AWB Chapter 285 Borrowing is not giving
Chapter 285 Borrowing is not giving
When Lin Dongzhe returned to the meeting point, everyone had already arrived.
Zhuang Xiaoting saw Lin Dongzhe returning with an umbrella. "Lin Dongzhe, where did you get this umbrella?"
"I ran into Tu Nan's class monitor. She saw me getting wet in the rain and lent me an umbrella." Lin Dongzhe explained to Zhuang Xiaoting, then looked at Zhuang Tu Nan, "Tu Nan, after we leave, please return this umbrella to your class monitor."
Zhuang Tunan was stunned. "You've only been here half a day, and you already know our class monitor? She even gave you an umbrella?"
"It's a loan, not a gift," Lin Dongzhe corrected Zhuang Tunan's grammatical error.
Zhuang Tunan's train of thought was interrupted, so he stopped arguing with Lin Dongzhe and turned to Huang Ling, saying, "Let's go for a walk outside and have some fun."
The four of them only spent two days in Shanghai and two nights before returning to Suzhou.
However, this trip left a deep impression on Zhuang Xiaoting. She vowed in her heart that she must study hard and go to university in Shanghai to see a wider world.
Xiang Pengfei also wanted to go to university because he felt that the toilets at university were cleaner than those in Suzhou.
A few days after New Year's Day, the school's final exams were approaching. However, the three students in Building 37 were all junior high school graduates, so the school required them to attend extra classes for two weeks after the exams, and they wouldn't be allowed to leave until close to New Year's Eve.
Wu Shanshan complained to Lin Dongzhe in the grove that Wu Xiaojun didn't study much at school, didn't listen attentively in class, didn't do his homework properly after class, and didn't even play with other classmates. He was always alone, and she was having a terrible headache because of this.
Wu Xiaojun may have been bullied a lot when he was young, which made him timid and lacking in any sharpness.
Lin Dongzhe was just his neighbor and wouldn't show up whenever he was bullied.
Lin Dongzhe was also powerless to help with this issue, and he couldn't even persuade him to transfer schools, as the Wu family didn't have the financial means.
Lin Dongzhe and Zhuang Xiaoting haven't had their holiday yet, but Zhuang Tunan has returned.
Because the winter vacation was short, Xiang Pengfei didn't go back to his parents' side but stayed in Suzhou for the Spring Festival. In the evening, Zhuang Tunan started tutoring Xiang Pengfei. Only after tutoring did he realize that Xiang Pengfei's studies were much better than he had imagined, a world of difference compared to the summer he first came to Suzhou.
Upon further inquiry, it was discovered that Lin Dongzhe had been helping Xiang Pengfei solidify his foundation in his spare time, which was why he was able to catch up.
Because of Lin Dongzhe's help to Xiang Pengfei, Huang Ling gave Lin Dongzhe a large red envelope of ten yuan during the Spring Festival. When Song Ying found out, she also gave Zhuang Tunan a huge red envelope of thirty yuan.
Zhuang Tunan hesitated to accept the money and went to ask Huang Ling. After thinking it over, Huang Ling let Zhuang Tunan accept it, saying he could make up for it later. She thought to herself how lucky she was to have met the family next door.
On New Year's Eve, the two families watched TV together at the Lin family's house.
The Zhuang family hadn't bought a television set, mainly because they were afraid it would affect Zhuang Xiaoting and Xiang Pengfei's studies.
When Li Yiming and his cousin came to pay their New Year's visit, they once again brought up the idea of having Lin Wufeng go to a township enterprise for guidance. They felt that Lin Wufeng was wasting his talents at the compressor factory in Suzhou and that he could have greater opportunities for development.
Lin Wufeng still refused. He had a stable family and was not short of money, so he did not want to venture out into the world.
There is a significant difference between middle age and youth. In middle age, one carries too many burdens, and carrying burdens will not take you far. Unless forced to, one will not easily change course.
Zhuang Tunan returned to Tongji University. His teacher was dissatisfied with their winter break assignments and assigned the students to conduct research on old buildings in groups. Zhuang Tunan and Li Jia were both assigned to the alleyway architecture research group.
That day, Zhuang Tunan wandered around the intricate alleyways, observing their structure and spatial narrative, and seeing how so many people from Shanghai managed to squeeze into such small alleyways.
At the end of the second-floor corridor, I casually opened a mottled glass window, and coincidentally, someone else behind the wall also opened a window. The two of them looked at each other.
"Zhuang Tunan?"
Just as Zhuang Tunan was about to speak, the sketchbook in his hand fell to the ground.
After Zhuang Tunan came down and picked up his notebook, Li Jia also came down.
"I asked Feng Lu to bring that umbrella up for you. I don't know if you received it?"
Li Jia nodded. "I received it. Are you close to Lin Dongzhe?"
"We're very familiar with each other. We've been neighbors for many years, and I've practically watched him grow up," Zhuang Tunan said with a simple, honest smile.
"Then next time he comes to Shanghai, call me and I'll thank him."
Zhuang Tunan asked curiously, "What exactly did he do to help?"
"It's nothing." Li Jia blushed and turned to leave.
The gears of time keep turning, propelling the wheels of history and grinding away the fleeting years.
With summer vacation approaching, Zhuang Tunan returned to Courtyard No. 37 out of curiosity to ask Lin Dongzhe what help he had given Li Jia during New Year's Day. Lin Dongzhe, determined to cure Zhuang Tunan's obsessive-compulsive disorder, refused to answer his question.
Zhuang Tunan's return foreshadows the approaching high school entrance examination.
When July arrived again, the three students from Building 37 left the school together and entered the examination hall for the high school entrance examination. In the morning light, Xiang Pengfei watched the two figures gradually disappear into the distance and clenched his fist.
This time, he wanted to catch up with the two of them and go to school together.
Twenty days later, the results were released. Xiang Pengfei was admitted to No. 1 Middle School with a mid-range score, while Lin Dongzhe and Zhuang Xiaoting, who were originally from the junior high school of No. 1 Middle School, were also directly admitted to the senior high school with top scores.
Although everything was as expected, both the Lin and Zhuang families were very happy.
The table was brought out again, and the two families had a meal together in the yard.
Looking at the four younger generation members opposite him, each one more worry-free and more ambitious than the last, Zhuang Chaoying felt a sense of comfort, like a kitten basking in the winter sun, completely relaxed.
"Come on, Engineer Lin, let's have a toast!"
Lin Wufeng was also very happy and raised his glass to clink glasses with Zhuang Chaoying.
Lin Wufeng took a sip and sighed, "In a few years, they'll be preparing for the college entrance exam. These kids grow up in the blink of an eye."
Huang Ling also said, "Yes, we're all getting old too."
Zhuang Chaoying disagreed, "It's not the right time yet. I still need to prepare to attend night school." As she spoke, she went inside and brought out an adult education enrollment brochure. "If you're interested, we can all go together, except for Engineer Lin."
Lin Wufeng was the first college student on campus, graduating from Shanghai Jiao Tong University.
However, Huang Ling and Song Ying were not interested in night school and had no intention of going, so Zhuang Chaoying could only put away her brochure and silently drink with Lin Wufeng.
Zhang Amei, who lived in the front yard, overheard the conversation in courtyard number 37 and scoffed, "What's so great about them?"
Wu Jianguo glanced to the north, but his view was blocked by the wall, so he couldn't see anything. He lowered his head and continued chopping vegetables without saying a word.
Zhang Amei, having failed to get a response, stopped talking and slammed the door shut.