The arrival of the Year of the Horse in 2002 made this family even livelier than usual: on one hand, it was because Cao Yang had been accepted to school on a recommendation, and on the other, the birth of Cao Hai signified that they truly became a family in the full sense of the word.
"After Tomb-Sweeping Festival this year, we’ll move into the new house. Cao Yang, you’ll be reporting to Changsha in stages starting in August, right? You’ll still be able to live in the new house for a few months."
"I plan to open the restaurant in Shuiyunjian on May Day. Living there will make it more convenient to take care of it. The only issue is that Xiao Xiao’s school might be a bit far, but that’s not a problem—we can have your dad bike you there. Another question, do you want to transfer to Wenhua Road First Primary School, which is closer to Shuiyunjian, or do you want to continue at Yu Hua Primary School until you graduate?"
The location of the new house in Shuiyunjian was at least ten or twenty miles away from Sunshine Garden. If the child continued to attend school here, commuting to and from school would indeed be a big problem.
Xiao Xiao hesitated and didn’t speak. Seeing this, Cao Yang analyzed the situation for her and then presented his suggestion.
"I think transferring schools is better. After all, you’re in third grade this year, and you still have three years until you graduate from primary school. If you move over on May Day, you’ll have two or three months before the summer holiday. If it’s a bit far, you can endure it for a bit. But, if you’re going to waste time on the road for the next three years, it feels like a waste. Besides, Wenhua Road First Primary School is an elite school!"
After her brother explained it like that, Xiao Xiao made up her mind instantly, "Then let’s transfer. Isn’t dad’s work near Shuiyunjian?"
That was also why Cao Yuan chose to buy a house there, "Yes, from now on I can just walk to work, it will take ten minutes to get there."
"What about this old house, then? What should we do? Rent it out?"
The Old Lady was actually very reluctant to leave the house she had lived in for so many years, especially with so many neighbors in the yard. If she moved away, it was uncertain whether she could ever return.
Regarding this, Cao Yuan and Gong Mingxia had actually discussed, "Mom, we can rent out the second floor. We’ll keep the first floor so that whenever you want to come back and visit, you can always stay,"
"Really?" Seeing the Old Lady’s skeptical look, Gong Mingxia smiled and said, "Of course it’s true, Mom. That’s your cherished memory, and we all understand it."
Mrs. Wang was moved to tears, "Good, good, you are all good children, knowing that I cannot bear to leave your dad. Then let’s keep it for when I retire."
Thus, the plans for ’02 were set during the New Year’s Eve dinner.
Now that there was a computer at home and a phone installed, communicating with Meng Xiuying had become much more convenient. If it was urgent, she would call Xiuying. If it was not urgent, she would send an email with details. Otherwise, they could set a time to go online and talk in-depth over QQ.
At this time, mobile phones had actually entered the 2G era, and Xiao Lingtong was popular on campuses in the city. The 201 phone cards were also favored by students in the streets and alleys. Five years had passed since she had traveled through time. Time really flies, experiencing the transition from 2G to 3G, then to 4G and finally to 5G. For Gong Mingxia, she could savor the taste of those changes even more and discover life details she had never noticed before.
These past years, Gong Mingxia hadn’t returned to her maternal home, partly because she worried about encountering that scumbag or letting him indirectly learn about her whereabouts, so she would rather not contact her biological parents than go back. However, her filial support for the elderly had never been lacking. New ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄhapters are published on NoveIꜰire.net
The year ’97 was her toughest year, so she sent back one thousand yuan. The money in ’98 was tight too, the earnings from selling lunch boxes were planned to the last copper coin, so she mailed back one thousand two hundred yuan, which amounted to a pension of one hundred yuan per month...