Starting a new chapter in life

Chapter 175 Buying a Sleeper Ticket to Beijing

“That time when we hosted a dinner for our colleagues, you kept smiling in the store. I saw you smiling for almost a whole day, and your face was about to freeze. If I hadn’t been so inexperienced at the factory at that time, I wouldn’t have made you smile the whole time.” He Zhijun still remembers that dinner party a few years ago.

Jingyan… “In business, you have to smile at everyone. Otherwise, if you have a long face when you do business with people, they won’t be happy to see you, and who would want to eat here? How can that be considered being humble? You’re overthinking it.”

Go pack your things and get some sleep. We'll see if we can get it done tomorrow. If not, we'll have to buy tickets at the station ourselves. If we want to get there earlier, we need to plan ahead.

After He Zhijun answered correctly and left, she turned to He Ci'en and said, "Ci'en, you didn't tell your aunt that your clothes and shoes were all worn out. When you went to the Northwest, I wanted to pack your luggage first, but when I opened your closet, I couldn't find a single item."

"Their underwear is all loose at the waist, their socks have lots of holes, and their clothes are faded, worn out, and patched. We're not that poor, why didn't you tell your aunt?"

He Ci'en's face immediately turned red: "Auntie, why are you still packing my underwear? And those clothes are still wearable. My mother said that new clothes last for three years, old clothes last for three years, and with some mending, they can last for another three years. These clothes of mine can still be worn for three years."

Jingyan... "What your mother was talking about was during the Cultural Revolution. Back then, fabric was so precious that if you didn't mend and patch things up, you wouldn't even have enough to buy tickets. That's why you had to be frugal. But now life is much better. Look around on the street, who still wears clothes covered in patches?"

This is why you're so stingy with yourself. If you treat your wife like this in the future, be careful she might run away. A woman marries a man for food and clothing; she needs to be well-fed and clothed before she can hope for a happy life. After all, talking about love when you have nothing to eat or wear is just a pipe dream.

And what's with all the shyness? I'm your aunt, what's the difference between me and your mother? Besides, if I hadn't packed for you, how would I have known you were so frugal? Your uncle and I both felt those clothes didn't need to be kept; we've already bought them for you and they're in those two suitcases against the wall in your room.

We've also bought you new bedding, sheets, and duvet covers. Your uncle will carry them for you. When we get to school, it'll be a new environment and a new atmosphere; everything will be new. You can go upstairs and see for yourself later.”

He Ci'en nodded, turned around and ran upstairs. At that speed, was there a dog chasing him? Was it really necessary? Jing Yan watched him disappear from sight, shrugged, and turned back into the house.

He Ci'en entered the study, closed the door, and leaned against it for a while to catch his breath, which was erratic from running and shyness. Then he turned his gaze to the suitcases in the corner. He walked over, picked one up, placed it on the desk, removed the lock from the suitcase, and opened it. Inside, the clothes were neatly folded.

One box contained thin and thick clothes and trousers, while the other box contained shirts, undershirts, sweaters, and long johns for wearing underneath. They were all indeed new, and there were cotton socks, underwear, and vests in the inner compartments. It looked quite complete, but he couldn't find any cotton-padded clothes after searching for a long time. There were two trench coats, though. He didn't go downstairs to ask, but just kept them in mind to ask his aunt tomorrow.

Lying in her bed, which she hadn't been to for almost a month, and smelling the sunshine-scented bedding, He Ci'en's lips curled up slightly, and she slowly drifted off to sleep with a happy smile.

The next morning, Jingyan took two aluminum lunch boxes to the shop. When she came back, she brought back two large boxes full of meat, put them in a tote bag, and handed it to He Zhijun: "The ones in the lunch boxes are for your lunch. The braised meat wrapped in paper inside is for your boss. It's not good to eat meat without your boss. If you bring your boss, others may not feel comfortable. It's better to give your boss a special meal. If your boss is satisfied, everyone will be more relaxed."

He Zhijun took the bag and pinched her chubby face: "I know, little housekeeper, don't worry so much. I'm not as detached from worldly affairs as you think. I know the importance of interpersonal relationships. Don't worry, I won't let your good intentions go to waste."

Jingyan rubbed her slightly reddened cheeks: "If you pinch my cheeks again next time, I'll beat you up."

He Zhijun left with a smile. Jing Yan waved her fist at his back and turned to look at He Ci'en: "Ci'en, you still haven't bought a winter coat. I didn't plan to have it made here. I thought ready-made clothes would look better. When you get to Beijing, you can go to the mall and buy one yourself before winter."

He Ci'en nodded. Okay, she didn't need to ask anymore.

"Did your parents give you tuition and living expenses?" Jing Yan asked directly.

He Ci'en nodded: "They gave it to me. The tuition for four years was 800 yuan, and the living expenses for four years were also given together, 1,600 yuan, for a total of 2,400 yuan. But they were worried that I might lose the money on the way back, so they said they would call me when I arrived at the school and they would transfer the money to me."

Jing Yan nodded: "Okay, your aunt and uncle have discussed it, and we'll also give you living expenses, three hundred yuan per semester." Seeing that He Ci'en was about to refuse, she reached out and patted his shoulder: "Going to university isn't as simple as we thought at home. It seems like there's nothing else to spend money on besides food and lodging."

In reality, there are expenses in places we don't even consider. We need to buy fruit, clothes, and daily necessities. In the north, you have to go to a public bathhouse to take a bath, which also costs money. And then there are haircuts.

If you have a good relationship with your classmates, you can't just eat their food without reciprocating. And if you meet a girl you like, dating will cost even more – gifts, food, and all sorts of other expenses can add up.

He Ci'en frowned: "If dating costs this much money, then I don't want to date. I'll wait until I start working and earning money."

Jingyan… She was reflecting on herself, wondering where she had gone wrong in raising her child like this. She took a deep breath and calmed herself down: “I didn’t say you have to date. I just said that if you meet a girl who makes your heart flutter, we can’t give up on that opportunity just because we don’t have money. Besides, although your aunt isn’t rich, we’re still a well-off family. We’re not that poor. If it’s given to you, just take it, okay?”

He Ci'en blushed, lowered her head, and nodded: "Thank you, Auntie, but three hundred a semester is too much. My mom gives me two hundred too."

Jingyan couldn't resist pinching his bright red ears and laughing, "Ci'en has really grown up. If you have extra money, save it yourself; you never know when you might need it. Your parents and I will only give you living expenses until you graduate from university; after that, we won't give you any more money."

Back then, if you need money, you'll have to earn it yourself. You know, when you first start working, your salary isn't much. If your job doesn't provide accommodation, you'll have to rent a place. Save the money you save to help yourself later.

"Today, invite all your teachers to your graduation banquet at the shop on Saturday. The banquet starts around 11 o'clock. Remember to inform them clearly that they can bring their families and make sure they know the number of people. We need to calculate how many tables we need tonight, since we only have one day to prepare. If we don't know the numbers, things will get chaotic." Jingyan gave him the instructions and went to the shop.

When He Zhijun returned in the evening, he first mentioned the colleagues he had invited to the graduation banquet. He counted that there were six tables, plus two tables from He Ci'en's side, making a total of eight tables. Jing Yan felt that Yuan Xiaoling's family should also be invited. If there were any other guests who came unexpectedly, ten tables should be enough.

Write down the amount of meat needed, and have He Ci'en go to the store to give the note to Dou Zhixiao. Tell the deliveryman when you go to the dock to pick up the goods tomorrow morning, and have him deliver the meat according to the amount on the note on Saturday morning. After that, ask about the train tickets.

He Zhijun nodded: "You guessed right. The logistics department could have helped with the train tickets, but they didn't really have a relationship with me and didn't want to go through the trouble. However, out of respect for Wan Shitong and with Rou's help, they agreed to let the factory's logistics department buy the sleeper tickets. We'll know which day they bought them tomorrow."

Having resolved a major issue, the couple breathed a sigh of relief: "Tomorrow, take five bottles of Shaoxing wine and two bottles of Friendship face cream. If the tickets are bought, give each man a bottle of wine and each of the two women a bottle of face cream. If it doesn't work out, don't bother sending the gifts; bring them back." As Jingyan spoke, she took the gifts out of the house.

"Keep the face cream for yourself; giving it away is a bit extravagant," He Zhijun said, somewhat reluctantly.

"If they can help us buy the sleeper tickets this time, we should be grateful. If it's hard to buy tickets when we return from Beijing, we'll need to trouble your factory's logistics department to help coordinate. Otherwise, we're unfamiliar with Beijing, and if we can't buy tickets, we really won't be able to get back."

"By the way, should we take Xiaoli with us? What if we're late for school on the way back?" Jingyan pressed. "The child's studies are the most important thing. Should we just leave him behind? But he'll be so disappointed. The whole family will be gone, leaving him alone. That would be so pitiful."

At this moment, He Chaoli, along with the two younger children, peeked out from the door of the study on the first floor. Hearing this, He Chaoli ran over and said, "Auntie, I started previewing the second year of junior high school during the holidays. If I come back ten or fifteen days late, I will fall behind in my studies. Please don't leave me behind. I want to go out and see the school, and I also want to see my older brother's school."

Jing Yan looked at He Zhijun, who nodded: "Let him go. If he can't keep up with the lessons when he comes back, I'll tutor him after get off work. It won't affect his studies."

Looking at He Chaoli's upturned little face, Jingyan's mind flashed back to her daughter from her past life. She and Changsheng had gone to their hometown to pay respects to their ancestors, leaving the child with her third sister. After boarding the bus, some passengers mentioned that a child was chasing the bus. She still remembered the horrified look she had given back when she glanced back as if watching a spectacle.

Her little daughter, her face streaked with tears, ran after the car. She immediately stopped the car, got out, and took her daughter with her. What were her feelings at that moment? It seemed she felt that studying wasn't important; her daughter's peace of mind was paramount. Thinking of this, she nodded.

"Okay, I'll listen to you." She patted He Chaoli's head. "Then you'll have to pack your own change of clothes and carry them yourself." He Chaoli agreed and ran into his room. Jingyan also turned and went back into her room. She wanted to be alone and quiet to think about her daughter from her past life.

Knowing that a graduation banquet was going to be held, Sister Wang started preparing for the banquet on Friday. Fortunately, she had some experience before, so everyone wasn't too flustered when they were busy. After all the guests had left in the evening, He Zhijun came to pick up Jingyan.

Jingyan was a little surprised. It had been a long time since he had come to pick her up. The days were still long, and it wasn't even completely dark by seven or eight o'clock. There was really no need for someone to come and pick her up. She couldn't help but ask, "Why did you come today?"

He Zhijun pulled out train tickets from his pocket: "All six are sleeper tickets. The train departs on the afternoon of the 25th. After I got the tickets, I listened to you and distributed the gifts I brought. I also mentioned that if we can't get tickets back, we might have to trouble them."

They also gave me the logistics department's phone number, saying I could call them two days in advance and they would arrange the tickets so we could pick them up in Beijing. Jingyan, you were right, having good connections really makes things much easier.

"Have you taken your leave yet?"

"It's all arranged. It's from August 25th until October 6th when you start work. If you come back early, you can cancel your leave, and the remaining leave will still be valid," He Zhijun said with a smile.

Seeing that it was settled, Jing Yan turned around and clapped her hands: "Everyone, come over here."

The shop assistants all gathered around, and Jingyan looked at them and smiled, "My son Ci'en got into a university in Beijing, and our whole family is going to see him off. We'll also stay in Beijing for a while to do some sightseeing, which is expected to be about a month. I won't be home during that time, so please bear with us while things are running smoothly at the shop."

Everything else is as usual. If anyone books a banquet, explain to them that I won't be accepting banquets while I'm away, since I've recruited all the chefs and there's no one to cook.

Sister Wang turned to Jing Yan in surprise: "Am I going to Beijing too?"

Jingyan nodded naturally: "Of course, you're a member of my family, so you're indispensable on a family trip. Don't you want to go to Beijing? I've never been there and really want to go. Besides, we have a lot of kids in our family, and we'll need Sister Wang to help take care of them on the way."

Sister Wang said somewhat embarrassedly, "Going out can be quite expensive. If I stay at home, I can host several banquets when people book them, and I can earn more money."

Jingyan retorted, "You can't earn all the money in the world. This shop was originally opened as a barbecue restaurant. The idea of ​​starting to take on banquets only came about after we got here. We won't miss a month or so. Let's go together."

Sister Wang smiled and nodded, "Okay, then thank you for spending the money."