Chapter 109 A Hymn Before the Curtain Falls
Time is like the sycamore tree in the courtyard, withering and flourishing year after year, and several springs and autumns have passed in the blink of an eye.
Zhao Yidi has graduated from university.
Zhao Fei and Wen Xiaoxiao both attended the graduation ceremony of the normal university.
My daughter, dressed in her graduation gown and cap, still stood out among the group of graduates.
She inherited Zhao Fei's height and Li Rui's features; standing there, she was graceful and elegant.
"Dad, Mom." Zhao Yidi walked over and handed the bouquet of flowers in her arms to Wen Xiaoxiao.
Wen Xiaoxiao took the flowers, her eyes welling up with tears. She touched her daughter's face and said, "They're so beautiful."
Zhao Fei didn't speak, but simply patted his daughter's shoulder forcefully. This gesture spoke volumes.
Zhao Yidi was admitted to the city's experimental primary school and became an English teacher.
On the day she reported for duty, she specially wore a proper suit, a light gray suit skirt, a white shirt, and her hair was tied in a low ponytail, making her look calm and approachable.
Fu Yunrou was overjoyed and told everyone she met, "Our Yidi has become a teacher at the Experimental Primary School!"
Although Director Xiao still maintained his serious demeanor, he couldn't hide the smile in the corner of his eye.
He told Fu Yunrou privately, "Yidi is a steady girl. Being a teacher would be good for her."
The year after graduation, Zhao Yidi and Xiao Junkai got married.
Xiao Junkai returned from Xinjiang and joined the city's construction bureau.
He's gotten darker and stronger; the naivety in his eyes has faded, replaced by a more mature look.
When he met Zhao Yidi, the first thing he said was, "It's been four years, and I haven't forgotten a single day of it."
The wedding was simple yet warm.
They set up more than a dozen tables at the hotel, and invited only close relatives and friends.
Zhao Yidi wore a white wedding dress, which was specially made by Wen Xiaoxiao.
The wedding dress has a simple design but exquisite workmanship, with pearls embroidered on the skirt.
As Wen Xiaoxiao watched Yi Di link arms with Zhao Fei and walk toward Xiao Junkai, tears streamed down her face.
Zhao Fei's eyes also reddened. When he handed his daughter's hand to Xiao Junkai, his voice was choked with emotion: "Take good care of her."
"Dad, don't worry." Xiao Junkai nodded solemnly.
Fu Yunrou wiped away her tears offstage, and Director Xiao gently patted her hand.
The most interesting person at the wedding was Wen Xiaogai.
The boy, dressed in a little suit, stood with a stern face as a "protector of the flower," as if afraid someone would throw ribbons at her sister.
When toasting, he held a glass of juice and said to Xiao Junkai in a serious tone, "Brother-in-law, if you treat my sister badly, I won't let you off the hook."
Everyone at the table laughed.
Xiao Junkai smiled and said earnestly, "Don't worry, Xiao Gai, I will be good to your sister for the rest of my life."
After their marriage, Zhao Yidi and Xiao Junkai lived in a residential area not far from the Experimental Primary School.
The house isn't big, just two bedrooms and a living room, but it's decorated warmly.
The young couple often go to both sets of parents' homes for meals on weekends, sometimes at the Zhao family's house and sometimes at the Xiao family's house.
Fu Yunrou truly treats Zhao Yidi like her own daughter.
Every time I visit the Xiao family, there are always dishes that Zhao Yidi likes on the table; when it gets cold, I prepare a thick quilt for her in advance.
Hearing that the school was busy, I specially made soup and asked Xiao Junkai to deliver it to me.
Once, Wen Xiaoxiao was chatting with Fu Yunrou, and Fu Yunrou said with emotion, "Xiaoxiao, I really have to thank you. I raised such a wonderful daughter, and now she's my daughter-in-law. I feel so at ease."
Wen Xiaoxiao smiled and said, "It's all because the children are destined to be together."
Wen Xiaoxiao's wholesale business has grown bigger and bigger over the years.
She and Han Manjuan rented three more warehouses, located in different areas of the city.
This makes delivery more convenient and covers a wider area.
The cooperation with Zheng Shangyu has been stable, and now Wen Xiaoxiao is his largest wholesaler in the province.
Wu Jia and Hu Wanlin took over the clothing store.
The couple saved up some money, and with the discount Wen Xiaoxiao gave them, they took over the shop.
Hu Wanlin no longer works as a security guard; he now focuses on helping out at the store.
He's still not a talkative person, but he's a hard worker. He's adept at repairing shelves and moving heavy objects.
The store name remains unchanged, still "Xiaoxiao Clothing." Wu Jia said the name is auspicious and cannot be changed.
Wen Xiaoxiao is much more relaxed now.
Han Manjuan manages the wholesale business, while Wu Jia handles the shop. Wu Jia only needs to check the accounts quarterly and occasionally go to the warehouse to check the goods.
Zhao Fei is right. Having enough money is fine; health is the most important thing.
Her main task now is to take care of Zhou Lanying.
The old lady is seventy-six years old this year, and her legs and feet are becoming increasingly weak.
She spends most of her time in a wheelchair. When the weather is nice, Wen Xiaoxiao pushes her around the yard to look at the flowers and bask in the sun.
Zhou Lanying is in good spirits, but her memory is poor.
Sometimes she would hold Wen Xiaoxiao's hand and call out "Rui ah", then after a while she would realize and pat Wen Xiaoxiao's hand: "It's Xiaoxiao, I was confused."
Wen Xiaoxiao didn't mind; on the contrary, she stayed with her even more patiently.
The children have all grown up.
Yizhen and Yibao are now in their first year of high school.
The two sisters attended the same prestigious high school, but their personalities became increasingly different.
Yibao is interested in making money.
During summer vacation, she went with Han Manjuan to deliver goods, helping with accounting, counting, and contacting customers.
Once, Han Manjuan said to Wen Xiaoxiao, "Yibao is a quick-witted child who can do accounting fast. He will definitely be a good businessman in the future."
Yizhen still enjoys designing clothes.
She has her own small workshop, which is filled with fabrics, needles and thread, and design drafts.
I often spend the whole weekend drawing, cutting, and sewing.
The clothes she made for Zhao Yidi were said to be even more comfortable than those bought in the mall.
Wen Xiaoxiao felt very gratified as she looked in the directions her two daughters each liked.
She said to Yizhen, "Next summer vacation, Mom will take you to Guangzhou to meet Uncle Zheng. He's a professional, so let him give you some pointers."
Yizhen's eyes lit up: "Really?"
"Really." Wen Xiaoxiao patted her head. "If you like it, then study hard."
Yi Bao pouted from the side, "Mom, can you take me with you? I want to see how the wholesale market works."
"Bring them all, bring them all," Wen Xiaoxiao said with a smile.
Han Jing has grown up too.
The little girl is ten years old. She still has a fiery temper, but she's become much more sensible.
During summer vacation, she also went with her mother and cousins to deliver goods, helping to move light items like a little adult, and writing neatly when keeping accounts.
Han Manjuan looked at her daughter and said to Wen Xiaoxiao, "This girl takes after me. She'll be a restless person from now on."
The most surprising thing was Wen Xiaogai.
After entering junior high school, this kid suddenly seemed to have a flash of inspiration and began to show his business acumen.
He often pestered Zhao Fei on Saturday nights, wanting to go to the factory or warehouse with him.
"Dad, please take me with you." Wen Xiaogai hugged Zhao Fei's arm. "I promise I won't cause any trouble, I just want to take a look."
Zhao Fei was so bothered by him that he would sometimes take him along.
After visiting a few times, Wen Xiaogai really figured it out.
Once, Zhao Fei was negotiating prices with a client who was trying to lower the price aggressively. As Zhao Fei was thinking about how to negotiate, Wen Xiaogai suddenly interjected, "Uncle, how about this—you can take this batch of goods at the original price, and my dad will give you a 5% discount on the next batch. In the long run, it's more cost-effective for you."
The customer was taken aback, glancing at Wen Xiaogai and then at Zhao Fei: "Director Zhao, what's this...?"
"My son." Zhao Fei was also a little surprised.
The customer laughed: "Kid, you can do the math. Okay, we'll do it your way."
Afterwards, Zhao Fei asked Wen Xiaogai, "How did you come up with that idea?"
Wen Xiaogai scratched his head: "I don't think he's the kind of person who only does business once. If he's going to do it long-term, he can make a profit next time by giving up some profit this time."
Zhao Fei looked at his son, his heart filled with mixed emotions.
This kid, how old is he, already has these kinds of thoughts. I don't know if it's a good thing or a bad thing.
But Wen Xiaogai's studies did not fall behind.
Although he was mischievous, he was quick-witted and his grades were always in the middle to upper range.
Zhao Fei and Wen Xiaoxiao discussed that as long as it didn't interfere with his studies, it would be good for him to come along and broaden his horizons.
One autumn weekend, Zhao Yidi and Xiao Junkai came back for dinner.
The whole family sat around a table, having a lively and cheerful time.
Zhou Lanying sat in a wheelchair, Wen Xiaoxiao served her food, Zhao Yidi peeled shrimp for her grandmother, Yizhen and Yibao talked about interesting things at school, and Wen Xiaogai boasted about what business deal she had helped her father close.
Han Manjuan and Han Jing also arrived. Wenbin was busy serving his daughter food, while Han Manjuan told Wen Xiaoxiao about the latest developments in the wholesale business.
Looking at the people at the table, Zhao Fei suddenly felt a little dazed.
He remembered that many years ago, in that courtyard house, the whole family ate together.
Back then, Li Rui was still alive, Zhao Qingda hadn't gone astray yet, and Yi Di was still young.
In the blink of an eye, the children have all grown up, some have started their own families, and others have gone to school.
The courtyard house was also demolished, but their business grew and they lived a better life.
Time flies, seasons change.
After dinner, Zhao Fei pushed Zhou Lanying for a walk in the yard. Most of the sycamore leaves had turned yellow, and they fell with a rustling sound when the wind blew.
"Mom, are you cold?" Zhao Fei asked.
"It's not cold." Zhou Lanying looked at the fallen leaves all over the ground. "It's autumn, the leaves should fall. Only when they fall can new ones grow next year."
In the courtyard, Wen Xiaogai was teaching Han Jing how to play a newly bought game console, Yi Zhen and Yi Bao were discussing a math problem, and Zhao Yidi and Xiao Junkai were helping Wen Xiaoxiao wash the dishes in the kitchen.
The light shone through the window, giving off a warm glow.
Zhao Fei pushed his mother-in-law along slowly, and suddenly felt very calm.
This is life, I guess.
Generation after generation, life goes on.
As night deepened, the guests gradually departed.
After cleaning up the kitchen, Wen Xiaoxiao went out into the yard and stood next to Zhao Fei.
"What are you thinking about?" she asked.
"Thinking about our whole family," Zhao Fei said, putting his arm around her shoulder. "Time flies. In the blink of an eye, Yidi is already married."
“That’s right.” Wen Xiaoxiao leaned on his shoulder. “In a few years, Yizhen and Yibao will be taking the college entrance exams, and Xiaogai will be in high school. We’re really getting old.”
"So be it if we get old," Zhao Fei laughed. "When we're old, we'll have more leisure time. Once the kids are all married, we'll travel around together."
"Okay." Wen Xiaoxiao closed her eyes. "It's settled."
The wind blew, and a few more leaves fell.
But the tree is still there, and the roots are still there.
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