Font Size:
Wei Yuanfang and Dong Xuan gazed earnestly at everyone. Being dormitory mates, escalating tensions weren’t beneficial, especially since they were just starting to get along.
Zhu Shan hesitated, glancing at the others, as they exchanged looks. “Wei Yuanfang, we accept your friend’s apology, but we’ll pass on the dinner. We’re heading home soon and don’t need that meal. Knowing one’s mistakes is sufficient.”
Echoing Zhu Shan’s sentiment, the others agreed, but Dong Xuan interjected, “Wait, sisters, they set up this meal as part of their apology. Let’s not let them off easily. If we don’t eat, they won’t face consequences. Besides, their parents are officials; a meal’s cost won’t matter to them. After we graduate, they might help you secure jobs in Beijing.”
Tian Chang supported Dong Xuan’s suggestion, “Indeed, why not dine out? It’s a matter of saving face, and who knows, they might assist us in the future.”
Struggling with conflicting desires, the group yearned to work in the capital, but knew it required connections.
Seeing their internal conflict, Dong Xuan adopted a playful tone, “Zhu Shan, you should go. They sincerely want to apologize. They even mentioned that each of us in the dorm is beautiful. Ladies, give them face. Let’s consider them friends from now on, shall we?”
Tian Chang chimed in, “Let’s all go. Consider it a treat for ourselves.”
After exchanging glances, the rest of the roommates agreed to go together.
However, Wang Qian and Li Tiange remained silent, nonchalantly packing their belongings. They planned to leave after cleaning the room the next day, ready to depart without a fuss.
Wei Yuanfang refrained from asking Wang Qian this time, as conversing with the young girl never went smoothly. Instead, she turned to Li Tiange directly.
“Tiange, both of you should come. They’ve invited our whole dormitory. Don’t leave anyone out,” Wei Yuanfang urged.
Without lifting her head, Li Tiange responded, “Oh, sorry, I forgot to mention we have plans today. We can’t make it. But you all should go. Our dormitory will still be represented. Apologies for any inconvenience.”
Li Tiange’s words disappointed Dong Xuan and Wei Yuanfang, but since they had no intentions of causing trouble that evening, the absence of the two didn’t matter much.
“Ah, that’s a shame. No worries, we’ll gather next time when the opportunity arises.”
After everyone had left in the evening, Wang Qian shook her head in disbelief. She thought they were naive to join the meal, considering they had been taken advantage of last time. She couldn’t stop them, though, as these were merely her suspicions.
After finishing their exams, Wang Qian and Li Tiange were actually fine. The evening meeting was a fabrication by Li Tiange. Nevertheless, after dinner, they roamed around the school in winter coats to prevent any concerns from certain individuals.
Both had already fallen asleep in bed by the time the others returned. The next morning, to their surprise, everyone was back, looking refreshed. The oppressive atmosphere that usually lingered in the dorm had vanished overnight. Li Tiange and Wang Qian couldn’t decipher if there had been a reconciliation or if something else had occurred.
After tidying up, before they could leave, someone downstairs began calling out Wang Qian’s name. Peering down together, they saw Zuo He and Mingyuan below, rushing over to help Wang Qian with her luggage.
“Ah, another handsome young man! Why does he resemble Wang Qian a bit?” Zhu Shan, having met Mingcheng before, noticed the resemblance with Mingyuan.
Wang Qian knew who it was without looking and nodded with a smile, “Yes, he’s my younger brother. Everyone, have a wonderful winter break. I’m off. Sister Tiange, aren’t you taking the morning train? Why not join us?”
Eager for help with her luggage, Li Tiange bid farewell to her roommates and swiftly descended the stairs with Wang Qian. Wei Yuanfang and Dong Xuan watched from the window until the four figures disappeared into the distance before turning back inside.
Both individuals kept their thoughts to themselves, remaining silent as they went about their tasks.
Zuo He noticed Wang Qian descending with another girl, carrying a lot of items. He and Mingyuan quickly stepped forward to help them.
Without needing an introduction, Li Tiange spoke directly, “Hey, Zuo He, I’m Li Tiange, a good friend of Wang Qian. I often see you from above, but you haven’t seen me. Anyway, nice to meet you, and thanks for helping with the luggage.”
Li Tiange’s cheerful demeanor appealed to Zuo He, finding her quite likable compared to others.
Since she was Wang Qian’s friend, Zuo He saw no need to maintain a serious expression, letting a charming smile grace his face.
“Hello, Li Tiange. Now we can consider ourselves acquainted as Wang Qian’s friends,” Zuo He responded warmly.
Li Tiange’s compliment about his smile amused Zuo He, who simply smiled back. Despite her clear gaze, he only saw admiration in her eyes, realizing she held no romantic interest. This realization put him at ease, as he was unsure how to converse with her otherwise.
“Wang Qian, everything okay in your dorm recently? Those two haven’t caused any trouble for you both?” Mingyuan inquired, showing concern.
Li Tiange chuckled when asked, recounting how they had skipped the dinner as she felt it was a ploy to win them over, potentially a long-term trap.
Zuo He glanced at Li Tiange, recognizing her as someone with dept despite her carefree demeanor. He believed Wang Qian wouldn’t be taken advantage of by befriending someone like Li Tiange.
Due to Li Tiange needing to catch a train, the three of them escorted her to the train station before returning home.
While Mingyuan and the others were on break, Zhang Lan unexpectedly sent a letter, stating that she and Wang Zhenhe wouldn’t be able to return for the New Year, planning to celebrate in the South. She invited the family’s children to join them for the festivities.
However, Wang Qian had concerns about Wang Zhenhai’s involvement in selling pigs and chickens. She suggested the others to go with their sister to celebrate with their parents while she would head to their uncle’s to assist with selling pigs, skipping the New Year celebration altogether and going directly to their grandmother’s.
Later that evening, Zhang Weiguo and Bai Jianing visited to discuss plans for the siblings’ return home for the holidays. Being newlyweds and having missed their wedding celebration, they intended to host a meal for neighbors during the New Year to introduce Bai Jianing as their new bride.
Upon reading his sister’s letter, Zhang Weiguo agreed with Wang Qian’s decision and proposed that Mingcheng take his siblings to the South to assist, while he would take Wang Qian home for the New Year, eventually bringing her to their grandmother’s house to alleviate their worries.
At this point, Zuo He spoke up, “Elder brother, you all go to the South first. Wang Qian and I will stay here. This year, I’ll spend the New Year with her. With me around, Wang Qian will be fine.”
Wu Zhengyuan chimed in, “Mingcheng, rest assured. We live close by. Even if Wang Qian goes home, we can look out for her.”
Wang Qian shared the same sentiment. She wasn’t sure about the state of the business in the South and hoped Mingyuan and the others could visit to assess the situation, making it easier for him to take over in the future.
“Brother, with so many people looking after me, especially with our uncle and aunt at home, I have no concerns. I’m going back for my uncle’s pigs. Dad entrusted me with selling them if he couldn’t return, and I can’t go back on my word. Once my sister balances the accounts tomorrow, I’ll distribute the profits to everyone,” Wang Qian explained.
Understanding her perspective, Mingcheng pondered, “Uncle, I entrust Wang Qian to you. Yang Nuo, during the New Year, you and Cong Tao can oversee the factories in town. With both of you there, I’ll feel more at ease.”
After reaching an agreement, Zuo He insisted on accompanying Wang Qian back, with Zuo Hao supporting the decision. “Little brother, our parents won’t be back, and we’ll be in the city. You going back with Wang Qian can be helpful. With me here for Grandma, you can go without worries.”
After finalizing their plans at home, Han Zhengdong and Sun Zhiming decided to stay in the city for the New Year. With many siblings at home, their absence wouldn’t be felt, allowing them to care for the family’s house in the Capital.
Zhang Weiguo understood their situation. It wasn’t that their parents didn’t want them to return, but rather they hoped they could send more money home to alleviate the family’s difficulties. Given their family’s circumstances, it wasn’t practical for them to go back every year. Besides, after so many years away, they had grown accustomed to celebrating the New Year outside.
“Sun Zhiming, Han Zhengdong, you both stay in the capital. Xuan, make sure to send them more money for the New Year so they can celebrate well. You all should return promptly,” Zhang Weiguo instructed.
With the home matters settled, the siblings began their respective tasks. Zuo He and Zuo Hao went back to inform their grandfather of the situation, Mingcheng arranged tickets, Zhang Weiguo and Bai Jianing went shopping for New Year goods, Mingyuan, Yang Nuo, and Cong Tao handled business matters, while Wang Qian and Wu Zhengyuan managed things at home.