Chapter 285 (First and Second Updates) You don't understand what I'm saying...

After her father left, the daughter spent most of her time at school.

Tang Mingmei immersed herself in her busy work, and every day she would drag her tired body home.

Even though she kept herself so busy, she still felt very lonely.

Lying in bed, I was so tired that I didn't even have the strength to turn over, and my eyes were so dry that they were watering, but I still couldn't fall asleep.

She told everyone that she was fine.

But as time went on, the lie was exposed.

A month later, Tang Xin returned from school and was terrified to see her mother, who had lost so much weight in just one month, bursting into tears.

She has already lost her grandparents, and she cannot lose her mother as well.

Seeing her mother like this, Tang Xin suddenly realized a fact: her mother was too lonely.

Unlike her, although she was also very sad, she had classes during the day and evening self-study sessions, so she didn't have time to think about it too much. When she returned to the dormitory, she had her classmates with her, so she didn't dwell on her sad thoughts.

Even though Mom had things to do at the clothing store, she was alone when she got home at night. How did she get through so many long and lonely nights?

So on this day, Tang Xin said to her mother, "Mom, how about I apply to the school to be a day student?"

Upon hearing this, Tang Mingmei's first reaction was: "How can this be? This way you won't be able to attend evening self-study sessions with the other students at school."

She had already missed the second semester of her first year of high school because she had to spend time with her grandfather.

Tang Xin showed her mother the facts: "Mom, my grades weren't affected when I was a day student before; I was still in the top three in my class."

“It’s different. The workload is much heavier in the second year of high school. If I continue to be a day student, my grades will definitely fall behind.”

"No, I listen attentively in class and complete all the assignments the teacher gives me. I won't fall behind."

"Other students can ask the teacher for help immediately when they don't understand something during evening self-study. What about you? Can you guarantee that you can understand everything? During the day, you only have ten minutes between classes. Do you have time to ask the teacher?"

Tang Xin really couldn't refute this.

High school material is much more difficult than middle school material, and the pace is much faster to allow more time for review in the final year. Evening study sessions are crucial for high school students; those few hours each day are key to understanding the material.

Tang Mingmei noticed her daughter's hesitation, which only strengthened her resolve.

"You've worked so hard to get into this high school, so make the most of these two years, study hard, and get into your dream university. Don't worry about your mom, she's an adult now, and she's been through so much over the years. I promise you, when you come home next month, you'll see a healthy and energetic mom."

...

To reassure her daughter and to help herself recover from the pain of losing her father as quickly as possible, Tang Mingmei tried to make a change.

She enrolled in a dance class and went out to dance three mornings a week.

I must say, after sticking to this for two weeks, my overall demeanor did change a lot.

Spending time with people, especially energetic ones, can indeed help alleviate negative emotions. Plus, Tang Mingmei is a resilient person by nature, so she has slowly recovered.

When Tang Xin returned home, she saw that her mother was indeed much better, and she was finally relieved.

In fact, not only Tang Xin was worried about Tang Mingmei, but Tang Mingli was also equally uneasy.

In the month immediately following her uncle's passing, she called her cousin almost every day and visited the shop every few days.

Tang Mingli knew that it would take time for her to get over her grief, and she knew she should give her cousin time, but she just couldn't help feeling anxious.

Two months have passed, and my cousin is in much better spirits, but she still comes to the clothing store from time to time.

On this day, Tang Mingli came to the clothing store again.

When she arrived, the store was full of customers. Tang Mingmei saw that her cousin had come again. She was used to it and simply asked her to sit down.

"I'll spend time with you when I'm less busy."

"Okay." Tang Mingli walked to the cashier and sat down, watching her cousin do business.

That's great, I get to see my cousin's decisive and efficient business practices again.

After working for half an hour, Tang Mingmei closed the deal.

Big business.

This customer bought more than a dozen pieces of clothing.

Before leaving, he gave Tang Mingmei's shop full praise: "Of all the clothes I've seen along the way, your shop's clothes are the ones that suit my taste the best. Both the style and the quality are impeccable."

Tang Mingmei replied with a smile, "If you like it, I'll give you a 20% discount next time you come."

"You get a discount even if you only buy one item?"

"We must offer generous discounts to repeat customers."

"Okay, okay, next time I come to buy clothes, don't say you don't remember me."

"How could that be? I definitely remember you."

This wasn't just polite talk. Tang Mingmei had her own tricks up her sleeve to be so successful in this line of work, one of which was her ability to remember people.

She wouldn't claim to have a photographic memory, but she can remember major clients or repeat customers who have bought from her several times.

After seeing the important client off, Tang Mingmei quickly went to her cousin's side.

"Why are you here again today?"

The tone of his voice carried a hint of disdain.

Tang Mingli burst out laughing and teased her, "Unemployed middle-aged women, if they don't wander around, they won't have much time to kill."

Tang Mingmei would never believe it.

"You have a TV, a computer, and a room full of novels at home. Isn't that enough to keep you occupied?"

"I can't stay home all day."

"But you just like staying at home, don't think I don't know."

The two weren't in a relationship where they were in their teens or twenties, and they knew nothing about each other.

"However," Tang Mingmei changed the subject, "people really shouldn't stay at home all day. They should go out more, move around more, and interact with other people."

Tang Mingli nodded, completely agreeing with what her cousin had said.

"So, would you like to take a dance class with me?"

These words startled Tang Mingli so much that she could no longer laugh.

Asking her to go to the dance studio at nine in the morning for a dance class is practically asking her to die!

Tang Mingli quickly waved her hand: "Dancing is not suitable for me. I prefer to practice calligraphy. Besides, the association recently invited me to submit three pieces of my work, and I promised to do so. I haven't even finished one of them yet."

If she had to take a class, she would prefer to take a traditional Chinese painting class.

When I saw my cousin looking so down, I even thought about whether I should take the plunge and get her to learn to draw with me.

However, Tang Mingmei was still unwilling to give up and continued to persuade her: "Just keep me company."

Tang Mingli: "..."

If my cousin really needs her company, it seems like she has no choice but to go for it.

I'll risk it and stay with you for a month or two.

Just as she was gritting her teeth and preparing to agree, Tang Mingmei smiled.

"Okay, okay, I was just kidding. I only have eight more dance classes left, and I don't plan to continue after that."

Tang Mingli became anxious when she heard that her cousin was no longer attending dance classes.

"Not going anymore? Why?"

"Don't be nervous," Tang Mingmei said with a smile. "I'm just not going for the time being. I plan to go out and have some fun with a few friends who take dance classes with me."

"travel?"

Tang Mingmei hummed in agreement.

The few new friends I met while learning dance happened to have the same idea, and we all hit it off immediately.

Which places are you planning to visit?

At this moment, Tang Mingli thought her cousins ​​were planning a domestic trip, but Tang Mingmei unexpectedly said the word "Europe".

Tang Mingli was stunned.

Going abroad at this time would be difficult.

Tang Mingmei nodded. "We've looked into it, and getting a passport and visa is indeed not easy, but we should always try. Maybe we'll succeed. However, we also have a backup plan. If we can't get the passport and visa, we'll travel within China. Didn't you tell me that our country has beautiful landscapes and many places worth visiting?"

"Yes, our country is vast and rich in resources, and many places are very beautiful."

"You've already seen so many places, that's great."

Tang Mingmei was envious and genuinely happy that her cousin could see those beautiful landscapes with her own eyes.

She used to think that when her daughter grew up and she got old, she would stop working so hard to earn money and would travel around like her cousin.

The sudden departure of her parents was a huge blow to her and changed her mind.

In life, we should strive to achieve what we want to do, instead of always waiting.

While her current financial situation isn't as good as many people's, it's still much better. She has the means to do what she wants. Therefore, she shouldn't wait any longer.

So when her classmates in the dance class started talking about traveling abroad, she immediately responded without even thinking about what would happen if she couldn't speak the language.

Looking back and forth will only lead to getting nothing done.

-

When Tang Mingli returned home from the clothing store, Madam Fu, as usual, immediately inquired about her cousin's situation.

"How are you feeling today? Is Akemi any better?"

Tang Mingli nodded and smiled, "She has indeed improved a lot since starting dance class. Today she even told me that she is planning to go on a trip with some of her classmates who are also learning dance."

Madam Fu immediately said, "Going on a trip is great. It's the quickest way to relax and lift your spirits."

Seeing her grandmother's excited expression, Tang Mingli's smile deepened.

She was sure she wouldn't be happy once she found out her cousin wanted to travel abroad.

Sure enough, when she heard her granddaughter-in-law say that her cousin wanted to go to Europe, Madam Fu immediately looked worried.

"Europe is so far away, and we don't speak the language. We wouldn't know what to do if something happened."

Tang Mingli told her grandmother, "The tour guides on overseas tours all know foreign languages, and they usually hire one or two more local tour guides when they arrive in the destination."

Is that so?

But Madam Fu was still very worried. That was the foreigners' territory. If they were bullied, they wouldn't have anyone to back them up.

“We also have embassies abroad, so if anything happens, we can ask the embassy for help.”

Madam Fu couldn't find any fault with it anymore, but she was still worried.

In the eyes of her generation, no place is safer than their own country, and leaving their country is a very unsafe thing.

Tang Mingli didn't intend to change her grandmother's opinion, and besides, her grandmother was just worried, not trying to stop her.

She had to find another way to talk to her grandmother.

“My cousin has finally gotten over my uncle’s situation. Let her do whatever she wants. It’s better for her to go anywhere than to stay cooped up at home all the time.”

"You're right."

Madam Fu nodded, her gaze drifting out the window.

“Your uncle and aunt were both too young. How could they just leave like that? It shouldn’t be like this. Everything should be about first come, first served. If anyone should die, it should be this old lady, me first.”

Tang Mingli was shocked to hear this, horrified that her grandmother would say such a thing.

"Grandma, why do you say that? You are the treasure of our family, and we wish you a long and healthy life."

Seeing that her words had frightened her granddaughter-in-law, Madam Fu quickly put on a smile and said, "I was just talking nonsense. Did I scare you?"

"Yes, it scared me to death. Grandma, you can't say things like that anymore, or I'll take it seriously and get really sad."

"Alright, alright, Grandma won't say such things again." Old Madam Fu agreed with a smile, but the loneliness in her eyes was impossible to hide.

Tang Mingli felt that her grandmother might also have been affected by her uncle's illness and death.

Over the next two days, she paid extra attention to her grandmother's mood and found that when no one was watching, she often stared into the distance in a daze.

When Fu Ci came home from get off work that evening, Tang Mingli told him about his grandmother.

Over the years, the two families have maintained close ties, and Grandma's feelings for Uncle and Aunt Tang have long surpassed those of ordinary relatives.

The pain of a parent outliving their child is inherently greater.

Especially for a grandmother, having witnessed so many people around her leave over the years, the accumulation of such grief can easily trap her in it, making it difficult to escape, and even causing her to lose the will to live.

Both of them decided to observe her more closely. If Grandma really fell into depression, they would do their best to help her regain her fighting spirit.

With a lot going on at the factory lately, the important task of observation fell to Tang Mingli.

Tang Mingli was also very responsible. After observing for three days, she told her husband the results of her observation with a heavy heart.

"I feel like something's wrong with Grandma."

Upon hearing this, Fu Ci dared not disregard it.

The couple went back to their room early that day and huddled there to discuss their next move.

It seems that no matter who makes a suggestion, a loophole can always be found after it is made.

At her age, Grandma has lived through the most turbulent time in China in nearly a century. She has seen all kinds of storms and hardships. If she has lost her will to live, what else can rekindle her passion?

While agonizing over her troubles, Tang Mingli glanced at the calendar hanging on the wall.

The four characters 1998 are so dazzling.

It will be 1999 in a few months.

In 1999, Macao returned to China.

For my grandmother's generation, nothing was more appealing than seeing colonized land return to the embrace of their motherland.

The next day, when the family sat down for breakfast, Tang Mingli and Fu Ci started talking about Macau's return to China next year.

Tang Mingli immediately made a promise: "Once Ao and his family return, how about we all go to Macau together?"

Fu Yu readily agreed, excitedly asking her mother to promise, "Mom, you must take me with you this time when you go to Macau, don't leave me behind like you did when you went to Hong Kong last time."

Tang Mingli laughed: "Last time I went to Hong Kong, I didn't just leave you behind. Besides, it was a week-long trip. You can't skip school for a whole week, right?"

Fu Yu pouted, "Then let's skip Hong Kong last time, but this time we'll go to Macau for two days."

Tang Mingli nodded, "Macau is relatively small, and it's just for fun, two days should be enough."

The last time I went to Hong Kong, it was to reunite three elderly people who hadn't seen each other for a century and a half, which is why I stayed for so long.

After being distracted by her daughter for a while, Tang Mingli shifted her focus to enticing her grandmother.

"Grandma, don't you want to see for yourself how Macau changed under Portuguese rule?"

"I..." Of course, Madam Fu couldn't say she didn't want to.

But for her now, she doesn't dare to think about what will happen a year from now, or even a month from now.

But the granddaughter-in-law's mouth was so sweet; even the old lady Fu was swayed by her words.

So she decided to give it a try and see if she could live to see Macau's return to China and witness it with her own eyes.

With this hope, Madam Fu regained some vitality.

Why say a little?

Perhaps it's because of my age that I don't dare to have too much hope.

Fortunately, time flies, and before we knew it, it was May 1999.

With Macau set to return to China in a few months, just like Hong Kong before its return, there are frequent reports about it on television and in newspapers.

People sometimes even chat when they bump into each other on the street.

However, for the Fu family, they are more concerned about an Olympic competition that Fu Yu will be participating in than about the return of Macau.

Fu Ci and Tang Mingli never made any demands on their daughter's studies, and they remained in a laissez-faire attitude after she started elementary school. From first to fourth grade, Fu Yu's grades were consistently mediocre.

Not among the top students in the class, but their grades have never fallen to a point where they are worrying.

Who knew that when he entered fifth grade, he suddenly joined a class that had unlocked his full potential, and his grades in all subjects improved by leaps and bounds.

Especially in mathematics, he left even the teachers speechless.

After sixth grade, he consistently ranked first in his grade with a perfect score in math. He was recommended by his teacher to participate in a city-level competition, and unexpectedly, he won first place.

In May, all sixth-grade students entered the preparation mode for the entrance examination to junior high school, but coincidentally, the city also organized an Olympic mathematics competition in the same month.

The math teacher asked Fu Yu if she wanted to participate, emphasizing that the competition was very difficult.

To everyone's surprise, when Fu Yu heard that it was difficult, her eyes lit up and she became even more eager to take on the challenge.

So at this most stressful time of my studies, I had to prepare for both the entrance exam to junior high school and the math competition, and I was so busy that I didn't even have time to be affectionate with my family.

This was the first time the Fu family had encountered such a busy situation with their child, and they were all very worried that young Fu Yu would not be able to handle it.

If giving up wasn't considered a bad attitude, they would even have advised their child not to participate in any competitions at all.

Seeing how hard the children were working, Tang Mingli had no reason to slack off.

To ensure the children could rest better on their way to and from school, we drove them to and from school until the math competition training ended.

After enduring twenty days of this, the day of the competition finally arrived.

Tang Mingli breathed a sigh of relief the moment she dropped her child off at the competition venue.

The results don't matter; what matters is that the competition is finally coming to an end.

After dropping her daughter off, she immediately drove to a beauty salon for a full-service spa treatment to relax completely.

After the spa treatment, my daughter's competition was almost over.

Tang Mingli was radiant when she returned to the examination hall to pick up her daughter.

Even Fu Yu noticed and said, "Mom, you seem different than before."

Tang Mingli tossed her freshly washed and blow-dried, fluffy hair and asked with a smile, "How is it different?"

Fu Yu said truthfully, "I seem to be even prettier now."

Tang Mingli was very happy to hear this, and gently poked her daughter's forehead with her right index finger, saying, "Remove the word 'seems like'."

She's become even more beautiful after spending real money.

Fu Yu was amused by her mother's words.

Although she is the youngest in the family, she knows that her mother has been working very hard because of her.

Now that the competition is over, Mom can finally relax.

She likes her mother when she's relaxed.

Fu Yu stepped forward and took her mother's arm, saying in a coquettish tone, "Mom, I really hope you can stay like this forever."

Cute, pretty, and most importantly, happy.

When her daughter linked arms with hers, Tang Mingli was surprised to find that her daughter had grown almost as tall as her.

Wow, that was fast!

It feels like he was a little kid yesterday, and today he's suddenly all grown up.

This feeling made Tang Mingli want to cry, but it wasn't sadness; it was a complex feeling that was hard to describe.

She asked her daughter, "Honey, how tall are you now?"

1.58 meters tall.

Last month, the school organized a physical examination for all students, and she measured her height, which was 1.58 meters.

Tang Mingli is 1.62 meters tall, and her daughter is almost as tall as her.

It turns out that children growing up really brings both happiness and sadness.

However, Tang Mingli didn't want to wallow in sadness. Since her daughter had just finished an important event, she was determined to take her out for a good meal.

Fu Yu was overjoyed to hear that they were going out for a meal.

"Yay! It's been so long since I've gone out for a nice meal with my mom."

Tang Mingli smiled.

The phrase "eating well and drinking well" is something we'll probably hear for the rest of our lives.

"Let's go. Mom already planned it on the way here. We're going to eat Hunan cuisine."

They truly enjoy the finest food and drink.

"Yay!"

Although Fu Yu doesn't eat spicy food often, she still enjoys it.

The mother and daughter went to a Hunan cuisine restaurant with a very good reputation.

Considering that Fu Yu is still young and that Tang Mingli's tolerance for spicy food is limited, when ordering, Tang Mingli repeatedly told the waiter that the food should only be slightly spicy.

The waiter smiled and said, "I understand. We know how spicy you locals can handle, and we'll have the chef be careful."

But Tang Mingli remained serious and said, "You don't understand. When I say 'a little bit,' I really mean just a little bit." Then, she forced herself to say, "It's best not to put more than five slices of chili in a dish."

The waiter's smile froze.

To be honest, she's been working here for two years and knows that locals can't handle spicy food, but this is the first time she's encountered someone specifically asking that there can't be more than five chili peppers.

Why bother eating Hunan cuisine if this is the case?

But despite my inner complaints, the guest is the most important, so let them do as they please.

However, she still felt obligated to remind them, saying, "If you do it this way, the dish won't be quite authentic."

Tang Mingli knew this, of course.

She told the waiter, "It's just not very spicy, we can handle it."

The waiter smiled, genuinely puzzled. Their dishes are so expensive; it's not worth spending so much money just to satisfy a craving for a little spice.

But the guests come first, so let them do as they please.

About ten minutes later, the first dish was served—stir-fried pork with chili peppers.

Seeing the stir-fried pork with chili peppers mixed in with a pile of meat, Fu Yu couldn't resist.

"Mom, isn't this a little too spicy? Maybe we can try making it a tiny bit spicier."

Tang Mingli knew this, of course, but that was just how powerful she was.

I love spicy food, but I can't handle it.

What can we do?

She believed that she was definitely not the only one in China who felt this way.