Chapter 73
When Jian Li returned home, it was already the 16th day of the first lunar month.
Jian Feng picked up the girl at the station and sent her directly to school.
Poor Jian Li was packed up and thrown into school before she even got through the door. Fortunately, she had finished her winter vacation homework long ago, otherwise she wouldn't know what to do when she got to school.
Jian Feng's face was full of pride and high spirits. Jian Li knew without asking that her father had made a lot of money during this winter vacation.
"Dad, can you buy me a bicycle?"
When school starts again and the weather gets warmer, Jian Li wants to ride her bike to and from school.
What's more...
Jian Li felt that her father probably wouldn't come to pick her up often in the future.
Jian Feng didn't want to go there, but since his daughter wanted it, he readily agreed.
"Yes, we'll go buy it when you get to the weekend."
Although he only sold for four days during this Chinese New Year, he still made nearly 20,000 yuan.
I bought things for Wang Mengmei's shop to renovate it, and I still had more than 10,000 yuan in savings.
Jian Feng didn't say anything, but the happiness in his expression was visible to the naked eye.
He took away the rest of Jian Li's luggage and told her, "Don't play around after school. Come back early. We'll eat outside today."
Jian Li: "What day is today?"
Jian Feng tapped her head and said, "Just go home early. Why are you asking so many questions?"
After saying this, he got on his bike and left in a good mood, leaving Jian Li with a misty head.
On the first day of school, we paid tuition and handed in homework as usual, and then arranged our seats.
When Jian Li entered the school, she took 300 yuan in tuition from Jian Feng, but the head teacher returned her 100 yuan.
They said that the tuition for this semester would be reduced by 100 yuan, which was an agreement reached between the factory and the school.
But even with only 200 yuan, there were still a few students in the class who had not handed in their money.
Teacher Fang stood on the podium, looking at those students who kept their heads down and didn't say anything, and could only sigh helplessly.
Since Jian Feng said that we could sell the goods in bulk, a week has passed since the seventh day of the Lunar New Year. During this week, anyone in the family who was in financial difficulty went out to sell the goods.
Although life as a street vendor is tough, it is better than having your children be looked down upon at school.
But there are also some people who feel that they are owed by the factory and would rather lie at home than go out to earn money.
On the day of school, I would drag my child to school with my hands spread out, determined to cheat.
This includes Xu Yanan.
Xu Jianguo was fired from the factory a long time ago, and he got nothing from the factory's bankruptcy. He came back once, and Sun Yan dragged Xu Jianguo to make trouble, but the person in charge only said one thing.
Xu Jianguo was no longer a worker in the factory, so he received neither severance pay nor compensation.
Sun Yan was so angry that she smashed pots and bowls at home, and she regretted in her heart that she had a quarrel with the factory a year ago.
If she had known that the factory could last only a year, why would she have bothered to get her son's household registration? If she just muddled along like this, who would be able to control her when the factory collapsed?
But it's too late to say all this now.
Sun Yan could only angrily scold Xu Jianguo at home, calling him a good-for-nothing. Before the baby was even a month old, she sent Xu Jianguo out to work.
Xu Jianguo left, but he didn't call back after he left.
Sun Yan gradually realized something was wrong at home. Xu Jianguo had not brought back any money for two months last year, and only brought back 500 yuan during the Chinese New Year this year.
He said that he couldn’t find a job so he had no money, but it’s been almost half a month since the New Year and there’s still no news?
Sun Yan had to take care of her son and provide for the food and drink of the mother and daughter with the 500 yuan, and it was almost gone.
Sun Yan was worried, but when a person goes on a long journey, it is like a kite flying away. It is not like he is going to live with old friends or relatives. Sun Yan didn't even know which province Xu Jianguo went to, she just knew that he went to the south.
Sun Yan became more anxious than ever. When everyone went out to make money by purchasing goods in bulk, she was tied up by her son and could do nothing. She had no money and no one.
Sun Yan could only vent her anxiety on Xu Yanan.
The number of times Xu Yanan was scolded increased sharply. Many times, Xu Yanan knew clearly that Sun Yan was just venting her resentment and anxiety on her.
Xu Jianguo has disappeared, leaving behind his wife and children without any news. Who knows whether he is alive or dead?
Sun Yan bit her nails neurotically, leaving cuts on all ten of her fingers. But she was helpless and could only wait.
Under such circumstances, Xu Yanan naturally could not afford the tuition fees.
Sun Yan shouted at the top of her lungs: "Go talk to the school! Just tell them that your father has died and ask them if they will reduce your tuition fees!"
"I don't have the ability to support you anymore. Your damn father doesn't want us anymore!"
Sun Yan was like a madman. She cried and then cursed, scaring her son, who had just turned three, into crying loudly.
Xu Yanan walked out of the door as Sun Yan coaxed her son. She picked up her schoolbag blankly and walked towards the school where she didn't know how long she would stay.
…
After the tuition was paid, the teacher started to arrange seats as usual.
Jian Li waited and waited, but Xia Liu still didn't show up.
She chased the teacher and asked why Xia Liu didn't come.
Teacher Fang was a little surprised: "Xia Liu? Xia Liu moved away with her parents and transferred to another school. Didn't you know?"
Jian Li was stunned. She really didn't know that Xia Liu had transferred to another school!
In my previous life, Xia Liu clearly studied in Taocheng until the third year of junior high school.
Even though she had expected the separation between friends, Jian Li never thought it would happen so quickly.
She was so angry that her heart was clenched with petals.
Bad Xia Liu, she didn’t even tell me that she was moving away.
When the seats were arranged, Jian Li had a new classmate sitting next to her. The new classmate was a chubby girl who looked particularly cuddly, but Jian Li was still thinking about Xia Liu.
I don’t know if my mother has Aunt Lijuan’s contact information.
She walked to the school gate in a depressed mood, and the security guard called out to Jian Li.
"There's a letter for you!"
Jian Li thought it was a letter from the magazine, but when she opened it, she saw it was from Xia Liu.
After quickly reading through the letter, Xia Liu wrote a long and eloquent essay.
In general, Li Lijuan and her husband had already found a way out before the factory closed down last year. Her husband was an engineer and was also arranged to come here a few years ago. The family was not originally from here.
I decided to take this opportunity to find another job and go back to my hometown.
Before the factory announced its closure, Li Lijuan's husband had already resigned and sold the house, but he didn't tell Xia Liu because he was afraid that she would cry and make a fuss and let everyone know.
Xia Liu was full of grievances in the letter: "I only found out after the winter vacation. My mother said she had told your mother, but I still felt very sad. I didn't say goodbye to you or Wang Facai."
Jian Li's eyes were a little moist. This was not the first farewell she had faced, but it was the first time she had to face someone's reluctance to let her go.
Xia Liu wrote his address and phone number in the letter so heavily that it showed through the back of the paper, for fear that Jian Li would forget.
[You must write to me, and come visit me when you have time. I will take you to ride the Ferris wheel and eat rice cakes.]
Jian Li put away the letter, and the empty space in her heart was filled.
She knew that she would meet Xia Liu again, and the temporary separation was also for the future reunion after a long separation.
*****
Jian Li returned home feeling a little sad. As soon as she entered the house, she was stunned by the scene in front of her.
I couldn't help but exclaimed "Wow".
Her father was wearing a black suit today! Although it didn't look very suitable, Jian Feng had broad shoulders, straight legs, and was tall, so he looked good from a distance.
Her mother was also wearing a beautiful beige coat, tight pants, and boots that were close to her calves. Her hair was curled with a curling iron and her face was lightly made up.
Jian Li looked at her western-style parents, then looked at herself.
The woolen coat that had unraveled as she followed Wang Shuai everywhere, the indelible stains of food dripping from her body, and the dirty sneakers on her feet.
“…I want new clothes too!”
Wang Mengmei pointed to the bag on the table: "In there."
Jian Li quickly opened it and saw a red plaid coat with a horn-buttoned hood.
Jian Li: "...This is too childish!"
She put on her new clothes with a grumble, and she felt like Little Red Riding Hood in front of her fashionable parents.
However, Jian Feng immediately praised Wang Mengmei for her good purchase: "It makes our daughter look especially well-behaved."
The good girl Jian Li followed behind the two of them, and Jian Feng and Wang Mengmei were actually holding hands!
Jian Li, who felt like she had eaten a mouthful of dog food, pouted and said, "Why did you two take me on a date... I feel like I have 120 watts now."
What? Will the food taste better if you bring a light bulb with you to eat?
The weather was still very cold. Jian Feng stuffed his wife's frozen hands into his pocket. Jian Li turned her face away. She just couldn't bear to watch her parents showing off their affection!
Wang Mengmei: "Just go if I take you there, why are you talking nonsense?"
When they arrived at the place, Jian Li finally understood why the two people were dressed so formally.
Jian Feng brought them to a Western restaurant!
The Western restaurant named "Chaplin" has a Western-style revolving sliding door at the entrance, and the walls are covered with red brick patterns with a few Western-style lamps on them. The room is lit with warm yellow light, and there is even a person playing the violin in the middle of the restaurant!
Jian Li looked at this place with great interest. She didn't know that there was such a stylish Western restaurant in Taocheng now!
The waiter standing at the door, wearing a black suit vest, asked them to sit down in a friendly manner. He poured a glass of lemonade for each of them, and then took out the menu and asked them to order.
Jian Feng was a little nervous, but he tried to remain calm: "I want this, T-bone steak."
The waiter asked politely, "How well done do you want it?"
Jian Feng had obviously done some research: "Seven points."
"What about the side dishes and soup?"
"All right."
Wang Mengmei was also here for the first time, and she followed Jian Feng's example and ordered a steak.
Jian Li glanced at the menu and was immediately shocked. Steak was really expensive at this time, costing more than ten dollars per serving.
Jane Li ran her little finger across the menu and finally ordered a steak, a bowl of cream of mushroom soup, and three desserts.
"And this, seafood risotto."
Wang Mengmei: “You ordered too much!”
Jian Li: "I can finish it!"
Now she is growing up and can eat a lot every day.
Jian Feng held the two of them back and said, "As long as she can finish it, it's fine. Let her do whatever she wants."
After ordering, the waiter asked them if they wanted to order some music.
Jian Li became interested and asked how to order.
After asking clearly, I was disappointed. The so-called ordering of songs meant ordering the songs on the list, violin pieces.
Jian Li felt that the price-performance ratio was low, but Jian Feng and Wang Mengmei thought that since they had made the trip here, they should try everything, so they ordered the "Concerto in D Major".
The service in the restaurant was pretty good. When the dishes were served, the violinist came over. After just one look, he smiled and asked, "Is today your wedding anniversary?"
Jian Li turned her head suddenly and saw Jian Feng blushing and nodding.
"Then I wish you two a happy marriage and everything goes well. The Concerto in D Major is for you."
As the melodious sound of the piano rang out, Wang Mengmei and Jian Feng lowered their heads in embarrassment at first, and then slowly looked at each other.
Many people in the restaurant turned their attention to the performance, and when the song ended, applause broke out.
Jian Feng and Wang Mengmei held hands, while Jian Li muttered to herself as she cut the steak and stuffed it into her mouth.
“So I said… why did you bring me here?”
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