Chapter 107 My grandson is so handsome, yet he doesn't have a girlfriend? Just wait...
The snow paused briefly during dinner, then resumed falling softly after dinner.
It was already past nine o'clock after dinner, and Bai Mangmang still wanted to urge everyone to go play in the snow, but was stopped by Lou's mother, "If I remember correctly, you have your final exam next Monday, right?"
Bai Mangmang immediately wilted and stammered, "The homeroom teacher said that there will be a home visit after the final exams."
Lou's mother: "Oh, then why don't you hurry up and review? If it's a home visit, it might be Wen's mother who receives the teacher."
That's right, that's the scariest thing. Usually, it's Mrs. Lou who contacts the teachers and goes to parent-teacher conferences. If a student's grades are bad but they're not naughty, Mrs. Lou won't scold them. But Mrs. Wen is different. Although Mrs. Wen doesn't scold her either, Bai Mangmang finds it terrifying just to look at her quietly.
Lou's mother accurately pinpointed Bai Mangmang's Achilles' heel, leaving Bai Mangmang with no choice but to regretfully go back to reviewing her lessons. Before leaving, she didn't forget to drag her unfortunate friend Wen Xinglin along with her.
Lou Lan has never been a strict parent. Although she usually makes demands on her children, she is always careful not to put too much pressure on them. The children in the welfare home will grow up to face a world without relatives or friends, and the hardships and loneliness they will face are unimaginable to ordinary people. She hopes that their childhood can be more joyful.
She knows the children enjoy playing in the snow, and she doesn't stop them, but they've already played all afternoon, and now that it's snowing again, they'll probably have more to play with tomorrow. It's so late tonight, there's no need for them to linger.
"Aunt Lou, after the exams next week, can I bring my classmates over to play?" Bai Miaomiao asked.
Lou Lan was surprised that Bai Miaomiao would invite her classmates to her home.
Bai Miaomiao came to the welfare home three years ago when she was in fourth grade. Her parents had an accident, and her teacher kindly organized a fundraising event for her. Unexpectedly, this led to the whole school knowing that she had become an orphan overnight. Later, her uncle went to the school to cause trouble, refusing to pay her tuition and demanding that the government provide free education for orphans. He also demanded that the school solve her living expenses problem, threatening to stop her from attending school if the school didn't. As a result, all the students and teachers in the school felt sorry for her.
Those who are pitied are lowly, and it is impossible for a person to obtain equal friendship if they are not treated equally.
Later, she took her younger sister to the Women's Federation, which sent them to a welfare home. Lou Lan took over her studies and learned about her situation from her homeroom teacher.
Lou Lan asked her if she wanted to transfer schools, but Bai Miaomiao said no. Lou Lan knew that although Bai Miaomiao was not talkative, she actually had her own ideas. In addition, she was busy taking care of the younger children at the time. After confirming that she was not being bullied at school, she gave up on the idea of transferring schools.
Although Lou Lan hadn't personally inquired about Bai Miaomiao's interactions with classmates at school, she often talked to her homeroom teacher and knew that Bai Miaomiao was usually withdrawn and mostly kept to herself at school. Lou Lan was delighted that Bai Miaomiao had actually made friends in junior high, and that she could even invite Bai Miaomiao over to her home. "Of course! When are you coming?"
Bai Miaomiao: "The exam will be over on Wednesday afternoon."
"Great!" Lou Lan was so happy that she also announced some news to everyone, "My parents are coming to the welfare home for the Spring Festival this year. They'll be taking the high-speed train tomorrow."
Huh? The child didn't immediately realize that Lou's mother actually had a father and a mother.
An Shisi: "Who are Lou Mama's parents?"
Wen Min entered the living room just in time to hear this, and couldn't help but rub An Shisi's head: "Of course it's Grandpa and Grandma."
The children chewed repeatedly, "Grandpa and Grandma? We have grandpa and grandma too?"
Lou Lan looked at the children's bewildered expressions and couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness. Apart from her, no one in the entire orphanage had parents, let alone grandparents. "Yes, it's your grandparents. Your grandparents came to see you and said they brought you gifts."
"Wow, do we all have them?" Wen Xingmou asked.
“Of course, everyone has one,” Lou Lan said.
The children instantly erupted in excitement. Even Wen Xinglan and Wen Xingrui, who couldn't quite understand human speech, knew they were going to receive a gift and happily crawled around on the ground several times.
The next morning, the snow was thicker and fluffier.
In the south, there's no tradition of shoveling snow. Once the snow covers the roads, traffic is immediately controlled, and it usually only lasts a day or two. Even the busiest people are willing to stop and take a break.
With roads blocked, many vegetable vendors at the market couldn't get their goods and had to close their stalls, making vegetables scarce and expensive. The roads were also difficult to navigate, and there were fewer delivery riders. An Fusheng simply closed his restaurant as well.
Business was slow yesterday, and there were a lot of leftover vegetables. Plus, we had all kinds of vegetables in our own garden, so we didn't need to buy any. But An Fusheng still walked to the nearby market early in the morning to buy a live chicken and a live fish because his grandparents would be arriving at noon.
When I woke up in the morning, the snow had stopped. The snow stopping meant that the snow on the ground would melt soon. The children got up early in the morning and ran out into the snow one by one, even before they were fully dressed. They had to seize the opportunity to play in the snow.
Wen Min was unusually free today, so he took out his camera to take pictures of everyone. The children rolled around in the snow, shouting:
"Mommy Wen, take a picture of me! Quick, take a picture of me!"
"Take a picture of me and Afu. Afu looks so dirty today, hahaha!"
"That's not because it's dirty, it's because white makes black appear darker."
"But Afu is white, isn't he?"
"If there is something whiter than it, it becomes black."
“I like the dirty Ah Fu too.”
An Shisi slept with An Fusheng, and Afu also shared a room with them. Their friendship deepened day by day.
An Shisi grabbed Afu's paw and pressed it into the snow. "Wow, Afu's footprints are so pretty!"
Wen Xingmou ran over and stomped her shoe print heavily, saying, "Mine looks good too!"
An Shisi, not to be outdone, kicked her back: "Mine looks good too."
In no time, everyone ran around An Shisi and Afu, stepping on their footprints and laughing together. Wen Min, standing nearby, captured their smiling faces in his camera.
...
My grandparents took the high-speed train, which takes four hours, but when they arrived at the station, they found that the train was delayed. They called to say that they were expected to arrive at 4 p.m., but after they got on the train, they were told that they would arrive at 5 p.m.
Around noon, the sun slowly came out, and the temperature felt even lower as the snow melted. However, water began to seep into the snow, and the children were forbidden from stepping into the snow after lunch.
So everyone started to focus their attention on their anticipation of their grandparents' arrival.
Xu Sannian went home after dinner yesterday, saying that his family was going to soak in a hot spring.
Today, the task of picking up Grandpa and Grandma fell to An Fusheng.
The temperature on the road seemed to be higher than in other places. After being dried by the sun in the afternoon, the snow on the road was gone, even though it was thinner elsewhere. Traffic was normal.
There are four high-speed rail stations in the city. The station my grandparents arrived at was the one in the city center, which is the old train station. Now that fewer trains are running, it has started to accommodate some high-speed trains.
The train station wasn't far from the welfare home, about a half-hour drive. Lou Lan originally planned to take the subway and bus with An Fusheng to pick up her parents, but An Fusheng asked her if she could drive a tricycle. Lou Lan thought about it and agreed.
At four o'clock in the afternoon, An Fusheng and Lou Lan set off for the train station in their tricycle.
The area around the train station is bustling and busy, even on a snowy day. The road is full of cars, and An Fusheng's underpowered tricycle couldn't reach full speed. However, one good thing is that his vehicle is small, so he can pass through places where other vehicles can't squeeze in without any obstacles. As a result, he overtook many vehicles along the way.
Lou Lan watched as An Fu calmly and quickly turned the steering wheel in the car, and couldn't help but praise him: "I didn't expect you to be such a skilled driver so soon after getting your license."
An Fusheng chuckled.
When I was learning to drive, my instructor said that learning to drive is actually very simple. Many people can't learn not because they are stupid, but because they are timid. They are afraid when the car is moving, and fear easily leads to panic, which in turn leads to operational errors, resulting in various accidents. Drivers are even more afraid to drive after being frightened by those accidents.
When An Fusheng was learning to drive, he didn't feel scared or panicked. Once he sat in the driver's seat, he was certain that he was in control of the car. If the car didn't respond to his control, he just thought that he wasn't familiar with the car yet and that his control over the steering wheel, accelerator, and brakes wasn't precise enough. He figured he would just need to practice a few more times to get used to the vehicle.
As he expected, he learned to drive very quickly and passed all his tests on the first try.
During this period, he drove his tricycle to buy vegetables every day. The roads in the wholesale market are much more complicated than here. At least here there are no pedestrians walking slowly in the middle of the road. An Fusheng drives his tricycle on the road as freely as he walks.
When they arrived at the train station, Grandpa and Grandma hadn't arrived yet. An Fusheng and Lou Lan waited at the exit for about twenty minutes when Lou Lan suddenly raised her hand and shouted, "Mom and Dad, over here!"
Lou Lan spoke in her hometown dialect, but many of the words in her sentence sounded similar to Mandarin, so An Fusheng managed to understand her by guessing and deciphering.
An Fusheng noticed that his grandparents had gray hair, but they were in good spirits and looked very young.
After his grandparents swiped their tickets and came out, An Fusheng greeted them and was thinking about how to introduce himself when his grandfather patted him on the shoulder and asked with a laugh, "Is this my eldest grandson?"
Lou Lan said, "Yes, it's Fusheng. Just call him Fuzai."
An Fusheng was caught off guard and stumbled when his grandfather slapped him. Before he could regain his balance, his grandfather slapped him again. "A handsome young man indeed, not bad."
Lou Lan quickly pulled An Fusheng away a bit, "Dad, don't be so reckless."
Grandma, quite displeased, grabbed Grandpa and pulled him behind her, then stepped forward and touched An Fusheng's arm, asking, "Are you alright?"
An Fusheng shook his head: "It's nothing." Grandpa didn't hit him very hard; he was just caught off guard.
Grandma looked up at An Fusheng with admiration: "My grandson is really handsome! Does he have a girlfriend yet?"
An Fusheng shook his head.
Grandma said, "My grandson is so handsome, but he doesn't have a girlfriend? Wait, Grandma will introduce you to one."
An Fusheng hurriedly shook his head, his voice slightly trembling: "No rush, I'm still young, I don't need a girlfriend."
In An Fusheng's mind, he was only eighteen years old. If he started school a little later at this age, he might still be in high school, and his parents would be called in if he were dating.
Grandma understands young people these days so well. Even at thirty, they still act like children and don't want to find a partner, let alone at twenty-five. But these things aren't urgent for children; adults have to help take care of them.
Grandma sighed inwardly, thinking that it was only because her eldest grandson was an orphan without parents that he was so handsome and had no girlfriend.
Grandma felt even more strongly that she had to find a good girl for her eldest grandson.
An Fusheng took his grandmother's luggage and led everyone to the parking area.
Everyone knows that An Fusheng doesn't understand dialects and chats in Mandarin. During the conversation, An Fusheng learned that his grandfather actually knew Wing Chun. An Fusheng was shocked but relieved. No wonder the photos of him were so powerful. It turns out he had kung fu skills.
The tricycle was a bit small, but luckily Grandpa and Grandma only brought one carry-on suitcase and two backpacks, so the whole family could squeeze in and sit down.
“During the Spring Festival travel rush, there are crowds everywhere, making it difficult to carry luggage. I’ve sent all the large items over.” Grandma was proud of her forward-thinking and wise judgment.
An Fusheng secretly marveled to himself: "Grandpa and Grandma are so sophisticated, they know everything."
The tricycle wobbled along the road, and everyone chatted happily.
Lou's mother had sent some of the canned yellow peaches that An Fusheng made to his grandparents before, and they praised them highly. Lou's mother also told them that An Fusheng was a very good cook and had opened a restaurant, so they praised him to the skies.
An Fusheng was so flattered by the praise that he almost believed his cooking skills were better than those of a state banquet chef. As a result, as soon as he got home, he ran off to kill chickens and fish.
The suitcases that Grandpa and Grandma brought were full of gifts for everyone, including food, toys, and some knitted dolls, hats, and scarves that Grandma made herself.
Grandma crocheted hats and scarves in the shape of a lion, in red, yellow and blue. The lion has big eyes and white cotton candy fluffy yarn trimmed on its eyelashes and ears, making it look both majestic and cute. The children love it. Even Bai Miaomiao, who is usually not very talkative, became more talkative and asked Grandma how to make them.
An Fusheng's gift was a set of knives that his grandfather bought for him, but since he couldn't take it with him on the high-speed train, it was still on its way.
After distributing the gifts, Grandpa and Grandma went to the kitchen, where Wen Yue and An Fusheng were cooking.
Wen Yue said she wanted to learn to cook from An Fusheng, so when she wasn't filming, she would cook. Tonight, she made sauerkraut fish, and An Fusheng taught Wen Yue how to slice the fish.
Wen Yue had previously learned her knife skills and cooking skills online, picking up bits and pieces here and there, resulting in a haphazard learning process. As a result, her cooking skills were inconsistent; when she was lucky, the dishes she made tasted alright, but when she was unlucky, the dishes tasted strange. However, she did have some basic skills, and she often had doubts in her mind, which made her learn more deeply. Now, An Fusheng was teaching her from the most basic knife skills, and she was learning quite quickly.
An Fusheng taught Wen Yue to slice fish slices, and he just stood aside and watched.
Seeing his grandparents come in, An Fusheng called out to them, and Wen Yue also stopped what she was doing and greeted them.
"What dishes are you making?" Grandpa asked kindly.
An Fusheng: "Make sauerkraut fish."
Wen Yue said, "It's sauerkraut that my brother made himself. His sauerkraut is delicious."
Grandma saw rows of pickle jars on the kitchen shelf and asked, "Are these all sauerkraut?"
"Hmm." An Fusheng ran over to show his grandmother a jar, as if to take credit. "These are all pickled vegetables. Grandma, would you like to try some? You can eat them directly, or you can dip them in some chili. Can Grandma eat spicy food?"
Grandma said, "I can't handle spicy food very well, but your grandpa can."
An Fusheng opened a jar of pickled ginger, which was soaked in chili water. Since Grandma couldn't eat spicy food, he opened the jar next to it, which contained pickled radishes, soaked in rice water without chili. "Grandma, try this?"
Grandma said, "Okay."
An Fusheng picked up a slice of pickled radish with his chopsticks and fed it to his grandmother.
Radishes that have been frosted are crisp and sweet. Soaking them removes even the slightest bit of spiciness and adds a touch of sourness. With the recent cold weather, leaving them outside is like putting them in the refrigerator. Soaking the pickled radishes in the cold water enhances their crisp texture even further.
Grandma took the radish piece with her mouth. The radish slice was a bit big, so she grabbed it with her hand before taking a bite. Then she chewed it, making a crisp sound in her mouth and savoring the increasingly amazing taste on her tongue. She couldn't help but exclaim, "Really good!"
Grandma didn't used to like pickled foods; she preferred fresh food and the original flavor of the ingredients. She never expected that this pickled radish would taste so fresh and sweet. She didn't care that the radish slices were too cold and bad for her stomach, and she ate a whole large piece of radish in one sitting.
Seeing that Grandma was enjoying her food, Grandpa couldn't help but say, "Give me a piece to try."
"good."
Normally, the chili powder is kept on the shelf for easy packaging. An Fusheng picked up a piece, put some chili powder on it, and then gave it to his grandfather. "Grandpa, try my chili powder and see if it tastes good." An Fusheng was like a child eager to take credit.
This chili powder is specially made by Anfusheng. It's not dried chili powder, nor is it the chili oil we used to make at Grandma Ao's house. It's a different kind of chili powder that's more suitable for pairing with kimchi—it's a bit moist but not too oily, and it contains other seasonings, making it more flavorful.
Grandpa took a big bite of the whole radish and started yelling "Oh oh oh!" before he even chewed it.
After saying "oh" a few times, he chewed some more, and while munching on the radish, he gave a thumbs up and exclaimed, "Delicious, so delicious!"
Raw and cold food shouldn't be eaten in large quantities at once, An Fusheng said, "We'll reheat it later before we eat it."
Grandpa and Grandma said "yes" repeatedly.
After tasting the kimchi, An Fusheng took his grandparents to see the sauerkraut he had made.
An Fusheng put on gloves, scooped a cabbage out of the jar, and the door connecting the kitchen to the vegetable garden was open. Light streamed in from outside, making the whole cabbage look golden and translucent, without any impurities or black spots. A breeze blew into the kitchen, carrying the still-sour aroma of the cabbage to their noses.
"It smells so good!" Grandma exclaimed. "This pickled cabbage is really well made!"
Grandpa nodded repeatedly.
"This is pickled with cabbage. Cabbage has a better fiber structure and fermentability than other vegetables, which is why it can be pickled so well," An Fusheng continued. "This mustard greens were bought, so they're not that good yet. It will definitely be better when we use the mustard greens we grow ourselves in the spring."
When An Fusheng mentioned this, his grandparents realized that there was such a large vegetable garden in the backyard. It was getting dark when they came back, and they hadn't noticed it. This made them praise An Fusheng even more.
After showing off the sauerkraut, Grandpa and Grandma left, and An Fusheng and Wen Yue continued cooking.
During dinner that evening, Grandpa and Grandma praised An Fusheng and Wen Yue's cooking repeatedly, making Wen Yue almost believe that she had a special talent for cooking.
...
The next day, the children discovered another advantage of having grandparents: they would take them outside to play!
Grandpa and Grandma got up early to make breakfast, then woke the children up one by one to eat breakfast, and after breakfast they took them to play in the nearby park.
“Grandpa and Grandma seem to be very familiar with this place. Have they been here before?” An Fusheng asked.
Lou Lan said, "No, they are familiar with everywhere. My brother lives in England. When they went to England for the first time, they couldn't understand English, but they were still able to go around and even bargain. When my brother came back and couldn't find them, he almost called the police. It turned out that they were chatting with the shop owner and forgot to go home."
An Fusheng exclaimed in admiration, "Wow, that's amazing!"
Lou Lan said, "So, finding a park or shopping mall here is no problem for them at all."
There was no need to take care of the children, so Lou Lan came to help in the kitchen. Xu San Nian hadn't returned yet, and only An Fusheng, Wen Yue, and Lou's mother were busy in the kitchen.
Students are on winter break, and many migrant workers have returned to their hometowns one after another. Business is not so busy now, and the three of them can manage quite comfortably.
"The New Year is coming soon, let's close the restaurant for a few days. We can't be busy all year round," Lou Lan said.
An Fusheng asked Wen Yue, "When would you like to take a vacation?"
Wen Yue said, "I'm fine with anything."
Wen Yue returned to the orphanage. The people there were still the same people, but everything was different. She felt that the orphanage had become her true home. Working at home didn't feel hard, and she was really into learning to cook. She didn't even want to take a holiday.
An Fusheng thought for a moment and said, "How about the 25th of the twelfth lunar month?" Let's stay a few days to prepare for the New Year.
Lou Lan said, "That works too."
...
When the grandparents take the children out to play, they will come back regularly to replenish their energy, such as around 10 a.m., around lunchtime, around 4 p.m., and before dark in the evening for dinner.
So the children are full of energy even after playing all day.
...
On Monday, Bai Mangmang and Wen Xinglin were taking their exams.
The melting snow made it wet and cold outside, so Lou's mother allowed An Fusheng to drive Bai Mangmang and Wen Xinglin to their exams in a tricycle.
After dropping them off, An Fusheng had to go grocery shopping, so he took Wen Yue with him.
The car first arrived at the entrance of Wenxinglin School.
"Are you coming back at noon?" An Fusheng asked Wen Xinglin.
Wen Xinglin said, "The exam will be over by noon, I need to come back."
“Okay, I’ll pick you up at noon,” An Fusheng said.
Wen Xinglin was surprised that his older brother would come to pick him up at noon, and happily replied, "Okay."
An Fusheng: "Do your best on the exam, and come back with first place."
Wen Xinglin's smile froze instantly: "..." Last place might be acceptable.
An Fusheng stepped on the gas again and drove Bai Mangmang to the school gate.
Bai Mangmang offered, "Big brother, I have an exam this afternoon, but it ends at four o'clock. Can you come pick me up?"
Picking up and dropping off examinees is a big deal, and An Fusheng felt that the restaurant owner should give way first, so he said, "Okay, do your best on the exam."
Despite being a poor student, Bai Mangmang was surprisingly confident about the exam, saying, "No problem, bro, I'll do my best."
An Fusheng: "Can you get first place?"
Wen Yue couldn't stand it anymore. "Big brother, not everyone is like you. There can only be one first place, and it's actually very difficult to get in."
An Fusheng: "..." I've never been first in any exam, but I've been last twice. Even though I'm a terrible student, I can't help but place high hopes on others.
Bai Mangmang said, "I can get into the top ten."
An Fusheng thought that being in the top ten was also very good, and encouraged him, "I believe in you!"
After dropping off the examinees, An Fusheng took Wen Yue to buy groceries, and after returning, they continued preparing and cooking.
At noon, without wasting a minute, he drove his tricycle to pick up Wen Xinglin.
As soon as Wen Xinglin spotted his older brother's tricycle, he happily told his homeroom teacher, "Teacher, my older brother has come to pick me up in his tricycle. I can go now."
The teacher nodded and said, "Okay, let's go, have a happy winter vacation!"
Wen Xinglin: "Thank you, teacher. Have a happy winter vacation, teacher."
Wen Xinglin often shared snacks with his deskmate, and they gradually became familiar with each other. Later, he would ask his deskmate questions from time to time, and the two became friends. He said goodbye to his deskmate and then flew to his older brother's place like a happy bird.
Today was exam day for students in grades three and below, and all the exams were finished in the morning. So there were a lot of parents picking up their children at this time. Wen Xinglin squeezed next to An Fusheng before An Fusheng noticed him. It was all because these little heads were too low. At a glance, all he could see were similar little heads, and he couldn't tell which one Wen Xinglin's head was.
"So happy? You did very well on the exam?" An Fusheng asked.
Wen Xinglin pursed his lips instantly and climbed into the car without a word.
After picking Wen Xinglin up and bringing her home, An Fusheng thought everyone would be waiting for them to eat. However, when they arrived, the dining room was empty. He and Wen Xinglin went to the living room on the second floor and found that Xu Sannian had returned. Everyone was gathered around her, seemingly excited and discussing something.
Grandma retorted fiercely, "He wouldn't dare! What's wrong with a kiss? It's not like he'll lose a piece of flesh. You stay right here, and if he dares to come looking for me, I'll beat him back with a broom!"
Grandpa: "Don't be afraid, Grandpa is a martial arts expert, he can't beat Grandpa."
An Fusheng: What's going on? Why is the atmosphere so tense? Grandpa and Grandma are meeting Xu Sannian for the first time, right? How come they're already so familiar?
An Fusheng joined the gossip circle with a lot of questions, and three minutes later, he finally figured out what was going on.
An Fusheng was filled with admiration for Xu Sannian, giving him a thumbs up and saying, "You actually dared to be disrespectful to Boss He? You're a brave man!"
Not only does he always have a cold and insightful demeanor, but An Fusheng also feels guilty and intimidated when talking to him. Xu Sannian actually dares to force others. Sometimes he really admires Xu Sannian.
Xu Sannian stammered, "He was running in the dead of winter wearing a vest, his muscular arms were showing, he was sweating, and his hair was half dry. He was so full of youthful vigor that I couldn't help but kiss him."
Xu Sannian gestured with his fingers: "Just once, and it only reached his chin."
Grandma continued to encourage Xu Sannian, saying, "It's okay, what's wrong with a kiss? He was in the wrong first."
An Fusheng: "Didn't you go to the hot springs with your parents?"
Xu Sannian: "Not only their family, but they went too."
"Oh, no wonder." An Fusheng asked incredulously and curiously, "You kissed him, did he want to hit you? Otherwise, why would he come here to complain?"
Xu Sannian said, "That's right!"
An Fusheng: "Huh? Really?"
Xu Sannian: "He raised his hand, but luckily I ran fast, otherwise he might have hit me. Although he might not be able to beat me, fighting inevitably leads to injuries. It would be bad if the adults found out, since I was in the wrong first."
An Fusheng: "...Maybe they didn't mean to hit you."
Xu Sannian: "How could it not be? He threatened me and told me not to run away after I ran away."
An Fusheng: "..."
Xu Sannian: "I can't go back now, and it's not easy to tell my parents about this. I can only stay in the orphanage to avoid He Zhi coming after me."
Grandpa said, "You stay here, Grandpa will protect you."
...
This was probably the first time in Xu Sannian's life that she had encountered such a dangerous situation. That night, she called her grandfather in the distance and acted coquettishly, but she didn't tell him exactly what had happened. Then her grandfather forced her parents to take her to their hometown in the north for the New Year ahead of schedule. However, Xu Sannian's parents both managed companies and couldn't just leave immediately. Xu Sannian had to stay in the orphanage for a few more days.
...
The exams had just finished on Monday, and on Tuesday, the homeroom teacher, dressed in white, came for a home visit.
Bai Mangmang's homeroom teacher was also her English teacher. Bai Mangmang's English grades were not good, so she was especially afraid of her homeroom teacher. As a result, when her homeroom teacher came, he said that he had already finished grading the final exam papers and the scores were out, which scared Bai Mangmang so much that she broke out in a cold sweat.
Fortunately, the teacher didn't come to chat, and since her grandparents were home, they warmly welcomed the teacher into the living room.
Bai Mangmang hid in the kitchen: "Big brother, give me a big bone. I'm so nervous, I want to eat something."
An Fusheng said, "I think you should take a big bone to your homeroom teacher right now."
Bai Mangmang said, "I dare not, brother, why don't you deliver it for me?"
An Fusheng: "..."
Bai Mangmang, judging others by her own standards, felt more and more that her older brother made sense. When people are full, they are in a good mood, and when they are in a good mood, they will forget about unpleasant things. Right now, the teacher's most unpleasant thing must be that she did not do well on the test. If she forgets about this, everything will be fine.
An Fusheng didn't listen to Bai Mangmang's advice to immediately deliver the big bone. Bai Mangmang grabbed An Fusheng's arm and pleaded, "Big brother, please."
An Fusheng: "It's not mealtime. Don't you think it's a bit strange to deliver big bones? We're chatting, is it appropriate to eat with your hands and mouth covered in oil?"
Bai Mangmang: "But big bones are delicious!"
An Fusheng brought out a plate of pear syrup that he had specially prepared for the teacher at noon: "Here, take this. The winter climate is dry, and eating pear syrup can help strengthen the spleen and moisten the lungs. It's also suitable to eat with tea."
Bai Mangmang: "Then you go!"
An Fusheng sighed: "Is he your teacher or mine?"
Bai Mangmang: "Just say that I asked you to deliver it."
An Fusheng carried the pear syrup out of the kitchen.
A teacher's home visit is nothing to be ashamed of. The adults in the family chatted with the teacher. Wen Xinglan, knowing that Wen Xingrui had never been beaten before, didn't know how terrifying the teacher was. He sat on the ground, looking up at the teacher, listening very attentively.
When An Fusheng went up, he overheard the teacher saying that Bai Mangmang had been quite diligent with her homework in the second half of the semester, but only scored 90 points on the final English exam. He thought it might be because her parents hadn't tutored her enough at home, and her foundation wasn't solid. The teacher also took the opportunity to educate several parents, saying that students' learning is not just the students' responsibility, nor is it just the responsibility of teachers and schools. Parents also need to actively participate, as children's growth requires support from all sides.
An Fusheng was thinking that a perfect score of 100 was not bad, and then he heard the teacher say that other children were not necessarily smarter than Bai Mangmang, but because their parents tutored them well, they all scored above 95. Only Bai Mangmang scored below 95 in the whole class.
An Fusheng: "..."
An Fusheng placed the pear syrup on the coffee table and silently retreated.
"Big brother, did you say I sent it?" Bai Mangmang asked quickly when he saw An Fusheng return.
An Fusheng shook his head and said with great sympathy, "It's no use talking. You got the lowest score in English, and it was a precipitous drop."
The white expanse collapsed instantly.
After a while, the teacher finally left.
Bai Mangmang lay listlessly beside the ordering machine, feeling utterly hopeless. "Is Aunt Wen going to come and beat me now?"
Wen Min came into the kitchen on her way after dropping off her teacher. Hearing Bai Mangmang's words, she asked in confusion, "Did I hit you?"
Bai Mangmang sprang up and stood straight: "Mother Wen..."
Wen Min: "Your teacher said you take your homework very seriously. It's just that your grades are a little low because your family tutoring isn't good enough. You've done very well, so why would I hit you? Besides, you got over 90 this time, which is an improvement from when school started."
Bai Mangmang: Huh? Didn't we secretly get my older brother to sign the papers before? How did Aunt Wen know?
Bai Mangmang turned to look at An Fusheng with a question in her mind. An Fusheng shook his head, indicating that he had not revealed her grades to Wen's mother.
Wen Min, having been through similar experiences, saw through their misunderstanding at a glance and said, "Your teacher told me about it."
Bai Mangmang: I thought I was hiding well, but it turns out I've been running naked all along.
Wen Min: "I'll sign you up for a tutoring class during winter break. Everyone in the family is busy and doesn't have time to tutor you. I'll ask about it tomorrow."
Bai Mangmang blurted out, "No!!!"
Wen Min said, "Now is the stage of laying the foundation, and we still need to lay a solid foundation."
That's a done deal.
The miserable, white winter vacation has only been going on for one day, and it's almost over. I'm so sad I could cry.
However, things took a turn for the better.
The next day, Bai Miaomiao brought her classmates to the orphanage. They talked about the school's organized study tour, which Bai Miaomiao hadn't signed up for, and neither had any of them.
Lou Lan asked, "What kind of study tour?"
Why hadn't Bai Miaomiao mentioned it? Lou Lan thought for a moment and understood. Bai Miaomiao was probably afraid of spending money, so she simply didn't go. Middle school teachers and parents didn't have such close contact; teachers often told students to tell their parents directly at home, too lazy to contact them themselves.
Yang Yu said, "Hey, it's just a one-day visit to a soy sauce factory. They make it sound so nice, like a study tour. We just have lunch there, and they charge 500 yuan. With that money, I could order so much takeout from my brother. His cooking is so much better than that."
An Fusheng was very grateful for her support, but studying abroad isn't about having a meal; you can't compare things like that!
Speaking of An Fusheng's cooking, Tang Xi said, "Thank you, big brother. You always pack so much food for us so I can get a meal. My mom is afraid I'll waste money, so she won't give me much pocket money. If I didn't get to eat your food, I wouldn't be able to eat your cooking. Your cooking is really delicious."
An Fusheng packed extra food for Bai Miaomiao because she was too thin, hoping to fatten her up. He didn't expect there was someone else eating, no wonder Miaomiao was still so thin. An Fusheng said, "I'll pack more for you next semester."
Tang Xi said, "That's enough, that's enough. We always eat our fill."
Bai Miaomiao also said, "That's enough, big brother."
Xu Sannian said, "My family also has a factory. It's not difficult to visit the factory."
Bai Xun asked, "What kind of factory does your family own?"
Xu Sannian said, "We mainly make instant noodles, but we also make other things."
"Wow!"
All the children's big, round eyes lit up; they all loved instant noodles!
Xu Sannian continued to tempt him: "The factory has all kinds of instant noodles. Eat whatever you want, it's free."
What kind of paradise is this? How is it any different from a candy house and a chocolate factory?
No!
I can eat instant noodles myself, but I can only buy soy sauce and send it home to my mom!
So, at the children's eager anticipation, Wen Min agreed to let them visit the instant noodle factory, including Bai Mangmang, so Bai Mangmang wasn't immediately sent to a tutoring class.
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