Chapter 122: Heading Towards
Chapter 122: Heading Towards
Because the importance attached to the children had reached its peak, and because going to Beijing was filled with a special sense of honor, the ceremonies for sending their children to school by both families were unprecedented.
The Cheng family consists of young and old.
Mr. and Mrs. Cheng had hardly ever left the province in their entire lives. Lin Guohui thought that this opportunity would be a chance for the whole family to go out and see the world. Cheng Xiaoxiao, who was working away from home, specially took a vacation. Cheng Junjun finished her one-month internship and had more free time to return to school as a senior. So they all went out together, and also brought along Grandma Lin's little granddaughter.
Fang Yuenian's family held a family meeting to discuss this matter.
Teacher Fang sat in the main seat after a long absence, asserting his authority as the head of the family that he would definitely send his grandson. Fang Wu didn't care, but Teacher Fang scolded him, saying that it was unbecoming of a father not to go to college with his son, and only then did he agree.
Wang Jing was determined to go, but she was filled with anxiety, fearing that she lacked experience and wouldn't be able to take good care of her family in Beijing.
Grandma Fang had said long ago that she wouldn't go. She was naturally filled with a sense of crisis about leaving the Shuibi Bay area, always feeling that the people outside were bad and that the cars outside would hit people—which made many people feel much more at ease.
The difference is that the Cheng family spent a huge sum of money to travel by plane, while the Fang family took the train—they claimed to be concerned about the safety of airplanes, but in reality, they also had the financial means to do so.
Tickets, plane tickets, accommodation, and all sorts of travel arrangements were easily handled by the Cheng family, who had two college-aged daughters. However, the Fang family faced more difficulties, and Fang Yuenian spent several days arranging everything.
The night before their departure, the two soon-to-be college students finally had some free time, so they strolled around the village together and chatted under the old sycamore tree.
The old sycamore tree at this corner is near the water's edge. Nearby, there is a patch of many four o'clock flowers and four or five dwarf persimmon trees. A family living there is always away from home, keeping their doors tightly shut, so hardly anyone passes by. The two of them often play there.
"We should arrive in Beijing by this time tomorrow. You should still be on the train."
Cheng Bing was still worried about Fang Yuenian's journey, fearing that he wouldn't be able to take care of her and would be mistreated.
Fang Yuenian said, "It's okay, my dad won't do anything to me outside."
Fang Wu is a typical bully at home, but he rarely utters a word in unfamiliar environments.
Both families were going to stay in Beijing for a few days, but the Fang family's travel plans were very short. They decided to only go to Tiananmen Square to watch the flag-raising ceremony.
Fang Yuenian looked at Cheng Bing and asked with a smile, "Are you excited? Nervous?"
Cheng Bing, who was leaning against the rock, lifted her eyes and opened her arms upon hearing this.
Fang Yuenian glared, subconsciously looked around to make sure no one was there, and then moved closer.
"Are you nervous?" Cheng Bing asked.
“I’m nervous, it’s university, it’s Beijing,” Fang Yuenian chuckled. “To be honest, I’m already looking forward to university life. We can explore all of Beijing together. Of course, studying is still very important, and the pressure will be considerable, but it’s okay.” He squeezed Cheng Bing’s hand on his shoulder. “The only thing I’m worried about is that there are so many talented people at your school. I’m afraid you’ll be snatched away.”
Cheng Bing chuckled and casually rubbed his face with the back of her hand. "You talk as if there aren't any capable people in your school. I'm afraid you'll start something and then abandon it."
"Isn't that word too harsh?" Fang Yuenian said, dissatisfied. "Nobody is better than you."
“That’s not necessarily true,” Cheng Bing said slowly, tilting her head back. “Teachers often say that you shouldn’t date too early. There are so many people you’ll meet in the future, the outside world is wonderful, and there are plenty of choices.”
Fang Yuenian suppressed a laugh, pursing his lips, "That's right, maybe I'll meet someone even better, more handsome than you, with better grades than you." He leaned close to Cheng Bing's ear, "Perhaps, she'll like me even more than you do."
Cheng Bing couldn't take it anymore, turned her head and snorted threateningly, "What did you say?"
Fang Yuenian laughed for a while, "You started talking nonsense. Okay, okay, I'm not talking anymore. I have to get up very early tomorrow morning... sigh!"
The young couple were playfully bickering, and before long, Cheng Bing held Fang Yuenian's head with her hand, and they kissed behind the old sycamore tree.
It was a long kiss, accompanied by the incessant chirping of cicadas and the gentle breeze blowing through the grove. Cheng Bing wrapped her arms around Fang Yuenian's waist, feeling the warmth transmitted through the thin fabric—a close and intimate bond.
When it was time to separate, Fang Yuenian almost forgot to breathe.
Cheng Bing smiled at him, tightened her grip on him again, and pressed her face against the back of his neck. "Don't even think about running away. Say what you just said again?"
Fang Yuenian paused, "Uh... Oh right, there's something else I wanted to tell you."
The topic shift was too obvious. Cheng Bing snorted, "What?"
Fang Yuenian took out her phone, scrolled through it for a while, and pulled up a photo. "Look."
Cheng Bing glanced at it casually from this position and found it was a close-up of a hand, two hands clasped together.
He frowned slightly: "What is this?"
Fang Yuenian clicked her tongue, "The two of them."
Cheng Bing realized what was happening, "Yes, Meng Xiaoyang and..."
“Yes, right!” Fang Yuenian laughed. “The efficiency of a summer vacation is truly amazing.”
Cheng Bing was also a little surprised, not expecting the two of them to be able to get along so quickly. Fang Yuenian added, "However, Meng Xiaoyang went to Z University, so they will be in a long-distance relationship from now on. But Li Peixiang is too optimistic. He is learning to drive during the summer vacation so that he can drive to see Meng Xiaoyang anytime in the future."
Cheng Bing looked at him: "Shall we learn to drive together?"
“Okay, I’ve wanted to learn this for a long time,” Fang Yuenian tried to break the pose, but failed and could only laugh helplessly, “Don’t do this, it’s too itchy.”
Cheng Bing kissed him on the neck, let go of him, and said, "I'm going to be too busy right now. I'll find a chance to visit you at your school after the adults come back."
“I can contact you,” Fang Yuenian agreed. “Let’s each keep busy for now. We’ll have plenty of time later.”
He kissed Cheng Bing on the cheek. "Go back now, goodnight. Be careful on the road tomorrow. Message me after you get off the plane."
"You too, make sure you eat well on the train."
"I know, even if things don't go well, I'll still eat instant noodles."
While her son was out having fun, Wang Jing was at home making final preparations.
While packing, she would often have all sorts of thoughts. One moment she would be excited that her son had actually been admitted to a good university, just as she had hoped for over a decade to be successful. The next moment she would feel that the family was in disarray, and although she had saved enough for tuition, she couldn't even afford to buy her son any electronic gadgets.
Other people's children have it.
She was always worried that there might be something she hadn't thought through.
Beijing is just too far away.
After working for quite a while, she finally finished packing the last combination lock box.
After staring blankly at the bags for a while, she suddenly stood up and went into her son's room, as if she had made a decision.
She had always respected her son's privacy, so she felt a little guilty. After entering the room and closing the door, she took out a bank card from her pocket. The card looked brand new; it was a card issued by Fang Yuenian's school when he was in his first year of high school. It was used to pay subsidies, which amounted to three or four hundred yuan per semester. Fang Yuenian had given it directly to his mother.
Wang Jing clutched the card in her hand, examining it twice and wiping it twice. This card held the little savings she had painstakingly accumulated over the years. No one in the family knew that the card was under Fang Yuenian's name; even he didn't know his mother deposited money into it, and quite a considerable amount—enough for Fang Yuenian's expenses for four years.
She trusted her son more than anyone else in the family. Since her son was going to study in Beijing, it was safer to leave him with this than to leave him anywhere else.
Fang Yuenian's schoolbag was already packed and placed on the table.
Wang Jing walked over and opened it, rummaged through it very gently, and sure enough, found a small wallet.
This wallet was a gift from Cheng Bing a few days ago, and Wang Jing knew about it. Fang Yuenian used it to store his documents and some loose change.
In addition to these, the wallet also had a zippered lining, so Wang Jing unzipped it to put the card inside.
However, she vaguely noticed that although there was no card inside, there was a photo. Without any precautions, she took it out and was suddenly shocked.
It was so quiet around her that her ears started ringing.
All the blood and energy in my body rushed to my head.
This is a photo of Fang Yuenian and Cheng Bing, both of them smiling happily. Fang Yuenian is... kissing Cheng Bing's chin.
No matter how much Wang Jing tries to comfort herself, she can't relate this level of intimacy to friendship or childhood playmates.
Unable to bear it any longer, she slumped into a chair, sat there blankly for a while, then suddenly stood up, rushed to Fang Yuenian's bookshelf, and began flipping through the pages haphazardly.
She never rummaged through Fang Yuenian's things, but she knew he had hidden treasures. She used to think they were just a boy's hobby, but now... After searching for a long time, she finally pulled out three or four movie discs from the bottom of a certain shelf.
Wang Jing held the disc up to her eyes with trembling hands, and in an instant, she was so shocked by the explicit stills on it that she almost fainted.
How could this happen?
Are these the ones I like every year?
He likes this kind of thing, he likes Cheng Bing, he likes... men?
After an unknown amount of time, the tears on her face dried, and Wang Jing finally mustered her strength. She put the CD back, tidied the bookshelf back to its original state, and put Fang Yuenian's wallet into her schoolbag—carrying the photo and bank card with her—trying her best to restore everything.
With her hands and feet ice-cold, Wang Jing walked out of the room and, having nowhere else to go, went into the kitchen.
Her mind was in turmoil. She thought about many things: Fang Yuenian's kindness to Cheng Bing from childhood to adulthood, and Cheng Bing's kindness to Fang Yuenian from childhood to adulthood... She couldn't understand it at all, but yet, she felt that everything was right in front of her.
The love she thought her son lacked, the academic progress and calm personality she was so proud of, the successful son she wanted—it turns out, it was all because of Cheng Bing!
She had nothing to say.
I have nothing to say.
After that night, when she woke up the next morning and looked at Fang Yuenian, she felt a surge of sorrow, but also a surge of intense emotion.
I will support my son in whatever he wants.
If I don't support him, he will have no family to rely on.
Fang Yuenian knew nothing about anything.
He excitedly packed his bags, took his family with him, and, after many twists and turns, bid farewell to his youth and headed north. (Author's note:)
The tide has rolled in. Thank you for reading. This book...
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