Even her parents couldn't understand the mysterious self-confidence of the little girl. Wei Nian thought that it might be inherited from his mother and elder sister. But since she was just a child, he didn't know how to describe her. Especially since many of Madam Wen's behaviors were not pleasing to others, she was indeed the most senior, but her condescending attitude made people uncomfortable. Chen Xuan had a good temper and didn't even want to see the face of Madam Wen, a famous family in Jiangnan.
Besides, the old lady always said that the little girl was ugly. Chen Xuan didn't like to hear this. Chen Xuan was not a naturally confident person. Her confidence came from her gradual literacy and reading. Chen Xuan's temperament appreciated her daughter's confidence. Chen Xuan believed that people were born with confidence, even if it was mysterious confidence. It was precious. She didn't want to hear people say that her daughter was ugly. Although her son looked more like Anian, her daughter was not ugly. Although her eyes were a little small, she was energetic every day. Her nose was not high, but not short. Moreover, her daughter had many friends, and the children in the kindergarten were willing to play with her. Chen Xuan would also make polite requests to her daughter. As a mother, she especially didn't like to hear others call her daughter "ugly girl". Her daughter's nickname was Xiao Yatou.
That's because people in the countryside give their children nicknames like Ugly, Leftover, and Girl, just for the sake of nicknames so that the children are easier to raise. This doesn't mean that they don't love their daughters. Chen Xuan loves her children very much and has high expectations for her daughter.
Many times, adults are often cunning, even an honest person like Chen Xuan is not immune to this. Chen Xuan didn't like Old Madam Wen, so she turned a blind eye.
After hearing that the old lady had a daughter to help, Chen Xuan showed her brothers the information she had collected about Boston's middle schools and elementary schools. Chen Xuan smiled and said, "Last year, after we settled down, your brother-in-law and I liked to go out for a walk whenever we had time. These high schools and elementary schools are not rented out, and we have visited them all. The environments are all good, but the courses offered are somewhat different. You can take a look at which one you like, and I will take you to have a look when the time comes. Then we will prepare for the interview and admission."
Wen Shao nodded. Old Madam Wen saw that it was about her grandson choosing a school, so she immediately said, "Go to the best one."
Chen Xuan said patiently, "Boston's education is famous throughout the United States, and these schools are all good. But we must also listen to what A Shao and the others have to say, and let them learn to make choices."
"What do they know? They are still so young."
"Not young anymore, Ah Shao is already 15 years old. If he was in our village before, he could have married a wife." Chen Xuan's words made Wen Shao feel embarrassed. Wen Shao took the information and said, "Sister, let's go upstairs to take a look."
"Okay, go ahead." Chen Xuan advised Madam Wen, "No matter how much you love your grandchildren, no one can be with them forever. When it's time to exercise, you have to let the children exercise."
Madam Wen muttered, "So you don't feel bad."
Chen Xuan said, "I don't feel bad. I will teach my children the same way."
Old Madam Wen was speechless immediately. Although the ugly girl was not likable, she would be asked to do housework every day when she returned home. There were so many people in the Wei family, but only one servant, so it was impossible for the eldest sister to do everything alone. Chen Xuan would help clean the house after school, and the little girl would help pick vegetables, wipe the table, etc. after school. Wei Yin and Wei Nian were not idle people. Wei Nian would mow the remaining lawn in the yard, and most of the yard cleaning was done by Wei Nian. Even Old Madam Wei in the Wei family had to heat up Chen Xuan's breast milk in the refrigerator every two hours, and feed it to her grandson when it was cooled to a palatable temperature. In addition, Old Madam Wei mostly helped with taking care of the baby. After all, Old Madam Wen was not the kind of person who only knew how to show off the famous Wen family. After thinking about it, she felt that what she had just said was a bit inappropriate.
Old Madam Wen is a strange person. The more you pay attention to her, the more arrogant she becomes. If you don't say anything, her attitude will soften. Perhaps she feels that what she just said is wrong, so Old Madam Wen took the initiative to say, "I was thinking that there is always a ranking for schools, so let the children let the one with the highest ranking be the one."
"Different high schools offer different courses, and there are exams before admission. They have decided which high school to go to, so they have to apply first and prepare for the exam. It's not easy to apply to a good high school, so they may have to prepare for both."
"It's not like he's going to college. He's just a junior high school student. How can it be that difficult? Why don't we call and ask A-Shao's dad?"
Chen Xuan was straightforward, so she said directly, "If Uncle Wen has a way, he should be able to complete the admission procedures in Nanjing." Chen Xuan and her friends were asked to help with the admission, which showed that Mr. and Mrs. Wen were either too busy or afraid that it would be difficult to enroll directly here. Chen Xuan said, "I asked a lawyer and asked the locals here. There is no difference between overseas and our country. It is difficult to get into good schools."
Chen Xuan comforted Madam Wen, "Don't worry, I see that Shao and the others' transcripts are all very good, so there shouldn't be any problems. This is just to let them learn to read the information of each school. I know everything."
Chen Xuan got along well with her brothers. It might be because she was gentle and willing to let Wen Shao and his friends make their own decisions. When children were young, they always had an urge to stand up straight away. After they settled down, Chen Xuan held two parties for them, one for friends from her country and the other for nearby neighbors. It was not that they separated them intentionally, but the size of the Wei family yard was limited, especially with children at home, so it was better to separate them instead of crowding them.
Although Madam Wen likes to show off her status as a member of the famous Wen family in Jiangnan, she is actually quite capable. At her age, she speaks very good English, and her temperament and demeanor are excellent when communicating with others.
The thing is that after Wen Xiaogu, Wen couple and Yaying came over, Chen Xuan was very reluctant to see Wen Yaying. These people were very good at choosing time. They chose a Saturday when the whole family was not at home and went to the park for a picnic. Because the weather was good, they brought a folding baby stroller, and the two cars were not big enough to accommodate them, so they asked Qin Shu to drive with them. They spread the tablecloth on a sunny lawn and put Yu Ge'er in the stroller. The little girl was already running. Wei Nian shouted, "Girl, stay here, don't run too far." The little girl said in a loud voice, "I know, Dad." Wen Yin was the youngest, so she played with her. Wen Shao and Wen Xin wanted to go shopping by themselves, and Wei Nian smiled, "Remember everyone is here, come back after shopping."
They both agreed and asked if Grandma wanted to go with them. Wen said that the old lady was old and was willing to sit for a while.
When Chen Xuan talked about taking the driving test, she said, "I want to take the test during the summer vacation. Big sister, you can come with me." Because Shengyu had taken a month off for confinement, Chen Xuan is now studying hard and will not be free until the summer vacation.
Wang Damei said, "I just learned to speak a little bit of foreign language, is that ok?"
"Whether you succeed or not, just give it a try." Chen Xuan said, "You should start memorizing a few words, one a day is fine. Brother Anian and the others have taken the test, and this test has fixed questions. Let's go learn to drive together. I will help you with tutoring before the test. It won't be a problem. When you get your driver's license, it will be convenient for you to go to the market and go out in the future."
Wei Yin also said, "Yes, just take the test. Your family will pay for the test, so you don't have to spend any money."
Wang Damei felt embarrassed, but nodded with a smile, "Well, then I will take the exam with Second Grandma."
"I'll buy you a car once you pass the driving test. It will be convenient for our family to use." Wei Nian said, "Mom, do you want to take the test together? If you pass, I'll give you a new car."
Old Mrs. Wei waved her hands repeatedly, "I can't drive that thing. If it was a mule or a horse, maybe I could try, but this has four wheels and it goes so fast, I can't handle it."
"Mom, you are not too old, not even sixty, and there are many people with white hair driving on the road." Wei Yin said.
Qin Shu also said, "My next-door neighbor is an old lady in her seventies, a few years older than the old lady, and she drives better than me."
Everyone played in the park for a day, ate the food they brought with them at noon, and went to a famous Chinese restaurant in Boston in the evening. When they returned home, the lights were already on. When Chen Xuan and the others came back, they saw a car parked in the yard. After a closer look, they realized that it was the Wen family. Old Madam Wen asked repeatedly, "Nannan, Yaying, Ah Shuo, why are you here?"
Wen Yaying's face was always not very good in front of the Wei family, but Aunt Wen forced a smile, "I heard from Yaying that you and A Shao had come to the United States, so I couldn't sit still. I booked a boat ticket with your son-in-law overnight, and it arrived this morning. Mom, why aren't you at home? I thought I went to the wrong place."
Wen Xiaogu is tall and thin, and it can be seen from Wen Yaying's appearance that she takes after Wen Xiaogu. Wen Xiaogu's husband, Ah Shuo, is a man in his forties, and still has the handsomeness of his youth, but his figure is a little deformed, with a big belly, so he has lost his handsomeness and gained a rounder temperament. His temperament cannot be compared with Mr. Wen. He greeted her with a smile, "Mother-in-law." He also said, "I haven't seen Ah Shao and others for many years."
All three of them greeted their aunt, uncle, and eldest sister.
Wei Nian smiled, "Let's talk in the house."
Mrs. Wen was very unhappy to see her daughter. She held her daughter's hand and said, "We are going to the park. Why didn't you call us in advance?"
"I heard Yaying say that you guys had arrived, so I didn't care about anything else and rushed over here." Aunt Wen was embarrassed to say that she didn't have the Wei family's phone number.
After both families entered the house, Chen Xuan politely asked, "Aunt, have you eaten?" She handed the sleeping baby to Wei Nian and put him back in the bedroom. Wang Damei hurried to pour water. Seeing that there were too many people at home, Qin Shu did not stay long and went home first.
Aunt Wen smiled, "We have eaten. We arrived early and saw that no one was home, so we went to the city to eat first. We just arrived not long ago, and you are finally back." She added, "I am really sorry to bother Mrs. Wei these days. My mother and nephew have disturbed you."
The living room was big enough for everyone to sit down and talk. Chen Xuan had been doing business for many years, so such words were not difficult for her. Chen Xuan said nonchalantly, "This is my mother's house. A Shao and the others are my brothers, so there's nothing to disturb them. The old lady was worried about A Shao and the others, so she moved in together."
Wen Xiaogu smiled, "Yes, what Mrs. Wei said is true. If we say that we are not strangers, it is the same if you call me aunt."
Chen Xuan smiled. Actually, Aunt Wen was able to come. Chen Xuan felt that Aunt Wen was not as good as Madam Wen said. After all, if Aunt Wen did not care about her mother and nephew who came to the United States, it would be heartbreaking. Now Aunt Wen came here immediately after receiving the news. Although she was not very friendly, she had a good heart. Chen Xuan smiled and said, "Aunt, you are here to visit the old lady and A Shao, right?"
Aunt Wen sighed, "Yes. I have been missing my mother and my elder brother all these years in the United States. Now that they are in the United States, I want to take them to New York to live for a while. Don't worry, I guarantee that it won't delay Shao's enrollment."
"I'm afraid it's not possible now." Chen Xuan said, "It's okay for the old lady. A Shao and his friends need to choose a school to enroll in. Now is not summer vacation. They are at the age of studying and can't delay their studies. How about letting them come to see you when they are free in the future?"
"It's only spring now, so there's no rush to enroll."
"I have already helped them contact the school. Since they are transferring here, they don't have to wait until after the summer vacation. This is also to avoid delaying their studies. A Shao will take the college entrance examination in two or three years. It is not easy to get into a top American university, so we have to hurry now."
Wang Damei Wei Yin brought drinks.
Aunt Wen was mainly at odds with Madam Wen. Seeing that Chen Xuan was so strong even though she was just the daughter of Madam Wen's ex-husband, she was very unhappy. It must be said that Aunt Wen really didn't understand Chen Xuan's personality very well. Chen Xuan was a person who had always been serious about studying and always valued time. Therefore, Chen Xuan's rejection of Aunt Wen's proposal was not because she was strong, but because she simply wanted her younger brothers to enter school earlier. Aunt Wen misunderstood, thinking that Chen Xuan didn't give her face. Aunt Wen took a sip of the coffee, pursed her bright red lips, and began to improve her momentum. She said with a dust-free look, "I heard that Mrs. Wei just came to the United States. I have been in the United States for more than 20 years and know more about this place than Mrs. Wei. If Mrs. Wei wants to do this for the good of A Shao and the others, there are excellent high schools in New York. Are you going to lock them up in Boston just to keep them by your side?"
Chen Xuan saw that her aunt looked unhappy and said something like "locked in Boston", so she asked calmly, "Is there any good high school in New York?"
"That's right. Yaying went to a top-notch school. My son is now attending a good high school. A Shao and his cousins are of similar age, so it would be a good opportunity for them to keep each other company."
Chen Xuan listened carefully to Aunt Wen's words and said, "As far as I know, Miss Wen attended a girls' school. As for the high school your son attended, do you have any specific information? How many high schools are there near New York? Have you done any research? Different high schools have different courses. Aunt, how many courses are offered in your son's high school? How many are required and how many are elective?"
Wen Xiaogu put down her snow-white bone china coffee cup, avoided the main point, and laughed, "Oh, of course, A Shao and his cousin did some research when they enrolled. It's the best high school in New York."
"How are your grades? Can you tell me about it?"
"I have so many things to do every day. Besides, this happened last year. How can I remember it?"
"A-Shao's transcripts were sent in advance, and now I can tell you their grades in every subject from elementary school to now." Chen Xuan said seriously, "Since last year, I have slowly started to investigate the situation of Boston's middle schools and elementary schools, and collected information from each one. Then I selected schools with good environment and teaching admission rates, and gave the information to A-Shao and his family to choose. Auntie, you are so busy every day that you can't even remember your son's transcript last year. Add to that A-Shao and his three brothers, I'm afraid you can't take care of them all. I'm different. I'm in college now. I have the time and energy, and I will be responsible for their studies."
Aunt Wen was not easy to deal with. She raised her lips, put down the coffee cup in her hand, and said with an elegant and proud attitude, "Mrs. Wei, you probably don't know the financial situation of my mother's family. Ah Shao and his friends are just studying casually in school. When they return to China in the future, can the family do without them to do a good job?"
Chen Xuan was really angry when she heard this. How could she say such things in front of her children! Education is such a rare opportunity! Chen Xuan's eyes turned cold. She was not born to argue with others. She still said calmly, "I know your mother's family background very well. I heard from the old lady that your ancestors had high-ranking officials such as governors and governors. But as far as I know, your great-grandfather was a scholar, and your grandfather did not hold any official position. When Uncle Wen went to school, because of the difficult family situation, the old lady even sold his dowry and land. Your family can be what it is now because Uncle Wen passed the government-funded overseas student exam when he was studying. Uncle Wen went to study in Europe and returned to work in the government. Only then did he change the family's decline and give rise to the Wen family today. If you just read casually, it will be fine. Yes, why did the old lady sell her dowry and land to support Uncle Wen's studies? If a person puts the family's prominence on his head every day and lives on the family's legacy, this person will be like this in his life! When Miss Wen came to the United States to study, you probably said the same thing to her. Aunt, who is closer to Uncle Wen, you or me? You are his biological sister, and he gave me the custody of A Shao and others. Why do you think it was? It's because Uncle Wen's expectations for A Shao and others are not just to study casually and get a job casually, he just doesn't want them to live a casual life! "
"I hope they can have their own ideals, go to the best universities, receive the best education, meet the best people, find like-minded partners, and live a fulfilling, happy and respected life. In the future, their descendants will be proud of having such excellent elders. What they leave to their descendants is the spiritual inheritance of hard work and seriousness. Even if they cannot become great people, they can do themselves and others no harm!" Chen Xuan said in a deep voice, "Don't let me hear such casual words from Aunt Wen again. I am really ashamed of the Wen family for hearing such words from Aunt Wen."
It must be said that Chen Xuan still has a long way to go to reach her ideal of becoming a first-class professor. Her ability to educate people is quite good. Even the little girl dared not chatter. Children are the best at reading people's faces and know when their mother is angry. Even Mrs. Wei was there, she just drank water without saying a word. After Chen Xuan finished speaking, she got up and went back to the house.
The author has something to say: ps: This is a very long update, and it is not convenient to break it up, so I will just update it to one chapter. That’s all for today, good afternoon everyone!!!