Chapter 129 Comparing Future Planning
"Li'an, call the police!" Zhu Meng couldn't possibly tolerate Gu's father.
Zhu Meng knew that Qin Li'an still felt apologetic towards Gu Qian, but that was towards Gu Qian, not towards the rest of the Gu family. The rest of the Gu family only knew how to use Gu Qian's situation to get money; they weren't truly thinking about Gu Qian's well-being.
"Call the police?" Mr. Gu asked in surprise.
"Yes, call the police, Li'an, why aren't you doing anything?" Zhu Meng shoved the phone into Qin Li'an's hand.
Zhu Meng couldn't let Qin Li'an bow down at this time. If Qin Li'an bowed down to the Gu family, then she and her husband would have to bow down to the Gu family later. Zhu Meng couldn't bow down to the Gu family; that money belonged to her, not the Gu family.
"I'll leave as long as you give me the money," Mr. Gu said hurriedly. "Two hundred, or even one hundred will do."
"Call the police!" Zhu Meng maintained her stance. "He's extorting you."
Qin Li'an gripped the phone receiver tightly; he was really going to call the police. Father Gu tried to rush over, but Mother Zhu blocked Zhu Meng's path.
When Qin's mother saw this, she frowned. She knew she should call the police and not let the Gu family harass Qin Li'an.
"My daughter is missing, and we don't even know where she is. Why did you call the police?" Mr. Gu said guiltily. "If you want to call the police, then call the police. My daughter isn't here, so Qin Li'an has to be responsible for her. He has to take care of us in her place."
Father Gu's eldest son's wedding had drained the family's savings, and his other son needed money for his relationship. Father Gu thought of Qin Li'an; he'd heard Qin Li'an's fiancée was pregnant. He figured that if he came to ask for money now, Qin Li'an would be worried about his fiancée and would surely give him the money. Father Gu wanted to scare Zhu Meng and her husband, to frighten them and make Qin Li'an give them the money quickly.
The police arrived quickly, and naturally, they were no longer on Gu's father's side. The Gu family had already received compensation, so even if they now claimed Gu Qian hadn't been involved with Qin Li'an, it was useless. If the Gu family were to say that, they would have given false testimony, and their statements wouldn't be credible.
The Gu family originally thought they could still get money from the Qin family, but they didn't expect to get not a single penny.
Qin Li'an committed a crime, served time in prison, and paid compensation. Legally speaking, he has already done more than enough. For the Gu family to demand anything more is going too far. The Gu family took so much money, spent it all, and now they want to go after the Qin family.
When Gu Qian miscarried, the Qin family gave her more money than most people would give as a bride price. Qin's father and elder brother both felt that Qin Li'an had wronged Gu Qian, so they naturally had to give her more money. As for who ended up with the money, they didn't care.
“If you come here again asking for money, we’ll sue you for extortion!” Zhu Meng said coldly.
At the police station, Zhu Meng remained defiant. Qin Li'an initially told her not to go, but Zhu Meng insisted on going anyway.
Zhu Meng was afraid that Qin Li'an would be soft-hearted. In this kind of situation, one couldn't be soft-hearted; there was no reason to be soft-hearted. If the Gu family were truly doing this for Gu Qian, that would be one thing, but these people weren't genuinely concerned for Gu Qian at all. They just wanted to get money from the Qin family; they were after their son.
The Gu family was somewhat scared; they didn't want to go to jail, so they could only go back cursing.
As they left the police station, Zhu Meng gripped Qin Li'an's hand tightly. "You made a mistake, but that's in the past, and you've paid the price. If they come back, just do as I say. Otherwise, they'll haunt you for life, demanding money. Not giving them money isn't illegal, and you won't go to jail. If they're so capable, let Gu Qian come and demand the money. Even if Gu Qian does come, the result will be the same!"
"Okay, fine, we won't give them the money." Qin Li'an was moved; he hadn't expected Zhu Meng to protect him like this.
“Of course we can’t give it to them, we already have a baby,” Zhu Meng said. “Even if you don’t think about yourself, you have to think about our child. I don’t want our child to be exploited in the future, that’s not a small amount of money. They’ll ask for it once and then ask for it again. It’s because your family gave money to Gu Qian several times when she was pregnant that they think you’re easy to bully and just want money from you.”
Yes, the money should have been paid back then, but things are different now.
Zhu Meng would never allow Qin Li'an to give the Gu family another penny. If the Gu family dared to cause trouble, they would send them to jail.
The Gu family didn't dare to cause a big scene. They all knew Qin Li'an's family was wealthy and that his uncle was in the military. If things escalated, the Gu family would be in the wrong. If they were in the right, they could cause as much trouble as they wanted, and the Qin family would definitely appease them. But things were different now; Qin Li'an had already paid the price.
The Gu family didn't really care about their child at all. They didn't even look for her. Gu Qian has been gone for so long, and none of them went to look for her. They were even cursing and swearing when she left. The Gu family just wanted Gu Qian to remarry so they could get a dowry, but Gu Qian ran away.
Growing up in a family like the Gu family, Gu Qian also had a very painful life. She almost took her own life back then. If she hadn't planned to buy herself some beautiful clothes before she died, and if she hadn't met Song's mother, she probably would have really been gone.
Gu Qian left the capital for a southern city, where she worked in a factory and earned a decent living. Gu Qian could afford to eat more meat, dress herself up, and even save money to buy a house someday. Gu Qian was still young, not yet of legal marriage age, but just short. She found a boyfriend who had a local city residency permit, and her future in-laws were quite nice.
Gu Qian's boyfriend has many brothers but few sisters. Therefore, Gu Qian doesn't need to worry too much about whether she has a boy or a girl. Gu Qian was afraid her boyfriend would look down on her, but she still told him about her relationship with Qin Li'an. Gu Qian's household registration is still in the capital.
When Gu Qian's boyfriend learned about this, he only felt sorry for her. Gu Qian's future mother-in-law took her to the hospital for a checkup, and the doctor said that Gu Qian could still have children, so her future mother-in-law didn't hold it against her too much. Even widows can remarry, let alone that incident, which wasn't Gu Qian's fault in the first place.
Nowadays, there aren't such high requirements for getting a marriage certificate; you don't necessarily need a household registration booklet. Gu Qian and her boyfriend plan to get their marriage certificate as soon as Gu Qian reaches the legal age. Her future in-laws have prepared a wedding house for them, so they won't be living at their home.
Gu Qian's future in-laws have too many sons, and they think it would be better for them to move out. If any family has a girl, that's fine; the son and daughter-in-law can move back in with their granddaughter, and the elderly couple can help take care of her. But if it's a boy, then the son and daughter-in-law will have to take care of him themselves, and they shouldn't expect the elderly couple to help.
Regardless of the situation, Gu Qian felt pretty good, at least there was no pressure.
Gu Qian didn't call back to the capital. She felt she had nothing to say to the Gu family; they all treated her as a tool to blackmail the Qin family. The Gu family had already received enough money, and Gu Qian considered that money as her way of showing filial piety to her parents. She felt she didn't need to do anything more for her biological parents.
Qin Li'an and Zhu Meng naturally had no idea how Gu Qian was doing outside. Gu Qian hadn't called her relatives and friends in the capital to tell them; she wanted to cut ties with them. She hadn't had a good time in the capital before, so she didn't want to contact them now. Perhaps after Gu Qian got married and had children, she would consider going back to the capital.
One thing that Gu Qian's future mother-in-law was satisfied with about her was that Gu Qian had a Beijing hukou (household registration). When the time came, the child could be registered in the capital with Gu Qian. Even if the Gu family tried to kick Gu Qian out, it wouldn't matter; they would find a way to buy a house in the capital, even a small one, and Gu Qian's hukou would still remain there.
The Gu family went to Qin Li'an's place to make a scene, and the news spread.
Everyone else thought the Gu family was being too optimistic; they actually wanted to continue harassing the Qin family.
"Do they really think Qin Li'an is their son-in-law? All they think about is getting money from him."
"The Qin family gave them so much money, and they were still not satisfied."
"They treat their daughters like commodities, wanting them to marry into wealthier families."
"Who would have thought their daughter would run away? Their daughter just couldn't stand it anymore."
...
Those people who were saying those things outside, few people spoke ill of Qin Li'an anymore. Even if Qin Li'an made a mistake at the beginning, he paid the price, so others would think the Gu family was taking advantage of the situation. The Gu family had already asked for enough, taking it several times, and with considerable sums of money, and now they wanted more.
Zhu Meng breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that not many people outside were saying bad things about Qin Li'an. She was afraid that Qin Li'an would care.
Not only Qin's mother and those people heard those words, but Song Fenglan and others also heard them.
"The Gu family went to your parents' place again?" Song Fenglan asked during dinner.
“They went, but they don’t dare to go now,” Qin Yizhou said. “Li’an’s fiancée is a tough nut to crack, and his parents-in-law won’t just stand by and watch the Gu family cause trouble. His father-in-law went over with men and shovels. The Gu family is just a paper tiger.”
It was inappropriate for the Qin family to rush over, since Qin Li'an had made the mistake first.
Mr. Zhu didn't care about any of that; he was genuinely heartbroken for his daughter. He was worried she'd be frightened, worried she might miscarry. Was the Gu family's daughter not a daughter, just because she was a daughter?
The Gu family never imagined the Zhu family would do such a thing, especially since the Zhu family was better off than the Gu family. The Zhu family was also more united, so the Gu family was terrified and quickly said they would no longer go to see Qin Li'an.
"As far as I know, Mom and the others gave her money four or five times before Gu Qian returned home after her miscarriage. They gave her that many times before. After Gu Qian returned to the Gu family, they gave her money two or three more times," Qin Yizhou said. "And when Gu Qian went missing, they gave her money again."
The Qin family had given them money several times, and the Gu family, convinced that the Qin family had a lot of money, decided to try and get more from them.
The Qin family got more money. Those people were used to taking money, and they thought they had found a good opportunity, so they came to take the money.
“Poor Gu Qian, she was the one who was injured, but her family used her as a tool.” Song Fenglan said, “Gu Qian herself is not a greedy person, but as a result, everyone knows about the greed of the Gu family, and some people even think that she and her parents deliberately plotted against Qin Li’an.”
Song Fenglan felt disgusted. It was clearly Qin Li'an's fault, but in the end it became Gu Qian's fault.
Although this incident wasn't said by the Qin family, but rather speculated by outsiders, it was still a huge insult to Gu Qian. The Gu family is primarily to blame; they only saw money and didn't see their injured daughter. Money was the most important thing to them.
"Sigh," Qin Yizhou sighed, "I heard it too."
“I also heard that Zhu Meng said that what happened in the past was Qin Li’an’s fault, but not now,” Song Fenglan said. “Qin Li’an is quite lucky; his fiancée knows how to speak up for him.”
"They're getting their marriage certificate soon," Qin Yizhou said. "They'll move into their new home first, instead of living with their parents."
“That’s good,” Song Fenglan said. “Zhu Meng doesn’t have a mother-in-law or a grandmother to weigh on her, which is good.”
Now that Zhu Meng is pregnant, Qin's mother doesn't dare say much. Also, Zhu Meng isn't Gu Qian. When Gu Qian was pregnant, Qin's mother was in good health and was very critical. But now, Qin's mother's health is poor, and she just wants to hold her great-grandchild as soon as possible.
“Yes, that’s right,” Qin Yizhou said. “At least they have their own houses, they have money, and they can live well. Unlike you back then, you back then…”
"Don't talk about the past." Song Fenglan never intended to play the victim in front of Qin Yizhou. Playing the victim is not a good thing, nor is it necessary.
"Alright, alright, let's not dwell on the past," Qin Yizhou said.
“Every time we talk about what happened back then, it makes me look terrible. Do I really have to keep bringing it up?” Song Fenglan said. “I should use that time to think about other things. I recently received a patent payment, and it’s quite a lot.”
"Can we buy a house again?" Qin Yizhou asked.
"Yes." Song Fenglan nodded. "We can buy a house, but we still need to give Zihang some money."
"Give it to him?" Qin Yizhou asked, puzzled. "Doesn't he have plenty of pocket money?"
“He’s doing experiments right now, and not all experiments can use the institute’s materials,” Song Fenglan said. “These people doing experiments at the university also have certain regulations on experimental materials. If they exceed the limits, they have to pay for it themselves. Do you think the university can just let them keep wasting those materials? Their supervisors’ project groups all have funding limits. My project group has more funding, but I can’t just divert it.”
Song Fenglan was worried that Qin Zihang didn't have enough money. She had also encountered a funding shortage in her previous life, and they had to pay for their own experiments. There was no other way; they needed to produce results, publish papers, and do many other things. They didn't know when the funding they applied for would come through.
Some people said that the leaders didn't pay them for the notebooks they wrote.
In her past life, Song Fenglan had indeed seen such a post, followed by a flood of replies. She pointed out that whether a project could be approved wasn't solely determined by the proposal. Some even suggested that the person should leave to see if they were irreplaceable; if not, it meant they hadn't made significant contributions. Others argued that since the other person hadn't initially focused on this area, and he had even taught them, they shouldn't have hired him afterward. Netizens then commented that no research is so easy to understand; if someone could learn it so quickly, it must be very simple.
When Song Fenglan first saw the post, she thought a lot of people would side with the original poster, but who would have thought it would turn out this way? Many people online have actually gone on to pursue master's and doctoral degrees, and they know that sometimes all they do is organize materials and don't have that much of a practical impact.
“Zihang is doing quite well now,” Song Fenglan said. “I don’t know if it’s true or not, but all the professors have been praising him to me.”
Song Fenglan hesitated to say, "Don't praise him anymore, he's not that amazing."
Song Fenglan didn't say anything because she was afraid those people would really say Qin Zihang was incompetent, which would be a huge blow to him, and he might be depressed for a few days. Song Fenglan wasn't afraid that those people would praise Qin Zihang to the point of ruin; if Qin Zihang really had no ability, Song Fenglan herself would kick him out of the research institute and not let him stay there.
"They're doing it because of you," Qin Yizhou said. "Zihang is lucky to have a mother like you."
“If he doesn’t work hard, no matter how good his mother is, it won’t help him,” Song Fenglan said.
As the year drew to a close, Jiang Yufei's husband's hand had improved considerably. However, Lu Ping still hadn't found a job, and Jiang Yufei hadn't looked for one either.
With the Chinese New Year approaching, expenses are even higher, and Jiang Yufei feels that her funds are tight and simply not enough to cover her needs.
Aunt Yu and the others had already moved. Song Fenglan even went to visit them when they moved. Song Fenglan had lived there for several years, so she just went to take a look and then left. Song Fenglan didn't dwell on the past or wallow in self-pity; it was pointless.
Now, Aunt Yu lives in the same room as Brother Jiang, while Brother Jiang and Sister-in-law Jiang also live in the same apartment complex, though not as close as they used to be.
The further apart the two houses are, the fewer conflicts and problems there will be.
Brother Jiang's job is relatively stable; there's no talk of him being laid off. Even if he were to lose his job, he wouldn't be afraid. He's received so much money in the compensation package, and he still has a house—what's there to be afraid of? Brother Jiang doesn't dare to invest recklessly, fearing he might be scammed like his wife, Sister-in-law Jiang. Brother Jiang's plan is to buy a house and rent it out.
Aunt Yu told the Jiang family how the Song family had done things, and she told them to just follow the Song family's example. The Song family was so good at making money; they bought many houses, so the Jiang family could totally do the same.
Jiang Yufei visited Aunt Yu with New Year's gifts. After Lu Ping's accident, Jiang Yufei's relationship with the Jiang family had deteriorated. Aunt Yu later gave Jiang Yufei 1,000 yuan, which was considered her share of the demolition compensation. However, Jiang Yufei felt it was almost the same as not receiving anything; others got much more money, but she didn't...
There is a way.
Even with this thousand yuan, Jiang Yufei was still short of money.
"Mom, can't you really talk to Auntie about letting Lu Ping work at the Song family's company?" Jiang Yufei asked. "Lu Ping still doesn't have a job. It's hard to find a job at the end of the year. If he still doesn't have a job after the New Year... Time flies, and it will be the middle of the year and the end of the year soon."
"There's nothing we can do," Aunt Yu said. "You two aren't brainless or handless, you just don't know how to think more about ways to make money."
“You always say there’s no way,” Jiang Yufei said. “It’s not that we haven’t gone out to look for solutions, it’s that we really have no other options. Lu Ping said that if all else fails, he can work for a renovation team. He had that kind of accident when he was moving someone before, and now… I just want him to do something easier.”
"Renovation?" Aunt Yu asked. "Does he know how?"
“He said he’d learn if he didn’t know how, but I still don’t want to,” Jiang Yufei said.
“If he can do it, then let him do it,” Aunt Yu said.
"But……"
"What time is it? Who do you think you are?" Aunt Yu said. "You should be grateful you have a job."
“Then isn’t he just an ordinary worker?” Jiang Yufei said, “and he works for a private company.”
"Whether it's a private company or a state-owned company, as long as it makes money, that's fine," Aunt Yu said. "It doesn't matter if it's a black cat or a white cat, as long as it catches mice, it's a good cat. I don't know what you care about. You want to compare yourself to others, not let your man do dirty and tiring work. But if he doesn't do it, if he doesn't earn money, how will you support your family? Your children are all grown up and will get married. Getting married requires a house, and when your children have children, there will be other expenses. Is your children's income enough? They might need your help."
Aunt Yu understood the situation clearly. She had helped a lot when Brother Jiang got married. She also sent a considerable amount of gifts when Brother Jiang got married. With so many people in the family, there were many expenses. It wasn't that they didn't have to do some work; they had to, and they had to do a lot more.
“I…” Jiang Yufei pursed her lips, “I know… it’s just…”
Jiang Yufei felt the contrast was too great and still couldn't quite accept it. Jiang Yufei thought that Song Fenglan's life was too good now, too enviable.
“If your husband wants to work for a renovation team, then let him go,” Aunt Yu said. “At least he can keep working and get paid.”
"This is the only way." Jiang Yufei originally wanted to see if her mother had any ideas, but if her mother didn't, then she had no other options.
At this time, Qin Li'an and Zhu Meng registered their marriage. Since Zhu Meng was heavily pregnant and about to give birth, they didn't hold a wedding banquet. Zhu Meng wasn't in a hurry to hold a wedding banquet. She thought that since she and Qin Li'an had registered their marriage, she was the rightful owner of the supermarket, and with the household goods under her control, she wouldn't have anything to fear.
Zhang Xiaohu didn't go home for the New Year; instead, he stayed in the capital. When Song Fenglan found out, she invited him to come to her home for the holiday. Zhang Xiaohu brought some New Year's gifts with him, and Song Fenglan invited him to stay for a few days.
Song Fenglan and her family of three didn't go to the Song family's place for New Year's Eve dinner; they ate at their own home. Song's eldest son had just graduated from university, been recommended for graduate school, and brought his girlfriend home for the New Year. Song Fenglan didn't go, not wanting to put too much pressure on them, and wanted to let Song's family relax a bit.
Fatty called Song Fenglan and said she was sorry to have troubled her.
“It’s not a hassle,” Song Fenglan said. “Anyway, I’m not the one making the New Year’s Eve dinner.”
Not all the servants at home have gone back; the wages are high these days, so some people are willing to stay and work here.
Song Fenglan sometimes lamented that one really needs money, and preferably some ability. That way, she wouldn't have to worry about not having food if she couldn't cook, or having to do everything herself during the New Year. The house would be kept spotless by someone else, so she wouldn't have to clean it herself.
"It's troublesome if you don't do it," the plump woman said with a smile. "Wouldn't your family have to pay someone to do it?"
"It's alright," Song Fenglan said. "The purpose of making money is to spend it. If you make money but don't spend it or enjoy it, then you're just making yourself suffer."
"Xiao Hu is in the capital hoping to earn some money and save on travel expenses," said the plump woman. "The family still owes money."
“We can pay it off,” Song Fenglan said. “You’re all working so hard to earn money, it’ll be done quickly.”
“The money we gave Xiaowen before, they also borrowed some money to buy a house,” said the fat woman. “They are also paying back the money. Now that late marriage and late childbirth are encouraged, they plan to wait two years before having children. They don’t want to have children so soon.”
“That works too,” Song Fenglan said. “When to have children depends on them. Or are you already thinking about having grandchildren?”
“No,” said the plump woman. “Xiao Hu will finish his junior year in one semester. He’ll be a senior soon, and he said he’ll start working after graduation and didn’t take the postgraduate entrance exam. With his brains, it’s already pretty good that he got into his current university. Continuing to study would be a bit difficult for him, so it’s better for him to work first. He said that his major requires practical experience and he needs to look at more cases. Staying in school all the time might not lead to success.”
"You...you think he didn't continue his studies because his family couldn't afford it?" Song Fenglan asked.
"That's possible," said the plump woman. "I don't know that much. Is your son Zihang planning to pursue a master's or doctoral degree?"
“Yes, that’s right.” Song Fenglan nodded. “Those of us in this line of work need to pursue master’s and doctoral degrees. I didn’t continue my studies initially because I was capable enough, and the school later issued me the relevant certificates for master’s and doctoral students.”
Song Fenglan is considered to have graduated with a doctorate, and her situation is very rare. Most people have to go through a lot of studying to obtain these qualifications.
"That little tiger..."
“Xiaohu is studying law,” Song Fenglan said. “If he doesn’t want to pursue a master’s degree, that’s fine too. At this time, undergraduates are still in high demand, and there aren’t many master’s and doctoral students. If he wants to take the postgraduate entrance exam, he can do so after working for a while. It’s up to him to decide; we can’t make that decision.”
Song Fenglan couldn't offer any advice on this. She couldn't say that Zhang Xiaohu absolutely had to work first, or that he absolutely had to pursue a master's degree first. These things depend on the individual; some people can't complete their master's studies and end up delaying graduation—that's not uncommon.
The key issue is that Zhang Xiaohu's grades don't seem to be particularly good. It seems that getting into a good university has already exhausted all his energy. If Zhang Xiaohu were to pursue a master's degree, firstly, he might not like it, and secondly, the requirements for graduate studies are high.
Song Fenglan herself had been through it all; she knew how difficult it was, and it wasn't something that could be easily dealt with by just bluffing.
"Forget it, it's up to him," said Sister-in-law Pang. "It's already good enough that he can go to university; he has the highest degree in our family. We don't know much about those things, so it's up to him to decide. We're just worried that he'll regret it later, since your Zihang went to graduate school while he didn't."
“Different industries, different things,” Song Fenglan said.
“I don’t necessarily want Xiaohu to compete with Zihang. I’m just afraid… afraid he’ll regret it later, afraid he’ll resent us,” said Sister-in-law Pang.
“It’s not that serious. Your Xiaohu is so sensible,” Song Fenglan said. “He’s all grown up now, and he has to be responsible for his own actions. Honestly, you don’t need to worry so much. Just see what he decides to do. He will choose a path that suits him.”
"That's the only way," said the plump woman.
After hanging up the phone, Fatty was still a little worried, so she went over to Fan Yani. Fatty told Fan Yani about her concerns, saying that Song Fenglan said it depended on Zhang Xiaohu himself.
“Sister Fenglan is right, it still depends on your Xiaohu himself,” Fan Yani said. “Sister Fenglan and Xiaohu are not in the same profession, so it’s really not appropriate for Sister Fenglan to give advice.”
Fan Yani thought that Song Fenglan wasn't Zhang Xiaohu's biological mother, so why should she make so many arrangements for Zhang Xiaohu?
“Their school is now encouraging them to find jobs on their own,” the plump woman said. “They’re not assigning jobs.”
“It doesn’t matter if I’m not assigned a job,” Fan Yani said. “It’s much easier for a male college graduate to find a job than a female one. Many companies don’t like hiring women because women have to get pregnant, give birth, and raise children. Women tend to focus more on their families. Many companies discriminate against women, while men have many, many good opportunities.”
“Boys do have more opportunities, but…” the plump woman sighed.
“Sister-in-law, don’t be upset by what I’m saying. Everyone thinks your Xiaohu is really amazing,” Fan Yani said. “He got into a good school in the capital, not a bad one. Everyone says your Xiaohu will be very successful in the future. Do you still have to worry about him? People are so envious. Really, don’t worry so much. I think your Xiaohu is a very capable person. He will definitely be able to make a good life for himself.”
"Let's hope so," said the plump woman. "He's like this..."
…To be honest, how could any parent not worry about their child? Xiaohu is in university and doesn't live with us much, only coming home a few times a year; he didn't even come home for Chinese New Year this year. The only way we can talk to him is by phone, and we can't say much over the phone.”
“There’s really no need to worry,” Fan Yani said. “Xiao Hu is studying law, so he won’t break the law. As long as he works steadily and his salary is not low, he will definitely have a good life in the future.”
“You all say he’s a good person,” said the plump woman.
"If we don't praise him, why should we say he's bad?" Fan Yani chuckled. "Xiao Hu is a role model for so many people, don't you know your mother? Everyone wants their children to be like Xiao Hu. Look at Gao Xiuxiu's eldest daughter, her grades weren't good, she didn't do well on the high school entrance exam, but she still has to go to high school."
"Their family..." the plump woman said, "has only two daughters, and they really want their daughters to go to good schools so that they can have an easier life in the future."
“They’re being biased,” Fan Yani said. “They treat the eldest daughter better than the second. The eldest daughter always wears better clothes than the second daughter, who always wears hand-me-downs.”
Fan Yani had seen this several times: Da Niu got food, but Er Niu didn't. Da Niu had more pocket money, while Er Niu had none and could only watch. Da Niu wasn't likely to care much about Er Niu; children are naturally more concerned with their own interests, especially since Gao Xiuxiu and Grandma Fang had raised Da Niu that way, making her somewhat selfish. Er Niu had caused a lot of trouble at home, but to no avail.
Gao Xiuxiu and Grandma Fang always speak ill of Erniu outside, saying that Erniu is immature. Most people listen to what Gao Xiuxiu and Grandma Fang say; how many people actually side with Erniu? Erniu is young; how many people believe what she says?
Many families have several children, and people generally hope that the children will be quiet. With many children, it's impossible to distribute them completely equally; there will always be some uneven distribution.
"In short, it's good to be able to study," said the plump woman. "I don't have much education myself, but look at Xiaowen. He went to a vocational teacher training college and is now a teacher. He has a salary and lives in the school's housing, so his life is much better. Unlike me, I can only do manual labor. If his father hadn't joined the army, he would only be able to farm in the countryside."
“Your family has made it through,” Fan Yani said. “Xiao Wen is a teacher, and Xiao Hu is in the capital. Your family will have an even better future.”
"We still owe money at home," said the plump woman.
“That amount of money isn’t much for your family, and it will be paid off quickly,” Fan Yani said. “Your child is promising, so there’s really no need to worry too much.”
"It's alright." Hearing Fan Yani say that, the plump woman felt a little relieved.
“Xiaohu is not Zihang, and you are not Sister Fenglan and her husband,” Fan Yani said. “Xiaohu doesn’t necessarily have to pursue a master’s or doctoral degree. Sister-in-law, you know yourself that there is still a big gap between Xiaohu and Zihang. Zihang’s grades are excellent, he was admitted to university through a special program, and his mother is a scientist.”
Back then, Xiao Hu relied on Zi Hang. He studied with Qin Zi Hang at Song Fenglan's house, and was later invited by Song Fenglan to go to the capital. Otherwise, it's uncertain whether Xiao Hu would have been able to get into such a good school.
Zhang Xiaohu's grades were already far behind Qin Zihang's. Song Fenglan helped Zhang Xiaohu a lot, but she couldn't keep pushing him to improve indefinitely.
"Yes, yes," said the plump woman. "Sigh, that's just how people are; they inevitably overthink things."
Fatty Sister wanted Qin Zihang to be like this, and she wanted Zhang Xiaohu to be like that too. Fatty Sister was worried that if she didn't let Zhang Xiaohu be like Qin Zihang, Zhang Xiaohu would resent her later.
“You’re just too concerned about the children,” Fan Yani said. “You want them to be more successful. But we don’t know much, so we inevitably think about how others are doing and want our children to be like that. Sister Fenglan is at a very high level, which we can’t compare to. Don’t compare Xiaohu to Zihang either, they can’t compare.”
It's not that Fan Yani's words are unpleasant to hear; this is just reality. Qin Zihang is not someone like Zhang Xiaohu, an ordinary person, who can be compared to him.
Even if Zhang Xiaohu goes on to pursue a master's or doctoral degree, he and Qin Zihang will not be on the same path. Qin Zihang's path will be difficult, but with family support, it will be much easier. Zhang Xiaohu doesn't have family support, so his path may be more challenging, but he has risen to prominence, which will benefit his descendants, leading to a better life.
"Fenglan asked Xiaohu to spend the New Year at her place," said the plump woman. "We've troubled her again."
"It's really too much trouble for Sister Fenglan." Fan Yani nodded. "Sister Pang, if it's alright, that's fine. Don't let Xiaohu compare himself to Zihang. You might not think anything of it when you're talking, but it just doesn't sound right to the rest of us."
Fan Yani had a good impression of Fatty Sister-in-law, and she said directly, "Others might think you're trying to climb the social ladder by comparing yourselves to Zihang. Sister Fenglan understands what kind of person you are, and she hasn't misunderstood you. But others might not think the same way as Sister Fenglan."
"I...I really didn't expect that," said the plump woman. "I'm used to talking to Fenglan, I don't have many formalities."
"So, Sister Fenglan is really a good person." Fan Yani thought to herself that if it were her, she would have stopped contacting Sister-in-law Pang a long time ago.
The fat woman's family couldn't bring any benefits to Song Fenglan; on the contrary, Song Fenglan's family had to help them out. When the fat woman's family had problems, they would ask Song Fenglan's family for their opinions. Those were things that the fat woman's family should have solved themselves, instead of bothering their neighbors who had already moved far away.
Fan Yani's relationship with Song Fenglan was so-so. She didn't contact Song Fenglan, knowing she shouldn't disturb other people's lives. Unless there was absolutely no other way, she wouldn't ask for help, and if Song Fenglan didn't help her, it wasn't Song Fenglan's fault.
In the evening, Zhang Xiaohu and Qin Zihang returned together, and after dinner, everyone sat down to watch TV.
"Xiaohu, do you want to pursue a master's degree?" Song Fenglan asked.
“I didn’t plan to pursue a master’s degree,” Zhang Xiaohu said. “To be honest, Auntie, I failed some courses.”
"You failed a course?" Song Fenglan asked in surprise.
"Yes," Zhang Xiaohu nodded. "Going to graduate school isn't something I can just do whenever I want. Even if I do, I still have to see if I can graduate smoothly. Among my classmates, my academic performance isn't..."
They're exceptional. Some come from families with legal backgrounds; you can tell from talking to them how knowledgeable they are. Someone like me, staying in school all the time, won't grow; I have to go out and experience things for myself.
What's the point of him studying for a master's or doctoral degree, just rote learning?
Zhang Xiaohu knew he wasn't going to pursue research; he'd still need to work and observe the realities of life, seeing what happened to people and what kinds of lawsuits they faced. He was self-aware enough; going to university was enough, he didn't necessarily need to pursue graduate studies. As for those who didn't get into good universities initially, let them take the graduate entrance exam later—there was no rule against it.
However, Zhang Xiaohu has other plans for the future: "I'm thinking of finding a suitable job in the capital."
“Your mom called today about your graduate studies. She’s worried that if you don’t go for it, you’ll resent your family later,” Song Fenglan said. “Zihang is going to continue his studies.”
“I’m not Zihang, we’re different.” Zhang Xiaohu clearly understood this. Even compared to other students in his class who had Beijing residency, not just Qin Zihang, Zhang Xiaohu felt he could hardly compare. “Graduating from university is enough. My older brother is still a primary school teacher in Nancheng.”
Zhang Xiaohu thought that if he really had to compare himself to someone, it would be to his older brother. He was already in a much better situation than his brother, and he should be content.
On the other side, Fatty told Zhang Chenghai about Zhang Xiaohu's decision not to pursue a master's degree.
"Didn't we already know that?" Zhang Chenghai asked, puzzled. "Why are you bringing this up again now? Don't you know what kind of people we are, and what kind of children we'll have?"
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