After Zheng Qinglan and Ya Ya got out of the car, they were thinking about how to carry the two bags back when their third uncle drove a tractor past them. Zheng Qinglan quickly greeted him,""Third Uncle, where are you going? Come, Ya Ya, call me Third Grandpa." Ya Ya called out sweetly. Third Uncle laughed so hard that he could not close his mouth."Yo, is this Ya Ya? You've grown so tall. Time flies. A few years ago, I was still using a tractor to drag sand around this time to level the ground for your father's wedding. I didn't expect my child to grow so big in such a short time.”"Third Uncle, what you said happened more than ten years ago. Yaya is now a junior high school student.”"Yes, but I feel like it's only been a few years. Ya Ya was a smart girl. Her grades must be good, right?”" Yaya," Zheng Qinglan said to Yaya with a smile," You can tell Third Grandpa yourself."”"It's alright." "That's good, that's good. Study hard. When you get into university, Third Grandpa still wants to go to your house to attend the wedding. Come, put your things in the car. I'll send you back.”"No, Third Uncle. You can just help us bring it to your door. I'll go back and ride my dad's motorcycle.”"What are you talking about? Are you afraid that I'll go to your house for a drink or a meal? I'm more than happy to be able to help you.”"Thank you." "What are you thanking me for? It was nothing.”
Zheng Qinglan's parents were cleaning up the ditch behind the house. When they heard the sound of the tractor, his mother came out from behind the house and saw Zheng Qinglan and Yaya. She smiled brightly. Yaya ran up and called her grandma sweetly. Her grandma was even happier. Zheng Qinglan asked,""Is my dad not at home?" " Why not? I'm tidying up the running water ditch behind the house. The mountains and rivers here are too big. Every year, the heavy rain will wash down a lot of leaves and soil in the ditch. We have to clear it once a year. Otherwise, if there's a heavy rain next year, the water won't be able to be discharged in time and will soak the walls.”"I'm back now. I can help.”"Yes, put your hands away faster. Your dad is very tired too. He can rest for a while when you're back. Sigh, why are only the two of you back? Where's Liu Xin? Why isn't she back?”"She still has some things to do. When she's done, she'll take a ride back.”"What time is it?”Zheng Qinglan nodded and moved the two bags of things from the tractor. His mother said to Third Uncle," Brother, come in and rest. Have a cup of tea. I'll cook dinner. You have to eat dinner here."”"No, it's still early for dinner. Besides, I didn't greet your sister-in-law when I passed by the door. I have to go back, or she'll be anxious.”"I'll get Qinglan to ride a motorcycle and let him know.”"Why bother? It'll be dark when we go back after dinner. I didn't bring any lights, so I can't see.”Zheng Qinglan went in and gave a pack of cigarettes to her third uncle. He refused to accept it and only took one cigarette. After sending her third uncle away, Zheng Qinglan found an old set of clothes and put on her father's old shoes. She went to the back of the house and said to her father,""Dad, take a rest. I'll take care of it." "How can we rest? Otherwise, we won't be able to finish collecting them tomorrow. There are only two days left before the new year. There are still many things to prepare.”"I've already brought back the vegetables, fruits, and melon seeds. I've also killed the pigs at home. What else do you need to prepare?”"The food and drinks are almost ready, but we still have to clean up the house. We have to have a good look at our relatives and friends when they come.”"Then you dig into the basket and I'll pick.”The father and son worked until the sky turned dark. Zheng Qinglan felt that she couldn't move her legs and her shoulders were burning, but she pretended that nothing had happened. While he was doing this, Shang Liu Xin and Du Bo Lao were drinking and eating together.
Zheng Qinglan saw Yaya sitting beside the brazier and writing something under the light. She asked,""What are you writing?" Ya Ya handed over the small notebook in her hand and said,""Dad, I'm writing a chapter about what I saw and heard during the winter vacation.”Zheng Qinglan took it and looked at it in the light of the fire.
" The main dishes for tonight are bones stewed with radish and tofu. The fire in the brazier is burning brightly. The red flame is licking the bottom of the pot happily, making a sound of laughter. The soup in the pot is already boiling and rolling in the pot. The oil foam near the edge of the pot will sometimes flip over the edge of the pot and come into close contact with the flame. Then, it will make a sizzling sound. The meat on the bones is already cooked. It is loose and soft, as if it will fall off with a breath. Although the radish was added later, However, it had already absorbed enough oil and water. It was crystal clear and translucent. The tofu had become very fluffy, and honeycombs of various sizes had appeared on it. The fragrance could not be locked in. Not only did it pervade the entire room, but I could also smell it when I walked outside. This fragrance had long aroused my appetite. I did not know how many times I swallowed my saliva, and how many times my stomach growled. However, my grandfather and my father are still working. I have to wait for them. When they come back, I will give them the best meat to eat. Unfortunately, my mother is not back yet. She can't enjoy this simple but mouth-watering meal with us.”
Zheng Qinglan looked at it and smiled.""Good, good. There's life, smell, hearing, sight, taste, illusion, reality, and more importantly, feelings. Ya Ya, not bad. Good daughter, you're the pride of the Zheng family. I don't feel tired anymore after seeing what you've written.”
"Dad, can my writing still relieve fatigue? Now that you and Grandpa are done, can we eat?”
"Of course it can relieve fatigue. Alright, let's eat. Daddy wants to give you the best dishes. You're the hope of our family, but you have to eat slowly later.”"I know, Dad. Haven't you already raised me to be a lady? Boys eat like tigers, and girls eat like tigers, right? I remember.”
Ya Ya's bowl was already full, and her grandparents were still helping her with food. Ya Ya said,""Grandpa, Grandma, you guys eat it. I don't want it anymore. If you want it again, I won't be able to eat it.”The whole family burst into laughter.
"Eat more. This is specially reserved for you. Don't worry and eat boldly. Also, we'll make it when your mother comes back.”
After dinner, they chatted for a while. Zheng Qinglan asked Yaya to go to bed first. Then, she helped her parents pack some things. Seeing that it was almost ten o'clock, she said,""Dad, Mom, it's getting late. You've been busy all day and are tired.”His mother said,"You go to bed first. We need to rest too. There are still many things to do tomorrow."”
Zheng Qinglan got on the bed and suddenly thought of Shang Liu Xin. What was she doing? Was she studying or was she asleep? Did she see the boss? It can't be such a coincidence, right? She waited for a few days without a call. I saw her the moment I came back. Then he definitely wouldn't be able to come back tomorrow morning. At least he would have to wait until the afternoon. Do I need to pick her up at the place where she got off the car so that she can see me as soon as she gets off the car and give her a surprise? I'll see how things go. If I finish tomorrow's work quickly, I'll pick her up when I have time. If I don't have time, she said that she'll come back on her own and won't blame me. Zheng Qinglan fell asleep as she thought about it.
When Shang Liu Xin returned home, she boiled some water and washed up, changed her underwear, and went to bed. Just now, under the combined effect of alcohol and lust, she had made a crazy move. Now that she had calmed down, she felt a little scared. There was no such thing as an impenetrable wall in this world. If someone found out, what would she do? Moreover, she was now on Du Bolao's pirate ship. What if he used this matter to threaten her? At this moment, the phone rang. Shang Liu Xin knew it was Du Bo Lao. She hesitated for a moment before picking up the phone.
"Hello, baby, is that you?"
"Who else could it be if not me?" Shang Liu Xin's tone was somewhat cold.
"Baby, what's wrong with you? It's only been half an hour, why do you look like a different person? You were so hot just now. To be honest, I didn't expect you to be so good at it.”
Shang Liu Xin recalled the scene from before and laughed out loud. She said,"Serves you right. Who told you to brag? Let's see if you still dare to brag.”
"I won't dare, I won't dare again. Baby, you're getting excited again. What do you think we should do?”
"Go out and look for her again. You don't have to worry about not finding her anyway.”
"From now on, I won't look for anyone else. I'll only look for you, okay?”
"I'm going to sleep."
"Don't. Let's chat for a while more."
"I'm really tired. I can't even open my eyes.”
"Alright then, I'll kiss you!" A "Bo" sound came from the microphone. Du Bolao held the microphone and didn't want to put it down. He thought to himself,'Is it so easy to escape from my hook?' Unless I'm tired of playing with you and don't want to play with you anymore, don't even think about it. Next time, I won't let you go until you're exhausted.
After putting down the phone, Shang Liu Xin was no longer sleepy. She thought a lot. She recalled the time when she was dating Chen Sanfu. She slept with him within a month and had a child with him. After that, she was tricked by him into getting an abortion. She was heartlessly abandoned. That was the darkest time of her life. When she questioned Chen Sanfu, he actually said that she was indecent. He was right. She was an indecent woman. Am I really an indecent woman? After what happened today, what reason do I have to defend myself? Maybe I've been hoping for this to happen. Yes, this is what I need. When I was studying, I especially liked to associate with those boys and enjoy the fun they brought me. When I was dating Chen Sanfu, I clearly knew what he wanted to do, but he still came knocking on my door. Isn't it the same today? I clearly knew Du Bolao's intention, but I still wanted to wash myself clean and send myself to the hotel, drink with him, and sleep with him. It turned out that this was what I wanted. Since I wanted it, it was legitimate.
How am I going to get along with Du Bolao in the future? We are together every day, and we are not husband and wife. It will be a little awkward when I think about it. Also, Cui Xiaoli and Li Xiaoai have sharp eyes. They will definitely see through our relationship. I might as well ask Old Du to fire them, so that they won't go around gossiping and stir up trouble. It probably wouldn't be that easy. It wasn't difficult to find a reason to fire them, but where would they find a suitable person to do so? After all, they had been working as early childhood teachers for many years. Who cares? Just don't admit it. In this day and age, who wouldn't say it in front of others and who wouldn't be said behind their backs? As long as they didn't say it in front of him, he would let them say it. As long as they didn't name names, they wouldn't dare to say it out loud. Would he still maintain his relationship with Du Bolao? Of course, he had to maintain it. Firstly, his position was still not stable. There were many things that he needed his support for. Even if he became the director of the branch garden in the future, if his position was still above his, he could not offend him. Otherwise, who knew what kind of tricks he would use? Secondly, his kung fu was indeed mesmerizing. He could pat and coax people under the bed and play with them on the bed. He made people look as if they were drunk and sitting on a cloud. They were as happy as they could be. He was definitely an old hand at playing with women. Who cares? He played with me, I played with him. Let's see who played with who. As long as he asks me out, I'll go. As time passes, it'll be natural. Others won't say anything. This can also be a way to protect myself. It's beneficial and harmless. Why not?
What about Zheng Qinglan? He is a person with strong self-esteem. He will never chase after me, nor will he go out to ask about me. However, this does not mean that he doesn't care. I have to be soft and hard in front of him. I have to make up my mind to him and let him rest assured. I have already done this once last time. Ever since I made up my mind to him, he has never mentioned such a thing to me again. If he finds any clues and keeps staring at me, I will firmly deny it. As the saying goes, catch a thief with the stolen goods, catch an adulterer with the double. Unless he pressed me onto the bed with someone else. However, such a thing was 100% impossible for him, who cared about his face. Even if he knew that I was sleeping with someone else, he would never rush in and catch me in the act. In the end, he had a good time, but she was the one who had a bad time. After all, she was a woman with a family and a child. It was still unreasonable for her to ignore her family and her child. Sigh, it was really difficult for the Gu family to take care of their children and make themselves suffer. " Forget it, I'll just play it by ear. I'll be happy for a while. Zheng Qinglan can't give me what I want. If he could give it to me, I wouldn't have gone out to look for it. It's his own fault."
The more Shang Liu Xin thought about it, the more excited she became. The chicken crowing in the distance could be heard, but she still didn't have any intention of sleeping. She thought about the present situation, what should she do now that it was dawn? By right, they should go back today. If they didn't go back today, they would definitely be very anxious at home. She was fooling around with another man outside, but her family was worried. Wasn't it too wrong? Even if they didn't know, God knew. Aiya, they wouldn't suffer any retribution, right? Retribution is retribution. Who asked me to do such a thing? If I want retribution, I will punish myself. It has nothing to do with others. I will bear the consequences of my own actions. Should he go back in the afternoon? If he didn't, they would be worried and suspicious. After all, they had agreed. After all, it was the eve of the new year in a day. If he didn't go back now, wouldn't it be too abnormal? It would definitely arouse their suspicions. But if he went back, how would he face them? More than ten years ago, she had an abortion at the hospital. After being sent back by Chen Sanfu, she did not dare to go out for more than a month, afraid that others would point fingers at her. Would this scene not repeat itself? " Also, what if Zheng Qinglan wants to have sex? I've never rejected her before, and now I still feel a faint pain. If I reject her, wouldn't it be obvious?"
Zheng Qinglan was certain that Shang Liu Xin would not come back in the morning, so she did not have much to worry about. She focused on her work. In the end, not only did she clean up the drain that was not cleaned up yesterday, but she also cleaned up the house. It looked much brighter. His mother kept praising him,"In the end, it's useful to have a son.”
When Ya Ya heard this, she said," Grandma, times have changed. Men and women are the same."”
"Yes, yes, Grandma was wrong. My Yaya is even better than boys.”
After lunch, Zheng Qinglan sat down for a while before she picked up the saw to cut the firewood. Her mother said,""You're back. You've done things quickly. Now, there's only one thing left to do. You can rest for a while. You don't usually do much.”
"It's okay. I used to do it often. I'm not tired.”After a while, he sawed a lot of them. Seeing that it was almost three o'clock, which was the time when he and Ya Ya got off the car yesterday, he said to his father," Dad, you can sawn slowly by yourself. I'll come and chop them after I bring Shang Liu Xin back. I'll be back soon."”After saying that, he rode his father's motorcycle and left. Even though the road wasn't easy to walk, Zheng Qinglan still rode very fast. In a few minutes, she arrived at the fork where he got off yesterday. He parked the motorcycle by the roadside and hid behind the small house by the roadside. He would come out when Shang Liu Xin got off the motorcycle and walked home. This way, it would be more romantic. After waiting for a while, he heard a car horn. He knew that the car had returned. How should I greet her? I walked out in a daze and said," I'm here to pick you up. You arrived just as I stopped. What a coincidence." It seemed too light. How about this, when she gets out of the car, I'll suddenly jump out and shout "Hey" to scare her, just like how I used to scare my friends when I was young. What if there was someone else? Don't be afraid. With more people, the effect might be better. As she thought about it, she shrank back a little, but stuck her head out, looking for the best opportunity. The car stopped, and a gray fog rose. Zheng Qinglan couldn't help but widen her eyes, afraid that she would miss the opportunity. One, two, three, four. Shang Liu Xin was nowhere to be seen, but the car doors were already closed. Zheng Qinglan was anxious. Don't close the door. There were still people who hadn't gotten off, but the car had already left. How could this be? Could there be a mistake? Yes, ask the few people who got off the car just now. These people were in Zheng Qinglan's group. Two of them were locals, and the other two were married from outside. Zheng Qinglan knew them, and they knew Zheng Qinglan too. They definitely knew Shang Liu Xin too. So he walked out from behind the house and greeted the four people."Did you guys come back from the city?”"Yeah, what are you doing here?”"I'm here to pick up Shang Liu Xin, have you seen her?”The four of them shook their heads and said they didn't see it.
"How many buses do we have here?" Zheng Qinglan asked.
"It's just one bus, leaving early and returning late. Shang Liu Xin definitely isn't on the bus. There are only two people on the bus, and I know both of them.”
The other said,"You can wait a little longer. There are people who can't catch this bus. Talk to other drivers and take the truck."”
"You guys go back. I'll wait a little longer.”Even when the sky turned dark, Shang Liu Xin was nowhere to be seen. Zheng Qinglan looked into the distance. If there were any cars coming, they would have their lights on. If he looked carefully, he could see the lights a few miles away, but he couldn't see anything. There was only darkness in the distance. His mood was a little low. He rode his bike home. After walking for a distance, he felt a little unwilling. He felt that Shang Liu Xin had already gotten off the bike, so he stopped the bike and looked back, but he still didn't see anything.
Zheng Qinglan entered the house and her mother asked,""Is Liu Xin back? Come, wash your hands and eat."
"He didn't come back," Zheng Qinglan replied unhappily.”
"What is she doing in the city? It's already the 28th of December and she's not back yet?”
"About her kindergarten. She said that the boss admires her very much and wants to promote her to be the deputy director.”
"It's a good thing to be a leader. Don't worry about her. She'll definitely come back tomorrow afternoon. It's almost the New Year, and the bus will be running more. Usually, she leaves early and returns late, making one trip a day. Now that there are so many people coming back, one trip won't be enough. She'll have to come back at noon.”
Zheng Qinglan had a strong premonition that Shang Liu Xin would definitely come back today. Thus, he didn't seem to be very focused on his work. After a while, he would look at the intersection. He had looked at it countless times in the morning, but he still didn't see Shang Liu Xin. When his mother was going to cook, she said to Zheng Qinglan,""You can ride your bike to take a look. I'm going to cook. I picked her up just in time for lunch.”Yaya wanted to go too. Zheng Qinglan said," I'll be right back. You don't have to go. It's cold outside."”" I'm not afraid of the cold," Ya Ya said." The more I stay at home and warm myself, the more I'm afraid of the cold."”Zheng Qinglan was about to agree to take her along when his mother said,""Ya Ya, don't go. Stay at home and cook with me. We'll eat when your mother comes back.”Ya Ya thought for a moment and agreed.
When Zheng Qinglan arrived at the fork where the car stopped, the bus from yesterday had already left. However, Shang Liu Xin was nowhere to be seen. Zheng Qinglan couldn't help but feel a little angry. What time was it? She said that she would be back in two days. Tomorrow was New Year's Eve. Why was she still nowhere to be seen? If she didn't want to come back, then so be it. She was too lazy to come and pick her up. She was too annoying. Was the deputy director of a private kindergarten that important? It didn't matter whether he was qualified or not. Was there a need to beg his grandparents? Could there be something else? What else did she have to say? She had never heard her say anything about it. Could it be…Could it be that she had gotten together with Chen Sanfu again? It was very possible. After listening to her conversation with her mother in the kitchen, he did not forget Chen Sanfu and did not have any ill feelings towards him. Following this thought, he naturally thought of what Master Pangu had said to him before they got married. Although he was disgusted with these words at that time, now that he thought about it, it should not be unreasonable. Many of the words from the older generation were based on experience and had a certain degree of truth. However, he immediately denied this thought. No, absolutely not. Shang Liu Xin had expressed her stance to him before. This person had to keep her word. Otherwise, why would she call him a person? He had already forgiven her. Even if she returned the favor, Shang Liu Xin shouldn't have done such a thing. Could it be that she didn't even have the basic moral integrity of a person?
At two o'clock in the afternoon, Ya Ya urged Zheng Qinglan,""Dad, go pick up my mom. I want to go with you.”"What if she still doesn't come back?"
"That's impossible. The New Year is supposed to be a time for the family to reunite. If she doesn't come back, what would she be doing there? She doesn't have a place to spend the New Year.”
"That's even more impossible. We have a custom here. A married girl can't see her family's fire at the age of 30, and she can't see her family's lights at the age of 15.”
"Grandma, you're talking about the old rules. Maybe my grandma and her family won't believe it.”
"There's no doubt about it. It's not that your mother doesn't know this rule. She once told me about it.”
"Then she'll definitely be back soon. Dad, let's go pick her up.”
"Do you want to see your mother that badly?"
"Of course. Don't you want to see her?”
"I don't want to."
"Don't lie to me. I didn't expect you to be so distracted.”
"Alright, stop talking. You guys go ahead. If you're late, she'll walk back by herself.”His mother urged.
Zheng Qinglan's feelings were complicated. He couldn't even figure out what he was thinking. One moment, he thought that Shang Liu Xin would definitely come back this afternoon. The next moment, he thought that she might not come back. The next moment, he thought that something important must have happened in the past two days. The next moment, he felt that it was impossible. I didn't treat Shang Liu Xin badly, accepting her at her most difficult time. She wouldn't do those heartless things, and she personally promised me.
"Daddy, cheer up. If you do this, Mommy will think that you're angry with her.”
"Shouldn't I be angry at her? It's fine if she doesn't come back to help prepare for the new year, but she still doesn't go home at this time. She even wants the whole family to worry about her and wants us to pick her up again and again. Don't you think it's infuriating?”
"Something must have happened to her. Otherwise, she wouldn't be like this. Will you fight?"
"It's almost the new year. Who quarreled with her and made the whole family unhappy?”
"Dad, I knew you were a reasonable dad.”
Zheng Qinglan smiled bitterly and thought," What's the use of being reasonable? These days, the soft ones are afraid of the hard ones, the hard ones are afraid of the dumb ones, and the dumb ones are afraid of those who don't care about their lives. When a scholar meets a soldier, he can't explain his reasoning." He was afraid that saying it would affect Yaya, so he kept it in his heart.
Ya Ya suddenly turned her head and frowned. "What are you doing?" Zheng Qinglan asked.”Ya Ya waved her hand gently and said,""Dad, listen. The bus is back and it's honking. My mom must be back.”
"What's so funny?"
"I know. When you see my mother later, you'll smile.”
"We haven't even seen the car yet. What's so funny?”
"Look at it, isn't it?"
Zheng Qinglan looked in the direction Yaya was pointing at. Sure enough, a passenger car was coming their way. Because it was on a high slope, she could see it very clearly. When it reached the bottom of the slope, it disappeared. After waiting for a while, the car still hadn't arrived. Ya Ya was a little anxious and asked her father,""Dad, that car should have been here a long time ago. Why isn't it here yet? Should we go and take a look?”"Don't worry, there must be a lot of people in the car and a lot of things. You have to get off slowly. It'll be here in a while. Listen, it's coming.”Ya Ya couldn't help but dance a few rounds and said,""Oh, Mommy is coming back, Mommy is coming back!”However, the car passed by them without stopping. The dust that rolled up wrapped the father and son tightly and did not dissipate for a long time. Zheng Qinglan's heart was extremely gloomy. He had a premonition that something big must have happened to Shang Liu Xin during the two days he had been home. He couldn't help but shudder.
"Let's go back." Ya Ya didn't say anything and quietly got into Zheng Qinglan's car.
"Why didn't you receive it again? It was really strange. Why didn't he come back at this time? What happened? Qinglan, did you guys fight?”
"No, I haven't."
"My dad and mom didn't quarrel at all. When we came back, we agreed that she would come back after she was done with her business.”
"Then don't be anxious. There's another bus in the afternoon. It must be the last bus back. Come, let's eat first. After eating, we'll rest for a while and do something else. You can pick us up at three o'clock. This time, you'll definitely be able to pick us up. Who doesn't go home for the New Year? Even if they did, they would still go home for the New Year. When you go to pick them up, I will put the ribs in the brazier early and simmer them. When the ribs are simmered, I will add the radish and tofu. Just like how you came back two days ago, I guarantee that you can smell the fragrance from afar and eat so much that you don't want to put down your chopsticks.”
"Grandma, your cooking is really delicious. I've become a glutton the moment I came back. My dad is the same, but we have to eat less tonight and let my mom eat more.”
"Ya Ya, my dear granddaughter, it's not that I'm good at cooking. It's just that I've simmered it for a long time and all the good things have come out. There's a saying that goes,'thousands of tofu and thousands of fish are cooked. It's delicious even without oil and salt'.”
"I don't know. You have to ask my father.”
"Usually, we stir-fry vegetables. Even if we eat pork ribs, we use a pressure cooker. It will be done in ten minutes at most. If we use a slow fire to simmer liquefied gas like this, a can of liquefied gas will have to be replaced in a few days. Who can afford it? It's time-consuming, and the stove is troublesome.”
"Then the ribs you simmer won't be as fragrant as the ribs you simmer at home. Speaking of which, it's better for you to be in the city, but there are still places that can't catch up with the countryside. Many people like to go to the city. I don't know what's good about it. I heard that the people in the city are not easy to get along with and are calculative.”
"There are a hundred people and all kinds of women. There are good people and bad people everywhere.”Zheng Qinglan's father said. Zheng Qinglan didn't want them to continue, so she asked her father,""Dad, what else do you have to do in the afternoon?”His father thought for a moment and said," It's nothing. The front and back of the house have been cleaned up. The firewood has been sawed and chopped. The water in the tank is full. In the afternoon, you can sweep the house again. I'll go to the mountain to dig a few dry tree roots to use for the New Year."”
"Then I'll go up the mountain and dig up some roots. I did it when I was young, so I want to try again.”
"There's no need. That's a very time-consuming thing. Sometimes, it will take several hours to reach a tree stump. You have to pick up Liu Xin in the afternoon, so you can't go.”
"It's okay. We agreed that she would walk back by herself. It's not far.”
"Even if you say that, it's better to pick her up. No matter how close the road is, picking her up shows your sincerity. She doesn't come back every day. You have to do it well and make her happy. Only then will your lives be good and smooth.”
Zheng Qinglan couldn't say anything more, so she asked Yaya to bring her winter vacation homework. Ya Ya handed him the winter vacation homework. He flipped through it and said,""That's more like it, but it's best to speed up the progress. After tomorrow, I'll have to go out to visit my relatives, so I can't do my homework quietly.”
"Dad, I've already worked very hard on my homework, but you still think that I'm not doing enough. I don't know what to do.”
"That's easy. Other than eating and sleeping, do your homework during the rest of the time. The more you finish before the new year, the better. Don't drag it out until the new year.”
"Yes, Dad. I'll go and do my homework now. I'll show it to you when I'm done. I guarantee that you'll be satisfied. However, I have a request.”
"Alright, as long as you do your homework to my satisfaction, I'll take you there.”
Ya Ya snapped her fingers and walked away with her homework.
"Yaya is smart and hardworking. She looks really likable. Don't push her too hard. Children are all playful.”
" Mom, you don't know. The city is not like the countryside. There are more students in the city, and many of them have good grades. If they don't work hard, they will fall behind. Yaya's current grades are not guaranteed, but who can guarantee that in the future? Now that she is willing to learn, let her learn more. I know that we must balance work and rest. I won't let her tire herself out. Don't say that in front of her. Otherwise, if she thinks that I'm keeping her under tight control, it'll be difficult for her in the future.”
"When you were studying, who among us adults cared about you? Didn't you still become a talent?”
"When we were studying, we couldn't compare to now. Back then, there were no quality requirements. After a semester, there were sometimes no exams. Even if there were exams, the teachers would set the questions themselves and use a mimeograph machine to print out a few papers for the exam. It's unlike now, where the whole city organized the exams. After the exams, there were all kinds of results queuing. Those who did badly had to write a self-reflection and be criticized.”
"That's true. There are more college students than before. In the past, everyone thought that it was amazing to have a college student from every village. When you were admitted to university, the production team's officers even bought things and offered money to congratulate you. At that time, we all felt so honored.”
"My university is nothing. In the future, Yaya will be admitted to one of the top ten universities, like Peking University and Tsinghua University. At the very least, she will be admitted to Fudan University.”
"Oh my god, how can that be easy?”
"Yaya is quite talented. It will depend on her hard work.”
"But you can't push it too far. If you tire yourself out, what's the use of studying in a good university?”
"I won't. I'll be careful."
"It's almost time to talk. Go and call Yaya and let her go with you to pick up Liu Xin.”
Zheng Qinglan was about to stand up to call Yaya when Yaya came to him with her homework.
"Dad, look, I've done my homework. This is Chinese, this is Mathematics, and this is English.”Ya Ya handed the homework to Zheng Qinglan one by one. Zheng Qinglan flipped through it and said,""The handwriting is a little sloppy. Look, the handwriting on the last two pages is completely different from the previous ones. We'll read the rest when we come back later.”Ya Ya said," Daddy, I know how to write it. It's just that I have to pick up Mommy this afternoon. I'm a little anxious, so I wrote badly."”
"No matter how anxious you are, you have to do it well. Besides, picking up Mom is my business. Your main task is to do your homework well.”
"Dad, I understand. I'll definitely write it well next time. Let's go. It's almost 3.30 pm. We're half an hour late than the last time we came back. If we're late, my mom will have walked back by herself. If we go now, we might run into her on the way.”
Zheng Qinglan didn't say anything. His heart was tense. He hoped to meet Shang Liu Xin on the way. That way, he would naturally relax. At the very least, he would wait there for a while. As long as he could meet Shang Liu Xin, his mood would improve. When the father and son arrived, they waited for a while, but the car didn't come. Zheng Qinglan kept looking at her watch. Today's watch seemed to be particularly slow. He wondered if it was broken. He took the watch off his wrist and stared at the dial, the second hand was jumping. It was moving very normally. He put the watch to his ear again, but there was no noise. Had the bus already passed, or had it malfunctioned on the way? Zheng Qinglan thought. Zheng Qinglan hoped that it was the latter. After waiting for another twenty minutes, Zheng Qinglan couldn't wait any longer. She said to Yaya,""Ya Ya, wait here for a while. I'll go to the people on the roadside and ask if the car has returned.”
"I want to go too."
"Be good, just wait here. What if your mother comes out from somewhere else? She walked over and we don't know. We have to wait forever, right? Just wait here for a few minutes.”Yaya agreed. Zheng Qinglan rode to the place he mentioned. There were a few small shops here. People gathered together to play when they were free. It had become a small market town. There were many people sitting in front of a shop. Some were playing cards, while others were standing by and watching. Zheng Qinglan didn't want to ask them. He saw an old man not far away from them. He rode his bike and asked,""Auntie, is the bus back yet?”
The woman glanced at him and said,""Yo, I know you. You're the boss of the Zheng family, right?”
Zheng Qinglan was stunned for a moment. She didn't expect this person to know her. She hesitated for a moment and said,""Yes."
"Oh, my eyes are still useful. The bus has already passed by. You didn't pick her up, did you?”
"Someone asked for a bus to help me bring my things. I didn't see the bus when I came, so I came to ask.”
"It's okay. If you're in a hurry, you can go to the bus driver's house and ask. It's not far. You'll be there in a few minutes by bike.”
"Okay, I got it. Thank you!”
Zheng Qinglan gritted her teeth and turned the car back to where Ya Ya was standing.
"Dad, did you get it? Is the car back?”
"I'm back."
"What about my mom?"
" I don't know. Let's go home."
"What if my mother comes back? It's almost dark. If she comes back, how can she go home? The road is far and remote. She must be very afraid.”
"She definitely won't come back at this time. I'll send you back and go to the city to look for her.”
"I'll go with you."
"We have to go back first and tell Grandpa and Grandma that we're going straight to the city. They'll be anxious at home. You can't go with me either. It's too far and cold. The key is that we don't know when we can find her.”
"Aren't you afraid of going alone?”
"I'm not afraid. I'm very brave. When you were only one or two years old, I rode my bicycle on a deserted road in the middle of the night. It's not too late now, and I'm riding a motorcycle. You can stay at home with Grandpa and Grandma to warm up by the fire or do your homework. No matter if you can find it or not, I'll be back early tomorrow morning, okay?”
"You'll definitely be able to find her. Maybe my mom hasn't gone anywhere and is just waiting at home for you to pick her up.”
"Why didn't you receive it again? What's going on? How can such a thing happen? It's almost the new year and you're still hanging out outside instead of going home.”
Zheng Qinglan quickly stopped his mother and said,""Maybe it's something. I'll ride my bike to the city to take a look.”
"Then I'll make you some food before you go. It's so cold. You can't go out on an empty stomach.”
Zheng Qinglan was not in the mood to eat. She said,""I had a full lunch and didn't do much in the afternoon. I'm not hungry at all. I'm leaving. If we find it right away, we might be back tonight so that we won't delay the preparation of the reunion dinner tomorrow.”
"Then bring me a few of the sugar crispy cakes I dipped in this afternoon. They're crispy and sweet. If you're hungry, eat two and drink some water.”Zheng Qinglan tied the candy that her mother handed her to the shelf behind the motorcycle. She got on the motorcycle and turned the accelerator. The motorcycle roared and sped away. Yaya and her grandmother shouted at the same time,"" Slow down." Zheng Qinglan had already run away, so she couldn't hear the conversation.
This book is provided by FunNovel Novel Book | Fan Fiction Novel [Beautiful Free Novel Book]