Train tickets are not as hard to buy as they used to be, and it's not the peak season like during the Lunar New Year.
Perhaps because it was close to the start of the university semester, there were quite a few young people on the train who looked like university students.
However, it's rare to see people like Zhao Qinglan and Cheng's mother sending their children to university; it's mostly young people doing it on their own.
This is understandable, as round-trip train tickets are not cheap. Even now, with reform and opening up and the distribution of production to individual households, travel expenses are still a considerable expense for ordinary families.
Zhao Qinglan and the Cheng family's circumstances are already beyond the reach of most families.
Fearing hardship on the journey, they all bought sleeper tickets, and the six of them ended up in the same carriage.
Since they had been admitted to university and no longer needed to bury themselves in their studies, Da Wa and Cheng Tao seemed quite excited. On the way, they often discussed what their respective schools would be like.
Seeing the two children's spirited demeanor, Zhao Qinglan and Cheng's mother often exchanged smiles.
Although it was a military academy, not the army, Da Wa and the others couldn't help but ask Ding Yu and Liu Dandan some questions along the way.
To be honest, the two girls were quite envious that Da Wa and the others were able to get into military academy.
Those who can get into military academies begin their military service as soon as they enter the school. When they graduate from university and are assigned to the army, they will at least become officers, which is a much higher starting point than ordinary enlisted soldiers.
Although they weren't particularly high-profile, because they often discussed school-related matters, some of the surrounding passengers couldn't help but ask a few more questions.
When they learned that both of them had been admitted to prestigious military academies, they felt a deep respect for them.
Other passengers in the carriage who were also going to university joined in the conversation.
"Young people are so great," Zhao Qinglan remarked.
"That's right, look at them, they don't seem tired at all from the journey," Cheng's mother said with a smile.
"Once you're in the capital, don't bother looking for a place to stay. Just stay at my place and have a good time," Zhao Qinglan invited.
Cheng Tao's school starts a few days later than Da Wa's, so he first travels to Beijing with them, spends a few days sightseeing, and then goes to his own school to register.
“Okay, then I won’t stand on ceremony.” Mother Cheng didn’t refuse.
It would be too distant to be concerned about such things now, given the relationship between their two families.
Zhao Qinglan and the others arrived in Beijing just before the news was broadcast. After getting off the train, they didn't go to school immediately, but went to their own courtyard first.
Originally, her uncle and aunt wanted to send a car to pick them up, but Zhao Qinglan refused in advance.
There were six of them, and one car wasn't enough for them, so they would have needed two. It would have been more convenient to call a taxi themselves. The main reason was that they didn't want to trouble their elders. Their aunt's car was fine because it was private, but their uncle's car was public property, and they were afraid that if their uncle used it too much, people would criticize him.
This was Cheng's mother's first time visiting Zhao Qinglan's small courtyard in the capital. She was envious of the decorations in the courtyard.
"Your yard is really nice."
"It was left to me by my mother-in-law. By the way, if you have any extra money, buying another apartment in Beijing or back in Shanghai would be the best investment."
Cheng's mother and husband had been working for many years and didn't have many expenses, so they naturally had a lot of savings.
After hearing what Zhao Qinglan said, he was also a little tempted.
"Everyone always thinks that their work unit will provide housing, but now it's becoming more and more market-oriented. Even if you two don't care about yourselves, what if Cheng Tao settles down and starts a family in the future, and the work unit stops providing housing? It's always good to save more for your child."
"That's true. I'll discuss it with my husband, Lao Cheng, when I get back."
In fact, if Cheng's mother were to actually buy property, she would still prefer to buy it in her hometown of Haishi.
Zhao Qinglan stopped interfering in other people's private affairs. In any case, buying houses in these major cities would definitely not be a loss in the future.
She carefully calculated that over the years, she had purchased more than ten private properties in various cities, including the provincial capital, Beijing, and Shenzhen.
With these properties as a foundation, she won't be worried whether her company makes a profit or a loss in the future.
When she met Mr. Dou, Mrs. Cheng was very polite.
Knowing that she was going to spend a few days in Beijing, the old man immediately started giving her suggestions.
Although the old man's hometown is not Beijing, he has lived in Beijing for so many years that he is practically a local. He knows all the fun and delicious places in Beijing like the back of his hand.
After resting at Zhao Qinglan's place for half a day, Cheng's mother took her son out to play.
Hutong tours and rickshaws are very popular now. Many foreigners who come to Beijing now want to take a ride and explore. On their first day, they would experience a rickshaw tour of the hutongs.
Zhao Qinglan and her son had been to Beijing many times, but they weren't really interested in sightseeing. Before their eldest child started school, they went to their sister's house to see the little one.
When they arrived, Zhao Qingju's parents-in-law were also there.
Upon seeing the eldest child, Grandma Zhao Qingju couldn't stop praising him.
"This kid is really promising. He's handsome and a college student. By the way, do you want me to introduce him to someone?"
The older child was so scared that he wanted to run away; he was so young.
Before Zhao Qinglan could say anything, Zhao Qingju retorted.
"Mom, my eldest child still has to go to school. People's University doesn't allow students to get married casually anymore."
"Really? I seem to remember that a few years ago there were people who brought their whole family to university."
"Auntie, you said it yourself, that was a few years ago. Back then, the college entrance examination had just been reinstated, and there were too many special cases, so the country relaxed the policy. Now, college students might be allowed to secretly date on campus, but marriage is absolutely out of the question."
"I see." Mother Wei said with great regret.
"Mom, Da Wa is in a military academy. Military academies are much stricter than other universities. Even if he were to date, it would probably be impossible."
The eldest child nodded quickly.
Why are all these elders so keen on playing matchmaker and introducing potential partners?
Seeing her son almost break out in a cold sweat, Zhao Qinglan couldn't help but chuckle.
Because their daughter-in-law's family is thriving, the Wei couple are now increasingly hesitant to speak harshly to Zhao Qingju. This is probably one of the benefits of having a supportive family.
When her eldest child got into a prestigious military academy, her mother-in-law would tell everyone she met about it. People who didn't know the situation would think it was her own son or grandson who was so successful.
However, this also has its advantages for Zhao Qingju. No matter how well her business is doing, some people will still look down on her. But as more and more members of her family become successful, those who underestimate her will have to think twice.
After visiting their sister's house, they also went to see Sun Guangming.
Sun Guangming happened to be resting at home, so he chatted with the eldest child for quite a while.
Da Wa still respected Sun Guangming, his great-uncle.
After spending two days in their own yard, the day finally arrived for the eldest child to arrive. The mother and son prepared early in the morning and then set off with their belongings.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
