Chapter 430: Two Years 3.0

"Teacher Gao, your words are one-sided. If you have resources and don't use them, isn't that foolish? Tongwei, don't listen to your Teacher Gao; do what you should do."

"Besides, with Tongwei's temperament, he has a sense of propriety in his actions. Look at how he gets the scholarship every year, not to mention he still goes to the Library. Just for this persistence, Tongwei's future is limitless."

"Uh, Teacher Wu, you've praised me until I'm embarrassed. What you said makes sense, and Teacher Gao isn't wrong either. Both of your words are the guiding lights on my path to success."

If Qi Tongwei didn't quickly stop the two's "topic discussion," he would likely have to listen to their debate points again.

"You slippery fellow, you've learned this from your Teacher Gao. I regret giving this History of Ming to the two of you."

"……"

"Hahaha, Tongwei, you've made progress. You wouldn't have been able to say that before."

"Teacher Gao, I've already read this History of Ming for the second time, and the feeling from each reading is different."

"Then that's right. The more you read, the more interesting you'll find it. You will also slowly understand the principles within it. There is no harm in reading it a few more times."

"Mm..." Qi Tongwei deeply agreed.

"Fangfang, eat fewer snacks. You've been spoiled rotten by Tongwei. You two teacher and student keep chatting; I'm going to cook. Tongwei, eat at home at noon."

"Alright, Teacher Wu, sorry to trouble you."

Wu Huifen waved her hand and went to the kitchen to get busy. Gao Yuliang and Qi Tongwei continued to express their views on some examples in the History of Ming, while Gao Fangfang sat to the side, hugging her snacks and eating with relish.

An hour later, four dishes and one soup were served on the table, and the teacher and student stopped their discussion.

At noon, Qi Tongwei and Gao Yuliang had a few drinks together. After the meal, the two had another simple academic exchange before Qi Tongwei returned to the dormitory.

"Number Six, went to Teacher Gao's place again?"

Smelling the alcohol on Qi Tongwei, the few of them guessed it roughly; it happened two or three times almost every month.

Everyone couldn't help but envy him; top students have always been doted on by teachers, and it's normal to get some extra tutoring on weekends.

"Mm."

In the blink of an eye, it was winter break. Qi Tongwei bought some snacks from Yantai and Jingzhou and went to Sijiucheng.

Although he hadn't come to Sijiucheng many times, he respected his godfather Zhang Ping'an very much. The few older brothers treated him like their own younger brother, and the younger brothers and sisters didn't treat him as an outsider either.

Qi Tongwei would also remember their preferences; the pastries and snacks he bought this time were things not found in Sijiucheng.

At this moment, at Zhang Ping'an's house, Zhang Weibing brought back a young girl; she was his partner, Jiang Yunrong, who was also an elementary school teacher.

This is great now; among Wang Xiaoling's four sons, three of them have partners who are elementary school teachers. I'm afraid the future grandsons and granddaughters won't have a rebellious phase.

Zhang Weibing first met Jiang Yunrong when he was doing charity work in Modu. At that time, Jiang Yunrong was only seventeen. Over these years, the two had exchanged letters, and only recently did they break through the window paper.

"Yunrong, what a good name. 'Clouds suggest clothes, flowers suggest a face; the spring breeze brushes the railing, the dew is thick and fragrant.'"

Jiang Yunrong's family is indeed a scholarly one; from her great-grandfather's generation down to her, they are all teachers, and her parents are now university professors.

"Mom, you are absolutely right. Yunrong's name was taken from there."

"Uncles and aunts, hello."

"……"

"Fourth Sister-in-law."

Fourteen-year-old Wanshu sized up the second, third, and fourth sisters-in-law, as if trying to see what was different about them.

She was already familiar with the second and third sisters-in-law; their teaching was very strict. She had received plenty of special attention from them in the past few years, and it was only now that she was in middle school that they weren't managing her so strictly.

But looking at the soft and weak Jiang Yunrong now, she didn't look like a teacher at all.

"Stop looking. Your Sister Yunrong will hit the palms of disobedient children."

"Really?"

"Hahaha."

"Little sister, which teacher doesn't hit people? No need to be so surprised." As soon as Weiguo finished speaking, three gazes fell upon his face.

"Uh... someone is knocking on the door, I'll go check."

"What terrifying eyes, good thing I ran fast." Zhang Weiguo ran out with lingering fear.

"Knock, knock, knock."

"Uh, there really is someone knocking on the door."

"Brother Tongwei, you're here."

"Weiguo? What's wrong with you? Why do you look so disheveled?"

"Nothing, I heard someone knocking and ran a bit too fast."

"Oh, are Godfather and Godmother home?"

"Yes, they are, the whole family is. Fourth Brother also brought his partner back, she's also a teacher, sigh."

"……"

"Weiguo, you are in a blessing and don't know it. Back then, if we wanted to ask a teacher for advice on a day off, we had to run more than ten miles."

Zhang Weiguo couldn't empathize with Qi Tongwei. He grew up in Sijiucheng; days off were for playing, so why would he go looking for a teacher?

"Forget it, forget it, help me carry these."

There were many people in Zhang Ping'an's family, and Qi Tongwei bought quite a lot this time—six shopping bags of pastries and snacks.

"Oh, okay."

"Dad, Mom, Brother Tongwei is here."

"You child, you haven't started earning money yet, why did you buy so many things again?"

"Godfather, Godmother, I can't come back many times throughout the year. I bought these with my scholarship money, I didn't spend it recklessly."

"Aunt Lou, Aunt Zhong..." Qi Tongwei greeted them one by one.

"Brother Tongwei."

"Mm, not bad."

Twenty-year-old Qi Tongwei was becoming even more handsome, his height had passed one meter eighty, and his whole person radiated a confident glow.

Qi Tongwei did not linger long; after eating lunch and chatting with everyone about recent events, he headed back, and Zhang Ping'an also prepared a large pile of Sijiucheng specialties for him to take back.

At the same time, he contacted the Jingzhou Group branch to pick him up at the airport, otherwise, it would not have been easy for him to carry this pile of things.

"Tongwei is such a hardworking child."

"Indeed."

Zhang Ping'an also nodded; even without Zhang Ping'an's interference, Qi Tongwei would still have been admitted to Handong University, though his path would have been rockier.

Now that things are going so smoothly, Qi Tongwei remains just as hardworking, and his future is limitless.

Upon returning home, Qi Tongwei handed the items to his parents and asked for the opinions of both them and Tongren.

"Brother, I am more than willing to join the army; whenever I look at high school material, I get sleepy."

Qi Tongren and Qi Tongwei are simply two extremes—a top student and a poor student—and their younger sister, Qi Tongyu, is no less so.

"Father, Mother, what do you think?"

"That is fine too."

Qi Qinghai also knows his son's temperament; since he brought it up, he certainly hopes that Tongren will join the army.

"Good, then I will contact Instructor Gu after the New Year."

"That's great, I finally don't have to face those headache-inducing formulas."

Qi Tongwei shook his head and said no more; the learning opportunity he had fought so hard for back then is now treated like discarded shoes by his younger brother.

Unknowingly, everyone entered the year 1987, and Wang Xiaoling and Zhong Mingzhu also settled down in Sijiucheng.

Zhang Ping'an bought back the former Wang's Pharmacy, and Wang Xiaoling took up her family's medical clinic with ten apprentices, while Zhong Mingzhu returned to the former Military Division Hospital; everything was just as it had been in the past.

"Mingzhu, you have finally returned."

Ding Qiunan had only learned from Zhong Yan that Zhong Mingzhu was still alive and did not know the rest; now, seeing that face which remained the same as before, she felt envious, but more than that, she was happy for her.

"Sister Qiu Nan."

The two chatted for a long time; Ding Qiunan listened to Zhong Mingzhu's experiences over these years, occasionally exclaiming in surprise or envy.

"You and Zhang Shu truly have a fated connection; congratulations, Mingzhu."

"Mm, and you? How have you been all these years?"

"My life hasn't had as many bizarre encounters as yours; it's been plain and simple. Under the cultivation of Dean Zhong, I am now a chief director myself."