Cheng Fangqin's matter had just come to an end, and it was almost time for Su Qianshan and others to go to college.
The Su family quarreled fiercely over whether to send their children to register for school, especially Su's mother, who even went on a hunger strike.
"No, no, I mean no. They are just a bunch of half-grown children, and I don't feel comfortable letting them go alone." Mother Su rejected Cheng Fangyi's suggestion outright. Her heart was bleeding at the thought of not being able to see her children for half a year.
Moreover, unlike the 21st century, surveillance wasn't widespread, and there were no high-speed trains. If the children got lost or met with criminals, there would be no clues to track them down. With human traffickers so rampant, she was extremely worried about only Su Qianshan and Su Qianfan, the two boys, following her.
"Mom, Cheng Fangyi has arranged someone to pick them up at the station. Let's send them to the station, and there will be someone to pick them up when we get there. There's nothing to worry about." Su Qing advised.
She wanted to send her children to school more than anyone else.
Even if Su Qing let the children roam freely on normal days, his heart ached when he thought about them going to school so far away.
But now the black market is undergoing a major overhaul, and the police and militia teams are everywhere catching small vendors who are taking advantage of the situation. She and Cheng Fangyi have to deal with the black market affairs first before they can go to Beijing to reunite with their children.
"What about the journey? It's three days and three nights on the train. How can I be assured?"
The children first have to take a train to the provincial capital, then stay for one night, and then take a bus to Beijing the next day. The whole journey takes about five days.
Without a mobile phone or a telephone, a letter would take ten days or half a month to arrive, and Su's mother was worried no matter what.
"Mom, they're not kids anymore. Qianshan is almost 23, and Qianfan is almost 21. Can't two grown men even protect a few girls?"
Su Qing looked at her mother acting childishly and felt a bit amused and helpless.
Daya and Qianya are nineteen years old, Erya is seventeen years old, and the youngest Sanya is fifteen years old, but Su's mother still treats them like children.
It was Su's mother who initially clamored for the children to grow up freely, and it is also Su's mother who is worried day and night now.
"What about Erya? It's been half a month since she left, and there's still no news from her. How did she go to the capital? Did she go with Qianshan and the others?" said Su's mother.
Everyone suddenly realized that there was another Erya.
But this is not anyone's fault. Ever since Erya went to the next town, she has been acting mysterious all day long. Every time I call her, I have to wait several days before getting a reply.
If Su's mother hadn't mentioned it, everyone would have almost forgotten that Erya was also one of the students going to Beijing to study.
"Er Ya is in the capital, and Xiao Wu and Zhao Chunmei are with her. You don't have to worry about her."
Cheng Fangyi always keeps an eye on Erya's whereabouts and knows everything about her.
But there were some things he couldn't tell his family, so he could only pick out some daily things to comfort Su's mother.
"When did Erya go to the capital? Why didn't you tell her? Did she bring everything with her? Did she have enough money? Where did she stay? Why don't you, her parents and uncles, care?"
Hearing that Erya had gone to the capital, Su's mother was extremely anxious. "Do you think that since I'm old, you don't need to discuss anything with me? You didn't even tell me about something as important as the children going to school. Are you going to tell me after they get married and have children in the future?"
"No, mother, Erya happened to go there for some business. I thought since we were already in Beijing, we should stop going back and forth, so I just let her stay there. It's not safe for a girl to run around alone, don't you think?" Cheng Fangyi explained to Su's mother very patiently.
"Too."
Su's mother thought about it, but couldn't find any point to refute, so she nodded with great grievance.
"Er Ya is used to her freedom, and now she has gone to the capital, so I can't do anything about it. But Daya, Sanya, and Qianya are still with me, so I can't let them go to school on their own.
You said you were busy, but that doesn't mean her Black Grandpa and I aren't busy. I think we should just go and send the child off."
Hei Ye smoked his pipe and said nothing.
Only when Su's mother mentioned him did he slowly nod his head.
"Look, Lao Hei also agreed. It's decided. The two of us old guys will take the kids to school, and you guys will take care of things at home. Once you're done, come and join us."
After saying that, Su's mother no longer paid attention to the crowd and went back to her room to pack her things.
Night~
Su's mother knocked on Su Qing's door stealthily.
"Open the door, Su Qing, I'm your mother."
"I'm here, Mom." Cheng Fangyi opened the door first, "Mom, it's so late and you..."
"Shhh."
Cheng Fangyi was pushed into the house by Su's mother.
Su's mother looked around, locked the door, and carefully took out a black box from under her cotton coat.
"This is my most valuable possession. Please store it in my space and give it to me when we get to the capital. I'm worried it might be unsafe to carry it with me on the road."
Su's mother opened the black box, and found it filled with all sorts of things: small and large yellow croakers, silver ingots, copper coins, and even silver dollars...it was completely stuffed to the brim.
Su Qing was a little surprised. When did Su's mother save up such a small treasury without saying anything? "Mom, what are you doing? Aren't you just going to send a child off? What's wrong? Don't you plan to come back?"
"Xiao Cheng knows to come back and make a fuss, and you still ask me questions. Don't you see how old I am? Is it easy for me to take a train? I have thought about it. After I send the children to school, I will help you find a few courtyard houses, and if there is suitable land, I will buy a few. I will take care of everything and wait for you to reunite in Beijing."
Su's mother looked forward to a future in which she would become rich through real estate, as if a huge amount of money had already fallen into her pocket.
"Mom, there's no need to bother you with these things. Cheng Fangyi..."
Su Qing was afraid that her mother would worry too much, so she was interrupted by Cheng Fangyi just as she was about to refuse.
"Mom, I've already asked someone to buy the courtyard houses. There are two courtyard houses with three entrances each, which is just enough for our whole family to live in. But I heard from my friend that the courtyard houses were severely damaged due to the previous movements, so I'd like to trouble you to find someone to renovate them." Cheng Fangyi handed over the address.
"Okay, no problem. I promise to find someone to help you decorate it beautifully. Okay, I'm leaving. I won't disturb you two anymore." Then Su's mother left humming a little tune.
After Su's mother left, Su Qing muttered softly, "Why did you stop me just now? And why did you let Mom take care of the decoration? Didn't you ask your friends to arrange it?"
"Don't you see that Mom's face is not looking good? Wife, it's not a good idea for you to not let Mom do anything. When people are idle, they tend to overthink, and overthinking can easily lead to mental problems."
Cheng Fangyi knew that Su Qing was worried about Su's mother's health.
Especially since Su's mother broke her hand while working a while ago, Su Qing took this matter very seriously. If it weren't for Su's mother's insistence, even cooking and feeding the chickens would not be her turn.
"Wife, you don't allow me to do this or that. I feel so empty and lonely staying alone. The children are not at home for work or school. The busiest time is around dinner time. During the day, I just sit by myself at the gate and stare blankly. I can't bear to see her like that."
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