Chapter 57
Ever since Jiang Jiang went to the capital to attend university, He Guijuan and her husband have been the only ones left at home. She is now too lazy to prepare all kinds of fancy meals, and often just cooks whatever she wants or simply gets food from the big stove in the cafeteria.
After Lin Youqing washed up, he changed into pajamas. He leaned against the head of the bed, flipping through a newspaper in his hand.
This is this issue's livelihood news. He has been busy going out in the mornings these days and has no time to read the newspaper, so he can only save it for the evening.
After reading the newspaper, Lin Youqing realized that it was already past ten o'clock and his wife had not returned yet. He felt confused and got up and went out, only to find that the light was on in his daughter Jiang Jiang's room.
He sighed, thinking that his wife must be thinking about Jiang Jiang again.
He Guijuan noticed her husband coming in, and was afraid that he would laugh at her, so she quickly wiped away her tears and asked, "Why are you here?"
"People always have a process of adaptation. Jiang Jiang has grown up with us since she was a child and has never left us. Suddenly she went to the capital to attend university. It's normal for you to feel uncomfortable. She is just going to school, not that she will never come back. She will be back in a few months when the winter vacation comes."
"That's true, but you know, she has never left home since we adopted her when she was five years old, even when she was in high school. I feel really bad. I don't know if she eats well or sleeps well in the capital..."
Lin Youqing patted his wife's shoulder comfortingly and said, "As parents, our children are not fledglings that we keep in captivity. We must learn to let go and let them spread their wings and fly high to explore another world."
A few days later, Lin Youqing and his wife received a letter from Jiang Jiang sent from the capital.
This was the second letter they had received. The first letter was sent back by Jiang Jiang when she just arrived in the capital. It was mainly to report their safety. Lin Youqing and his wife opened the second letter, which was two full pages. The handwriting on it was neat and beautiful, with a faint scent of ink, giving them a feeling of being bathed in spring breeze.
Jiang Jiang mainly wrote about her current situation in the letter. They have now finished their military training and started classes, and have gradually adapted to life in the capital. She met Zhong Xing again in the capital, and Zhong Xing was still very kind to her as he was when she was a child.
Seeing this, the couple felt a lot more relaxed. They thought that as long as she got used to it, everything would be fine. However, they didn't expect that their daughter would meet Zhong Xing again so soon. They knew that Jiang Jiang and Zhong Xing had been in contact all the time, but they didn't contact each other much on weekdays. However, this way, Jiang Jiang would have someone to take care of her in the capital in the future. They were all very confident in Zhong Xing's character.
The last time he sent a letter from home to the capital to Jiang Jiang, Lin Youqing wrote in a teasing tone about his wife's behavior after Jiang Jiang left home. His original intention was just to tease.
When the couple read the last two lines, the originally smooth writing suddenly stopped, and it was obvious that she paused.
Jiang Jiang wrote in the letter earnestly, "If I had known that my mother would be so reluctant to let me go, I would not have applied to a university in the capital."
When Lin Youqing saw these words, his throat felt a little choked.
Capital University is a dream that many people cannot reach, a place that many people yearn for, it represents the highest level of education in the country and is a broad road to a bright future. But Jiang Jiang actually said, if I had known that my mother was so reluctant to let me go, I would not have applied to the capital university.
Lin Youqing looked at his wife beside him, only to find that she was already in tears. He Guijuan took out a pen and paper from the drawer of the coffee table and wrote back to Jiang Jiang, telling her that everything was fine at home and that her father was just joking with her.
The half-month military training at Capital University has ended, and Jiang Jiang and his classmates have started their normal university life with classes.
After finishing their morning classes that day, the people in Jiang Jiang's dormitory decided to go to the cafeteria to have a good meal together. Today is Friday and there are no classes scheduled in the afternoon, which means the end of a busy week. They can take advantage of the weekend to have a good rest and adjust themselves before devoting themselves to the next week's study.
It was lunchtime and the school cafeteria was packed with people. After they found a seat and sat down, they took turns queuing up to get their meals. After a whole morning of classes, everyone was already starving.
Jiang Jiang ordered a plate of dry-pot cauliflower and a plate of braised pork ribs, and the staple food was two steamed buns. The food in their school cafeteria was not only hygienic and clean, but also had a rich variety of dishes and tasted good.
After eating, just as Jiang Jiang returned to the dormitory door, he saw a familiar figure.
He was wearing a black shirt and suit, a Rolex mechanical watch on his wrist, and his neat short hair swayed across his eyebrows. His elegant temperament like ebony attracted many people to stop and watch.
Jiang Jiang felt her heart suddenly skip a beat. After saying hello to her roommate, she walked over quickly.
"Brother Zhong Xing? Why are you here?"
"Are you free tonight? Let's have dinner together? With Yu Hangyuan and Chen Shi."
Jiang Jiang still remembered that on her sixth birthday, Yu Hangyuan gave her a large and exquisite notebook. After Zhong Xing left Qingjian County to work in the provincial capital, Yu Hangyuan also left Qingjian County a few days later. They haven't seen each other for more than ten years. Jiang Jiang nodded and said, "I'm free. I don't have anything else to do today."
After hearing Jiang Jiang's answer, Zhong Xing nodded and said, "Then I'll pick you up this afternoon."
The car drove into a remote alley. Based on the last time Zhong Xing invited her for tea, Jiang Jiang thought that the place to eat would be a high-end and magnificent restaurant. Unexpectedly, it was a small farmhouse restaurant. Although there were not many people outside, there were quite a few guests inside. There were several wooden tables, and the lighting was done by very old-fashioned light bulbs. Yu Hangyuan and Chen Shi were already waiting inside.
"Jiang Jiang!"
"Brother Hangyuan! Brother Chenshi!"
Jiang Jiang was very excited to meet again after many years. To Jiang Jiang, Yu Hangyuan was also a brother who cared a lot for her. Finally, it was at Chen Shi's suggestion that they sat down and clinked their glasses.
Yu Hangyuan touched Jiang Jiang's head and couldn't help but sigh, "That little girl back then has grown up in the blink of an eye."
When Jiang Jiang first met the three of them, they were all fresh and sunny young people, sweating on the court, the best form of youth. As time passed, they became calm and composed, and their appearance changed to varying degrees, but more importantly, the aura they exuded from the inside out was different.
When Jiang Jiang came here, she heard from Zhong Xing that brother Chen Shi later stayed in the army and is now an officer in charge of a brigade. Brother Hang Yuan was admitted to Capital University and worked in a research institute for a while after graduation. Now the two of them are starting a business together.
After clinking glasses, everyone started to eat. Jiang Jiang realized that there were several sweet and sour dishes on the table. Sweet and sour spare ribs, sweet and sour pork, fish with sauce, and cabbage with vinegar were all her favorites.
"I remember you liked these dishes in the past, but I don't know if you still like them now."
Zhong Xing's voice rang in Jiang Jiang's ears. Jiang Jiang didn't expect that after more than ten years, he still remembered her preferences. Jiang Jiang picked up a piece of sweet and sour pork ribs and stuffed it into her mouth. The sour and sweet taste quickly spread on the tip of her tongue. "Thank you, Brother Zhong Xing... I like it very much."
"As long as you like it."
The meal lasted for a long time. Jiang Jiang listened to them talk about their life experiences and shared some of their own stories. They couldn't help but sigh. It was not until after nine o'clock in the evening that Zhong Xing had to send Jiang Jiang back, and the party ended.
"Please stop by my place later. I have something I wanted to give you but forgot to take it."
Jiang Jiang immediately became restless after hearing this, "What is that?"
"You'll know in a moment."
Zhong Xing lived on the third floor. He took out the key, opened the door and let Jiang Jiang in. Jiang Jiang looked around the small house. The interior was very simple, with white curtains, pine tables and chairs, and so few furniture that the whole house seemed to be in full view. There was only a pair of simple men's slippers on the shoe rack at the entrance, and there was no smoke in the kitchen. It was obvious that Zhong Xing seldom cooked.
There are several pots of half-dead orchids planted on the wooden flower stand in the corner of the balcony.
Jiang Jiang was a little surprised, "Brother, do you live alone?"
Zhong Xing glanced at her and handed her a cup of brewed tea. "Who else did you think it was?"
"I thought..."
"My parents are both in my hometown. I am not married and I don't have a partner."
Jiang Jiang took a sip of the brewed tea and couldn't help but look up at Zhong Xing who was watering the orchids on the balcony. Zhong Xing was thirteen years older than her. She was seventeen this year and Zhong Xing was already thirty years old. Even if he was not married, he should have a stable partner.
I didn’t expect that Zhong Xing, at the age of thirty, is still alone.
After Zhong Xing finished watering the flowers, he handed her an exquisite paper bag.
"What is this?"
Jiang Jiang opened the heavy bag, which contained several famous foreign-language books and an expensive watch.
Jiang Jiang looked at the books in her hands, and her surprise was beyond words. She knew how hard it was to buy these books. "Brother, you are so amazing! How did you buy them? It was very troublesome, wasn't it?"
"I was passing by a bookstore and knew you had always wanted the English translations of these books, so I bought them for you."
Zhong Xing spoke lightly, but Jiang Jiang knew how troublesome this was. Her eyes became moist and she quickly lowered her head so that he wouldn't notice anything was wrong with her.
Jiang Jiang paused for a while before taking out the watch from the bag. "This watch is too expensive. I can't take it."
"You just arrived in the capital, and as your brother, I should give you a gift, but I don't know what to give you. After thinking about it, I decided to give you a watch. It can be used as a decoration and can tell time. Moreover, it is a mechanical watch, so it is relatively valuable. If you are short of money someday, you can also use it to exchange for pocket money."
Seeing that she was reluctant to accept it, Zhong Xing rubbed her head, took the watch out of the box and put it on her.
"Be obedient and accept it."
The dial of the watch is purple and inlaid with diamonds, which looks very noble and elegant. The watch emits a light purple light under the light, making her wrist look thin and white, very beautiful.
Jiang Jiang looked at the watch on his wrist and whispered, "I can't bear to sell it."
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