Chapter 99 Awakening: The Path the Song Family Has Taken
"No, I can't go back," Tang Lu said. "If I go back, I'll really be forced to get married."
She knew all too well that the Tang family would only keep trying to persuade her and might even try to cut off her escape route.
Why did Tang Lu want to stay in Nancheng? She didn't want to become their puppet. Tang Lu wanted to live her own life; she wanted to make her mother proud, and she wanted everyone to know that she was different from the Tang family.
“It’s better not to go back,” Jian Lili said. “I’ve never met your family, but…”
Jian Lili had heard Tang Lu talk about her family before; Tang Lu's family was incredibly complicated. Jian Lili didn't know how to evaluate Tang Lu's family. If it were her, she definitely wouldn't want to live in such a family; she would certainly prefer a simpler one. For example, her own family was doing quite well. Her parents initially didn't support her becoming a pilot, feeling that it wasn't easy for a woman to be one.
Initially, Jian Lili didn't believe her parents and insisted on trying, convinced she could do it. From the very beginning of training, Jian Lili felt the difficulty. There was indeed a significant difference between the women and the men, even though they trained and attended classes together; the men were clearly stronger in this area.
At that time, Jian Lili was discouraged and somewhat lost.
When Tang Lu fell ill and was hospitalized, Jian Lili's anxiety reached its peak, and she actually went to see Song Fenglan. Jian Lili wasn't really doing this for Tang Lu; she was also thinking about herself. She reasoned that Song Fenglan was a researcher who studied fighter jets, and since Song Fenglan had helped Tang Lu, and Tang Lu was her friend, they could support each other.
“To be honest, I don’t know how long I can keep this up,” Jian Lili said. “Sometimes I wonder if I’m suited to be a pilot forever? Can I keep up with those men? They don’t seem to have many worries, and they handle things very easily.”
“They also have pressure inside, but men are proud and don’t say it out loud.” Tang Lu doesn’t think those men know everything; they just don’t say it, so the women don’t know.
“Hmm.” Jian Lili nodded. “Think it over carefully. If you want to continue being a pilot and stay here, I’m afraid you won’t be able to go back for holidays.”
"Then I won't go back!" Tang Lu didn't feel she had to go back to celebrate the holiday with those people. She could celebrate alone or with her colleagues.
Tang Lu wasn't immune to loneliness, but when she thought about the character of the Tang family, she couldn't bear it.
Tang Shaotao was very unhappy with Tang Lu hanging up the phone; his sister had become too independent.
When the Qin family learned that Jiang Erge had sold his blood to pay off his debts, they couldn't believe it. The Song family was so wealthy, yet they hadn't lent Jiang Erge any money, even though Song Fenglan had previously lived with the Jiang family and had even given birth there.
Qin's mother thought the Song family was terrifying; these people didn't know how to care for their relatives. Qin's mother was reluctant to believe it was true, and she even went to ask around. When Qin's eldest aunt came over, Qin's mother asked again.
"It's true." Aunt Qin nodded. "People who know her saw it. She sold a lot of blood, and her face was pale. She borrowed money from loan sharks and couldn't pay it back, so she sold her blood."
"Won't the Song family lend him money?" Qin's mother asked.
"I heard that the Jiang family told the Song family not to lend them money," Aunt Qin said. "They borrowed money everywhere and borrowed a lot. The Jiang family wants them to pay it back themselves, maybe that will make them feel the pain and know how hard it is to earn money. They are really something, they have only been back in the city from the countryside for a short time and they are already thinking about borrowing money from loan sharks, it's really scary. I don't dare to borrow from loan sharks, the interest rates are too high."
"..." Qin's mother's face was somewhat pale.
"What's wrong?" Aunt Qin frowned slightly when she saw that Qin's mother looked unwell. "It's not like you're going to sell your blood, what are you afraid of?"
“The Song family is truly heartless,” said Qin’s mother.
“The Jiang family all told them not to lend money, and naturally they didn’t lend any, which is not wrong,” Aunt Qin said. “Who would have thought that person would sell his blood?”
"They..." Qin's mother opened her mouth, but remained silent.
"Are you thinking about their attitude towards your family and your eldest son?" Aunt Qin thought for a second and immediately figured out the reason. "Don't expect the Song family to help your eldest son. They will never help your family. At most, Yizhou and his wife will send you two some tonics, which is already quite good. Don't be too greedy."
"..." Qin's mother looked at Qin's eldest aunt, her eyes narrowed slightly. Even in this situation, Qin's eldest aunt was still standing in front of the Song family. "They won't help us, and they won't help you either."
"If they don't want to help, they don't want to help. It's good enough that they didn't try to trip me up." Aunt Qin was good at comforting herself. She hadn't been that nice to Song Fenglan anyway, and what she was afraid of was retaliation. Since they hadn't retaliated, they should be secretly happy.
Qin's mother felt exhausted talking to her eldest aunt. Her eldest aunt was always like this; Qin's mother wanted her eldest aunt to join her in criticizing the Song family, not to help them understand the Song family.
About a week later, Song Fenglan was on vacation, and she and her husband took Qin Zihang to visit Aunt Yu. They were worried that Aunt Yu might be upset about what had happened to Jiang Erge.
"Auntie," Qin Zihang called out to Aunt Yu with a smile, carrying a basket of fruit. "Auntie, I picked these fruits myself, they're sure to be sweet."
“The ones we at Hangbao chose must be excellent,” Aunt Yu nodded.
Song Fenglan asked Qin Yizhou to take Qin Zihang out for a walk while she spoke with Aunt Yu.
"How is my second cousin now?" Song Fenglan asked. "Isn't he home? I didn't see him, so I gave the things to my second cousin's wife."
"He went out to set up a stall," Aunt Yu sighed. "He said he had rested for many days and couldn't stay at home any longer, so he had to go out."
Go to work. He owes so much money; if he doesn't work, how will he pay it back? He can't keep people waiting. Even though they're relatives, between relatives… if the debt goes on for too long, people will talk.”
"If that doesn't work, then..."
“Okay, okay, they’re fine with it.” Aunt Yu interrupted Song Fenglan. “They don’t need to borrow money from you. Things are already like this, there’s no need to borrow money. Let alone owing money to your family, if that were the case, I’m afraid they wouldn’t pay it back. They would feel embarrassed not to pay back money they owe to their relatives.”
Aunt Yu couldn't let Jiang Erge sell his blood for nothing; she had to make them understand how difficult it was to repay the debt. If Jiang Erge and his wife owed money to the Song family, and the Song family had money and weren't in a hurry for Jiang Erge and his wife to repay the debt, Jiang Erge's wife might just give up.
“Your second cousin’s wife has become much more diligent lately,” Aunt Yu said. “She even knows how to help make tofu and gets up early to help. Before, she wouldn’t have wanted to do those things and your second cousin had to do them himself. She saw your second cousin selling his blood and knows how good he is to her. Letting them pay back the money slowly has given your second cousin’s wife a deeper understanding.”
Aunt Yu was afraid that Jiang Ersao would soon revert to her old ways and wouldn't learn her lesson. They had done so much, and Jiang Erge had even sold his blood; Aunt Yu thought they still had to harden their hearts. Anyway, the relatives wouldn't immediately pressure Jiang Erge and his wife to repay the money, which was already quite good.
“Sure, just let me know if you need any help,” Song Fenglan said. “We can lend you a few hundred yuan.”
“No need,” Aunt Yu said. “Let them earn their money one penny at a time and let them plan how to pay it back. In this life, they still have to rely on themselves to live, not on others.”
"I'll do whatever you say," Song Fenglan said. Aunt Yu had helped her so much, and she just didn't want to upset her.
"Don't worry about us so much, your aunt knows what to do." Aunt Yu patted Song Fenglan's hand gently. "You've sent so many things over, that's very kind of you. Eating those things will help your second son recover faster, which is why he went out to set up his stall. Recently, your second cousin's wife has started to work, so I don't need to help her much anymore."
Aunt Yu didn't want Jiang Ersao to always stay on the sidelines without doing any work. People have to be down-to-earth. They weren't cut out for business, they weren't destined to make big money. People have to accept their fate and know what social class they belong to.
“I just saw my second cousin’s wife; she was wearing an apron,” Song Fenglan said.
Jiang Ersao had never dared to speak much in front of the Song family, so Song Fenglan didn't notice much change in her.
"Let her do things. The young couple needs to work hard so that they can have a better life," Aunt Yu said. "They can't rely on others for their whole lives. I've already told them to remember this incident and not to always think about other things. They need to know their own limitations."
"Hmm," Song Fenglan said, "Now that you say that, I feel relieved. I was just worried that something might be wrong with you, but you wouldn't tell me."
"Yes, she will talk," Aunt Yu quickly replied. "I have always admired your mother. She was so resilient and managed to raise you all so well."
Aunt Yu thought about Sister-in-law Song and Cao Fang, then about Qin Yizhou. Song's mother's children all had very good partners, none of whom seemed like Sister-in-law Jiang. Logically, Sister-in-law Jiang was more educated than Sister-in-law Song, and should have performed better. In fact, Sister-in-law Jiang was inferior to Sister-in-law Song. This made Aunt Yu increasingly believe that the Song family had excellent judgment; even in such difficult circumstances, they knew how to choose good people, not just anyone, and not letting someone of inferior quality fill the position.
“These past few days, many people outside have been talking about your second cousin and his wife,” Aunt Yu said. “Your second cousin’s wife is afraid of hearing those things, so she’s been doing more housework.”
Jiang Ersao didn't want others to continue speaking ill of her, and some people were even encouraging Jiang Erge to get a divorce. Jiang Ersao thought those people were crazy; she and her husband already had children, and they couldn't possibly get a divorce. If anyone were to get a divorce, it would be those people.
Despite her sharp tongue, Jiang Ersao was still somewhat anxious. She feared the Jiang family would actually force Jiang Erge to divorce her. Jiang Ersao felt some of the outsiders' arguments made sense; Jiang Erge was related to the Song family, and if he divorced and remarried, the Song family would likely offer some assistance. Even if Jiang Erge remarried with a child, it was still possible.
Jiang Ersao was scared. In the end, she was afraid that she would not be able to stay in the capital and that she would be penniless and homeless.
"Those people still love to talk." Song Fenglan thought back to when she was still living in the Jiang family after getting married. People outside said a lot that the Qin family did not approve of her and that Qin Yizhou and she would get divorced sooner or later.
Those people don't know the truth; they just hear rumors, then embellish them to make others believe they're right. It makes it seem quite plausible, and unsuspecting people are easily fooled.
"They're just gossiping over there when they have nothing to do," Aunt Yu said. "They don't have work, so they just chat with people on the roadside."
“If you can’t stop them, then you can talk nonsense if you’re unhappy,” Song Fenglan said.
"It's pointless, I won't talk about them." Aunt Yu had no intention of spreading rumors about others; whether other people were doing well or not had nothing to do with her. "Let's have lunch here."
"No, I'll eat at home later," Song Fenglan said. "I'll come visit whenever I have time. I've been busy with other things the past few days, so I haven't been able to come."
Also, Song Fenglan was afraid that their arrival would make Jiang Erge and Jiang Ersao feel even worse, so she waited a few days before coming. After a few days, Jiang Erge and Jiang Ersao weren't so unhappy anymore.
"Come over and have a chat when you have time," Aunt Yu said.
“Okay, definitely.” Song Fenglan stood up. “Auntie, I’m going now. I’ll go see Yizhou and Zihang and go back with them.”
"Go on, go on." Aunt Yu waved her hand. She thought back to when she was taking care of Qin Zihang, he was very small. In the blink of an eye, Qin Zihang had grown up.
Qin Zihang didn't always play with the Jiang family's children, but he got along better with them than with the Qin family's children. Qin Zihang would call them "cousin" and "older cousin," and they would exchange a few words, but they never actually argued.
Qin Zihang really doesn't get along with the children from the Qin family; whenever they meet in public, the two sides end up arguing.
One time, Qin Zihang returned home very angry, saying that his grandmother was scolding him again. Qin Zihang and
Qin Li'an ran into Qin Zihang outside, and the two argued. Qin's mother then spoke ill of Qin Zihang, saying that Qin Zihang, as the younger brother, was bullying his older brother and that Qin Zihang was abusing his power...
Without understanding what had happened, Qin's mother criticized Qin Zihang. She believed that now that Qin Zihang's family was well-off and he had powerful backers, he was bullying her poor, precious grandson.
Qin Zihang is a polite and considerate child. He didn't want to argue with his mother, so he ran away. Then, his mother continued to criticize him, saying that he was impolite and had no good attitude towards his brother or grandmother.
As a result, Qin Zihang grew increasingly disgusted with the Qin family. There was no need for Song Fenglan to speak ill of the Qin family in front of Qin Zihang; the Qin family members themselves were already making a scene.
"Finished talking?" Qin Yizhou asked when he saw Song Fenglan come out.
"We're done talking," Song Fenglan nodded.
"Mom, are we going back?" Qin Zihang asked.
“Yes, we’re going back now,” Song Fenglan said.
"Wait a minute, I'm going to give these things to my aunt." Qin Zihang had bought some things and was going to give them to Aunt Yu.
Aunt Yu had just sat down in the living room when she heard Qin Zihang's voice.
"Auntie, Auntie, this is the roast chicken I just bought. Have some," Qin Zihang said. "I bought it with my own pocket money. Eating more meat when you're sad or upset makes you happy. There's also cake. Cake is sweet."
Qin Zihang bought this on purpose while he and Qin Yizhou were out shopping. He had brought extra spending money with him beforehand, thinking he might need it. The streets here were quite lively, with plenty of things for sale.
"Aren't you going to eat?" Aunt Yu asked.
“I’ll ask my dad to buy me food,” Qin Zihang said. “When I was little, my aunt and my mom would buy me food. Now it’s my dad who has to buy me food.”
"Okay, I'll have your dad buy you some food." Aunt Yu chuckled. "You're still as adorable as you were when you were little."
"Grandma," Qin Zihang whispered, "Grandma, I've grown up. From now on, don't say I'm cute, say I'm brave, invincible, and handsome."
"Good, good, brave, invincible, and handsome," Aunt Yu said.
"Yes, brave, invincible, and handsome." Qin Zihang nodded. "Auntie, you are kind and gentle, super nice."
"You, you just know how to coax me," Aunt Yu chuckled.
“This isn’t just flattery, it’s the truth,” Qin Zihang said. “Mom always says that my great-aunt is very good and that I can’t forget her. I could never forget her.”
"Do you still remember things from when you were little?" Aunt Yu couldn't help but ask.
"I don't remember much, but I remember my great-aunt was nice," Qin Zihang said.
"Okay, okay." Aunt Yu was quite pleased. "Your parents are going back now, hurry up and go back with them."
Aunt Yu originally wanted to let Qin Zihang stay and play, but given their family's situation, it wasn't appropriate to let him stay. It was better for Qin Zihang to go back.
Because of the loan sharking issue, the relationship between the two sons wasn't good, and Jiang's older sister-in-law harbored considerable resentment towards her younger sister-in-law. You see, Aunt Yu had already given the second wife five hundred yuan, promising to give the eldest wife another five hundred yuan later, but the money never arrived—it was just an empty promise. Aunt Yu and Jiang's father were getting old; who knew if they could even save up five hundred yuan?
Out of respect for her brother-in-law, Sister-in-law Jiang didn't say much, but she still felt uneasy. She felt that Aunt Yu was somewhat biased towards the second wife's family; since her brother-in-law and his wife had returned home, Aunt Yu had spent a considerable amount of money on them.
If Jiang Erge and his wife still refuse to work diligently and practically, Jiang Dasao will have to say something to prevent Jiang Erge's family from always taking advantage of others.
Right now, everyone is just maintaining a facade of peace, which Aunt Yu can sense. This matter can't be blamed on Sister-in-law Jiang. Sister-in-law Jiang just wants to fight for the benefits that her eldest son deserves. Other families' sons in the city occupy houses, but they won't let their younger brothers from the countryside come back. When the younger brothers from the countryside come back, the older brothers don't give them houses either.
Sister-in-law Jiang was considered kind. Aunt Yu gave Jiang Erge and his wife money to rent a shop and open a restaurant, and Sister-in-law Jiang only mentioned it privately. Sister-in-law Jiang knew that Jiang Erge's family needed to be able to support themselves. Only when Jiang Erge and his wife were able to support themselves and earn more money would Aunt Yu and the others not have to keep helping Jiang Erge's family.
Looking at the things Qin Zihang brought, Aunt Yu was filled with emotion. Like Song Fenglan, Qin Zihang and his mother were both very considerate of others.
As Song Fenglan watched Qin Zihang walk out of the Jiang family's house, she waved to her son and asked, "Did you give the things to your aunt?"
"I gave it to her, I gave it to her. I even said a few words to my great-aunt to cheer her up," Qin Zihang said. "When I'm unhappy, I like to eat cake, eat meat, eat a lot of things. Eat delicious food, a whole bunch of delicious food."
“Okay.” Song Fenglan glanced in the direction of the Jiang family’s house, then walked with Qin Yizhou and the others to the intersection, where they parked their car.
Aunt Yu opened the roast chicken; it was a whole roast chicken, and quite a large one.
"Mom, have a chicken leg." Aunt Yu saw Grandma Jiang come out of the room, so she broke off a chicken leg for Grandma Jiang and ate the other one herself.
When Grandma Jiang saw this, she didn't tell Aunt Yu to save the food for her grandson and great-grandson. This food was brought to Aunt Yu by the Song family, not for her son and grandson. Grandma Jiang's teeth weren't very good, but she could still eat meat.
"It smells delicious," said Grandma Jiang.
"Yes, it smells delicious," Aunt Yu said. "Zihang just went out to buy it. When he came with his mother, he brought a lot of things with him. He even went out to buy food for me."
Aunt Yu thought about Qin Zihang, and then about her own son and grandson. Qin Zihang had done better than all of them.
“It wasn’t a waste of time to raise him,” said Grandma Jiang.
“We took the money in the first place,” Aunt Yu said. “Fenglan knew that too, and she’s still so good to me. Yufei always says I’m good to Fenglan. If Yufei were as sensible as Fenglan, I would be good to her too. Fenglan didn’t come back. When she was still in Nancheng, she still sent us things. After she came back to the capital, she didn’t come over herself, but she still had people send things over. She’s like my second daughter.”
She's more than just half a daughter; she's even better than a biological daughter.
Jiang Yufei was thinking of taking advantage of Aunt Yu, not of giving Aunt Yu so much.
Aunt Yu had no choice. Jiang Yufei was, after all, her biological daughter, so Aunt Yu did give Jiang Yufei a little something—just a small amount, not much, so as not to upset her daughter-in-law. Other people's daughters might not receive those things when they return to their parents' home; the parents' family even expects their daughter to take things from her husband's family and bring them back to her parents' home.
It can be said that Jiang Yufei is living a pretty good life. It's just that Jiang Yufei likes to compare herself with Song Fenglan, but her family doesn't have that much to give her.
"Your sister and her family are indeed good people." Old Mrs. Jiang could still distinguish between good and bad. She allowed Aunt Yu to keep Song Fenglan not only because of money, but also because she didn't think the Song family were bad people. Everyone encounters difficulties at times; lending a hand might bring unexpected benefits later.
Sure enough, after that special period, the Song family all lived very well, and our family also benefited from it.
In the past, people said that Grandma Jiang couldn't control her daughter-in-law, but now they all say that Grandma Jiang has good judgment and is a good mother-in-law.
Grandma Jiang is getting old, so she basically doesn't concern herself with the trivial matters at home; she just listens.
There was a roast chicken. Aunt Yu and Grandma Jiang each ate a leg, and the rest was cut into pieces to save for the family meal. Aunt Yu, after all, cared about her son and grandson and didn't think about finishing the whole chicken herself.
Back home, Qin Zihang counted his allowance and found that he still had quite a bit.
When Qin Zihang goes out to buy things, he knows exactly how much those things cost and what kind of things he can buy with the money he has.
"Mom, I still have a lot of pocket money," Qin Zihang said. "Mom, do you want some?"
Qin Zihang carried his pocket money downstairs and ran to Song Fenglan, who was sitting on the sofa watching TV.
"Give it to me?" Song Fenglan raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, that's right." Qin Zihang nodded.
"I'll deposit it for you," Song Fenglan said. "It'll earn interest in the bank."
"Okay, okay." Qin Zihang had no objections. "I'll keep some and save the rest."
"I'll save it up and use it to buy you a house and help you get married," Song Fenglan joked.
"I want to live with my mother." Qin Zihang was afraid of being separated from his mother.
“When you grow up, you won’t say that anymore,” Song Fenglan said.
“No, I’ll still be like this when I grow up,” Qin Zihang said. “It’s good to be with Mom. I want to live with Mom forever. There are so many rooms in the house, I can live here. Mom, you won’t kick me out, will you?”
"I won't rush you," Song Fenglan said.
"Mom, you and Dad can have some alone time. You two share a room, I'm not even home," Qin Zihang said. "There are other people in the big house, so please don't make me go out."
"You even know about a world for two?" Qin Yizhou looked at Qin Zihang.
"Of course I know," Qin Zihang said. "I'm not stupid, of course I know."
“You help him save the money,” Song Fenglan said. “Once some money has been saved, we can add some more and buy a courtyard house.”
"Buy a courtyard house?" Qin Yizhou asked, puzzled.
“Yes, we bought it and rented it out,” Song Fenglan said. “My second brother runs a company, and we have shares and dividends. With the remaining money, and no other investment options, we’ll just buy a house. Your status isn’t suitable for doing anything else. I do have some patents, and those patents can make some money, but we’ll need to invest that money too.”
Song Fenglan's thinking was simple. In her past life, she bought a fund with a value of 1,000 yuan and lost 300 or 400 yuan. Luckily, she only invested less than 2,000 yuan; if she had invested more, she would have cried herself to death in the bathroom. Song Fenglan didn't want to lose money, so the best way was to buy a house. As for whether house prices would drop in the middle, that didn't matter, as long as they generally rose in the future, that was fine.
"Then I'll do as you say and buy a house," Qin Yizhou said.
“If we’re renting it out to others, then we’ll buy it, we’ll buy several,” Qin Zihang said. “I’ll use all my pocket money to buy them.”
"Okay, then you should save your allowance carefully and not spend it recklessly," Song Fenglan chuckled.
"Buying things for my aunt isn't about wasting money," Qin Zihang added.
“Of course it’s not about spending it recklessly,” Song Fenglan said. “You can do so many things with your allowance.”
"It's your money, and you have the right to decide how to spend it. Even if you throw it into the lake, that's still your right."
“No, if we throw money into the lake, people will try to pick it up, and then they will fall into the lake and we’ll have to rescue them.” Qin Zihang shook his head. “We can’t do that. Even if no one picks it up, it will still pollute the lake.”
“You still understand,” Song Fenglan said.
"Because I've grown up, I'm not a child anymore," Qin Zihang said. "I'll be going to junior high school soon, how could I not understand?"
“Yes, yes, yes, you should study more, so you don’t know nothing,” Song Fenglan said.
“A person who knows nothing is a fool,” Qin Zihang said. “Most people know something.”
Qin Zihang is going to junior high school, and so is Zhang Xiaohu.
The nearby junior high schools are decent. Junior high school is the entrance exam for high school, and the key to getting into a good high school is whether you can get in. If you don't get into a good high school, it will be very difficult to get into university later.
Zhang Xiaohu's older brother is going into his final year of junior high and will have to take the high school entrance exam. Zhang Wen's grades aren't very good, and it's feared he won't pass the exam. His sister-in-law is thinking of sending Zhang Wen to a vocational school, so that at least he can learn some skills.
The woman was very worried about her eldest son's grades. His grades weren't improving. She had asked the teacher, who said that nowadays, everyone has to take an entrance exam to get into high school; connections don't guarantee admission. Getting into high school would cost a lot of money, and even then, the college entrance exam wouldn't be about spending money; it would require genuine hard work and self-reliance.
If your child is going to a vocational school, you need to plan ahead. These days, it's good if a vocational school can assign a job, but it's the kind that can't.
The plump woman didn't know what to do, so she called Song Fenglan. She thought Song Fenglan knew more, and perhaps Song Fenglan knew what to do.
"Which school are you choosing?" Song Fenglan didn't expect her chubby sister-in-law to ask her that.
“Yes, he’ll be in his final year of junior high next semester, and he should make a choice in his final year,” said the plump woman. “He should start preparing early.”
"How are his grades?" Song Fenglan asked.
"Oh no, they're in the bottom half of the class," said the plump woman. "In previous years, their school didn't have that many students going on to high school."
"Do you want him to attend a vocational school, or something else?" Song Fenglan asked.
"I want him to learn a skill," said the plump woman.
"Do you like being a teacher?" Song Fenglan asked. "I'll go to a vocational school, which also has teacher training programs. I can teach elementary school students then, that would be great. I'll have a stable job, and although the salary won't be very high, it will increase little by little, which is good. And when I retire, my pension won't be low either."
Song Fenglan knew that some retired teachers had higher pensions than young people earned while they were still working. Those teachers lived a very comfortable retirement life, while young people had to work and suffer a lot.
"Become a teacher?" Fatty Sister really hadn't thought of that.
“Yes,” Song Fenglan said. “Or do you mean you want him to join the army? Two years of military training would be fine, but… you know, not everyone who joins the army stays for life.”
Of course, Fatty's wife knew that one couldn't be a soldier forever. Living in the family compound, she saw many people transfer to civilian jobs. Those were people who had served for many years; only then could they get a decent job. Those who only served for one or two years didn't receive such good treatment. Fatty's wife hoped her son would have a stable future, a long-term, secure job.
“There are still a lot of children these days,” Song Fenglan said. “Children need to go to school, so they need teachers. There are relatively fewer male teachers, but it’s not necessarily a bad thing for boys to be teachers.”
"That's true," the plump woman nodded.
“It still depends on your own decision,” Song Fenglan said. “You know, I only know how to study and do research, I don’t really understand these things. My path is predictable. You should also ask your eldest son about his path and see what he likes. Besides becoming a teacher, some people become skilled workers, like technicians in shipyards or machinery factories, fitters, etc., but these are quite hard jobs. If you do well, the salary is not low.”
“Let’s think about this carefully. This is a major issue that will affect the child’s entire life,” said the plump woman. “We can’t just let him have his way all the time.”
“Yes, we can’t let him have his way all the time.” Song Fenglan nodded. “But we also have to consider that if he doesn’t like doing something, and you force him to do it, and he doesn’t want to do it, then it will be difficult to handle. It will be a waste of his time to learn it.”
“Okay, I’ll ask him. You know so much, we don’t know anything. We went to ask the teacher, but the teacher said we have to make the decision ourselves,” said the plump woman. “There are so many children, the teacher can’t possibly talk to everyone. The teacher also said that if they make the decision for us and something goes wrong, we parents will blame them, and they will be caught in the middle. They can only introduce some information about the school, but the final decision still has to be made by us parents.”
Aunt Pang was getting a headache just thinking about it. Zhang Xiaohu's grades were much better than Zhang Wen's, mainly because Zhang Xiaohu studied with Qin Zihang. Zhang Xiaohu even dreamed of getting into a university in the capital. He worked hard on his own, without needing anyone to tell him what to do. He also had some effective study methods when he studied with Qin Zihang. If Zhang Xiaohu worked a little harder, he still had a chance to get into high school, while Zhang Wen basically had no chance.
"Thank you for your trouble," the plump woman said with emotion. "My husband and I don't know much about these things; we're not very educated."
“It’s nothing,” Song Fenglan said. “It concerns the child’s future, so we need to think it through. Of course, we’ll ask.”
"Zihang, he should be able to get into high school directly, his grades are so good," said the plump woman.
“He attends the junior high school near our workplace, and he will probably go to the senior high school here as well,” Song Fenglan said. “Our workplace school admits students from outside the school and also students who come from within the school. It’s relatively easier for students who come from within the school, as they get score reductions. But Zihang still needs to study hard and his scores can’t be low.”
"No, no, Zihang's score couldn't be low," said the plump woman.
“Let him decide for himself,” Song Fenglan said. “He can also get some tutoring during winter and summer vacations. Many families with the means hire tutors for their children. These children do get much better grades. You don’t need to be too worried about your child’s grades. If they are a little low, you can send him to a tutoring class. But it’s not realistic to find a tutor to give him free lessons.”
“That’s true,” said the plump woman. “Money should be used when it matters most.”
“If you don’t have enough money, I can lend you some,” Song Fenglan said.
“No need, I’ve saved up money,” said Sister-in-law Pang. “Saving up money is for this time, isn’t it? You’re right. When Xiaohu was studying with Zihang at your house, his grades weren’t as bad as his brother’s. They were much better. I always said his grades weren’t good because he was so much worse than Zihang. Zihang is truly outstanding.”
Qin Zihang always got up early to get first place, while Zhang Xiaohu slowly climbed up from the bottom few places. Zhang Xiaohu's ranking improved because of Qin Zihang.
"It's alright, we've both taught Zihang," Song Fenglan said. The educational gap between parents does indeed affect children. Song Fenglan and her husband both take care of their child's studies, but her sister-in-law and her husband have much lower levels of education, so it's difficult for them to teach their child academically.
"Go ahead and do your work, I won't bother you anymore," said the plump woman.
“Okay, you can call me if anything happens,” Song Fenglan said. “If I’m not home, I’ll call you back later.”
"Okay," said the plump woman.
After hanging up the phone, Fatty went home and told Zhang Chenghai about their eldest son's future, and asked him to sit down and listen.
"Your Aunt Fenglan means you can become a teacher or a skilled worker. Of course, you can join the army first," said the fat woman. "As you know, joining the army doesn't guarantee a promotion. You might only serve for a few years before coming back. It's best to learn a skill first."
"Can I be a teacher?" Zhang Wen asked, somewhat surprised.
“Yes, why not?” the plump woman said. “You can teach elementary school students, not middle school students. You know all the elementary school knowledge, right?”
"Yes." Zhang Wen nodded.
"That's settled then. You know what's good for you; you're not going to mislead students," said the plump woman. "If you're planning to become a teacher, then go to a vocational teacher training college. Your Aunt Fenglan said that being a teacher is a good job, and the retirement pension won't be small. There will be many students in the future, so being a teacher is a secure job. In the past, teachers weren't as valued, but now that the college entrance examination has been reinstated, students have to take both the middle school and college entrance exams."
Learning all requires teachers to teach you. What do you mean by that?
“To be a teacher!” Zhang Wen said. “Mom, didn’t you say that Aunt Fenglan’s brother is a teacher?”
“Yes, her older brother is a teacher,” the plump woman said.
"Then let's make him a teacher." Zhang Wen didn't understand those things; he only knew that someone in the Song family chose to become a teacher, which meant that being a teacher must be a good career choice. Otherwise, the Song family wouldn't have chosen to become teachers.
"Okay, then it's settled. But you still have to study hard, okay? Don't let the school reject you later." The plump woman said with a smile.
"Okay." Zhang Wen nodded.
Although many people don't consider attending a vocational teacher training school now, what if there are too many people later? Sister-in-law Pang still needs to encourage her son to work harder; if he gets good grades, he can choose any path he wants.
“This is your own decision, so you can’t blame others later,” the plump woman reminded Zhang Wen. “Your Aunt Fenglan didn’t force you to make these choices; she said she would respect your decision.”
“Being a teacher is good,” Zhang Wen said again, “the path the Song family has taken can’t be wrong.”
In the meantime, Song Fenglan talked to Qin Yizhou about Zhang Wen, and she felt that time had passed very quickly.
“I remember when I took Zihang there, Zhang Wen was still very young, only in the first or second grade of elementary school. Was he going to start the second grade after finishing the first grade?” Song Fenglan didn’t remember very clearly, but she remembered Zhang Xiaohu’s situation more clearly. “So fast, he’s about to take the high school entrance exam and start thinking about his future.”
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