dkrc Chapter 114 You Have So Many Relatives
Chapter 114 You Have So Many Relatives
Chapter 115 You Have So Many Relatives
Song Che changed his clothes, looking much cleaner and fresher. He often wore his school uniform after starting high school, and sometimes he was too lazy to change, so he always wore the school uniform. Today he cleaned himself up.
There's a banquet today, and my parents gave me a gift of money. Song Che doesn't know what kind of banquet it is, but anyway, he'll just eat.
Song Che looked at himself in the mirror. His face still had a childish look. He touched his cheek and looked into his eyes in the mirror. His eyes were much more determined now.
Another new day.
When you're clean and tidy, your mind is clean too.
He went to the coat rack next to the sofa to get a scarf and leaned against it.
Xia Li came out of the bedroom and changed out of her men's loungewear.
She was wearing the same sweater and coat as yesterday, with fleece-lined stockings on her lower body, which accentuated her long, slender legs.
Song Che unconsciously stared for a little longer.
After watching for a while, I noticed a problem.
Xia Li is missing a pair of shoes; this outfit would be perfect if she wore high heels.
However, she is currently wearing black boots with a witch's dress, which is a good match overall, but it adds a bit more girlishness and loses some of the elegance.
Xia Li walked up to Song Che and looked at him.
Song Che put on his scarf as usual, his fingers sliding down his silver hair, then back again, and finally draping the scarf over Xia Li's chest.
He couldn't look at Xia Li closely, because if he did, he would find that Xia Li was excessively beautiful.
Once Song Che discovers that Xia Li is actually a beautiful woman, not the idiot who is always being scolded, he feels that Xia Li is too close to him—and feels inexplicably nervous.
"Will you take the car or walk today?" Xia Li touched her scarf. "Is it far?"
"It's quite close." Song Che opened the door and went out. "I'll go find Mom and Dad first."
Peach blossoms peek out from the side, looking rather sly. "Brother, can I go? But I didn't give a gift."
Zhang Shushu and Song Jianguo also tidied themselves up, and both looked very energetic.
My mom is actually quite beautiful, but the wrinkles around her eyes detract from her beauty and make her look more weathered. My dad has always looked the same; he does have more wrinkles on his face, but he doesn't seem to have changed much.
When Song Che went out, Tao Xiang clamored to go too, but having a child in the way was really inconvenient. Song Che didn't want Tao Yao to suddenly turn into a black cat and cause some trouble.
He promised to bring Tao Xiang something delicious when he returned, which finally appeased the little one.
This little peach blossom doesn't create value, it just costs money.
I should just sell it when I get the chance.
Song Che walked beside his mother, with Xia Li following behind. The family strolled around, chatting leisurely.
The weather has warmed up recently; although it's not as hot as summer, it's at least not as cold anymore.
Song Jianguo handed Xia Li and Song Che a bag of sunflower seeds, then thought for a moment and gave Xia Li some more. Finally, he turned to Song Che and asked, "How's Bruce doing lately? Can he be carried next time?"
"It doesn't like you."
Song Jianguo was displeased upon hearing this.
"That's what it told you?"
"It didn't tell me."
"Then you can say it doesn't like me, and bring it over so I can play with it for a while next time."
"Okay, just be careful not to get scratched." Song Che was too lazy to argue. With his dad's reckless cat-petting skills, even Black Cat Sheriff couldn't resist.
With one stroke, half of the hair on his head fell out.
Bruce was petting the cat so hard that his eyes rolled back in his head.
Oh, what a terrible experience petting a cat.
"It can't reach me." Song Jianguo was self-aware enough to say, "You bring it here, I'll feed it for a couple of days and not pet it so hard."
"Okay." Song Che cracked open some sunflower seeds, but then realized he had nowhere to throw the shells away, so he cracked one and stopped.
Zhang Shushu doesn't play with cats anymore; she's interested in Xia Li now.
When she heard about it last time, she learned that the girl was an orphan who not only had to take care of her younger sister but also support herself. Her family wasn't that of a runaway rich girl; she was just a child from an orphanage.
Zhang Shushu was heartbroken.
That's just how she is; she can't stand seeing others suffer.
She has a very soft heart.
Zhang Shushu held Xia Li's hand, and the two were very close.
Xia Li pursed her lips. Apart from Song Che, she didn't like being approached by others, but this was Song Che's mother, and she couldn't push her away.
Zhang Shushu was too enthusiastic, and Xia Li couldn't quite handle it.
She leaned closer to look at Xia Li's face. "Yeah, he's really handsome."
Xia Li didn't know what to say, but she held Zhang Shushu's hand and said, "Auntie, my hands are a little cold, they might chill you."
"It's alright," Zhang Shushu said, rubbing Xia Li's hands together. "I'll warm them up for you."
The two of them went to talk together.
The two walked ahead, with Song Che following silently behind.
Although he changed his clothes today, they were just normal clothes and nothing particularly good-looking. He looked like a child following Xia Li around, like a child being led by his aunt and mother.
Song Jianguo was a little slow when he came to Song Che's side.
"Xiao Che, after you finish eating, go back to your hometown to tidy up and put up the couplets on the door. We're going back today."
"Okay, how do we get back?" Song Che remembered that they didn't even have a car.
"Take the bus." Song Jianguo paused. "We'll buy a car after the New Year. Your mother and I aren't usually home, and we can't drive the other car back. Thinking about it, it's quite troublesome to get around normally. Now that we've bought a car, we can consider it a gift for the two of you."
"————Hmm." Song Che didn't ask any more questions. His family still had enough money to buy a car, tens of thousands of yuan for a cheap one, or a hundred thousand yuan for a house—but buying a house was a real problem, as it would cause a massive hemorrhage in his carotid artery.
Song Jianguo put his arm around Song Che's shoulder and said, "Look how worried you are—our family isn't poor, just ordinary. We're not so poor that we can't even afford a car. We'll help you and Xia Li with what you need."
"Yes, thank you, Dad."
Song Che felt that he should postpone buying the house and keep some money in his own hands.
His parents are different from others, so he can't rely on them for support; he doesn't have the means. He can only go to university first and then try to find a job.
Song Jianguo looked at Song Che and smiled. How could he not see Song Che's worry? "Xiao Che, what are you thinking about—worries?"
'
"No, not exactly."
"Yeah, tell me if you have something to say, but it's okay if you don't." Song Jianguo pointed to the two people huddled together in front of him. "It's because of Xia Li, isn't it?"
"Yes, but it's okay."
"Okay, it's good that everything's alright." Song Jianguo leaned in as well. "Xiao Che, what do you think of your dad's attitude towards you?"
"Good."
"Good my foot! Don't say things like that to your father." Song Jianguo pointed at Zhang Shushu. "I'm not that capable, and your mother has never enjoyed any happiness with me—I was very stubborn when I was young, wanting to make my way in the world. There were opportunities everywhere back then, but I didn't seize them. Only now do I see those opportunities clearly. Your mother seems indifferent to whether she's doing well or not, but the fact that she doesn't say it makes my heart ache even more—so—"
Song Jianguo then pointed at Xia Li and said, "You have to make sure Xia Li enjoys a good life. She's willing to follow you and do things—I heard from Lao Jiang that this girl has a talent for acting and won a big gold medal."
He coughed twice. "Well—I saw the video of your performance last time. It was your friend's sister who showed it to Lao Jiang, that's how I saw it."
"Mm." Song Che simply nodded.
"What about you—what about us—well, our family is indeed ordinary. I understand what you're thinking right now. You want Xia Li to be well, but you feel like you can't take on the responsibility?" Song Jianguo lowered his voice. "Last time you said a lot of worried things, and after thinking about it, this is the only reason."
"That's true to some extent. I feel like my abilities are limited, and my grades can't improve much, so I'll only get a bachelor's degree—but I've heard that even bachelor's degree graduates can't find jobs, and they either only earn a few thousand yuan a month—Xia Li hasn't said anything about wanting to live in a big house or eat any delicacies, but—"
"But you want Xia Li to live in a big house, and you want Xia Li to eat good food." Song Jianguo picked up where Song Che left off. "Good boy, you have a high level of awareness—if I told you now that you're actually a rich second-generation, would you feel less pressure?"
"Come on, as long as he's not a second-generation debtor, that's good enough."
"Haha, that's definitely not it. We have some money saved up at home that we can help you with. You know the bank card and the password."
"————Hmm." Song Che nodded. Spending his parents' money wasn't a big deal, but he didn't really want to. His family wasn't rich, unlike the families of rich kids who gave their children several houses and still had dozens left for themselves. His parents only gave him one house, and then they had nothing left.
In their entire lives, they only managed to save up for one house.
I feel sorry for my parents.
I should try my best first, and then talk to my parents.
Song Che is also very stubborn.
He actually really wanted to rely on his parents, but he couldn't bring himself to do it.
It's good to live off your parents; at least the whole family can live together.
Song Jianguo released Song Che's shoulder. "Alright, that's enough chatting. It's time for dinner—I'm going to give my wedding gift. You two can find a place to sit on the second floor."
Upon entering the first floor, the hotel was filled with festive red. The hotel has three floors: the first floor is for reception, and the second and third floors are for banquets. Today, there is a wedding, and another family—the one Song Che went to—is holding a banquet for some unknown reason.
Song Che led Xia Li upstairs to take a seat.
Zhang Shushu accompanied her father as he exchanged pleasantries with others downstairs.
They've been doing this their whole lives; whenever they have a social engagement, they never stop talking and never stop drinking.
Although Song Che could be polite, he preferred not to say anything if he could avoid it.
The truth is to quietly sit in the corner and eat your rice.
Song Jianguo watched Song Che go upstairs, then turned and started chatting with the person who was receiving him.
That person was from the same village as him and was called in to help count the money. He had a child at home who was about the same age as Song Che—both were in high school and would be taking the college entrance exam in the same period in a few months.
The man asked, "Jianguo, how's Song Che's grades? Didn't he almost get 600 last time?"
"He improved by five or six places in the class by the end of the semester." Song Jianguo didn't say it directly; Song Che was now at the bottom of the class.
"You've improved! That's good—more motivated than my kid, who didn't do well on his final exams. Otherwise, he'd be about the same." The man accepted the money, wrote it on the note, and said, "Come upstairs, make yourself at home. By the way, where's Song Che?"
He just went up there.
"Okay, I won't say any more. We'll eat at twelve o'clock."
Song Jianguo went upstairs and found a lot of people at the entrance to the second floor. There were so many relatives that there weren't enough seats on the second floor. He looked around but couldn't find Song Che and Xia Li.
Song Jianguo stood at the door for less than ten minutes, and three groups of people had already passed by him.
One of them was his aunt's niece-in-law, who was holding the hand of a seven or eight-year-old boy. When she saw him, she stopped and made the child call him "uncle".
The child called out, then glanced away.
My second aunt's niece-in-law patted the child's head and said that the child is now attending a private primary school, with a tuition fee of 28,000 yuan a year, but his grades are very poor and he doesn't study hard.
Song Jianguo nodded.
Zhang Shushu kept a straight face and didn't say anything.
The second one is his cousin.
My cousin was wearing a dark red cashmere coat, her hair was permed into big curls, and her face was made up to look clean. When she was talking to him, her eyes were scanning his clothes.
My cousin said her son is taking the postgraduate entrance exam this year and applied to a university in Beijing. The cutoff scores haven't been released yet, but she estimates they'll be close. She also mentioned that she started dating someone last year whose family runs a building materials business and owns three apartments in the city.
Song Jianguo nodded and said, "That's good, that's good."
The room was noisy with people, and round tables lined up one after another, their tablecloths a bright red with gold lettering. Waiters carried trays through the crowd, refilling guests' bowls of melon seeds, candies, and tea.
He glanced around but still couldn't find Song Che and Xia Li.
I did see a few familiar faces.
His cousin was sitting at the table by the window.
My aunt is over seventy years old, with completely white hair and wearing reading glasses. She's talking to someone next to her. He recognizes the person next to her; it's her son, Dajun, who's two years older than him. They used to raid bird nests together when they were kids.
Dajun saw him too, and stood up to wave.
Song Jianguo walked over.
Dajun pulled him down to sit and said, "Why are you standing at the door? Come and sit down."
Then she said to her cousin, "Mom, this is Jianguo, my third uncle's son."
His aunt squinted at him for a long time before finally saying "Oh."
"Jianguo, you've grown so much! How's your dad?"
"Fortunately, I'm in good health."
My aunt nodded and went to talk to the person next to her.
Dajun poured him a cup of tea and lowered his voice.
"Don't mind her, my mom has poor eyesight and a bad memory."
"fine."
Dajun then asked, "Are you still working at that factory?"
"Um."
Dajun nodded, but didn't say anything.
Two seconds later, Dajun said, "Is the factory doing alright?"
Song Jianguo laughed, "It's alright, we won't starve."
Dajun smiled and said that would be fine. He then mentioned that he was now a truck driver, which was tiring but the income was decent. He had bought a new truck last year for over 200,000 yuan.
Song Jianguo said that was good.
Dajun said it would be alright, as the mortgage wasn't paid off yet.
A burst of laughter suddenly came from the next table.
Song Jianguo turned his head and saw a group of women talking and laughing so hard they were doubled over. He recognized the one in the middle; she was his cousin. She used to be as thin as a stick, but now she had gained a lot of weight.
His cousin saw him too and called out across the table, "Brother, you're here! Where's your Song Che? Is he taking the college entrance exam this year?"
"
"Hmm, a few more months."
"How are your grades? Will you be able to get into a top-tier university?"
Song Jianguo paused for a moment.
Dajun chimed in from the side, "Isn't your Song Che a good student? I heard he almost got 600 last time?"
Song Jianguo remained silent.
My cousin said, "Oh, 600 points! That's a sure thing. My husband is no good, all he does is play on his phone. He got the lowest score in the class last time, it made me so angry. He can't even find a girlfriend, I'm worried he'll ever get married."
"The child is still young, take it slow."
"What? You're already in the final year of junior high. If you don't hurry up, it'll be too late."
After she finished speaking, she looked at Song Jianguo and said, "Brother, if your Song Che gets into a top university, you'll have to treat us to a meal."
"That's for sure."
My cousin said a few more words and then went back to her own table.
A few more people approached me, asking the same questions: one asked how my grades were, another asked if I was making money, and then they worried about their children, saying that their children weren't ambitious and wouldn't even be able to find a partner.
Song Jianguo dealt with each question one by one, though he didn't really want to. Asking questions was like talking to a machine, but if he didn't want to deal with them, Zhang Shushu had to do it.
Song Che started chatting as well, but soon no one spoke to them anymore.
Xia Li's face was especially cold, as if she had been stressed.
Even Song Che could feel that coldness that kept people at a distance.
She spoke slowly, "Song Che, you have so many relatives."