latelenovela Chapter 446 Song Ying Wants to Start a Small Dining Table
Chapter 446 Song Ying Wants to Start a Small Dining Table
A day later, Zhuang Chaoying and Yu Hua arrived in Kyoto and began their studies in the creative graduate program jointly organized by Lu Xun Academy of Literature and Beijing Normal University.
Upon arriving at the training course, Zhuang Chaoying learned an unexpected surprise: Uncle Wang hadn't told him before that he could actually obtain a postgraduate diploma after completing the course.
Zhuang Chaoying was astonished that someone who had only graduated from a vocational high school would have the opportunity to directly obtain a master's degree from Beijing Normal University. He couldn't help but exclaim in his heart, "Wow, that's so cool!" A master's degree was undoubtedly a huge surprise for him.
Another thing is that the training was not a month at all. Uncle Wang lied to him. The training was not a month, but three months.
He quickly called Uncle Wang, who explained on the phone, "You're the kind of person who puts your family first and your wife and children first. If I hadn't told you that you only have one month to attend the training, this is a rare opportunity that others would beg for. Chaoying, cherish it."
That makes sense. Zhuang Chaoying hung up the phone. He was also very fortunate to have met Uncle Wang, his mentor who discovered him and guided him on his writing journey, giving him opportunities.
Yu Hua found it amusing to see the man's wide-eyed surprise even after hanging up the phone. He lowered his voice, slightly embarrassed.
"Brother Zhuang, you didn't know, did you? This training course will give you a master's degree and diploma upon graduation. That's what I came for. Just think, someone like me who only graduated from high school can skip undergraduate and go straight to a master's degree. Just thinking about it makes me feel pretty good, hehe, I'm just a little vain."
Zhuang Chaoying nodded after hearing this, thinking to herself, "It seems that when a person reaches a certain status in society, obtaining a degree and diploma becomes relatively easy."
The key is that this social status is really hard to obtain. It's like a barrier, which may be just a shallow obstacle that can be crossed to open up a bright future, or it may be an insurmountable wall that blocks the way for countless people.
Judging from this, I must have already established a certain position in the literary world to have been able to obtain such a rare opportunity.
"Yu Hua, it's only natural to be humble and not vain. This is a postgraduate degree, after all! Who wouldn't want it!"
Yu Hua nodded. "Exactly!"
"But this training program lasts three months, which is too long for my family..."
"Brother Zhuang, this is a rare opportunity. Three months will pass quickly. Your wife won't blame you if she knows you can get a postgraduate degree."
After registering, Zhuang Chaoying and Yu Hua were lucky enough to be assigned to the same dormitory.
The dormitory was small, with two single beds.
The neighbors next door were none other than Mo Yan and Liu Yiran, both of whom are future literary giants.
The female writers lived in the girls' dormitory building next door.
Originally, Zhuang Chaoying came here with the pure intention of learning.
To his surprise, the students' learning attitude was completely different from what he had imagined.
During the day, the classroom is deserted, almost empty; everyone forgets that this is a place for studying. But at night, the situation is completely different.
The classroom was filled with a large group of people; some were watching TV, while others were playing chess, their moves going back and forth on the board.
However, unexpectedly, when the night was deep and quiet, these people who seemed to be doing nothing but burning the midnight oil and writing furiously.
Yu Hua, a student in Zhuang Chaoying's dormitory, is a typical example of this.
As soon as evening fell, he would enter a creative state, smoking one cigarette after another.
Zhuang Chaoying was also infected by this atmosphere, and while fanning herself, she immersed herself in her creation.
Zhuang Chaoying gained a lot from spending these days together.
Being with these energetic young people—oops, I'm a young person myself.
Everyone sat together, enthusiastically discussing writing techniques. The intellectual exchange between them broadened his horizons.
Yu Hua, in particular, is incredibly eloquent. He can talk non-stop, spouting all sorts of novel ideas and viewpoints like a machine gun.
Due to the close communication and outstanding performance of Zhuang Chaoying, Mo Yan, and Yu Hua in their studies and creative work, their classmates gave them a special nickname – "The Golden Iron Triangle".
.....
Every Sunday, without fail, Zhuang Chaoying would call home to let them know she was safe.
At this moment, he was standing in the rather cramped gatehouse on the first floor of the dormitory.
The walls were covered with various notices and notes, and the old man in the gatehouse was sitting to the side, wearing reading glasses and looking at the newspaper.
Zhuang Chaoying held the telephone receiver and dialed the number. The dial tone came from the other end of the line, one beep after another.
On the other end of the phone, Zhuang Xiaoting was in the living room on the first floor, keeping her younger sister company while she sunbathed.
The little sister was sleeping soundly in Zhuang Xiaoting's arms. Suddenly, the phone rang.
Upon hearing the sound, Zhuang Xiaoting quickly handed the child to Aunt Song and her own mother, then hurried over to the phone.
"Hey?"
Zhuang Chaoying heard a familiar voice coming from the receiver. "Is that Xiaoting? It's your dad."
"Dad! How are your studies at the Kyoto Academy of Letters going? Have you seen Mo Yan? I've read his novel 'Red Sorghum' and watched the movie."
Zhuang Chaoying held the microphone in her hand, and the corners of her mouth unconsciously turned up, as if she could see her daughter's excited expression.
"He's your dad's classmate. Do you want Dad to get you his autograph?"
Zhuang Xiaoting's voice rose eight octaves with excitement, like a chirping little bird. "Yes! Yes! Dad promised you'd definitely help me get an autograph."
"By the way, Dad, a large portion of my classmates also like your 'Glamorous Nights' and '2030' series. In my heart, you are also a very good writer."
Zhuang Chaoying listened to her daughter's effusive praise on the other end of the line, her smile practically stretching to her ears. "You little rascal, give the phone to your mom."
Zhuang Xiaoting was so happy she almost jumped for joy. After saying that, she handed the phone to the side. "Mom, Dad wants you to answer the phone."
"Super Hero".
Zhuang Chaoying's voice instantly softened. "Ah Ling, thank you for your hard work these past few days. Did you receive the things I mailed home?"
"I received it. It includes milk powder, pickles, teething biscuits, dried fruit, and two sets of enamel tea sets. Dad and Mr. Lin really like them. Chaoying, take good care of yourself over there. Three months is three months, don't rush back. Focus on your studies. Don't worry about things here at home. Your parents and Song Ying are here to help."
Huang Ling's voice carried a long-lost warmth, which made Zhuang Chaoying feel much more at ease.
Zhuang Chaoying couldn't help but ask about her youngest daughter's condition again. "Is Yuyao easy to take care of these days?"
Huang Ling smiled and turned her head to look at Yu Yao, who was being held in Song Ying's arms. At this moment, little Yu Yao had woken up and was waving her little hands, blowing bubbles. Her pink and tender little face was extremely cute.
"She's much easier to take care of now. She can fall asleep without being held. She'll whine if she wets herself or poops. When she's bored, she'll just moan. All you have to do is play with her. She sucks her thumb and whines to herself to sleep. Our Yuyao has always been easy to take care of. It's just that she's teething these past few days and has been a bit fussy."
After chatting about everyday matters for a while, Huang Ling hung up the phone and turned to Song Ying to continue their conversation about what they hadn't finished earlier.
Huang Ling looked at her with some surprise. "Song Ying, are you really planning to take a leave of absence without pay?"
Song Ying held Xiao Yuyao in her arms, teasing her as she spoke.
"I haven't told Wu Feng yet, Sister Ling, our two families have produced four college students, which is well-known in the factory area. Teacher Zhuang isn't home, so you don't know, but Wu Feng's factory's suppliers in northern Jiangsu heard from somewhere that your family produced a top scorer in the college entrance examination, our Xiao Ting."
She paused for a moment, winked at Xiaoting, and then continued.
“I even asked Wu Feng if your family was selling the house. I was thinking that the factory wasn’t doing well, and going to work was just a way to get by. Sister Ling, why don’t we start a small restaurant together? It’s just me and Wu Feng in my family, and our house is bigger than yours. We can use the first floor of my house.”
Huang Ling was still somewhat hesitant after hearing this.
Her child was too young, and she worried that she wouldn't be able to manage both things, especially since Chaoying wasn't home. However, she was also tempted. She had been staying at home since quitting her job a year ago and hadn't gone out at all, feeling like she had become disconnected from society.
She looked at the adorable Yuyao in Song Ying's arms, unsure whether she should agree to Song Ying's suggestion.
……