Starting a new chapter in life

Chapter 165 Senior Year Parents' Meeting

Back when her child was in high school, she worried about not getting into university. Even after starting university, she was still worried about failing courses and not graduating. But when her child began receiving scholarships every year from the second semester of their freshman year—even though it was only 600 yuan—she was overjoyed, because it was something she had never dared to dream of.

In her past life, a child like He Ci'en would definitely have been someone else's child; she wouldn't have dared to even dream of having one. Now that she's in her own family, she has to take good care of her. Of all the children, she probably only has Ci'en who can get her to focus on her studies. As for the others, she'll just let them do as they can; she won't force them.

Before the end of 1985, it was the end of the first semester of senior year. There was only one semester left before the college entrance examination. The regular courses had been completed, and the remaining semester was mainly for review and practice questions. The school organized a comprehensive parent meeting, inviting not only parents but also students to attend, which was more suitable for teachers and parents to communicate face-to-face.

To avoid interfering with parents' normal work, the school scheduled the parent-teacher meeting for Saturday morning. He Ci'en told Jing Yan about this and only wanted her to attend. However, Jing Yan mentioned it to He Zhijun, saying she hoped the couple could attend together, since they had a clear division of labor at home: she was responsible for daily life, while He Zhijun was responsible for Ci'en's studies.

He Zhijun also attached great importance to this. It was the first time in the family's younger generation to prepare for university, so it was only natural that the family attached great importance to it. On the day of the parent-teacher conference, the couple took He Ci'en to school together. The teacher was quite surprised to see that both parents had come: "Actually, only one parent needs to come to the parent-teacher conference." The teacher's words were rather tactful.

Jingyan greeted the teacher: "Hello teacher, we are Ci'en's uncle and aunt. Ci'en will be taking the college entrance examination next year. To be honest, I'm quite nervous. Originally, it should have been just his uncle who came, but I thought it would be nice for him to come and listen in, to see what else we need to prepare for the child."

The college entrance exam is the most important event in one's life, and it's only right that parents attach great importance to it, don't you think? If there aren't enough seats in the classroom, it's fine for me to listen from outside; it won't bother the teacher.

The teacher hadn't expected parents to be so concerned about their children's studies. Many families never thought their children would go to university, and only a minority truly value education. But seeing their genuine concern, the teacher quickly invited them into the classroom.

The three sat together. Before everyone had arrived, Jingyan looked around, trying to see which pretty girl Ci'en had mentioned. Before she could find her target, a crisp voice called out, "He Ci'en, is this your parent?" This pulled her from her thoughts. She turned back to look at the person who greeted Ci'en and her eyes lit up.

The uniform school clothes hung loosely, completely concealing her figure, but even so, they couldn't hide the girl's striking beauty. Her appearance was bright and alluring, a look that was somewhat disadvantageous at that time, as many conservative people considered it the look of a restless, seductive vixen.

Jingyan, being somewhat discerning, recognized the girl's beauty; she was no less stunning than movie stars, with a face brimming with collagen. Jingyan even considered reaching out to pinch her cheeks to feel the texture. However, she remained rational and suppressed her urges. Yet, the girl's direct and intense gaze made the usually confident girl blush.

He Zhijun turned to look at Jing Yan's gaze, somewhat speechless, and gently squeezed her fingers beside her, saying softly, "Take your lustful look away, it's too blatant."

Jing Yan snapped out of her daze and smiled apologetically at the girl: "You're really pretty. I like pretty people, so I was a little rude. I'm sorry, I didn't scare you, did I?"

The little girl shook her head shyly.

Jingyan continued, "We are Ci'en's uncle and aunt. His parents are in the Northwest Military Region and can't come back right now, so we are temporarily acting as his guardians. Little girl, what's your name? Have you thought about what major you want to study or what kind of job you want to do in the future?"

Once the topic returned to normal, the little girl felt much more at ease. She turned to look at the serious-looking man beside her and said, "Dad, this is He Ci'en, the top student in the grade that I mentioned to you."

The man forced a smile and politely nodded to Jing Yan and her husband, as well as He Ci'en. Judging from his expression, he must be a serious person who doesn't smile often, otherwise he wouldn't have such a stiff smile.

The little girl turned around and answered Jing Yan's question: "Hello, Auntie and Uncle, my name is Shen Rongrong. I want to apply to the Naval Academy of the Chinese People's Liberation Army. The school is in Nanjing, which is close to home. After graduation, I want to become a naval staff officer or commander."

Jingyan looked at her with admiration: "You want to be a female military officer in the future? That's amazing!"

Shen Rongrong blushed again at Jing Yan's blatant gaze, and stammered as she spoke again, "Well, not that great. Historically, there have been many female military officers. I... I didn't think that much about it, I just like the sea..."

Shen Rongrong's father finally spoke up, asking Jing Yan directly, "You really like soldiers?"

Jing Yan nodded and pointed to He Zhijun beside her: "My husband used to be a soldier, but he was a technical soldier. Later, when the college entrance examination was reinstated, he was admitted to university and was assigned here after graduation. Our family moved here with him. My husband's father, older brother, and uncle's family are all soldiers. The whole family is very easy to get along with."

Shen Rongrong's father finally smiled from the bottom of his heart. He reached out to He Zhijun and said, "So you come from a military family. My name is Shen Aiguo, and I am a military officer stationed on Changxing Island. It's a pleasure to meet you."

He Zhijun quickly stood up, leaned forward slightly, and shook hands with Shen Aiguo with his right hand: "It's an honor to meet you. My family has only been in the military for three generations. I am no longer a soldier. I am currently an engineer at a shipyard. But I don't think what I do matters. As long as I can contribute to the country's development, it is an honor."

The two sides had become somewhat acquainted, and the parent-teacher meeting was about to begin. Shen Rongrong and her father found their seats and sat down. Jing Yan turned to He Zhijun and whispered, "Zhijun, that little girl is really pretty. She wants to be a military officer in the future. Ah~ that's amazing."

He Ci'en turned to look at her: "If Auntie likes military officers, I can do that too. Military academy shouldn't be too hard to get into."

Jingyan shook her head: "What I like is just a personal preference. You should study a major that interests you and do a job that you like in the future. Don't change your goals for others. But Ci'en, do you have a major you want to study, or you can decide on a school first?"

He Ci'en shook her head: "I'm still considering it, but I want to do research-related work in the future. I don't like to move around much, so a quiet working environment is more suitable for me."

Jingyan nodded: "It's good that you have ideas. Learn whatever you want. Your aunt will support you spiritually and satisfy you materially. As for other things, your aunt can't help you."

He Ci'en was amused by him and nodded: "I understand, Auntie."

Shen Aiguo was sitting not too far from Jing Yan and the others. He looked at the group of people chatting, then turned to his daughter and said, "That girl named He Ci'en seems to be smart and opinionated. She must be very popular at school, right?"

Shen Rongrong nodded: "Yes, he has good grades and is good-looking, so he is quite popular among his classmates. However, he is rather introverted, and only two or three boys are close to him. They are all focused on their studies, so not many people know him, whether in class or at school. At least before today, I didn't know that he lived at his uncle's house or that his father was a soldier."

Shen Aiguo nodded: "He is a calm and steady person, but his aunt is more lively and loves to talk and laugh. It seems that they have a good relationship. The next semester is very important. His uncle can work as an engineer in the shipyard and was among the first batch of college students. His uncle should be able to help and tutor He Ci'en in her studies. If you can, you can talk to him and ask him questions if you encounter any problems."

Upon hearing her father's words, Shen Rongrong hesitated unusually: "I don't dare to talk to him. He's rather indifferent to everyone. His occasional smiles are just politeness. Although he's always very gentle, he's also very courteous. Today was the first time I've seen him smile from the heart. Look, he smiled at his aunt just now."

Shen Aiguo was speechless. Logically speaking, children of this age are just beginning to experience romantic feelings. He Ci'en gave him the feeling of being very indifferent, as if nothing could enter their hearts. Such a person is either someone with goals, focusing all their attention on pursuing those goals, or someone who is truly not yet enlightened. Thinking of this, his impression of He Ci'en improved.

The time arrived, and the homeroom teacher walked to the podium and began to speak. As is typical for parent-teacher meetings, the focus is usually on the college entrance examination (Gaokao) at the beginning. The teacher then discussed the course schedule for the next semester and advised parents and students to decide on their future career paths as soon as possible.

Before the college entrance examination, students need to fill out their college application forms. Having a goal in mind will prevent them from agonizing over it when the time comes. Choosing the wrong major can affect one's entire life. Finally, each student will be evaluated based on their grades.

The first one was He Ci'en. Jing Yan hadn't paid much attention to her at first, as she wasn't worried about He Ci'en's studies. However, the teacher's next words made Jing Yan serious: "He Ci'en has always been at the top of her class academically, consistently ranking first in the grade since the second year of high school."

Logically, this child shouldn't need her parents' concern, but as a teacher, I feel that He Ci'en is too introverted at school. She generally doesn't interact with her classmates, even when she's focused on studying. However, basic social skills are still necessary.

It's normal for children to feel naturally isolated from the people and things around them after entering university and society. Parents need to pay attention to this and give their children more opportunities to socialize, so they don't become so withdrawn...

Jing Yan was dumbfounded. She looked at He Zhijun with a question in her eyes. He Zhijun saw her confusion, nodded, and gently squeezed her hand twice. He whispered, "It's okay, don't worry."

Next came the other students' comments. Well, aside from the teacher saying a lot about He Ci'en's introverted nature, the other students' evaluations mainly focused on her academic performance. Occasionally, two students were mentioned as showing signs of early romantic relationships, but Jing Yan didn't know them and didn't pay much attention.

She was just thinking about how to get He Ci'en to express his emotions more. She had paid a lot of attention to He Ci'en over the years and had never realized that he was so unsociable. When he was at home, it seemed that he talked most about the three little ones studying. Apart from studying, he rarely interacted with others.

Thinking about this, Jingyan was really angry at herself for being so careless. How could she not have noticed? But was being a loner really such a big problem? In both her past and present lives, Jingyan had always been a social butterfly and really didn't know how to adjust.

After the parent-teacher meeting ended, Jingyan took He Ci'en's arm and said, "Ci'en, come with your aunt, let's have a chat."

He Ci'en nodded gently as always, and even offered his arm. Jing Yan was stunned for a moment, then took his arm and said as they walked, "Ci'en, tell your aunt the truth, when did you develop this personality of not liking to interact with people? Was it the same in the Northwest?"

He Ci'en nodded: "I've always been quiet since I was little, and I can't play with other children. I think my peers are all very immature. Those older than me have too many ideas and impure thoughts. As for the younger ones, Auntie, do you think I'm such a loving person who likes to take care of children?"

Jingyan... "I see you treat Zhizhi quite well, and you even tease her."

“Auntie, Zhizhi is our little sister. She’s the only little sister in our whole family, so isn’t it normal for me to spoil her? Besides, Zhizhi has a good personality, doesn’t cry, and isn’t annoying at all.” He Ci’en’s emotions were very stable.

But it was this stability that made Jingyan feel powerless, like she was facing a ball of cotton, soft and fluffy but actually impossible to work with. She sighed, "You will eventually have to enter society. If you don't like dealing with anyone, how will you work in the future? You can't really isolate yourself from the world."

He Ci'en thought for a while, sighed, and said to Jing Yan in a coaxing tone, "I know what Auntie is worried about. She's afraid that I won't have any friends and will feel lonely in the future. Now that it's the end of the semester, I promise Auntie that I will find a few classmates who are usually okay with me during the winter break and try to integrate into their group so that I won't be lonely in the future."

Jing Yan looked at He Zhijun, who pulled Jing Yan's hand, stepped between the two of them, and patted He Ci'en on the shoulder: "You're not actually bad at fitting in, you're just lazy, and you think the people around you are rather stupid. You don't like dealing with stupid people, right?"

He Ci'en looked at him with admiration: "Uncle, do you know what I'm thinking?"

He Zhijun nodded with a touch of arrogance: "I know, I had the same mentality as you when I was in school. I didn't think much of anyone around me. But the reason I didn't grow up to be like you is because I don't have your gentle and refined demeanor. I've always been the arrogant type, which is why I'm annoying."

In middle school, a few classmates who didn't like me ambushed me after school, saying they looked down on my arrogant attitude. I fought them, and although I got injured, I still won against four of them.

Later, those guys actually became quite close to me, but now I reckon I couldn't even beat them one-on-one. They've all joined the army, and combat units at that; I'd definitely be at a disadvantage in a fight there.