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Chapter 17 Chapter 17
The next morning, Du Wenjuan came to pick up the child to the zoo at 7:30 and was a little surprised to see the neat living room.
"Does Mr. Jiang have a girlfriend?"
"No, Xingwang and I cleaned up together," Jiang Wangping said straightly: "He has always been very good at housework."
It is also possible to pay rent through housework in disguise.
The child didn't stop smiling when he saw his mother, and he deliberately took her to his room to read the final exam papers, the teacher's workbook filled with five-pointed stars, and the pansies stacked in the handicraft class, as if he wanted to hide everything she couldn't see. Find out all day.
Then before leaving, he hugged Jiang Wang very hard.
"Brother, bye!"
"Goodbye," Jiang Wang yawned, "Have fun."
Du Wenjuan glanced at her husband who was on the phone at the stairs and showed an apologetic smile.
"Mr. Jiang is free this afternoon?" She crossed her hands on Xingwang's chest, as if afraid that the child would get lost: "I have... fear of heights, and I can't play many events, so it's not good to leave the child alone."
"Huh? Okay," Jiang Wang said very well, and after thinking about it, he said, "It's also lively with many people, why don't I call Teacher Shang Ji?"
"Okay," the woman was relieved: "I'm afraid I can't find a topic, and I've worked hard for you today."
When the two of them picked up the child, Jiang Wang stretched, went downstairs to buy some early and went upstairs to find Ji Linqiu.
A city is very small, and it is not bad that the zoo can visit for an hour and a half.
People also know that there are not many foreign animals that can be watched. They basically make money by feeding projects. Black swans, alpacas, tigers, and black bears can be fed on anything, and they are specially equipped with long forks that deliver meat through barbed wire.
When Jiang Wang first came here, he accompanied Peng Xingwang once. The monkey mountain was built in a mess, and the camels were ridden every day with impatient faces, and occasionally spit on people.
At that time, he also wanted to get acquainted with the children, so as not to be regarded as an adult peddler all the time, he bought four buckets of multi-grain feed from the peddler, just to feed the pigeons and quickly squat out the hemorrhoids.
Thinking of this, the man couldn't help laughing and knocked on Teacher Ji's door with soy milk fritters.
Ji Linqiu likes to stay up late, but she hasn't woken up yet, and she knocks for half a minute before slowly coming over to open the door.
As soon as the door was opened, there was no stinky and musty odor that is common in the male dormitory, but a wind mixed with the fragrance of gardenias rushed out.
"Morning," Ji Linqiu said in a hoarse voice, "the child is gone?"
"Going to play at the zoo," Jiang Wang handed him the soymilk fritters, leaning against the door frame, "They went to Honghe Park to play in the afternoon, but they didn't dare to sit high, so I hope I can accompany them."
Ji Linqiu didn't answer, her brows raised and she smiled again.
"And then Brother Jiang wants me to accompany you?"
"How dare I bother you," Jiang Wang said boldly: "Mr. Ji's vacation is precious, and teacher training is needed in two days. It's time to make up for sleep."
Ji Linqiu still refused to pick up, deliberately trying to embarrass him for a while.
Big Tail Wolf is very tough: "Real men never ride on a merry-go-round."
"I'm mainly," the man coughed, "I'm afraid you're too lonely, right?"
Ji Linqiu blinked: "Do I look lonely?"
"Well, as long as Teacher Ji is single, I'm obliged to invite you out to play more. You just have two meals, which is more cost-effective."
Teacher Ji took the breakfast, raised it and looked carefully at the fritters inside: "I like to eat steamed buns."
"Next time." Jiang Wang's tail is raised again: "I'll buy you twenty kinds of stuffing, eat them until they are round."
The two made an appointment to meet, one went back to sleep and the other went out to check accounts, and they were both in a good mood.
Peng Xingwang dragged his mother all the way to talk about the school, and he was very happy to see her listening to everything with a smile.
Chang Hua walked beside them, and occasionally took a few words to the end of the scene.
The zoo is not big, and you can see the panorama after a fifteen-minute walk.
Peng Xingwang has an inexplicable feeling of being a host. He must bring the two adults to have fun and not be bored. When he sees a hawker selling corn kernels, he specially greets him.
"Let's feed the swans!"
Du Wenjuan rushed to buy a small cup, mainly watching Peng Xingwang feed the goose, and then took him to take pictures together.
After a while, went around to Monkey Mountain, and there were scenic spots people walking around with carts.
"It's fun to feed the monkeys too!" The child smiled and said, "Some monkeys even salute. I saw it when I came with Brother Jiang last time!"
Chang Hua used to buy a feeding bowl full of banana segments, and when he brought it back, he mocked: "Fifteen for a bowl? I really know how to do business, and I'll save money for the monkeys' feed."
Du Wenjuan smiled awkwardly: "After all, there are still labor costs."
The man snorted, still feeling that opening the zoo would make a lot of money.
Peng Xingwang was a little embarrassed. He reached out and touched the two hundred yuan in his pocket, thinking that he was lucky that his brother gave pocket money in advance today.
In fact, he had saved a lot of pocket money, but his brother insisted on giving it.
The bird watching area was very noisy, the parrot myna was bickering all the time, and many people were taking photos with the sunflower parrot.
While chatting with his mother, Peng Xingwang quietly looked at Uncle Chang's expression, and found that the other party was not interested and kept yawning.
"Let's go see the alpacas? It's fun over there!"
"Okay," Du Wenjuan was also very happy today, laughing so much that crow's feet appeared: "Mom likes this too, you take me there."
Peng Xingwang nodded and led her forward quickly.
"Slow down!" Chang Hua said, "Your mother is tired."
Peng Xingwang was stunned, thinking that he was negligent.
Du Wenjuan's eyes showed some hesitation, she nodded and said, "Xingxing is good, let's go slowly."
The alpacas took a leisurely walk in a small lawn. There are always many children here on weekends, and there are a few classmates who happen to be Peng Xingwang.
"Xingwang?! You came to the zoo today too!"
"This is my mother!!" Peng Xingwang said proudly, for fear that they might not see it, "I said earlier, my mother is very beautiful, right!!!"
"It's so elegant!"
"Hello Auntie! Xingwang is very good at school!!"
"Did you really have the Dalmatians from the movie??"
The children looked at Chang Hua curiously: "By the way, who is he?"
Chang Hua's eyes changed slightly, and he looked at Du Wenjuan inquiringly.
"It's Uncle Chang," Du Wenjuan and the parents of several classmates nodded and explained with a smile, "I also came here to play with Xingwang today."
Chang Hua pouted.
While chatting, the administrator came over with a cart loaded with fruit and fodder.
"Twenty yuan a cup! There will be no more when it's sold out, come and feed the alpacas!!"
"Children, let's see what alpacas like to eat!"
The children hurrahed and ran to surround the car, and Peng Xingwang also ran after hearing the sound.
"Stop!" Chang Hua frowned and stopped: "It has been fed three times, what are you anxious about?"
Du Wenjuan opened her mouth to speak, but Chang Hua said again: "You have to be sensible, and your mother came to see you specially. You should just play with your mother more. There is no need to spend such unjust money."
Peng Xingwang stood there in a daze, holding a hundred dollars from his pocket in his palm.
Du Wenjuan was shocked when she saw it clearly: "Baby, where did you get the money?"
"Yes... it was given by my brother." Peng Xingwang lowered his head and said, "Then we won't feed it."
"It's just obedient. In the future, when you go to live with your mother, you must learn to be diligent and thrifty." Chang Hua said with satisfaction: "We are not poor, but the money has to be spent on a knife's edge."
He motioned to Du Wenjuan to take the two hundred, led the two of them to bid farewell to the children, and continued onward.
"Your cousin is very rich, what business does he do?"
Du Wenjuan was very uneasy and wanted to return the money to Jiang Wang later: "I don't know either... It seems that he opened a bookstore."
"Huh, the bookstore is so profitable now?"
The child panicked for a while, and whispered to his mother, "Can we live together in the future?!"
"Isn't it great?" Du Wenjuan said with a gentle expression: "Mom has always missed you very much, and will come to you as soon as her work and residence settle down."
Peng Xingwang's breathing paused briefly, as if some magic spell had finally been lifted.
It's not that Mom doesn't want me anymore, she's busy with other things. My brother really didn't lie to me.
Chang Hua called at 11 o'clock in the afternoon, Jiang Wang deliberately delayed for a while to say that the company had something to do, and came to pick him up at 12 o'clock.
He deliberately drove a more spacious business car, and looked at Peng Xingwang's expression first when picking up people.
Ji Linqiu sat in the co-pilot and watched for a while: "Laughing and talking, it seems that they get along well."
The three came up one after another, and the car turned around and drove towards the western restaurant next to the park.
Peng Xingwang was also tired. After he got up, he drank most of the bottle of water, and then seemed to remember some good news, and happily lay down beside Jiang Wang.
"Brother! Mom said she would pick me up and live there!"
Jiang Wang paused for a few seconds, and said naturally: "Good thing, you don't have to worry about writing in the future."
Du Wenjuan couldn't help apologizing again: "It's really troublesome for you two to take care of Xingxing for so long."
"When we pick up Xingwang tomorrow, you can rest for a while."
Peng Xingwang was stunned.
"tomorrow?"
"Of course it's tomorrow," Chang Hua saw that the child was a little scared: "Don't worry, uncle will find our best elementary school for you. There are foreigners among the English teachers."
Ji Linqiu smiled and handed the child the freshly baked chocolate bread.
"You're hungry, let's take a nap first."
Peng Xingwang said thank you, took it with both hands, and his attention was not diverted.
"Why tomorrow?"
"Because all adults have to go to work on Monday," Du Wenjuan said apologetically: "After becoming an adult, there will be no winter and summer vacations, and you have to go to work from Monday to Friday."
"Don't be afraid of Xingxing, let's go to Cizhou for a while," she said softly, "If you're not used to it... It's easy to say when you come back."
"It must be a habit," Chang Hua said, "ours are much better than this."
Peng Xingwang didn't expect this matter to be so urgent, and his mind hadn't turned around for a while.
It is equivalent to saying that he will study in another city in the second grade, and all the friends he just met will not be able to meet.
more importantly……
"Will my brother go to Cizhou?"
"Probably not," Jiang Wang said, looking at the light at the intersection, "but Teacher Ji and I will come to see you, and we will definitely."
Ji Linqiu glanced at him and nodded tacitly.
"The teacher will miss you very much."
Peng Xingwang was a little anxious, but he didn't know what to say, so he called out a big brother.
"Here." Jiang Wang looked at him through the rearview mirror.
Peng Xingwang suddenly felt sad, and stretched out his arms to hug his shoulders.
"Brother," he murmured, "do I really want to leave tomorrow?"
Jiang Wanglai's mental construction was full on the way, but now he is suddenly relentless and unprincipled.
Ji Linqiu gave him a disapproving look.
I have to cut through the mess quickly. Jiang Wang thought so. If the delay is too long, both sides of the child will not be able to let go, and the problem is even bigger.
"You can also slow down. You can stay for ten days and a half months. The big deal is that I will find a time to send you there."
Peng Xingwang panicked.
He suddenly felt that ten days and a half months was not enough.
But his mother was next to him, and he said that it was a betrayal to want to stay.
"Can't my brother go to Cizhou?"
Jiang Wang shook his head.
"I work here."
It is impossible for him to integrate into Du Wenjuan's life, nor for the sake of the stars.
Du Wenjuan felt that the child's mood was not right, and hurriedly said: "It's alright, let's have fun today, and we'll discuss it tomorrow."
Chang Hua answered absentmindedly.
The afternoon sun is very good, it is the right time to visit the park.
Honghe Park is a combination of playgrounds and walking occasions. There is no place like Happy Valley here, but some small entertainment facilities are placed in a large park with an empty site.
Du Wenjuan was afraid of heights, and Chang Hua lacked interest. Instead, two big men who had no blood relationship played with the child the whole time.
One rides on the merry-go-round, the other rides on the small roller coaster, and then bumps around in the bumper car hall with the children in their arms.
When all the projects that required tossing were finished, Du Wenjuan led Xingwang to fish for goldfish to do handicrafts, and Chang Hua sat next to him talking and laughing.
Jiang Wang breathed a sigh of relief, leaning against the street lamp to smoke.
"What about you?" He turned his head and said, "Come on one?"
"Won't."
"Isn't supporting teaching very boring." Jiang Wang laughed: "It's very pure, I thought you learned everything."
Ji Linqiu was still looking at the mother and son by the goldfish pond, and said for a while, "She's not afraid of heights, right?"
"Well." The man glanced back and said lightly, "It's fine to take this node back."
No wonder he chose to pick up the stars at this time.
If you miss this time, you may never have a chance in the future.
"But then again, as his eldest brother, I can still continue to care for him." Jiang Wang suddenly remembered something: "Xiaoshengchu, junior high, plus all the college entrance examination questions, can I make it all round?"
"When he transfers to another school, I will see that the child has rounded up their school counseling schoolbag by the way."
Ji Linqiu sighed deeply: "That's... so sweet."
The two talked for a while, Ji Linqiu went over to play with Peng Xingwang to play glue, and Du Wenjuan came over to drink some water to rest.
Du Wenjuan looked at her husband who was answering the phone in the distance, and said with emotion, "It's not easy to have children. You two are really patient. Teacher Ji is really nice."
Jiang Wang hummed and changed the subject: "Actually... this child sleeps and sometimes trembles in the middle of the night."
"I found it a few times when I tucked him in the quilt. Sometimes when I went to the toilet at night, I would see the small light in his bedroom turned on."
"Probably because I was always beaten in the past," the man lowered his eyes and said, "Although he is much more cheerful now, he still dreams of bad things."
"However, with you by his side, I may gradually stop having nightmares in the future."
Du Wenjuan's eyes immediately turned red, and just as she was about to agree, an old couple with a child came over not far away.
"Wenjuan?! Is that Wenjuan??"
"Hey, Grandpa Huang!"
The old couple were very happy to see Wen Juan who had grown up, and they saw Jiang Wang standing next to her and praised them again and again.
"You cousin, amazing, amazing!!"
"He opened several bookstores in our city and donated a lot of money. He is a great man!"
Jiang Wang was suddenly complimented, and his ears were burning next to his young mother.
"Don't be so polite." He tried to stop: "It's all small things."
"Hey, Wenjuan, if you have time to talk to your brother about marriage, my niece is very nice!" The old grandfather persevered and said with a thumbs up, "What a handsome young man! Send eggs to us old folks!"
Du Wenjuan endured a smile and said goodbye to the two old people, looking at their backs and saying, "That's great."
"I envy you very much." She turned her head to look at Jiang Wang, and admired from the bottom of her heart: "You can do business you like, make friends everywhere, and you are very free."
Jiang Wang's ears were too hot, and his face was a little red. He coughed and pretended to be okay: "You can too, you are only in your early thirties, and now there are many opportunities."
"Me," Du Wenjuan smiled with a bit of difficulty: "I can see my old age at a glance."
"But it's fine. Now that I have received the stars, I have one less regret." She said gently: "You also take care of yourself. It's very hard to run around alone."
Jiang Wang looked at his mother's young face, something was melting and rolling in the depths of his chest.
It was as if something he had deliberately ignored had fallen out of the safe and was dangling in his empty chest.
"Yes, I will."
"It's all a family, even if the surname is Jiang, it's still my relatives," Du Wenjuan said solemnly: "We will keep in touch in the future."
Peng Xingwang played all day, and went back to Jiang Wang's house to sleep as usual at night.
Ji Linqiu left early after dinner, and Jiang Wang sat with them for a long time before finally taking Peng Xingwang home.
When he returned to the familiar and warm home, the man was stunned for a while, and then opened his mouth to remind Peng Xingwang.
"You should pack your bags."
"You can take anything you like with you. Brother, please bring a suitcase for you."
The child didn't move after hearing the words, standing there not knowing what to do.
Jiang Wang squatted down so that he could look at himself.
"What's wrong?"
Peng Xingwang's eyes turned red.
"I don't know," he shook his head quickly. "I don't know what to do."
He wanted to say that brother, I don't want to leave, but he should have been with his mother. All children in the world will be with their mother.
—and his mother has come to pick him up.
Jiang Wang condemned himself for being completely unprincipled, patted the child's head and said, "Then I won't accept it."
"Take it as a trip with your mother, go to a new place to play for a few days, and come back to see your brother when you're tired, okay?"
Peng Xingwang looked at him blankly: "Can I really come back to see you and Teacher Ji?"
"Really, don't you remember my cell phone number?" Jiang Wang has never been so gentle: "As long as you call me, I will come to see you on the plane."
"Why?" The child said blankly, "Mom picked me up, and your mission is over."
"It's too numb," Jiang Wang said, rubbing his face, "Go and take a bath."
Du Wenjuan was worried that the child would not be able to get along with them, so she bought a ticket for 5:30 in the afternoon, but now it seems that it is too late.
Jiang Wang only brought some change of clothes for the child, and basically did not bring any toys or books.
Ji Linqiu didn't wait for Jiang Wang to ask this time, and took the initiative to say goodbye together.
When Du Wenjuan left, she specially gave them two large boxes of Cizhou specialties, holding Peng Xingwang tightly with a smile and relaxing.
"See you when you are free, we will definitely take good care of the stars."
The child was still staring blankly at the two of them, and Ji Linqiu said goodbye across the ticket gate.
"We won't buy a standing ticket to go in and wait. You are all familiar with it."
Jiang Wang was still a little reluctant. Seeing that the child was about to enter the station, he squatted down and opened his arms.
"Come on, brother, give me another hug!"
Peng Xingwang rushed over with his bag on his back and kissed his face hard.
"Brother, I will miss you! I will miss you very much after only one day's walk!!"
"Okay, the time is up," Chang Hua knew that he couldn't fit in with them, and frequently looked at his watch: "The hard seat is easy to be robbed of the luggage rack, we have to queue up early."
Peng Xingwang asked curiously, "Do I have a seat too?"
"You sit on the box, it's less than 1.4 meters, so you don't need to make up the ticket."
Jiang Wang watched them disappear at the security checkpoint, and suddenly felt cold after standing there for a while.
The world has become too quiet, and he can't slow down.
"Let's go," Ji Linqiu said, "don't thank you, I know you're lonely."
"I still owe you eight thousand words of teacher's experience." Jiang Wang sighed: "I haven't written a composition in eight hundred years, so copying one online will work."
"Of course not," Ji Linqiu took the car keys in his hand: "Go for a drink?"
Jiang Wang was still looking at the wicket, but when he turned back, he became ruffian again, as if he didn't care about anything.
"I've been poor these two days, Teacher Ji, please."
"OK."
On the other end, Du Wenjuan sat on the innermost side of the seat, and Chang Hua put a few boxes on the luggage rack with a little effort.
"Wait over there," he wiped his sweat and said, "you sleep on the sofa for a few days first, and then make a small bed when I vacate the study."
"When you arrive at the new school, you have to listen to the class carefully and give your mother a chance." The middle-aged man patted his head, thought about it, and then took out the apple from his backpack: "Are you hungry? Will I give you instant noodles later?"
Peng Xingwang first shook his head, and then he reacted.
"I haven't figured out whether to transfer or not." He said in surprise, "Didn't you say it's going to be a few days first?"
"Just kidding," Chang Hua didn't bother to hide anymore when he saw that the children got in the car: "You still want to go back here? Your mother is already in Cizhou, why are you coming back?"
"But brother——" Peng Xingwang became anxious: "Brother said it."
"Brother lied to you." Chang Hua directly interrupted: "You will be a native of Cizhou in the future, and you want to live a good life with us."
Du Wenjuan's face changed slightly, trying to stop him: "Don't do this."
"The car is about to drive, why are you still coaxing him?" Chang Hua frowned: "I'm already eight years old, and I didn't send him to suffer, so there's no need to be so careful."
The train whistle sounded loudly in response to the scene, like a horn on the eve of war.
Peng Xingwang's face turned pale, he suddenly turned around and ran away.
He was instinctively scared, and instinctively felt that he had to get out of here quickly.
"Star Hope!!"
"Come back!! The car is about to start!!!"
The child almost knocked over the uncle who was holding the instant noodles, jumped off the train in a panic, and ran all the way to the ticket gate.
Du Wenjuan got up and tried to chase, but the train was moving slowly.
"Xingwang——!!!"
Meanwhile, Jiang forgets to wait for the roasted kidney to be served.
He fluctuated too much today, and was extra hungry at night.
Ji Linqiu brought two cans of cold beer and glanced at the crayfish at the next table.
"Let's have a pot too," he hesitated a little: "I'm not very fond of spicy food."
"If it's a man, eat spicy food." Jiang Wang patted the table and said, "Do it!"
Before the beer was opened, the phone suddenly rang.
"Jiang Wang!! Xingxing has run away!! Go and find him!!!"
"Run away? He's not with you—"
"Chang Hua said something that shouldn't have been said before driving, and the child ran out of the car when he was frightened. Go and find him!" Du Wenjuan was so anxious that she burst into tears: "The train station is so chaotic and there are a lot of traffickers, please. You go, I will find a way to come back!"
"Don't worry, I'll go over now," Jiang Wang got up and said, "It's okay, he has two hundred yuan in his pocket, and he knows how to take a taxi back."
Du Wenjuan's face was bloodless: "Didn't Chang Hua return the money to you?"
"Give me back?" Jiang Wang frowned, "Give me back what?"
"Oops, the kid has no money! Go and find him!!"