Ning Yuan subconsciously looked around: "Did you get approval from your superiors to come here?"
She was called out of the yard by Ah Heng to pick someone up, but she never expected that it would be her own mother who came to pick her up!
The secretary beside Madam Ning immediately said, "Don't worry, sir, it's approved. We'll be staying at the Friendship Hotel."
Madam Ning said with a mix of helplessness and amusement, "Your mother isn't that stupid. She flew here with Director Ou to report on the project's progress."
Ning Yuan breathed a sigh of relief: "That's good."
Like the Jinjiang Hotel in Shanghai, the Beijing Friendship Hotel is a place for receiving foreign guests or overseas Chinese.
"Let's go, shall we take Mommy to eat Peking duck? Your daddy has been to the capital, but I've never been here before," Madam Ning said with a smile.
Although my mother was already dressed modestly, to be honest, there weren't as many fashionable people in Beijing as in Shanghai and Guangzhou at this time of year.
My mother and her friends, all dressed in suits, stood out conspicuously outside this large courtyard.
Ning Yuan nodded immediately and was about to get into the car with Madam Ning.
Ah Heng coughed lightly: "Xiao Ning, I have something to take care of here."
When she saw the two men accompanying Madam Ning, she knew that Ning Yuan was safe. These two men, especially the "male secretary," were old acquaintances whose skills were no less than hers.
Last time, they went to the hospital together and almost killed Brother Li...
Ning Yuan was taken aback. Aheng rarely left her side, but she still nodded and said, "Okay, be careful."
Watching Ning Yuan and Madam Ning drive away, Aheng made a gesture in another direction.
Only after watching a jeep drive out from around the corner, carrying two brothers, and follow Ning Yuan's car at a distance did Aheng feel relieved and turn to leave in another direction.
Upon arriving at the restaurant, the group got out of the car and went into a private room that had been reserved in advance.
Madam Ning glanced gently at the two secretaries: "The menu is on the wall. Go and see what you'd like to eat, then take your tickets and money to place your order."
"Okay." The secretaries tactfully closed the door behind them.
Seeing her mother's posture, Ning Yuan immediately got up to pour her tea and preemptively said, "Mom, why did you suddenly come over? I called you a few days ago, and you didn't say you were coming."
Madam Ning said calmly, "It was Zhao Nan who called me, saying that you were in a bad mood because you were unfamiliar with the place."
Ning Yuan frowned: "What is he doing?"
What does he mean by that?
He can't handle her, so he calls in his parents? What kind of skill is that? Trying to get her mother to mediate? Doesn't he know his mother isn't happy with him as her son-in-law?
Madam Ning smiled gently: "Director Ou is coming over, so I was just asking if he needed to come along to report on the project progress and also to see you. Assistant Ye is helping to look after the project site, and your elder brother just returned to Hong Kong."
She paused for a moment, then said, "Wei Heng came along too. He's been transferred to work for Director Ou, so he doesn't have time to come along for the time being."
Ning Yuan pursed her lips and put down the teapot: "Mom, don't listen to Rong Zhaonan's nonsense. There's no need for you to make such a long trip."
Madam Ning looked at her, her expression earnest yet gentle: "Did you have a fight with Zhao Nan?"
Ning Yuan casually poured herself a cup of tea as well: "No."
He's just being foolish; he habitually gives in to certain people to the point of being mentally deficient.
Madam Ning patted her arm helplessly: "He himself said that he has wronged you. Although he is not my ideal son-in-law, he does not intend to use me to pressure you. He just hopes that I can keep you company."
Ning Yuan was silent for a while: "Mom, this is between him and me, and there are some things he has to learn to face and solve on his own."
After saying that, she chuckled again: "However, my mom doesn't like him, and his dad doesn't like me much either, so it evens out."
Madam Ning frowned slightly, looking at her sharply: "His father doesn't like you? Is it because our family is in Hong Kong...?"
She already knew from her son that he was no pushover, and now it seems that his family isn't exactly innocent either.
Ning Yuan calmly patted her mother's hand gently: "Mom, relax. They probably don't know about my background yet, so they're just a little hesitant."
She paused, then said calmly, "Don't worry about me. If I truly feel someone is beyond saving, I'll leave on my own. No one can stop me."
Madam Ning looked at her daughter and sighed, "My dear girl, why do you look so old and worldly-wise? If I didn't know better, I would think you were about my age."
After saying that, she gently held Ning Yuan's hand: "But you know what you're doing, so Mommy won't say any more. Go look at the menu and order some local delicacies for me."
Ning Yuan nodded and smiled sweetly, "Okay."
Hey, what a coincidence! She's probably about the same age as my mom.
It's just that now I'm "getting younger as I get older," which can also be considered "reverse aging." Hmm, how can it not be?
Watching Ning Yuan go to order food, Madam Ning said to her secretary, who had been standing at the door at some point, "Mary, when you get back, tell Director Ou that I'd like to invite him for afternoon tea and see when he's available in the next couple of days."
Xiao Ning is a girl with her own ideas. She doesn't want to interfere in the children's affairs. Even if the two little ones spit on each other or even fight to the death, she can just say that the children are ignorant.
But if an elder bullies their own child, then of course the mother can't just stand by and watch; she has to see what kind of trouble they're up to.
"Yes, Second Madam." The secretary nodded.
...
Central Dance Affiliated High School
A row of stalls selling snacks such as jianbing guozi (Chinese crepes), tea eggs, donkey rolls, fried dough twists, and kaikouxiao (a type of fried dough) are located near the back door.
The girls who dance at the school are all in their adolescence and are as thin as sticks. Every day before practice, they have to be weighed by their teachers. If they gain weight, they have to run on the playground and eat less for the next meal.
Although it's not easy to gain weight these days, many of the girls at the affiliated high school come from well-off families.
After the reform and opening up, there were many more lively stalls and vendors near the school.
But the teachers usually don't allow us to eat snacks, and we're not allowed to go out to buy food after school.
This school houses a bunch of gluttonous girls, but the back gate is lined with food vendors, creating a balance between supply and demand. After school, during the breaks...
"Head north, the gatekeeper went to catch the students from the next class who were climbing over the wall. There's a commotion over there, so hurry up and get on the wall!" Several skinny girls squatted at the base of the wall by the back door, in a lunge position, with their hands folded on their bent legs.
If you didn't know better, you'd think they were setting up some kind of dance formation.
Another skinny girl took a small sprint, her toes pushing off their legs, and nimbly leaped onto the wall, which was about one and a half meters high: "I'm up!"
"I want a tea egg and a fried dough twist!"
"I want a jianbing guozi, and ask the old man to add two eggs!"
"And I want tripe!"
A few skinny girls whispered to her.
Rong Chaobei said cautiously, "I understand. You'll need another person to climb over the wall and pull me up later, don't forget!"
"I can't forget, hurry up!" The skinny girl below waved anxiously at her.
Rong Chaobei grabbed the wall and jumped down, but it had just rained today, and the top of the wall was a bit damp.
Suddenly, her hand swayed, and she began to fall, letting out a small scream: "Ah—"
"Thud!" A tall figure caught her.
Rong Chaobei looked up, still shaken, and saw Aheng giving her a sly smile: "Little stick, out stealing food again?"
Rong Chaobei froze instantly: "Sister Heng... what are you doing here?"
As she spoke, she subconsciously looked around.
Ah Heng hugged her with a grin: "Your mom's people are watching you at school. There are no outsiders here, so no one knows you climbed over the wall to buy food."
Rong Chaobei was stiff and didn't know what to do.
The next moment, she was lifted off Ah Heng's arms: "Ah Heng, have someone prepare some food and send it to her classmate."
Ah Heng smiled and said, "Don't worry."
Rong Chaobei immediately looked up and saw a familiar, tall, and aloof figure standing in front of him.
Her voice suddenly became even softer: "Big...brother."
Rong Zhaonan looked at her and said calmly, "What would you like to eat?"
Rong Chaobei bit his lip, remaining silent and still.
Rong Zhaonan wasn't in a hurry; he just stood there waiting for her.
After a long pause, Rong Chaobei said in a very soft voice, "I...I...want to eat sausage and jianbing guozi."
Rong Zhaonan nodded slightly: "Alright, let's go."
Rong Chaobei looked at his tall figure, bit his lip, and followed him.
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