Starting a new chapter in life

Chapter 222 Sending He Anzhi and Lu Xiaoxiao to School

Given Jingyan's experience, Chen Ping took her and their two daughters shopping together. Everyone knows women's shopping desires; once they start buying, it's hard to stop.

Jingyan bought three suitcases of clothes for An'an, seven for Zhizhi, and Chen Ping did not lag behind, buying nine, even more extravagant than Jingyan. Looking at the pile of things in front of them, the two exchanged a glance. Jingyan helplessly asked the three of them to watch the things while she went out to hail a taxi. If she didn't take a taxi, they probably wouldn't be able to get back.

After a long and tiring journey, all four of us were exhausted. Fortunately, the two kids were still young, so after a short rest, we went to the kitchen and cooked some tomato and vegetable noodles. We ate a simple meal together, as we really didn't want to go out anymore, otherwise we would have gone to a restaurant.

When the weekend arrived, the two families got together to discuss and decided to hold the graduation banquets for both children at the same time. As for the monetary gifts received, neither family wanted them; they would keep them for the children.

As for the exact amount, the two families have lost count over the years, so they simply leave it at that. Neither of them are the type to fuss over it. Of course, the expenses for the graduation banquet were split equally between the two families – a simple and straightforward calculation.

The graduation banquet is scheduled for August 21st, which is exactly one week away. Even though it's our own restaurant, we still need to inform them in advance. After all, more and more of these graduation banquets are held during the summer vacation every year, and if we don't inform them in advance, we might not be able to make the schedule.

The graduation banquet was indeed very lively. When the high school principal arrived, he joked with the teachers around him, "I've attended the He family's graduation banquets three times now. Except for He Chaoli, who didn't have one, all the other children have had one."

It's no exaggeration to say that their family produces outstanding individuals; this time, another student has been admitted to a top-tier university. No wonder the restaurant's business is booming. The fact that their children are all getting into university is enough to make people flock to it.

The teachers who attended the banquet were also very happy. "These two kids are the first in our school to pursue a career in film and television. If any other kids want to apply to film school in the future, they'll have senior sisters. It'll be a great opportunity to build connections."

He Zhijun's old boss has been retired for two or three years, but he still always invites An'an and Zhizhi to the banquet to celebrate their college entrance. Over the years, He Zhijun has been able to have a smooth career in the factory, and this old boss has made a great contribution to that.

He Zhijun already had quite a few guests, and with the addition of Regiment Commander Lu's guests, it could be said that both the military and industrial sides were gathered together. The two sides were quite unfamiliar with each other at first, but soon they were chatting enthusiastically.

Indeed, shipyards frequently visit military units to test and repair ships. Although they hadn't dealt with the same people at this banquet before, there were always things they found interesting, and they quickly became acquainted after chatting for a while.

The entire restaurant was booked out for lunch today. The doors to the private rooms were all open, and the sounds of people calling out to each other and chatting animatedly filled the air, creating a lively atmosphere.

After seeing all the guests off, it was already 2 PM. As time went on, it seemed the banquet was going on and on. Back in the day, He Ci'en's banquets only lasted 1 PM, but now it had stretched out by a whole hour. Sigh…

The two families didn't leave; instead, they started discussing who should send their child to school in Beijing. Both fathers wanted to go, but they needed to take time off work. He Zhijun is now a very senior engineer in shipbuilding.

There's supposedly some new technology that needs to be overcome, so he's not even allowed to take a week or two off, let alone get two days off work normally. That's why he was dropped from the list of people to send college students this year.

As for Commander Lu, well, it's unlikely he'll want to stay away from the island for an extended period, so the task fell to the two mothers. Jing Yan is fine, but Commander Lu is a little worried about Chen Ping.

However, seeing that her emotions have been very stable in the past few years and her communication with people has returned to normal, and considering that Jingyan is with her, there should be no problem, right?

Looking at Commander Lu's expectant eyes, Jing Yan was exasperated. The main problem was that she had never seen what his wife looked like when she had an attack. How could she possibly describe it? It would be best if nothing happened, but what if something did? Should she knock the person out, or should she be knocked out?

Seeing Jing Yan's conflicted and helpless expression, He Zhijun laughed out loud: "My wife doesn't know how to take care of people, so she doesn't know how to say it. What aspect does Madam Lu need my wife to take care of? Just make that clear."

Chen Ping glared at Commander Lu: "He's just worrying for no reason. Actually, I'm doing fine right now. Saying I'm sending the kids away is just because I'm getting a bit bored here and want to go out for a walk. As for taking care of them, I'm over forty years old. Do you think I'd lose myself?"

"We're just company, going out and having fun together. If we get sick, we'll go to the hospital; if we encounter danger, we'll call the police. Otherwise, nothing should happen," she said to Jingyan.

Now that the person in question had spoken, Jingyan had nothing to worry about and nodded: "Then let's go take the child there together. But... we bought a bit too much today, so how about we bring less this time and mail it back later?"

Chen Ping nodded in agreement: "That's right. There are sixteen suitcases just for clothes. Even if we can bring them all, the dormitory probably won't be able to hold them all."

"They should bring what they wear this season, along with bed sheets and duvet covers, and that should be about it. We should also bring some changes of clothes. The two of us should bring a maximum of three suitcases. Bringing too much is not easy to carry. We can mail the rest when we get back. Let's travel light and make things more convenient."

Actually, I prefer to buy a house for my child near the school once we get there. Firstly, it would be more comfortable to live there, and they wouldn't have to live with so many people. There will always be times when lifestyles clash and conflicts can easily arise.

Moreover, they are different from students from other schools. In general, it's not so easy to run into someone again after graduation. But in the film and television industry, there are too many opportunities to bump into each other. If they offend someone because they are not careful, they might cause trouble for them at work later, which would be a loss. Jing Yan shook her head as she spoke.

Chen Ping's eyes lit up: "Buying an apartment is a good idea, but parents are worried about their children living alone. How about the two of them buy one together? They can live together as best friends, and the property certificate can be in both their names. We can split the cost of the apartment between our two families."

Jingyan pondered for a moment and then nodded: "Then let's buy a bigger one. We don't need too many rooms, just a lot of space. Girls always love to look beautiful, and clothes, shoes, and jewelry can't all fit in a regular-sized house in the end."

The two mothers quickly found common ground and started chatting enthusiastically. The two fathers exchanged glances, shook their heads, and sat quietly to the side, letting them do as they pleased.

We've decided to depart on the 28th, which happens to be a Saturday. Both families' husbands have the day off and can take them to the station. We'll arrive on the 30th, rest for a day, and then take the children to school. Generally, schools don't allow students to commute during the first semester, so buying a house isn't urgent.

They'll discuss it then. Anyway, Jingyan doesn't need to worry too much about the shop, and Chen Ping's job allows her to take long leave. They both have time, and since she's never been to Beijing before, she can take the opportunity to explore the city.

Originally, He Zhijun wanted to ask the logistics department to help book tickets, but the task was taken over by Commander Lu. Thinking that he doted on his wife and might need special arrangements, He Zhijun didn't try to compete for the tickets. The tickets came through on the third day. They were sleeper tickets, enough for four people to share a room. The children slept on the upper bunks, and the two adults slept on the lower bunks.

Commander Lu wasn't entirely at ease. It was all women, not a single man. He worried about their safety along the way. He Zhijun noticed his concerns and beckoned to Zhizhi, "Zhizhi, go to the yard and spar with your Uncle Lu."

Although Zhizhi didn't know why her father wanted her to show off her kung fu, she was determined to save face since her father rarely asked her to. So, she went all out when sparring with Commander Lu. As a result, after more than a hundred moves, Commander Lu still couldn't subdue Zhizhi.

He Zhijun called a halt from the sidelines and smiled at Commander Lu, saying, "Look at Zhizhi's skills, what else is there to worry about? It's just that neither of them will have much fighting ability when they come back. However, although Jingyan is not good at fighting, she is strong, and she will be traveling in a sleeper car, so she should not encounter any danger."

Commander Lu was somewhat relieved. What could he do? He couldn't take long leave, and his child insisted on going so far away.

When it was time to leave, the two families went to the train station together. Compared to the men's reluctance, the women were much more carefree. After getting on the train and settling their luggage, they didn't hesitate to kick the men off the train: "Alright, everything's settled. You'd better get off the train quickly, or you won't have time to get off when it leaves."

Commander Lu heard Jing Yan telling people to leave, and he looked at Chen Ping expectantly. But Chen Ping didn't even glance at him. She happily spread a sheet on the bed, beaming with satisfaction.

"I'll collect it when we get off the bus. We need to find a good place to stay when we get there. Xiaoxiao said the hotel you took them to the art exam last time was very nice. Should we share a standard room this time?"

Jingyan glanced at her: "Shouldn't you be taking Xiaoxiao to stay, and I be taking Zhizhi to stay?"

Zhizhi and Xiaoxiao shook their heads repeatedly: "No, we want to live together."

The group chattered animatedly, but seeing no one paying attention, the two men could only shake their heads and leave together. Once on the platform, sitting by the window of the sleeper car, Commander Lu was still instructing them: "Don't be stingy when you get there. If you run out of money, call me and I'll deposit it into your bank account..."

He Zhijun didn't need such admonitions; Jing Yan wouldn't make herself suffer. He could only offer advice in a different direction: "When buying Zhizhi's house, don't rush. Haggle with the sellers, look at several places, and you'll be able to make a better choice with comparisons. The key is that it can't be too remote. After all, you're all girls, so safety is the most important thing..."

Listening to their chatter, Jingyan and Chenping didn't dampen their enthusiasm. They listened obediently, nodding in agreement, until the train slowly started moving.

Watching the two figures disappear into the distance, Jingyan and Chenping both breathed a sigh of relief. Hearing this, they exchanged a glance and couldn't help but laugh out loud: "The older a man gets, the more talkative he becomes," Chenping commented.

Jing Yan laughed and said, "Your Commander Lu is worried about you. It's normal for him to be worried since it's your first time going out on your own. I've been to Beijing several times, and Zhijun isn't as worried. But he always made the decisions when we bought the house before. This is the first time I've made the decisions from start to finish, so it's normal for him to be worried."

And so, in this small space, the four of them went from being full of enthusiasm at the beginning to being lifeless later on in just half a day. When they got really bored, Jingyan took out a deck of cards from her bag and asked the others with a smile, "How about we play cards? Do you know how to play Dou Dizhu?"

With something to do for entertainment, time did pass much faster. The group slept quite well that night. After all, it was a soft sleeper, not crowded with other passengers, and relatively quiet. The carriage window was half-open, and the warm air blowing in from outside made the hot summer much cooler.

Upon arriving in Beijing and getting off the train, Jingyan skillfully hailed a taxi: "To Jiayuan Hotel."

The taxi driver could tell from her practiced delivery of the address that this wasn't her first time there, so he didn't say much and drove straight to her destination.

Upon entering the Jiayuan Hotel, the receptionist still remembered Jingyan, Zhizhi, and Xiaoxiao. "Sister, did your two children pass the exam successfully? Congratulations! How long are you planning to stay?"

"We need two standard rooms. We'll book one for three days initially, for the two kids, and see if they can move in directly after school starts. We'll book the other room for five days initially, and we'll decide whether to extend it later," Jing Yan said.

The receptionist quickly completed the formalities: "A standard room is 200 yuan a day, so your total is 1,600 yuan. Plus a 400 yuan deposit, that's 2,000 yuan in total. Will you be paying by card?"

Jing Yan smiled and nodded, handing over her bank card. The receptionist swiped the card, retrieved the key, and quickly finished processing her transaction, adding, "Recently, it's been quite busy with new student enrollment at nearby schools, so the hotel has been bustling with people."

We've provided you with two rooms right next to the elevator, which are relatively safer. Please remember to lock your doors at night. If you have any problems, you can call the front desk from your room; we have staff on duty 24 hours a day.

Jing Yan smiled and thanked her, then took the key and led the group upstairs to find their rooms. Once inside, Chen Ping looked around curiously and nodded in satisfaction: "The conditions are indeed quite good. Jing Yan can spend the money for now, but keep track of the expenses, and we'll split it in half at the end."

Jing Yan laughed and said, "I've never had the habit of keeping accounts in all my life."

Chen Ping glared at her: "You're just lazy. Fine, I'll do the bookkeeping."

After saying that, he took out a notebook and a pen from his bag, opened it and wrote down neatly: August 30th, accommodation fee 1,600 yuan, deposit 400 yuan.

We ate lunch at a restaurant. This time, the two kids were quite good at ordering. They prioritized the dishes they wanted to eat but hadn't had a chance to try last time. With Chen Ping joining us, the previous three dishes and one soup became four dishes and one soup. I must say, Chen Ping looks delicate, but she's not picky about food and ate very happily.