Starting a new chapter in life

Chapter 186 Ho Chiu-lai's College Entrance Examination

"Uncle, Aunt, this is my roommate, Xiao Hu." He Ci'en introduced him to the couple.

He Zhijun stepped forward to shake hands and greet the people. Jing Yan followed beside him, smiling and nodding at him. After they sat down, Jing Yan handed the menu to He Ci'en: "Your uncle and I were just debating what to order, whether to have hot pot or stir-fries. Now that you're here, let's choose."

He Ci'en took the menu and looked at it with Xiao Hu. "Auntie, hot pot is suitable for autumn and winter. It's hot now, so it's a bit too dry to eat this. How about we have stir-fries instead?"

Jing Yan nodded: "Sure, you can order whatever you want."

After ordering four dishes and a soup, the couple occasionally asked He Ci'en and Xiao Hu about their work and current situation, mainly about their future plans. There was no way around it; neither of the children was outgoing, and they were both quite reserved. If the couple didn't start talking, the silence would probably continue indefinitely.

During a break from eating, Jingyan whispered to He Zhijun, "Now I understand why Ci'en and he have such a good relationship. They're completely alike. When they don't speak, it's like no one's in the room. What kind of person can they find to put up with them?"

He Zhijun replied with a smile, "How about we find someone similar to you for Ci'en, someone who is talkative, cheerful, and easygoing? Otherwise, someone with a sensitive personality probably wouldn't be able to stand Ci'en's quietness."

"Hehe, you're really good with words. Quiet? More like dull and boring." Jing Yan pouted.

“Children and grandchildren have their own blessings, so let’s not worry about that. Other people’s parents don’t have to worry about this either.” He Zhijun patted her head.

Xiao Hu was also talking to He Ci'en: "Your uncle and aunt seem to have a really good relationship."

He Ci'en nodded: "Yes, my aunt is very good to the whole family. She is a very kind person. Not only does my uncle like her very much, but everyone in our family, from my great-grandmother to us younger generation, also likes her very much. My choice to pursue aerospace is also due to my aunt's support for my interests back then."

After finishing their meal, He Zhijun went to pay the bill. Jing Yan waited for him to return and then said, "Ci'en, you've just started working, so your salary probably isn't high yet. You need to take good care of your apartment near the school. Of course, we'll keep the rent for you, and you don't need to send it to us anymore."

He Ci'en said anxiously, "Auntie, I didn't pay rent during my university years. How can I not give you the rent I'm receiving now? I didn't put in much effort. After finding a tenant, I didn't manage it much. I only put in some effort when terminating or renewing the lease. I can't take this money."

He Zhijun took out 240 yuan from his pocket and stuffed it into his hand: "Your aunt said that this rent is her subsidy for you to save money for your future wife. You just started working and don't have much money. If you want to date or get married in the future, you will have to save money yourself. This is your uncle and aunt's way of showing their appreciation. Please accept it."

“Although I just graduated, my monthly salary plus various subsidies is about 450 to 500 yuan, which is already quite high,” He Ci’en quickly explained.

Jing Yan looked at He Zhijun: "Is the salary that high? Your current salary is only about three hundred yuan, and Ci En's is more than yours?"

Seeing their incredulous expressions, Xiao Hu smiled and explained, "Uncle, Aunt, Ci'en didn't lie to you. Our aerospace research institute is a borderline government agency, and the salaries and benefits are much higher than those in ordinary factories."

We're earning relatively little right now, but I've heard they give us a raise every year. People who came two or three years earlier than us are already making over a thousand yuan a month, both inside and out.

Jing Yan nodded silently: "It's true that it's good to be educated. You're already earning such a high salary right after graduation. So this few dozen yuan isn't much for you. Consider it pocket money."

He Ci'en couldn't persuade them in the end, and finally didn't take the two hundred yuan. However, he agreed that he would not send the rent in Beijing back after that, and would keep it as his own private money. Time flew by while they were chatting and laughing, and when they came out of the restaurant, they saw that the driver was already waiting there.

The two children said goodbye to them. He Ci'en originally wanted to see them off at the station the next day, but He Zhijun stopped her: "Just focus on your work. Your aunt and I don't need you to worry about us. Take a good rest during your holidays and don't think too much. Remember to come home for the New Year. Don't spend the New Year away from home. It's too quiet. Home is much more lively."

He Ci'en agreed to everything, then got into the driver's tricycle with Xiao Hu and left. The couple walked back to the guesthouse, and Jing Yan sighed, "We don't need to worry about Ci'en anymore. She earns more than you and can support herself without any problem."

The only thing left to worry about is Xiaoli. High school is so important; whether she lives a life of hardship or luxury depends entirely on the schools she gets into.

The two returned to Haishi. When Jingyan told her about He Ci'en's salary, her grandmother was shocked. The whole family thought the salary was very high. He Chaoli also sat next to her and listened, and then fell into deep thought.

At the end of 1990, He Cien returned to Shanghai for the Lunar New Year. During the time they spent together, He Chaoli would pester He Cien whenever he had a spare moment. The adults noticed but didn't think much of it. After the New Year, He Cien was going to work in Beijing.

After seeing He Ci'en off, He Chaoli awkwardly knocked on He Zhijun's door. Entering, he said somewhat embarrassedly, "Uncle, Aunt, I don't know which university to apply to. I'm unclear about my future plans."

I've asked Brother Ci'en about his job recently, but I'm not interested. What else do you think I could do? Which school would be a good fit for me?

He Zhijun thought for a long time, "How about the University of Political Science and Law? It's good to be a civil servant in the future. The job is stable and there's no danger."

He Chaoli thought for a moment and nodded: "That works too. I have a pretty good memory. If I go to a law university, I should be able to memorize legal articles. It would be good to become a lawyer in the future."

“The main problem is that you don’t have any goals or career aspirations. Your grades are good, but if you were to pursue research in the future, you probably wouldn’t be able to stay focused. So it’s better for you to go to a university specializing in political science and law. Maybe you can become a prosecutor or something, which would be great.” He Zhijun explained why he thought this type of school was good.

He Chaoli has never thought much. Since his uncle thinks it's okay, he doesn't think he can't either. So after the start of the semester, he went to consult with his teachers about these kinds of schools. His homeroom teacher was actually quite troubled by this student.

The child is smart and hardworking in his studies, but he has no ideals or aspirations. He seems to have no goals when it comes to college applications. Before the Lunar New Year, she had thought that if all else failed, he could apply to a teacher's college. With his easygoing nature, becoming a teacher would be a good choice.

However, now that he has set his sights on a university of political science and law, his teacher thinks it's a good idea. He believes that if this child develops a career in the legal field, he should do well. He is simple-minded, good at memorizing, and has a clean political background.

She started helping him inquire about schools, and in the end, he could choose between China University of Political Science and Law and East China University of Political Science and Law. With his current grades, he had a good chance of getting into either of these schools.

He Chaoli naturally wanted to be closer to home. He didn't have the same ambitions as his older brother Cien, and he hadn't been away from his family much since childhood. Being close to home was his first priority, followed by the quality of the school. Fortunately, the two universities were similar in all aspects, so he preferred East China University of Political Science and Law.

Now that he has a target school, Ho Chiu-lai can focus on consolidating his knowledge this semester, and naturally, the higher his exam scores, the better. His family has also begun to make various concessions for his study and rest environment.

An'an and Zhizhi are also very well-behaved. After all, they are not young anymore, and they are not very noisy at home. Even their grandmother does not turn on the TV when the children are at home, mainly to avoid external interference.

Time flew by, and it was time for He Chaoli's college entrance exam. The three-day exam was conducted with the best food and supplies. This time, it wasn't just Jingyan waiting outside the exam hall; even his sister-in-law, Zhou Jie, had taken a few days off to be with her son.

It's worth noting that she had never taken a day off, even during the National Day or Spring Festival holidays, which shows how much she valued her son's exams. While the two sisters-in-law waited outside, they chatted. The elder sister-in-law was actually quite worried: "The state-run restaurant's business is getting worse and worse, and we don't have as much work as before."

Sister-in-law, I think I might be facing unemployment. What can I do if I lose my job? I have absolutely no idea.

Jingyan knew that the conversion of state-owned enterprises to private enterprises was inevitable, so she considered it for a moment and said, "Sister-in-law, why don't you consider starting a food business? My barbecue stall is perfect for one person to run; the initial costs are low, and the profit is about half."

As long as you're willing to work hard and aren't afraid of losing face, you'll definitely make money; it's just a matter of how much. After all, we've seen it in Yangzhou, so we don't know if people there will like it, but barbecue sells really well here.

Zhou Jie was somewhat tempted, but this was her younger brother and sister-in-law's business. If she were to do it too, she felt it would be like stealing from her own family, which wasn't very ethical. "This is your business, I can't do it. I can think about what I can do. If there's something I can do, setting up a stall might be a good way out."

Jingyan understood her thoughts: "Sister-in-law, you're overthinking it. Even if you do it in Yangzhou, it won't affect Changxing Island at all. Even if you don't do it, there's no special skill involved. Anyone who's interested can easily learn it by watching a bit more."

There are already two barbecue stalls around here, but they're not as good as mine in terms of taste, cooking technique, or reputation. It hasn't had a huge impact yet, but that's the trend. Why don't you extend your leave a few days after Chaoli finishes his exams and go to the shop every night to learn how to cook? You'll be able to learn in two days at most.”

"Then I'll go back and discuss it with your older brother. You know, your older brother is the one who makes the decisions in our family. I'm indecisive, so I'm not sure about this kind of idea." Zhou Jie smiled shyly.

Jingyan naturally wouldn't force her. If it weren't for the good relationship between her family members, she really wouldn't want to teach her. She had given the idea, and if she was too embarrassed to do it, it wouldn't matter to her how her life turned out. She had already been very selfless.

After finishing his last exam, He Chaoli was covered in sweat. When he saw the two of them, his previously furrowed brows relaxed considerably. He ran out of the school and asked, "Auntie, Mom, have you been waiting here all this time?"

It's so hot today. I don't know how Ci'en was so cool when he came home after his exams. Look at me, my clothes are soaked with sweat.

Indeed, Ho Chiu-lai is the one in the family who can't stand the heat the most. In the summer, he drinks the most mung bean soup and sweats the most. But perhaps because of this, his skin is the fairest in the family.

If he had possessed a bit more of Ci'en's calmness and scholarly air, he would have resembled the pretty boy of later generations. Unfortunately, the moment he opened his mouth, all the pretense shattered, revealing him to be just a silly little husky, which was rather cute.

Back home, Ho Chiu-lai couldn't wait to take a shower, eat dinner, and go to bed. His family didn't disturb him. Only Jing Yan carried the electric fan into the room, placed it at the foot of the bed, plugged it in, and set it to the lowest setting to blow air onto the bed. This would at least help the air circulate faster and lower the temperature a little.

Zhou Jie pulled He Zhicheng aside to discuss Jing Yan's suggestion. He Zhicheng knew his wife had been worrying about their future lately, and he was interested in the suggestion, but he didn't immediately make a decision.

After reassuring his wife, he went to discuss it with He Zhijun and his grandmother. His grandmother knew from his mention of it that he actually wanted to do it, but felt it was dishonest to steal business from his own family, so she relented.

"Since Jingyan is willing to help you out, and you are also interested, then stop playing the coy game. Let your wife go and learn. Anyway, it's all in Yangzhou, so it won't affect your sister-in-law's business here. But remember how good your sister-in-law is to you. If she ever needs your help in the future, don't let her down."

He Zhicheng readily agreed. The next day, after returning to Yangzhou, he went directly to the state-run restaurant to ask Zhou Jie for leave, while Zhou Jie stayed at the restaurant to learn and help out.

She hadn't realized it before, but after trying it, she was surprised to find that grilling was actually not difficult at all. The main thing was that the sauce she used was made by Jingyan herself, and the rest was just a matter of paying attention to the grilling temperature. It was easy to learn.

He Zhijun took on the task of setting up the barbecue grill and iron skewers, and planned to take them with him when He Zhicheng came to pick them up on the weekend. As for He Chaoli's graduation banquet, they didn't plan to hold it on Changxing Island.

My elder brother and sister-in-law have many relatives and friends in Yangzhou, as well as some connections with He Jiaoxu and Cui Hongru. There's really no need to go through all the trouble here and then come back to Yangzhou. Let's just do it here in Yangzhou.

After sending off the eldest brother and sister-in-law, the family returned to peace. They were just waiting for the college admission notice to arrive so that they could pack He Chaoli up with the notice and send him back to Yangzhou. So during this time, the children wanted to be together every day and were reluctant to be separated.

During the summer vacation, the three children will continue their studies with Teacher Shen. Zhizhi is making good progress in learning folk dance with Teacher Tong. She will be in fourth grade when school starts, which is already very good for her age, but Teacher Tong is not entirely satisfied.

She once told Jingyan that Zhizhi was talented in dancing, but too lazy and unwilling to put in much effort. She always tried to be lazy by tricks. Her basic skills were good, but she was not good at high-level techniques.