Chapter 176 Tang Mingli would naturally consider one…
Tang Mingli and Fu Cili spoke up, and the Tang family closed the door to discuss buying a house.
After hearing what Tang Mingli and Fu Ci said, the whole family was very interested in the apartment.
Li Hong asked her daughter, "We've been running this shop for over a year now, we must have earned a few thousand yuan, right?"
Tang Mingmei nodded: "That's for sure, but we're constantly getting supplies."
Most of the money earned is invested in the store, and with daily living expenses, there's definitely not much cash on hand.
However, just because it's not there now doesn't mean it won't be in the future.
With a determined look in her eyes, Tang Mingmei said to her parents, "Dad, Mom, let's work hard for another two years and then we'll buy an apartment."
Li Hong and Tang Jianguo exchanged a glance, gritted their teeth, and unanimously agreed.
Just buy a commercial apartment.
They lived in tenement buildings their whole lives, their daughter lived in tenement buildings for half her life, and their granddaughter had to live in a commercial apartment.
Li Hong encouraged everyone: "With our family working together, we can definitely afford it."
Although Mingli had offered to help them, in the past, she would have loved to get ten thousand or even more from Mingli. But now, her thoughts had changed.
Having your own resources gives you confidence, and maintaining comfortable relationships with relatives without owing or delaying each other is the best approach.
Moreover, their clothing store is doing so well, and the husband is a skilled worker; with the whole family working together, they can definitely achieve it.
With a clear new goal in the new year, the Tang family is full of energy.
-
The Fu family also received an unexpected surprise at the start of the new year.
Last year's final work by Madam Fu was surprisingly selected by the Guangcheng Calligraphy Association and is being exhibited in this year's calligraphy exhibition.
To be exhibited alongside works by renowned artists is an honor several levels higher than winning a calligraphy competition organized by the association.
Tang Mingli was very happy for her grandmother and specially held a small celebration banquet at home.
Madam Fu was initially worried that her granddaughter-in-law might feel resentful, since the two of them had enrolled in calligraphy classes together. Madam Fu had improved so much that her work was now being exhibited, while her granddaughter-in-law, though also making great progress, had fallen behind due to her pregnancy and childbirth.
But seeing how happy she was for her today, Madam Fu breathed a sigh of relief and finally dared to indulge her joy.
At that moment, they never imagined that things would develop in such a way.
After the calligraphy exhibition, Teacher Chen, who had always been very kind to them, suddenly changed his attitude.
Not only did he become much colder, but he even said that the two of them were no longer at their current level and didn't need to take classes with him anymore.
"Why?" Madam Fu didn't understand her teacher's coldness and was very anxious, explaining that she still had a lot to improve.
Tang Mingli could tell that something must have happened that made Old Chen uncomfortable and caused him to harbor resentment towards her and her grandmother.
What happened?
Tang Mingli couldn't have come up with this idea in a short time.
You can't fight city hall. Old Chen had decided he didn't want to teach them anymore. Tang Mingli felt that insisting would only cause more trouble, so she simply accepted the refunded tuition and ended their schooling.
On the way back, Madam Fu was still puzzled.
“How could that be? The day we went to see the exhibition together, Teacher Chen was very happy to introduce me to his friends, and he proudly said that I was his prized student.”
Tang Mingli felt that the problem must have occurred at the exhibition, so she pressed for details about what happened that day.
"It's nothing, just looking at the work."
“Even when looking at works of art, there will definitely be some chatting involved, Grandma, think about it carefully.”
Madam Fu tried hard to recall, but still shook her head: "It's really nothing, it's just that a lot of people have praised my handwriting..."
Suddenly, Madam Fu remembered something and looked at Tang Mingli in the driver's seat.
Tang Mingli also had her own guesses.
"Is it because everyone praises my work as better than his?"
That's probably the reason.
Tang Mingli never expected that a master like Elder Chen would be so petty.
It was unexpected, yet it didn't seem so unexpected.
Many masters are like this; they can accept that their students are outstanding, but how many can truly accept that their students will surpass them?
Could it be that the female calligrapher I admired so much in my past life only had a fleeting moment of fame because of this?
Thinking of this possibility, Tang Mingli gripped the steering wheel tighter.
"Grandma, even if you don't study with Teacher Chen, you must persevere and write more good works. Then I'll ask Fu Ci to hold a solo exhibition for you."
"A solo exhibition?" Madam Fu hadn't even considered it, and said somewhat timidly, "Isn't that a bit inappropriate? What if no one comes to see it? That would be so embarrassing."
No, it won't.
"What if?"
Madam Fu was still uneasy.
Tang Mingli said half-jokingly and half-seriously, "If no one really comes, I'll have Fu Ci bring all his factory employees to make a show of it."
Madam Fu was surprised to hear this, and after a brief moment of stunned silence, she couldn't help but laugh.
"You silly child, how dare you tease your grandma like that."
"I'm not joking. Excellent works don't necessarily require someone who understands calligraphy to appreciate them. I think excellent works are close to the public and can be understood by everyone."
Madam Fu pondered her granddaughter-in-law's words and found them to be very reasonable.
Who says that only experts can appreciate calligraphy and paintings?
The country is working hard to eradicate illiteracy. Why can't ordinary people talk about some of the so-called refined things that were once only discussed by the upper class?
Perhaps harboring some resentment, Madam Fu secretly resolved to write works that ordinary people could understand and hold exhibitions for them.
-
The two were somewhat affected by being expelled from school, but their mood was quickly overshadowed by another piece of good news.
After working diligently for more than 30 years, Mrs. Fu has finally retired.
She can't remember when she started looking forward to retirement.
It must have been after the family's first trip to Echeng that she started looking forward to retirement. She felt she wasn't too old yet, her health was still good, and she had enough time to travel to other cities in the country with Mingli and her mother-in-law.
We've been waiting for this day for ages, and it's finally here!
Moreover, the family had already discussed that after she retired, she would drive to several nearby cities for a trip.
Now this plan can finally be implemented.
However, just as they were discussing how to have fun, Fu's mother received a phone call she never expected.
That was her childhood playmate; the two hadn't been in contact for almost twenty years.
So when she received the call, Mrs. Fu could hardly believe it.
"Are you Xiujuan? Is it really Xiujuan?"
The person on the other end of the phone was already choked up, "Yujuan, it's me, it really is me."
Fu's mother could no longer hold back her tears, which streamed down her face.
Why are you only calling me now?
Twenty years ago, the two met at a hospital. She left her home phone number and asked him to call her when he had time.
However, no, Wei Xiujuan never called her even once.
Fu's mother regretted it; she should have asked for her contact information at the time.
Even today.
Afraid that Wei Xiujuan on the other end of the phone would hear that she was crying, Fu's mother took a few deep breaths and tried to speak in a normal voice: "Why are you only calling me now? Luckily, our family's phone number hasn't been changed all these years."
Never mind, I have to get her contact information this time.
When Wei Xiujuan heard Wei Yujuan ask for her home phone number, she smiled wryly and said, "Yujuan, I'm calling you from the post office right now."
In one sentence, Mrs. Fu understood instantly. Her face turned red with anxiety, and she quickly changed the subject, "Or, tell me where you live now? I'm retired, and I can come visit you when I have time."
Unexpectedly, the other party was willing to go along with this and ask, "Are you really willing to come and find me?"
"Why wouldn't I want to? We haven't seen each other for twenty years."
"But my home is far away."
How far is it?
"It's in a very, very remote rural area, not even accessible by bus."
Fu's mother was taken aback, and asked with some heartache, "Did you marry someone so far away?"
"Um."
That single "hmm" carried an unspeakable heaviness.
Worried that the other party might misunderstand, Fu's mother quickly said in a lighthearted tone, "It's alright, as long as it's to see you, I'll go no matter how far. And..."
She wanted to say that they had their own car, but she was afraid that saying that would upset her friend, so she swallowed the words back.
Wei Xiujuan, however, was curious and pressed for more information: "And what?"
Fu's mother had no choice but to lie: "Besides, we haven't seen each other for twenty years."
Actually, that meeting twenty years ago was also brief. Strictly speaking, they haven't sat down for a proper chat since they got married.
Overwhelmed with emotion, Fu's mother couldn't help but say, "I really miss the days when we were neighbors before I got married."
Wei Xiujuan on the other end of the phone was even more emotional than she was.
Her life, simply put, can be divided into two parts: before marriage and after marriage.
Before she got married, she had parents, family, and friends.
After her family, she clearly had a husband and her own children, but why did she feel more deeply about suffering?
But she wouldn't tell her friends about these hardships.
Phone calls aren't cheap, so Wei Xiujuan didn't dare talk for too long. She left her address and then hung up.
Fu's mother wrote down her friend's address in her notebook. Looking at the village and hamlet-like names, tears welled up in her eyes again.
Just by looking at such a long string of names, you can tell how remote your friend's husband is.
Although she's not a rich heiress, my friend grew up in the city, and I don't know how she adapted to rural life after marrying into the countryside.
Tang Mingli could tell her mother-in-law was excited from the moment she received that phone call, and sat quietly to the side the whole time.
Seeing her mother-in-law holding the piece of paper with the address written on it and shedding tears, she considerately handed her two tissues.
Fu's mother took the phone, wiped away her tears, and hurriedly explained to her mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, "I'm fine. I just received a call from a friend I haven't contacted in a long time, and I got a little excited."
Tang Mingli understood.
This friend must be very important to my mother-in-law, otherwise she wouldn't be so excited.
only……
She looked down at the paper in her mother-in-law's hand, and after seeing the address, she couldn't help but frown.
This place must be very remote, and the mother-in-law agreed to visit her.
Even decades later, people will be wary of going to remote mountain villages, let alone now.
Tang Mingli would naturally consider some potential dangers.
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