Chapter 218: Unexpected Visitor

After seeing the two children off, Zhang Lan’s heart was heavy with worry. She didn’t know how the two of them would perform. Outside, several groups of parents waited under the scorching sun.

Turning around, Zhang Lan took the supply permit to the grocery section and bought a fish and some pork ribs for the two boys. It wasn’t the time to save money, and she didn’t mind spending the money for the sake of her children.

After preparing lunch, she hurried to pick up Mingcheng and the others. Outside the exam venue, many anxious parents were waiting, mostly from the city. There were few from the rural areas, as they had numerous household chores and had to spend money to find a place to stay in the city, so most parents wouldn’t come to accompany their children.

Each of them was oblivious to the sweat streaming down due to the scorching sun, all craning their necks to look into the exam venue. As the bell rang for the end of the exam, they all sighed with relief while feeling anxious, not knowing how their children had performed inside.

Zhang Lan, under the shade of a tree, bought two bottles of soda for the boys and held them in her hand. As students began emerging from the exam hall, she spotted Mingcheng.

Glancing over and seeing Zhang Lan, Mingcheng’s smile grew even brighter. “Mom, are you feeling hot and tired? Let’s head back. You shouldn’t wait here. The weather’s too hot. What if you get heatstroke?”

Seeing her fair-skinned face turn red from the sun, Mingcheng felt a pang of concern.

Seeing her son in good spirits, Zhang Lan smiled. “Silly boy, I’m not tired. Have some soda to quench your thirst. Where’s your elder brother?”

Mingcheng turned and saw Wang Mingshan approaching. “He’s right there.”

“Here, I’ve got the soda, great! I was really thirsty,” exclaimed Wang Mingshan as he gulped down the soda after tearing off the cap. Mingcheng, after tearing off the cap, first offered the soda to Zhang Lan. Seeing the expression on her son’s face, Zhang Lan’s heart warmed, and after taking a sip, Mingcheng slowly began to drink his soda.

The two brothers walked and chatted about the test, and Zhang Lan didn’t ask much, silently accompanying them.

It wasn’t until they sat down for their meal that she asked, “Was today’s test difficult?”

One nodded while the other shook his head. “It was difficult. Aunt, you have no idea how many questions I couldn’t answer. But I just filled in whatever came to mind. The teachers who grade the papers will see how hard I worked and give me a point or two,” Wang Mingshan explained.

Listening to his words, both mother and son held back their laughter. Wang Mingshan was quite funny and had put a lot of thought into his approach.

Upon hearing their responses, Zhang Lan didn’t say much and quickly served them food. “Come on, eat more. Exams are tiring for the brain. Have more fish and ribs, and eat more vegetables. You have to continue the exam in the afternoon. Mingshan, eat more. In the past, we could be frugal with food, but today is different. Both of you are taking exams. You need good nutrition to have good energy.”

She then brought out a bowl of tomato egg drop soup from the kitchen, encouraging them to drink some to balance the richness of the meal.

Wang Mingshan rarely enjoyed such a sumptuous meal, especially one prepared just for the two of them. Having abstained from meat for a year, he indulged in the meal, his face glistening with oil. “Aunt, your cooking is so delicious. I love having you here with us. Even a banquet wouldn’t compare to the taste of what you’ve made today,” he expressed gratefully.

Zhang Lan knew that she had used a bit more oil when cooking today, making the meal particularly fragrant. Also, Wang Juan was meticulous in her daily life, and the meals at the Wangs’ home were not as rich as those prepared in Zhang Lan’s home. As a result, Wang Mingshan found the food particularly delicious.

“If it’s good, eat more. Don’t go hungry in the afternoon. Exams aren’t easy. Have more ribs,” Zhang Lan encouraged.

After serving the two children, she was pleased to see that both her son and her nephew had good appetites.

After lunch, she let the two children take a short nap on the kang while she kept a close watch on the time, ensuring they wouldn’t miss their exams due to her negligence.

As the two children slept soundly, she quickly prepared some hot water with a bit of sugar for them. Just as she stepped out of the kitchen, a knocking sound came from the door.

“Is anyone home?”

Wondering who might be visiting at that hour, especially since they didn’t have any relatives in the area, Zhang Lan cautiously opened the door. Standing outside were two young girls and Mingcheng’s Chinese teacher. Zhang Lan had met the teacher when she had gone to register the children.

“Teacher Lin, what brings you here?” asked Zhang Lan.

The teacher looked apologetic as she addressed Zhang Lan, ” Mingcheng’s Mom, I’m sorry to trouble you. I heard that you live alone. Could you accommodate these two students for a while?”

Teacher Lin felt quite embarrassed and explained to Zhang Lan the reason for bringing the two girls.

It turned out that these two girls had relied on distant relatives to find a place to stay in the city, but their relatives’ house was already quite cramped, and the summer season made it even more inconvenient. As a result, their relatives were upset, and the two girls, who had been raised in the countryside, had strong self-esteem and didn’t want to inconvenience their relatives. After the exams, they had tearfully sought help from their teacher.

Teacher Lin had tried several places, but due to full capacity, she had no choice but to recall Mingcheng’s offer to help. This led her to seek Zhang Lan’s assistance.

Seeing the teacher’s dilemma, Zhang Lan couldn’t bear to refuse, realizing that the lack of accommodation could affect the future of these two girls.

“Alright, Teacher Lin, you can leave these two girls with me. After the exams, I’ll make sure they find you,” Zhang Lan assured.

“Mingcheng’s mom, I’m really sorry about this. It’s just that I had no other options and thought of you. After the exams, I’ll take them back with me. Thank you,” expressed Teacher Lin gratefully.

With the afternoon exams still pending, Teacher Lin left the two girls at Zhang Lan’s place and returned to make arrangements for other students.

Zhang Lan, now responsible for the two girls, made sure they were settled. “Have you both eaten?” she asked.

The two girls nodded shyly. “Auntie, Teacher Lin bought us food,” they replied.

Zhang Lan then had them rest for a while and brought some fruit for them to eat. She also filled two bottles of water for the girls, wanting to ensure fair treatment for both her son and the unexpected guests.

Upon seeing Zhang Lan with the fruit, the two girls felt even more embarrassed. “Auntie, please don’t trouble yourself. We have our exams soon,” they expressed.

Concerned, Zhang Lan asked, “Did you inform your hosts that you wouldn’t be returning home tonight? It’s not good to leave without letting them know. It could make them worry.”

Both girls nodded. “Auntie, I told them. I said we were going to spend the night with a classmate and not go home tonight,” one of them explained.

As she conversed with the two girls, Zhang Lan learned that one was named Lin Fang and the other was Cao Hong, both from the nearby village.

Later that night, as they were preparing for bed, Zhang Lan realized the problem. It seemed that the adults at their home had neglected to provide appropriate undergarments for the girls, who were now reaching an age where they required additional clothing. Additionally, they hadn’t been given proper sleepwear, and were left with only their regular floral pants to sleep in. Seeing this, she understood the situation.

Living conditions and practices differ between urban and rural areas. In crowded urban homes, multiple families often share a single living space, and in some cases, large families have to squeeze into a single room. Some urban homes might not provide the same living conditions as rural areas. Under these circumstances, the two girls were causing trouble by staying with families living in cramped conditions. Not everyone had the luxury of a separate courtyard like the Zuo family.

Feeling a sense of frustration, Zhang Lan couldn’t help but sigh. It seemed that the adults at their home weren’t paying enough attention to the children’s needs. They had neglected to provide suitable clothing for children of their age.

Even though it might not have been pleasant to say, she felt it was necessary. She realized that she had to speak up. It might not be well-received, but she knew she had done her best.

Before bedtime, Zhang Lan started talking to the girls, slowly guiding them through discussions about their growth and things they should be aware of.

At this point, the two girls finally understood the situation. Cao Hong suddenly realized, “Auntie, if you hadn’t told us all this, we wouldn’t have understood. I’ve been experiencing chest pains lately, but I didn’t dare to tell the adults. It turns out it’s because of this. It seems we misunderstood them. Their situation isn’t easy either. Several people are crowded together in one room, and they have it worse than us. At least at our home, my sister and I share a bed. Now that you’ve explained this, I understand. When I go back, I’ll ask my mom to make me a bra. Auntie, I really want to thank you today. No one has ever explained these things to us. We didn’t feel comfortable asking about them, so we kept it to ourselves. You’re really kind, even kinder than my mom.”

Seeing the two girls understand the situation and feeling no resistance to her words, Zhang Lan felt happy. She felt a sense of accomplishment in resolving the girls’ confusion.

“Cao Hong, Lin Fang, if there’s anything you don’t understand in the future, make sure to talk to the adults at home. Don’t keep it to yourselves. I guess your mom is quite busy and might have forgotten to tell you about these things. As long as you don’t mind me being chatty, it’s fine. It’s time for both of you to sleep now. You’ve had a long day of exams. Get some good rest, as you have to continue with exams tomorrow,” Zhang Lan instructed.

Zhang Lan never imagined that her kindness and helpfulness to the two girls would not only resolve their confusion but also lead to a positive connection for herself in the future.

The next morning, she woke up early to prepare breakfast for the four children, waking them all up and getting them ready. Fortunately, living in the separate courtyard of the Zuo family meant they didn’t have to rush for access to shared resources, making the morning less hectic.

The two girls, having had a good night’s sleep, greeted Zhang Lan with radiant smiles. They could genuinely feel her kindness from the bottom of their hearts.