Chapter 336 Taking the Initiative
As school was about to start, Wen Wan received a telegram from Lu Dongping in Guangzhou. The telegram contained only a few words: "I'm doing well. Don't worry. I'll be back at the end of March."
I don’t know why he stayed there for so long, but it’s always nice to get news from him.
Before she reported to school, she took Lu Donglin to night school.
To be honest, Lu Donglin is a really smart kid, but it’s really hard to describe his study skills.
After all, I am a fourth-grade student. After dropping out of school for a few years, I have completely returned everything I learned to the teachers. I went to night school for evaluation and found that I am only slightly better than the illiterate students in the literacy class.
Even Wen Wan, who has such a good personality, was given a headache by him.
After returning from night school, I told him, "If you want to gain a foothold in the city, want to eat commercial grain, and want to settle down here, you have to study hard. I don't expect you to be able to get into night school, but you must master the most basic knowledge. Without education, you will not be able to move forward in the capital."
Lu Donglin thought, if that doesn't work out, he might as well go carry cement. Studying is really a challenge for him, and it's far less satisfying than exerting effort.
But he didn't dare say this, nor did he want to say it. He was afraid that Wen Wan would be disappointed in him, and he also didn't want to carry cement and do hard labor for the rest of his life.
He thought about the difference between the capital and home, and then the difference between the Wen family and Tonghua Lane.
If he wants to live a good life, he has to study no matter how difficult it is.
Thinking of this, he nodded heavily to Wen Wan, "Sister-in-law, don't worry, I will definitely study hard. I am not a child now, I still know the difference between good and bad."
His words were powerful and it seemed like he was giving a promise to Wen Wan, but in fact, he was also giving a promise to himself.
Wen Wan nodded: "Okay, I'll remember this."
"Actually, studying isn't that difficult. As long as you put your heart into it, have a goal, and work hard towards it, you'll definitely be able to do it."
"You're not a child anymore. You only have two hours for supper at night. I have to teach you something else during the day."
Lu Donglin was quite astute about this: "Sister-in-law, are we going to sell clothes?"
Wen Wan nodded: "Yes, I want to sell clothes, but I have classes and don't have much time. The extra time I have can only be spent on making clothes. How to sell them depends on your ability."
Lu Donglin was dumbfounded: "Ah? Me?"
Wen Wan nodded: "Yes, it's you. When you are free during the day, you can keep the door open. As long as I sell clothes through your hands, I will give you two dollars for each piece I sell."
"If it sells well, I'll give you a big red envelope at the end of the year."
Lu Donglin grinned and said, "No, no, I'm here and you provide me with food and accommodation, so why should I pay you? I help you run the store, isn't that what I should do? We are family, right?"
Wen Wan said, "That's different. You're not a child anymore, you're an adult. This isn't Lujiazui, there are plenty of places to spend money. You can't do without money. This is the temporary arrangement until your brother comes back."
Lu Donglin had no objection to her arrangement. He had been idle for so long, and if he continued to be idle, he would rust.
Everything here costs money, and he, a grown man, has to rely on his sister-in-law for support. It just makes him feel uncomfortable no matter how he thinks about it.
Wen Wan brought him back to Ai Shang directly and explained to him the names, advantages and disadvantages of these fabrics while working.
When selling clothes, knowing the price is one thing, but understanding the material of the clothes is also important, so that you can introduce and sell them to others.
Although Lu Donglin is not serious about studying, he can memorize these things very quickly.
Wen Wan has always felt that a person always has his shining points. If he is not good here, there must be something good about him. It is absolutely impossible for him to be useless.
Lu Donglin is probably like this.
In the blink of an eye, it was time to report for the new semester. As soon as the semester started, Huazhong University of Science and Technology became bustling. The chilly spring weather was cold, and except for the pines and cypresses, which still had some green, everything else was bleak.
After a long vacation, when we return to school, we have to greet each other and have a chat.
Wen Wan originally wanted to ask Li Lai Yu to go with her, but when she arrived at her house, she found that the yard gate was locked, so she went to school by herself.
The weather was nice, though my hands and feet were still freezing in the mornings and evenings. But after the sun came out at noon, it got warmer day by day. As long as there was no wind, the sun would warm my body so much that I felt I couldn't even wear a cotton jacket anymore.
The female students in the university wore various coats, paired with leggings, sweaters and skirts, becoming a beautiful scenery on campus.
Li Lai Yu didn't have any classes at the moment, so he took his books and went to the reed marsh northwest of the school.
It’s not really appropriate to call it a reed marsh, but everyone calls it that.
It is actually a small pond with a circle of reeds growing around it. When the weather is hot, you can see a few fat water birds swimming around in the middle. In addition to willow trees, there are also lush holly trees on the side. I don’t know how many have grown here.
The reeds have not sprouted yet in this season, and even the willow trees nearby are quiet and have not yet begun to turn green.
Several huge rocks of strange shapes stand there quietly, looking a bit desolate, but also very quiet.
She used to come here often. She would nimbly climb to the top of the rock, find a position she thought was comfortable, sit there cross-legged with her book open, and although she seemed to be reading, her mind was actually empty.
This is where Wang Mengmengfang found her.
Ms. Wang may appear gentle, but she's actually a man of action, especially when it comes to her son's lifelong event. She doesn't hesitate. As soon as the semester started, she got her Economics School class schedule and headed to the library again, hoping to have another chance encounter with Li Laiyu.
As a result, she didn't find anyone in the library. According to the information she learned, the person was not in the library. He either went home or was near the small pond.
According to the class schedule, the School of Economics had another professional class in two hours. Li Lai Yu should not go back. She planned to try her luck at the small pond. As it turned out, she was lucky.
There wasn't much to see here this season, and it was cold, so few students came here, making it very quiet. She walked along the cobblestone path with her bag in hand, and stopped under the pile of large rocks.
I stood there and stared for a long time. The person on the big rock didn't move. He looked like he was reading a book, but his eyes seemed to penetrate the book and I didn't know where they fell. He was like an old monk in meditation.
She blinked, walked to the bottom of the pile of rocks, and climbed up using her hands and feet.
Sitting down next to Li Lai Yu, the chill from the stone soon touched her. She looked sideways at the girl beside her without hesitation, and in her heart she admired her composure.
Perhaps her gaze was too intense, Li Lai Yu finally came back to his senses and glanced at her. She looked familiar, as if he had seen her somewhere before.
Wang Mengfang smiled faintly: "Hello, do you remember me? We have met before." The soft smile and voice made people feel very cordial.
Li thought about it and had some impression, but he couldn't really remember it.
"Who are you?"
But they only met once, so she didn't remember Wang Mengfang and didn't care.
He reached out to shake her hand.
You Lai Yu raised your hand and shook it gently with hers.
The smile on Wang Mengfang's face became even more intense: "My name is Wang Mengfang, a tutor in the History Department of Hua University, and also Xu Qingming's mother. We met last time in the library, remember?
Li Lai Yu stood there in a daze listening to her soft voice.
She knew why she felt familiar. It was not because of their brief encounter in the library, but because the woman in front of her looked very similar to Xu Qingming, especially when she smiled. She made people feel particularly close to her, even to the point of wanting to get closer to her.
After a moment of hesitation, she quickly regained her composure: "Hello, I'm Li Laiyu, a student from the School of Economics, Class of 1978."
Her heart had never been in a state of panic, not even when she faced tens of thousands of enemy troops. She hadn't expected Xu Qingming's mother to come looking for her.
Wang Mengfang couldn't tell from her face whether she was nervous or not, and said softly, "What a coincidence! The last time I saw you, I was wondering what kind of place could raise such an outstanding girl like you. I didn't expect that you are good friends with our Qingming and Wanwan."
Good friends, Wen Wan, yes, Xu Qingming—well, barely!
"Has Wanwan ever told you about our family situation? There are only three of us in our family, and it's very simple. Qingming's father and I both have our own jobs, so we've always lived in the staff family compound. Qingming has always been independent since he was young, and most of the time he's not with us. Having him is no different than not having him. My biggest wish is to have a daughter, to cook lots of delicious food for her, to teach her to read and sew, to make her beautiful clothes, and to take her wherever she wants to go."
"Who knew, she'd give birth to such a stinky boy."
Li Lai Yu was a little dazed after hearing her words.
In her previous life, when her mother was still alive, she had been her first teacher. She had taught her to read, needlework, and the arts of music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. She never relied on anyone else for anything she needed. Her father was the same way. Although he was very strict with her during martial arts training, he always answered her questions. Unfortunately, they only gave her fifteen years. Before she could even wear the flowered dress she was supposed to wear at the time of her coming of age, they both passed away.
She hadn't thought about those days for a long time, so long that when she thought about them now, she felt as if those days had only appeared in her dreams.
In this life, she has never even seen what her mother looks like, because the woman died early when she was born.
Wang Meng continued speaking, her voice neither hurried nor slow, making people feel very comfortable: "I heard from Wanwan that you are very interested in the silk and embroidery in Suzhou. Coincidentally, the town where we live is a special place for silk production."
"I'm planning to go back during the summer vacation. Do you want to go with me?"
Li Laiyu glanced at it and shook his head gently, declining: "I'll probably be doing an internship during the summer vacation. I'll go when there's a suitable opportunity."
Wang Mengfang nodded. "That's fine. Work is pretty important, so if you want to go, there will always be a chance. But if you like, I can bring some back for you when I get back."
Li Laiyu said, "Teacher, why? This is the second time we've met, including the library you mentioned."
Wang Mengfang didn't beat around the bush with her: "Lai Yu, you should know the answer to this question."
"Qingming likes you, and as his mother, I will naturally try to like you too. Of course, you are a very likable girl. I don't have a daughter, and I wasn't lying when I told you I've always wanted a daughter. I'm a person who means what I say and doesn't like to beat around the bush."
"If you feel Qingming's love for you is a burden, then you can completely ignore him, but as for your aunt's love for you, please consider it and respond a little?"
As he spoke, he laughed out loud: "Although there is a big age gap between us, I think fate is the key between people. We can become good friends."
Li Laiyu chuckled. She felt that Xu Qingming's mother was indeed much more interesting than him.
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