Chapter 35 Final Exams and Summer Vacation

Lu Shuangcai was a little puzzled by Ji Wei's sudden excitement, but still replied, "Yes, didn't we say before that renting garages and warehouses all the time wasn't a long-term solution? Does your sister-in-law think there's something wrong with that?"

"No, I just think this location is excellent. Brother Lü, you have a great eye." Ji Wei's tone was full of sincerity. This location was not just good, it was absolutely perfect. This place will be developed into a commercial street in the future, and right now, their garage and warehouse occupy half of the commercial street. Ji Wei looked at Lü Shuangcai with increasing admiration.

“Right, I also think this place is good. It’s not too far from the city center, and the price is fair. Even if we stop doing this business in the future, it will be easy to sell.” It has to be said that Lu Shuangcai has been traveling around a lot these past two years, and his eye for business is quite good.

“Indeed, this place should be easy to sell in the future.” Ji Wei nodded in agreement, but in her heart, she was thinking that they must hold onto this place firmly.

Construction was still underway, and Lü Shuangcai familiarly struck up a conversation with the workers, offering them cigarettes as a gesture. The atmosphere was quite pleasant, and the workers readily answered his questions. The purpose of the trip was quickly achieved. As he left, Lü Shuangcai took a deep drag on his cigarette and said, "These contractors will have plenty of opportunities to make a fortune in the future."

“More and more people are moving to the city, and the city is developing better and better. There will be a lot of new places to build in the future, so the construction site sector will definitely boom.” Gu Zhiyuan shared the same idea as him.

Standing to the side, Ji Wei stared down at her toes. She thought to herself, "Sure enough, not everyone has vision." She had been thinking of finding a suitable opportunity to remind them what the next money-making industry would be, but now it seems they know without her saying a word. It seems these two must have had a good life in their past lives.

"We bought a new car and repaired the garage this year. Once we earn back the money, we can consider buying a house in the city. I want Xiaosong to go to junior high school in the city," Qiao Xiaoxue said, revealing her plans.

"The Experimental Middle School in the city is quite good. My sister-in-law can buy a house nearby." The Experimental Middle School is one of the best middle schools in the city. School district housing will soon become popular. It will be convenient for her to take her child to school, and it will also be easy to sell later.

"So where are you planning to buy? I heard from Lao Lü that you wanted to settle in the city," Qiao Xiaoxue asked.

"It hasn't been decided yet, but it will definitely be near the school. Going to the city center is to provide a better environment for the children." Ji Wei already has a target in mind, but since the real estate company is probably still in the land acquisition stage, she won't say it out in advance.

“That’s true.” Qiao Xiaoxue nodded in agreement.

"The children will be out of school soon, we have to go back." Ji Wei glanced at the time on her wrist; there was only one hour left until kindergarten let out, so they had to go home first.

"The children's affairs are important, so I won't keep you here today. Next time you have a holiday, bring both children over to play together." After saying that, Qiao Xiaoxue urged Lü Shuangcai to hurry up and take them away.

"I'll bring them again when I have time; there will be plenty of opportunities in the future." As long as the two families continue to cooperate, there will be many such exchanges.

“That makes sense. Xiaosong and I will wait for you to come.” After saying that, Qiao Xiaoxue went to the front of Lü Shuangcai’s truck to get the things she had just put there. They were still snacks for the two children. Ji Wei only found out about these things when they returned to Wu’an. She took them from Lü Shuangcai’s hands with a bit of helplessness: “Sister-in-law, you’re too kind.”

"Don't mention it, it's just for the child. Xiaosong has been the happiest since she started her stall. Anyway, if you don't give the child some, he'll just go out and buy it himself, so it's better to prepare it for him yourself." Lü Shuangcai felt that giving him snacks was better than letting the child buy random things outside.

Ji Wei thought about it and felt that it made some sense, but she was in a hurry to pick up her child, so she could only express her gratitude verbally: "Brother Lü, you're right. Thank you for your help today. Why don't you stay for dinner tonight?"

"Go pick up the child first, don't be late." Lü Shuangcai, who was helping her move the tables and chairs back to the yard, didn't answer her directly, but just told her to hurry up and pick up the child.

Ji Wei arrived at the kindergarten almost right on time. She heard the dismissal bell as soon as she reached the kindergarten gate. Soon, the teacher led the children out of the classroom. Ji Wei spotted Lulu immediately. Lulu was peeking around, looking for something, and only relaxed when she saw her. Ji Wei couldn't help but chuckle. Was Lulu afraid that she would be late coming home today?

As soon as Lulu came out of school, she rushed into her arms like a little cannonball: "Mom."

"What's wrong?" She touched the little one's head; she wasn't usually this clingy.

"Did Daddy come back with you too?" Lulu asked, tugging at her clothes as she spoke.

"Aren't you more interested in asking if your bubble gum is back?" Ji Wei understood her thoughts almost instantly.

"Has the bubble gum come back?" Lulu's eyes immediately lit up.

"You're back. Let's go. After picking up your brother, we can go home." Ji Wei smiled and took her hand, leading her to the neighboring elementary school. Elementary school dismissal time was later than kindergarten, so the two of them had to go to the office for a while.

Lulu was a regular at the office. As soon as she arrived, she ran into Teacher Li, who asked her, "Lulu, have you finished the drawing we talked about last time?"

"It's finished." Lulu nodded, her smile slowly fading. Perhaps because Teacher Li often gave her guidance, she was a little afraid of her.

"Could you bring it to show the teacher next time?" At first, Teacher Li praised her for her good colors, mainly to help Ji Wei take care of the child. But later she discovered that the little girl had some talent in drawing, and her imagination always surprised and amazed people.

"Tomorrow." Lulu thought for a moment and decided to bring it over tomorrow.

"Then I'll wait for you at school tomorrow," Teacher Li said, squatting down to make a pinky promise with her.

Lulu also extended her thumb and made a pinky promise with her: "Pinky promise, never to change, whoever changes is a dog."

Teacher Li suppressed a laugh and made a pinky promise with her before looking at Ji Wei: "Lulu has good talent. Would you consider pursuing a professional career in the future?"

"I can't make that decision; it's up to her to choose." Ji Wei shook her head at her. In her previous life, Lulu's talent wasn't discovered, and she followed the same path as all ordinary students, taking the college entrance exam step by step. Perhaps she would have more choices in this life? But these are not things that she can decide; it's up to Lulu to decide. No matter what decision she makes, Ji Wei will always be her strongest support.

"You're quite open-minded." Teacher Li was surprised by her open-mindedness, knowing that the teaching profession was the first to practice "tiger parenting."

"The child's own wishes are the most important." This is the experience that Ji Wei, who became a mother for the second time, summarized.

Teacher Li didn't say anything. After all, everyone understands the principle, but whether they can actually put it into practice is another matter.

The school bell ended the conversation, and Lulu urged, "Mom, school's out."

"Okay, he'll come looking for us later." This has become a daily routine, Ji Wei said, tidying up her desk.

Lulu was in a hurry to go home. She glanced at him and finally decided to stand at the office door. Unfortunately, she was too short. School was over and the corridor was full of people. She couldn't see Gu Chen'an at all until he walked up to her. Lulu then noticed him: "Brother, you're here."

"Okay, let's go, it's time to go home." Gu Chen'an said, calling out to his office, "Mom, it's time to go back."

"Coming right away." Ji Wei locked the drawer under her desk and got up.

"Is Dad back too?" Gu Chen'an asked her.

"Yes, I'm back. I'm home now." Ji Wei nodded.

"Did things go smoothly for you today?" Gu Chen'an already knew that they went to the city center to run some business.

"Everything went smoothly; the desks and chairs needed for the summer tutoring center have been purchased." Ji Wei told them what they had done in the city that day.

"Wow, so there are a lot of tables and chairs in the house now?" Gu Chen'an looked at Ji Wei with some surprise.

“Yes, before the tutoring class starts, you can sit at different desks and chairs every day.” Ji Wei stood up and looked at the two of them.

"Then I want to choose the best one." Gu Chen'an said. The desks and chairs at the school are all made of wood and have many marks left by previous students, such as marks drawn with various colored pens and words left with knives. In short, they are very old desks and chairs.

"Of course, but these are the ones that were rejected by the central primary school, so they might not be as good as you think." Ji Wei gave him a heads-up in advance.

"It's okay, as long as it's better than what I had at school," Gu Chen'an said, indicating that he didn't have high expectations.

Lulu didn't ask for any tables or chairs, she just kept asking for things along with Gu Chen'an. Ji Wei smiled but didn't say anything. When they got home, Lu Shuangcai's truck was no longer seen outside the yard or around. She pushed open the door and sure enough, only Gu Zhiyuan was left in the yard: "Brother Lu, did you go back?"

"Yeah, he went back. He said his sister-in-law was waiting for him to have dinner. He probably has to go on a business trip tomorrow, so going home early means he can get some rest," Gu Zhiyuan guessed.

"He's going out again tomorrow?" Ji Wei asked, somewhat surprised.

“Yes, for us, leaving a truck in the warehouse for more than one night is a loss.” This was something Lu Shuangcai had told him before.

"That's so exaggerated?" Ji Wei's eyes widened immediately. Didn't she usually get more than two days of rest after each long-distance trip?

“There are definitely more drivers than trucks, so everyone can take turns resting. If the trucks aren’t being repaired, you can rest for an extra day.” Gu Zhiyuan explained, seemingly noticing her confusion.

"Is that how it is?" Ji Wei felt as if her IQ had regressed.

Lulu stepped forward after they finished talking, looked up at Gu Zhiyuan, and asked softly, "Daddy, where's the bubble gum?"

"Here it is, look, this is for you and your brother." Gu Zhiyuan took out the bubble gum he had prepared in advance from the bag. As for the bag of gum that Qiao Xiaoxue had prepared for them, he put it in the cabinet, waiting for Ji Wei to come back and distribute it.

"Mom, where are those tables and chairs?" Gu Chen'an didn't see the tables and chairs that Ji Wei was talking about in the yard.

"Ask your dad." Ji Wei didn't know where the two things were either.

"They're all piled up inside. What, do you need these tables and chairs?" Gu Zhiyuan looked at him, puzzled.

"I want to choose one set to do my homework," Gu Chen'an explained.

"I want a set too." No matter what it is, Lulu will sign up immediately.

"Okay, then come in with me and choose now." To avoid making a mess, Gu Zhiyuan had Lu Shuangcai put the items in the storage room on the first floor for him.

“You guys go choose the tables and chairs, I’ll cook.” Ji Wei said, intending to go to the kitchen, but Gu Zhiyuan quickly stopped her: “You go about your business, I’ll cook after they’ve chosen the tables and chairs.”

"It's okay, I can do it too," Ji Wei said, indicating that it was no problem.

"Didn't your sister-in-law say today that you can't touch cold water these days? Ji Wei, listen to her." Gu Zhiyuan softened his tone for the last two words, which stunned the person opposite him.

Ji Wei had heard these two words most often from her parents. Every time they said "be obedient," their tone was forceful, even impatient. They relied on their status to make her obedient. She used to hate hearing these two words, but today, she unexpectedly heard gentleness in them. Yes, gentleness. Besides gentleness, there seemed to be some helplessness in them. This feeling was completely new to Ji Wei. She slowly looked up and saw him frowning at her. In his eyes, she seemed to be a disobedient child.

These two words were no longer Zhou Xiuzhen's shrill voice in her mind, nor Ji Dahai's angry voice. When he said "be obedient," he meant that she should not do anything. Thinking of this, Ji Wei suddenly looked up at him and smiled: "Okay, I'll do it when you're done."

"Then wait for me, it'll be quick here." After saying that, Gu Zhiyuan urged the two people in the storage room, "Hurry up, make your selection quickly."

"Dad, is your leg better?" It was at this moment that Gu Chen'an suddenly remembered his leg injury, his eyes filled with worry.

"Moving two tables won't be a problem," Gu Zhiyuan reassured him.

"Is it really okay?" Gu Chen'an was still a little worried; he didn't want his father to get hurt again.

"Really? So, have you made your choice?" Gu Zhiyuan kept his eyes on Ji Wei as he spoke, and only breathed a sigh of relief when he saw her sit down in the main room.

Because of this little incident, dinner was half an hour later than usual tonight, but everyone was happy. Gu Chen'an even calculated that there was still about a week until the final exams, after which summer vacation would begin. Thinking of the tables and chairs from earlier, he looked at Ji Wei with some curiosity: "Mom, will many classmates come to our house for summer tutoring classes?"

"A maximum of twenty." Ji Wei was unsure if they could reach full capacity.

"So they come to our house every day like they go to school?" Gu Chen'an continued to ask.

"Two classes in the morning and two classes in the afternoon every day." This applies to different classes, and it would be good if even one class was full, Ji Wei thought to herself.

"Then the house will be very lively during the summer vacation." Children naturally love excitement, and Gu Chen'an's eyes were full of anticipation.

A week or so passed in the blink of an eye, and the final exams were fast approaching. In addition to Chinese and math exams, second graders also had science exams, but the questions were relatively simple and did not count towards the total score or ranking. So everyone's focus remained on Chinese and math.

The exams were over and the students were enjoying their summer vacation, but Ji Wei and her colleagues still had to grade papers and write semester summaries. Originally, she was thinking of bringing the two little ones to school, but they preferred to go to the Rongxian warehouse with Gu Zhiyuan rather than go to school.

"Won't their visit affect your work?" Ji Wei glanced at the two little ones with some concern.

"No, the work in the warehouse is easy, and they are all very obedient." After saying that, Gu Zhiyuan reminded Gu Chen'an to bring his badminton racket so he could play a game with Lü Song later.

"Wow, Brother Lü Song can play badminton too?" Gu Chen'an was a little surprised.

"He can not only play badminton, but also table tennis."

"That's amazing! I want to learn that too." The competitive spirit between children always comes out of nowhere.

"You can try them all if you're interested." After all, learning these things is for the purpose of improving your health.

"Is playing table tennis difficult?" Gu Chen'an suddenly felt a little nervous.

“You can have him teach you, and then you can come back and practice on your own,” Ji Wei thought. Most people know how to play table tennis, but the difference lies in the level of skill.

"Then I'll give it a try today." Gu Chen'an's eyes were full of interest.

"Go on, and when you get there, listen to your father, okay?" Ji Wei instructed the two children.

"Okay." Compared to her worry, the two little ones' eyes were full of anticipation.

"Don't worry, I'll take good care of them, trust me."

"Of course I believe you, I just don't believe them." Ji Wei thought, this is for the best, they'll all go to Rong County with them, and she can finally have some peace and quiet.

When she arrived at the office, many colleagues had brought their children. Huang Jing asked her curiously, "Where are your two kids?"

"They went to Rong County with their father, so I'll have some peace and quiet for a day." Ji Wei said, then opened a drawer and began grading the test papers.

"Then you can relax today." Huang Jing's tone carried a hint of envy.

“Indeed.” As Ji Wei spoke, her red pen was also busy, and soon, only the sound of grading papers remained in the office.

＊

This was the first time Gu Zhiyuan had taken both children out alone. Similarly, it was the first time Gu Chen'an had gone to his workplace. Along the way, he kept chattering away, asking questions that gave Gu Zhiyuan a headache. He only stopped asking questions when the bus pulled into the station.

The warehouse is full of goods brought back by trucks. Some were brought here by customers from other places, and some were brought back by the customers themselves. Gu Zhiyuan's job is to take inventory and classify them.

Taking inventory might be a tedious task for adults, but it's a fun game for kids. So the two little ones started clamoring to help. Gu Zhiyuan, worried they might mess up his data, gave them a piece of paper and told them to count whatever they wanted. And so the morning passed by, and the plan to play badminton with Lü Song, mentioned earlier, was left unresolved.

When Lü Shuangcai was out driving his car, Gu Zhiyuan usually didn't come to their house for lunch. So at noon, he took the two little ones out to a restaurant. Gu Chen'an ate with a satisfied look on his face, and then discussed with him, "Dad, can we come with you again tomorrow?"

"What, do you think this place is fun?" Gu Zhiyuan glanced at him.

"It's fun and delicious, hehe." He even got a little embarrassed at the end.

"Okay, you guys can stay with me tomorrow. Once you get your report cards and the teacher assigns homework, you'll have to stay home and do your homework." Gu Zhiyuan remembered that it was a week later when he would receive his report cards.

"I know even if you don't tell me." Gu Chen'an felt a little uneasy when talking about his report card. He didn't know if he could get a perfect score. He was still a little nervous after the exam, worried that they would ask him how he did. But no one had asked him so far.

"It's good that you have your own plans. Are you going to go see Lü Song this afternoon or what?" Gu Zhiyuan asked them about their plans for the afternoon.

“We’ll stay with you.” They weren’t actually that familiar with Lü Song, and the point game in the warehouse was more appealing to them.

And so, before the report cards came out, the two of them went to Rong County with Gu Zhiyuan every day. Kindergarten didn't need to pick up report cards, so Lulu went to school with them that day. Gu Chen'an seemed a little nervous the whole way. Ji Wei glanced at him and asked, "Are you very nervous?"

"A little bit." Gu Chen'an was actually lying; he was more than just a little nervous.

"The exam is over, don't be nervous," Ji Wei comforted her.

"What if I don't do well on the test?" Gu Chen'an looked at Ji Wei nervously.

"If we don't do well on the test, we'll analyze the reasons and try to do better next time." Ji Wei's gentle tone seemed to carry boundless strength, instantly soothing all of Gu Chen'an's tension. He looked up at Ji Wei, whose expression remained unchanged, and he couldn't help but ask again, "Mom, if I don't do well on the test, will you think I'm stupid?"

"Of course not. Everyone has their own strengths. This is just one result and doesn't represent everything. Chen'an, this is just an ordinary exam in your life. Just take it easy. If you do well, we'll learn from the experience and keep working hard. If you don't do well, we'll analyze the reasons for the failure and try not to make the same mistakes next time, okay?" Ji Wei's tone was gentle. These words were not only telling them, but also reminding herself that scores are not the standard for judgment.

"I understand, Mom." Gu Chen'an felt that he would no longer be afraid of exams.

Lulu, who was being led by Ji Wei, nodded along as if she understood, but for the three-year-old, exams were still a very distant thing.

Upon arriving at school, Gu Chen'an went straight to the classroom, while Lulu went to the office with Ji Wei. After receiving their report cards, the students left school in the morning, and the teachers were also able to have a holiday after their meeting, so the atmosphere in the office was very pleasant.

When the first school bell rang, Ji Wei walked into Class 1 with the test papers in her arms. The classroom, which had been a bit noisy, instantly became quiet. Everyone's eyes were on the test papers in her hands, and even their breathing became careful. Their grades were related to their treatment at home during the summer vacation. Seeing everyone's tension, Ji Wei raised the corners of her lips.

The Chinese teacher had already assigned homework on the blackboard, and Ji Wei had also had the class monitor write the homework on the blackboard early in the morning. Before handing out the test papers, she asked everyone, "Have you all finished copying the homework on the blackboard?"

"You've finished copying." Everyone's tone was anxious. Seeing this, Ji Wei began to distribute the test papers. The test papers were arranged according to the student ID number. She called out the name of the first student and said the corresponding score, then the second, the third. Gu Chen'an stared at the students who went up to receive their test papers. He calculated that there should be two more before it was his turn. He thought, he started to get nervous again. Everyone else could get a hundred points. He even had his mother give him extra help. If he didn't get a hundred points, he would be letting her down.