Chapter 69 Rejecting Internal Strife and Indulging in Shopping Spree
“You all know how to avoid internal friction, and instead of looking for problems within yourselves, you look for problems with the equipment.” Song Fenglan was inspecting the equipment, but she couldn’t find anything wrong with it. Since she couldn’t find anything wrong with the equipment, Song Fenglan decided to conduct an experiment herself to see if there was a problem.
However, before the experiment was fully completed, Song Fenglan discovered a problem with one of the materials.
“There’s a problem with this material, please check it out,” Song Fenglan said.
"Is there a problem?" the graduate student asked. "None of us noticed it."
“Go and get tested,” Song Fenglan said.
Initially, Song Fenglan also thought it might be a problem with the equipment, but she had used it before. She still checked it; she had seen online that a component of the equipment was missing for several years without anyone noticing, and the experiments and papers were still running perfectly. Even without the missing fluorescence spectra component, there were still fluorescence spectra. Some people said it was because she was trying to curry favor with other labs by offering snacks to get access to their equipment, while others said it was fraud.
Song Fenglan certainly didn't want her workplace to make such a basic mistake. If the equipment wasn't faulty, that would be fine. But if the materials were faulty, that would be a big problem.
The two graduate students quickly discovered that the material had a problem; the mixing ratio of the substances inside was incorrect and did not meet the standards.
Song Fenglan didn't say the two graduate students had done anything wrong. In this day and age, few people can even get into university, let alone graduate school. Other professors' graduate students were doing their jobs in this group, so Song Fenglan naturally had to keep an eye on them.
Once the problem is identified, it needs to be addressed.
If there's a problem with the materials, they need to be replaced. It's likely that it's not just this small batch of materials that's faulty; this is a whole new batch, and they might all be problematic. This is a big deal, and the director was quite annoyed when he learned about the material issues.
How can there be a problem with the materials? If we don't discover it, and we keep failing, even if we manage to succeed by chance, the probability of failure later is still very high. Isn't this delaying things? We still need to solve this problem properly.
By the time Song Fenglan returned home, it was already around 10 p.m.
Song's mother was still awake, but Qin Zihang had already gone to rest.
"Mom." Song Fenglan looked at her mother sitting in the living room. Her mother wasn't watching TV; she was just sitting there quietly, with her father beside her.
"You're back," said Song's mother.
"Yes, we're back." Song Fenglan nodded. "Why haven't you all gone to sleep yet?"
"Sit down and rest for a bit," said Song's mother. "When will you be back?"
"I happened to have some things to take care of today, so I'll be back a little late," Song Fenglan said. "It's just like this sometimes these days, things just happen to come together. It's very mysterious, very coincidental."
"Alright, no need to explain." Song's mother understood Song Fenglan's words and knew what she meant. "I didn't say that what you're doing is wrong."
"There are a few more things to do, but once they're resolved, that's fine." Song Fenglan sat down next to her mother.
“Once one problem is solved, another one will arise,” said Song’s mother.
“That’s true. It’s about constantly discovering and solving problems,” Song Fenglan said. “That’s how work is. How can you not worry? The work I do requires precision. It can’t be just so-so. If it’s all so-so, problems will arise. One so-so thing is fine, but if there are multiple so-so things, then there will be a lot of problems.”
"You," Song's mother gently patted Song Fenglan's hand, "it's not easy for us to leave you in the city to study and learn on your own."
“At least I don’t have to work in the fields,” Song Fenglan said. “If people say a few things, it doesn’t hurt or bother me, it’s nothing. If I could, I would still like to stay in the city. Life in the countryside is too hard. Not to mention you, look at my second brother. His legs are so bad now, you can see the problem if he walks even a little faster.”
Song Fenglan felt that she was living a pretty good life. She shouldn't always be thinking about how others were doing; she should think about the life she could have, which was the most realistic thing to do. Her only fear was that she didn't have the ability but still wanted to live the same life as others.
"Your second brother..." Song's mother sighed as she thought of her second son's leg, "It's all fate, and there's nothing we can do about it."
“Second Brother is still a very good person,” Song Fenglan said.
“Yes, it’s better than many people’s situation,” said Song’s mother. “That’s what I told your second brother too. It’s more important than anything else that our whole family can be safe and sound.”
When they were on the farm in the countryside, there were times when they couldn't hold on any longer, but they had to persevere; they couldn't give up.
Song's mother didn't want to dwell on the past; whether she suffered or not, that's all in the past now.
"I've heated up some buns and steamed bread in the pot. Have some before you go to rest," said Song's mother.
Just as Mr. Song was about to go to the kitchen to get the food, Qin Yizhou went to get it. Qin Yizhou hadn't rested yet, and his parents-in-law were still awake, so he naturally wanted to keep them company. Mrs. Song told Qin Yizhou to go and rest, but Qin Yizhou said he would wait a little longer, and he waited until ten o'clock.
No one else ate any more steamed buns or mantou. Song Fenglan ate by herself, and Qin Yizhou even poured her a glass of milk.
Song Fenglan was indeed a little hungry. She had done a lot of work at the office and it had taken a lot of effort.
"Is that enough?" Song's mother asked.
“There are so many, enough for one plate, you can all eat them,” Song Fenglan said. “I can’t eat that many by myself.”
"Yizhou, have something to eat." Song's mother looked at Qin Yizhou.
"I'm not hungry," Qin Yizhou said. "I'll have a steamed bun."
Qin Yizhou thought that since his mother-in-law had already given him food, he would only eat one steamed bun. Watching Song Fenglan eat, Qin Yizhou realized she had indeed been quite busy and working very hard lately. He saw this but couldn't do anything to help her, as he wasn't a professional in the field.
After Song Fenglan finished eating, Qin Yizhou cleared away the dishes.
"Dad, Mom, you two go inside and rest. I'm going back to my room too," Song Fenglan said.
"Okay, let's go rest. You should get some rest too," said Song's mother. "Don't stay up too late, and don't just stay in your room reading."
"No, I'm not reading anymore. It's time to sleep; I have to get up tomorrow," Song Fenglan said.
"It's good that you know. What if you still have to go to work tomorrow?" Song's mother said. "Get some rest."
"I know, I know." Song Fenglan pushed her mother to the room to rest. She could handle her own affairs and didn't need her mother to worry too much.
Back in the room, Song Fenglan sat on the bed, and Qin Yizhou brought her water to wash her feet, so she didn't have to fetch the water herself.
"You and your parents have been waiting for me all this time?" Song Fenglan asked.
"I told them to go and rest first, but they said they wanted to wait," Qin Yizhou said. "I asked them if they wanted to watch TV and turned it on again. They said no, they didn't want to disturb Zihang's sleep. I turned it on, and they turned it off."
The room wasn't very soundproof, so it was easy to hear noises from outside. Actually, you get used to it, and nobody really notices it, so you can still sleep.
“I don’t know if my parents will be able to get used to it. There are still chickens and ducks quacking outside,” Song Fenglan said. “But they should be able to get used to it. They had a much worse time on the farm.”
"Don't worry. Your parents are strong-willed; they know how to cope," Qin Yizhou said. "We've gotten through such difficult times; now we're living the good life."
"Yes, they are all auspicious days." Song Fenglan nodded.
Song Fenglan soaked her feet for a while, then dried them with a cloth. Qin Yizhou went to pour out the foot bath water. He had done this before Song's parents arrived, but it wasn't a deliberate act just because they were there.
Qin Zihang was asleep, but Song Erge was not. When Song Erge left the room, he happened to see Qin Yizhou emptying the foot bath water.
"Second Brother," Qin Yizhou greeted Song's Second Brother, "Did Zihang disturb your sleep? Tell him..."
"No," said Song Erge. "He didn't disturb my sleep. Zihang's sleeping posture is alright, not as bad as you all say. Hangbao is very well-behaved, really."
Second Brother Song adored Qin Zihang, even more than his own nephews and nieces. Although his eldest brother's children had practically grown up under his care, Second Brother Song felt even more sorry for Qin Zihang. He believed that because he saw his nephews and nieces more often, he could give them more, while he saw Qin Zihang less and could give him even less.
Ultimately, Brother Song still felt he lacked many things from Qin Zihang; he hadn't been good enough to Qin Zihang. Brother Song planned to buy Qin Zihang some things when he went out tomorrow, and he also needed to buy something for his younger sister, Song Fenglan.
Regardless of whether others think they're carrying a lot of bags, their family has been exonerated, and all the things they've accumulated over the years are being reissued, so of course they can buy more now. If others want to buy more things at once, that's fine too; they can save up money and ration coupons.
"Get some rest," said Brother Song. "I'm just having a drink of water."
"Okay." Qin Yizhou nodded.
Early in the morning, Song Fenglan woke up around seven o'clock. By then, Qin Yizhou had already prepared breakfast, and Song Fenglan only needed to sit down and eat.
After breakfast, Song Fenglan said she would take her mother and the others for a walk around. They had been here for a few days, so they should go out and explore.
“We’ll just take a walk, we can walk on our own,” said Song’s mother. “Years ago, many years ago, before you were even born, I came to Nancheng. The Nancheng of that time was indeed very different from the Nancheng of today.”
Song's mother felt there was no point in leaving, so she just left it at that.
“You’ve been here, but Second Brother hasn’t,” Song Fenglan said, looking at her second brother.
“There’s no rush,” said Brother Song. “You’ve been so busy, why don’t you take a good rest?”
"It's alright," Song Fenglan said. "I was also thinking of spending some time with you all."
“Staying at home is fine too,” said Brother Song. “It doesn’t have to be going out.”
"Look at you all," Song Fenglan said.
Song Fenglan had no objection; it was fine whether she went out for a walk or not.
"Second Uncle, Second Uncle." Qin Zihang started calling him uncle again.
After Brother Song arrived, Qin Zihang really liked calling him Brother Song. He would open his eyes and immediately call him "Second Uncle." Brother Song would even respond to Qin Zihang, not finding him annoying at all.
"Yes, yes," Song Erge replied.
“Let’s go out and play,” Qin Zihang said. “There are parks and lots of places to play.”
"Okay," said Brother Song, "Let our Hangbao take us out to play."
"Second Uncle, you must stay close to me and not lose me. There are people outside who like to kidnap and sell children." Qin Zihang emphasized, "I can't be taken away and sold, or my mother will cry her eyes out."
"We would never let you be sold. Not only would your mother cry herself blind, but we would also be heartbroken," said Brother Song.
“Zihang is more talkative, while your elder brother and sister-in-law’s two children are quieter.” Song’s mother looked at Qin Zihang and thought of her grandchildren in the capital. Her grandchildren grew up in the countryside, and because of the Song family, they were sometimes talked about. The Song family always told the children to be careful and not to get close to those people. “After they came to the capital, your elder brother and sister-in-law also dared not let their guard down and dared not let the children be too unrestrained.”
“Hmm.” Song Fenglan could understand her brother and sister-in-law’s thoughts. “They’re worried about future policy changes, right? Don’t worry, brother and sister-in-law. If the policy changes, things won’t be the same as before. We won’t go back to the past. Look ahead boldly. Who knows, after a while, individuals will be able to do business.”
"Running a business on your own?" Second Brother Song looked at Song Fenglan.
“Yes.” Song Fenglan nodded. “This is definitely the trend. Everyone has eaten from the same pot, right? If the benefits outweigh the drawbacks, that’s fine, but that’s not the key. With so many people eating from the same pot, some people become lazy, they don’t work, they just wait to be fed, thinking that no one will let them starve. Others want to do more or less work, but they’ll still get the same work points, so they have to do the same amount as everyone else. Separation is definitely necessary. Separation means more work, more pay.”
"If only that were possible," said Brother Song.
Before the Song family was sent to the farm, they hid some things, and now they've brought them out. Those things belong to them, and they don't need to worry about them being taken away again.
Song Erge didn't want to work at a company forever. It seemed like a decent company, but it wasn't free and he felt restricted. Song Erge preferred to start his own business, to be more free and independent. He also wanted to earn more money, not because his family didn't have enough, but because the joy of making money was something that ordinary jobs couldn't provide.
"It will be soon," Song Fenglan said. This year, reform and opening up will begin, and next year, individuals will be granted qualifications. By the 1980s, various regions will officially open up business registration for individual businesses.
Song Fenglan had read about this era in novels; it was a very special era, and many writers of period novels liked to write about it, as did actors in period dramas. Song Fenglan had memorized some of it. She knew that the Song family members were restless; they didn't like working in factories, nor did they want to sit in one place for an extended period.
Brother Song isn't thinking about going into business; he's doing alright as a teacher now. After everything he's been through, it's understandable that he wants a more stable life. It's Brother Song's second brother, however, who's still thinking about venturing out and trying his luck, wanting to do more.
“It will only take one or two years,” Song Fenglan said.
“That will be soon,” said Brother Song.
“There’s nothing wrong with being a sole proprietor, and there’s nothing wrong with being a large company either. As long as you make money through legitimate means, there’s no problem,” Song Fenglan said. “Don’t engage in monopolies, don’t evade taxes, and don’t break the law, and you’ll be fine.”
However, when the regulations were not very clear, many industries grew wildly.
Song Fenglan believed that her second brother knew what he was doing and didn't need her to say anything more.
Brother Song was thinking that if that were really possible, he would definitely want to open his own factory or company; he couldn't keep working for a fixed salary at his current company. Working at his current company wasn't exactly comfortable for him either.
"The vegetables in your yard are a mess, haven't you tidied them up?" Song's mother asked.
"It's fine as is," Song Fenglan said. "No need to fix it. Zihang is going to raise chickens, waiting for the chicks next door."
"Next door?" Song's mother asked, puzzled.
“Yes, Sister Pang’s family is hatching chicks, and Zihang pre-ordered them,” Song Fenglan said. “I heard the chicks have already hatched. Once they’re a little bigger, we’ll bring over three more. The vegetables in the yard are all overgrown; most of them will be for the chicks.”
"The chicks eat earthworms and insects, and the grown chickens are especially delicious," Qin Zihang added. "The chicks are very cute when they are young, and they taste great when they grow up."
Chicks are kept as pets when they are young, and then used as food when they grow up.
In Qin Zihang's view, the chick was simply too perfect, beyond perfect.
“Indeed.” Second Brother Song nodded.
"Dad, Mom, Second Brother, have some fruit." Qin Yizhou cut the fruit and placed it on the coffee table.
"According to you, this yard is just like that, and doesn't need to be tidied up?" Song's mother asked.
“No need,” Song Fenglan said. “Even if we tidy it up, it will still look the same in the end. Besides, the vegetables are already growing over there; we can’t just pull them all up.”
However, you can definitely pick and eat them here. The vegetables in the yard are quite good.
Vegetables that haven't been sprayed with pesticides have more insect holes, but overall they're still very good.
Song Fenglan herself really likes those vegetables, which is why she often eats at her workplace.
"It's alright, we'll take our time to get things sorted out over the next few days," said Song's mother. "I'll go to the mall later and buy you some clothes."
“There are quite a few clothes in the wardrobe.” Song Fenglan thought of Qin Zihang’s actions. “Before you came, Zihang tidied up the room. He gave Xiaohu his old toys and said he wanted to check the wardrobe. If his clothes weren’t too small for Xiaohu to wear, he probably would have given them to Xiaohu. Zihang is just waiting for you to buy him more things.”
"No, that's not it," Qin Zihang quickly said. "I'm just tidying up so I can put my second uncle's clothes away."
“Yes, yes, yes, you organized this for your second uncle.” Song Fenglan chuckled.
“We don’t know when we’ll be able to come back again this time,” said Song’s mother. “It would be good to buy Zihang a few more clothes.”
“Okay, that’s great. If you buy it for him, we won’t stand on ceremony with you,” Song Fenglan said.
After sitting at home for a while, the group went to the mall. This time, Cao Fang came along too. Cao Fang's job was to protect Song Fenglan. If they were in the family compound, it would be fine with Qin Yizhou by her side, but if they went elsewhere, Cao Fang would have to go with her. It wasn't enough for Qin Yizhou to just be there. The Song family was also there; with so many people, Qin Yizhou might not be able to keep an eye on everyone.
Brother Song saw Cao Fang; these female soldiers were quite dashing. After glancing at her, Brother Song didn't look at Cao Fang any longer. What was the point of a grown man staring at a woman for too long? It might cause misunderstandings.
Cao Fang also saw Song Erge. She could tell at a glance that Song Erge had some problems with his legs, but she didn't underestimate him. Cao Fang followed the Song family and didn't say much, remaining very quiet.
When they arrived at the mall, everyone went to buy clothes together. Some of the clothes were nice, while others were terrible.
Song's mother planned to make some clothes for Zihang and Fenglan after she returned to the capital. She believed that handmade clothes would look better and could have more patterns. The clothes in the mall, on the other hand, all looked old-fashioned and not pretty enough.
Even though Song's mother thought the clothes were not nice, she still let Qin Zihang and the others try them on.
"Mom, do you want to buy some things to take back?" Song Fenglan asked. "We'll give them to our nephew and niece."
"You don't need to worry about that," said Song's mother. "We'll buy whatever we need ourselves."
Qin Zihang was especially happy. It felt great to go shopping with so many people and walk around together.
"I want this one, it's pretty." Qin Zihang saw a shirt with a little dog printed on it, and his eyes were glued to it.
Song's mother reached out and touched the fabric. The fabric wasn't very good, but her grandson liked it, so she decided to buy it.
"Does Hangbao really like dogs?" Song's mother asked.
"Dogs are people's most loyal companions," Qin Zihang said. "Fuwangwang is very good."
“That’s great. The day we arrived, they probably saw us as strangers and were yelling at us.” Brother Song said.
“It doesn’t bark anymore,” Qin Zihang said. “Fu Wangwang knows you’re family, so it’s very well-behaved and doesn’t bark unnecessarily. Fu Wangwang is very sensible, just like Hangbao.”
“Good morning, Fu Wangwang,” said Brother Song. “As soon as I hear it howling, I know something’s wrong.”
“Fu Wangwang eats bones,” Qin Zihang said. “When I went to the toilet, it stayed at the door, wanting to follow me in. I didn’t let it in. Fu Wangwang is very smart.”
Qin Zihang was still a child and loved all kinds of small animals. They were everywhere—on his clothes, his backpack, and even in his room. He loved being surrounded by small animals, especially toys and pictures. If they were real animals, Qin Zihang couldn't handle so many of them.
The Song family was well-prepared; they bought quite a few things, including a set of clothes for Qin Yizhou. Qin Yizhou felt a little embarrassed, but couldn't refuse the Song family, so he bought them too. The group came empty-handed, but returned with a lot of things.
When they got home, Song's mother took out the new clothes, saying they needed to be washed. Qin Yizhou took the clothes to wash himself, feeling too embarrassed to let Song's mother do it.
Watching Qin Yizhou wash clothes so efficiently, Song's mother thought that Qin Yizhou must have done a lot of laundry.
"Mom, what are you looking at?" Song Fenglan walked to her mother's side and followed her mother's gaze. "Yizhou can do laundry. He washes his and Zihang's clothes, and sometimes he washes mine too."
"You didn't wash?" Song's mother asked.
“It’s not that I’m busy, but washing clothes hurts my hands,” Song Fenglan said. “If he wants to wash them, of course I’ll let him. He already said he would, and if I offered to do it myself, wouldn’t that discourage him?”
Men should be like that; you can't give them too much face, otherwise they won't do these things.
Song Fenglan naturally hoped her man would do more, and that Qin Yizhou could do a lot of things. Song Fenglan thought Qin Yizhou was quite good; he didn't always complain about her working or overtime, and he was very accommodating. Back home, Qin Yizhou even massaged Song Fenglan's shoulders and made her a late-night snack.
On the surface, the couple's life seemed ordinary, without much emotional turmoil or excitement, but Song Fenglan preferred this tranquility. She disliked the kind of life filled with ups and downs, where couples had numerous conflicts and even small things dragged on for a long time. She felt like she was out of her mind; why hide her mouth when she could speak for herself?
They've been together for years; they're not newlyweds.
"Let him wash it!" Song Fenglan didn't want her own mother to go and help with the laundry.
"Let him wash it, or don't, so what?" Song's mother didn't insist on washing it herself, but let Qin Yizhou sit next to her. Song's mother rarely saw Qin Yizhou, and every time she did, she wondered if he would treat Song Fenglan well, so she had to observe him closely.
If they could prepare more things for their daughter so she wouldn't have to work so hard, that would be even better.
Qin Yizhou didn't feel tired. These clothes hadn't been worn before, and they weren't that dirty. If anyone's clothes were dirty, it was his and Zihang's. He sweated a lot during training, while Zihang, being a child, always liked to play and made his clothes very dirty.
Song's mother turned to look at her daughter, who seemed quite used to it, which was good. As long as Qin Yizhou was willing to do these things and didn't say much about Song Fenglan, that was great. What's worrying is when some men do a little more work, and afterwards they complain about what they did, saying those things should have been done by women.
“He’s always like this, it’s not just when you’re around,” Song Fenglan said. “Mom, his unit leaders even told him to be more diligent and do more work.”
Mother Song smiled. Her daughter had married a decent man, it was just that the Qin family was a bit of a headache. Then again, every family has its share of troublesome relatives; the Song family had its share too, they just didn't interact with each other much.
After the Song family was exonerated, some of the relatives who had severed ties with them still tried to take advantage of the situation. They explained that what happened back then wasn't their fault, but rather a product of the special era, and that they had always cared for the Song family and wanted to help them, but they had no choice. As for their joining others in criticizing the Song family back then, they said it was due to being forced by circumstances.
The saying goes, "Even a rich man in the deep mountains has distant relatives, while a poor man in the bustling city is ignored." The behavior of those people illustrates this point.
After Qin Yizhou washed the clothes, he hung them out to dry. They had eaten lunch out, and after lunch, they came back to tidy up. By the time they were almost done, it was already evening, time to cook dinner.
Song's mother went to the kitchen to cook, and Qin Yizhou assisted her. Song Fenglan didn't go to the kitchen, leaving them to do their work.
Song Erge bought some more toys for Qin Zihang, and Qin Zihang was very happy.
“His room is full of toys,” Song Fenglan said. “They were all bought for him by you.”
"Let him play more. Kids need to have a happy childhood," said Brother Song. "It's good that Hangbao is like this. He's young, so the things that happened in the past have had a relatively smaller impact on him."
“Yes, he is a little smaller,” Song Fenglan said. “I brought him here hoping he could forget the past. If we were still over there, Zihang might still be treated unfairly.”
All Song Fenglan could do was try her best to provide Qin Zihang with the best possible environment for growth, so that others would perceive their family as well-off. Adults can do many things; it just depends on whether they are willing to do them. Of course, if it's too strenuous, adults don't necessarily have to do those things; it's all up to personal choice.
Therefore, when Song Fenglan saw that some families were not well-off, she didn't criticize the parents for not trying harder. Parents are human too; they also need to rest. Parents aren't beasts of burden; they don't have to dedicate their entire lives to their children.
"Seeing Hangbao happy makes it all worthwhile," Song Fenglan said.
“You don’t have much time to spend with Hangbao anymore,” said Song Erge.
“Yes, but we can do more to make Hangbao safer,” Song Fenglan said.
In her past life, Song Fenglan had seen some news reports that revealed how complex the international situation had been, almost escalating into war. Even if war hadn't broken out, people had still sacrificed their lives. Song Fenglan didn't want to see her son become one of those sacrificed children one day; she not only had to protect Qin Zihang, but also other people's children.
Fortunately, Song Fenglan possessed memories of her past life, and she knew how to conduct those studies. She had considered abandoning this path before, but later realized she had to continue. It was tough, but the thought of a stronger nation, one less vulnerable to bullying, made her willing to do it.
If you asked Song Fenglan to go directly to the front lines to fight, she probably wouldn't be willing, because she wouldn't know how to fight and would only be a scapegoat.
Cannon fodder. Let her do research; Song Fenglan can be at the forefront.
“Hangbao understands. Besides, I don’t work overtime every day. I usually leave work on time, maybe a little late at most,” Song Fenglan said. “I can still go home and be with Hangbao.”
"Second Uncle." Qin Zihang called out to Song Erge again.
"Here you are." Second Brother Song went to Qin Zihang's room to see why Qin Zihang had called him.
It turned out that Qin Zihang wanted to open the toy to play with, but he couldn't, so he went to his second uncle. With his second uncle there, Qin Zihang didn't go to his parents.
Song Fenglan walked to the door and watched her second brother help Qin Zihang tinker with those things. She teased, "Hangbao, now you only know about your second uncle."
"My second uncle is strong, and Dad is cooking," Qin Zihang said, justifying his decision to "let Mom rest."
Qin Zihang's thinking was simple: the difficult and strenuous tasks should be done by the men in the family, not his mother. Song Fenglan hadn't taught Qin Zihang this much, but Qin Yizhou had. Qin Yizhou told Qin Zihang not to trouble his mother too much, and Qin Zihang remembered it.
“Yes, let Mom rest more and don’t trouble her too much.” Second Brother Song strongly agreed with this point; that’s how it should be done.
At this moment, Tang Lu was on the phone with Aunt Song. Aunt Song didn't want to talk to Tang Lu at first, but she thought about it and answered the phone anyway.
“I ran into my cousin earlier,” Tang Lu said. “She does work at the aircraft research institute, and some people from her unit even came to give us lessons.”
"Yes." Aunt Song nodded. "She is not your cousin. Your Tang family is not worthy of being her relative."
"..." Tang Lu took a deep breath. She already knew her mother's attitude. "I didn't rush over to call her cousin. My colleagues don't know my relationship with my cousin."
"Knowing won't help," Aunt Song said. "I've already told your uncle and aunt that you are you, and Fenglan is Fenglan. What cousins? Your Tang family doesn't even acknowledge the Song family as relatives. Whether you're a pilot or not, it's the same."
"Yes." Seeing that Aunt Song's attitude was so firm, Tang Lu didn't dare to say no.
“Your uncle and aunt have gone to Nancheng. If you have any shame, don’t go,” Aunt Song reminded Tang Lu.
Among the children in the Tang family, Aunt Song's attitude towards Tang Lu was relatively mild, while her attitude towards the other members of the Tang family was much worse.
“No, there was no past,” Tang Lu said. “We can’t leave the training base at will. We have to study and train here. There’s a canteen here, and we don’t need to go out to buy anything else. The base has arranged everything perfectly.”
“You’re a member of the Tang family, I’m just afraid you might have a brain fart,” Aunt Song said. “No matter how much you resemble a member of the Song family, you are still a member of the Tang family.”
“Yes, I am a member of the Tang family,” Tang Lu said, a point her mother always emphasized. She knew her mother wanted her to understand the situation and not embarrass herself in front of Song Fenglan and the Song family.
Even if Aunt Song hadn't said anything, Tang Lu wouldn't have gone. A little thought was enough for her to know she couldn't go.
"Just remember that." Aunt Song asked, "Anything else? No, I'm hanging up now."
Then, Tang Lu heard the dial tone; her mother had hung up. Tang Lu wanted to talk to her mother, but her mother clearly didn't want to listen to her anymore; her mother was just very impatient with people like them.
Tang Lu felt a little down. She was already old enough to remember when her parents divorced. Tang Lu remembered the scene of her parents' divorce; she remembered them arguing, and she remembered that her father remarried quickly, and that her father's friends told them not to contact her mother.
Now, her father wants them to contact their mother again. A lot has happened in between, and they can't be the same as before.
"It's nothing...it's nothing..." Tang Lu muttered softly. What could possibly be wrong with her? It was all just trivial stuff. If she told her mother, her mother would definitely say: "This was your own choice. You didn't stick to it, so what's the point of telling me?"
This is how Aunt Song treats them. Tang Lu wanted her mother to treat her better, but it was no use.
Tang Lu turned her head and saw Jian Lili, who noticed Tang Lu's low spirits.
“Your cousin…your mother…” Jian Lili saw that Tang Lu’s eyes were slightly red.
“My biological mother, my father divorced her, and she doesn’t want us to have much contact with her or my cousins,” Tang Lu said. “My cousins’ family was exonerated, and my mother told me not to have much contact with them, saying they don’t owe us anything.”
“Well… what your mother said is also true.” Jian Lili didn’t think there was anything wrong with what she said.
“That’s absolutely right, there’s not a single flaw in it,” Tang Lu said. “We were all forced to make choices, we had to listen to them.”
Tang Lu thought that they had never been able to make their own choices from childhood to adulthood, and could only follow the decisions of adults. They did whatever the adults told them to do. Tang Lu found it ridiculous, thinking that they all wanted good things too.
To say that Tang Lu didn't want to cultivate a good relationship with Song Fenglan would be a lie. Tang Lu was perceptive; she could tell that the people at the research institute treated Song Fenglan very well, suggesting that Song Fenglan might be an important person. If she had a good relationship with Song Fenglan, she could even get Song Fenglan to tutor her more, which would be like receiving extra help.
However, their relationship is not good, and even if Tang Lu tries to get close to her now, Song Fenglan is unlikely to help her.
Ultimately, if your own family has already done the first thing, you can't blame others for doing the fifteenth.
“Your cousin is here. Do you want to mend your relationship with her? Actually, those things are things of the previous generation. You could buy some fruit and go over there. Maybe…” Jian Lili looked at Tang Lu, “Your generation is different from the previous generation.”
"No way." Tang Lu shook her head. "Back then, I didn't have much contact with my cousin. Even when she talked about the previous generation, I still did what they told me to do, didn't I? I can't just say I was too young to listen to the older generation. Now, let's just talk about our generation and not the previous one? People aren't stupid!"
Tang Lu thought that if others treated her like that, she would only feel disgusted.
Why? Why such double standards?
You have to do everything according to your own standards, and others have to listen to you.
Why would others do that? They're not made of wood or without a brain.
“My mom says I’m like family to her, so I have to live up to that,” Tang Lu said. “I can’t become someone she dislikes even more.”
"This...is quite difficult," Jian Lili asked. "Who is your cousin?"
To this day, Jian Lili still doesn't know who Tang Lu's cousin is.
“It doesn’t matter who it is. What matters is that our two families have no relationship anymore. We’re not enemies, but we can’t be relatives either,” Tang Lu said. “I can’t bother her just because I want a better future.”
"She's at the research institute. Have I seen her before?" Jian Lili asked. "There are very few women there, they..."
“I won’t tell her,” Tang Lu said. “She’s not a stranger, but she’s almost like one. If I tell her, it’ll be like I’m making things difficult for her. You don’t need to know who she is. She’s a very nice person, and she hasn’t been making things difficult for me. If she were to make things difficult for me, I probably wouldn’t be able to stay here.”
Song Fenglan works at a research institute, and Qin Yizhou is still a regimental commander. Tang Lu knows that if they want to target her, it's a very easy matter. This is Nancheng, not the capital. Qin Yizhou's connections in Nancheng are much stronger than in other cities.
The capital city is much better.
“You… too… it’s better not to say anything,” Jian Lili said.
“It’s better if you know less,” Tang Lu said. “When others are doing well but you’re not, some people like to complain about others, and the people around them will also wonder why the person who is doing well doesn’t help their relatives.”
"..." Jian Lili thought Tang Lu's words were damn right.
In the evening, the Song family had dinner with Qin Yizhou and others. They didn't mention going to find Tang Lu, as if Tang Lu didn't exist.
Zhang Xiaohu had finished dinner. He leaned on his crutch and peeked over, muttering softly, "Haven't you finished eating yet?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
