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In the same neighborhood, twelve-year-old Li Chen was diligently reviewing his lessons. Like Nuan Nuan, he had no one to guide him. He didn't have a father, and his mother was always busy, unable to focus on his studies.
Li Chen attended a migrant workers' school and was in the sixth grade. It was a private school with a high teacher turnover rate, so the quality of education largely depended on self-discipline. Most of the students weren't interested in studying, but Li Chen was an exception. Even at his young age, he understood that their family's conditions were poor, and without studying, there would be no way out. After his father passed away, Li Chen had matured quickly and was now able to handle most household chores.
The final exams were tomorrow, and Li Chen couldn't afford to slack off. He had been doing practice questions and memorizing lessons all night. He didn't want his mother to worry about him, so he quietly turned off the light and got into bed when he heard the sound of the door opening.
The primary and middle school final exams were close together, and once the exams were over, there would be a parent-teacher meeting the next day to discuss the results. Li Chen was anxious because he felt he had performed poorly—whenever he compared answers with his classmates, they didn't match.
The parent-teacher meeting was in the evening, but his mother had to work. The people at the restaurant where she worked were kind to them, so he didn't want to take up more of her time and distract her from her job. However, since his father had passed, there was no one else to attend the meeting in his place.
Ma Junhou had just finished his night shift and was still fast asleep when he woke up in the afternoon. He came out in his slippers to find a meal prepared on the table: scrambled eggs with tomatoes, shredded potatoes, rice, and a bowl of seaweed egg drop soup.
Li Chen came out of his room hesitantly, seemingly wanting to say something.
As Ma Junhou began eating, he took a bite and noticed the taste was slightly off.
"Did you make this?" he asked.
Li Chen nodded.
"It's not bad, better than your mother's," Ma Junhou praised, "What's the matter?"
"Uncle, could you help me with the parent-teacher meeting?" Li Chen said, nervously twisting his clothes. He didn't know anyone else; Uncle Ma was the person he was most familiar with.
The mention of a parent-teacher meeting brought back painful memories for Ma Junhou from his childhood, where such meetings were tightly linked to getting punished, making him shudder.
"My mom has to work and can't take time off..." Li Chen said eagerly.
The child's thoughtfulness made Ma Junhou feel both heartbroken and moved. He was already nearly forty and shouldn't be afraid of attending a parent-teacher meeting. Slamming his fist on the table, he said, "No problem. I'll go as your parent. Don't worry about it. If you don't do well on the exam, it's no big deal. I always got zeroes when I was a kid, but now look at me—eating and living well every day."
After finishing the meal, it was almost time to head to the parent-teacher meeting. Ma Junhou carefully dressed up, making sure not to wear his work clothes. He put on a fur coat (he had borrowed one since he didn't have his own), polished his shoes until they shone, and grabbed a small bag before heading to the school.
The migrant workers' school was designed for children of non-local workers. The facilities were modest, and the school had a large student body. When Ma Junhou entered the classroom, the homeroom teacher asked who he was.
"I'm Li Chen's father," he said.
The homeroom teacher, a meticulous middle-aged man, looked at him skeptically. "Wasn't Li Chen's father killed in a car accident recently?"
"Yes, I'm his stepfather. What's the problem? His mother is busy, so I'm here to attend in her place. Is that a problem?" Ma Junhou said boldly. The homeroom teacher waved him off, signaling for him to find a seat.
After the usual procedures, the homeroom teacher began reading the results, starting with the failing students. The overall grades were quite poor, with almost half the class failing.
"Parents, please pay more attention to your children's studies. Spend more time with them," the teacher said.
One parent grumbled, "We're busy working all day just to make ends meet. We barely get to see our children. How can we spend time with them? You really have no idea, do you?"
The teacher adjusted his glasses and said, "I understand that you're busy, but no matter how busy you are, you can always find a little time to spend with your kids. The school is here to educate, but parents are always the best teachers. For example, in this class, there's a student who scored full marks in every subject. Could we have Li Chen's parent stand up and share their experience?"
With all eyes on him, Ma Junhou stood up. He had never spoken in front of so many people before and was unsure of what to say.
"Just say whatever comes to your mind," the teacher encouraged.
Ma Junhou thought for a moment and said, "Actually, I'm not qualified to speak. I don't even know how Li Chen got full marks. All I know is this kid is very sensible and hardworking. His parents are from out of town. His dad worked night shifts hauling waste, and his mom worked as a waitress. Life hasn't been easy for him. You might have heard about the car accident. Li Chen lost his father, but it didn't affect him... No, I misspoke, it affected him a lot. He worked even harder after that. He studies until late at night every day..."
At this point, Ma Junhou, a tough shipyard worker, was choked up. "If I had even a tenth of Li Chen's effort when I was a kid, I would have at least been a vice chief engineer by now."
There was a moment of silence in the room. However, his heartfelt speech didn't deeply move the other parents. Everyone had been through struggles in life, and such tragedies weren't new. For them, this wasn't a motivational speech—it was just another reality that could happen to anyone.
After the meeting, the homeroom teacher asked Ma Junhou to stay behind.
"This kid has great potential," the teacher said. "He's about to face the transition to middle school. Our policies are still lacking here. These kids will have to return to their hometowns to continue their education. Have you thought about that?"
Ma Junhou shook his head. "I don't know. Could you explain the situation more clearly?"
The teacher explained, "It's simple. If you have local household registration, the child can go to a middle school here. If not, they have to go back to their hometowns."
Ma Junhou nodded thoughtfully.
At the end of the term, Li Chen brought home another certificate. Ma Junhou quietly measured the size of the certificate and went to the car to gather some leftover materials. He made fifty picture frames using aluminum alloy and organic glass, framing all of Li Chen's certificates and hanging them on the wall.
When Du Li came home, she was surprised to see so many shining frames on the wall. She thought to herself that Ma Junhou was really thoughtful, but fifty frames seemed a bit excessive.
Ma Junhou confidently explained, "The kid is outstanding. He'll have more certificates in the future. He'll need one for each year of middle school, high school, university, and even for his master's and doctorate. Who knows, after he starts working, he might get even more!"
"Fifty might not even be enough," Ma Junhou said proudly, as if Li Chen's achievements were his own.
Meanwhile, at the middle school parent-teacher meeting, Nuan Nuan's grandfather attended on her behalf. The homeroom teacher read the grades, and Nuan Nuan was among the top three in the class, ranked in the top five of the grade.
This was a huge leap compared to the sharp decline in Yin Weiran's grades, who had originally ranked in the top five but had now fallen to fifteenth place. Her English grades were especially poor, and her position as the English class representative was in jeopardy.
After the meeting, the teacher called in a few parents for individual talks, including Yang Dongming, to discuss the future of the students. The school, which used to have a complete middle school department, had been forced to cut it due to various reasons, so it was time to consider the upcoming high school entrance exams and which high school to attend.
"If there are resources at home, it's best to aim for a key high school. Jiangwei Experimental High School is good, but it's still not on par with the key high schools in the provincial capital," the teacher said. "Yuan Nuan Nuan has a local household registration in Jiangwei, so Jiangwei High School is the best option for her. Otherwise, it would be a waste of such a good student."
After returning home, Xiang Dongming discussed the issue of his granddaughter attending high school with his wife. Without a doubt, a high school in Jiangwei would be much better than the local schools. With the semester ending and the entrance exams fast approaching, they needed to make preparations.
The couple had a heated argument. Ding Yujie said that if they had known things would turn out like this, they shouldn't have transferred the child back and could have just let her finish middle school in Jiangwei.
Xiang Dongming defended the decision, explaining that when their eldest daughter passed away so suddenly, and Nuan Nuan was so young, she couldn't live alone. Her aunt, still a child herself, couldn't take care of her.
After the argument, they realized that the child's future couldn't be neglected, so they decided to ask their younger daughter for her opinion.
Xiang Bing, who was in a meeting at the company, stepped out to take the call. Her father, an engineer, spoke directly and concisely, and Xiang Bing agreed quickly, saying that Nuan Nuan should go back to Jiangwei to attend high school and that she would take full responsibility.
After hanging up, Xiang Bing muttered, "We shouldn't have transferred her."
The house that her sister and brother-in-law had bought was perfect: 130 square meters, enough for their family of three to live comfortably. It was a well-furnished apartment in a small high-rise, just 200 meters from the subway station. The only downside was that it was too close to the best primary school and middle school in Jiangwei, and the loud morning exercises broadcasts made it hard to sleep in.
However, this was also the house's greatest advantage— a first-rate school district with great potential for appreciation. The house was purchased when Nuan Nuan was born, and the property value had since quintupled.
Originally, Nuan Nuan was supposed to spend her entire twelve years of education there, but after Xiang Mo's sudden passing, Nuan Nuan couldn't handle living in a house filled with memories of her mother. For her mental health, they decided to transfer her to another school.
Now, looking back, Nuan Nuan's emotional wounds had largely healed, and it was time for her to return to her studies.
The house still had a mortgage, and during this time, they had rented it out to cover the payments. Now, they could consider ending the lease. Xiang Bing would help pay off the mortgage herself. Nuan Nuan was still young and had a long road ahead of her— high school, college, and beyond. All these expenses would fall on her aunt. They couldn't rely on the elderly couple's small pension from state-owned enterprises, which was barely enough to cover daily expenses.
Xiang Bing was just under thirty and still lived a carefree lifestyle, but now, she would have to shoulder the financial burden of her niece and the mortgage. The thought of it stressed her out. But Nuan Nuan was in such a vulnerable state, and she was the only one Nuan Nuan could rely on.
The arrival of winter vacation didn't impact Yumei Restaurant much, as students weren't the main customers. For Yi Leng, it meant less work, as he didn't need to prepare lunch for Nuan Nuan and Ali anymore.
Though the girls didn't eat much, they were quite particular about the meals— flavorful, nutritious, and elegantly packed in well-designed lunch boxes. This was a far cry from the greasy meals cooked by middle-aged chefs.
The two tents had been forcibly dismantled and confiscated, with a fine imposed. That wasn't the worst part; things took a turn for the worse when the other storefront, which they had been negotiating for, suddenly canceled the agreement right before signing the contract. The excuse was that according to city planning, the building was designated for office use, not for heavy restaurants that produced grease and noise. This didn't sit right with Yi Leng, as there were already restaurants and karaoke bars nearby producing just as much grease and noise. It was clear that someone was sabotaging the deal.
The culprit was most likely Gao Peng, a powerful figure in the area. They were forced to put the plan on hold.
The store had to downsize, and the business couldn't support as many employees anymore. Yet, it was difficult to let any of the current staff go—Xie Wenxia was Zhang Cong's mother, a diligent worker who could do the work of three people. Du Li was also a hardworking single mother. Xiao Hong was a distant relative of Wu Yumei, who had been brought from the countryside. It would be hard to replace them.
Just when things seemed to be stabilizing, a heavy snowstorm started to fall. Fewer people were out drinking, and the restaurant, once the busiest at certain hours, was now completely empty. Everyone stared at the food ingredients, unsure of what to do next.
When the business was booming, they complained about wanting a break. Now that they had it, they felt uneasy. Everyone instinctively turned to Huang Pihu, the rock of the restaurant.
Huang Pihu wasn't fazed. "If the heavens want us to rest, then we rest. There's always a way forward, everything will work out in the end."
With that, he donned his military coat, slipped a bottle of liquor in his pocket, and grabbed a thermos before heading out.
Outside, the snow was falling heavily, covering the ground in a thick layer. The riders on electric bikes were bundled up tightly, with snowflakes resting on their heads and shoulders. Cars moved slowly, and the streetlights cast a dim yellow glow as the snow danced in the wind.
Yi Leng's destination was the local middle school. With the winter break upon them, the school was unusually quiet, with only the security guard left in the vast campus.
The security guard opened the gate, and Yi Leng performed a little trick, pulling out a bottle of Huai Jiang special liquor, a paper-wrapped roasted chicken, and a thermos filled with fried peanuts and braised beef.
"Come in, no business today?" the old man said, surprised, as he ushered Yi Leng inside. He took the items and placed them on the table. There were two lunch boxes on the stove, his dinner—one with braised tofu and the other with vegetarian dumplings, along with a bottle of Huai Jiang special liquor.
"It's snowing and there's no business. I came to have a drink with you," Yi Leng said as he took off his coat and set up the food and drinks. It was rare to have some leisure time to chat with someone. In the entire Jiangwei area, he couldn't find anyone who truly understood him. The old man, though, was a close confidant. Even though they had never discussed their pasts, Yi Leng could sense that the old man had his own stories.
Sitting by the stove, sipping liquor, and watching the snowflakes outside, Yi Leng couldn't help but reminisce about the past. The people and events that once dominated his life now felt like distant memories. All that was left was the current struggle.
"You've got something on your mind," the old man said. "Tell me about it. I might not be able to help, but it's better to talk it out."
So Yi Leng shared the development bottleneck his restaurant was facing. They were stuck, unsure of where to go next.
The old man raised his eyebrows and said, "When the east is dark, the west can still shine. If you don't want to run a restaurant, you could consider running a cafeteria. Our school's cafeteria is undergoing renovations and will soon be bidding for the contract. You might want to try."
Yi Leng shook his head. While the school cafeteria was a stable business, it was not something ordinary people could take over.
"If you treat it as a business, it won't work. But if you don't treat it as a business, it'll work," the old man said cryptically. Yi Leng instantly understood.