Chapter 550: Chapter 57: Admonition
Zhuo Feng and Feng Xing’s trip back to their hometown this time took a little longer than expected. Before leaving, the couple had planned to stay in Feng Xing’s ancestral home for ten to fifteen days. However, with the new daughter-in-law visiting for the first time and meeting all sorts of relatives and neighbors, coupled with Mrs. Feng’s repeated entreaties, the young couple ended up staying for a full twenty-one days.
If they didn’t return soon, Xiao Xian worried that she would have to have someone else sign her transfer application.
"Really sorry for the trouble, and thank you for taking care of Xiao Xian for so long," Zhuo Feng said embarrassingly, making small talk.
After the trip to Feng Xing’s old home, Xiao Xian noticed that her aunt Zhuo Feng had gotten a bit fairer and plumper, presumably getting along well with Grandma Feng in Guan County.
"Not at all, Xiao Xian is such a sweet talker and skillful with her hands, she really livened up the place," Grandma Zeng loved the lively atmosphere at home, she had long considered Xiao Xian as half her own granddaughter, and upon seeing Zhuo Feng, she treated her almost like a relative, insisting that the couple and Xiao Xian stay for one more night before leaving.
Zhuo Feng dared not trouble someone else with her whole family, so after a lot of persuading, the couple agreed to leave after dinner. They went home and brought back many special products, including two baskets of newly harvested apples, leaving one basket for the Zeng family.
The two families talked and laughed over a meal. During the meal, Zhuo Feng shared some of the unusual things she encountered in Guan County, Xiao Xian talked about her first day at work at Mao Dazhu’s shop, and Mrs. Zeng shared some funny stories from the business world. They did not finish eating until after nine o’clock.
Seeing that it was getting late, Mrs. Zeng insisted on the couple staying as it was inconvenient to drive back to Yanqing at that time, especially since there was an abundance of guest rooms in Zeng’s villa.
Zhuo Feng was urged to stay over and over again, and Xiao Xian also brought up the matter of Mao Dazhu’s shopfront, so Zhuo Feng thought she might as well visit the mat store the next day and wasn’t in a hurry to return to Yanqing, deciding to stay the night at the Zeng family’s place.
Later that night, Zhuo Feng went to Xiao Xian’s room, and the aunt and niece hadn’t had a good talk for a while; tonight afforded a good opportunity for a long conversation.
"Xiao Xian, your aunt remembered what you said on this visit. If force doesn’t work, use softness. Have you noticed that your uncle’s mood has improved a lot since he came back?" Zhuo Feng was delayed in her return from Shandong because of an incident that occurred along the way.
Feng Xing’s stepfather had fallen off a ladder while picking apples, injuring his tailbone. Feng Xing felt sorry for Grandma Feng, who not only had to take care of the apple orchard but also her injured husband, so he helped look after him for a few days.
After a few days, the two men, who hadn’t spoken properly for over twenty years, finally opened up and resolved their differences.
Taking advantage of Zhuo Feng’s good mood, Xiao Xian also brought up the matter of transferring schools urgently.
"Transferring schools? Sacred Heart Middle School is very good, why bring up transferring? Is someone at school bullying you? Tell your aunt, and I’ll go argue for you," Zhuo Feng was surprised to hear that Xiao Xian wanted to transfer schools, unable to wrap her head around it. She had heard that bullying was frequent in schools nowadays, worried Xiao Xian might have been wronged even in a well-known school like Sacred Heart Middle School.
"Aunt, wait, you’re interrupting me; I haven’t finished speaking. It’s because of my exceptional talent in basketball. I was noticed by a professor from the Huake Institute," Xiao Xian fabricated, knowing that the Chinese Academy of Sciences was not Beijing Sports University and certainly did not recruit such specialized students.
Obviously, Zhuo Feng also figured this out, "What? The Huake Institute, that offers the genius class of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, wants to recruit you?"
"Pretty much," Xiao Xian replied with a hint of apprehension, thinking that whether genius or unconventional, as long as one entered Hua Ke University, it was equivalent to getting recognized.
"I heard that class is extremely difficult to get into; it’s all Einstein-level students. Xiao Xian, are you sure it’s the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and not someone scamming you? Also, transferring to such a good school, won’t the pressure be too much for you? A few years ago, I heard about a 13 or 14-year-old youngest student at the Huake Institute who dropped out mid-course due to lacking self-care skills." Before Xiao Xian, Zhuo Feng herself had recently graduated, and when it came to children’s education, she too was sometimes unsure how to handle it. Fortunately, Xiao Xian had been performing well and hadn’t caused any trouble so far.
With that in mind, Zhuo Feng was no longer worried about Xiao Xian’s ability to take care of herself and agreed that when the transfer application came, she would sign it and agree to the transfer.
Only then did Xiao Xian settle down. Aunt and niece huddled in the room, talking until one or two in the morning before they each fell asleep.
The next morning, Xiao Xian accompanied Zhuo Feng and Feng Xing to the mat store.
Mao Dazhu was efficient; the north-facing part of the mat store had already been cleaned up. He was lucky; the meteorological department had predicted an exceptionally hot summer with ongoing high temperatures expected to last until mid-October. Taking advantage of the lingering summer heat, the mat store had a big sale a few days earlier and sold more than ninety percent of the leftover mats.