Chapter 201 If-Two Little Guess 2
The wind started to blow. The windows rattled. Qin Yizhang looked up from his desk, walked to the window and closed it tightly. It was early in the morning, but the sky was a little dark, and it looked like it was going to rain. Qin Yunjie had gone grocery shopping and didn't know if he had an umbrella. She hesitated for a moment, picked up the umbrella from the shoe rack, and put on her sneakers.
"Hey, I told you not to look at me, why are you being so polite?"
Qin Yunjie's voice and footsteps walking up the stairs could be heard in the corridor.
"Who's being polite to you? I'm here to see Yi Zhang." He Wu responded in a cheerful voice.
Qin Yizhang put down his umbrella, opened the door, stuck his head out, and said in surprise: "Aunt He! You're here!"
"Look, Yi Zhang likes me coming."
He Wu smiled even more happily and walked in with Qin Yunjie.
Qin Yizhang rushed to the stairs and looked down, then turned around and asked, "Where's Tong Zhongyuan? Is he still downstairs?"
"He's reviewing his lessons at home and didn't come."
She looked away with a look of disappointment, walked back, and changed into slippers. She hadn't seen Tong Zhongyuan for a long time. Since the second year of junior high school, Tong Zhongyuan had rarely come here with Aunt He. It must have been more than half a year since she last saw him. Is he really that busy with his studies? He never has time to come.
He Wu saw the obvious disappointment on Qin Yizhang's face and felt deeply moved. This pair of good friends already had the characteristics of a boy and a girl in appearance. In terms of character, this one was still a child, while his own, who knew who he resembled, was very thoughtful.
"If you want to play with him, come to our house?"
"No," she shook her head. "I won't disturb him from studying. He's already in the third year of junior high, so he really needs to catch up."
"Oh, Lao Qin, you are so lucky. Yi Zhang is so well behaved. I really wanted a daughter, but I gave birth to a son. My son is such a headache."
"You're being too modest. You're still worried about a son like Zhongyuan? I've heard people say..."
Qin Yunjie and He Wu were chatting, but Qin Yizhang's thoughts drifted to the window. Tong Zhongyuan's desk was leaning against the window. What class was he reviewing at the moment? Could it be that she had done something that annoyed him? That was why he didn't come.
When the window was hit against the frame by the wind for the third time, Tong Zhongyuan put down the martial arts book from the bed, walked to the desk, closed the window, lay back down, and continued to watch Yang Guo shine at the Heroes Conference.
There was a knock at the door.
He looked away from his book and pricked up his ears. He heard the sound of heavy, damp footsteps and the sound of something heavy being put down.
Tong Zhongyuan's gaze returned to the line of words. It was his father who had returned, his steps making a particularly loud noise.
After a while, he heard the sound of pounding ribs from the kitchen. It seemed his father was planning to make pork chops today. He didn't know whether to braise them or deep-fry them. Braised ones would be best; he didn't like them too greasy.
Lao Tong was busy in the kitchen until there was a sizzling sound and the fragrant aroma came in through the crack in the door.
Tong Zhongyuan lay on his back on the bed, holding a book.
"... Yang Guo knew he had succeeded, so he didn't fight him any more. He just brandished his sword and guarded the gate, smiling and saying, 'I warned you time and again that I was going to use hidden weapons, I was going to use hidden weapons, but you always didn't believe me. I didn't lie to you, did I?'"
Tong Zhongyuan couldn't help laughing. Yang Guo was too cunning. He had Huo Du fooled around.
The door locked again. Tong Zhongyuan put down his book again and listened.
"Tong Yinxu, why is there a wet sound at the door?" He Wu's voice reached him before he even arrived.
Tong Zhongyuan got up from the bed, put on his slippers and opened the door.
As He Wu walked in, she saw her son standing there, blocking half the light. Before she knew it, she was about to look up at him. And what was wrong with his new pajamas? He had only bought them three months ago, and the legs were already too short.
"Mom, are you back?" he started with a voice like the quack of a duck.
He Wu put down his bag and put his umbrella into the umbrella stand.
"Yes, I'm back. I asked you to go but you didn't go. Yi Zhang always asks you what you're doing, and I have to say you're busy with homework. So, have you finished your homework today?"
"I made most of it this morning, and there's still a little left. I'll make it after lunch." He said it in a serious tone. "How is Uncle Qin?"
"Old Qin is just like that. He's a bit fatter than he was two years ago."
"Oh," Tong Zhongyuan took a bottle of milk from the refrigerator, "How about Qin Yizhang?"
"What's wrong with Yi Zhang? She's much better than you. She's well-behaved and sensible. I was chatting with Lao Qin, and she gave us..."
"Come on, help me put down a heat insulating pad!" Tong Yinxu came out of the kitchen carrying a pot of soup and interrupted her.
He Wu quickly placed an insulating pad on the table.
"Borscht, that's good. Hey, what's that puddle of water by the door?"
"I bought some fish and put some ice in it. The bag is leaking a little..."
"Mom..." Tong Zhongyuan couldn't help but call out, "What did you say Qin Yizhang did for you..."
"What kind of fish? Is it cooked?" He Wu walked into the kitchen.
Tong Yinxu followed him in: "It's ready, just waiting for you to come back and eat it ready-made."
Tong Zhongyuan was left standing alone at the dining table, feeling frustrated. The topic that hadn't been continued was like an expired can of food that had missed its opening date.
Tong Yinxu brought the side dishes one by one, then brought a few soup bowls, filled three of them, and set them aside. He picked up an empty bowl and handed it to Tong Zhongyuan.
"Go get your own meal. I'm not sure how much you eat now."
"Why did you give him a small bowl?" He Wunian asked, "The big bowl isn't enough for him."
Tong Zhongyuan pushed his chair away and went to the kitchen to get some food.
He Wu was chatting with Tong Yinxu while eating: "...Yes, their Yi Zhang is also taking the high school entrance exam this year. She usually has good grades and is in the top five in the grade. Old Qin's daughter is really amazing."
"Oh? Have you decided which school to go to?"
Tong Zhongyuan sat down immediately and quietly picked up a piece of braised pork ribs and started eating.
"She said she hasn't decided which one to apply to. One is the city's key Nanyi High School, which requires accommodation; the other is Huacai High School here, which is where Tong Zhongyuan will go."
Tong Zhongyuan paused his chopsticks and looked up: "Why did she go to Nanyi, so far away?"
"Maybe her father is busy with work and can't take care of her, so she needs more accommodation." He Wu replied, and then complained to her husband, "It makes me angry when it comes to this. You only ask others. Look at your son. You agreed to let him go to high school in the UK, and now it's been delayed like this. What kind of thing is this!"
Tong Yinxu complained, "I'm not British. How would I know I had to apply three years in advance? Even the average application process requires one year in advance. Can you blame me for this?"
"I don't blame you, but who else? You said you would do it, and you did it like this..."
The mumbling of He Wu and Tong Yinxu, along with the rustling of rain outside the window, became white noise. He ate his meal with a bland taste, his mother's words swirling in his mind.
Is she going to stay at Nanyi?
By the time he was in the first year of high school, his voice change should have passed and he would have grown taller.
Okay, go see her.
The bell for the last class rang, and the students collapsed on their desks.
Qin Yizhang quickly packed his schoolbag and walked out of the classroom with brisk steps.
"Qin Yizhang!" Wang Rukai caught up with a gust of wind behind him. "How have you considered Nan Yi's matter? Dai Rong said her parents agree."
"My dad doesn't mind it, but I'm still thinking about it. It's about the same anyway."
"What do you mean almost? Are you going or not?"
"We'll talk about it tomorrow."
Qin Yizhang waved to him with his back and walked down the stairs without looking back.
Today was Qin Yunjie's birthday, and she wanted to go home early. She wanted to buy a small cake when she passed by the supermarket. There were only two of them, so they couldn't finish more. She could also make a bowl of noodles when she got home; that was one of the few things she could do.
She passed a thriving new neighborhood and turned into an old-fashioned alley with a sense of age.
This alleyway was built before the Liberation Movement. Qin Yunjie had lived here since he was born. He got married, had a daughter, and they still live here today.
After passing the last narrow and dark alley, she pushed open the mottled painted door and walked up the creaky wooden stairs.
Her home was on the top floor. As she approached the top floor, the light that usually streamed in through the small side window disappeared. A figure, immersed in darkness, stood at her door, completely blocking the narrow corridor and the side window.
Qin Yizhang closed his eyes, adjusted to the darkness, and then opened them again. The man was a very tall teenager, aggrieved that he could not stand straight in the short corridor. He lowered his head, revealing a fair neck.
"Who are you looking for?" Qin Yizhang asked carefully.
The boy stared at her, with a look of helplessness and dissatisfaction in his eyes.
"Qin Yizhang," he said, his voice like a strange drake, "Why don't you wear your glasses anymore?"
"Tong Zhongyuan? You are Tong Zhongyuan???"
Tong Zhongyuan pursed his lips. It had only been half a year since they last met, yet she couldn't recognize him. Even if he had changed a lot, it wasn't so much that she couldn't recognize him.
"It seems that your grades are quite good. You put all your brain into studying, leaving no room for other things."
Qin Yizhang was sure it was Tong Zhongyuan. No one else could be so mean.
"Why did you think of coming to see me! You didn't come when Aunt He came the day before yesterday. I thought I had offended you and that's why you kept refusing to come." She chattered excitedly, like beans pouring out of a bamboo tube.
Her voice was like bright sunshine, gradually dispelling the anxiety he had while waiting for her to come home in the dark.
"Oh, move aside. I'll open the door, come in and sit down. It's such a coincidence that you came today. I bought some cake, so we can eat it together."
She lifted the bag in her hand to indicate that there were delicious foods inside.
"I'm not going in." He turned sideways, and the covered window finally released a ray of light, shining on her glass-like eyes. He was stunned and forgot what he wanted to say.
She looked at him eagerly, waiting for the next sentence, but saw him stunned for a moment before continuing: "I just came to ask something. My mother said you are going to Nanyi?"
"Well, it's possible, but it's not decided yet."
"Is it because Uncle Qin is too busy that you want to stay at Nanyi?"
"Not entirely. Two classmates who are close to each other in the class are planning to apply to Nanyi, and we all want to continue to be classmates."
Tong Zhongyuan's eyebrows knitted together. He'd assumed her family's financial difficulties had forced her to attend boarding school, but he hadn't expected such a ridiculous excuse. Why not go to Nanyi when Huacai was so close? Huacai was superior in terms of teaching quality. She'd been so naive since she was little, she didn't even realize she was being sold. Those classmates who'd urged her to apply to Nanyi might have been jealous of her good grades, but she'd foolishly believed them.
"Qin Yizhang," he said, his voice a little stuck after calling her name, the words rolled on the edge of his mouth, but he still said, "I will take the Huacai exam, you...you should also take the Huacai exam, we have a good relationship."
Qin Yizhang really didn't expect that he came here specifically to talk about this. That day, when Aunt He was chatting with her father, they talked about Tong Zhongyuan. He missed the application for high school admission in the UK and was about to take the high school entrance examination. But Aunt He was trying to find a way for him to transfer there after finishing his freshman year. She felt a little sad when she heard it. Wouldn't she be able to see Tong Zhongyuan in another year? Unexpectedly, just two days later, Tong Zhongyuan actually came to her and said that he wanted to go to the same high school as her. Or maybe, he wanted to be her classmate in his last year in China. Just like Wang Rukai and Dai Rong, facing a completely unfamiliar environment, they always wanted to bring someone familiar with them.
Tong Zhongyuan's heart sank as she took so long to respond. It seemed she had almost fully considered the matter of going to Nanyi. He had considered this when he arrived. Qin Yizhang was easily persuaded and always listened to him. Besides, Huacai was already one of her options. If he just asked, it shouldn't be difficult. So he didn't even think of any excuses or rhetoric; he just said it directly. Unexpectedly, her reaction was a little different from what he expected.
He couldn't help but ask, "Have you done your homework? Huacai's admission rate is higher than Nanyi's. The teaching building was renovated three years ago, the facilities and equipment are better, and the playground has been expanded. Also, the uniforms aren't that ugly."
Qin Yizhang was shocked. My god, he'd only been studying for a year, and yet he already knew everything so well. After all, this was Tong Zhongyuan; he never fought a battle unprepared.
Tong Zhongyuan knew from her expression that she knew nothing and was being led around by the nose foolishly. Fortunately, he came this time.
"It's settled, you'll also take the Huacai entrance exam. Study hard, and we'll see you in September."
With one hand in his trouser pocket, he casually picked up his schoolbag from the ground and threw it over his shoulder. The movement was smooth, worthy of his repeated practice.
Qin Yizhang saw the heavy bag slam onto his back with a dull thud, and he shuddered. It must have hurt. How could he not even be able to carry his bag properly after only six months of not seeing him?
Tong Zhongyuan walked past her and walked down the creaking stairs as if he knew the way.
"Wait a minute!" Qin Yizhang yelled. She hadn't agreed to anything, so why did it become Hua Cai's turn to meet her? "I haven't made up my mind yet!"
He stopped at the turn of the stairs and raised his head, looking at her in the floating dust in a ray of sunlight.
"Qin Yizhang, I'll be waiting for you at Huacai. If you don't come, I...I won't forgive you."
She was leaning on the handrail of the stairs, looking down at him, with thick messy hair and a puzzled look in her eyes.
He averted his gaze and spun swiftly down. His footsteps grew fainter, and the last words drifted up softly.
"Also, wear your glasses. Glasses suit you well."
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