The September breeze had eased the summer heat a bit, and Fang Dongqiang and Fang Yu had both become first-grade elementary school students, and the two were assigned to the same class.
He still took the same route he had taken for a semester. To get to the elementary school, he would pass by the kindergarten. Whenever he passed by, Fang Dongqiang couldn't help but run to the door, lean out and peek inside, looking at the tall window and the desk he used to sit at.
"Dongqiang, hurry up! We're going to be late!" his companion shouted.
Fang Dongqiang ran back as fast as he could. There was more homework in elementary school, and the teachers were stricter than before, so he dared not slack off.
Fang Meihao had taught Fang Dongqiang the elementary school curriculum before, and he learned it effortlessly, even faster than his classmates.
He was a good student and very lively, so the teacher made him the class monitor. After receiving this title, Fang Dongqiang became much more composed.
One Saturday afternoon in autumn, Fang Meili rode her bicycle to pick up Fang Dongqiang to go to the county town.
"You're really taking him?" Fang Meixiang's mother asked, seeing that Fang Meili had come all the way to pick up Fang Dongqiang.
"Really going! And you're going to tell me? Mom, where are Dongqiang's clothes?" Fang Meili went to find some decent clothes for Fang Dongqiang to change into.
"Here it is!" Fang Dongqiang ran over and grabbed a few pieces of clothing. "Second Aunt, which one do you want to wear?"
"Are you taking two kids, going today and coming back tomorrow, or is it a special trip?" Fang Meixiang's mother was a little puzzled as to why they would make such a special trip just for fun.
“Yes, not only do I want to take the kids, I want to go too.” Fang Meili watched Fang Dongqiang change his clothes. “Okay, let’s go, we still have to catch our train.”
"You're a mother now, but you still act like a child yourself. It's a wonder that Xin Kang can tolerate you."
"Hehehe, Mom, let's go!"
"Dongqiang, stay close to your second aunt and little aunt when you get to the city. Don't wander off," Fang Meixiang's mother instructed from behind.
"Okay! Got it!" Fang Dongqiang was already sitting on the back of the bicycle, while Fang Meili rode a few meters away.
After arriving home, Fang Meili took her daughter and headed straight to the town's bus station. Fang Meili held Yuan Tingting on her lap, while Fang Dongqiang sat next to her, peering out the window and watching the trees along the road recede one after another, as if playing a game of "not being able to catch up," full of novelty.
When they arrived in the county town, Fang Meihao was wearing a clean blue shirt and was already waiting at the station.
"Second Aunt, Tingting, Auntie is waiting for us." Fang Dongqiang, who was clinging to the car window, pulled Yuan Tingting over to look. "Auntie!" Yuan Tingting called out as well.
"Second sister, you must be tired from traveling with the two kids. Come to my dorm and rest for a while, then we'll go have dinner." Fang Meihao quickly came to greet her.
"It's not tiring, it's not like I'm riding my bike myself. Dongqiang seems to have become much more mature since he started elementary school."
Fang Meihao took Fang Dongqiang's hand and said, "You're a primary school student now, not a kindergarten child anymore."
Fang Meihao led the three of them toward the dormitory of their work unit. On the way, they passed a bustling street with shops on both sides, selling cloth, repairing shoes, and setting up food stalls. The shouts and aromas of vendors wafted over.
Fang Meihua's dormitory was on the second floor of the tax bureau's staff quarters. It was a single room of about ten square meters. The wooden door would creak twice when pushed open, as if it were greeting someone. The walls were whitewashed lime walls. Near the door was an old wooden table with a shiny surface. In front of the table was a wooden chair with a thin towel draped over the back.
Opposite the table was a flat wooden bed, with two wooden crates tucked underneath. The room had little decent furniture, but it was all neatly arranged.
"It's great, having a place to stay in the city by myself is really nice!" Fang Meili glanced around the room.
"Auntie, is this your home in the city?" Fang Dongqiang looked around curiously, gently touching the corner of the table.
"Yes, this is my home. You're welcome to come and visit," Fang Mei said with a smile. "Let's put our things down and go for a walk outside. Then we'll go out for dinner."
Fang Meihao led them into the "Weimin Restaurant" at the end of the alley. The wooden tables and chairs were clean, and soup was simmering on a coal stove in the corner, wafting a faint aroma of meat.
Sitting at a table by the window, Fang Dongqiang held onto the table, his face full of the joy of dining out.
"I'll order a few of the local specialties," Fang Meihao said.
"Okay, we've arrived in the county town. I'll listen to you and follow you." Fang Meili helped Fang Tingting sit up straight.
"This is poached chicken. It tastes better when dipped in the sauce on the side." Fang Mei dipped a piece and gave it to Fang Dongqiang, then pointed to another piece next to it, "This piece is all meat, give it to Tingting."
"Wow, this is delicious! From now on, I'll tell Grandma not to cook it in the soup anymore, but to cook it like this too. There's no soup for the chicken, but there's a bowl of soup on the side, so you can dip it in the soup and eat it like this." Fang Dongqiang said loudly after tasting a piece.
"Dongqiang, speak softly," Fang Meihao whispered in his ear. "This isn't soup, it's dipping sauce. Don't speak so loudly in crowded places."
Fang Meili lowered her head and chuckled secretly, whispering to Fang Meihao, "We're typical country bumpkins coming to the city."
"This is braised lion's head meatballs." Another dish was served, with round meatballs coated in a bright red sauce.
"Lion? Head?" Fang Dongqiang raised his eyebrows and stared at the pot of food, speaking softly.
As dusk settled outside the window, the small restaurant filled up with people. The sounds of conversations and the clinking of bowls and chopsticks from neighboring tables blended together, creating a warm and cozy atmosphere. Tingting, her tummy bulging from eating, leaned against Fang Meili, rubbing her belly. Fang Dongqiang also put down his bowl, a few grains of rice still clinging to the corner of his mouth, looking like a satisfied, greedy cat.
Fang Meihao called the shop owner over to settle the bill, saying, "Meihao, you can pay!"
"Second sister, what are you saying? I'm earning a salary now, so I'll pay for everything you eat and do in the county town." Fang Meihao said decisively.
"Okay, let's keep it simple and eat something casual tomorrow. We just started working and we lack many things, and there are many places to spend money, so let's be frugal."
"Okay!" Fang Mei replied with a smile.
At night, the four of them squeezed into Fang Meihao's small bed, chatting about the latest happenings in town, school, and county, until their eyelids started to droop and they finally fell asleep.
The light from outside shone through the curtains and cast a thin beam of light on the wall. Grandma's window wasn't like this. As Fang Dongqiang was drifting off to sleep, he heard the sound of a bicycle bell outside the window, and a radio playing in the distance from someone's house. It wasn't like at home, where all he heard at night was the chirping of insects and his grandfather's snoring.
He suddenly opened his eyes, staring at the wood grain on the ceiling. Above the bed at his grandmother's house was the top of the bed frame. For a moment, he thought he was still lying in his grandmother's bed, and reached out to grab the bed frame, but touched nothing. He then realized that this was his aunt's dormitory in the county town, not his grandmother's house.
When Fang Dongqiang woke up the next morning, he rubbed his sleepy eyes and said, "I dreamt last night that I was at my grandma's house."
"Haha, I'm awake now, let's go shopping!" Fang Meihao ruffled his hair.
On the weekend, the main street of the county town was crowded with people. Fang Meili held Yuan Tingting's hand and walked slowly behind Fang Meihao.
Several women were gathered around the fabric stall, browsing through different patterns. The shoemaker's hammer clattered loudly, and the sounds of bicycle bells mingled with the vendors' shouts, the warmth of the air seeping into their ears. Fang Meili couldn't help but peer into the crowd; the county town was even more crowded than the town market day, shoulder to shoulder.
In the past two years, many young people in the village have gone to work in other places, and there are fewer people in the town than before. Now, several department stores have opened in the town, which has diverted a lot of customers away.
As she approached the department store, she peered through the glass. The shelves were filled with soaps, towels, and enamel basins, many of which were items she also owned. This filled her with a sense of nostalgia.
After looking around, Fang Meili grabbed Fang Meihao and said, "Meihao, what do you think about me opening a wholesale store in the county town? The government is encouraging business now. I can stock up on more goods and let the small shops in the county town and townships get their products from me. It's much better than just running a small shop in town!"
Fang Meihao was stunned for a moment, then laughed, "Sister, you can come up with such grand ideals just by strolling around the streets. But it's true that if you come to the county town, Tingting will be able to study here, and the quality of education and learning environment will be better than in the township."
“Yes!” Fang Meili glanced at her daughter beside her. “Tingting is coming to study in the county town.” This reason made her even more eager to come to the county town.
"Let's wander around some more and see what else you can find. Dongqiang, are you tired?" Fang Meihao pulled Fang Dongqiang along, while Fang Dongqiang looked around with his head held high.
“Even though he wasn’t in class at home, he still went out every single day.”
Several television sets were set up on the second floor of the department store, showing cartoons, and a lot of adults and children were gathered around.
Fang Dongqiang was immediately drawn in and squeezed to the front, refusing to move. Tingting also stood on tiptoe, her little head craning through the gaps in the crowd to watch. The little figures on the screen moved and talked, much better than the occasional open-air movies shown in the village.
"Dongqiang, let's go explore some other places. We have to catch the bus back this afternoon," Fang Meili said, tugging at Dongqiang.
"My mom's always at home. It would be nice if there was a TV for him to watch." Fang Dongqiang walked forward, tilting his head to take a few more glances.
Fang Meili and Fang Meihao looked at each other, their hearts skipping a beat. Yes, they could go out and see everything, while their older sister sat at home all day, but even with a TV, she could still see the wonderful world outside.
Whether Fang Dongqiang wanted the television for himself, saying he wanted his mother to watch it, or whether he genuinely cared about his mother, this gave Fang Meili and Fang Meihao some ideas.
"Let's go take a look and see how much it costs per unit?" They went back.
Black and white TV set: 460 yuan.
“Sure, let’s chip in. 120 each, Da Miao and Dad each contribute 120, and we can buy a TV!” Fang Meili suggested.
"Okay, I'll use my next month's salary to make up the difference."
“No rush, I need to go back and talk to Xinkang about this too. After all, we haven’t bought one ourselves yet. He mentioned it before, and I’m reluctant to spend so much money all at once. Besides,” Fang Meili said softly, pointing to Fang Dongqiang, “I also want to wait for his dad to come back for the New Year and ask him to give me some more money.”
"Doesn't my brother send money every month?" Fang Mei asked, puzzled.
“That money is saved for building a house. We’ll see how much he can take out later. Who knows where he’ll spend it in his own pocket? We’re asking him to take it out so that it can be used for important things.” Fang Meili raised her head slightly. “I’m doing this all for my eldest sister’s good.”
"I know!" Fang Meihao took Fang Meili's arm. "What do you want to eat for lunch?"
"Just grab something like wontons or sesame seed cakes."
"Okay, there really is a stall that sells delicious wontons, and there's a sesame seed cake stall next to it. We'll have sesame seed cakes with wontons. After we eat, we'll take them to the park and the children's palace when we have time."
"I'm too pressed for time to catch the bus. Next time I'll be in the county town, I'll have plenty of opportunities to play."
Fang Meihao tilted her head, "You really took it seriously?"
“Of course,” Fang Meili said firmly. “If I think something is feasible, I should do it as soon as possible.”
Fang Meihao gave a thumbs up, "Fang Meili embodies the unity of knowledge and action!"
"Don't give me that fancy talk. If I know something is feasible, I should do it."
Before leaving the county town, Fang Meihao bought two bags of sponge cakes. "This shop is quite famous. Take one bag with you and give the other to Mom and the others so they can try it."
On the way back, Fang Dongqiang leaned against the car window again, watching the trees along the roadside recede one by one. As long as the car was moving, the trees would move. He thought about the TV in the department store, wishing he had one at home...
Yuan Tingting fell asleep in Fang Meili's arms. Fang Meili was thinking about opening a wholesale store in the county town. Originally, she was doing business in a small town, but after opening the store, she could do business throughout the county. Looking at her daughter in her arms, she thought she would have the chance to live like a child in the city.
"Dongqiang, do you want to study in the county town?" Fang Meili suddenly asked him.
"Yes, I do! The county town is so nice."
"Okay, if you study hard and get into a junior high school in the county town, your aunt will open a shop there, okay?"
"Really? Great! I'll skip class and come sit there with Tingting to watch TV all day." Fang Dongqiang lifted his cheeks, revealing his little teeth that were in the process of losing them.
"Look at you, so ambitious! Let's buy a TV." Fang Dongqiang's eyes widened. "That's great!" Xiangxiang tilted his head slightly and asked softly, "Where will we put it?"
Fang Meili smiled and said, "Let's put it at Grandma's house. Didn't you say you wanted your mom to have a TV at home?"
"Okay, let Tingting come to Grandma's house too. I'm going to school, and she'll watch TV at home. I'll bring her when I get home from school."
"You still think of Tingting, so you have a conscience."
"Grandma said that my second aunt is good to me, so I want to be good to you all too," Fang Dongqiang said earnestly.
Fang Meili looked at Fang Dongqiang, feeling a warmth in her heart. "Dongqiang, you've really grown up."
"Yes, I'm already in elementary school."
Back at the shop in town, Fang Meixiang's father was already waiting to pick up Fang Dongqiang.
"Grandpa, Auntie is going to open a shop in the city and buy a TV." Fang Dongqiang, the little gossip, said as soon as he saw Fang Meixiang's father.
"Hehe, such a big decision after just a trip to the county town?" Yuan Xinkang thought Fang Dongqiang was just talking nonsense and didn't take it seriously.
“We’re going back,” Fang Meixiang’s father said.
"This was bought by Meihao." Fang Meili handed him the sponge cake. "Dongqiang, do you still have pencils and erasers? Take a few more with you." She then took a few pencils and erasers from the counter.
Fang Meixiang's father left the store with Fang Dongqiang. Fang Meili took out a sponge cake and said, "Tingting, take this to the back for Grandpa and Grandma."
“I’ll take it! I’ll have her deliver it, since she’s just a child,” Yuan Xinkang said quickly.
"Tingting has been walking in front and behind, let Tingting go, I have something to discuss with you!"
"You're back and you already have something to discuss? Could it be that you're really going to open a shop in the county town, like Dongqiang said? And buy a TV?"
“Yes, I really want to open a shop in the county town,” Fang Meili said earnestly. “First, there’s a lot of foot traffic in the county town; second, more and more shops are opening now, and they all need to stock up on goods; third, I want to take Tingting to the county town to study.” Fang Meili leaned closer to Yuan Xinkang and lowered her voice, “Also, we’re opening in our own house, and your mother is embarrassed to accept the rent. Your brother and sister-in-law feel like we’re taking advantage of the family, and they’re always a little unhappy. If we open in the county town, we can buy our own house there.”
"Such a big decision needs to be thought through carefully."
“I’ve been thinking about this all the way here. You’ve seen the shops in town, there are more and more of them. Originally, more shops were a bad thing for us, but more shops also mean more people wanting to buy our goods. So we can supply them with wholesale goods and turn our disadvantage into an advantage.”
"Did you go to the county town for further studies? You sound so knowledgeable," Yuan Xinkang teased Fang Meili.
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