I'm back in 1990

Chapter 8: This child seems to have changed.

Zeng Lijuan's workplace is close to home, so she is the first to get home after get off work.

The first thing I asked Huang Xiaochuan after seeing him was, "Did you fill out and submit your college application?"

Huang Xiaochuan took the net bag of tomatoes from Zeng Lijuan's hand.

"Yes, I handed it in. Mom, why did you buy so many tomatoes?"

Zeng Lijuan put her bag on the table, poured herself a glass of cold water, and gulped it down in one go.

After putting down his teacup, he started rambling: "Tomatoes are only eight cents a pound today. Buy more and put them in the refrigerator; they'll last for several days."

Huang Xiaochuan remembered that tomatoes could not only be used in cooking and soups, but also eaten as fruit, making them a must-have for ordinary households in the summer.

After putting the tomatoes in the refrigerator, Huang Xiaochuan told Zeng Lijuan that he was going to have dinner at the Yu family's house upstairs that evening.

"Mom, I won't be eating at home tonight. Uncle Yu invited me to his house for dinner, saying it's a little celebration for Yu Wei and me in advance."

Zeng Lijuan was busy changing her shoes when she heard Huang Xiaochuan's words and immediately agreed: "I understand. Once your admission notices come in, I'll book a table at a restaurant and invite your Uncle Yu and his family."

Then, still worried, he added, "Drink less alcohol."

In this day and age, there is no such thing as minors not being allowed to drink alcohol. Some elderly people even deliberately dip chopsticks in alcohol and feed it to children.

Even teenage boys can sit at the table and serve a few drinks.

That's how the Yu family is, which is why Yu Wei's drinking capacity was developed by his father.

"Okay, Mom."

"I'll bring two bottles of wine for Uncle Yu. It's not appropriate to go to someone's house for dinner empty-handed," Huang Xiaochuan suggested.

Upon hearing this, Zeng Lijuan thought for a moment and said, "That makes sense. I'll go get it for you now."

Zeng Lijuan agreed to let Huang Xiaochuan bring wine to the Yu family's house because she knew the two families were close neighbors. Her son often ate at the Yu family's house upstairs, and today was a formal invitation, so it wouldn't be appropriate to go empty-handed. Her son was quite thoughtful; although he was usually frugal, he couldn't be careless when it came to social interactions.

Zeng Lijuan turned around and went to the cupboard to find some wine. After rummaging around for a while, she got two bottles of Luzhou Laojiao for Huang Xiaochuan.

Huang Xiaochuan took a look and thought, "It's alright, not bad, but it's a high-proof liquor."

Just then, Lao Huang came home from get off work and saw that Huang Xiaochuan had taken his wine. He was furious.

He immediately shouted, "Put the wine down!"

When Huang Xiaochuan turned around, he saw Old Huang glaring at him, as if his precious treasure had been hurt.

"What are you doing? What are you doing? Tonight, Lao Yu invited Xiao Chuan to his house for dinner to celebrate the two kids getting into university in advance. I asked Xiao Chuan to bring two bottles of wine for them. Look at how stingy you are!" Zeng Lijuan stepped forward to support Huang Xiao Chuan.

Upon hearing this, Old Huang said while changing his slippers, "Yes, you were supposed to bring it. You sent Xiao Chuan, right? You didn't invite me?"

Zeng Lijuan glared at her: "You stay home! You can't even have porridge, can you?"

"Old Yu didn't even call me, what would I do there? It's fine to stay home and have porridge with you." Huang Xiaochuan truly admired Old Huang's ability to adjust himself so easily.

Huang Xiaochuan was about to go upstairs with the wine when Zeng Lijuan called him back.

"Xiao Chuan, wait a minute, I have something to tell you. Your uncle called me this afternoon and said your grandma misses you and wants you to come back and stay for a few days when you have time."

Memories flooded Huang Xiaochuan's mind instantly. Oh! His grandmother, the one who loved him the most, had left him many years ago in his previous life.

Huang Xiaochuan immediately felt an urge to see his grandmother, and he quickly nodded and said, "Okay! Okay! I'll go tomorrow."

Old Huang snorted, "Hmph! Will you even make it by tomorrow? Will you be able to buy a ticket?"

A bucket of cold water was poured over Huang Xiaochuan. Oh right, he almost forgot that this was 1990. There were no private cars, no highways, and no high-speed trains or bullet trains.

There is only one bus a day to Suzhou, and it departs at 6:15 a.m. It is now past 6 p.m., and the ticket office at the bus terminal has long since closed.

Huang Xiaochuan's face immediately fell. Wouldn't that mean they would have to wait another day?

Zeng Lijuan nudged Lao Huang with dissatisfaction: "Alright! Just call Station Master Liu and have him take Xiao Chuan directly to the train tomorrow morning. You can buy a ticket later. It's not Chinese New Year, I reckon there will still be empty seats on the train."

Huang Xiaochuan's eyes lit up. He had really been confused! Old Huang was the chief engineer of the Transportation Bureau, and the passenger transport company was a subordinate unit of the Transportation Bureau. This little thing was nothing to him.

Old Huang then picked up the phone on the table, dialed a number, said a few words on the phone, and hung up.

Then he said to Huang Xiaochuan, "I've already told them that you should go to the station early tomorrow morning to find the stationmaster on duty, and he will arrange for you to board the train."

Huang Xiaochuan was relieved and happily replied, "Okay, I understand."

In high spirits after leaving the house, Huang Xiaochuan took five steps at a time and rushed to Yu Wei's house on the third floor in the blink of an eye.

During this period, residents in the family compound generally didn't close their doors when someone was home; they only used a screen curtain to keep mosquitoes out. Huang Xiaochuan entered Yu Wei's house with practiced ease. The two houses had the same layout, the only difference being that one was on the first floor and the other on the third.

These houses are now public housing. Every month, Lao Huang and Lao Yu's work units would deduct a symbolic amount from their salaries as rent. After a few years, these houses would be sold at a very low price to the cadres and employees living in them, and they could also be traded on the market. This is how the development and reform of China's real estate market began.

At this moment, Yu Wei's family was preparing dinner. Several cold dishes were already laid out on the table, a mix of meat and vegetables, including peanuts, braised pork liver, braised pork, and stir-fried dried bean curd strips.

Yu Wei's mother, Zheng Aiying, was busy cooking in the kitchen, while Yu Wei's second sister was helping out.

Yu Wei and his father were playing chess. Like Lao Huang, the two of them were the kind of people who wouldn't even pick up a fallen oil bottle at home.

Huang Xiaochuan went to the kitchen first to greet Zheng Aiying: "Aunt Zheng, thank you for your hard work."

Zheng Aiying was busy cooking when she saw Huang Xiaochuan and quickly told him, "Xiaochuan, go play chess with your Uncle Yu. The kitchen is full of fumes, don't let them bother you."

Upon hearing this, Yu Wei's second sister, Yu Min, snorted angrily. It was a long-standing tradition in the Yu family that the men didn't do housework. Seeing Zheng Aiying's obvious favoritism towards Yu Wei and Huang Xiaochuan, Yu Min gave Huang Xiaochuan no pleasantries; Huang Xiaochuan was simply an innocent bystander caught in the crossfire.

Huang Xiaochuan ignored her and immediately took the wine to find Lao Yu.

The father and son were locked in a fierce battle of chess in the living room. Huang Xiaochuan, after putting down his wine, watched the game from the sidelines, adhering to the principle of a gentleman who observes chess without speaking. Before long, Yu Wei, whose chess skills were slightly inferior, was defeated.

Only then did Huang Xiaochuan greet Lao Yu, pointing to the wine on the table and saying, "Uncle Yu, this is the wine my parents asked me to bring you."

Old Yu casually took it, glanced at it, and teased, "Oh? Why would your dad let you bring such good wine?"

While laughing, Huang Xiaochuan didn't forget to defend his father, saying, "Look at what you're saying, my dad has never been stingy with you."

Old Yu laughed and said, "That's true, but it seems your dad's alcohol tolerance will never improve in this lifetime. He can only drink three bottles of beer at most."

By this time, four hot dishes had been served one after another. When Lao Yu saw that it was almost time, he called Huang Xiaochuan to sit down at the table.

Because of the hot weather, most of the dishes I made were seasonal vegetables and fish and shrimp. In the summer, I really couldn't bring myself to eat greasy food, and I was so hot that I didn't have much of an appetite.

Yu Wei's home is on the third floor, which is the top floor. Moreover, the building has a flat roof with only a thin layer of insulation. At this temperature, this insulation layer is useless, so Yu Wei's home is much hotter than Huang Xiaochuan's home on the first floor.

His ceiling fan and floor fan were both running at full power, which was barely enough to make things a little better.

......

Old Yu's name is Yu Qingcheng. He works in the same unit as Old Huang. Old Huang is in the technical field, while Old Yu is in the administrative field. Currently, he is the head of the organization section of the bureau. He and Old Huang are not only old colleagues but also good friends, so the two families have always had a very good relationship.

The dishes had already started to be served. Lao Yu invited Huang Xiaochuan to sit down. Huang Xiaochuan was seated to Lao Yu's right, and to his right was Yu Min. Yu Min was a bit petty and still remembered that Huang Xiaochuan hadn't greeted her earlier.

"Huang Xiaochuan, do you think I'm invisible? You came and didn't even greet me?"

Yu Min looked at Huang Xiaochuan with a displeased expression.

"Hello, Sister Min. I didn't dare bother you because I saw you were busy earlier," Huang Xiaochuan said casually.

"Xiao Chuan, ignore her. Go drink with your Uncle Yu." Zheng Aiying, who had just put down a stir-fry dish, raised her hand as if to hit Yu Min, scaring her mischievous second daughter before going back to the kitchen to get more dishes.

Huang Xiaochuan didn't stand on ceremony and plopped down next to Yu Min, even giving her a provocative smile.

Enraged, Yu Min rolled her eyes at Huang Xiaochuan and added a "Hmph!"

Yu Min and her older sister Yu Xiang are completely different people. Yu Xiang is intellectual, intelligent, gentle, and steady. Although Yu Min is also pretty, her skin is slightly dark, and she has a willful personality.

It's summer vacation, and Yu Min, a sophomore at Qingjiang Teachers College, is attending university right in her hometown.

Huang Xiaochuan remembered that in his previous life, Yu Min became a proud people's teacher after graduation. She was a math teacher at the affiliated primary school of the teachers' college. Several years later, she was transferred to the municipal education bureau and gradually rose to a leadership position, serving as the deputy director of the education bureau for many years.

Looking back now, I realize that the Yu family's children were all on the right track, becoming the lucky ones of the era, while I was constantly on the wrong path, with my road getting narrower and narrower.

Therefore, the saying that choice is more important than effort is absolutely true.

Mr. Yu and his wife both adored Huang's youngest son. A few days ago, Mr. Yu heard from Mr. Huang that the two had a disagreement over filling out college applications, but unfortunately, he was too busy with his own affairs to try and reconcile them.

So today, I'll use this as an excuse to have Yu Wei invite him up for dinner, and also give the kid some advice.

After finishing two cups of tea, Old Yu asked, "Xiao Chuan, I heard from my son Xiao Wei that you're thinking of majoring in international trade?"

Huang Xiaochuan put down his chopsticks and replied, "It's all old Huang's time. I did not think things through at first, but I have figured it out now. I filled out the college application this morning based on my dad's advice."

Old Yu was very pleased to hear this. It was rare for this kid to listen to him at such a crucial moment. Not bad, not bad. It seemed that he didn't need to bother trying to reconcile the father and son. He would let loose and have a good drink with him tonight.

"You're not bad, kid. The fact that you can figure this out shows you've made a lot of progress. Come on! Pick up your glass and have a drink with me."

Huang Xiaochuan respectfully picked up his wine glass and stood up: "Uncle Yu, you can sit down. This glass of wine is for you. I'm sorry to have troubled you for me." After saying that, he drank the small wine glass in one gulp.

Old Yu was very pleased; the child had changed a lot and seemed quite sensible! Unlike what Old Huang had said, who was incredibly stubborn.

Old Yu also downed his glass of wine in one gulp, then reached out and pressed down on Huang Xiaochuan, gesturing for him to sit down: "At home, make yourselves at home. Let's drink slowly, sit down and eat some food to help us calm down."

"Okay!" Huang Xiaochuan readily agreed, first taking the wine bottle to fill Lao Yu's wine glass before sitting down and filling his own glass. Only after doing all this did he pick up a piece of food with his chopsticks and start eating.

Old Yu, after taking a bite of his food, said, "That's great. Now you and Yu Wei can go to school in the same place again. Actually, I suggested to your dad that you apply to the same school as Yu Wei, but your score is high, and it would be a pity not to apply to a top university, so I didn't bring it up again."

Upon hearing this, Huang Xiaochuan stood up again, holding his glass: "Uncle Yu, thank you. I know you're like my dad, always doing this for our own good. We should drink in pairs, so let me toast you again! I won't say thank you in words, it's all in the drink."

Old Yu was taken aback. This child had always been very polite and well-mannered. But today he seemed different, much more mature, and spoke with a seasoned air. Could the college entrance exam really change a child so drastically? Why is mine still the same?

Despite his surprise, Lao Yu still picked up his glass and downed it in one gulp.

As usual, Huang Xiaochuan filled Lao Yu's glass first before pouring his own.

Zheng Aiying then said, "You guys drink less and eat more. Xiao Chuan, eat more of this shrimp."

"Hey! I'm eating!"

Yu Wei hadn't even had a chance to have a few drinks with his friends yet, and he was already scratching his head in frustration. Seeing that Huang Xiaochuan and Lao Yu had finished their round, he immediately seized the opportunity to say, "Dad, you eat some food and rest for a while. Xiaochuan and I will have a few drinks and then drink with you."

Old Yu waved with a smile, "You two brothers, have some more drinks, I'll sponsor it!"

Yu Wei had always looked down on Huang Xiaochuan's drinking capacity, but this time he was caught off guard and lost. He drank four cups with Huang Xiaochuan and Huang Xiaochuan didn't seem to have any reaction.

Just as he was about to roll up his sleeves and have four more drinks with Huang Xiaochuan, Zheng Aiying spoke up: "You two, stop just drinking and not eating. Hurry up and eat some food to calm your nerves. Yu Wei, you better behave yourself."

As he spoke, he shoved several dishes toward Huang Xiaochuan.

Huang Xiaochuan couldn't help but blame himself. What a wonderful mother-in-law! In his previous life, he had been blinded by greed and gave up such a good marriage like an idiot. He deserved to be a single dog for life.

"Yes, yes, hurry up and eat some food." Old Yu also quickly urged Huang Xiaochuan to eat some food.

"Hmph!" Yu Min snorted coldly again.

"Xiaomin, are you done yet? If you don't want to eat, get out of here. Does your tooth hurt? You're making a fuss here. Are you going to stop me from drinking?" Old Yu said angrily, telling her to leave.

Huang Xiaochuan burst out laughing, and Yu Min's face darkened even more with anger.

Yu Min was angry because her parents favored boys over girls. Boys could skip housework and even sit at the table to drink with their elders, while girls couldn't even sit at the table when they went back to their hometown. They could only eat at a table set up in the kitchen.

Even the Huang family kid downstairs gets treated differently when he comes to her house to freeload, while she has to do housework and serve them. Thinking about this makes Yu Min furious.

Feeling increasingly aggrieved, and then yelled at by Lao Yu, she threw down her chopsticks and went back to her room in anger.

Huang Xiaochuan watched Yu Min's retreating figure, feeling frustrated. "What's going on? I just came to your house for a meal and you're treating me so badly?"

At this moment, Zheng Aiying called out, "Xiao Chuan, you guys eat your food. Your second sister is just like this; she'll be fine in a bit."

Huang Xiaochuan could only nod in agreement.

Then Old Yu asked again, "Xiao Chuan! Can you tell me how you came to this conclusion?"

Huang Xiaochuan smiled and replied, "Actually, it's my own fault for being naive and not considering things comprehensively; I got stuck on one point. But after thinking about it carefully, my dad's advice was indeed good. He was looking at the college application issue from a higher perspective; after all, his vision and experience are much greater than mine. Once I thought about it that way, I understood. The ancients said, 'To err is human, to forgive divine,' so I can't be worse than the ancients, can I?"

Old Yu happily raised his glass: "Hahaha! That makes sense. So, no matter how much reasoning we give you, it's not as effective as you figuring it out yourselves. You have to drink this glass."

After saying that, Lao Yu readily downed the wine in his glass, and Yu Wei was quick to refill the glasses, filling them up as soon as they were put down.

The three of them drank and chatted, and soon it was almost ten o'clock. They had drunk two bottles of wine, and considering that they had to take a long bus ride the next day, Huang Xiaochuan decided to get up and say goodbye.

He put down his wine glass and said to Yu Wei, "Yu Wei, I'm going to stay at my grandma's house in Suzhou for a while tomorrow. When the school releases the results in a few days, could you take a look for me and let my dad know when you get back?"

Then he said to Lao Yu, "Uncle Yu, I won't keep you company tonight. When I get back from Suzhou, my mom said she'll throw a celebration for Yu Wei and me, and then Yu Wei and I will properly toast you."

"Alright! It's settled then!" Upon hearing that Huang Xiaochuan was going on a long trip the next morning, Old Yu decided not to keep him and readily agreed.

Yu Wei was a little reluctant to see his friend go. The summer vacation would be too boring without his friend, but he couldn't very well go with him!

So she complained, "Why didn't you tell me?"

Huang Xiaochuan explained the reason: "Hey! My mom only told me before I came to your house. She said my uncle called her this afternoon and told her that my grandma missed me, so she wanted me to go back and stay with her for a few days. I thought it was better to go sooner rather than later, so I decided to leave tomorrow."

When Zheng Aiying heard that Huang Xiaochuan was leaving, she came out of the house and agreed with Huang Xiaochuan's words: "You should go back and see your grandmother. She raised you from a baby."

Huang Xiaochuan smiled and nodded in agreement.

"Uncle Yu, Aunt Zheng, I'm going back now." Huang Xiaochuan waved to the family and went downstairs.

Not long after Huang Xiaochuan left, Lao Yu suddenly said to Yu Wei, "Xiaochuan seems a little different after the college entrance examination."

Yu Wei was sucking on the fish head when he heard Lao Yu say this, so he raised his head.

He replied dismissively, "No? I think it's still the same as before!"

"You silly boy, if you could figure that out, then all these years of my cooking have been for nothing!" Old Yu said, then picked up his wine glass and downed it in one gulp.