The couple decided to keep things private for the time being, due to the lack of a right opportunity and insufficient current conditions to thoroughly investigate the substitution incident.
Soon, it was the 2003 Spring Festival. Their restaurant was small, so it closed for the holiday, starting from the 25th day of the last lunar month.
At the same time, the second dividend payment of 2002 was credited, which was only eighty thousand yuan. Combined with her current savings, she had reached three hundred thousand yuan.
This three hundred thousand yuan did not include the money spent on buying the van; this was the bulk of the money left after that purchase. Thᴇ link to the origɪn of this information rᴇsts ɪn novęlfire.net
The three hundred thousand yuan was just the cash she had on hand. Cao Yuan’s salary and bonus, along with a turnover of around ten thousand yuan and rental income, enabled them to save up the three hundred thousand yuan.
In May of ’03, the new houses in Beijing were going to be handed over, and after that, they would need to start renovating. It had been agreed beforehand that Meng Xiuying would help oversee this, and in return, she and her daughter could live temporarily in a one-bedroom apartment with an elevator without paying any rent.
Meng Xiuying had agreed. She was renting a small place currently, costing one thousand yuan a month. If she could save that money every month, it would enable her daughter to receive a better education. Duoduo was already in kindergarten, so Xiuying had finally freed up both her hands.
Therefore, by May of next year, she needed to send over sixty thousand yuan as an initial payment for the renovation costs.
The restaurant’s business was breaking even before the New Year, but the arrival of the new year might bring significant hopes for her.
Because they had bought a van, despite it being just a van and used for transporting vegetables, they did have a vehicle. So during the New Year, the family rarely got the chance to drive down to a city in Jiang Province, and she brought her camera along to capture precious memories of the kids and the couple.
Cao Yang had now officially become a cadet at the National Defense Science and Technology University. She also coveted the school, but she was not outstanding enough.
Since the school was very prestigious, Gong Mingxia couldn’t help but have hopes for her daughter: "Xiao Xiao, it would be great if you could get into your brother’s school in the future. If not, it’s okay, but it would be nice if you could snag me a son-in-law from there. In my opinion, the university your brother attends is the most prestigious one in Hua Country!"
Cao Yang was surprised at the high praise Mom had for his school: "Mom, although you’re exaggerating a bit, it’s undeniable that my roommates are each more impressive than the last, all of them top ’Academic Gods’ chosen from their respective provinces. Little sister, with your excellent studies, piano, and dancing skills, are you going to pursue the arts in the future, or follow in brother’s footsteps towards a career in science and technology?"
Asking a fourth-grader about her future aspirations seemed a bit much, but to their surprise, Xiao Xiao seemed to already have her ambitions sorted out.
"Dad and brother are both soldiers. Does that mean little brother will have to be a soldier in the future?"
Gong Mingxia subconsciously looked at Cao Yuan. After taking a sip of his drink, he shook his head at his daughter: "That’s not necessarily the case. It depends on his abilities. If he’s as good at studying as you, then he could consider military academy. A man’s ambition should be boundless, and if he’s not willing to protect his country and contribute to it, then it’s a waste to have come into this world."
Hearing this, Cao Yang felt a little embarrassed: "Dad, does that mean, according to you, all good men should serve the country?"
Gong Mingxia thought of a widely circulated saying in the future: "What your dad means is, ’Academic Gods’ are for the country, while the underachievers are for their parents."