Chapter 19 Chapter 19 Sister, you seem like a different person
Fortunately, Zhou Heyuan didn't say a word along the way. He didn't need his subordinates to flatter him. Lin Anran was happy to be a background board. She didn't have to rack her brains to think of topics. She walked leisurely behind him, which did not hinder her brisk steps. She continued to sing "Rich Woman" in her heart.
After returning to the villa, the two naturally separated and went their separate ways. Lin Anran returned to her room, and Aunt Li was not there. She immediately guessed that Aunt Li had gone to watch TV again. Uncle Wang managed his employees very humanely. During non-working hours, everyone had their own entertainment.
Sure enough, she found Aunt Li and others watching TV intently in the utility room on the second basement floor. After a busy day, Lin Anran wanted to relax, so she sat on an empty chair. This color TV originally belonged to Uncle Wang, but after Mr. Zhou nodded, Uncle Wang moved the color TV here so that everyone could watch TV together.
"What's this show? Horse racing?" Lin Anran noticed that Chef Zhao and Uncle Ding were watching intently, not even blinking, their expressions excited and nervous. Curious, he asked, "Hong Kong Horse Racing?"
Only Aunt Li had time to answer her: "No, it's the horse racing in Shenzhen."
Lin Anran stared at the horses on the TV and recalled, "I saw some reports in the newspaper before. Was it about the racecourse near Xiangmi Lake Park?"
To be honest, she didn't understand many things in this era. Fortunately, Aunt Li and others helped to explain, and she was able to access a lot of cutting-edge information in Shenzhen. Her lack of understanding was precisely because she had just come to Shenzhen from the countryside, so it could be covered up.
Chef Zhao interrupted Aunt Li and explained, "It's the horse racing club at Xiangmi Lake. It was jointly established in April this year by mainland and Hong Kong owners. Xiaolin, do you remember the newspaper report?"
"I remember, it was founded on April 18th, am I right, Uncle Zhao?" Lin Anran smiled. She read the newspaper in the villa every day. That day, Uncle Zhao, the chef, was very excited when he saw the newspaper, so she remembered it particularly clearly.
Chef Zhao was delighted. He patted his big belly and smiled. "Yes, it's on this day. Shenzhen will have its own horse race. We don't have to go to Xiangjiang anymore to watch it. There was a race at Xiangmi Lake before, but unfortunately I didn't go to see it in person."
Lin Anran: "It would be nice to see it on TV, right?"
The nature of horse racing in Shenzhen is different from that in Hong Kong. Horse racing in Hong Kong can be called horse betting, but there is absolutely no such thing as horse betting in Shenzhen. So now everyone watches the Xiangmi Lake horse racing purely for fun. Lin Anran joins everyone in guessing which horse will take first place. It's quite fun.
After the horse race was over, Aunt Li immediately wanted to change the channel. She wanted to watch a TV series. At this time, no one could compete with Aunt Li. Chef Zhao and the others were too embarrassed to argue. Lin Anran was eating melon seeds and said that anything was fine as long as it was good.
Aunt Li pulled Lin Anran aside and said, "TV dramas are more interesting. Watching horse racing is just watching a few horses running around in a field. It's boring. It's not like betting on horses in Hong Kong. There's no money to be made from any horse competing for first place."
Chef Zhao and Uncle Ding looked depressed and wanted to say no, but what Aunt Li said made sense.
Lin Anran laughed heartily, thinking that everyone was having more fun. She said, "For the Shenzhen Jockey Club to continue operating, it must have income. Otherwise, how can it continue to operate?"
Chef Zhao shook his head. "We can't have horse racing in Shenzhen. That's capitalist. Even when Hong Kong returns, the horses will still run. It's different there than here. We can't support gambling."
Although Hong Kong has not yet returned to China, the "one country, two systems" policy has been deeply ingrained in people's minds. The three words "the horse continues to run" are very vivid.
Lin Anran didn't understand the future development of domestic horse racing, so she didn't continue to speculate. Horse racing was a bit far away from her and them. She watched TV with Aunt Li. There were also handsome men and beautiful women on TV. It was great, it could refresh the eyes. Everyone liked watching TV dramas.
A week passed in a flash. After Lin Anran finished his class, he and Yu Jing came out of the night school and separated at the door.
"Good luck on the interview." Lin Anran encouraged Yu Jing.
Yu Jing looked nervous. "I don't know how privately-owned factories are. That factory was set up by a Hong Kong boss in Shenzhen."
Lin Anran comforted her: "There are many factories and companies in Shenzhen that are hiring. If you look hard, you'll always find one. Remember to ask clearly about the salary and benefits. This is very important."
"Okay, I'm leaving." Yu Jing took a deep breath and left with full fighting spirit.
Yu Jing was determined to be laid off. She had already stopped working in the garment factory, but in order to avoid being forced into marriage immediately after being laid off, she decided to find a new job as soon as possible. Naturally, the two of them could not have fun easily.
Lin Anran also had plans for today. She would go to a rental bookstore alone to read and study, have a delicious meal at dinner time, and buy herself a few new sets of clothes. The ones she bought before were not enough for her to change into. Compared with before, she had very few clothes.
Lin Anran returned with a full load.
"Xiao Lin, your Clivia is growing better than before. The leaves are especially nice, neatly and evenly arranged, and the color is pure green, warm and shiny..." When Guo Shuyan saw Lin Anran's Clivia, he ignored everything else and burst into praise. His eyes were so warm that it seemed as if this pot of Clivia was his lover. "Xiao Lin, have you ever thought about selling your Clivia?"
Lin Anran was a little confused by Guo Shuyan's sudden turn of events, but she immediately came to her senses and shook her head: "Not now, let's wait until it blooms." This way, it can be sold at a higher price.
Guo Shuyan nodded and said, "If your Clivia can bloom in February next year, you can participate in the Shenzhen Orchid Expo next year and maybe win a prize."
Guo Shuyan came to Zhou Heyuan's villa today and brought his Clivia with him, meaning to let Lin Anran and Uncle Ding see his beloved Clivia.
Lin Anran has been learning about orchids during this period. Her goal is to participate in the Shenzhen Orchid Expo next year. As the golden finger is used more and more times, her confidence in the three orchids has increased greatly. She believes that they will thrive and bloom beautiful flowers.
"Shuyan, are you so confident about Xiaolin's Clivia?" Qian Jiaming was sitting opposite him, his face full of curiosity. He had no interest in growing orchids, but among the three pots of Clivia placed together, he could not tell which one looked better. He had eyes to see and normal aesthetic sense. It was indeed Lin Anran's Clivia that looked the best, surpassing the two next to it. If he was asked to buy one, he would definitely buy Lin Anran's Clivia.
Guo Shuyan pushed up his glasses and said, "Next time I have the chance to see the Clivia that Xiaolin raises, I will be more confident."
Seeing the obvious differences between the three pots of Clivia, Lin Anran's confidence was overflowing. For the first time, she even hoped that time would pass quickly and jump to February next year so that she could become rich overnight.
Guo Shuyan brought a lot of books this time, specifically to lend to Lin Anran and Uncle Ding, and the previous books were just returned to him.
"Xiao Lin, how can you accurately observe the needs of orchids every time?" Guo Shuyan was most curious about this. Lin Anran was the best orchid grower he had ever seen. It was not that Lin Anran had the best skills and knowledge. Compared with professional orchid growers, Lin Anran's knowledge reserves were pitifully small, but Lin Anran had amazing observation skills. He knew when to add nutrients needed for orchid growth. No one could match this.
Uncle Ding admitted to himself: "I learned how to observe orchids from Xiaolin, which was indeed very useful, but I can't reach the level of Xiaolin's proficiency."
Despite being stared at by everyone, Lin Anran remained calm and composed. "I believe orchids, or plants in general, are sensitive to the outside world and have 'emotions'. I excel at observing subtle details. The more I observe, the more I understand this."
This is Lin Anran's personal experience, and it comes from the heart. Plants also have emotions, and she needs to take care of them gently and carefully. Then, the plants will happily give her good feedback. She gradually finds some fun in raising orchids and aloe vera, and a sense of accomplishment that she has never had before.
Qian Jiaming raised his hand enthusiastically: "I know that mimosa plants hide when touched. Are they really shy?"
"Not necessarily. Maybe they are defending themselves from harm and hiding to protect themselves." Lin Anran offered another explanation.
Qian Jiaming looked at Lin Anran with a strange look in his eyes: "Xiao Lin, you know a lot."
Lin Anran chuckled and said, "I can read."
Guo Shuyan seemed to be lost in thought: "Plants have emotions. Perhaps I could try playing some music for my Clivia. I wonder what kind of music Clivia likes?"
Lin Anran also became interested and suggested, "Let's play some soothing music. If it's just noise, maybe plants, like us, will get annoyed by it? And then become listless and stop growing?"
Zhou Heyuan, who had been listening quietly, said, "Scientists have done relevant research."
Now everyone looked at Zhou Heyuan with sharp eyes. Lin Anran asked curiously, "When?" Is there relevant research now?
Zhou Heyuan tilted his head towards her and said, "In 1989, but the conclusions are controversial. There were also some research trials before that, and related research is still ongoing."
Qian Jiaming looked eager to try: "Shuyan, I'll help you choose the music."
Guo Shuyan refused outright: "No need for you, I have a Clivia, I play music for it myself."
Qian Jiaming turned to Lin Anran and Uncle Ding with anticipation in his eyes, and it was obvious how much he was looking forward to playing music for Lanhua.
Lin Anran placed his hand on the pot of Clivia, lowered his head, and politely declined: "My Clivia is in a good mood every day and doesn't need to listen to music for the time being."
Uncle Ding coughed softly and said, "Mr. Qian, this pot of Clivia belongs to Mr. Zhou."
Qian Jiaming twisted his head back and forth like a tumbler: "Crane——"
Zhou Heyuan was even more ruthless: "No need to talk about it."
Qian Jiaming could only think of another way: "How about Shuyan, can you give me another pot of Clivia?"
Guo Shuyan snorted, "Don't even think about it. Have you forgotten that you killed the Clivia I gave you before and are planning to buy a new one to fool me?"
Qian Jiaming's forehead was covered with sweat. "Isn't it true that Clivia is difficult to grow? Orchids are quite delicate. If you ask me, we should all grow Bougainvillea. It's the city flower of Shenzhen. It's so prestigious to say it out loud. Don't you think, Heyuan, that Bougainvillea is the most common plant in your garden?"
Zhou Heyuan: "I didn't grow the bougainvillea in the garden. Uncle Ding took care of it. I have no say in this matter."
"People should have self-knowledge. He Yuan can't grow plants well, so he doesn't grow them. And you, the plants you grow die whenever you grow them. How dare you come and destroy my Clivia?" Guo Shuyan was dissatisfied.
Qian Jiaming surrendered and repeatedly assured that he would not secretly buy a pot of Clivia and would never destroy any Clivia.
Lin Anran lowered his head and suppressed his laughter.
The orchid party started and ended smoothly, and every orchid lover gained something, which is cause for celebration.
Guo Shuyan: "Uncle Ding, Xiaolin, let's choose a time next time."
Both Lin Anran and Uncle Ding had no problem. Lin Anran was already looking forward to the next date because Guo Shuyan could bring her a lot of new information, such as someone selling their orchids to someone at a high price, or a coal boss buying orchids at a high price just to get in touch with a big boss to discuss business, or a precious orchid was discovered in a deep mountain forest somewhere, causing a bunch of people to flock there and pluck out all the visible flowers and plants in the mountains, and some people were even taken to the police station for fighting over orchids... In short, in the orchid circle, all kinds of strange things happen all the time, which can shock people at any time.
Anyway, Lin Anran listened with great interest. It was nice, he loved it, and he wanted to listen more, hehe.
After spending a Sunday, Lin Anran worked as usual for six days. In the blink of an eye, it was the next weekend. Lin Anli and Lin Anhua called her to arrange a meeting time and place. Originally, the twins said they would come to the villa area to pick her up, but Lin Anran refused and made an appointment with them to meet at the Central Building in the city center. This way, the distance between the two places was not too far, saving the twins from running so far to find her.
Lin Anran asked for leave from English class today. It didn’t matter if she missed this class, she could catch up at any time by looking back at Yu Jing’s notes. She got up early in the morning and packed her things. In the end, she simply slung a bag over her shoulder, put some money in her pocket, and went out!
Then, without any surprise, Lin Anran ran into Zhou Heyuan who was returning from morning exercise. This was usually the time Zhou Heyuan would go out for morning exercise. She greeted him cheerfully, "Good morning, Mr. Zhou."
Zhou Heyuan was visibly taken aback when he saw Lin Anran: "Good morning, Xiaolin. Going out so early?"
Lin Anran smiled and explained, "I'm going to see my brother-in-law, Mr. Zhou. I have to catch the earliest bus, so I'll leave first."
Zhou Heyuan nodded, watched Lin Anran rush out, and turned around.
The first bus this morning was surprisingly packed. Did everyone go out to play on the weekend? Lin Anran sat steadily behind the driver and looked out the window. Great, it was still packed. It really was Shenzhen!
The central building was very eye-catching, and the bus also stopped at this station. The doors opened, and everyone on the bus lined up to get off. Lin Anran did not rush ahead, but walked at the end, and was then squeezed off the bus.
Lin Anran: “…”
"Sister! Sister! Sister!"
Lin Anran was just about to look for someone or wait for someone, but a girl with two pigtails jumped up in front of her and shouted "sister" three times, which successfully attracted her attention. She looked towards the girl with pigtails and confirmed that it was the twins Lin Anli and Lin Anhua.
Lin Anli completely ignored the surprised looks of passersby and shouted excitedly: "Sister, here!"
Lin Anhua couldn't even hold the man down.
Lin Anli is an impatient person. Lin Anran walked towards the twin siblings while recalling the original owner's memories. Fortunately, she had these memories, otherwise it would be funny if she couldn't recognize the twins standing in front of her.
"Don't make noise or shout in public." Lin Anran walked up to the twins, stretched out his hand, and held Lin Anli down.
Lin Anli and Lin Anhua were raised by the original owner. The twins had always been very obedient. When Lin Anran spoke, she immediately shut up and looked at Lin Anran from left to right, up and down, her mouth pursed. Unable to hold back, she said with a grunt, "Sister, you've changed so much. You don't even look like my sister anymore. You've become a completely different person."
Lin Anhua said dully, "Really? Where? Did I cut my hair short?"
Lin Anli patted him: "It's not about the hair!"
Lin Anran's heart skipped a beat, but she remained calm. Fortunately, she had been prepared and didn't have to worry about any setbacks. "What nonsense are you talking about? I've been working hard in Shenzhen for a month. After I got a permanent position and stayed, my thoughts have really changed. Shenzhen is really a different world from our village. It's huge here, and there's an even bigger world outside of Shenzhen. I've thought a lot and learned a lot. If it's still the same as before, wouldn't it be a waste of effort for my parents to send me to Shenzhen to work?"
Lin Anli suddenly realized: "That's right! Sister, you should have figured it out long ago!"
Lin Anran smiled: "It's just right now, everything is the best arrangement."
"Sister, even the way you speak has changed. It's a bit literary." Lin Anli was very surprised.
Lin Anhua's expression was also a little dazed, and he looked at Lin Anran in disbelief.
Lin Anran began to make up stories to fool the twins: "Because I'm constantly studying. You know my job. Although I'm a nanny, my colleagues are all amazing. They're constantly learning and improving themselves outside of work. How can I fall behind in their ranks? What if I fall too far behind and my boss fires me? I have no choice but to learn and actively strive for progress. I can't end up losing the job my parents found for me."
The twins thought it made sense and nodded like chicks pecking at rice.
Lin Anli had a question: "Sister, do I need to learn and improve myself to be a nanny?"
Lin Anran raised her eyebrows and asked, "Anli, what do you think a nanny does?"
Lin Anli frowned in thought and replied, "I help the boss clean, take care of the children, do laundry, cook, and do everything."
Lin Anran: "Do you know how to clean quickly and effectively?"
Lin Anli was puzzled: "Just having hands and feet will do."
"Wrong, you need brains," Lin Anran stretched out his right index finger and shook it. "Maintaining every corner of the house spotless, curtains without a wrinkle, windows bright enough to reflect a mirror, quick storage and sorting... Every task must be done every day, without mistakes. Do you think these tasks can be done with just hands and feet? Do you think these tasks don't require brains?"
Lin Anli thought about it and shook her head: "Yes?"
Lin Anran nodded. "That's why I get a high salary as a nanny. Being a nanny also requires learning. I want to make progress, so I go to night college to take English classes and learn English from the teachers there. The teachers say I have a talent for learning English. If I hadn't studied, I wouldn't have known I had such a talent."
Lin Anli and Lin Anhua were both confused: "Sister, are you studying English at a night university?"
Lin Anran smiled, like a wolf grandmother seducing and abducting naive children. "That's right. The more I learn, the better I get. And the more I get, the more motivated I become. Before I knew it, I've become what I am now. I even plan to sign up for the adult college entrance exam in the future. I never thought I would be so diligent and motivated one day. So when I heard that you two dropped out of school and came to Shenzhen to work, I was shocked. If you hadn't already gotten in the car, I would have called my parents to stop you."
The twins continued to be confused and looked shocked.
"Come on, let's find a restaurant to sit down and chat. What do you want to eat? It's my treat," Lin Anran pushed the two of them forward. She set her sights on the conspicuous Golden Arches. "Do you want McDonald's? But there's a long line."
"McDonald's?" Lin Anhua and Lin Anli had never heard of McDonald's. They looked in the direction Lin Anran pointed and gasped, "So many people are lining up! Is it delicious?"
Lin Anran explained to them, and the twins temporarily forgot how shocked they were by what Lin Anran had just said. They were curious about this foreign restaurant, but they all shook their heads: "It looks expensive. We won't go, sister. We're not hungry yet."
"Go, let's go line up." Lin Anran saw the curiosity, envy, and unconscious timidity in their eyes. Suddenly, he felt that waiting in a long line was no big deal. He pulled the two of them over there. "A set meal is 15 yuan. We can afford it."
The twins exclaimed in a low voice: "One day's wages! No, no, no!" They used their hands and feet to drag Lin Anran.
If you save a little on fifteen dollars, they can eat for a month!
Lin Anran couldn't persuade them and finally gave up, because if she didn't give up, the twins could carry her away together.
Lin Anran: “…”
Very good, she couldn't beat both of them alone, so she temporarily admitted defeat in this round.
In the end, the three of them squatted in a row and ate from a roadside stall, each with a grilled sausage. Lin Anran admitted that the grilled sausage was delicious and cheap.
"Sister, do you think it's a bad idea for Anhua and I to drop out of school?" Lin Anli turned her head and looked at the sister in the middle.
Hearing this, Lin Anhua also turned her head and said, "Sister, you and your elder brother also dropped out of school after finishing junior high school."
Lin Anran said calmly, "That was in the past. Now is now. I want to go to college. Let me ask you, tell me the truth. Do you think it's better to work or study? Please think carefully before answering."
As soon as she finished speaking, the twins said in unison: "Good job!"
Lin Anran blinked, a little doubtful about his life: "You guys didn't lie to me? Isn't working hard? Don't you get tired of doing the same old repetitive work every day?"
Lin Anli, on the other hand, found Lin Anran very strange. "Sister, how could we lie to you? Anhua and I both think working is better than studying. Working in the factory isn't hard at all. The work is simple and we learned it quickly. It's much easier than farming at home and we earn more money. Since we can't get into university anyway, we can earn more by working early. My parents told me to save all the money I earn, so I definitely won't spend it carelessly."
"Sister, I've thought about it. After working in the factory for a few years and earning some money, I can go back to the village to build a house, find a partner, and then get married. I'll have to work outside in the future. Working makes more money than farming. My parents don't have to worry about my house and marriage. I can earn money on my own." Lin Anhua touched his head and smiled foolishly.
"Ah - oh - um -" Lin Anran had a wooden face, chewing sausage in his mouth, and the light in his eyes was gone!
All gone!
Now her heart was as cold as a thousand-year-old ice, but the twins did not understand her sorrow.
Lin Anli looked around and whispered, "Sister, Anhua and I agreed to buy something for you. We'll go look at clothes later and buy them for you."
Lin Anhua also said in a low voice: "Yeah, I got my salary, several hundred dollars, sister, I have money now, I will buy it for you and Anli."
Lin Anran looked around with a serious expression.
Well, after meeting the twins, Lin Anran initially understood that they were good people, hardworking and down-to-earth. Even after seeing the prosperity of Shenzhen, they still adhered to their original intention of living frugally. But they were willing to spend money on sausages and clothes for her...
Lin Anran swallowed the last bite of the sausage, and she realized that her light advice was useless. The twins had a narrow vision. No one told them that the world was big and that they had countless possibilities, so they should not trap themselves. The twins could only make the choice they thought was best in their cognition. They didn't know how good it was to go to college because they had never been to college, but they now knew that they could make money by working, and the money they made was a lot, which was a lot for them.
The twins only got this far and they were satisfied, so they wanted to stay here.
"Besides working, don't you have any other ideas?" Lin Anran rubbed his forehead and asked them.
Lin Anli and Lin Anhua looked at each other and shook their heads honestly.
Lin Anran asked them again: "Have you ever thought about how to make more money?"
Make more money?
The twins thought about it, but they were curious about Lin Anran's answer: "How to make money?"
Lin Anran smiled. That was great. They all wanted to make money, just like her. She stretched out two fingers and poked them on the forehead. "Learn." Before they could object, she posed another question. "Do you have office workers in your factory? Office workers get higher salaries and have easier work, right?"
The twins couldn't argue with this. How could the shop floor workers not envy the office workers? The office workers were in charge of them.
"Don't you want to work in a bright and clean office? You must have a sore back after working in the workshop for a day. When you are young, you can work overtime as much as you want, but what about when you are older? The factory will recruit young workers who can work overtime. Will the old ones be fired? Are you sure you can work here for the rest of your life?" Lin Anran's questions one after another made the twins stare blankly.
Lin Anli was the first to react: "I also want to sit in the office and work, but that requires working very hard and making great contributions to the factory."
Lin Anran gave her another idea: "If you have a college degree, that's fine too."
Lin Anli looked at Lin Anran, thought for a moment, and said, "The factory's office staff recruitment has higher educational requirements. They basically want college graduates."
Lin Anhua looked at his elder sister, then at his younger sister, scratching his head. "Anli, you don't want to go back to school, do you? Will our grades allow us to get into university?"
Lin Anran stopped short. "You're not over the age limit and are still single. You have the opportunity to go back to high school and take the college entrance exam at any time. Think it over carefully. It's okay if you haven't thought it through yet. It's okay if you work in an electronics factory for a year or two. It's also okay if you decide to work forever. No matter what, this is your life. No one can make a choice for you, not even me."
After a moment of silence, Lin Anli asked, "Sister, are you really going to take the adult college entrance examination in the future?"
"I plan to take the exam next year. Now I have to make money first. I can't ask my parents for money. I will earn money and spend it myself, and so will you." Lin Anran smiled. It would be enough to explain it once. She even felt that she didn't need to persuade her a second time because Lin Anli was clear-headed and Lin Anhua would make the choice based on Lin Anli's perspective.
Lin Anhua was very worried and conflicted: "Sister, your previous grades... In short, you should study hard. It doesn't matter if you don't pass the exam. Don't be too sad then."
Lin Anran paused, then gave a fake smile and raised his fist. "I will definitely pass the exam. Just wait and see. I'm really good at studying now~"
Her brother's emotional intelligence is worrying.
Lin Anhua swallowed hard. He finally realized that An Li was right. His sister really seemed like a different person!
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