Ning Xue is a good cook, and the New Year's Eve reunion dinner is always her chance to show off her cooking skills.
Boiled prawns, sweet and sour fish, pork trotters stewed with peanuts, mouth-watering chicken, glutinous rice balls, and even the two carved radish flowers on the plate looked vivid and lifelike.
She and Su Junyan sat face to face. The dishes on the table were delicious, but they had lost their heat.
Ning Xue picked up the tender fish meat from the cheeks of the sweet and sour fish with her chopsticks, put it into her mouth, chewed it briefly, and then glanced at the door. Still no one was there. "It's New Year's Day, and Guangzong and Yaozu haven't come back yet?"
He asked and answered this question to himself, and also said it to Su Junyan. He muttered, "How would I know?"
Having said that, Su Junyan was also puzzled. Since the twins went to school, not only hadn't a single letter been sent back, but it was almost the New Year, and there was still no news. I wondered how they were doing now.
It’s bad enough that these two kids are silent most of the time, but how come they don’t even come home for the Chinese New Year?
Su Junyan suddenly remembered what Chen Lie mentioned, that Da Wa saw Su Guangzong entering the game hall in Shanghai. His heart skipped a beat. Could it be... Could it be... that this kid is so addicted to games that he doesn't even want to go home for the New Year?
Although he knew that he shouldn't think badly of his son, Su Junyan couldn't help but think so because it was too possible.
Even though Su Junyan usually doesn't take care of the children much, he knows about the twins' personalities, if not completely.
The eldest brother has a gentle personality and studies hard, but he likes to play. In the past, Ning Xue was at home to supervise and suppress his temper.
Now that he has gone to Shanghai, the emperor is far away and no one is watching over him. He can't do what he wants.
I guess it's because I've been suppressed for too long, so everything I see is new to me. If I catch something interesting, I'll play with it to my heart's content.
If it were other children, they would have played it secretly a lot, but they might not be as obsessed with it as he is.
What's more, after the final exams, the school will be on vacation during the Chinese New Year. If students do not go home for the New Year, they can stay in school for two full months. During these two months, they can do whatever they want.
Su Junyan glanced at Ning Xue secretly. He had kept this news a secret from Ning Xue.
Fortunately, Chen Lie was not a talkative person. He only mentioned it to himself and did not say a word to Ning Xue.
Otherwise, if Ning Xue finds out, she will go to Shanghai and cause a huge uproar. How will I be able to live then?
Su Junyan let out a long breath, gulped down two cups of rice wine, and thought to himself, son, it's so hard for your father to keep it a secret for you.
I feel like a kind father now.
On this side, Ning Xue was also wondering.
I wondered why neither Su Guangzong nor Su Yaozu came back. "Why haven't they come back yet? It can't be the New Year. Are they still taking final exams? Even if that's the case, you should at least write back to comfort us."
We can't let them guess like this now, with no news at all. It's really making them sweat.
Ning Xue's heart was in turmoil. Sometimes she felt that the two children were doing fine at school, and sometimes she wondered if something happened on the way back.
She stood up suddenly and said, "No? I'll go find them now."
Su Junyan's heart was beating like a drum. He pulled her back and said, "Please be quiet for a while. It's not too late to go after the New Year."
What if I go there now and catch Guangzong playing games in the arcade? Wouldn't that be a big deal?
Su Junyan advised him again, "Don't think too much about it. The two children are grown up, eighteen or nineteen years old. What could possibly happen to them? It's probably just something going on at school that got them in trouble."
After hearing what he said, Ning Xue felt the same way.
She has always been blindly confident in her academic qualifications. The twins are college students. What problems can go wrong for college students? There can be no problems.
Thinking of this, Ning Xue felt a little more at ease. She sat down and said, "Well, let's eat first."
It was a nice reunion dinner, but because Su Guangzong and Su Yaozu were not back, the meal was really not enjoyable.
Su Junyan was a man after all, and he was not very sensitive. He just thought about it for a moment and then let it go. In addition, the food cooked by Ning Xue was really delicious. He grabbed the stewed pig's feet and ate until his mouth was full of oil. He then took a few sips of rice wine. Wow, it was so comfortable.
In Ning Xue's eyes, isn't that enough? He's heartless. She glared at him and said, "You're still the father who brings honor to our family. He hasn't been home for two Chinese New Years, and you're not worried at all."
Su Junyan muttered, "What's the use of being anxious? I can't fly to Shanghai, bring them back, and perform a magic trick for you." He added, "The children are grown up, just give them some space."
Ning Xue glared and said, "Bullshit! They recognized me as their mother when they were seven years old. I fed them mouthful by mouthful. They followed me around like little chickens every day. How could they not recognize me when they are older?"
"Yes, yes, yes." Su Junyan couldn't argue with her. "I recognize you as my biological mother, the heroic mother, okay? Are we still going to have the New Year's Eve dinner?"
"Eat." Seeing Su Junyan give in, Ning Xue curled her lips and said, "Why don't you eat?"
The two continued to eat, looking at each other in silence.
From time to time, laughter and joy could be heard from the Shen family next door. The cheerful voices could be heard in almost the entire alley. In comparison, the Su family was completely silent, without any sign of life.
I haven't bought a TV at home yet, and I want to turn it on to watch the Spring Festival Gala and add some cheer. But I can't?
In silence, accompanied by occasional cheers from next door, Su Junyan and Ning Xue quietly finished their reunion dinner, and the year came to 1988.
On the sixth day of the New Year, Ning Xue started packing her luggage.
She hadn't seen the twins for almost half a year, and she missed them so much that she decided to go to Shanghai to see them and ask them why they didn't go home for the New Year.
Su Junyan muttered, "Aren't you going there to call for justice?"
But in front of Ning Xue, he didn't dare to say much, and only said, "Go to the school to check on them. If you can't find them, come back."
Ning Xue sent so many letters, but the twins didn't reply to any of them. It was obvious that they didn't want to contact their family. It was uncertain whether Ning Xue could find them this time.
Ning Xue turned a deaf ear to him and focused on packing her luggage.
I can't just stop contacting my two sons, whom I raised with so much effort, after they got into college. Wouldn't that be like letting the cooked duck fly away?
She said, "Don't worry about it, I know what's going on."
Just the day before she left, she had already planned how to go to Shanghai and confront the twins, but she never expected that Su Yaozu would come back.
It was morning when Su Yaozu returned. Ning Xue had just packed her luggage and was about to go to the port to take a boat and then a train. Just as she was about to leave, she saw Su Yaozu walk in with a smile on his face and called out, "Dad, Mom."
Ning Xue dropped the luggage she was carrying. She took two quick steps, rushed to Su Yaozu, clenched her fists and punched him twice, "You kid, why did you come back just now?"
Su Yaozu wore a long cashmere coat, shiny black leather shoes, and had his hair moussed. He looked very fashionable.
His eyes wandered, "...I, had something to do, so I didn't make it back." He deliberately covered his shoulder and yelled, "Ouch, Mom, you hit me so hard."
Ning Xue glared at him, "I gave up. I used all my strength, how could it hurt?"
This is the truth. She treats the twins as her treasures. After all, she hasn't seen them for half a year, so how could she be willing to put in the effort?
Of course Su Yaozu knew this, what's more, he was a grown man, even if Ning Xue really used all her strength, it wouldn't hurt him. She just said that on purpose to change the subject.
Su Junyan looked behind Su Guangzong and asked, "Where's your brother? Why hasn't he come back?"
Su Yaozu knew that Su Guangzong had been addicted to video games lately and practically lived in the arcade. He rolled his eyes and lied for him, "Oh, my brother. He... their major has a research project, and their professor chose him to be a research assistant. He's quite busy, so he doesn't have time to come back."
When he was at home before, Su Yaozu didn't think much of Su Guangzong, thinking that this brother was stupid. But when he went to Shanghai, he realized the good in his brother, and felt a sense of sympathy. After all, they grew up together under Ning Xue's oppression.
So, I lied for him.
Ning Xue pursed her lips and said, "No matter how busy I am, I have to write back to my family."
It was just a casual remark. Ning Xue felt very comfortable that Su Guangzong was chosen by the teacher to be a research assistant.
There are so many people in the same major, why was Guangzong from their family chosen? It’s because he has great potential.
She glanced proudly in the direction of the Shen family and said, "Your eldest son and second daughter can go home for the New Year because they are not valued by their teacher. But our Guangzong is different. He is too valued by the teacher, so he can't even go home for the New Year."
Thinking about it this way, all the unhappiness I had felt during the past few days on New Year's Eve was relieved. When I went out, even my complexion looked better.
Now that Su Yaozu is back, and there's an explanation for Su Guangzong's absence during the Spring Festival, why would Ning Xue go to Shanghai? She decided not to go. She took her luggage upstairs and put it away. When she came downstairs, she asked Su Yaozu, "Yaozu, have you eaten yet? Mom will make you something you like."
Su Yaozu rolled his eyes and said with a smile, "I won't eat anymore." He hesitated and said, "Dad, Mom, I came back this time to ask for some living expenses."
Su Junyan frowned and said, "You want living expenses? Didn't you give it to me when you left? Don't you and your brother have a lot of money?"
When they first entered university, he and Ning Xue gave the twins a lot of living expenses, not to mention that college students also received a monthly subsidy. Roughly speaking, the twins had at least a thousand yuan, which was enough for them to live in school for at least two or three years, and live a good life at that.
All this money was spent so quickly?
Su Yaozu felt a little weak, and he didn't dare to look his father in the eye. Instead, he turned to his mother and pleaded, stretching out his voice, "Mom—"
Ning Xue waved her hands and glared at Su Junyan, "The child is going to college, so what if the expenses are a bit high?" She then said to Su Yaozu, "Ignore your dad. Tell mom how much you need."
Su Junyan sneered inwardly. Ning Xue didn't have a job now, so the money she gave him was still his salary and allowance. She was just being generous with his money. Haha, so he walked away, "You two can do whatever you want."
Su Yaozu watched his father leave without getting angry or annoyed. He said to Ning Xue coquettishly, "Mom is still the best. Mom, can you give me some living expenses?" He blinked and said, "Just think of it as New Year's money for me."
Ning Xue enjoyed her son's coquettishness and said, "Okay, whatever you want, Mom will give it to you."
"Really?" Su Yaozu's eyes lit up. "It doesn't matter how much or how little you want. Then I want one thousand yuan!"
One thousand dollars?!
This is too much.
Ning Xue originally thought that Su Yaozu would ask for three or four hundred yuan at most, but she never expected that he would ask for one thousand yuan.
But this boast? Has it already been made? As she slowly went upstairs to get the money, she said, "Yaozu, what do you need so much money for?"
Su Yaozu followed her like a little tail, and without thinking, he said, "I told you, living expenses are for living, of course." He counted on his fingers for Ning Xue, "You know, food, clothing, housing, transportation, which one doesn't cost money? Prices in Shanghai are so high, and things are so expensive."
He lied without blinking, "A meal in the school cafeteria costs me five yuan. The weather in Shanghai is much colder than in Hailang Island. I need to buy a few more sets of clothes. Clothes are so expensive in Shanghai. Just two pairs of clothes will cost me hundreds of dollars. And then there's studying, which also costs money. Buying reference books, notebooks, pens, etc., will cost me dozens or hundreds of dollars."
Ning Xue did some calculations in her heart and felt that what Su Yaozu said made sense. Things in Shanghai were indeed expensive, much more expensive than those in Hailang Island.
Actually, a meal cost five dollars. This lie was indeed a bit outrageous. But not going to college was a concern for Ning Xue. As long as it was related to this, she would lose her rationality and nodded repeatedly, "We have to eat even if it's expensive. We can't just not eat it because it's expensive."
Su Yaozu nodded, "That's right." He looked at Ning Xue pitifully again, "Mom, although clothes are expensive in Shanghai, I still want to buy two more." He lowered his head slightly, "My classmates can buy several new clothes and shoes every season. If I'm so stingy that I don't change anything for half a year, they will definitely look down on me."
Ning Xue agreed, "You're right." She waved her hand, "Mom paid for your clothes. How can I let anyone look down on my son?"
A smile flashed in Su Yaozu's eyes, and he said crisply, "Thank you, Mom!"
Ning Xue counted out a thick stack of 1,000 yuan and reluctantly stuffed it into Su Yaozu's hand. She gritted her teeth and said, "Yaozu, please spend it sparingly."
No matter how good the promise was before, Ning Xue still felt very distressed when she saw the stack of banknotes being given away.
Su Yaozu lowered his head at the right moment and deliberately pushed the money back. "Then, Mom, you should take it back. I know I've already spent too much of our family's money. I shouldn't have another expensive meal or buy so many new clothes, or my classmates will look down on me." His face was filled with disappointment, and he said in a deep voice, "My classmates always say that I'm from a small island, unlike them who are all from big cities. Let them look down on me, but I shouldn't pretend to be rich."
Upon hearing this, Ning Xue immediately stuffed the money into Su Yaozu's hand and patted it twice, "Son, take it, don't let those scornful people look down on you. Eat an expensive meal, buy nice clothes, buy whatever you want, mom will pay for it!"
Su Yaozu smiled and deliberately leaned close to Ning Xue, saying softly, "Mom, you really are the best mom in the world."
He counted the money, put it in his pocket, and stood up with a smile on his face. "Okay, Mom, I'm leaving."
Ning Xue was still immersed in the praise. She was caught off guard when she heard Su Yaozu was about to leave. She was startled and quickly said, "Let's go, where are we going?"
The Lantern Festival hasn't even passed yet, and we're going back to school. Isn't it too early?
Su Yaozu thought, I have already got the money, why should I stay here instead of going back to have fun? Hailang Island is not as fun as the colorful world of Shanghai. He also has an appointment with some local classmates in Shanghai to go ice skating together. He doesn't have time to waste here.
Of course, I can't tell Ning Xueshi this.
Su Yaozu rolled his eyes. "I, I have to go back early and study hard. There will be exams when school starts again."
Since it was all about studying, Ning Xue couldn't say anything. "Okay then, go back. Studying is important. Remember, when summer vacation comes, bring your brother back with you."
Su Yaozu nodded, "Of course, of course."
But I thought to myself, summer vacation? It's not that far away, I'll talk about it when the time comes. If the money is gone before summer vacation, then he will definitely not come back.
When Su Yaozu left, did he take Ning Xue's heart with him?
After seeing Su Yaozu off, Ning Xue thought about the future of her two sons and glanced in the direction of the Shen family. She felt proud in the corners of her eyes and eyebrows. She didn't know what Ning Tang was doing now.
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