Chapter 50 Eating Stewed Chicken
After the third child, Cheng Tianlan, was admitted to high school, the Cheng family moved out of the cotton mill's living area.
They originally lived in the old quarters of the cotton mill. Cheng Tianlan's grandfather worked there, but after he retired, his only son took sick leave due to health reasons. The family was left to the sole care of the old man.
Cheng Tianlan's mother left the Cheng family when Cheng Tianlan was in grade 3. Cheng Tianlan and his second brother Cheng Tiandong were raised by their eldest brother Cheng Tianye.
Cheng Tianlan was still talking about her deskmate while having lunch.
Cheng Tiandong was listening to this and wanted to stuff Cheng Tianlan's mouth with a steamed bun. It was really noisy and cruel.
But Cheng Tianye didn't mind the noise. He came out of the bedroom when the two of them were done with school. With sleepy eyes, he asked Cheng Tianlan how he felt about the first day of class.
Cheng Tianlan then started talking about Xin Tianyi.
A particularly magical girl with short hair, who is the top student in English in her class.
Cheng Tianye listened with a smile, and Aunt Huang brought a bowl of soup from the kitchen. This was Cheng Tianye's habit. He would drink a bowl of soup first thing in the morning, no matter how late he got up.
After a bowl of hot soup, Cheng Tianye finally felt better. He walked past the amazing girl and asked Cheng Tianlan how the air conditioning in her room was.
Cheng Tianlan immediately said that it was really cool. The air conditioner was really great and was a hundred times cooler than a fan.
Cheng Tiandong was extremely envious and went over to ask Cheng Tianye when he would install one in his room.
Cheng Tianye covered Cheng Tiandong's face with his hands, pushed him back hard, and said with a smile: "You really have such a big face? You want to install an air conditioner? Sure, you can make money yourself."
Cheng Tiandong immediately stated that he would work in a nightclub on weekends, serving beer, and the money he earned in a year should be enough to buy an air conditioner.
"Okay." Cheng Tianye said, "Just don't mention my name. Just do your own work and don't mention me."
Cheng Tianlan was laughing on the side, and suddenly remembered something and asked Cheng Tianye: "Brother, is there someone named Bai Xue in your dance hall?"
Cheng Tianye frowned when he heard this: "I don't know. No one who works there uses their real name."
"The last time I went there, I heard someone call her that," Cheng Tianlan said. "Maybe they just got used to it. Later I heard them call her Lily."
"Lily?" Cheng Tianye touched his hair and felt that it was time to wash it. When he touched it, his hand was covered with hairspray, sticky and greasy.
He knew Lily, but he hadn't really noticed what her original name was.
A very pretty girl, who was a full-time makeup artist for the girls working in the dance hall, never went to the front of the stage, but only stayed backstage, which was a pity because she was so beautiful.
"How old is the Bai Xue you are talking about?" Cheng Tianye asked.
"About the same as me." Cheng Tianlan said, "She is my deskmate's best friend. When she mentioned her name today, I suddenly remembered her."
"That shouldn't be the case." Cheng Tianye waved his hand. "Lily is already grown up. If she's about the same age as you, she's still a child. We work in the dance hall, but we're all adults."
Cheng Tianlan curled his lips, "If it's not, then it's not. I'm just asking unnecessary questions."
Cheng Tiandong immediately interrupted: "Brother, if I work for a year, can I raise enough money for an air conditioner?"
While Cheng Tiandong was worried about the air conditioner, Zhang Liangpeng was also worried.
Today is Zhang Yang's first day in high school. The family is just like usual until Zhang Yang comes back from school at noon on his bicycle and runs into Zhang Liangpeng at the gate. Then Zhang Liangpeng remembers that the boy is already in high school.
The two went home together. Zhang Yang didn't have classes in the afternoon, so he watched TV in the living room and waited for lunch.
Pei Juanjuan came back a little later. She had just gotten some food from the cafeteria and asked Zhang Liangpeng as soon as she entered: "Is it true? What did Zhang Mao say?"
"Let's fight again later." Zhang Liangpeng glanced at the time. "He should be eating right now."
"What else can I eat? This kid, when he has something wrong, he doesn't complain at home, but complains to you. And you can't explain it clearly." Pei Juanjuan was furious.
The meal I ordered was still from the cafeteria's big pot, with two stews and a large bowl of noodles.
Zhang Yang was called to eat first. Zhang Yang casually picked up some noodles and poured some sauce on them. Seeing that Zhang Liangpeng looked unhappy, he asked what was wrong.
Pei Juanjuan was about to cry as she spoke, her eyes red. She said, "This child has never left us. He's attending university in the provincial capital, and I'm worried about him all the time. Now he wants to go abroad? He's in a place he doesn't know well. I don't agree!"
Zhang Yang put down his chopsticks in surprise, "My brother is going abroad?"
"He called today and told me." Zhang Liangpeng sighed, "He said he was going out as an exchange student from the school."
"You don't want my brother to go?" Zhang Yang asked.
"It's too far. What's the point of going there for just one year?" Zhang Liangpeng said, "Your mother won't be worried."
"He can't go!" Pei Juanjuan said, "I don't expect him to be very successful. Aren't universities good enough now? Why should he go abroad? It's so chaotic and far away. If he gets sick or something, who can rush over to take care of him?"
"What did my brother say?" Zhang Yang asked.
"He wanted to go," Zhang Liangpeng said. "He wasn't originally recommended as an exchange student, but then a classmate couldn't go due to family reasons, so the teacher asked him to take his place."
"Okay, okay, stop talking." Pei Juanjuan said immediately: "Hurry up and eat. After dinner, call Zhang Mao and ask him... Yes, ask him to come back. I'll talk to him."
This is a big deal in the Zhang family.
Anything related to Zhang Mao was a big deal. Furthermore, it involved going abroad, and the family was trembling with fear. However, Zhang Mao was very determined and expressed his determination over the phone: he must go.
Zhang Liangpeng put down the phone, walked into the room and took out his passbook.
Although tuition fees are not required, round-trip airfare, accommodation, living expenses, etc. all cost money.
Zhang Mao said in a firm tone that he would apply for a scholarship after he got there, but regardless of whether he could get it, the airfare alone was a huge sum.
Zhang Liangpeng has been the factory director for a year and has been very conscientious. How can a worker who lives on wages send Zhang Mao abroad?
He sat on the bed, looking at the short string of numbers on the passbook, and couldn't help sighing.
Zhang Yang stood at the door, looked inside, and saw Zhang Liangpeng's face full of worry, so he didn't go in.
The advertisement was still playing on TV, and Pei Juanjuan was sitting on the sofa crying.
Everyone has something to worry about. It was not until I was about to go to work in the afternoon that I realized Zhang Yang was still at home.
"Why didn't you go to school?" Zhang Liangpeng was about to go out and asked in surprise when he saw Zhang Yang.
"There are no classes this afternoon." Zhang Yang didn't know how many times he had said it, but Zhang Liangpeng seemed not to hear it every time.
"Oh." Zhang Liangpeng nodded. "Then you can play at home by yourself. Your mom and I are going to work."
Pei Juanjuan said nothing and followed Zhang Liangpeng out of the house.
As soon as the two of them went out, the phone rang.
Zhang Yang thought it was Zhang Mao calling, so he quickly picked up the phone, and the voice on the other end immediately rang out.
"What's going on? I called your house, but the line's always busy! Zhang Yang, how's your high school life? Did you see Tianyi? How's she? Let me tell you, the food at our railway school is really good. We're having stewed chicken for lunch today..."
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