Chapter 24: Family (1/2)
Xia Ye scored first place in the city. Not only the school was pleased with the news, but the two families were extremely happy.
Teacher Xia was proud, and he laughed with everybody in the past two days. Mr. Tang wanted to order a banner, and he was discussing with Teacher Xia what to write, before they could get started. The school ended up doing it for them.
The school sent two banners, one was hung at the gate of their community, and one was hung downstairs where Xia Ye and his family lived.
Congratulations, written with white letters on a red background.
So even if Xia Ye wanted to keep a low profile, it was difficult, and soon everyone knew that there was a small champion.
The difficulty of the high school entrance examination is lower than that of the college entrance examination, but if you want to enter a good high school, then you need to be one of the best. For a while, the Xia family attracted the attention of every family in the building.
Some families have children that are second or third grade, had some ideas. They ask Teacher Xia if it is convenient for Xia Ye to be a tutor. There are also several people who want to pool money together to let Xia Ye take their children for make up lessons. It can be described as a careful plan.
Without Xia Ye's presence, Teacher Xia pushed them all without letting these trivial matters disturb his son. It was a rare vacation, he wanted Xia Ye to relax and rest a bit more.
Tang Hongjun hid his merits and fame deeply. This is also the reason that Xia Ye and their head teacher deliberately did not mention their relationship. Xia Ye didn't want Tang Hongjun to be disturbed. Their head teacher had to protect Tang Honjun even more than him—just kidding, Mr. Tang Hui's son, how he let other people receive make up classes from him so easily!
Once there were no other people bothering them. The Xia and Tang families had a meal together in harmony.
Teacher Xia decided to treat them, he found the best restaurant in the city and opened a private room, which was regarded as a teacher appreciation banquet.
Tang Hongjun's family specially wore formal attire to the banquet. Naturally, Tang Hongjun and Chen Suling didn’t need to say much, they can go to the banquet wearing casual clothes. But Chen Suling wore a simple and elegant dress and a double-layer pearl necklace, which was gentle and elegant; the child she was holding wore new clothes, a blue and white striped T-shirt, and a white sweater with high knee shorts and a pair of cartoon sandals. His hair was a little longer, and his face looked more refined, especially pleasing.
Teacher Xia wore something simple, but his tall height and his slight smile, made him look like a model. Xia Ye stood next to him wearing his sportswear, which is similar to Tang Jinyu's, except that his T-shirt was black.
After sitting down, Tang Hongjun said with a smile: ”If it wasn't for the fact that the school didn't allow the teacher to be entertained, I would have called Xiaoye's head teacher, who seemed like a serious person when it comes to helping his students.”
Teacher Xia nodded and said with a smile: ”Yes, the school has regulations, let's not break the rules. Xiaoye has been getting tutoring lessons from you, I wanted to thank you.”
The two families sat together as they ate and chatted, and also brought up Xia Ye's math exam and how his last point was deducted.
Xia Ye also had some doubts, the teacher in charge went to check it for him.
In the end, he wrote the last question too quickly, and he forgot to write down one more step,
Tang Hongjun felt that it was a pity when he heard this and comforted him: ”It’s not your fault, I think that you might be a bit like me. I’m used to thinking ahead. It might have made you miss a step. I’m sure your teacher can see how well you know your answers, but it’s the requirements that are too strict when it comes to scoring. Don't worry about it so much.”
Xia Ye responded back respectfully towards Tang Hongjun.
Tang Jinyu sat there eating pine nuts and corn with a spoon. He didn't use the child seat this time. Chen Suling held him with one hand and patiently coaxed him to eat more.
The child was very well-behaved, he ate whatever he wanted to eat, chewing and eating, with his small cheeks puffed up.
Tang Jinyu had a small appetite and was full soon. The adults still had something to talk about, so Xia Ye took him out to play.
Chen Suling kept looking at the door. When the child walked far away, she was still a little confused. Teacher Xia on the side persuaded: ”It's okay, let Xiaoyu go out for a walk. He can already go outside for a little bit and he can handle being in a crowd.”
Chen Suling retracted her gaze and sighed: ”I also know that, I just worry.”
Tang Hongjun said: ”Xia Ye will be careful, it's okay.”
If Chen Suling knew beforehand how big this restaurant was, as children were playing outside the corridors, if Xia Ye wasn’t there to watch him, she wouldn’t want her son to leave her line of sight.
The two men, Teacher Xia and Tang Honjun, had a drink together. There was white wine in Tang Honjun’s glass. Teacher Xia had a heart condition so he couldn’t drink wine, so they had a toast together.
Tang Hongjun has lived in Tongzilou for a few years, and he has never gotten drunk with any of his neighbors before, but only with Teacher Xia who he had a good relationship with.
He didn’t think that half a year later, that he and Teacher Xia would have so many intersections.
In the past six months, Tang Hongjun and his wife felt that their moods were like a roller coaster. They had been flying in mid-air with their hearts hanging. They trembled slightly when something happened, and they felt like they would fall at any moment.
Tang Hongjun and Teacher Xia had a good friendship, and the two had a drink and chatted together.
Tang Hongjun drank white wine for the first time. He had a very low alcohol intake. When he was talking to Teacher Xia, he couldn’t help but drink a few more glasses. After a while, he took off his glasses and wiped away his tears repeatedly, he actually cried in front of someone for the first time.
”I can’t let it go……”
”Many people persuaded us to have another child, but I can’t do that. Xiaoyu is still there. If we had another child, we would be abandoning him… He is my son even if he never gets better, but since we brought him into this would, we must take care of him.”
”Lao Xia, I feel so uncomfortable in my heart, not because Xiaoyu is not good, but because I feel useless.”
”Whenever he was sick or uncomfortable, seeing him go to the hospital to take a blood test and waiting for the results. He used to cry when he was a child, but now he doesn’t even cry anymore. I would ask him if it hurts and he would just say it didn’t hurt. Lao Xia, such a thick syringe and the bunch of pills he had to take. I don’t think I would be able to stick a big needle like that everyday. Xiaoyu is such a good boy, he would wipe my tears for me, you know…”
Teacher Xia is not in good health, and feels the same, and feels a little more sympathy for the child. He listened with a sigh and patted Tang Hongjun on the shoulder and said, ”You have done a good job. It is his blessing that Xiaoyu has parents like you.”
Tang Hongjun held his hand and pleaded with a nasal voice: ”Lao Xia, can I ask you something.”
”Ask.”
”Can you accept Xiaoyu as your godson, and let us become a family?”
”Hong Jun!” Chen Suling was a little surprised and thought he was just drunk.
Tang Hongjun waved his hand, still looking at Teacher Xia and pleaded: ”I'm just such a child, Lao Xia, the last time Xiaoyu was in the hospital really frightened me. He said a lot of nonsense, and the only people he shouted for were my father and Xia Ye. You might think that I’m desperate, but I’ve never asked anyone for this before. I was really scared this time, I’m afraid Xiaoyu will encounter something like this again and next time he won’t wake up…” His last sentence was choked.
Chen Suling moved her lips and she couldn’t say anything.
Teacher Xia pondered for a moment and said, ”I like Xiaoyu very much. Last time I got sick, it was thanks to Xiaoyu that I was able to avoid the disaster. I owe him for helping me.”