sjar Chapter 158 Crossing the Wall to Create a New Business
Chapter 158 Crossing the Wall to Create a New Business
In early 1978, Zhang Jianjun asked his mentor Ding Tongguang for help. Through Chen Lixin's connections, he arranged a house for Wei Shuying so she could move out of Wu Fenglan's house.
Zhang Jianjun received news that Zhang Jianshe was coming back, and if all went well, he would be back by the end of 1978 or the beginning of 1979.
The courtyard arranged was right behind Wu Fenglan's house. It would take five minutes to get there by going around from the alley, but it was just one wall away if you climbed over the wall.
Fortunately, Zhang Jianjun is already over nine years old, and he can easily climb over such a low wall.
Wei Shuying had practically watched Zhang Jianjun grow up, and they had even lived together for two years. She looked at Zhang Jianjun like her own child. Zhang Jianjun liked to climb over walls, and she would only tell him to be careful and not get hurt.
In September, Qiao Simei will be starting preschool.
The teacher has already come to our home to talk to us. The general idea is that children who attend preschool are better off than those who don't. This preschool is newly established; it wasn't there before. Qiao Sanli should have started preschool last year, but it was delayed because of Qiao Zuwang's situation.
Wei Shuying really wanted Qiao Simei to go to preschool, but preschool required tuition fees, and Wei Shuying's own salary was not high. She also had four children to support. Although she had lived with Wu Fenglan before, Wei Shuying had always insisted on allocating expenses according to the number of children.
So after two years, I hadn't saved much money, and life was a bit tight.
Qiao Zuwang was indeed a terrible father, but at least he provided some living expenses. At that time, with her own money and the little bit of money Qiao Zuwang gave her, Wei Shuying was barely making ends meet. However, after the divorce, she was indeed in a more difficult situation.
Although Qiao Zuwang is legally obligated to pay child support, he refuses, claiming he has no money. Wei Shuying doesn't want her children to be involved with Qiao Zuwang anymore, as accepting his money would mean having to call him "Dad." Wei Shuying would rather go hungry than let her children suffer.
Zhang Jianjun didn't think he had done anything wrong. He believed that the marriage should be dissolved, or he might lose his life if he didn't!
In the original drama, Wei Shuying died from postpartum hemorrhage after giving birth to Qiao Qiqi due to malnutrition and advanced maternal age. Even if Zhang Jianjun had mastered medical skills by 1977, it would have been difficult to cure Wei Shuying.
If divorce can save your life, then you should get a divorce!
Cause and effect, Qiao Qiqi, only one of you and your mother can stay, so it's just that you have to suffer!
“Aunt Wei, I think we should send Si Mei to preschool. San Li has been looking after Si Mei at home, but San Li will be starting elementary school next year, leaving only Si Mei at home. But Si Mei is disobedient, and I don’t feel at ease leaving her alone at home!” Zhang Jianjun offered his opinion.
Wei Shuying recalled the tragedies that her neighbors occasionally mentioned, "You're right, we really shouldn't leave Simei alone at home."
She felt that there needed to be a man in the family. Although Zhang Jianjun was young, he was clear-headed and could always help her understand things.
"There's one more thing, Aunt Wei. I hope you can help me mail this letter." Zhang Jianjun took out the envelope he had prepared.
The mailing address was written as "Youth Daily".
Wei Shuying was very curious, "Why didn't you ask your mother for help?"
"I don't want her to know about this. This is an article I wrote for the Youth Daily. If it's accepted, there will be a fee."
"So, you're already thinking about hiding money at such a young age?" Wei Shuying's tone was somewhat playful, as if to say, "You little brat, you've finally met your match."
Zhang Jianjun shrugged indifferently. "Although my mom is quite open-minded, she still can't rest easy about me having too much money. So I was thinking, if you get any royalties, just say it's a bonus from your workplace. Just don't say it's mine, otherwise she'll take it away and say she's keeping it for me."
Wei Shuying: "I'm worried too! Okay then, you need to tell me before you spend this money. I can't let you go astray, that would be letting your mother down!"
“No problem.” Zhang Jianjun agreed immediately. His purpose in earning this money was to subsidize both families. Otherwise, the three children were all thin and weak, and he was afraid that if he wanted to discipline them, he would beat them to a pulp! It wasn’t that he was hiding it from Wu Fenglan, but he wanted Wei Shuying to be involved. If she had a sense of participation, she would be more accepting of Zhang Jianjun’s subsidies.
Just then, Qiao Sanli and Qiao Simei ran in from outside, accompanied by Qiao Simei's high-pitched childish voice: "Mommy! Mommy! There are popsicles for sale outside! Mommy! Soldier brother!"
Qiao Sanli also saw Zhang Jianjun and greeted him, "Brother Jun!"
"Do you want popsicles? Come on, let's go buy some!" Zhang Jianjun took Qiao Sanli's hand with his left hand and Qiao Simei's hand with his right hand, and walked outside.
Wei Shuying got up to get some change from the cabinet. "Xiaojun, wait a minute, I'll give you the money!"
"No need, I still have plenty of pocket money!" Zhang Jianjun said without turning his head.
The person selling popsicles was from a small cart, and he wasn't an individual business owner; he belonged to a large collective.
While buying popsicles, Zhang Jianjun saw Qiao Zuwang walking into the alley with two women. One of them was a well-known matchmaker in the area. The other looked like she came from the countryside.
Without the burden of children, Qiao Zuwang seems to have started to have some ulterior motives.
Qiao Zuwang's reputation had already spread throughout the neighborhood. City women had high standards, and no one would be interested in someone like Qiao Zuwang. So the matchmaker had to find someone from the countryside, preferably from a faraway place, otherwise they might find out and the deal would be off.
Zhang Jianjun stepped aside, blocking Qiao Sanli and Qiao Simei's view. The two women were now focused on choosing popsicles, wanting to pick a large one. Since they were paying the same price anyway, they would make a profit by picking the biggest one.
The popsicle vendor was getting impatient. "Stop picking and choosing, or they'll all melt!"
The weather was hot, and the equipment for selling popsicles was very outdated, using only tattered cotton blankets for insulation, so there was a real risk that they would melt.
Only then did the two decide to buy the two largest ones they had chosen.
Actually, they're all pretty much the same; these popsicles are all made from molds and there's not much difference. But children naively think that each one is different.
"Brother Jun, you eat first!" Qiao Simei raised the popsicle in her hand and put it to Zhang Jianjun's mouth.
Qiao Sanli silently lowered her hand, which she was about to raise, with a glimmer of hope in her eyes.
Zhang Jianjun patted their heads. "Brother Jun doesn't want to eat, you eat! Sanli, you eat too!"
Zhang Jianjun picked out three more popsicles and paid for them all. Wu Fenglan would give Zhang Jianjun a little pocket money every week so he could buy some snacks, but Zhang Jianjun was a strange old man who didn't eat snacks, so he saved that pocket money. He couldn't do anything else with it, but it was enough to buy a popsicle.
Qiao Simei is quite perceptive, and her talent for vying for favor is off the charts. Qiao Sanli's modest nature comes from her mother; she's willing to suffer her whole life to take care of her younger sister.
Leading the two little girls back to Wei Shuying's house, Zhang Jianjun saw Qiao Erqiang tending to his pigeons and cauliflower.
Previously, Qiao Erqiang had caught a chick from somewhere, named it Luhua, and raised it for two months. Before it even started laying eggs, it was reported by the neighbors because of its clucking.
The security guard came over, intending to take the chicken away. Wei Shuying wasn't home at the time. Zhang Jianjun heard the commotion, climbed over the wall to the scene, and recited the relevant regulations to the guard, leaving the assistant guard completely bewildered.