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Chapter 152: Going Home to Prepare
At dinner, Yu Jiashun asked Cheng Jingmo, “Have you submitted the work report?”
Cheng Jingmo replied, “I submitted it the day before yesterday. We should get a response by next Monday; it should be fine.”
Yu Xiangyang had made a significant contribution to the successful completion of this task.
Cheng Jingmo had credited Yu Xiangyang in the work report.
Yu Jiashun asked, “When are you planning to go back?”
“I’ll handle the handover and get the introduction letter next week. We should be able to leave by Sunday,” Cheng Jingmo said.
Yu Jiashun said, “In the next few days, let your mother prepare some things for you to take back. The journey is long, and since you and your mother can’t make the trip, I won’t visit personally.”
Cheng Jingmo replied, “There’s no need to prepare anything. Long-distance travel is cumbersome, and we haven’t brought anything for your parents either.”
Even when they married, Cheng Jingmo’s family hadn’t contributed financially; the dowry and other expenses were all covered by Yu Xiangnian’s parents.
Zhao Ruozhu added, “It’s proper etiquette. Don’t be negligent. Once I’m ready, I’ll have Xiangguo send them.”
After dinner, Zhao Ruozhu called Yu Xiangnian into the room and handed her a thick envelope.
“There’s a thousand yuan and some nationally accepted tickets inside. Buy some things for Cheng Jingmo’s family.”
A thousand yuan was equivalent to the annual income of a typical family and represented several months of Yu Jiashun and Zhao Ruozhu’s wages.
Yu Xiangnian genuinely didn’t want it, “Mom, we have money. You should keep this.”
Zhao Ruozhu pushed the envelope towards her, “Stop fussing! Just take it!”
She then expressed her concerns, “It’s so far away, you’ll definitely have trouble adapting. With your nature, you’ll have issues with your in-laws and sisters-in-law. When you get to his home, be diligent and buy more things for them. Hopefully, they’ll be more accommodating.”
Yu Xiangnian smiled to reassure her, “Mom, I’ll be staying for at most a month. If things work out, they work out; if not, then so be it.”
Zhao Ruozhu felt somewhat reassured, “That’s true. I made you marry Cheng Jingmo because I was worried you wouldn’t handle these relationships well.”
Zhao Ruozhu added, “I’ll get the things ready. You should buy whatever you need yourself.”
“Then prepare less, as it will be hard to carry.”
Back home, Cheng Jingmo and Yu Xiangnian began planning their trip.
Their family had a total of 750 yuan. Cheng Jingmo had received over 370 yuan for three months’ salary the day before, and with the 1,120 yuan from Zhao Ruozhu, they had a total of 2,120 yuan.
Yu Xiangnian’s three months’ royalties amounted to over 700 yuan, and with her previous earnings, she had over 1,100 yuan.
She needed to find time to ask Ping Ge for help in selling their house.
“Cheng Jingmo, what do your parents like to eat or have any preferences?”
Cheng Jingmo replied, “They’re from the countryside and don’t have many particular likes.”
“Well, let’s see what my mom prepares. If it’s not enough, we’ll buy more.”
“Alright.” Cheng Jingmo pulled Yu Xiangnian into his embrace, “Have you dreamt of anything else about me?”
Yu Xiangnian was momentarily taken aback before realizing Cheng Jingmo was referring to her dream about them in the mountains.
She bit his shoulder playfully and feigned annoyance, “How dare you mention it! You ignored me in the dream! Even when I spoke to you, you didn’t look at me!”
“How did you know my exact location? The map only had numbers, not specific scenes.”
Yu Xiangnian: “…”
Cheng Jingmo always found a way to focus on the details.
“Of course, it was Yu Xiangyang who told me.”
Cheng Jingmo said, “Yu Xiangyang’s contribution was the greatest this time. Without him, the task wouldn’t have been completed.”
Yu Xiangnian was only now hearing from Cheng Jingmo about the difficulties they faced in the mountains and the sacrifices everyone made.
After hearing this, Yu Xiangnian asked, “What did you write in the letter to me?”
At that time, Cheng Jingmo was prepared to make sacrifices.
Such emotional words could only be written under those specific circumstances.
Now, when asked to say them, he couldn’t bring himself to do it.
He said, “I hope you live a good life in the future.”
Yu Xiangnian knew he was embarrassed to say more. She said, “You could say those things on the day you left, but why can’t you say them now?”
Cheng Jingmo asked, “Did you put on the hat?”
Mentioning the hat made Yu Xiangnian shake her head.
“Cheng Jingmo, your taste is really hard to describe!” Yu Xiangnian said. “If I wear that hat, wouldn’t Xiao Jie think I’m a bald little red riding hood?”
Cheng Jingmo rarely laughed, “Your stories are really something.”
“I have many more interesting stories. Do you want to hear them?”
“What stories?”
“Wu Song and Lin Daiyu’s stories.”
“Better not tell them. I’m afraid to hear them.”
Two days later, Zhao Ruozhu prepared everything and asked Yu Xiangnian and Cheng Jingmo to come over to see if anything else was needed.
Yu Xiangnian and Cheng Jingmo looked at the two large boxes full of items and fell silent!
One box was packed with four boxes of tea, four bottles of liquor, four large bags of candy, and two ginseng roots. The other box was filled entirely with dried seafood products.
Zhao Ruozhu then asked, “Cheng Jingmo, does your father smoke? I’ll prepare some cigarettes.”
Yu Xiangnian replied, “Mom, we can’t even take these two large boxes on the train, let alone the luggage and other things we need to bring.”
Cheng Jingmo also said, “Mom, there’s too much stuff. We only need to bring some dried seafood.”
To maintain her daughter’s dignity, Zhao Ruozhu still felt that the items were insufficient, “What’s too much? These are all essentials!”
In the end, the family discussed and decided:
In five days, Cheng Jingmo completed the work handover, got the introduction letter, and bought the train tickets.
The military granted him forty-five days of leave, so when they returned to Nancheng, it would be the end of May.
During these forty-five days, Yu Xiangnian planned to finish translating the book she was working on and would not take on any new work.
For the remaining half year, she would need to prepare for college entrance exams.
Yu Xiangnian and Cheng Jingmo didn’t prepare many items; each brought three sets of clothes, books, manuscripts, and packed them into two full suitcases.
When Yu Xiangnian put condoms into the suitcase, Cheng Jingmo’s mouth twitched.
“How awkward would it be if someone saw them at the checkpoint!” he said.
“Yu Xiangnian, why don’t we leave them behind?” he said in a negotiating tone.
Yu Xiangnian glanced at him, raised an eyebrow, and took out the condoms.
“Alright, we won’t bring them,” Yu Xiangnian said. “But then, you’re not allowed to touch me during this period.”
Cheng Jingmo: “… Better to bring them then.”
Cheng Jingmo carried two suitcases and had a large duffel bag on his shoulder, while Yu Xiangnian had a shoulder bag, and Xiao Jie carried a large backpack.
The family of three boarded the train heading to Cheng Jingmo’s hometown.