When reading the letter, Cen Zhengnian had a smile on his face for a while in one moment and a frown on his face in the next.
In the letter, there were also recent words written by Cen Huai'an. Even though his strokes were still quite immature, you could see that he was making progress and writing more seriously.
In fact, his handwriting was not bad. He couldn't help but think of the image of him teaching An'an to write if he was by his side.
Thinking of this, a smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.
Very soon, that smile faded again. Unfortunately, all of this was just his imagination.
The base project is highly confidential, and apart from the military guards and research personnel, nobody is allowed in. Even phone conversations are monitored.
After reading the letter, Cen Zhengnian picked up the phone and called Jiang Shengnan.
"Mom, help me find some recent years' college entrance exam papers. Also, ask Grandpa for some Beijing high school practice questions and exam papers. And on the second shelf of my room's bookcase, there are calligraphy practice sheets from when I used to practice writing characters. Send them all to Chu Xia and An'an."
Jiang Shengnan was very surprised: "Why do you need these? I don't remember any of Chu Xia's family members having to take the college entrance exam?"
Cen Zhengnian said, "Well, Chu Xia is going to use them."
Jiang Shengnan didn't ask much more and immediately said, "OK, these are easy to find. Are there any more?"
"I haven't taken the college entrance exam. Mom, ask Grandpa what else she needs if she takes the college entrance exam, and send it to Chu Xia together."
He was afraid that he hadn't thought it through well and would delay Chu Xia.
If his wife wants to continue her studies, he is happy that she is motivated and willing to provide all the help he can.
Cen Zhengnian lifted his pen and wrote a reply to Chu Xia.
I have already thanked the colleague who proposed to send beef jerky and dried fruit, and I am relieved that you love it.
He wrote what he wanted to send in the letter, then thought for a moment and added: An'an can stand on his own two feet. I am very proud. You teach him very well. You want to go to school, and I am all for it. If there are any difficulties at home, you can tell me. Don't be shy to open up; I will think of a way.
Everything is fine here, and I hope you are well too.
After sealing the letter, Cen Zhengnian prepares to send the letter to Chu Xia along with the things his mother will send tomorrow.
The next day
Cen Zhengnian was seen by Yu Tian when he handed over the things to the guards. He was surprised and said, "Didn't you just send something? Why did you send so much again?"
Cen Zhengnian handed over the items to the guards and turned his head to Yu Tian. "It's something my mother prepared."
Yu Tian couldn't help but sigh, "Your family is so good to your daughter-in-law! If I had known, I would have married my sister to you!"
Cen Zhengnian laughed. "Then don't even think about it; I'm already married."
Yu Tian let out a "tsk", "Back then, you looked like you wanted to spend your whole life with your job. Who would dare to marry you!"
Yes, he really didn't have the heart to get married and have children back then. If his parents hadn't forced him to go on a blind date, he wouldn't be married now.
The photo Chu Xia sent wasn't very large. Cen Zhengnian put it in the pocket of his shirt; it fit perfectly.
However, as the project reached its final stage, it was the busiest time, and he didn't have the opportunity to take it out and look at it.
Almost every day, he slept in the lab. He didn't even have time to ask if Jiang Shengnan had prepared the materials.
The busy Cen Zhengnian doesn't know that there is also an uninvited guest here for Chu Xia.
"Big sister?" Chu Xia's eyebrow jumps as she sees that it's Luo Chuyu and moves aside to let her in.
Luo Chuyu's days are much better than the original owner's because she follows a powerful mother-in-law. Although she has a heart for her natal family, she can't take out a single cent to subsidize them, and even her salary is held by her mother-in-law.
She wasn't free, but she didn't have to go hungry or suffer from the cold. Her mother-in-law had taken care of all that. All she had to do at her mother-in-law's house was take care of her husband.
Because her husband has the IQ of a seven- or eight-year-old, he can't be left alone.
If she were a mother who loved her daughter, even if the family they were marrying into was well-off, she wouldn't agree to her daughter marrying into such a family.
Wang Yulan obviously wouldn't think that much about her daughter. She only thought of the benefits her family would get after her eldest daughter married over.
Unfortunately for her, Luo Chuyu couldn't hold any influence in the family she married into; her mother-in-law's word was final.
Of course, the Luo family got some benefits, such as Luo's sister-in-law's job being directly transferred, and there is also the recent house allocation.
As soon as Luo Chuyu came, Chu Xia guessed her purpose.
Sure enough, she moves to a chair and looks at Chu Xia with a disapproving face. "Second sister, you really shouldn't have."
Luo Chuyu's character is as soft as the original owner. Both of them are the only ones who follow Wang Yulan; what Wang Yulan says is what she says. Moreover, she favors boys over girls.
Chu Xia raises her eyebrows and pushes Cen Huai'an to let him enter the inner room.
Cen Huai'an leans against Chu Xia; his eyes are hostile as he looks at Luo Chuyu and doesn't go.
Seeing his reluctance, Chu Xia doesn't force him, pulling a small bench for him to sit on before turning her head to look at Luo Chuyu.
"Where did I go wrong?"
Luo Chuyu sees that Chu Xia is a little bit justified and doesn't feel that she is at fault at all. Her brows are tightly wrinkled, and she painfully says: "Our parents are going through such difficult times. Our big brother's child is small, little brother wants to get married, and little sister wants to go to school. You actually went to ask Mom for money? You even took the TV and refrigerator. Have you ever thought about our mother? Do you know that our mom is sick because of you? Big brother and Dad are sighing when they talk about you. Without a natal family, if you're bullied in the future, you won't have anyone to stand up for you!"
"Sick?" A smile appears on Chu Xia's face. "Have I been sick less in the past? Big sister, you shouldn't talk about things you don't understand. You didn't starve and freeze, so you're not qualified to advise me. You're not the one who's being tortured to death by mom."
Chu Xia says this with resentment. Luo Chuyu's heart jumps when she hears this; she didn't know that her second sister actually has such a deep rift with Mom.
Her lips moved. "Second sister..."
"If you try to persuade me again, don't blame me for not remembering my feelings and kicking you out."
Chu Xia coldly lowered her face, with the appearance of being ready to kick out her guests.
Luo Chuyu had been brainwashed by Wang Yulan since she was a child. It didn't make sense to talk to her, and Chu Xia wasn't prepared to say anything more to her.
Chu Xia just hoped that when Luo Chuyu played the role of the family savior, she wouldn't drag her into it. She found these sanctimonious words here to be annoying.
"You... you're really out of your mind! Mom is right, you just have no conscience anymore. She really raised you for nothing!" Luo Chuyu has a disappointed face.
Chu Xia really doesn't want to hear her say these useless words anymore, so she gets up and pulls the door open. "Big sister, don't force me to kick you out."
"Fine, fine!" Luo Chuyu stands up. "Finish offending your own family; there will be a time when you regret it!"
Her face shook with anger; she stood up and left.
Watching the door shut immediately, Luo Chuyu's heart was angry, aggrieved, and puzzled. Second sister used to be the best with her, but during this period, things had changed so dramatically.
Only then does Chu Xia look at Cen Huai'an and stuff a beef jerky into his mouth and ask, "Did it scare you?"
Cen Huai'an shakes his head, hugs Chu Xia's arm, and says, "Mom, you have me."
Grandma and the others don't want you; I want you.
Chu Xia heard the meaning of Cen Huai'an's words, smiled, and rubbed his head. "Yes, we'll live as mother and son, and our days will be even more lively!"
***
On the first of September, there is a primary school near Textile Mill No. 3. It is the textile factory's affiliated primary school, and all the children in the neighborhood attend classes there.
After asking Cen Huai'an's opinion, Chu Xia took him to the school to enroll.
The affiliated primary school is very crowded today. All parents are coming over to pay for enrollment. There are also students from other grades who are also paying tuition fees at the start of the school year today. Attending primary and secondary schools is not free now.
Strict schools often require children to be seven years old to start school. However, the factory-affiliated primary school was established by the factory and had less stringent requirements for the children of factory workers. As long as they weren't too young and the fees were paid, they accepted five-year-old students.
A semester of tuition and miscellaneous fees is 10 yuan. This money has some families not willing to pay, which is why many children did not attend school. The majority of these children were girls, and this situation was also present in the textile factory.
In the future, the nine-year compulsory education will cancel tuition and miscellaneous fees, which are really for the children who cannot afford to go to school, to open up a road to knowledge.
Chu Xia watched as the school teacher responsible for registration wrote Cen Huai'an's name and, without looking up, said, "Come to school the day after tomorrow; go to preschool class two."
At this time, the school still had a preschool class for children to attend before entering the first grade of primary school.
Chu Xia knows why Brother Bang doesn't come to school; the tuition and miscellaneous fees are too expensive for a kid like him.
She didn't ask Cen Huai'an how their business was doing these days, but when she thought of it today, she asked in passing, "How much money are you and Brother Bang making these days?"
She didn't expect Cen Huai'an to answer right away. Adults don't keep accounts daily, and they might only do it once a month.
She didn't expect Cen Huai'an to blurt out, "493 yuan."
Chu Xia was surprised and said, "Afer removing the cost?"
Cen Huai'an nodded. "I counted it yesterday, but I haven't counted the ones I sold today."
Chu Xia can't help but praise, "You guys are amazing!"
The corners of Cen Huai'an's mouth lifted upwards, then he tried to suppress it and said, "I only go to sell on weekends; I don't earn much."
"That's pretty impressive too. What do you want to eat today? I'll take you to eat something delicious!"
Chu Xia knows that Cen Huai'an loves to eat, which has to do with his previous experience of starvation. The rewards of little red flowers are redeemed most often for food, in addition to money and toys.
Cen Huai'an points to the cotton candy seller on the street, licks his lips, and says, "Can I eat that?"
Of course Chu Xia agreed with him. Cotton candy is not expensive—just a few cents. Not only did she buy it for him, she also bought one for herself.
Cotton candy nowadays doesn't have as many styles as in later generations; it's just a white mass.
Cen Huai'an carefully licks a bite; the sweetness that is different from milk candy makes his eyes curve, which is very cute.
Chu Xia can't help but pinch his already fleshy little face. In exchange for his puzzled look, Chu Xia's face ripples with a bright smile. "It's okay, your face is dirty."
Then she took a big bite of cotton candy, which surprised Cen Huai'an. However, he followed Chu Xia's lead and took a bite, puffing up his little mouth, making him even cuter.
After eating the cotton candy, Cen Huai'an did not want to throw away the bamboo stick. He carefully licked it and put it away.
In the evening, he wrote his diary. Chu Xia saw him write in the book: Today Mom invited me to eat cotton candy. It was sweet, but not the same taste as eating candy. It's just that Mom taught me a different way of eating it, where it's all cotton candy in my mouth, but I want to try it again.
Many difficult words that he can't write are replaced with pinyin, such as 'candy' and 'mouth'.
However, compared to Cen Huai'an's previous diary entries, there is still less pinyin.
This is the result of his hard work in learning the vocabulary every day, and Chu Xia is extraordinarily proud of it.
It's a pity that, with such an excellent son, she can't find someone to show off all the time. It will annoy people.
***
"Brother Bang, I'm going to school tomorrow." Cen Huai'an looks at the ice cream in the foam box, and his eyes are full of reluctance.
After going to school, he wouldn't be able to sell these ice cream, and he would earn less money.
Brother Bang hung his head low, hiding the envy in his eyes, but on his lips he said, "What's so good about going to school? You'll spend money and not earn any."
Cen Huai'an thought about it and said, "Not necessarily; you can earn money at school too. Brother Bang, when school is over, you sell the ice cream at the gate. I don't think it will be less than selling it at the cinema."
His voice was still childish, but his tone was serious, and he could hear that he had seriously thought about it.
At this time, it was still the peak of summer, except for the occasional rain when they needed to wear long sleeves. Everyone was dressed in short sleeves and shorts, and it was scorching hot at noon.
Cen Huai'an was selling ice cream with Brother Bang until his face and arms were all tanned.
Ice cream could still be sold for a while. Selling them at the school gate was a good idea.
Brother Bang's eyes lit up, but he didn't want to give up the cinema business.
He'd managed to get acquainted with the area, so he wasn't willing to give it up.
"Cen Huai'an probably thought of it a long time ago, immediately continuing to say, 'You let Kuaizi and Maozai push the ice cream over when school is about to end, and I'll come out to sell it with them as soon as I finish school.'"
Brother Bang raised an eyebrow, smiled, and said with certainty, "You've thought this through, haven't you?"
"Hmm. Besides ice cream, you can sell other things in front of the school in the future."
As for what to sell specifically, Cen Huai'an planned to see what his classmates liked to buy when he started school. The children at the affiliated primary school were mostly children of factory workers, and he knew they had money. Making money from them made him very happy.
He was very happy to earn their money.
Cen Huai'an wouldn't be attending the kindergarten anymore, and he didn't want to waste the school fees he had paid.
Chu Xia went to the director and refunded as much as she could, according to the time Cen Huai'an was already attending.
When she took the money and walked out of the director's office, she saw Chen Chen looking at Cen Huai'an with an anxious and sad face: "Are you really not coming to kindergarten?"
Cen Huai'an looked up and saw her mother coming out. He said "hmm" and quickly walked towards her mother.
"An'an!" Cen clenched his little fist with a determined look. "I'm going to primary school too! We can still be good friends! You wait for me!"
After saying that, he took his short little legs and darted out the door, being stopped by the teacher and carried back to the classroom.
While he struggled violently to stomp his legs, he also didn't forget to turn his head and say to Cen Huai'an, "An'an! You wait for me!"
Chu Xia looks in the direction that Chen Chen went and smiles and says, "You and Chen Chen seem to be on good terms. I thought you didn't make any good friends in kindergarten."
Cen Huai'an glances at Chu Xia and wonders why his mother thinks that he and Chen Chen are on good terms when it's clear that he didn't even speak just now.
But it was true that the closest thing to Cen Huai'an in kindergarten was Chen Chen, mainly because he was too pestering and he had candy.
Cen Huai'an likes to win his candy.
He doesn't know if there will be any more children who will let him win candy when he gets to preschool.
Cen Huai'an saved all the money he earned on his own, including the money given by Chu Xia, and didn't spend a cent of it frivolously.
Mom gives him candy every two days, and the ones he wins from Chen Chen, he eats happily every day and doesn't have to buy them.
Toys he could exchange for little red flowers; there is no need to buy them either.
Cen Huai'an did the math in his mind. He's saved so much money now. In the future, when the fairy mom is gone, he won't have to worry about going hungry.
Chu Xia knows that Cen Huai'an has saved up money, and he has been behaving really well at home lately. She didn't even suspect that he would do anything bad if he went outside.
She also found a small square iron box, about the size of a toffee box, for him to store his money. It had a small lock on the outside, and Cen Huai'an was the only one with the key.
Cen Huai'an opened the iron box every day before going to bed, counted the money, and when he had extra money, he put more money in it.
Chu Xia loved watching him count the money, and she pretended to stay calm, but his body tensed up like a little mouse stealing oil, which made him look particularly cute.
If she accidentally made some noise at this time, Cen Huai'an's back would tense a little.
Later, Chu Xia felt that he was too tense and said to him, "I'm not moving your money. We're the only two in the house; you can relax."
Perhaps it's because of his childhood habits that he would agree verbally but remain the same in practice, not changing.
At this moment, Cen Huai'an was counting his money while Chu Xia was reading a book for the second year of high school.
She reviewed quickly, but she needed more practice problems. Having gone through the intense month of practicing problems before the college entrance exam in her past life, she felt uneasy without doing practice problems.
She visited a bookstore and found that there were hardly any materials available for her future. Most of the questions were designed by school teachers, and she wasn't a student there, so why would they provide her with these materials?
Knock knock knock
The door was knocked on. Cen Huai'an immediately closed the box, locked it, and turned his head, his eyes alertly looking at the door.
It took less than a second.
Chu Xia stands up and gestures for him to put away his precious deposit box first. She stands up and goes to open the door.
Seeing Guan Yan outside the door, Chu Xia doesn't let her in and stands in the doorway and asks politely and detachedly, "Can I help you?"
Guan Yan shyly pushes her short, ear-length hair back and gives a smile with affinity to Chu Xia.
"I heard Sister Li say that you can make a particularly delicious pumpkin cake. Can I trouble you to teach me? My Mingming is sick and wants to eat some sweets."
Chu Xia wrinkles her eyebrows and refuses without hesitation, "I won't teach anyone. I made it myself haphazardly. You go ask Grandma Chen; she taught me how to do it."
Previously, when the entire residential building helped Chu Xia search for Cen Huai'an, she made some pumpkin cakes to share with the neighbors who helped her on Sunday.
Grandma Chen did say a few words next to her when she was making them at the time.
But it wasn't teaching her how to make them. She was reminiscing about her own childhood, saying that her mother's best skill was making pumpkin cakes and that Grandma Chen would make them for her whenever she was sick.
She inherited her mother's craftsmanship, and the pumpkin cakes were extremely well made, and her little grandchildren loved them the most.
Later on, after eating the pumpkin cake made by Chu Xia, she even complimented her on her authenticity.
After finishing her sentence, Chu Xia closed the door, leaving Guan Yan with a stunned face.
She now really knows that Chu Xia doesn't want to cross paths with her too much. Just why?
Even Sister Li is on good terms with her now, and the others in the family complex are also getting along fine. Only Chu Xia, the person she wants to befriend the most, doesn't get along, making her very bitter.
But she's already bowed her head twice; there's no need to continue.
Since they weren't willing, she wasn't the one to rush them.
Just because adults couldn't befriend each other didn't mean that children couldn't play together. She could hear Cen Huai'an recite ancient poems every day, reciting them quite quickly.
It showed that Cen Huai'an was smart. Moreover, he dressed neatly every day and looked different from those children in the residential building who only knew how to play with cats and dogs.
Such a child is suitable to be her son's friend.
When Guan Yan returned and saw her son "humming" on the bed, demanding a soda, she prepared a cup of malted milk and handed it to him.
She gently touched his forehead. "We'll save the soda for when you're feeling better. Right now, the malted milk is just as sweet."
Qi Ming is just looking for an excuse to make trouble; he felt uncomfortable with his fever. It's okay to have malted milk; anyway, his mother promised to buy him soda.
While her son was drinking, Guan Yan touched the head of Qi Ming; her eyes fell on the wall connecting the next door, and she said, "Those children in our complex seem to be afraid of An'an. In the future, you play with him more, so that other children will be afraid of you."
On the other hand, when Chu Xia went back, her words of instruction were the opposite of Guan Yan's: "An'an, the mother and son next door, I don't know what they're up to, so don't get in touch with them too much!"
"I know, mom."
Cen Huai'an hadn't noticed next door in the first place. He has to read and write every day, and he also has to write in his diary and think about making money. He's too busy to have time to bring a child to play.
Now that mom specifically said that, Cen Huai'an would be even less likely to come near him.
As a result, after a few attempts to befriend Cen Huai'an and getting cold shoulders in return, Qi Ming gave up.
He was spoiled from childhood until now with this kind of aggression. Why suffer?
He himself angrily thought: 'Cen Huai'an used to be a little nobody, and now he acts all arrogant. He's so annoying to look at.'
However, Qi Ming's anger grew when he saw a crowd of kids surrounding Cen Huai'an, wanting to play Five in a Row with him. He decided that these kids were too annoying, and he didn't want to play with any of them.
On September 3rd, it was the first day of school at the attached primary school.
Chu Xia woke up early in the morning to make hot pepper soup and potato cake.
She didn't put too much pepper in the soup she made, so it wasn't very spicy, but it was delicious.
Cen Huai'an drank a bowl and wanted to drink more, but was stopped by Chu Xia. "You'll have to drink medicine later; if you drink one more bowl, you won't be able to drink the medicine."
Cen Huai'an reluctantly puts down the bowl. The look in his eyes makes Chu Xia almost fail to stop him from drinking another bowl.
Now Cen Huai'an knew what to do to get what he wanted. Sometimes he intentionally shows a pitiful look, making people want to agree with him on everything.
But he is only like this in front of her. Outside, he rarely smiled and didn't show much emotion. When he played Five in a Row with other kids from the residential building, he was merciless.
Killing other people to death in the game is his favorite thing. Every time he returns home after abusing others in Five in a Row, he has so little expression on his face, but Chu Xia can feel that he is in a good mood.
When drinking the medicine, Cen Huai'an again took a mouthful of it and didn't even furrow his eyebrows.
The Chinese medicine is particularly bitter, and when Chu Xia ate it herself, she felt it was so bitter that she wanted to vomit.
But Cen Huai'an never said it was bitter. It was all the same as today, waiting for the medicine to cool down and finishing it in one gulp.
If it weren't for the fact that Chu Xia also had to drink the medicine, she really would have thought that it wasn't medicine but brown sugar water.
However, when drinking the medicine, Chu Xia will prepare warm water in advance. After drinking the medicine, she can drink some water to bring down the bitter taste in her mouth so that it's not so uncomfortable.
On his first day of school, Cen Huai'an was full of anticipation.
In the past, he heard others sing:
The sun shines in the sky, and the flowers smile at me. The birds say, Good morning, why do you carry a small school bag...
He used to look enviously at others carrying their schoolbags to school, but now he doesn't envy them anymore.
Because he also had a new school bag that his mom bought in the department store. It was different from the kind that everyone else made. It had Astro Boy printed on it.
Cen Huai'an was very careful when he carried it.
In fact, if Chu Xia knew how to do needlework, she would have made Cen Huai'an a schoolbag.
But she doesn't know how. She can't even cut out a pattern; she can only do surgical stitching.
The bag contains a book and a stationery box. The pencils and erasers inside are packed by Cen Huai'an himself, and Chu Xia is just reminding him of what to bring.
Chu Xia sends Cen Huai'an to the door of the classroom, tidies up his clothes, adjusts the straps of the schoolbag, and says, "I'm going back; study hard at school; and tell me at home what the teacher said."
"Hmm." Cen Huai'an nods his head; his face is expressionless again.
Chu Xia can't help but want to pinch his face when she looks at him like this. but in the end, she gives up. There are a number of children sitting in the class now, and they will all be Cen Huai'an's classmates in the future, so she can't let him lose face.
"Go inside, bye."
Cen Huai'an also raised his hand and waved, "Bye, mom."
Cen Huai'an thought that the pre-school class would be different from kindergarten and that the little kids should be less likely to cry.
As it turned out, he found out that he was wrong; there would still be small children crying in the classroom.
Until the teacher came in, a serious old man, and knocked on the table with a stern face, his eyes glaring like copper bells, looking fiercely at the children underneath, and said, "No crying! Whoever cries again, I'm going to knock him out!"
Instantly, the classroom was quiet. With only the sound of small sobs, no one dared to cry.
Cen Huai'an understood that children were also afraid of mean people. As long as you are fierce, they will listen to you.
Just then, an excited voice sounded outside the doorway: ''An'an! An'an! I'm coming to school! "
Cen Huai'an: ......
Why can't he avoid this classmate who likes to pester him even though he's in primary school?
Once he thought about Chen's candy again, it wasn't unbearable.
"No loud talking!" The teacher glared at Chen Chen, who immediately shrank his head in fear, like a wilted chicken, his head lowered and his body in a ball.
Chen Chen's mother wiped the sweat from her face and hurriedly told the teacher that she was sorry, that she hadn't been paying attention to the time, and that she had been late in bringing her child.
The teacher came out to talk to Chen Chen's mom, and Chen Chen scowled at Cen Huai'an.
Unfortunately, Cen Huai'an had already gone to look at the Sudoku he had brought over and didn't pay any attention to him.
Sudoku was something Cen Huai'an asked for himself when he bought the book at the bookstore with Chu Xia.
Compared to memorizing ancient Chinese poems, he loves doing this kind of math that mobilizes logical thinking.
He's halfway through this Sudoku book, and the one he's doing is a four-cell grid. The first part wasn't too difficult, and Chu Xia talked to him about how to solve Sudoku puzzles, so when he was doing it, he thought a little bit, and the answer came out.
The latter part is more difficult; he will think for a while longer, but the sense of achievement is higher when he does it.
Chen Chen sat next to Cen Huai'an as he wished. His chubby flesh shook when he sat down; he was anxious to pull out his things, and his mouth whispered An'an, "An'an, An'an, I've got candies; let's play Six in a Row after class, okay?"
Chen Chen's level of six in a row was so bad that Cen Huai'an was able to beat him before the first class period was over.
Chen Chen couldn't win, but he was still addicted to playing the game, and sometimes when Cen Huai'an didn't want to play with him, he went to find someone else to play with.
No matter who he played with, he never won. His candies, marbles, and cards were often won by others.
Cen Huai'an looked up to the podium. The teacher was really looking at Chen Chen; his eyes were glaring.
Chen Chen followed Cen Huai'an's line of sight; his body trembled in fear, and he immediately lowered his head and didn't dare to speak.
***
At noon, Chu Xia and Cen Huai'an returned home and received two package notification slips. One package was sent by Cen Zhenian, and the other was from Beijing, sent by someone named Jiang Hongru.
Jiang Hongru? It seems that her mother-in-law's surname is Jiang, and she is also from the capital. Is this something that her mother-in-law asked someone to send?
Chu Xia takes the parcel collection slip to the post office and collects two parcels.
Before opening them, she wasn't sure who the sender from Beijing was. The previous owner of her body got married in Liangzhou and had never left the area, so she was unfamiliar with her husband's family members.
So, Chu Xia also didn't know who this was from her mother-in-law's family. She could only be sure that her mother-in-law was in northwestern Ganzhou, and it wasn't sent by her mother-in-law.
The things Cen Zhengnian sent were even bigger than the last time he sent them, and the other parcel was also so heavy that she couldn't carry it alone.
Chu Xia asked the postman for help, offering extra payment to have the packages delivered to her house. Otherwise, she wouldn't be able to move them herself.
Otherwise, she can only watch and stare.
When she arrives home and opens the parcel, Chu Xia is surprised and delighted. It's actually high school test papers and the latest study materials!
Cen Zhengnian sent over some materials, and the capital sent even more of them.
Chu Xia opened Cen Zhengnian's letter and understood that he supported her studies. He specially asked his mother to ask his grandfather to find study materials. His mother had also found a lot of study materials on her own in the northwest.
She looked at the letter and thought back to the Cen Zhengnian in the original owner's memory. He didn't talk much, had a proud backbone, and didn't ask for anything easily.
Chu Xia can't imagine what tone he used to ask his mom for help.
And the fact that he sends so much in one go shows that her in-laws are fully supportive of the fact that she is going to university.
The original owner had received many parcels from her mother-in-law before, and Chu Xia sighed.
Cen Zhengnian's family is really a very good family; she can't say what she feels in her heart right now.
If the original owner had not listened to her mother so much, the original owner wouldn't have ended up like that in the book. Cen Huai'an wouldn't have grown into a villain.
The saying that personality determines destiny could not have been more vividly embodied than it is now.
But it's useless to think about this anymore. The original owner is no longer here, so Chu Xia gathers her emotions and goes back to look at the parcel.
Cen Huai'an had already placed all the books one by one on the table. She was frozen in thought; in addition to the books, there were also furs, clothes, and all sorts of food.
No wonder the parcel was so big.
The fur is something that needs to be processed by a tailor because the one that was sent over was a whole skin, and there were two of them.
Chu Xia doesn't know about fur. She can't feel what kind of hair it is, but it's quite comfortable to touch. The color is pure white, so she guesses it should be wool because rabbit fur isn't this big.
It's just right to take it now and let the tailor make it so she can wear it in the winter.
"An'an, this package was all bought by your grandmother and then had your father send it over. This pile of stuff was sent over by your great-grandpa."
Chu Xia has to tell Cen Huai'an that it was sent to him. He can't just eat it and use it, and he doesn't know who to thank.
The only image Cen Huai'an had in his head about grandmothers was the template of Grandma Chen.
He is not unfamiliar with the word grandma, but he is a stranger to it.
He opens his mouth and asks Chu Xia, "Is my grandmother the same as Grandma Chen?"
If it's the same, then he won't need to be coaxed and chased into eating. He'll definitely take a big bite and finish the meal.
Grandma Chen was like this in the residential building, chasing after her little grandson all day long to feed him, sometimes even running through the entire family complex to finish feeding him a bowl of rice.
"It's not the same," Chu Xia said. "Everyone's grandma is different; your grandma should be a very good person; you can see that she loves you very much."
Cen Huai'an can't imagine what his grandmother looks like. He shakes his head and says, "Why haven't I seen her?"
Chu Xia: "Because she's as busy as your dad."
The original owner's impression of his grandmother is that she's a strong woman working in the army and is very busy.
Nothing else rings a bell because the original owner only saw her when she got married after the blind date. She didn't come back after that.
On the contrary, she often sent things. In the letters, she would say that she was too busy and felt guilty that she couldn't come over, and then she sent more money to the original owner and asked the original owner's mother to help take more care of her and An'an.
It's just that Wang Yulan took away these things and didn't take care of the original owner, so those things were wasted.
Chu Xia doesn't want Big Brother Luo's family to get the housing allocation, nor does she want them to live so comfortably.
But she is busy with her studies and work, and there is still Cen Huai'an, a child, at home, so she can't get out to go to her mother's house to give them more trouble.
But as long as Big Brother Luo can't get the housing allocation, that family living in the same house, plus without the money from Chu Xia's place, sooner or later they'll make a scene.
None of them are good people; she waits to see them make their own deaths.
But how can she keep them from getting the allocation?
Chu Xia is prepared to wait until she finishes the transfer exam to think about it; right now, her own affairs are the most important.
Cen Huai'an said with a flat emotion, "Oh."
They don't even come back to see him, sending things he couldn't use before; he doesn't like any of them.
Now Cen Huai'an is not like before; he is not even willing to read the letters
He would lean back in Chu Xia's arms and listen to her read the letters written by Cen Zhengnian and also by his great-grandpa.
"Your father said he sent you calligraphy practice sheets that he used to use to practice writing."
Chu Xia flipped through the pile of books and found it, handing it to Cen Huai'an: "It's this one."
Cen Huai'an didn't take it: "I don't want to use his."
"Then don't use it." Chu Xia remains on the table and continues to read.
When he hears Cen Zhengnian praise him for his good nature and being raised well by his mother, he can't help but retort in his heart: It's the fairy mother who raised him well, not the previous mother.
Cen Huai'an found that those painful memories that his mother had given him in the past didn't seem to be as difficult to remember now.
It should be Fairy Mom who casts a fairy spell on him. Yes, that's it.
At night, Chu Xia lies in bed and falls asleep.
Cen Huai'an quietly opened his eyes and whispered "Mom", but Chu Xia ignored him and rolled over, pressing her arm against him.
Cen Huai'an carefully removed Chu Xia's arm, climbed up, gently got off the bed, and tiptoed out of the room.
On the wall opposite the cupboard, there was a wooden box, and Cen Huai'an saw that his mother had placed all her books from today inside it.
He carefully opened the wooden box through the moonlight outside the window, rummaged through one book after another, and finally saw what he wanted.
The calligraphy practice sheets that his dad had sent over.
He took it out, closed the lid of the wooden crate, and quickly stuffed it into his book bag.
After doing this, he patted his heart that was thumping in his chest, tiptoed back to his bed, and covered himself with the quilt to sleep peacefully.
Chu Xia woke up early in the morning, went to the wooden box to get the books, and found that the calligraphy practice sheets were missing.
She raised her eyebrows, not surprised. She didn't go to look for the practice sheet. She and Cen Huai'an were the only two people in the house, so if she didn't take it, Cen Huai'an must have taken it.
Awkwardly wanting the calligraphy practice sheets. Chu Xia smiles and shakes her head to go cook.
With these test papers and study materials, Chu Xia did the questions for two days. When she went to No. 9 High School in the morning on the fifth to take the exam, she was more confident.
This was the impact of rigorous practice on Chinese students
The transfer exam is for two days. Chu Xia took the science section paper. She has four tests on Saturday and three on Sunday.
Chinese, mathematics, English, physics, chemistry, biology, and one subject of political science.
The question is not difficult, so Chu Xia does it quite smoothly because she has reviewed it intensely. She answered the English questions very quickly and even handed in her paper half an hour into the exam.
Only in politics, she is not sure. There are some word explanations in the Chinese section that were challenging.
However, Chu Xia answered all that she could in the exams. With a solid foundation in mathematics, science, and English, she wasn't very worried.
When she received her answer key after the exams, Chu Xia calculated her score. She was sure that she had passed the transfer test without any issues.
After finishing the exams, she still had some free time. Chu Xia happily wandered to the cinema, where she found Cen Huai'an.
"An'an!"
Chu Xia smiles at Brother Bang and his gang. Cen Huai'an runs over, his face all sweaty.
Chu Xia takes out a handkerchief for him to wipe himself. "Later, I'll send the fur to the tailor; do you want to come with me?"
Cen Huai'an takes a look at the stall selling ice cream and shakes his head. "I want to finish selling before I go."
"Fine, it just so happens that I haven't seen a film yet; I'll go watch a film while you guys sell."
Cen Huai'an looked at his mother's back as she slowly walked towards the cinema and couldn't help but stare.
Then he pursed his lips in exasperation. He also wanted to watch a film; why didn't his mother ask him?
Even if he wanted to sell ice cream, she could have asked, ah, maybe he would have agreed.
Cen Huai'an returned to the ice cream foam box with an expressionless face. Anyone could see that he was not happy.
Brother Bang wiped his sweat, looked at the handkerchief in Cen Huai'an's hand, shook his outstretched hand, and said, "Lend me the handkerchief."
Cen Huai'an immediately stuffed the handkerchief into his pocket. "No, it's my mother's."
He touched his pocket again, pulled out his own, and threw it to Brother Bang. "You use this."
"Cheap." Brother Bang took the handkerchief and didn't care, wiping his face back to Cen Huai'an and pushing his shoulder against him. "What are you upset about?"
He stroked his chin and looked at the entrance of the cinema and said with certainty, "Your mother went to the cinema, didn't she? What, upset because she didn't take you along?"
Cen Huai'an impatiently frowned and pushed Brother Bang away. "No, I'm selling ice cream!"
After saying that, he no longer cares about Brother Bang. He looks at that beat up smile of his, and he gets upset.
Chu Xia doesn't know what's happening outside.
She entered the cinema rather coincidentally, just when a film was about to start playing, "Romance of Lushan."
Chu Xia thinks that the name is a bit familiar; she should have heard it mentioned sometimes.
The inside of the cinema cannot be compared to the cinema of later generations. They have hard chairs made of wood.
The lighting was dim, and the slogans and mottos typical of that era were displayed on the front curtain and all around.
Chu Xia found this quite novel.
She went in and found her seat. Soon the lights went out, the whole cinema was dark, and the front curtain lit up.
It was the same feeling as when she was a child watching street-side movies.
As soon as the film started, the chaotic talking inside the cinema stopped instantly, and everyone looked up in unison to concentrate on the film.
Romance of Lushan was quite good, and from the perspective of future audiences, Chu Xia also found it enjoyable, even better than many movies made in later years.
Two young people met, fell in love with each other in a youthful and innocent way, and stayed together through trials and tribulations. After watching the film, Chu Xia felt touched in her heart, which was filled with admiration for the beauty of love.
However, when she left the cinema, she saw Cen Huai'an, who had an unhappy look on his face, and all thoughts of innocent love were immediately pushed aside.
"Is it sold out?"
"Yeah." Cen Huai'an lowered his head, grinding the stones under his feet with his shoes, and asked in a muffled voice, "Was the film good?"
"It was great, especially good. I'll come back to see it in the future."
Cen Huai'an instantly looked up, a hint of grievance in his eyes. Why didn't his mom ever ask him?
Chu Xia can't help but laugh out loud.