270 Countdown to the finale (2)
"The final exam is coming soon, and they are all reviewing now." The old dean said. The coffee table was already filled with fruits that had been prepared earlier. "How is Jinxi doing recently? Is he about to take the exam soon? Jixia Academy The curriculum is different from that of other schools, and I don’t know if the exam time is also different.”
"The exam time is the same, and it follows the unified regulations on exams and holidays for primary school students in the city." Lin Chu said, "Jinxi can keep up with the progress and the results are very good. Because the curriculum is different from the original school, I just went there It was indeed a bit uncomfortable at the time. But Jinxi worked hard,"
"Yes, no one needs to worry about that child wherever he goes." The old dean said with a smile, his eyes full of longing for Mo Jinxi.
"Jinxi said that he misses you very much. Don't worry about him. He will come back as long as possible." Lin Chu said, not knowing how to say it. She couldn't tell Liang Xiulin that Mo Jinxi was not allowed to come back, so she could only let him The old dean knew that Mo Jinxi had not forgotten this place.
"I know, that's the kid I grew up with, and I know him." The old dean smiled, not sad, just a little disappointed, "I knew from the time he left that Mrs. Mo didn't want him to come back. The Mo family and People in the orphanage are from two worlds. It's not wrong for Mrs. Mo to be defensive. Jinxi called me before, and every time I heard Mrs. Mo calling him over there, I knew that Mrs. Mo didn't want him to be with us. Contact. It doesn’t matter to me. If you have a chance, tell that kid in Jinxi and tell him not to think too much. I know him. Let him study hard and focus on his own affairs. There will be many opportunities to meet him in the future."
Lin Chu nodded, and then the doorbell rang.
Teacher Wang went out to open the door, and Lin Chu turned to look out the window, just in time to see the road leading from the door to the courtyard gate.
As a result, I saw Teacher Wang followed by Liang Xiulin, but Mo Jinxi was not following him.
Lin Chu was surprised and couldn't figure out what Liang Xiulin was doing, so he couldn't help turning his head to look at Yan Beicheng.
Yan Beicheng frowned and said, "If her purpose of coming this time is not good, I will go and talk to Mo Jingsheng. At home, Mo Jingsheng can talk."
Lin Chu nodded and heard Yan Beicheng say to the old dean: "If Mrs. Mo comes and says something unpleasant, don't take it to heart. What she said in the Mo family does not count, only the words of Chief Mo and Mo Jingsheng matter." .So no matter what she said, it didn’t mean what the Mo family meant. If it did, she didn’t come here on her own."
"Don't worry." The old dean saw that both of them were thinking about themselves. "Whether she brings good news or bad news, it is all related to Jinxi. As long as Jinxi is good, it doesn't matter to me. .”
At this time, Teacher Wang came in with Liang Xiulin, and they stopped talking.
Liang Xiulin wore a long fur coat with a long coat that resembled a cloak. He was holding a clutch bag in his leather-gloved hand, and he was dressed exquisitely and looked a bit domineering, which was different from when he came to pick up Mo Jinxi from the orphanage before.
Seeing her dress, Lin Chu knew that what Liang Xiulin brought today might not be good news.
The old dean is an elder, much older than Liang Xiulin, and is still sitting on the sofa. Yan Beicheng and Lin Chu stood up and greeted Liang Xiulin politely.
Liang Xiulin took off his fur coat, put it casually on the sofa, and sat down.
Lin Chu and Yan Beicheng simply sat next to the old dean.
But when Liang Xiulin spoke, Lin Chu wondered whether she had guessed wrong.
Liang Xiulin no longer looked down on others as clearly as she did a few times before. She just pursed her lips and said, "I'm here this time about Jinxi."
The old dean nodded, "I can guess it."
"I really didn't like letting Jinxi come here before, because after all, he doesn't belong here. The path he will take in the future is different from ordinary people, and it is even different from the children here. He and the children here are people from two different worlds. In the future, Their paths are different, their knowledge is different, and their temperament will also be different. He has a deep affection for this place, and also a deep affection for the children here. He talks about the old dean and his younger brothers and sisters all day long. No matter what delicious food he eats They all said they were waiting to come to the orphanage and bring it to their younger brothers and sisters to try."
The old dean smiled happily, "That kid from Jinxi, no matter where he goes, his heart will never change."
"Indeed." Hearing that Mo Jinxi was praised, Liang Xiulin was also happy, and the corners of her mouth couldn't help but curl up, "I'm actually very grateful to the orphanage for taking care of him. In the past few months when he went home to live, I I found that this child has indeed never been mistreated before. He may not be compared with our family, but he is no different from ordinary families. He has a good education and does not have any inferiority complex. This shows that his living environment has been very good since he was a child. . You not only paid attention to his academic studies, but also did not neglect his moral cultivation, making him a lovable child now without losing his character. He is now able to wait until we find him in good health, thanks to you. "
The old dean didn't speak. He didn't know what to say. He didn't expect Liang Xiulin to say such a thing. These words were something she had never said before.
"I won't let Jinxi come. It does sound a bit unhuman, but I also have my concerns. Children are innocent, but they will definitely change when they grow up, and their relationship with Jinxi will deteriorate. You don't need to tell me If, because I know this is really normal. Isn’t that the case for the person named Zhu Hexuan before?" Liang Xiulin sneered, "Don't be surprised, I know Zhu Hexuan. I have never recognized Jinxi, even if I saw him pass by That's right. Even though he keeps telling us that he is living a good life in the orphanage and you are very kind to him, I still don't trust him. My son asked someone to check Jinxi's past life in the orphanage. Zhu Hexuan only found out incidentally. Things. I think Zhu Hexuan was just as innocent when she was a child, but when she grows up, she has more thoughts. Life is not easy, and there are more people who care about it unconsciously. People will always change because of life, because of the environment, and because of this society. . I don’t want Jinxi to be hurt in the future. The more he values his younger brothers and sisters now, the more disappointed he will be in the future and the greater the hurt he will suffer. I think you also understand that Jinxi is a very emotional child. "
"Ms. Liang, what on earth do you want to say? Why don't you just say it." The old dean slowly put away his smile and sighed, "I'm old, I can't think straight, and I don't like to use my brain very much. I always follow Instead of going through all your twists and turns, it would be better to tell me directly so that both of us can save some effort."
Liang Xiulin pursed her lips and said, "Okay, I'll tell you the truth then, and don't blame me for speaking badly. I do this all for the sake of Jin Xi. I won't stop Jin Xi from meeting you, and you should treat him He has the kindness to raise him, which is also a kindness to our family. But only you can meet him. As for those children, no. So if you want to see Jinxi, you can, I will send a driver to pick you up to meet Jinxi. Or When the child is away, ask Jinxi to come over."
"Does Jinxi know about your decision?" the old dean asked.
Liang Xiulin paused for a moment, feeling uneasy in his eyes, then curled his lips impatiently and said, "How can he know so much as a child? Shouldn't he rely on his elders to check for him?"
"That doesn't mean you can make a decision for him without asking. Mrs. Mo, no one knows what will happen in the future. What will happen to the children in the future? If you can't see it with your own eyes, you can't speculate at will. What's more, they are still such innocent children, how can they put malice on them so easily? Moreover, I think you should trust Jinxi's judgment and believe that he can handle the matter well. "
"Even if there are no children in the orphanage, do you think that the children in Jixia Academy are pure and kind and can be friends with them for a lifetime? Those children have been more petty than ordinary children since they were young. Jinxi is one of them now, so I guess. We should learn these things." The old dean said, "In the future, if the children take a different path, if their feelings are different from now, that is also the children's business. Jinxi knows how to choose, and she should learn how to do it. Mrs. Mo, I know you do it for Jinxi's good, but you can't protect him like this for the rest of his life. He will always grow up. If you are no longer here, then he will have to face the ups and downs of life by himself, and no one will protect him at that time. .”
Liang Xiulin was silent. Looking at the expression on his face, he didn't know if he was thinking about what the old dean said.
"Moreover, Shitou and Tiantian are both simple and good children. They have not changed. It is unfair for you to define them now. Mrs. Mo, I hope you think about it carefully. You also want Jinxi to be happy. To him Okay, it's not about controlling him. If you don't like Jinxi coming to the orphanage, I don't have a problem with it. I know that Jinxi always remembers us and that's enough. I won't leave the children to find him alone." The old dean said, "If we can, let's talk on the phone more."
Liang Xiulin's face was a little hot. Unexpectedly, she deliberately interrupted the previous few calls, and the old dean also noticed it.
Facing the old dean's face full of kindness and tolerance, Liang Xiulin couldn't sit still.
She stood up, gathered her collar, and said, "I understand, I will go back and think about it."
That night, Mo Jinxi called Lin Chu excitedly and said, "Chu Chu, do you know? My grandma promised me today that she would take me to the orphanage to pay New Year's greetings during the Chinese New Year!"
"Really?" Lin Chu was also surprised. She didn't expect that Liang Xiulin actually agreed. In such a short time, she could figure it out
"Well, I think grandpa told grandma. Grandpa came back early today. He and grandma talked for a long time in the room. When they came out, grandma said that they could go to the orphanage to pay New Year's greetings during the Chinese New Year." Mo Jinxi He said, Lin Chu could not see through the phone, his mouth was grinning widely.
It was indeed Chief Mo who communicated with Liang Xiulin. Chief Mo has been busy these days, leaving early and coming back late. Finally, the busyness has passed. He came back according to the normal get off work time today, and brought up the matter of taking Mo Jinxi to visit the orphanage.
Chief Mo has never forgotten what he promised Mo Jinxi, and Mo Jinxi's recent academic performance has been very good, so Chief Mo took the initiative to mention this matter to Liang Xiulin.
Liang Xiulin hesitated and told her about her visit to the orphanage today, including her own thoughts and the words of the old director.
Although Liang Xiulin's temperament is a bit snobbish, one good thing is that he never deceives Chief Mo and tells the truth.
Chief Mo listened and agreed with the old dean's words.
"Children have to grow up, especially in a family like ours. Sooner or later there will be an opportunity for the child to grow up. Either this or something else, it may be more serious. The old dean is right, we You can't protect him for the rest of his life. If you protect him too well, he will suffer in the future and be unable to take good care of himself." That's what Chief Mo said.
So Liang Xiulin agreed to Mo Jinxi's visit to the orphanage.
…
It was the Chinese New Year in a blink of an eye, and Lin Chu was still one month away from her due date.
This is Lin Chu's first time celebrating the New Year with Yan Beicheng. Last year's New Year's Eve, or should be said to be the first day of the new year, Yan Beicheng came to see him.
This is the first time I have spent time with the Yan family. Although there are not as many people as in the orphanage, it is still lively.
Originally, Lin Chu wanted to go to the orphanage to help the old director make dumplings. There were many children, and he had to make a lot of dumplings. It was a very happy and tiring thing.
But because she was about to give birth, the old dean did not allow her to run around, saying that there were Teacher Wang and Teacher Yuan at the orphanage to help make dumplings in the morning, and they would go home after making the dumplings.
Here at the old house, Lin Chu had a bloated belly and it was not convenient to work, so Mrs. Yan just let her play with her mobile phone next to her.
Lin Chu felt sorry for herself, feeling that they were all working, and even Yan Zhiqing was helping. She was waving her hands and doing nothing, which was so embarrassing.
So Mrs. Yan asked her to pick up dumplings. Lin Chu thought about it, okay, this can be considered a help.
Yan Zhiqing's legs are already very flexible. She sits around the dining table with them making dumplings. She has never wrapped them before. Either there is too much stuffing to close the dumpling skin, or there is too little stuffing to fit the dough. Like a child.
Finally, Mrs. Yan couldn't stand it anymore and pushed a basin to her, "Here are chestnuts and rice cake pieces. You can wrap these. It's easy. Just wrap them in flour."
Yan Zhiqing: "..."
In order to add some new ideas, Lin Chu had nothing to do at home during the holidays, so he watched TV and surfed the Internet, following several cooking accounts. Several of the accounts are teaching how to make jade cabbage dumplings, which make the dumpling skin look like jade cabbage.
Lin Chu made a note of it and brought spinach over today, squeezed it into juice and kneaded it into the dough, and separated out a piece of green dough and a piece of white dough.
Mrs. Yan, Mrs. Chen, Yu Zi and Yan Zhiqing all imitated Lin Chu's example, combining two colors of dough to roll out dumpling wrappers. The resulting dumplings really looked like jade cabbage.
Yan Ningbai was playing firecrackers with the children outside. The adults did not allow them to set off dangerous firecrackers. They usually gave them a box of firecrackers, each one wrapped in white paper as small as a bun. Throw it to the ground hard, and when it hits the ground, it explodes with a loud bang. There is no danger, and it can satisfy the joy of sudden crackling and exploding, which is very popular among children.
Fireworks were the highlight of the night, so Yan Ningbai played wildly outside for more than an hour. After throwing all the firecrackers, her little face was a little stiff and red from the cold, so she ran back.
As soon as he entered the house, he took off his gloves, coat and hat, threw them on the sofa, and rushed into the restaurant.
I found that this year’s dumplings were particularly different. They were emerald green and very beautiful.
In fact, Yan Ningbai doesn't like eating dumplings very much. He likes the same meatballs with the same ingredients, and he also likes the same vegetables and meat stir-fried. But as long as there is a layer of dumpling wrapper on the outside, it seems to change the taste, and he doesn't like it.
But he likes the activity of eating coins from dumplings every New Year.
As a result, these green dumplings seemed to be particularly appetizing this year.
Yan Ningbai came over curiously, stretched out her chubby hand to grab one and have a look.
"Pa!" Yu Zi patted the back of his hand.
"Go and wash your hands first. You can't touch them until you wash them." Yu Zi retracted his hand and continued to roll out the dumpling wrappers.
Yan Ningbai said "Oh", went to the kitchen and stood on tiptoe in front of the sink to wash her hands. There was no towel. She looked around, took two paper towels and wiped the water off her hands, and ran back immediately.
Then he stretched out his chubby white hands and gently pinched the dumplings, "It's so beautiful!"
"Eat more when the time comes." Mrs. Yan said with a smile.
Yan Ning couldn't help but nodded, "How?"
"Spinach juice is added to it." Lin Chu explained, "I think there is a bit too much dough. If there is any left, I will make hand-rolled noodles for you, green noodles."
Yan Ningbai nodded hurriedly, grabbed the emerald green raw dumpling, brought it to the tip of her nose and smelled it, "It doesn't smell like spinach."
Spinach tastes astringent and he doesn't like the taste.
"Because it is squeezed into juice and added to the noodles, the taste will not be obvious." Lin Chu explained.
Yan Ningbai put down the dumplings and saw Yu Zi filling them, and immediately said: "Put more meat! Put more meat!"
"You're not tired of it either." Yu Zi said, putting another shrimp in, pinching it one by one with his fingers, and wrapping up a dumpling.
Yan Ningbai swallowed hard and said, "It's okay to put more shrimp."
"When will you come to Huai'an?" Mrs. Yan looked at the time and saw that it was still early.
"It should be soon. He just sent me a WeChat message and said he was leaving from the company." Yu Zi said.
Under the guise of taking care of Lin Chu, a pregnant woman, Yan Beicheng left most of the company's affairs to Yan Huaian. Therefore, Yan Beicheng had a holiday today, but Yan Huaian still had to work overtime in the company.
For this reason, Yan Huaian often complained about Yan Beicheng at home, saying that Yan Beicheng influenced him to have a second child.
People are very careless in reciting things. As soon as Mrs. Yan finished reciting things, Yan Huaian came in. He didn't take off his coat, didn't take off his scarf, and was covered in the cold outside. Snowflakes fell on the black woolen coat.
Yu Zi was stunned, "Is it snowing outside?"
"Well, the snowflakes are starting to fall, and they are quite big." Yan Huaian nodded and wanted to hug Yu Zi. When he realized that his coat was too cold, he took off his coat again, snuggled in and picked it off, then came back and hugged Yu Zi from behind. Yu Zi.
Yan Ningbai completely ignored her father's show of affection and cheered: "I want to go out to see the snow!"
Mrs. Yan stretched her neck and shouted from behind: "Put on your coat before going out."
Lin Chu was considering whether to free up the restaurant to give Yan Huaian and Yu Zi some space. The two of them were really blind now.
Of course, Yu Zi was very calm, mainly because Yan Huaian was showing off.
Yan Huai'an glanced at Lin Chu's belly and said, "When Lin Chu gives birth to the child and finishes confinement, we will try to have a second child."
Yu Zi: “…”
Lin Chu couldn't help but be curious, "Why do you have to wait for me to finish confinement?"
Yan Huaian glanced at Yan Beicheng in the living room behind him and said, "Yan Beicheng said he would serve you during confinement and has no time to work."
Lin Chu: “…”
After making the dumplings, Mrs. Yan took off her apron and said, "Everyone in the family is here, let's go."
Last night, Lin Chu heard from Yan Beicheng that the Qi family has the habit of worshiping their ancestors every year. I went to worship my ancestors on the afternoon of New Year's Eve, and came back just in time for dinner.
The ancestors of the Yan family were the Yan State, and the capital of the Yan State was in City B. When the Qin Dynasty destroyed the six kingdoms, the royal family of the Yan Kingdom fled and many people died on the way. At that time, there was no condition to bury those people back, so they buried them on the spot, leaving only their clothes.
When the situation stabilized, he took the clothes and clothes of the deceased royal family members, found a geomantic treasure land in B City, and buried them in a tomb. With the change of dynasties, the Yan family took root in City B. When family members passed away, they were buried there.