98.098 (Change surname)
"Is university fun?" Chen Min'an looked at Ping An and Xiao Yuan with great curiosity, resting his chin on his hand and waiting for them to tell him about the fun things.
"I wouldn't say it's fun. University is the kind of place you yearn for the moment you step inside. Even though it's summer vacation, many people haven't gone home yet; they're still studying at school. I feel like taking out my books and doing a practice test. My mom's university is huge; it has its own experimental forest and wetlands, Mao'er Mountain and Liangshui Gully, totaling nearly 30,000 hectares—it's enormous." Xiao Yuan's face was full of excitement. He couldn't find the words to describe his feelings about entering university. When he was nine, he earned the right to frolic in the orchard through labor. Back then, he felt incredibly happy in the boundless orchard, but that happiness reached its peak when he saw the endless forest.
"Really? Thirty thousand hectares? It would take a month to walk around that area, wouldn't it?" Chen Min'an wondered. How big must this university be?
"It's an experimental forest farm, just like farmland in the countryside. A university is like a village, understand?"
"I understand now that you've explained it that way."
Ping An was peeling sunflower seeds on the side without saying a word. Chen Min'an had always been proud in front of the two brothers. He was proud that his father was a senior technician, that his family was from the county, and that he and his brother were brothers. Now it was his turn to envy himself and Xiao Yuan.
"We also visited other schools, went to universities in the capital, climbed the Great Wall, and my mom took me and Xiaoyuan to the Songhua River. We tried foreign chocolates, exchanged overseas Chinese coupons with foreign friends, and shopped at the Friendship Store." After Xiaoyuan finished speaking, he continued to boast.
Chen Min'an rolled his eyes at Ping An's blatant boasting. He didn't know what Ping An was so proud of. He was only able to visit Harbin and the capital because of Xiao Yuan. Xiao Yuan's mother wasn't his biological mother.
"So which school do you want to apply to? The capital?" He pretended not to hear Ping An's words and continued chatting with Xiao Yuan.
Xiao Yuan shook his head, glanced at Ping An, and said with a smile, "Go to my mom's school. I like that school, and I want to study at the same school as my mom. Wouldn't that be great? In the future, I can tell others that I am Ms. Su's schoolmate, her son, and her junior."
"That's great, I still don't know which school I want to apply to."
"You're talking like you can just pass the exam whenever you want," Ping An couldn't help but retort.
"Don't be so smug. I'll say the same thing to you: Xiao Yuan is as good as his mother and can go to university, but you might not be." Chen Min'an curled his lip and gave him a disdainful look.
The two immediately turned hostile, abandoning their usual banter and becoming bitter enemies, wishing they could spit in each other's faces.
“Ping An’s grades are also very good. He always gets lower scores than me because he draws when he gets home, while I spend all my time studying and doing exercises. He will definitely get into the university he wants.” Xiao Yuan stopped smiling, stood on Ping An’s side, and said, “Besides, Ping An was raised by my mother. He is my brother and looks like my mother.”
"Let's go home. Don't associate with snobs." Ping An grinned at Chen Min'an and dragged Xiao Yuan away from the school.
"Little bro, I heard you admit with my own ears that I'm your brother." As soon as they left the school gate, Ping An couldn't resist ruffling Xiao Yuan's hair.
"Get lost, it was a slip of the tongue." Xiao Yuan nimbly dodged and even kicked him. Ping An's sudden action interrupted his thoughts. Thinking of his "little brother," he asked, "Are you also going to university in Northeast China?"
"Of course, I like the food there, I love salmon." He muttered as he rode his bicycle, "You and Mom are there, Dad will definitely go too, don't even think about leaving me behind."
"Let's not mention it. Mom wants to kick us out. Let's give her a surprise."
“Okay, for the next year we’ll just do whatever she says.” Ping An and Xiao Yuan exchanged a glance and grinned mischievously.
After staying at home for half a month, Ning Jin made two short-distance trips. When she returned this time, Su Yu told the five people at the dinner table that she was going to school.
"School's started already? Even shorter than high school holidays." Old Su sighed. "That's true, university is more demanding than high school, so shorter holidays are to be expected. Are you coming back for Chinese New Year?"
Su Yu stuffed a piece of meat into her mouth and didn't say anything. Her plan was to have Ning Jin take Xiao Yuan and Ping An to her place for the New Year. Seeing that Old Man Su was still waiting for her reply, she swallowed the meat and said, "We'll see at the end of the year. If I have enough time, I'll come back. If I'm short on time, you can come to my place for the New Year."
Old Man Su understood what she meant and waved his hand, saying, "You can make arrangements according to your own plans. Don't worry about me and your mother. There are also your three sisters here. Don't tie us old folks to you."
"Let's talk about it at the end of the year." Su Yu didn't want to say more; there were still half a year left.
"Mom, when are you leaving?" Xiao Yuan walked into the kitchen and stood to the side watching her wash the dishes.
"Just in the next couple of days, what's wrong? You can't bear to part with me?" Su Yu glanced at him and continued washing the dishes.
Xiao Yuan hesitated for a moment without responding. Despite his constant use of "Mom," he was too embarrassed to say whether he wanted to or not in front of his mother. Even when he tried to act cute, it was only in his mind. He practiced it a thousand times, but he became timid when he saw people.
“I want to change my surname.” He abruptly changed the subject, saying, “I want to take your surname and be called Su Yuan.”
“Okay, why don’t you want to keep the surname Xu?” Su Yu glanced at him sideways.
“I’ll change my surname to yours. After I graduate from high school and go to university, no one will know about our family situation anymore. Ping’an and I will be brothers, one with the mother’s surname and the other with the father’s surname. No one will gossip anymore.”
So that's the reason. Su Yu was able to calmly tell others that she and Ning Jin were in their second marriage and that Ping An was her stepson. It seems that Xiao Yuan and Ping An were somewhat troubled by the rumors.
“Okay, let’s change the surname tomorrow? Do you want to tell your dad?” she asked.
“Forget it, I won’t go. I’ll go after I get into university.” The older he gets, the fainter his memories of his father become. In recent years, he only thinks of him when it’s close to visiting his father’s grave each year. “I think my dad would definitely want me to take your surname,” he said.
“It’s no use if he doesn’t want to. He’s my son, and he can take whichever surname he wants. I’m just being polite to him.” Su Yu washed the oil off her hands with soap, pushed Xiao Yuan’s back and walked out, saying, “We’ll go there tomorrow. From now on, when you introduce him to people, he’ll be Su Yuan, and he’ll take his mother’s surname.”
That night, she told Ningjin about Xiaoyuan's idea and asked him what he thought.
The man slapped the bed and cheered, "Xiao Yuan is a real man. He doesn't talk much, but he's very clear-headed. Unlike Ping An, who has a big mouth but is confused and procrastinates."
"You're talking nonsense. Don't define my son. Ping An rarely cares about things that don't concern him, and he rarely thinks too much about them. He's always cheerful." Su Yu pinched him. "I raised our son, so don't complain."
"Yes, yes, they're all your sons, and all your sons are good." He smiled, and now he wouldn't refute her even if she said Ping An was her biological son.
Changing your surname at the police station is very simple; you can be out in the time it takes to smoke a cigarette. Su Yu instructed Xiao Yuan, "Son, when the school compiles information from now on, just use the name on your household registration. Xu Yuan is your former name."
Xiao Yuan nodded, handed the household registration booklet to Ping An who was craning his neck to look at it, and asked, "When are you leaving?"
"Tomorrow then." She glanced at Ning Jin.
"I'll have to leave sooner or later, so let's leave it for tomorrow. I'll take care of all the work in the Northeast, and I'll come see you when I go there."
"Waaah—" Ping An pouted, "Su Yuan and I are the only pitiful ones. Nobody comes to visit us."
"What are you looking at? All that fat? It hurts my eyes to see you. Why don't you get on your weight loss while we're not home?"
Ping An: "..." The fat man was weak and had no say.
*
On the first day of school, Er Ya had just arrived next door when, before she could even knock, a dog's nose peeked out from under the door.
"Xiao Hua, who's here?" Old Man Su could tell from Xiao Hua's dog-like appearance that someone he knew was outside. When he saw that it was Er Ya at the door, he immediately reacted and said, "It's the first day of school, right? I've already cleaned the bicycle. Come in and push it. Xiao Yuan and Ping An are like wild monkeys; they're probably already halfway there."
"Yes, Grandpa Su, I'm starting school." She had been thinking about how to explain to Grandpa Xiaoyuan that she was using a bicycle for the past two or three days. Even a second-hand bicycle cost more than a hundred yuan, and she was afraid that he would not be happy. Unexpectedly, he spoke first before she even opened her mouth.
"Xiao Yuan's mom told me to take the bicycle and study hard." He walked into the yard and let the shy and sensitive girl in. The youngest sister had already agreed to let her use the bicycle, so even if he had any objections, it wouldn't matter. He might as well do it properly so that she wouldn't be ungrateful for the favor he was giving her.
Er Ya had already studied on her own for half a semester, memorized all the texts she needed to memorize, and had also skimmed through the math book. This gave her a significant advantage from the very beginning of the semester. In the first month of school, she won the teacher's favor. With a solid foundation, a serious attitude, and a willingness to work hard, no teacher disliked such a student.
She made it into the top ten of her grade during the midterm exams, and her father and he were undoubtedly the happiest when they learned her results.
"Dad, I think my sister's grades are really good, and they might even get better in the future. Should we raise the price of the company I contacted before?" He clenched his right fist and shook his index finger.
“Okay, tell them Er Ya’s grades. If they can’t come up with a good price, we can find someone else.” The man agreed with his son’s idea, patted Er Bao on the shoulder, and said, “You’re the quick-witted one. Your brother is just a reckless fool.”
"I take after my dad, and my brother takes after my mom."
The father of the second child thought about it for a moment and realized that it was true. The eldest child was exactly the same as his mother. They were both loud and boisterous, but their words were useless. They would immediately give themselves away if someone tried to trick them.
Erbao went out after lunch and didn't return home until evening. The first thing he did when he got back was to look for his dad. Their eyes met, and Erbao nodded proudly, indicating that he had taken care of it.
As the temperature dropped, Er Ya's chilblains on her face, hands, and feet flared up again. She was itchy and annoyed every day, and her efficiency in doing homework decreased accordingly. As a result, her grades dropped in the first semester final exam of her first year of high school, and she only ranked tenth in her class. Her father was furious when he found out, especially since the buyer came to their door to ask about the situation.
“This is my cousin, who shares a ancestor with us. You don’t know him. I heard you’re in high school, so I came to visit.” Er Ya’s father introduced the man with gleaming eyes to Er Ya, saying, “My daughter’s chilblains have flared up. She said she can’t sit still while studying. Luckily, the college entrance exam is in the summer, so she’ll definitely get good results.”
"Is it really because of frostbite? Can you even understand what you're learning from books?" the man asked, his eyes scanning her swollen fingers and her face covered in scabs.
"It's alright." Er Ya didn't recognize the man in front of her at all and didn't want to say anything more. She looked at her father, who was very nervous.
"Buy some good frostbite cream for the child. She's already been affected this year, and she can't afford to get frostbite again next winter. I'm worried about her grades if they're not stable." He glanced at the man who kept coughing, frowned in disgust, turned slightly, and asked, "Girl, are you not coughing?"
“My cough isn’t contagious or hereditary. I just caught a cold from falling into the water in winter when I was young.” Er Ya’s dad interrupted, “Don’t worry, my Er Ya is very healthy. She doesn’t cough all year round.”
Er Ya felt increasingly uneasy. This distant cousin, who was almost five degrees of kinship with her, was strange. It seemed that his visit was only to get to know her, his cousin whom he had never met before. "Uncle, which village do you live in?" she asked.
"You're from the same village as your grandfather, so tell me, which village am I from?"
"Oh, Datang Village? My sister should know you. Are you looking for her? I'll go and call her for you." She hurried out the door.
The man glanced at her retreating figure but didn't pay any attention. After she left, he said to the man who was suppressing his cough, "Take good care of yourself. Don't get sick and cause any problems. If you don't do well on the exam because of illness, you'll have to compensate me."
“Er Ya is healthy and has never been sick since she was a child, so don’t worry,” Er Ya’s father said solicitously. Seeing that she was frowning, he quickly added, “Starting tomorrow, I will boil an egg for her every morning.”
Er Ya, who was outside the door, heard the voices inside stop. She walked quietly to the right and entered the courtyard with the door open.
Yu Anxiu glanced at her and saw that it was her again. She lowered her eyes and ignored her. Er Ya was also glad that Xiao Yuan's grandmother did not call her name.
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