Chapter 113 Chapter 113 Class Reunion

Meng Bowei and Du Manqing had relatively little vacation time, so they were leaving on the eighth day of the first lunar month. The night before they left, Meng's father called the couple into the study.

"Have you completed all the adoption procedures for Nini?"

Meng Bowei nodded: "I went to the police station to get it stamped yesterday. With the certification materials from the team and the Public Security Bureau, it's easy to do. When I return to the army, I will register Nini's household registration."

Both of them are in the army, and their registered permanent residence has been moved out to follow the army.

Mother Meng said, "Why not register Nini here? People in Haishi can get more tickets every year than those in other places."

Father Meng nodded and said, "That's right. If we land in Haishi, it will be convenient for the child to go to school or find a job when he grows up."

Mother Meng said, "I think it would be better to let Nini live in Haishi. Your living conditions are too harsh. Besides, both of you are busy at work. How can you have time to take care of the child?"

Meng Bowei and Du Manqing looked at each other, and Du Manqing said, "Dad, Mom, we know your intentions, but we just took the child home, and we agreed to be her parents. To abandon her like this..."

Meng Bowei also said: "Yes, Manqing and I still want to cultivate our relationship with the child. There is a cafeteria and a school in our family compound, and Nini is sensible, so we don't need to worry too much."

Father Meng said: "It's good for the child to live with her parents, but the child's household registration should be in Haishi. This is good for her."

"That's right. It would be fine if Nini joins the army like you in the future. But if she doesn't want to be a soldier, you have to find a job for her. It's better to be in the city than to be outside." Meng's mother advised.

Du Manqing thought about it and nodded: "Then what about my parents?"

Mother Meng smiled and said, "What's the big deal? It's my granddaughter's business. By the way," Mother Meng paused and asked, "Does Nini want to change her surname?"

Meng Bowei said: "No, her biological father was a martyr, and this surname is glorious."

Du Manqing nodded.

Father Meng said: "One should never forget one's roots. No matter what her surname is, she is still our child."

Guo Shuini's name was thus registered on the Meng family's household register. The next day, the family of three boarded the train and began a new life.

After seeing him off at the station, I received a train ticket sent by Lu Yannan's uncle, a soft sleeper ticket from Haishi to Qiongzhou.

"I don't know where Uncle Yanan works. When you have time, invite him to our house for dinner." Meng Yufei said, holding the train ticket.

Lu Yannan said: "Aunt Meng, my uncle should have left Hai City. He said he would only stay here for two days."

Meng Yufei nodded: "Okay then. We'll be leaving in two days, so let's go buy some things tomorrow and bring some local specialties to our neighbors."

Xia Qinqin raised her hand and said, "I want to bring candies to Sister Fangfang, Teacher Zhou, Grandma Liu, Auntie Xiao Zhang, Sister Daya... so many people."

"Okay, then we'll go to the department store tomorrow." Meng Yufei smiled and turned to ask Lu Yannan, "Yannan, do you have anything to bring with you?"

Lu Yannan said: "My grandfather said that he had someone send my things over."

Xia Qinqin came over and said, "Then I'll treat you to a cream cake tomorrow. It's delicious. I'll use my New Year's money to treat you. Hehe, I have a lot of New Year's money."

Then she looked up and said, "Mom, all my New Year's money is with you, right?"

"Yes, they are all here with me. Let's go buy some cake tomorrow." Meng Yufei smiled and touched her daughter's braid.

Xia Qinqin cheered: "That's great, we'll have cake to eat tomorrow." She pulled Lu Yannan and said: "Brother Yannan, let's go to the secret base to play."

The two children ran to the ladder hand in hand and climbed up to the attic nimbly.

Xia Qinqin pointed to her password box and said, "This is my treasure box. You need a password to open it."

Lu Yannan walked over, looked at the lock on it, then reached out and lifted the lid of the box, but did not open it.

"See, I said you need a password to open it." Xia Qinqin said with her chin raised.

Lu Yannan said, "I have a box at home with a lock that is very similar to this one, but the one I have has a six-digit code, and yours has a three-digit code."

He looked up at Xia Qinqin with a smile on his face, and continued: "Each lock has ten numbers from 0 to 9, so there are only a total of one thousand password combinations. It only takes three seconds at most to try each password combination. In 50 minutes at most, I can try out the password to your box."

Xia Qinqin tilted her head and asked, "Brother Yannan, you are talking so much, do you want to know the password to my box?"

Lu Yannan: “…Not really.”

Xia Qinqin walked over with a smile, sat on the thick carpet, turned the combination lock, opened the box and said, "Let me show you the good stuff in my box."

Lu Yannan looked over and saw a big rag doll on the top, followed by colorful glass beads, glass bottles, several picture books, whistles, bells, and several tin boxes...

Xia Qinqin took out a box covered with English words. This was the chocolate that Meng's mother bought from the Friendship Store a few days ago. She took out a piece and handed it to Lu Yannan.

"Let's eat chocolate together. This one is delicious. There are also fruit candies and White Rabbit milk candies. Do you want some?" Xia Qinqin asked while patting another box.

Lu Yannan shook his head and said, "I don't want to eat it. I already had a candy this morning. Just eat a piece of chocolate. Don't eat any more candy. Your teeth will hurt if you eat too much."

Xia Qinqin asked: "Is it not okay to eat just one more pill?"

Lu Yannan said: "No, if you want to eat it, I will go tell Aunt Meng."

Xia Qinqin was a little angry, "Brother Yannan, I brought you to my secret base, and you still want to complain!"

Lu Yannan shrugged: "If you don't eat it, I won't complain."

He pointed to a picture book in the box and asked, "Can I read this?"

Xia Qinqin closed the box with a snap. "No, I don't want to be friends with you anymore, humph!"

Lu Yannan: “…”

The ninth day of the first lunar month was Meng Yufei's high school reunion. After breakfast, the two adults took the two children out and went straight to the department store. After buying a lot of things, Xia Junshan took the two children to eat cream cake while Meng Yufei went to attend the reunion.

The class reunion was held in a state-owned hotel not far across the street, in a large private room on the second floor. A classmate from their class worked here after graduation, so it was easy to book a private room even though it was Chinese New Year.

"Fei Fei, didn't you say you would bring your family? Why are you here alone? Where is your Captain Xia?" Zhang Yaqin smiled and pulled Meng Yufei to sit next to her.

Meng Yufei smiled and said, "The child wanted to eat cream cake, so her father took her to the Red House to eat."

A male student who sat a few seats away heard this and shook his head, saying, "Oh, most people can't afford the Red House. A small piece of cake that's barely big enough to fill a gap between your teeth costs more than meat."

Meng Yufei looked over and remembered that this male classmate worked in a meat processing factory. She smiled and said, "Director Ji, of course the meat in your company is cheaper. We can't compare."

The man raised his head and said, "Well, it's just a little bit of money given out during festivals. I've been eating too much meat and I want to change my taste."

A female classmate across from me smiled and said, "Old Ji, next time you can bring the meat to the Red House to exchange for cakes."

"Compared to changing the cake, my child wants to change clothes. By the way, aren't you from a clothing factory? I'll go to you to change clothes when I have time."

"Okay, then I have meat to eat, but you have to give me some fat."

"Of course, you are my old classmate, how can I dare to go to you with lean meat?"

The classmates were laughing and joking with each other. After a while, the door of the private room was opened and a slightly plump man came in with a smile, followed by a waiter.

"Is everyone here? I'll let them serve the food first."

"Old Duan, please come and sit down first. The main seat is reserved for you. We have come to your territory. Why don't you, the host, sit down at the table?"

"That's right. It's all thanks to Old Duan that we were able to book this private room today. It's New Year's Day and it's very difficult to book a private room in some state-owned hotels."

"Who said it wasn't true? My dad wanted to book a house before the New Year but he still couldn't."

After a while, several more classmates came one after another. Not all the classmates came to the party this time. Some of them were unwilling to come, and some could not be contacted.

In the end, there were only about twenty people who came, plus their families, so we were able to open two tables in the private room.

Fortunately, the private room was big enough so two tables could sit together without feeling crowded.

People don't drink at gatherings these days. They eat and chat. Zhang Yaqin next to Meng Yufei whispered, "Fei Fei, I have something to ask you."

"What is it?"

"Did your brother graduate this year?"

Meng Yufei nodded: "Yes, I'm already working at Haishi Hospital."

The female classmate next to her asked, "Meng Yufei, your brother is a doctor?"

Meng Yufei nodded and said, "Yes."

Zhang Yaqin said: "Her brother is a student at a medical university."

"Oh, this is a top student, Yufei. If I go to the hospital in the future, I will go to find your brother." The female classmate next to her said hurriedly.

Meng Yufei nodded and smiled, "Okay, when you go there just say my name and say you're my classmate."

Zhang Yaqin coughed and said, "Fei Fei, does your brother have a partner now?"

Meng Yufei raised her eyebrows: "Not yet, why, do you want to introduce it?"

Zhang Yaqin said, "I have a cousin who is 21 years old this year. She just graduated from the Teachers' College and was assigned to be a Chinese teacher in our high school. Both her parents have jobs. Her father, my second uncle, works in a machinery factory, and my second aunt works in a textile factory. There are three children in the family. The two older brothers are already married, and she is the youngest in the family."

"Although everyone in her family spoils her, my cousin has a very good temper and is very well behaved."

Meng Yufei smiled and said, "I can definitely trust the person you introduced. I'll go back and tell my mother. I'll be leaving in two days. Let her contact you. Is that okay with you?"

Zhang Yaqin nodded: "Okay, marriage is a big deal, so we must ask our parents for their opinions."

The girl next door laughed and joked, "Meng Yufei, if Zhang Yaqin's cousin doesn't work out, I have someone to introduce to your brother."

Zhang Yaqin said with a smile: "Go away, what are you doing?"

"I'm not talking nonsense. The girl I want to introduce to you is not bad either. She has very high standards and she doesn't like many people who introduce her to you."

Meng Yufei smiled and said, "You have such high standards, you can't even look down on my brother."

"Oh, I knew that girl would be attractive when I saw you."

"?"

"The girl said she wanted to find someone good-looking. Meng Yufei, you are so good-looking, so your brother should not be much worse."

“…”