He Yan had been back for only two days when a military wife came to ask him what was going on.

When Su Ting went to buy groceries that day, she was stopped by a military wife who asked why He Yan hadn't returned to work since it was already Monday. Knowing that He Yan would be staying at home for a while, Su Ting did not hide the fact and told him that he had quit his job and was planning to start a business.

Among the military wives who were buying vegetables in the market at that time, there was one who had previously said that although the government units were good, the income was very average. After hearing what Su Ting said, she immediately changed her tone and said that He Yan was too impulsive. Not everyone can do business. How many people have failed to start a business and suffered huge losses. As a parent, Su Ting should persuade him.

Su Ting couldn't help laughing when she heard this and said, "It's okay. He made money from doing business with his classmates last year. Even if he loses everything this time, it's okay."

Last year, everyone in the compound had heard about He Yan's business partnership with his classmates, but most people thought that it was impossible for two kids to do big business together, and even if they made money, they probably wouldn't make much, so they didn't bother to ask, so they didn't know whether they made a profit or a loss.

But from what Su Ting said, it seemed like he made a lot of money. Everyone couldn't help but become curious: "How much money did He Yan make last year?"

Su Ting smiled and said, "Not much, not much, just two houses in Shanghai."

The description of two sets of houses in Shanghai is a bit general, because the prices of houses of different sizes in different locations are definitely different. For example, an old house in the city center costs tens of thousands of yuan, but if it is an old public housing in a not so good location, with an area of ​​only a dozen square meters, it can be bought for more than a thousand yuan.

But most people would exaggerate their earnings. If He Yan had earned tens of thousands, Su Ting would have said he had earned two old houses. By only mentioning two houses, everyone would think that He Yan had only earned two or three thousand.

Two or three thousand is not a small amount. He Yan hadn't graduated last year. If their own children could earn two or three thousand at He Yan's age, they would wake up laughing in their dreams at night.

Seeing that everyone was praising He Yan for his ability to make money, the military wife who had just said those sad words could not help but said, "For business people like them, a few thousand yuan is not a lot. The initial investment may not be enough. If they lose money, they can't last long. Besides, He Yan was able to make money last year because of his cooperation with his classmates. Could it be that his classmates also quit their jobs this time and started a business with him?"

"no."

"That's it. He was able to make money with his classmates last year, but he may not be able to do it alone this year. And isn't he planning to start a business? Why does he stay at home all day? Has he lost all his money?"

He was feeling happy in his heart, but his face was full of seriousness: "I heard that many people from government agencies took unpaid leave when they went into business, so that if the business failed, they could go back to work. But He Yan from your family was different. He quit his job when the business failed. Although his income from that job was not high, it was still a government agency after all. Taking unpaid leave would always give him a way out, so he wouldn't be like he is now, lying at home playing every day, right?"

Su Ting chuckled, "Don't worry, he hasn't lost all his money yet. But even if he does, it'll be easy for him to find a job with his education. If he wants to continue his studies, his father and I will support him. We are smart people. As long as he wants, he will definitely be able to get into the best universities in the country as a graduate student. Unlike some people, who failed to get into a technical secondary school after repeating their studies three times."

Although Su Ting did not mention any names, there was probably only one person in the compound who had repeated his studies for three consecutive years and failed the entrance exams every time, not even being admitted to a technical secondary school.

And this person is none other than the son of the military wife who has been saying sad things to belittle He Yan.

Moreover, her son himself had no interest in studying and planned to find a job after failing the college entrance examination for the first time. However, she had high expectations for her son and forced him to repeat his studies for three years.

Last year, her son failed the exam for the fourth time. She lost her temper at home and then made a decision - to continue to repeat the exam until he passed. But her son couldn't stand repeating the exam again and again, so he packed his bags overnight and followed his classmates to the south.

This incident caused quite a stir at the time. She kept crying at home, and her husband ran around looking for someone. He finally got the contact information from the parents of her son's classmates. She then said she would go to the south to bring the child back.

But her son was very determined and said that if she came to find him, he would continue to run away and refused to go back to school.

Her husband quarreled with her for several days about this. Later, he asked the Women's Federation and the Military Family Resettlement Office to persuade her, and she reluctantly agreed to let her son stay in the South.

Her son was not a good student, but he had a talent for business. Less than a year after he went to the south, he opened a store in partnership to sell wholesale clothing, and his business was doing very well.

After the business was successful, her son often sent money and gifts home. Over time, her attitude softened and she began to recognize her son's career.

But she might still be very bothered by the fact that her son did not get into college, so she always wanted to prove that even if her son did not go to college, he would still be better than those kids who did.

In the past six months, she has been looking for a sense of superiority by bullying those children in the compound who have gone to college and been assigned to good units but have low incomes.

Although He Yan was two years younger than her son, he took the college entrance examination in the same year as her son and was admitted to Capital University with great success. He Yan was undoubtedly the most severely criticized person.

Before, she didn't dance in front of her, so Su Ting didn't bother to pay attention to her. But now she was belittling He Yan in front of her, so Su Ting certainly wouldn't be polite.

The other party was indeed hit on the sore spot, his face turned pale and then blue, and finally he said angrily: "What's so great about being able to read? You read so many books, but you still stay at home to take care of the children? Your son read so many books, but he still quit his job to go into business, didn't he?"

"Being able to read is nothing special. After graduating from college, you only have one more option than those who have never been to college. After graduation, I did stay at home to take care of my children, and I just drew stories I liked on the side. I didn't make much in a year, just a house in Shanghai."

After Su Ting finished her Versailles performance, she acted surprised and said, "Oh, now that I've calculated, I realize that Xiao Yan makes more money than me. He and his classmates just played around and earned two houses in a few months, while I only earn enough for one house in a year."

She is lying with her eyes open.

Although the comic book market has been squeezed in the past two years as comics have become popular among students, the sales of "Comic Book Magazine" are not even half of their peak period.

But Su Ting is famous. She publishes two comic books every year, and the royalties from the serials alone add up to two to three thousand yuan. Add to that the publishing income, and her previous works are occasionally reprinted, so it is not difficult for her to earn a five-digit annual income.

Although He Yan made money last year, there were many people who shared the money. Even if he invested the most, the amount he got was very limited, at least less than ten thousand.

But others don't know their income, so Su Ting has no pressure to brag about it.

And she wasn't bragging. Although her income last year was only in four figures, He Yan made a lot of money on this trip south, and her income was higher than her annual income.

The military wife who always belittled He Yan was so upset that she didn't know how to refute him. In the end, she could only say: "Who knows if what you said is true?"

"Believe it or not is up to you." Su Ting said lightly, reached out to take the two processed crucian carps from the fish stall owner, paid and left.

The less she is taken seriously by such people, the more uncomfortable she will feel. That is why Su Ting will not rush to prove that she has a house in Shanghai.

Su Ting left cleanly, but the rest of the audience were questioning their lives.

Is it so easy to make money now? We no longer use thousands or tens of thousands as units, but use Shanghai real estate as the measurement?

…

Because everyone knew that He Yan had made money, his resignation from the government agency did not cause much stir in the compound. Of course, this was also related to the upcoming midterm exam.

Although the atmosphere has become somewhat impetuous in the past two years as the number of nouveau riche increases, most people in the Navy compound still believe that studying is useful. As long as the children in the compound are willing to study and can get into school, their parents will continue to support them.

Therefore, even though it is just an exam from primary school to junior high school, parents whose children have candidates take it very seriously.

Su Ting was the same. She got up early on the day of the exam and cooked breakfast for her.

After washing up, He Yan came to the restaurant. After seeing the breakfast on the table, the corners of his lips couldn't help but twitch. The breakfast his mother made on the day he took his child to the exam was really the same as it had been ten years ago!

Man Man felt helpless, but did not dare to challenge his mother's authority. He ate the noodles and eggs obediently and was taken to school by his brother.

There are few subjects in primary school and the exam is completed in one day.

Because the test results were related to the savings I had accumulated over the years and the happiness of my summer vacation, I worked very hard during the period before the test.

Although this may seem like a temporary measure, it is better to cram than not to cram. Moreover, your foundation is not bad to begin with and your brain is smart, so the effect of cramming is still very obvious.

Anyway, after the test, she gradually felt good about herself. She couldn't even think about being the first in the grade, but she should be in the top five.

Thinking that her savings were safe and that she could watch four hours of TV every day during the summer vacation, she gradually became happy after the exam. When she saw He Yan after leaving the school gate, she shouted "Brother" and ran over to him, throwing herself into his arms.

He Yan calmly caught her and asked, "Did you do well in the exam?"

"How do you know?" Manman's eyes sparkled.

He Yan's voice was tinged with smile: "Your face is almost smiling, it's hard for me not to see it."

I slowly took my brother's hand and said as we walked, "I feel my savings are safe."

He Yan: “Wow!”

"My mom also said that if I ranked in the top five in my grade, she would let me watch four hours of TV every day during the summer vacation."

He Yan continued: "Wow!"

Slowly raised his head: "Brother, is that all you can do?"

"This best expresses my feelings," He Yan said with a smile, "Brother is very happy for you."

Gradually she became satisfied with his explanation and her steps became lighter. But soon she thought about her brother leaving home after the exam and her mood became depressed again.

Noticing the gradual change in his mood, He Yan asked, "What's wrong?"

"Brother, are you leaving soon?"

He Yan replied: "After a while, we will leave in late July."

Although it is still some time before the end of July, I am no longer happy and sigh, "Why does my brother have to go to such a far place?"

He Yan fell silent.

In fact, he had never thought that he would leave home and go so far away.

When he was choosing a university, his first choice was actually Fudan University, so that he could continue to live in house No. 67 during college and return home to reunite with his family on Saturdays and Sundays.

But after learning about his first choice, his teacher, parents all tried to persuade him that Fudan University was a good university, but it would be a pity to go to Fudan University with his grades.

But he will eventually grow up and go out to see the world outside.

So after careful consideration, he applied to Capital University and went to the capital.

Although his grandparents were in the capital, his school was a bit far from where they lived, and there were a lot of things to do in school, so he didn't visit them every week, usually once every two weeks.

Over time, he seemed to have gradually adapted to being alone and was no longer so attached to his family. His classmates said that he had grown up and become truly independent.

After resigning, He Yan didn’t think about returning to Shanghai. Although he could get more help in Shanghai, he still wanted to visit the south.

The South has changed so much in recent years that the professor often used the Special Administrative Region as an example during class, but he had never seen it with his own eyes.

After watching it, He Yan finally understood why his parents asked him to see more of the outside world when he was young.

He Yan replied: "Maybe it's because I've grown up."

"Do I have to leave home and go to such a far place when I grow up?" Manman was puzzled, "Then I don't want to grow up."

"You just think that now."

Slowly he said firmly: "I will think so when I grow up!"

He Yan did not argue with her and said, "Okay."

"Anything?"

"I'll go out and explore society, and you stay with your parents."

"What should I do if I miss you?"

"I will come back to see you and Mom and Dad."

"Yes."

As the sun set, the brother and sister walked into the Navy compound while talking.

At this time, they were discussing their future with each other, but they would not have thought that the one who would stay in Shanghai to develop in the future would be the brother who said he wanted to go out and explore the society, while the one who would leave home thousands of miles away would be the sister who said she wanted to stay with her parents.

…

The test results came out very quickly, and within a few days Su Ting knew Man Man's ranking, fifth in her grade. This barely saved her pocket money and a happy summer vacation.

But because the punishment of confiscating pocket money has not ended yet, I can't get the piggy bank for the time being, and can only enjoy the right to watch four hours of TV every day.

Although she was a little disappointed, she could endure it for a few days as long as her savings could be kept.

In fact, it can't be said that she is patient at all. Since she can watch four hours of TV, she feels happy every day. The piggy bank? She has long forgotten it.

When Su Ting returned the piggy bank to Man Man, she was staring at the TV and didn't even bother to look at the piggy bank. It was not until Su Ting said she didn't want it and confiscated the piggy bank that she shouted "I want it" and rushed into the room holding the piggy bank.

After putting down the piggy bank, she quickly ran back to the living room, fearing that she would miss a minute of the plot.

Su Ting gritted her teeth and asked, "Aren't you going to check the money in the piggy bank? Aren't you worried that I'll hide your savings?"

Man Man had never really thought about this problem. He only hesitated after hearing Su Ting say that. He looked around the room, then at the TV, and then at his mother.

Su Ting just looked at her with a smile and said nothing.

After weighing the pros and cons, Man Man decided to count the money first, glanced at the alarm clock and said, "I only watched TV for 20 minutes today."

"I'll keep that in mind."

After getting a positive answer, he slowly felt relieved, walked into the bedroom, looking back every few steps, opened the hole under the pig's belly, shook the piggy bank and poured out the money.

This number is half an afternoon.

It wasn't that she had a lot of money saved, but the amount she counted was different each time. Later, she used pen and paper to count twice before she got the exact number.

But even if you get the exact number, you won’t know whether the money is missing or not.

Because the piggy bank is not convenient to open, she usually just puts money in it. The last time she counted the money was at the beginning of the year. In the past six months, she has put a lot of money in it. Although she has a record book, she often forgets, so she really has no idea how much she has put in.

However, the money in the piggy bank is more than ten yuan more than what was recorded in her account book, so the money should not be less, right?

She bit her nose and snorted slowly. Then she heard a knock on the door. After she called out "Come in", she saw He Yan push the door open and walk in. "Are you counting money?"

"Yeah." He nodded slowly and weakly, "But I don't know if the money in the piggy bank is reduced."

"Why is there so little money in the piggy bank?"

"Mom took the piggy bank away. If she took money from it, wouldn't there be less money?"

He Yan asked: "Why did Mom take your money?"

"Won't mom take it? But that's what she said just now." She spoke slowly, repeating what Su Ting had just said.

He Yan understood what was going on as soon as he heard it, and asked with a smile: "Did you count them clearly?"

"I've counted it." She slowly showed her brother the little notebook. "This is all the money in my piggy bank. This is the account I recorded before, but because I always forget to record it, I don't know if there is any money missing now."

"Hmm," He Yan picked up the account book and said in a troubled tone, "This is a bit difficult."

He slowly put his hands on his face and sighed, "It would be great if I kept a journal every day."

“It’s not too late to start keeping daily accounts.”

Then he asked anxiously, "What should I do this time?"

"I don't think Mom would take your money." Seeing Manman's doubtful face, He Yan explained, "Think about it, if Mom took your money, wouldn't she just not tell you? You can't remember the accounts anyway, and even if she counted the money, you wouldn't know if it was too much or too little."

"That's right!" I slowly realized, "Why did Mom say those things to me?"

He Yan thought for a moment and said, "I think he wants to teach you a lesson so that you can change your habit of forgetting accounts."

Man Man suddenly felt guilty, pursed his lips and said, "I will keep a good account of it in the future."

"Brother believes in you, do you still want to count the money?"

"I've already counted them."

"Then quickly put the money away. I'll take you to buy food."

Slowly his eyes lit up: "Can I?"

"Hasn't your punishment ended?" He Yan asked with a smile, "So, do you want to go?"

"Go! Go! Go!"

Manman nodded, quickly stuffed the money back into the piggy bank, jumped off the bed, and followed He Yan out.

Su Ting, who was sitting in the living room watching TV, saw the brother and sister in a hurry and asked casually, "Where are you going?"

Manman felt a little guilty and pulled her brother's clothes without saying anything. He Yan smiled and replied, "Isn't Manman's punishment over? I'll take her to the canteen for a stroll."

After thinking about it for a while, she realized that her punishment was over, so why should she be afraid? She immediately said confidently, "Let's go buy some food!"

Su Ting kept her promise and no longer restricted Manman from going to the grocery store after the punishment. She only told her, "Don't buy anything cold or spicy." It has been a month since Manman's period ended, and her period may come back at any time.

Man Man: “…Got it!”

…

Because I controlled my diet, when I had my period again, I still had some abdominal pain, but it wasn’t as severe as the first time. I just felt a little pale and listless.

He Yan had originally planned to head south after completing all formalities, but when he saw how uncomfortable Man Man was feeling, he stayed at home for a few more days and only prepared to leave after her menstrual period was over.

That day was Sunday, and Su Ting and He Dongchuan took Man Man to the train station to see him off.

This made He Yan feel a little spoiled. Although they were both attending college, the treatment he received at home before and after he became an adult was completely different, if not worlds apart.

When he went to register for school during the first semester of his freshman year, his entire family went out. His father took a special annual leave and took him, his mother, and his sister to live with his grandparents for half a month. They did not return to Shanghai until he had registered.

If that meant that they were visiting their parents and sending him to report to the university, then on the day of the university report, his parents and sister must have gone to Capital University just to send him off.

In the next semester, although he no longer had the privilege of being sent to the capital by his entire family, his family still took him to the train station, and this was also the case throughout his sophomore year.

However, when he was a junior in college and turned 18, he no longer received this treatment at home.

When the new school term started, his parents and sister would at most send him to the gate of the compound and watch him get on the bus, but he had to walk the rest of the way by himself.

After two years, He Yan was picked up by the whole family again. He felt embarrassed and said, "Actually, you don't have to take me to the train station. I can do it by myself."

He Dongchuan said frankly: "It's not me who wants to give it to you, it's your mother who wants to give it to you."

Su Ting said: "I am mainly worried about Man Man."

Slowly she said reluctantly: "I can't bear to leave my brother. I want to stay with him for a while longer."

He Yan, who was hit hard by his parents, suddenly felt relaxed both physically and mentally. His sister is still the best!

Although it was not so sentimental, when they stood on the stage to bid farewell, the couple still showed some reluctance in their eyes, but it was more obvious in Su Ting's eyes, while He Dongchuan's emotions were more reserved and not very obvious.

The instructions were relatively concise: "When you arrive at the Shenzhen Stock Exchange, work hard and don't do anything unorthodox. Also, pay attention to safety and protect yourself."

He Dongchuan said this not because he did not trust his son, but because many people's businesses at that time were not so legal, and tax evasion and smuggling of goods were everywhere. Normally, everything was peaceful, but when they were investigated, everyone would be in chaos.

He was warning his son not to go astray.

Su Ting's instructions focused on daily life: "Don't eat together when you are out, always remember that your body is the capital of the revolution, and pay attention to nutrition. Remember to report safety to your family frequently, especially after going to Hong Kong Island, you must pay attention to safety."

Although many people at that time thought that Hong Kong Island was a paradise, Su Ting did not think so. Although Hong Kong Island was more developed than the mainland, it was also more chaotic, with gangs rampant.

Before traveling through time, Su Ting had heard a lot about Hong Kong stars being forced to film at gunpoint in the 1980s and 1990s. Although ordinary people might not encounter such things, she also supported He Yan in going out and seeing the world, but it was always better to be cautious in everything.

He Yan smiled and said, "Don't worry, Mom and Dad, I will take good care of myself and not go astray."

Compared with his parents, he gradually had more to say, and he kept chattering until the train was about to depart and He Yan had to carry his luggage on board.

After arriving at the carriage, He Yan did not go back to the bed to sit, but stood beside the bed and waved to the outside. His eyes, which had been reddening, became happy again when he saw his brother, and he ran over to wave to him.

But before he could get close, the train started moving, carrying He Yan, who was standing in front of the window, away gradually.

As He Yan's figure disappeared from his sight, he finally couldn't help himself and threw himself into Su Ting's arms and sobbed.

Su Ting hugged her daughter, patted her thin shoulders and comforted her: "Don't be sad, your brother will be back soon."

…

In September of that year, I slowly left home and went to junior high school.

Although Shanghai has been undergoing massive development in recent years, with bridges and roads being built everywhere, the city's bus routes have been extended to the county, and several more buses have been added to the gate of the Navy Compound.

However, because the No. 1 Middle School in the county has evening self-study classes and the bus runs too early, it is inconvenient to go to and from school. Considering that the No. 1 Middle School just built a new dormitory last year and the environment inside is very good, after entering junior high school, Su Tingwei slowly arranged for accommodation and she only went home on weekends.

During the first period of time when she lived in the school dormitory, she gradually felt a lot of discomfort. She was not used to getting up so early in the morning, nor was she used to sleeping so late at night. When she was at home, she didn't touch the water, but after living in the dormitory, she had to wash her own clothes.

What's even more annoying is that the lights are turned off at a fixed time. If you are unlucky and meet someone who is slow while queuing for a shower, you may have to take a shower in the dark.

The girls living on the same floor had many quarrels over this.

But I adapted quickly, got used to waking up early and going to bed late, and got along well with my roommates, and we always acted together.

Oh, she also got used to taking a bath with others. When she met someone she knew in the bathroom, she could shamelessly take a bath with him/her and would no longer be shy about seeing the other person's naked body.

Anyway, she has everything they have, and it's the same for everyone.

In the same month, He Yan established a technology company in Shenzhen Stock Exchange and started to manufacture programmable switches for a company in Hong Kong Island.

In October of that year, Su Ting received a phone call that was somewhat special to her.

The call came from Shanghai Fine Arts Film Studio. The caller was Li Bin. He told Su Ting on the phone that the animated film adapted from the Three Fires series had been completed and a cooperation agreement had been reached with the TV station. It would be rebroadcast on New Year's Day.