After the house was put up for sale, three groups of people came to see it within a month. When Mrs. Huang asked what was going on, Huang Wanzhen simply said that she had agreed with the foreign company not to renew the lease, and that they had come early to show people around. Mrs. Huang always ignored these things. Seeing that Huang Wanzhen could handle it alone, she dragged Zhenzhen out to go shopping again.
The three companies offered a high price, but Huang Wanzhen did not agree. She thought that if the house could not be sold in a short time, she would rent it out first, and then come back in a few years to sell it together with the house on Xiafei Road.
Unexpectedly, a turnaround occurred in the middle of the second month. The buyer, a businessman from Huzhou, Zhejiang, had heard that Huang Wanzhen was going abroad and was envious. He added that his children had all gone to Southeast Asia for business, and that Europe and the United States were too far away to make the round trip. He bargained briefly for the price, and Huang Wanzhen lowered it slightly, and the deal was done.
Seeing that he looked kind, Huang Wanzhen said that she could pay him a few more days' rent if he stayed.
The merchant politely told them to stay and just let him know when they wanted to leave.
Huang Wanzhen thanked him again and again and gave him some specialties from Peking.
After the house was sold, Huang Wanzhen became free. Occasionally, Song Wenyin would ask her to go shopping. There were only a few days left, so Huang Wanzhen almost always agreed to Song Wenyin's requests.
Song Wenyin bought a lot of things for Huang Wanzhen and originally wanted to hold a party for her, but Huang Wanzhen smiled and declined, "I'm just studying abroad, not a government-sponsored student. Let's talk about it after I finish my studies and return."
Song Wenyin swung a small stuffed doll and pouted, "Didn't you arrange everything for Su Jingyi when she went abroad? Her grades aren't even as good as yours."
Huang Wanzhen smiled and said, "I did the same thing in Beijing. It was with people I knew. The main purpose was to get together and chat before leaving, and to tell everyone where I was going. I don't know anyone in Shanghai, and the people who came were all business people or your friends. If someone didn't know us, they would think we were showing off! So many of the famous socialites in Shanghai are from overseas, so this is really unnecessary."
Seeing that Huang Wanzhen was really unwilling, Song Wenyin didn't force it, "Have you informed Su Jingyi?"
Huang Wanzhen nodded. "I wrote to her at the beginning of the year to tell her I was going to take the study-abroad exam. However, Boston, where I'm going, is hundreds of miles away from New York, so it's impossible to see her easily."
Song Wenyin asked curiously, "Then she can't help much? You'll have to take care of the house yourself when you go there?"
Huang Wanzhen shook her head and said, "After the exam, I thought I'd pass, so I wrote her another letter, asking her to help me rent an apartment first. I'll have a place to stay once I'm settled, and then I can look for a suitable one myself."
Song Wenyin gave Huang Wanzhen some instructions, asking her not to forget to write to her and mail her fashionable clothing samples. After Huang Wanzhen nodded in agreement, she asked someone to bring two boxes from the car, one box of snacks and the other box of daily necessities.
Huang Wanzhen was overwhelmed by this. "I bought a first-class cabin, and the food is free."
Song Wenyin had a look on her face that said, "You don't understand." "The food on board needs to be resupplied. We'll be leaving China in ten days or half a month. The food we're resupplied with is all foreign. I heard it tastes terrible. If you can't get used to it, you can have some snacks. They don't spoil easily and can be kept for two or three months."
Huang Wanzhen accepted the luggage because she was serious and had taken the trouble to prepare it for her. However, she did not plan to take it on board because she had too much luggage to take with her.
Time passed quickly, and the day of departure was approaching. Song Wenyin came to Huang Wanzhen again to spend the day. The two played badminton in the yard for half a day, cuddled together for afternoon tea, and then went out for Western food.
The sun was setting. Huang Wanzhen was due to catch a ship the next morning. Song Wenyin told her to go to bed early and told her that she would drive over to pick her up early in the morning so she didn't have to rent another car.
Song Wenyin said something and Huang Wanzhen nodded.
"Okay, I'm leaving."
"I'll take you out."
Arriving at the courtyard, Song Wenyin reluctantly asked, "Once you get there, do you have any other plans besides going to school?"
Huang Wanzhen nodded. "Yes, I have a lot of ideas. I'll have interviews when I get there. After I enroll, I'll see if there are any good jobs. I'll write to you then."
Song Wenyin's spirits brightened up again. "Well! If you find a good job and need funds, just write to me. Let's sell our business here and develop in the United States."
Huang Wanzhen smiled, "As long as you are willing."
Song Wenyin curled her lips and said, "I just can't bear to leave my mother, so I'll take her with me when the time comes."
Huang Wanzhen saw her childish temper and smiled silently, shook her head and said, "Get in the car. It's dark and it's not safe."
The next day, Lin Zexin arrived even earlier than Song Wenyin. She thoughtfully prepared a large bag of seasonings. "I heard from my brothers back home that the food there is different from ours. Even Western food isn't as flavorful as here, and food spoils easily. I've prepared some seasonings for you. When you mix it with soy sauce, vinegar, and sesame oil, it will definitely taste better."
Huang Wanzhen smiled and thanked him, "Manager Lin, thank you for your concern. Don't worry, Dahua brought a lot of seeds and can make soybean paste. When the time comes, stir-frying with soybean paste will be more fragrant than using soy sauce. Once we are stable, we will let her make her own seasoning."
Zhao Dahua nodded hurriedly, "Yes, yes, don't worry, I also brought chili peppers, peanuts, soybeans, sesame seeds, etc. After they are grown, I can also make fermented tofu, sesame paste and sesame oil. I will definitely not let Mr. Huang suffer any loss."
When Lin Zexin heard this, his eyes lit up instantly. "That's great! My younger brother, Lin Zeheng, is studying for a doctorate in New York. He writes every year asking for soy sauce and fermented tofu. If it's not too much trouble, could Mr. Huang please take care of some of them?"
If it were anything else, Huang Wanzhen really couldn't help, but when it came to food, Zhao Dahua was an expert, and Huang Dongshi and Xiuqing were no less impressive. "Of course, it's okay, but I'm in Boston, which is a bit far from New York."
Lin Zexin smiled and said, "Transportation in the United States is more developed than in China. I'll have him go to Boston University to find you."
Huang Wanzhen was not involved in the incident, so she didn't know whether it was worth running such a long distance for a few bottles of seasoning. But she wasn't asked to run anyway, so she nodded without any burden.
Lin Zexin thought for a moment and then said, "Mr. Huang, have you found a place to live? If not, Zeheng is conveniently over there, so I can send a telegram and ask him to help look for one. The ship will take over a month, so I can send the telegram now. When you arrive, if you've found an apartment, you can move in directly."
Huang Wanzhen shook her head. "Thank you very much, but no thanks. I also have a classmate studying in New York, and I've already said hello to her."
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