Chapter 60: Nie Qiu, Stay!
The day before the monthly exam, school was on holiday. Nie Qiu was very happy. For Nie Qiu, it was natural to relax before an exam. Compared to those who crammed at the last minute due to a poor foundation, Nie Qiu had a rather good day.
Nie Qiu got out of bed in the morning. After washing up, Nie Aifang took Nie Qiu to the street. After buying two sets of clothes at the clothing wholesale market, she then took Nie Qiu into a bag wholesale shop and bought a schoolbag. “Mom, buying clothes is fine, but why buy a schoolbag? The schoolbag at home is still usable!”
Nie Aifang smiled and said, “Didn’t the zipper and straps on your schoolbag break a while ago? Although I sewed it up for you, it’s still noticeable that it’s been mended. I’m buying you a new one today. If you do well on this exam, I’ll buy you a set of stationery. Things like pens, notebooks, pencil cases, rulers, and compasses.”
Nie Qiu looked at the things in her hands. To be honest, she wouldn’t comment on Nie Aifang’s taste when shopping for clothes with her, but she enjoyed it immensely, watching Nie Aifang pick out clothes and put them together for her. This feeling was something she had never experienced in her previous life. Fortunately, although Nie Aifang’s taste didn’t follow the current trend of young girls’ fashion, her style was fresh and clean. Even though both sets of clothes had small floral patterns, they still exuded a pastoral and pure charm, and Nie Qiu didn’t resist them too much.
The schoolbag was a canvas messenger bag with large black and white stripes, which was also very nice. She smiled and nodded at Nie Aifang, saying, “I understand, Mom, I will definitely do very well on the exam!” Getting rewards for doing well on an exam was a form of encouragement for a child. The amount of the reward wasn’t really important; what mattered were the words “reward.”
Parents wouldn’t begrudge spending money on rewards; rather, they would spend it happily. Children wouldn’t care how much money was spent; receiving a reward was enough to make them happy. Nie Qiu knew that many people had experienced this. In her previous life, she had heard many classmates talk about how their parents bought them things when they scored a certain number of points.
When she heard this, she always thought dismissively, “Look, I don’t need to score this or that many points; I can have whatever I want…” But only she knew how sour and envious she felt when she heard other classmates talking about it…
Nie Aifang smiled and ruffled Nie Qiu’s hair. “Then I’ll be waiting for you to get good grades.”
By the time they finished buying these things, it was almost noon. Nie Aifang took Nie Qiu to a restaurant and ordered four dishes that they wouldn’t even make at home.
Steamed crab with scallion oil, beef stir-fried with ginger shreds, a soup with a turbot, and a pig trotter rice. These were all dishes that were good for the brain and refreshing. Nie Qiu knew that these dishes were not cheap in a restaurant and understood what this meal represented for Nie Aifang.
She didn’t stop her and instead picked up her chopsticks and ate heartily with Nie Aifang. She ate as much as Nie Aifang put on her plate. Sometimes, when she saw Nie Aifang busy serving her food without eating, she would pick up food and put it on Nie Aifang’s plate. “Mom, you eat too.”
Nie Aifang smiled and ate with Nie Qiu.
Peng Yu Yang finished a set of practice questions and took out a notebook from his schoolbag. This was a notebook that Nie Qiu had lent him to look at. He was supposed to read the knowledge from the textbook first and then look at the notebook. He flipped open the textbook and was about to start reading when he heard someone downstairs say, “Yang Yang, don’t just sit upstairs. Go out and walk around more when you have time. That scientist said that after every thirty minutes of studying, you should rest your eyes and mind.”
Peng Yu Yang said helplessly, “Mom, my exam is tomorrow. Can you not disturb me right now? If I don’t do well this time, I won’t have the face to see my two little teachers. Just for today, can you let me read in peace?”
“Little teachers, little teachers, no little teacher is more important than your health. The holiday before an exam is meant for you to relax. Hurry down and help your dad in the kitchen.” Peng Yu Yang’s mother was quite helpless. She worried when her child didn’t study hard, and she still worried when he did. She just had endless worries.
“Mom, there are so many apprentices in the restaurant, where would I be needed to help? Dad is the head chef and the restaurant owner. Besides tasting dishes, what else does he have to do? Besides, if I go down, who would dare make me work? I’m not going!” Peng Yu Yang was also quite helpless. His father was the head chef of the restaurant and half the owner. The family restaurant was a three-story duplex owned by his father and uncle. When he was young, he loved to be in the kitchen, but as he grew older, he disliked the oily fumes from the kitchen and rarely went there.
“Peng Yu Yang!” His mother was angry. “It’s almost noon, get down here and eat!”
Peng Yu Yang reluctantly put down his book, walked out of the room, closed the door, and went downstairs via the rotating European-style staircase. “Mom, getting angry will make you age prematurely. Be careful of early menopause.”
Peng Mama became even more annoyed upon hearing this. “Who am I doing this for? Isn’t it for your health? You’ve been playing games for so many years and haven’t gotten nearsighted, but these past few weeks, studying, studying, studying… You won’t listen when I tell you to rest. When you get nearsighted and feel uncomfortable, you’ll call for Mom, you…”
Peng Yu Yang placed his hands on Peng Mama’s shoulders and smiled. “Okay, okay, I know you’re doing this for my own good. But Mom, I’ve told you, I don’t want to be a bum when I grow up, nor do I want to be a parasite in society. Nie Qiu is right; we should all have our own lives instead of living under your protection. Mom, just let me work hard and try my best… Perhaps if I work hard and get into a good high school and a good university, study better management knowledge, I can earn even more money for our family! Mom, didn’t our restaurant recruit a guest room manager a while ago? Didn’t you write on the recruitment notice that university graduates or above were preferred, with a management major being a plus? This shows the importance of a degree, doesn’t it? You don’t want your son to rely on you for everything, even finding a wife, do you?”
Peng Mama listened to Peng Yu Yang’s words in a daze, but only one thought echoed in her mind: her son had grown up! He was already planning for his future. Hearing his words, she felt a pang of heartache mixed with a wave of emotion, and tears… flowed out involuntarily.
Peng Yu Yang wiped the corners of Peng Mama’s eyes and smiled. “Mom, I know. I used to be naughty, and I’ve always embarrassed you and made you sad since I was little. The fact that I’m in Class 10 always made the uncles and aunties in the residential area secretly mock you and Dad. I’m sorry… Mom, I won’t embarrass you again.”
Peng Mama’s tears flowed even more profusely. She sobbed, and while crying, she said, “Mom… Mom doesn’t have any grand wishes. Mom just hopes you’ll be happy and healthy your whole life… That would be enough for Mom.”
Peng Yu Yang hugged Peng Mama. “I know.” He understood everything. In this world, only parents could give him selfless and unwavering devotion and wish him well.
