Chapter 109 Chapter 109 "Tomorrow Will Be Better"
"Oh, it's stuck in the branches."
"It's okay, I'll get a chair."
"Don't bother with a chair. I'll carry you. It's not too high anyway. You can sit on my shoulders and reach it in no time."
"Me? On your shoulders?"
"It's okay, it's okay, come on!"
In the corner of the garden, two little girls were discussing how to take the paper kites they had just made out of the branches.
While the plainly dressed little girl was hesitating to move a chair, another gorgeous little princess was already squatting in the corner.
"Come on, Wanwan, I'll carry you."
With her hands on the wall, even though He Manru had just celebrated her tenth birthday, her tone was as reliable as that of a little adult.
The pink and white dress He Manru was wearing was newly bought, and it was decorated with blingbling sequins. Looking down at her shoes that had been dirty from running, Gao Zhiwan couldn't help but pursed her lips and said, "Let me carry you."
Gao Zhiwan didn't dare to dirty her skirt. Although the lady wouldn't blame herself, her mother...
"Oh, how can a younger sister carry her older sister on her back?"
Standing up, He Manru pulled Gao Zhiwan to the wall and patted her shoulder in a serious manner, "Come on! Sister will carry you!"
He Manru is one month younger than Gao Zhiwan, but He Manru has always insisted on being the older sister since she was a child.
Because she thinks her younger sister is the one who needs to be protected, so she wants to be an older sister. She doesn't want to be protected, she wants to protect others.
Seeing that He Manru was so persistent, Gao Zhiwan had no choice but to sit on her shoulders and, like those boys climbing up the roofs of houses in TV dramas, he held on to the wall and moved up little by little.
Her hand finally touched the string of the paper kite, but the harsh scolding behind her almost scared her so much that she fell off He Manru's shoulder.
"Kochi night!"
When Gao Huifen saw Gao Zhiwan sitting on He Manru's shoulders, she was so scared that she quickly put down the gardening scissors in her hand and ran over here.
Gao Huifen pulled Gao Zhiwan away from He Manru and glanced at the two extra stains on He Manru's skirt, and her face changed instantly.
"Look at what you got for Manru. This dress is very expensive. Did you know that?!" Pulling Gao Zhiwan's shoulder sleeve, Gao Huifen scolded her harshly, "You even let her carry you on her back. How old are you? Do you know what's appropriate?"
Gao Zhiwan had expected this outcome, so she said nothing, but just looked down at her toes which were stained by the mud in the garden.
Since she was a child, Gao Huifen always reminded her that He Manru was a lady and she was the daughter of the nanny, so she had to understand the difference between the superiors and the inferiors and not do anything that overstepped the rules.
"Aunt Gao, don't blame Wanwan." He Manru took the initiative to stand in front of Gao Zhiwan and explained for her, "I want to carry Wanwan on my back."
Even with He Manru's help in pleading, Gao Huifen still looked unhappy.
After taking a look at Gao Zhiwan beside her, she smiled slightly when facing He Manru.
Bending down, Gao Huifen wiped the dirt off He Manru's skirt with a handkerchief and said softly, "Manru, you are the lady of the family, and Wanwan is a servant. Don't carry Wanwan on your back in the future. It's not nice if people see you."
He Manru: "What's wrong, young lady? Mom and Dad said that Wanwan and I are the same, we are good sisters, there is no such thing as superior or inferior."
Zheng Rou and He Yanheng taught her since she was a child that even if there were many people working in the family, everyone had the same status and there was no distinction between high and low. They were just completing their jobs, so they also needed to be respected.
But Gao Huifen doesn't think so.
Helping them to remove the kite stuck in the branches, Gao Huifen smiled and said to her: "Auntie knows you are sensible, but no matter what, you can't carry Wanwan on your back. She is your elder sister, and she should take care of you."
Gao Huifen was very happy to see her daughter being so polite, but since she was now the daughter of the He family, she naturally had to behave like a lady and there was no need for her to show any useless kindness.
Taking the kite handed to her by Gao Huifen, He Manru frowned regretfully.
There was a hole in the kite, which happened to be the eye of the little swallow in the painting...
What a pity.
This kite was made by Gao Zhiwan, and the little swallow on it was also drawn by her. Today, Gao Zhiwan won a red flower as a reward for the school's handicraft competition with this little swallow kite, but she didn't expect it to break after just a few hours.
Seeing that He Manru looked a little regretful, Gao Huifen bowed slightly and apologized to her: "I'm sorry, Auntie accidentally broke your kite."
He Manru shook her head. "This is a kite made by Wanwan, but she gave it to me."
When Gao Huifen heard that it was Gao Zhiwan who did it, her expression suddenly eased a lot, and she said, "It's okay, then let Wanwan make you a better looking one."
After saying that, she patted Gao Zhiwan on the back again.
Looking up at his mother, Gao Zhiwan could only nod and say "hmm".
It would be time for dinner soon, so Gao Huifen took them to the study to do their homework while He Yanheng was still there, and then she continued to take care of the flowers and plants in the garden.
Ding Dong~
Half an hour later, the doorbell rang.
They were a few home tutors in their twenties and thirties. The housekeeper led them upstairs, and soon the melodious sounds of various musical instruments were heard.
Some time ago, Zheng Rou bought a lot of musical instruments for the family and renovated several empty rooms in the house. I guess she was preparing to train He Manru.
More than an hour later, several teachers finished the interview and left. After seeing them off, Zheng Rou came to the garden and called her lightly, "Sister Fen?"
"Why."
Putting down the fertilizer in her hand, Gao Huifen quickly bowed to her and asked, "What's the matter?"
"Oh, we've known each other for more than ten years. There's no need to be so formal." Sitting on the chair, Zheng Rou casually pointed to another empty chair next to her, "Sit down. I have something to talk to you about."
"Yeah, okay."
Gao Huifen wiped her hands with her apron and sat down, feeling inexplicably nervous.
Even though they had lived under the same roof for ten years, and even though Zheng Rou had always treated her as a sister, Gao Huifen could never really treat her as a family member.
Because she had a secret in her heart, and as long as she didn't say it out, she would not be able to be open and natural.
It's like a knife hanging over your head. Even if the handle is wrapped with hemp rope around and around, there is still no 100% guarantee that it will not fall off.
"Sister Fen, I think Wanwan is quite talented in painting. Have you ever thought about enrolling her in an art class?"
He Manru and Gao Zhiwan are both children that Zheng Rou has watched grow up. She knows that her daughter likes singing and dancing, and she also knows that Gao Zhiwan also has artistic talent.
When she was in the first grade, Gao Zhiwan could draw beautiful simple sketches, and she was always the one who received praise in every handicraft class in school.
Zheng Rou’s parenting philosophy is to respect children’s interests. Even if they cannot make a living based on their interests in the future, they can still develop a skill and enrich their lives.
So after knowing that He Manru liked singing and dancing, she immediately began looking for vocal teachers, instrument teachers, and dance teachers to satisfy He Manru's artistic hobbies.
Zheng Rou enrolled He Manru in many interest classes. Since there were many types of classes, there were no fixed class times. Whenever He Manru wanted to take a class, she could just call the teacher to her home.
As a child who she has also watched grow up, Zheng Rou also hopes that Gao Zhiwan can develop his or her own strengths and perhaps become an outstanding artist in the future.
"No need for that. My salary is barely enough to support her. I'll sign her up for a class..."
"Don't worry about the tuition, I'll pay for it," Zheng Rou interrupted her worries, "enroll Wanwan in a class as well, so that Manru will have a companion when she goes to class in the future."
Looking at the neatly trimmed flowers in the garden, Zheng Rou said, "Wanwan is a good seedling. If she can be trained well, she will definitely be excellent in the future."
Gao Huifen listened to Zheng Rou talking so much, but she actually didn't hear a single word.
She was only thinking about her daughter getting a good education, learning vocal music, musical instruments, and dancing, and fulfilling her dreams when she was young. She didn't care about her kindness to Gao Zhiwan at all.
It is enough that your own daughter lives a good life, why should you care about "your own daughter"?
Gao Huifen wanted to refuse, but she knew that it would be useless to say more, so she changed her approach and said, "How about this, I'll go talk to Wanwan and see what she thinks. If she wants to learn, I will definitely support her."
Zheng Rou nodded, "Okay."
Gao Huifen came upstairs and called out Gao Zhiwan who was doing homework.
When they went downstairs to the garden, she kept whispering to her, "If Aunt He says she wants to enroll you in an art class later, you must refuse, understand?"
Gao Zhiwan, who was walking down the stairs, paused.
Gao Huifen didn't care and continued to pull her down. "It costs money to enroll in the class. It costs several hundred yuan a month. It's too expensive. The uncle and aunt of the He family have taken care of us a lot. We must learn to be content."
"Remember, when Aunt He asks you if you want to learn painting, just say no, you want to study hard, understand?"
Looking into Gao Huifen's eyes, Gao Zhiwan said nothing.
Yes, people must learn to be content and know how to say no.
Gao Zhiwan knew in her heart that the uncle and aunt of the He family were very good to her. They let her go to the same school as He Manru and participate in the same activities. They treated her like their own daughter.
But, after all, she is not a child of the He family, and her mother always reminds her that she and He Manru are not from the same world, so...
After taking a deep breath, Kochi nodded and replied, "Yes, I understand."
*
"Mom~Mom!"
After returning home, He Manru kicked her shoes on the ground and couldn't wait to run upstairs.
She had given an outstanding performance on stage at the New Year's Eve party last month, and her school teacher asked her to participate in the district singing competition after the New Year, so she couldn't wait to tell her the good news.
A bowl of warm snow pear and white fungus soup was brought from the kitchen. Gao Huifen took over Zheng Rou's role and answered her, "Your mother is out buying things for the New Year. She won't be back until later."
Seeing her beaming with joy, I couldn't help but ask, "What's wrong? Is there any good news?"
He Manru took the bowl, drank it all in two or three gulps, and generously shared the good news with her: "I will represent the school in the district singing competition!"
"Really? That would be great?!"
At this moment, Gao Huifen really wanted to give her a warm hug!
But because she was an "auntie", she just patted her head like an ordinary elder and said, "Come on, auntie believes in you. Not to mention the district competition, you can win first place in the city and provincial competitions!"
Hearing Gao Huifen's praise, the pear soup in the bowl seemed to become a little sweeter.
There is good news and bad news today.
The good news is that she can represent the school in the singing competition, but the bad news is that her final exam score was at the bottom again...
He Manru's mind was not on studying. Her grades were okay in elementary school and just OK in junior high school, but when she reached high school, she was at the bottom of the class.
However, she was not worried about not being able to get into university. She heard that Henan University had students with special talents in music. As long as she won enough awards and took the early art exam, she could lower the admission score of the academic subjects.
He Yanheng and Zheng Rou also took this very easy. As the saying goes, all roads lead to Rome, and since she was born in Rome, she can live the way she wants. As long as she is healthy and happy, that's enough.
Putting down the bowl in her hand, He Manru held Gao Huifen's hand and said, "Aunt Gao, I still want to thank you. Thank you for helping me choose the song "Tomorrow Will Be Better". You deserve half of the credit for my participation in the competition~"
Hearing what He Manru said, Gao Huifen's cheeks suddenly turned red. "Oh, I can't help you much. The main thing is that you sing well, and everything you sing sounds good!"
Looking back on her journey of learning music, Gao Huifen did help her to some extent.
God gave her a good voice and a strong pitch, but in fact, it was Gao Huifen who enlightened her on this path.
Ever since she could remember, she always went to Gao Huifen to sing, and as she listened, she found that she could sing along. It was because of listening and singing so much that she gradually fell in love with music.
Therefore, she deserves this thanks.
He Manru: "Wait for me to get ready. If I can really win a prize in the competition, I will treat you to a meal, okay?"
"No, no, no need to treat me to a meal or anything."
"No, you must!"
Gao Huifen refused verbally, but her eyes couldn't help but become wet.
She knew that God must be blessing her, which was why his own daughter was so kind to her.
Since she was a child, He Manru has always regarded her as the closest elder besides her parents. She can feel Gao Huifen's preference for her. Similarly, she is not an ungrateful person, so she will occasionally give some positive emotions back.
On the one hand, it is gratitude, and on the other hand, it is also for Gao Zhiwan.
Because only by making Gao Huifen happy can she be more tolerant towards Gao Zhiwan.
Looking up at the time on the clock, He Manru said, "Then I'll go upstairs to take a shower first. Aunt Gao, don't tell my mother the good news when she comes back. I want to tell her in person."
Gao Huifen: "Okay."
When going upstairs, He Manru added, "By the way, Aunt Gao, the class teacher has to tutor Wanwan and a few top students today, so she will be back later."
"Okay, got it." Gao Huifen replied indifferently as she returned to the kitchen with the bowl.
She was still immersed in the joy of He Manru's upcoming competition and prize-winning, fantasizing about what she would treat her to, and she really couldn't spare the time to think about what her daughter was busy with.
Thinking that He Manru's throat might be dry after taking a shower, she returned to the kitchen and took out some fruits from the refrigerator to cut a fruit plate for her to supplement her vitamins.
The blueberries in the refrigerator were a little soft, so Gao Huifen went out to buy some more. When she came back, she happened to meet Gao Zhiwan who had just returned from school.
"Why did you come back so late today?" Gao Huifen asked.
He Manru had just told her this an hour ago, but she didn't take it to heart.
Gao Zhiwan: "The teacher gave us extra lessons, so we added another class after school."
Thanks to the good news that He Manru brought back today, Gao Huifen was in a good mood, so she did not blame Gao Zhiwan.
She came to the kitchen and put the newly bought fruits into the sink one by one. She handed some soft blueberries that she was about to throw away to Gao Zhiwan and asked, "Are the final exam results out? How were they?"
"The full score is 600, and I scored 564, which ranks second in the class and 29th in the school." After saying that, Gao Zhiwan dared to pick up a soft blueberry and put it in his mouth.
Although the blueberries were soft and not as sweet and sour as fresh ones, this was not something a family like hers could afford, so even if they were not delicious, she had no right to say it.
Gao Huifen said "hmm" and continued to wash the fruit. "Isn't this test result okay? Why do you need to take extra classes?"
"The teacher said that with my current grades, I can go to a better university, so he wants me to work harder."
Gao Zhiwan has always had good grades, so it is no problem for her to get into a good university. Her teachers also feel sorry for her talent and think that if she can work harder, she may be able to go to an even better university.
"A better university?" Gao Huifen turned off the tap and shook the water off her hands. "Even if I go to a better university, won't I still have to work for others after graduation? What's the point of studying so much?"
Gao Huifen didn't care about her academic performance, or her future, but only one thing:
——Definitely cannot overshadow He Manru.
He Manru deserves the best things in the world, but Gao Zhiwan does not.
There is limited sunlight on the windowsill. Since she originally chose to place the pot of flowers in her hand where the sun shines the most, the pot that is being replaced naturally has to make room for it so that it can stretch its branches and leaves freely and bloom more beautiful flowers.
So, let alone a better university, if He Yanheng and Zheng Rou hadn't persuaded her again and again, she would have planned to let Gao Zhiwan go to work and earn money directly after graduation, so that she could save more money.
But Gao Huifen did not tell her her plan, but advised her earnestly: "Wanwan, we are just ordinary people. We are not destined to be the top scholar. It is enough for us to go to school, work and start a family honestly."
"You are not like Manru, who has such a good family background, so, stop dreaming as soon as possible. The sooner you face the reality, the sooner you can be down-to-earth and live a down-to-earth life."
Gao Zhiwan didn't say anything. The blueberry in her mouth had already been chewed into pieces, but she continued chewing.
Gao Zhiwan didn't want to accept his fate.
Although Gao Huifen has been emphasizing since she was a child that she is not as good as He Manru and that she is a very ordinary child, she still hopes that through her own efforts, she and her mother can live a better life in the future.
She had a desire to move forward, but it was constantly suppressed by Gao Huifen.
After being hit so many times, Gao Zhiwan began to doubt himself and wondered if he was really that bad which was why he was constantly denied by his mother.
Even if a growing seedling has the ability to break through the soil, it will not be able to raise its head when facing continuous pressure, and one day in the future, it may even break completely...
At the dinner table in the evening, He Yanheng and Zheng Rou celebrated enthusiastically for He Manru. Even though she had not participated in the competition yet, it was already a great honor to be able to represent the school.
With sumptuous meals, expensive gifts, and her parents' blessings, at that moment, He Manru was the happiest child in the world.
Looking at the light in He Manru's eyes from afar, Gao Zhiwan really envied her.
"Wanwan, I heard that you were in the top 30 in the final exam?"
Before going to bed, Gao Zhiwan had just come out of the bathroom after washing up when he ran into Zheng Rou.
It seemed like she came to see him on purpose.
After politely greeting her, Gao Zhiwan said "hmm" and nodded.
Zheng Rou took out a card and handed it to her, saying softly, "This is for you."
It was a senior membership card of the library. The five hundred yuan in it could be used to buy books, and the card could also be used to borrow books. It was a gift from Zheng Rou to her.
"No, no, no, Aunt He, I can't accept it." Gao Zhiwan declined.
Zheng Rou just smiled and put the card in her pocket. "You have been a smart kid since you were young. If you study hard, you will definitely have a bright future. You must work hard and create a future of your own."
Her words didn't seem like casual talk, but she really believed that she could do better.
"But my mother said..."
"Don't care about what others say. You have to be yourself and believe in yourself." As she said that, Zheng Rou reached out to help her tidy up the hair that was stuck to her cheek.
From Zheng Rou, Gao Zhiwan once again felt the kind of love he had never experienced before.
Unlike her own mother, Zheng Rou had never said anything bad about her, nor did she have any prejudice against her because she was the nanny's daughter. She even took care of her just like she did to He Manru.
From childhood to adulthood, whenever Gao Zhiwan needed encouragement and comfort, all he got from Gao Huifen was suppression and humiliation. On the contrary, Zheng Rou would give her the love that belonged to a mother.
Looking into Zheng Rou's eyes, Gao Zhiwan really envied He Manru, envied her for having such a good mother.
Ah...it would be great if she could be my mother...
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