Starting a new chapter in life

Chapter 168 On the Eve of He Ci'en's Return to the Northwest

Jing Yan smiled happily: "Great! From now on, your younger brothers and sisters will all need you as their older brother to be their role model and support. So, you must work hard! But right now, the most important thing for you is to relax, have fun, and don't let your youth be filled with regrets."

He Ci'en smiled brightly, a smile that was truly a rare sight on his face.

When the aunt and nephew arrived home, the family warmly prepared dinner without asking how he did on the exam or any other questions that might affect his mood. He Ci'en felt his family's affection for him and went along with their wishes, enjoying his rare peaceful holiday.

During this time, a few classmates who could talk to him came to visit him at home. It has to be said that people who can get along well are unlikely to have very different personalities, and putting a few taciturn people together only makes things more awkward.

Fortunately, the three kids at home were clueless, probably because they'd been hanging out with Shen Ci'en for so long, and had pretty good mental fortitude. They completely disregarded whether the guests were happy or flustered, dragging them straight to the study on the first floor.

Everyone was showing off their achievements over the past few years to outsiders, some flaunting their paintings, others playing the piano, completely shattering the previously awkward and quiet atmosphere. He Ci'en followed behind them, smiling as she watched her younger siblings act spoiled and unreasonable.

When the students finally managed to break free, they all looked relieved. One of them patted He Ci'en on the shoulder for the first time, his tone tinged with sympathy: "I finally understand why you're so quiet at school. It's because your home is so noisy. It must be hard for someone with your personality."

He Ci'en smiled and said, "This is a rare opportunity for them to let loose. They have a lot to learn every day, and they're not the type to sit still for long. After a whole semester of hard work, I just let them have their fun for a couple of days."

As they get older, they'll have less time to play. I'm only spoiling them for these few years. Once I go to university and leave home, their lives won't be so carefree. Please understand.

The group nodded and were about to say goodbye when Grandma and Sister Wang insisted that they stay for lunch. They couldn't refuse, so they reluctantly agreed to stay for lunch. After lunch, it would be even more difficult to say they wanted to leave, but they didn't feel quite at ease staying.

He Ci'en noticed their awkwardness and invited them to the study on the second floor to find some books. When they entered the study, their eyes widened in surprise: "He Ci'en, you have so many books! Have you read them all? Hey, why is there a bed here? Do you live here?"

He Ci'en nodded: "Yes, I live here. My aunt originally prepared a separate room for me, and this study was allocated to me for my exclusive use, but I found it troublesome, so I just moved in here. The previous room will be used as Zhizhi's bedroom when she grows up."

Only a small portion of the books here were originally from home, some are my textbooks and notes, and the rest were gradually bought by my aunt over the years with me from the library. I choose the books, I read them, and my aunt pays for them. To be honest, even my parents at home have never been this generous to me. I'm very happy here.

The classmates looked on with envy. "Can we pick out a few to look at? Don't worry, we'll take good care of them and won't get them dirty, wrinkled, or torn."

He Ci'en readily agreed: "No problem. You can register the books you find that interest you and take them home to read. After you've finished reading them, you can return them to me and exchange them. However, this is only for this summer vacation. You have to return the books before the start of the new semester. I want to leave these books for my younger brothers and sisters to continue using."

Being able to borrow the book is already a great privilege; who would even think of keeping it for themselves? They quickly agreed. He Ci'en continued, "After the results come out, I'm going back to the Northwest to visit my parents. If you need to exchange books while I'm away, just let Aunt Wang know, and I'll let her know too. She and Grandma are home almost all day."

The others nodded in agreement: "Hey, I heard that the homeroom teacher was planning a class dinner after the grades come out, so it looks like you won't be able to attend?"

He Ci'en nodded: "If it's organized after the results are released, then I can't participate. My aunt has already asked my uncle to book a train ticket for me. The original plan was to leave after I found out the results so I could stay with my parents for a few more days. After I came back, I would take the luggage that my aunt prepared for me and head north to register at the school. Time is tight."

"That's fine. I'll help you explain to the teacher. I think everyone will understand. Your home is so far away, and you haven't been back for the past three years. You must be longing to go home." One of them expressed their understanding.

After choosing the books that interested them and writing them down on the form prepared by He Ci'en, the group took their books downstairs and politely said goodbye to Grandma and Sister Wang. The older people liked the vitality of these young children. Grandma smiled and saw them off, then looked back at He Ci'en and said, "You should play with children your own age more. The more you interact, the less dull you will be. Today was just like that."

He Ci'en nodded in agreement: "Great-Grandma, I understand. I'll make friends actively when I go to university, so you don't need to worry about me. On the other hand, I'm going back to the Northwest to see Mom and Dad in a while. I won't be able to look after my younger siblings at home. My uncle has to work, and my aunt is at the shop, so they can't take care of them."

Great-Grandma remembered to remind them to get up early for morning exercises, and that their study, practice, and leisure time should follow the same routine as in previous years. She emphasized that they mustn't be allowed to become lazy or relax, otherwise the foundation they had built before would easily be wasted…”

It was rare for He Ci'en to say so much at once, all of it about her worries for her younger siblings. The three little ones had been happily peeking from the stairwell, but after a few words, the conversation turned to them. They looked at each other, dejected, and went downstairs to the study on the first floor. Oh well, their eldest brother was too strict; they'd better behave themselves.

Grandma watched as the children obediently went into the study, then turned around with a hint of helplessness: "Cien, you have the body of an older brother and the heart of a father. I don't think your uncle is as strict with them as you are. How pitiful your children will be in the future? You're so young and you've already mastered parenting skills with your younger siblings. Sigh..."

Grandma shook her head, turned and went back into the house, leaving He Ci'en standing there bewildered in the wind. "Wait, how did he go from being my brother to my father? He wasn't that strict, was he?" After thinking for a while without figuring it out, He Ci'en scratched her head and turned back to the study on the second floor. "I need to take advantage of this time and pick out a few books to read on the road."

Perhaps this is the self-cultivation of a top student; they never forget to bring books when they go out.

When He Zhijun and Jing Yan returned home that evening, they received a complaint from their grandmother about He Ci'en. Jing Yan laughed so hard she almost fell over: "Grandma should be very grateful that Ci'en is disciplining the children, and they seem to be growing up normally."

Otherwise, if we wait for Zhijun to manage them, they'll all be naughty little devils. He said he wasn't obedient even when he was a kid. What kind of well-behaved children can someone like him raise?

Grandma thought about it and nodded in agreement: "Indeed, Zhicheng was obedient when he was little, but Zhijun was very naughty. The more you asked him to do something, the less he would do it. He also didn't take school seriously. Because of this, your grandfather whipped him with his belt many times, but he still couldn't control him."

If it weren't for the later political upheaval that caused his teacher's trouble, this child would never have had the chance to go to university. Now that the environment is stable, our children are indeed not very well-behaved, and only Ci'en can keep them in check. Fortunately, we've laid a good foundation for them now, which saves you parents a lot of worry.

At this point, Jingyan seemed to remember something and said, "Grandma, if nothing unexpected happens, Ci'en should be going to school in Beijing. I don't know the cost of living there. How much living expenses would I need per semester? If she starts dating during university, the expenses will be even higher..."

Grandma stopped her from speaking: "Jingyan, Ci'en's parents will prepare his tuition and living expenses for college. As his aunt, you have done so much that you are no worse than many biological parents. That's enough. Don't worry about the rest."

Jingyan turned to look at He Zhijun. He Zhijun thought for a moment and said to his grandmother, "Grandma, my eldest brother and sister-in-law only have fixed salaries. After deducting living expenses, they can't save much in a year. They have two sons. Since Jingyan likes Ci'en so much, it's only right that she wants to give them more money to support themselves."

We won't cover tuition, but we'd like to help with living expenses. You know Jingyan is the breadwinner in our family now, and if she can't bear to see Ci'en suffer, let her be. After all, she's a child living in our family, so showing some favoritism is only right."

Grandma sighed, "I just feel sorry for Jingyan. She earns a lot of money, but she has suffered so much to build up her current wealth. I don't want her to spend too much. Since Jingyan is so willing, then so be it. Our children are not the kind to be ungrateful. It's only right that we treat them well so that they can take care of us in the future."

He Zhijun put his arm around Jing Yan's shoulder, lowered his head slightly, and whispered in her ear, asking for praise: "Wife, see how good I am at talking? You have to reward me properly."

Jing Yan glanced up at him, smiled, and then kissed his chin. "How about this reward?"

He Zhijun's face turned red instantly. He glanced at his grandmother standing next to him, and his ears also turned red. His grandmother couldn't pretend she didn't see it. She smiled, and the wrinkles on her face deepened. She coughed lightly and said, "It's a good thing that you two are so loving, but please be mindful of the occasion. This old woman is standing right here."

Jingyan tilted her head and said matter-of-factly, "Grandma, you're not a rigid person. It's normal to kiss each other at home, not outside."

He Zhijun: "You still want to go outside to kiss?" His voice was a little loud.

Jingyan patted his chest reassuringly: "Don't worry, I know my limits. I won't take advantage of you in public. Don't worry."

Grandma shook her head: "You two go back to your room and flirt. We'll call you for dinner later." After saying that, Grandma turned on the TV and sat down on the sofa to watch it.

He Zhijun pulled Jingyan back into the house, and as soon as they entered, he pressed her against the wall and kissed her, leaving Jingyan completely bewildered. She pushed him away forcefully, saying, "What are you doing?"

"Didn't you say it's normal to kiss a few times in your own home? Well, I'll kiss a few times then." He Zhijun's roguish demeanor at this moment really did give off a bit of the feeling he had once described as reckless and unruly.

Jingyan glared at him, then pushed him away with all her might and sat down on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed). "Stop being silly. I remember when you were in college, your monthly food allowance was seventeen yuan. If you added some daily necessities, twenty yuan would have been enough. But that was nine years ago. I don't know how much more it would cost now."

He Zhijun thought for a moment: "Back then, my monthly income was about fifty yuan, but now it's more than one hundred and fifty yuan. Apart from the promotion bonus, my salary should actually have doubled. I'm worried that Beijing is also increasing its consumption at the same rate."

Jingyan thought about it and agreed with him. "Then let's give him fifty yuan a month for living expenses. There are four months in a semester, which is two hundred yuan. Add the travel expenses back, and three hundred yuan a semester will be enough."

He Zhijun hesitated: "Isn't that too much? Boys don't actually have that many expenses."

Jingyan shook her head: "It's good for the child to have more money on hand for emergencies. Ci'en is also a studious person, so he will probably buy a lot of books and notebooks. Although he can read them in the school library, it's good to buy them if he comes across something he really likes so he can read them repeatedly. His parents should also give him living expenses. All together, the child will have plenty of money."

He Zhijun shrugged: "You can decide. Give him the money when he comes back from the Northwest. I've already bought him the train ticket. I'll give him ten yuan for spending money, and that should be enough. His parents will be with him in the Northwest, so he shouldn't need to spend any money."

Jing Yan nodded: "Okay, I'll listen to you."

After the matter was discussed, He Zhijun leaned his head on Jing Yan's shoulder and said with a hint of resentment, "Jing Yan, you treat Ci En much better than you treat me. When I was in school, you only gave me seventeen yuan a month for food."

Jingyan turned her head, glancing down at the top of his head, her tone full of helplessness: "Your salary was forty-five yuan a month back then, right? I did give you seventeen yuan for food expenses the first month since you didn't get paid, but you also had some pocket money."

Later, didn't I refuse your salary and keep it for you to spend? It was your choice to save it for when we bought a house; how can you say I didn't care about you enough? He Zhijun, where is your conscience?

As Jingyan spoke, she tapped his chest with her finger. "Hmm, it feels good. It seems that my daily morning exercise is effective," Jingyan thought to herself.

He Zhijun grabbed her fingers and said, "I am your husband, you should treat me the best, not treat your nephew better than me. I feel unbalanced."

Jingyan tried to pull her fingers out, but couldn't, so she let go and let him hold on. "Ci'en has only been with us for four years. It's only right that I treat him well. After he goes to university, won't you still be the one I love the most in the family?"

"But why do you love him the most?" He Zhijun said, expressing his incomprehension.

"Because he gets good grades, Zhijun, you don't understand the admiration a mediocre student has for a top student," Jingyan explained earnestly.