eurekapd Chapter 249 Li Jia Slowly Awakens
Chapter 249 Li Jia Slowly Awakens
In the alleyways of Shanghai.
Li Jia's parents took leave from Heilongjiang Province, thousands of miles away, to return to Shanghai mainly to help their son, Awen, with the household registration of children of educated youth.
They had been hoping for this for half their lives. In their hearts, as long as their son could get a household registration in Shanghai, everything would go smoothly, which was better than anything else.
Jiajia is currently studying at a university in Shanghai. In their view, if she finds a partner with a Shanghai hukou (household registration), the hukou issue can be resolved naturally.
But their son, Awen, was different. His grades weren't as good as his sister's, so they had to make good plans for his future.
Li's father sat on a bamboo bed placed at the entrance of the alley, fanning himself idly with a fan to dispel the summer heat and try to calm his slightly anxious mood.
"Jiajia, you should go back to school later. Your mom and Awen are living in the kitchen, which is definitely not as comfortable as living in the dormitory. Tomorrow, your mom, Awen, and I will come to school to see you."
Li Jia nodded slightly, her gaze sweeping over everything in the alleyway that felt both familiar and unfamiliar. "It's still early, there's still a bus."
She knew in her heart that her parents had come back mainly for Awen, and that she was not just a bystander in this situation.
Mr. Li continued, “Awen is going back to Shanghai for high school. There are no dormitories in high school. Awen’s Shanghai household registration will be finalized soon, so he will stay here for three years before he can take the college entrance exam.”
Li Jia naturally knew that the residency quota would most likely go to her younger brother. Although she wasn't too surprised, she still couldn't help but ask.
"Do you and Mom really want Awen to go to high school in Shanghai?"
Li's father's voice rose instantly, filled with an undeniable firmness.
"Of course! It wasn't easy to get a Shanghai residency permit, so your brother Wen definitely has to come back. Jiajia, it's not that your mom and I are biased towards boys, but there's only one spot per family. Wen isn't a good student, so he probably won't get into a school in Shanghai. If we transfer his residency permit back now, he can be assigned to work in his registered hometown after graduation. You can also find someone with a Shanghai residency permit and get a Shanghai residency permit there too. When that happens, your mom and I can benefit from your situation, and we can come back to retire when we get old."
Li Jia felt a little uncomfortable listening to her father's words.
She didn't understand why her parents were so insistent on returning to Shanghai and why they were putting so much pressure on her.
Awen has a household registration, but what about me?
She frowned instinctively.
Li's father seemed to sense Jiajia's emotions and added, "Jiajia, we've taught you to speak the Shanghai dialect since you were little, just so you wouldn't forget this place. This is your root."
“You let Awen come here to study in high school. Awen is introverted and lives here alone. His uncle and aunt... I can't take care of Awen at school.”
Li Jia expressed her concerns. She knew Awen's personality and was aware that living under someone else's roof was not a pleasant experience. Moreover, she would have to take care of Awen here, as the school's subsidies were just enough for her to eat, and she would have to work part-time to earn some pocket money.
Li's father suddenly became agitated and threw the fan in his hand to the ground. "I don't need you to take care of me. Don't I know what your uncle and aunt are like? Three years will pass quickly. Awen, just bear with it and it will be over. That's what we're looking forward to."
Li Jia looked at her father and felt a pang of sadness in her heart.
She wondered if there really were parents in the world who imposed their will on their children.
It seems that it really exists; aren't my own parents like that?
All the pressure was weighing heavily on her alone. Awen was introverted, and when they were little, he was always the first to eat the best food. Now he says he doesn't need her to take care of him, but if something really happens, won't she still have to step in?
She remembered what Zhang Wanshu had said: it's wrong for parents to constantly demand sacrifices from their children. But these were the parents who raised her from childhood, so what could she do? Should she really just ignore them?
Li Jia slowly raised her head, gazing at the small patch of sky enclosed by four walls, her heart filled with mixed emotions.
That sky, like her current state of mind, was bound and unable to find a way out.
Only then did Li's father realize that his words had been a bit harsh and excessive.
He looked at Jiajia, who seemed a little disappointed. He thought that he should probably instill these ideas in his capable and sensible daughter gradually, since he would be counting on her to take care of his younger brother and the two of them in the future.
"Jiajia, Daddy was wrong. My words were a bit harsh. It's getting late, let's go back to school!"
Li Jia silently got up, packed her things, and said goodbye to her parents.
I walked out of the alley, looked back, and then turned and left.
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Aunt Li shouted at the top of her lungs as she stood at her doorstep, "Teacher Zhuang, you have a phone call!"
Zhuang Chaoying was sitting at her desk, writing a novel, the pen scratching on the manuscript paper.
Hearing the call, he put down his pen and capped it. "Coming!" he said, standing up.
At this moment, Tu Nan is at home tutoring Xiao Ting and Dong Zhe with the second semester of their second year of high school.
As Tu Nan explained the key points, he scribbled on a draft paper. Xiao Ting and Dong Zhe listened attentively, nodding in response from time to time.
Zhuang Chaoying said to the children, "You two continue studying. If you get tired, go eat some watermelon. The watermelon in the refrigerator was bought by your mother and me at the market early this morning, so it should be cold now."
Zhuang Chaoying went to the convenience store and dialed the phone number that Aunt Li had written down.
The phone was answered before it had even rang twice.
"Chao Ying, I'm your mom."
"Oh, Mom, what's wrong? Why are you calling me?"
Grandma Zhuang looked around and lowered her voice.
“Why haven’t you contacted your family at all? Your dad and I heard that Tu Nan went to the western province, and we’re so worried about him. Tu Nan must be crying. If you and A Ling aren’t coming, it’s only right that Xiao Ting and Tu Nan come to see their grandparents. We miss Xiao Ting and Tu Nan, so let them come and see us.”
Zhuang Chaoying smiled after hearing this; these two must have something on their minds. "Then I'll have to ask Tu Nan and Xiao Ting if they want to go. Okay, that's all for now." She then hung up the phone.
When Zhuang Chaoying returned home, Huang Ling was busy in the backyard.
Hearing footsteps, she peeked out from the backyard. "Chaoying, who's calling?"
Zhuang Chaoying walked into the backyard, reached into the washing machine's spin-dry tub to take out a bed sheet, and together with A-Ling, smoothed out the wrinkles on the bed sheet.
"Who else? My mom said she misses Xiaoting and Tunan. She also said that Tunan went to the western province and didn't even visit them when he came back. She told them to go over there."
Huang Ling nodded, thought for a moment, and said seriously, "We should go and see them. After all, Grandpa and Grandma are Tu Nan and Xiao Ting's grandparents. People in the factory can't keep their mouths shut, and news spreads very quickly. If we don't go, people might gossip."
Zhuang Chaoying hung the folded sheets on the line. "I'll go with the two kids. I want to see what they're up to this time."
Huang Ling reached out and gently patted his back. "Don't think so badly of people, Chao Ying."
Zhuang Chaoying insisted on her opinion: "They don't call unless they need something. My parents, for example, won't call unless there's a reason."
Huang Ling sighed, knowing full well what kind of people her in-laws were; she had long since seen through them.
Ever since she married Chao Ying, she has been constantly worried about things like salary and housing.
Last time, my mother-in-law twisted her ankle and wanted to move in. It was obvious that she didn't want to leave once she moved in, and she wanted to make room for Zhendong and Zhenbei.
After the two finished hanging up the sheets and duvet covers, Zhuang Chaoying stood next to A-Ling. "A-Ling, you shouldn't go."
Huang Ling nodded. She didn't want to go in the first place. As long as Chao Ying treated her well, she didn't care what others said. She knew that her grandparents cared more about their reputation than she did. Chao Ying had told her that a big face could get you anywhere. She didn't need to ask for anything, she just needed to keep Chao Ying under her thumb.
"What would you like to eat? We'll start eating as soon as you get back!"
Zhuang Chaoying thought for a moment. "Let's just have something simple, how about some cold noodles?"
Huang Ling shook her head. "I'm going to cook fish and shrimp. Tu Nan has worked so hard this past month, I need to make sure he gets some nourishment. Don't worry about me, you guys go ahead."
Upon hearing this, Zhuang Chaoying reached out and put her arm around A-Ling's waist: "I'm just worried about you getting tired. You've already decided what to do, why are you asking me? I think you only care about your son and don't care about his father!"
Huang Ling looked at Chao Ying's appearance, glanced around, and kissed Chao Ying on the lips. "I'm not going to take care of you this time."
Zhuang Chaoying laughed. "That's more like it. While they're studying, I'll clean the fish and then go over there."
,,,,
Huang Ling crossed her arms and watched Chao Ying work. Song Ying was right; men need to be given small favors. That's why he's eagerly doing the work himself, hahaha!
Their Chao Ying is so cute, I love her to death!