xiao Mei had no stuttering problem and had become a celebrity speaker like an announcer or host. But as soon as Xiao Mei opened her mouth, she was still stuttering like before, it seemed that Xiao Mei's so-called celebrity speaker must be fake.

Old Hai's face turned green and white, and he couldn't hold back his anger any longer. He rushed over and slapped Xiao Mei's face, "Pak" a sound, right on Xiao Mei's mouth.

Xiao Mei was slapped and felt a hot pain on her face, crying out, "You, you can hit me anywhere, don't hit my mouth!" She quickly covered her mouth with her hand. Old Hai became even angrier upon hearing this: "I want to hit your mouth, I want to tear your mouth apart." He raised his palm again.

Fortunately, the relatives nearby stopped him, and Xiao Mei managed to escape and ran out the door crying. Xiao Mei's mother wanted to chase after her but was stopped by Old Hai. Old Hai pointed at Xiao Mei and shouted, "Don't you ever come back to this house!"

In the afternoon, Xiao Mei did not return, and her mother and brother searched the village but could not find her. Someone said they saw Xiao Mei run outside the village and get on a passing bus, probably going back to the city. Old Hai couldn't help but regret it; no matter what his daughter had become, she was still his daughter after all!

As it was getting dark, Old Hai became more and more uneasy and said to his wife and son, "No, I can't let my daughter be ruined like this, I have to go to the provincial city to bring her back, I can't let her be a disgrace outside."

Before Old Hai could pack and leave, Xiao Mei came back, followed by a distinguished-looking middle-aged man. Xiao Mei was wearing a mask and said to Old Hai, this is the boss of her company, Mr. Wang.

Old Hai heard that the boss had come, thinking he might have really misunderstood his daughter, and asked, "What exactly do you do? People say Xiao Mei is a celebrity speaker, but she can't speak fluently, how could she be a celebrity speaker?"

Boss Wang laughed, took out a stack of paintings from his bag, and handed them to Old Hai and a few neighbors who came to watch the excitement.

Everyone looked at the paintings, which were half a face of a beautiful woman, a pair of bright red lips, and a few lipsticks drawn next to them. It was clear that they were advertising posters.

Boss Wang raised the advertisement in his hand, pointed to the lips on the picture, and asked, "Do you think the lips in this advertisement are beautiful?" Everyone nodded.

The boss then pointed to Xiao Mei and said, "These lips in the painting are hers. Now you know why she makes money with her mouth." Boss Wang said he runs a model company, and by chance, he saw Xiao Mei, who came to the city to work, and felt her lips were particularly beautiful, so he persuaded her to come to his company. After training, Xiao Mei became a "lip model" and is now the pillar of the company.

Old Hai was overjoyed, realizing he had really misunderstood his daughter, and said, "We didn't know there was a job that specifically used the mouth for advertising. Xiao Mei, I was wrong about you."

At this time, more and more people gathered around, and everyone took these advertising posters and passed them around, showing envious looks at Xiao Mei. Boss Wang glanced at the crowd and said to Old Hai, "I have explained to you what she does, and she earns clean money in my company, which I owe you as a parent. But now I have to settle another account with you."

Old Hai was startled: "What account?"

Boss Wang took off Xiao Mei's mask, and her lips were red and swollen, which was hit by Old Hai in the morning. Boss Wang said, "She is now a person in our company, and we have signed several contracts with customers recently, worth several million. But your slap made her unable to shoot advertisements for a while, which means your slap knocked out millions of business from our company. How do you think we should settle this account?"

The onlookers couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, and Xiao Mei was also shocked. After being hit, she went back to the company and wanted to take a few days off before going home to explain to Old Hai, and ask for leave from the boss. When Boss Wang heard about her situation, he immediately returned to the company, saying he would help her explain, but now he suddenly asked for compensation.

Seeing her father's face change, Xiao Mei hurriedly ran over to support him and turned around to ask in shock, "Boss, you said you were here to help me explain, why are you now..."

Boss Wang snorted, "You have already signed a contract with us, you are a person of the company, now he hit not only you personally but also my company's business, of course, I have to ask him for compensation!"

Old Hai was also stunned at this time, turned to Xiao Mei and asked, "Is what he said true?" Xiao Mei nodded. Old Hai's body swayed and almost fell.

Boss Wang looked at the onlookers again, seeing everyone looking at him in surprise, and pointed to Old Hai and said loudly, "Now I have officially notified you, you must compensate for all the losses of our company, otherwise, I will sue you in court."

Xiao Mei also did not expect the usually amiable boss to suddenly become so ruthless. She supported Old Hai and said, "Boss, please let go of my dad, I will compensate you for the money later." Boss Wang snorted, "Although you are now a celebrity speaker, but you should know that this is several million, can you afford to compensate alone?"

Old Hai didn't expect things to turn out like this. He caressed Xiao Mei's head lovingly and looked up at Boss Wang and said, "The trouble was caused by me, and I can't pay back the money in my lifetime, I will pay you back with my life, just don't force my daughter." After that, he broke free from Xiao Mei's hand and wanted to hit the wall in front of him.

Boss Wang was quick-eyed and quick-handed, dragging Old Hai. At this time, Xiao Mei also rushed up and hugged Old Hai tightly. Boss Wang shouted, "There is another way to pay the debt!"

Old Hai asked in shock, "What method? If it's not good for my daughter, I won't agree!"

Boss Wang pulled Old Hai over and whispered in his ear, "Take good care of your daughter, she is the treasure of our company, but she is more your treasure, she is a good girl!"

Old Hai looked at Boss Wang in a daze, not knowing what to say, just nodding repeatedly...

Later, Xiao Mei asked the boss, since it was to help explain, why did he intentionally scare her father with the matter of compensation. Boss Wang laughed and said, in this small mountain village, people still can't fully understand what a "lip model" is, even if he explained it to Old Hai clearly, but those who spread rumors, how to explain one by one? His coercion made people know that Old Hai knocked out several million with one slap, which is definitely an explosive news, and when everyone spreads it, those rumors against Xiao Mei will naturally disappear.