Chapter 55: Reunion in a new home, a new room, and a new Xu Sirui
Zhu Yingning was still thinking about what to do when he reached the exit, when he saw a middle-aged man with a square face, a young man who looked like a reporter, and a cameraman walking towards him. The square-faced man had thick eyebrows and big eyes, and was broad and strong. The reporter was thin and tall. The two of them standing together looked like a pair of double-act actors.
"Are you Zhu Yingning?" the square-faced man spoke in a voice as loud as a bell.
Zhu Yingning quickly brushed off the chaotic metaphors in her mind and nodded politely, "Yes, may I ask, are you...?"
"I'm Xu Sirui's father, Xu Zhengkang."
Zhu Yingning was shocked and stood at attention, almost saluting Xu Zhengkang. He stuttered and uttered, "Hello, Uncle Xu!"
Before coming to Beijing, she'd urgently crammed a lot of relevant material from Chen Bin's pile of back issues. The magazines explained that Beijingers emphasize using "you" instead of "ni" when addressing elders, and that saying "ni hao" instead of "ni hao" is frowned upon. To demonstrate her sobriety, rather than her vulgarity, she paused for a few seconds, her cheeks flushing, before uttering a serious, "Hello, Uncle Xu." After a moment's thought, she extended her right hand.
It was the first time Xu Zhengkang had seen a junior offer to shake hands, and he wasn't sure what to say, but he extended his hand anyway. They briefly shook hands, then he signaled the cameraman with a wink and got straight to the point. "You must be exhausted from the train ride here. How long was it? There's no air conditioning on the train, right? Come, get on my car and enjoy some air conditioning. You'll be studying here from now on, so don't worry about not having enough money to study. Don't worry, your uncle will support you."
Although the camera looming between them slightly confused her, Zhu Yingning adapted well to it thanks to her experience on previous variety shows. She simply assumed it was Xu Zhengkang's fame that attracted reporters to the train, so she answered sincerely and earnestly, "I'm not tired. I've been sitting for ten hours, and there's no air conditioning on the train. Thank you for your support, Uncle Xu. I will always remember your family's kindness and will repay you when I make money in the future. I will also study hard and will definitely not let you down!" Then, turning to the camera, she kindly added, "Uncle Xu and his family are my benefactors. They are truly kind people."
Her serious attitude unexpectedly suited Xu Zhengkang's needs. He smiled with satisfaction and said, "Good, good!" Then he turned to the camera, patted Zhu Yingning on the shoulder and said, "This child is good. She knows how to be grateful."
Xu Zhengkang's Mercedes-Benz was parked not far away. Zhu Yingning looked at it in amazement. She didn't know much about cars, and this was her first time riding in a car. Even if Xu Zhengkang had come to pick her up in an Old Man's Le, she would have thought it was very classy.
The trunk opened, and Xu Zhengkang reached out to take the snakeskin bag from Zhu Yingning's hand. Zhu Yingning hurriedly said no, and with a little effort, he easily threw the snakeskin bag up.
"The little girl is quite energetic." Xu Zhengkang commented indifferently.
She smiled and said, "Everyone in our village says I'm very strong. Uncle Xu, you can leave any heavy work you need to do to me in the future."
"No, we have a part-time worker at home. You are here to study, not to be a babysitter. Studying hard is the most important thing."
"Oh..." She responded ignorantly.
Xu Zhengkang got behind the wheel, the reporter took the passenger seat, and the cameraman and Zhu Yingning sat in the back. She climbed into the back seat, looking a bit anxious, legs together, hands propped up on knees, afraid to move, afraid of breaking anything. Only when the cameraman reminded her did she remember to fasten her seatbelt.
The car drove onto the highway, where tall buildings stood side by side. She stared out the window at the streetscape receding behind her, her face filled with wonder. She turned around and saw the camera almost touching her nose. Zhu Yingning was so startled that she stepped back. Then, Yang Zihao, who was sitting in the front seat, turned around and asked her with a smile, "Ms. Zhu Yingning, can I ask you a few questions?"
She was stunned for a moment, then nodded vigorously: "Okay, go ahead and interview."
Yang Zihao asked her, "Can you describe your life in the mountains to us? Is it hard work, chopping wood and carrying water every day?"
"My brother chopped the firewood. As for water, we have mountain spring water. Many families have taps installed, so it's not too hard."
"Is your school very old and dilapidated? Are there very few teachers?"
"Our school is relatively small, but my homeroom teacher, Teacher Chen, and many other teachers insist on teaching in the mountains. They are truly great, and our students cherish this hard-earned opportunity to go to school."
"If you don't continue your studies, will your parents force you to get married next?"
"Ah? That's not the case..."
…
Yang Zihao asked her many questions, and finally asked her: "Did Xu Zhengkang's funding change your destiny?"
"Yes, I am very grateful to my uncle and his family."
"Okay, let's stop the interview here." Yang Zihao shrank back.
Zhu Yingning smiled at him, thinking that it would be great if these answers were helpful. She hoped that after watching the interview, everyone in front of the TV would know how good Xu Sirui and his family were.
After driving for an hour, they arrived at their destination, which was the community where Xu Zhengkang and Xu Sirui currently lived.
Zhu Yingning had also never seen such "high-end" residential buildings in the complex. Cautiously, she leaned her head out the car window, blinking as Xu Zhengkang pulled something resembling a card from his trouser pocket. He swiped it across the reader, and the gate at the entrance to the complex opened automatically. She let out a small "wow," resting her hand on the edge of the car window, curiously watching the Mercedes-Benz pull into the underground parking garage.
There was a smell of gasoline and mold in the underground parking garage. Zhu Yingning thought the smell was quite novel and pleasant.
Xu Zhengkang turned off the engine and was about to get her luggage from the trunk. Zhu Yingning rushed forward in two steps and picked up the bag herself, vowing not to cause trouble to anyone. Xu Zhengkang had no choice but to give up.
Yang Zihao and the cameraman followed along. While waiting for the elevator, the camera kept filming Zhu Yingning's face closely, but she didn't pay any attention. Instead, she held her luggage and stared at the elevator with interest as it descended. Once inside, Xu Zhengkang wanted to press the button directly, but seeing Zhu Yingning's expectant look, he simply stepped aside and said, "We live on the 16th floor. You press it."
"Can I?" She widened her eyes, as serious as if this was not a simple matter of pressing the elevator button, but a signing on the property certificate.
Xu Zhengkang nodded slightly.
Zhu Yingning then stepped forward, took a deep breath, stretched out her index finger, and poked the number 16 hard. When 16 lit up, she smiled and stepped back with an expression of having accomplished her mission, holding her luggage and grinning foolishly.
The elevator door dinged open, and she followed Xu Zhengkang out quietly. There were only two families living on this floor, one on the left and one on the right. Xu Zhengkang and his family lived on the left, house number 1601. She carefully wrote down the address, then imitated Xu Zhengkang by taking off her shoes, then walked in carrying her oil-soaked snakeskin bag.
Zhu Yingning imagined that once the door opened, Xu Sirui's mother and Xu Sirui himself would most likely be standing inside. To prepare for this scenario, she had urgently rehearsed in her mind what she would say when she saw them while in Xu Zhengkang's car.
But, nothing happened.
Xu Sirui wasn't home, nor was her mother. The lights weren't even on in the house. Xu Zhengkang turned on the living room light and led her straight to the guest room, saying, "This will be your bedroom from now on."
The disappointment of not meeting Xu Sirui in person diluted the surprise and touching feeling of having an independent bedroom. Zhu Yingning was stunned for a moment before coming to her senses and hurriedly thanked him, "Thank you, Uncle Xu."
The room was immaculately clean, with a bed, a wardrobe, and a desk. This treatment was something she had never dared to imagine before. She thanked him several times before she took the snakeskin bag and placed it on the windowsill.
"Please pack your luggage for a while. I'll go see the reporters off."
"OK."
After Xu Zhengkang left, Zhu Yingning didn't dare to wander around the house, feeling it would be impolite. She obediently stayed in the guest room, opened the snakeskin bag, and took out the clothes one by one, folding them and putting them in the closet. When she was done, she huddled on the windowsill, hugging her knees, staring blankly at the lights of the countless homes below.
The night view here is very different from that in the mountains. There are few lighting facilities in the mountains, and it is pitch black everywhere at night. But here it is like a galaxy made of lights. Every household, every car, and every street lamp are stars in the city.
This prosperity made her admire, but also made her feel more lonely.
**
Xu Zhengkang returned forty minutes later. Zhu Yingning heard the door open and trotted out to greet him: "Hello, Uncle Xu."
"Yeah." Xu Zhengkang responded, raised the bag in his hand, and explained, "I went out to buy some food. Let's just have a quick meal tonight."
"Okay, thank you for the expense."
“…You don’t have to be so polite.”
He put the food on the dining table and took out boxes one by one. Zhu Yingning really wanted to help, but didn't know how, so he could only help pull out the stools.
After everything was laid out, she looked left and right, and couldn't help but ask the question that was lingering in her heart: "Uncle Xu, isn't Xu Sirui coming back to eat?"
"Don't pay attention to that bastard, he's not home." When Xu Sirui was mentioned, Xu Zhengkang's face instantly darkened several shades.
Zhu Yingning had no idea what the conflict was between them, but even a fool could sense the sudden low pressure. She could only chuckle and quickly change the subject: "Then...what about Auntie? Is she busy at work? I haven't seen her since I got here. I should have said hello to her."
The anger that had originally risen on Xu Zhengkang's face due to Xu Sirui paused, turning into an unnatural concealment: "Well, she... was sent to work abroad, and won't be back for three years."
"Ah? Three years?" Zhu Yingning had thought that parents working in different places was something only poor families like theirs would encounter. Unexpectedly, Xu Sirui's family also faced similar difficulties. She immediately empathized with him and said, "My dad also had to work away from home before. I understand how you feel. Uncle Xu, you and Xu Sirui must miss her terribly."
Xu Zhengkang was so overwhelmed by Zhu Yingning's heartfelt words that he didn't know how to respond. He could only mumble a "hmm" and change the subject: "Let's eat first. It won't taste good if it gets cold. Don't talk while eating, and don't talk while sleeping."
Zhu Yingning didn't expect that Xu Sirui's family had such strict family education. Upon hearing this, she immediately shut her mouth, and even made a serious gesture of zipping her mouth, then lowered her head and started eating silently.
After a dinner that was so silent it could be described as stagnant, she stood up and rushed to clean up the mess. Finally, she asked something she had been thinking about for a long time: "Uncle Xu, where can I find a job around here?"
**
Zhu Yingning had decided to work early on. Firstly, she hoped to pay off the money she owed Xu Sirui as soon as possible. Secondly, Zhu Dashan's medical expenses, Zhu Jixiang's tuition and the family's daily expenses had not been settled yet. She couldn't just come to Beijing and forget about all the family matters. Thirdly, she also hoped that she could become independent as soon as possible and not rely on Xu Zhengkang's financial support for three years of high school.
But after hearing her words, Xu Zhengkang's face suddenly darkened: "Working? How could you have such an idea?"
Zhu Yingning was so frightened by his sudden change of expression that her voice dropped to a whisper: "I hope I can become independent soon..."
"If you need pocket money, just ask me directly. You're a student now, and your priority is studying. Why would you want to go out and work?"
"I don't mean to ask for pocket money, Uncle Xu, you misunderstood!" She waved her hands hurriedly, fearing that Xu Zhengkang would misunderstand her. She wanted to explain in detail, but seeing Xu Zhengkang's impatient expression, she subconsciously swallowed back the words that were about to burst out of her throat and changed her words to, "I understand... I won't go to work."
"That's right. You are a student, and students only need to think about their studies." Xu Zhengkang made a serious comment, then stood up and answered a phone call.
Zhu Yingning could only give up in disappointment.
**
No way.
Most of the time, she meets the teacher and parent's definition of a "good student" and a "good child", but she has a hidden rebellious streak in her bones. For what she believes is right, she will go through fire and water for it, no matter how much others oppose it.
The next morning, Xu Zhengkang left for work. Before leaving, he gave her a spare key to his house and told her to make a simple lunch from the refrigerator. Zhu Yingning nodded in agreement and watched him leave.
Half an hour later, she changed into her going-out clothes and floated out the door like a ghost. Before leaving, she sneaked to Xu Sirui's bedroom to check if he had returned home last night. Sure enough, she found his bed empty.
It’s awful not to come home at night.
In her eyes, this crime was more serious than smoking. She didn't understand why Xu Zhengkang didn't care about Xu Sirui not returning home all night.
Forget it, now is not the time to think about these things.
She shook her head to clear her mind, changed into her outdoor shoes, and went out simply.
The word "social phobia" didn't exist in Zhu Yingning's vocabulary. Like a gangster, she broke into every store she could see and started with, "Are you hiring?"
She had originally thought that Beijing was a big city with many job opportunities, so finding a job would be easy. But she was completely wrong. Precisely because it was a big city with strong legal awareness, everyone, after hearing her question and seeing her small frame, would ask, "How old are you?"
"I'm fifteen." She always answered honestly.
"Fifteen is child labor. No one asked me to tell you when you were looking for a summer job."
"Why are you looking for a job before you're sixteen? Go, go, go—"
"Fifteen is too young. We don't accept children."
She left home at nine o'clock and searched for three hours until the sun was at its highest point. She asked every street shop within a five-kilometer radius of the community, but she asked until her mouth was dry and she still couldn't get to the bottom of it.
The weather was getting hotter and hotter. In order to avoid death from dehydration, she had to go back home first to replenish some water before continuing to look downstairs.
When she turned the key to open the door, Zhu Yingning had never considered that there might be someone in the house, so she almost bumped into the person who was about to leave. She raised her head, and the expression on her face froze subtly after she saw who was coming.
He has grown taller.
This was the first thought that came to her mind.
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