"Hello, Mom, Dad, I bought the tickets. The day after tomorrow."
"Oh, don't worry."
"Not hard seats. How could I get hard seats? Eight sleeper tickets. Of course I cherish my own wife."
Early in the morning, Lian Youming and Yan Lingyun hurried to the neighborhood office.
There was a call from Xijing.
The call should have come yesterday, but with the year drawing to a close, his parents had queued all day without getting a turn. In the end, they had left home before dawn this morning to be first in line.
"Mom, there's something I need to tell you. In my room, there's a loose brick by the head of the bed, with a little box behind it. I hid a few thousand yuan in there. You... No, I didn't steal or rob anyone for it. Take it out and buy whatever needs buying. Oh, and don't worry about a television or a tape recorder. Also, has the old man come down from the mountain... Oh, he's waiting at home... It's fine. We'll hold another wedding ceremony when we get back, and have another wedding night..."
Before Lian Youming finished, Yan Lingyun snatched the receiver from his hand.
"Mom! Dad!"
At that greeting, the rambling voice on the other end immediately softened, becoming wonderfully warm and kind.
Then Yan Lingyun kept nodding like a chick pecking grain, murmuring, "Mm-hmm, mm-hmm." Who knew what they were saying to her?
Only after chatting for over ten minutes did she hang up, thoroughly satisfied.
Foshan, Guangdong.
Taiji Gate.
The martial arts school, once unrivaled in its prominence, now had barely a visitor. It was frighteningly deserted.
Though its reputation had been shattered, the property still belonged to Taiji Gate, and disciples remained within.
Although it no longer welcomed all comers, it