Starting a new chapter in life

Chapter 195 The Third Sister and Her Family Set Off

Zhang Jingxian was so happy before that she hadn't thought about these things. But after her son reminded her, she suddenly became a little worried. "Jingyan, if you bring us over, will your husband's family have any objections? Actually, Rongqiang can study at home. He's a determined boy and it won't interfere with his studies."

Jingyan hadn't hung up the phone, so she heard her nephew's words. She smiled and said, "Third sister, you're overthinking it. It was Zhijun who contacted the principal about Rongqiang's transfer to school. He even said that if you come over, we'll cover your travel expenses. He's a very nice person, so don't worry."

Li Rongqiang listened to the phone on speakerphone and felt that his aunt's voice was indeed not coercing him. He nodded to his mother, indicating that he was willing to go out. He also wanted to see the world. Boys, no matter how reserved they are, still have some restless elements in their bones. They don't want to stay in one place forever. Of course, they don't want to let go of an opportunity.

Zhang Jingxian agreed: "Then I'll bring Rong Qiang over and bother you for a year."

"What about Ronggang? Aren't you planning to bring him along? Or is he still in school?" Jingyan asked, puzzled.

Zhang Jingxian replied nonchalantly, "Oh, Ronggang? He didn't get into a top high school in the middle school entrance exam a few years ago, he only went to a vocational high school. He's already graduated and does odd jobs near his home. Don't worry about him, he can support himself."

Jingyan… “Third sister, since it’s just a temporary job, you can quit anytime, right? Why don’t you bring Ronggang along? I actually live on an island in Haishi, and the political background checks for long-term residents here are very strict.”

My restaurant is doing well, but the chickens and eggs I need have to be bought from the sea market and then shipped over by boat. It's troublesome, and the shipping costs are also an expense.

If you all come here, see if you can apply for permanent residency. If you do, you and Ronggang can lease a plot of land and raise some chickens. If there are enough, my restaurant will get its chicken and eggs from you.

"If you have extra, you can ask other restaurants or eateries. If all else fails, you can set up a stall at the market and sell your produce. It's always a way to make a living." Jingyan had considered opening a chicken farm before, but she gave up the idea because she had no talent for animal husbandry. If it were her third sister, she felt that it might be a viable option.

Actually, her third sister's family could stay with her for three to five years, let alone a year. But she knew her third sister well; she was incredibly strong-willed and always wanted to be superior to her sisters in every way at home.

She's not doing well right now. If she's just living under someone else's roof, even her own sister would be sad. But if she has a livelihood, maybe losing a man won't be a big deal for her. As long as she has money, she can have anything.

And you know what? Her younger sister really knows her. Once she mentioned the stable market for chickens, Zhang Jingxian was genuinely interested. She set up two rows of chicken coops in her storage room, housing over thirty chickens, and they were doing quite well, generating a decent income each year.

If there were a larger place to raise chickens, not only would the mother and children's living expenses be covered, but Rongqiang's college tuition might also be taken care of. In that case, even if Li Sijun's later child support payments were not timely, they would not go hungry.

She acted on her thoughts immediately. With something to look forward to, she kept a close eye on the divorce proceedings. Li Sijun was still hesitant, still thinking about appeasing the woman, even if it meant giving her money to get rid of her. He didn't want to go down the path of divorce.

Previously, it was only that woman who was pressuring him, but unexpectedly, in just two or three days, Jingxian also relented and insisted on getting a divorce, and even urged the divorce process to proceed. Now, he was the only one being put on the spot. Caught between two forces, he could only dejectedly sign the divorce agreement, and the two went to the Civil Affairs Bureau to get their divorce certificates.

Divorce is relatively convenient at this time. There's no "cooling-off period" like decades later. Since you're already getting a divorce, why bother with calming down? The more you try to calm down, the angrier you get. It's better to just get it done and everyone will be more relaxed.

After getting the divorce certificate, Zhang Jingxian went home and gathered up Li Sijun's clothes, shoes, and socks, then threw them out: "Remember to deposit the fifty yuan child support payment into my account every month. Don't come knocking on my door unless it's absolutely necessary; I find it unlucky!"

The woman who came with Li Sijun to collect their luggage was very dissatisfied: "Why should we pay you child support? Old Li has already left with nothing. He left you all the savings and the house, and you're still not satisfied. Besides, the child is already over eighteen years old. Why should we still ask him for money?"

Zhang Jingxian wasn't one to be trifled with either. He put his hands on his hips, his aura instantly rising: "Just because my mother has been with him for twenty-three years and given birth to two sons for the Li family, I'm a great contributor to the Li family. It's only right that he supports me for life."

Besides, the real man has already agreed, so what right does a mistress like you have to speak here? Let me tell you, I ignored you before because I couldn't be bothered with you. Don't think I'm easy to bully.

"Even if things get really bad, I still have seven siblings on my mother's side. If you push me too far, I'll get them all backing me up, and I'll beat you two shameless bastards to death."

Li Sijun rubbed his aching temples, grabbed the woman, and yelled, "Alright, shut up! I make about four hundred yuan a month, fifty yuan for that mother and her three kids is too little. I was the one who brought this up."

I feel bad for them. Giving them some money will make me feel better. If you keep arguing, I won't stay with you anymore. Anyway, I already have the divorce certificate, so even if you sue me, it won't be considered bigamy. You can't find anything against me now.

Ultimately, the woman still wanted to marry him, and when she saw that he had lost his temper, she gave up.

Li Sijun sighed: "Jingxian, you can never get the stove working properly at home. If you can't light it in winter, just call me and I'll come and light it for you. Don't let yourself and our son freeze."

Zhang Jingxian scoffed, "Take that act back now. I may not be able to light the stove, but my two eldest sons are capable and don't need you. Now that you're divorced, stop causing trouble and go live with your new lover. Don't get in my way. Get lost!"

Watching them leave, Zhang Jingxian locked the courtyard gate, went back inside to pack his luggage, and piled up a huge pile of clothes and blankets on the living room floor. The mother and her two children were dumbfounded: "Won't we be kicked off the train if we bring all of this? This is too much."

Zhang Jingxian took out his bankbook, gritted his teeth, and said, "Keep some clothes for now, and send the rest as parcels at the post office. Have your aunt receive them there. Let's travel light!"

The mother and her two sons started packing again, and finally finished. Jingxian called Jingyan to ask for the address to send the package, wrote it down, and then took his two sons to the post office with the large and small bags on their backs.

After sending the package, Jingxian handed the house key to his neighbor: "Sister, I'm taking my son to stay with my sister in another city for a while. Rongqiang will be taking the college entrance exam next year, and we might come back for a month or two. After that, we probably won't be able to come back for the next four or five years. If you know of any families who are accompanying their children to school and want to rent a place, please help me rent it out."

Tenants need to pay their water and electricity bills on time. I've only paid the phone bill up to the end of the month; if they want to use it, they can renew it themselves, otherwise the service will be disconnected. There's still some coal in the storage room, not much; new residents will need to buy their own.

The main house has two bedrooms, a living room, and a kitchen, plus a storage room in the back, and a large yard in the front. The rent is only fifty yuan a month. I'll leave you my sister's phone number; just call her if you need anything. Could you please keep an eye on the house for me?

The neighbor lady was on good terms with her. Her family's divorce had caused quite a stir lately, and the neighbor lady felt mostly sorry for Jingxian, so upon hearing this, she quickly agreed.

"Don't worry, I'll spread the word as soon as you leave. It's good that you're gone for a few years. This place is too small; if anything happens in one family, the whole administration knows. It's really annoying to see all these people and things happening here every day."

Your sister wants you to come over because she cares about you, her older sister. It's good for you to stay for a while. If you meet someone suitable, you can find someone else. Your children are all grown up now; in a few years, they should be getting married and having children. It's too lonely for you to be all alone. You need to find someone you like to keep you company.

Zhang Jingxian knew she meant well, but she really wasn't in the mood for it right now. Now, she was even more glad to be able to leave. Listening to others' advice about things she didn't want to do was actually quite upsetting.

After settling into his home, Li Rongqiang went to his teacher's house to say goodbye. Since it wasn't time for school to start yet, all the teachers were at home, so there was no awkwardness of not being able to find him. Hearing that he was going to study at a high school in another city for a year and would return before the college entrance examination, the teacher was happy for him.

After asking for his mailing address, he promised that as long as the school sent out the exam questions, he would send a copy to Li Rongqiang so that he could practice the questions in time. After all, the exam papers in Shanghai are different from those in the national college entrance examination, so it is safer to do some of the questions from his own school.

Li Rongqiang was very grateful for the teacher's care. After returning from the teacher's house, he waited for news from Jing Yan so he could leave immediately.

After Jingyan gave him her mailing address, she asked He Zhijun to help her buy train tickets. Trains are not very convenient now, and sleeper tickets can only be bought for the direct train from Harbin to Haishi. The tickets for the section from the Administration Bureau to Harbin can only be bought by Third Sister herself. However, the distance is not far, and the slow train can reach Harbin in more than ten hours. Jingyan booked sleeper tickets for five days from Harbin.

Having bought the tickets, Jingyan quickly called her third sister: "Third sister, the tickets are for five days from now. Take the child there early. When you arrive in Harbin, go to the train station and find the stationmaster's office. Just give them He Zhijun's name and say you have three sleeper tickets reserved, and you'll get them."

There's still 500 yuan left. Zhijun has already wired the money to the station chief, and he'll give it to you later. When you get to Harbin, don't skimp on the money; find a hotel to stay in, not a small inn—it's not safe.

Tears welled up in Zhang Jingxian's eyes: "Jingyan, I have money..."

“You’re my sister, so it’s okay for me to give you some money because I feel sorry for you. Don’t let my two nephews suffer outside. Your sister is doing quite well, so don’t be stingy with me. Spend money when you need to. We haven’t seen each other for over ten years, and I’ve missed you so much.” Jingyan stopped Jingxian from speaking.

Zhang Jingxian wasn't one to be sentimental. After hanging up the phone, he calmed himself down, took out some money from his pocket, and handed it to Li Ronggang: "Buy three train tickets to Harbin, the earlier the better."

When we get there, we still need to go to the train station to pick up our tickets and money. The three of us, mother and son, will stay at a hotel in Harbin and do some sightseeing. You two brothers have never been to Harbin before, so let's take this opportunity to explore and not let your aunt's good intentions go to waste.

Li Ronggang happily took the money, went out, rode his bicycle straight to the train station to buy tickets. He managed to buy three hard seats. Although it would be tiring to ride for more than ten hours, it was still better than standing tickets. He had already prepared to buy standing tickets and was even thinking of bringing a small stool for his mother to sit on. Now he didn't need to, so he was quite lucky.

The next afternoon, the family of three boarded the train and set off. The ex-husband, who had just divorced her, was completely unaware of this. After a long and arduous journey, they finally arrived in Harbin. All three were quite tired; sitting for too long caused their buttocks and backs to ache, and standing for too long would make their legs hurt.

Not to mention that the moment you leave your seat, someone with a standing ticket takes it. If it's just someone trying to relieve fatigue, that's fine too; everyone's traveling has a tough time. Just give me back my seat when I get tired of standing.

What I fear most is encountering unreasonable people, especially the elderly, who might say things like: "How can you be so heartless, young people? Standing for a while is good exercise for you, but I'm an old woman, and I'm getting tired from standing for so long. Don't you have any conscience?"

The family rarely went out, so they were completely at a loss when faced with such a brazen person. Jingxian could only swallow his anger at first, turning the three-seater into a two-seater and having the three of them take turns sitting there.

But the old lady went too far, trying to take her son's place for her granddaughter, which angered Jingxian, who immediately retorted, "You old lady, do you think you're so great just because you're old?"

Your children are unfilial, so what? You expect us strangers to fulfill their filial duties for them? Is that shameless or just arrogant? If you know you're old, you should buy a sleeper ticket. You should be able to lie down, let alone sit.

You bought a standing ticket but insist on staying in your seat. What, do you expect the whole carriage to give way to you? If you're worried about something happening, don't go out. Nobody owes you anything. Let me tell you, we've already done more than enough. You've been taking my seat for four hours!

What, you want to ride all the way to the last station? If you really can't stand it, go find a train attendant and pay a little extra to upgrade to a sleeper berth. Trying to get something for nothing but a free ride? Be careful, you might end up doing something bad.

The old woman, whether out of anger or embarrassment, blushed and said, "How can you be so rude? Aren't you afraid of going to the tongue-pulling hell after you die?"

"I'm better off being rude than you. I've let you sit here for four hours. What, you still haven't had enough? Get up and give me back my seat. Don't take advantage of your age to bully young people. We're all out and about, nobody pays to suffer."

Jingxian didn't dare to make a move, fearing he'd be extorted, but he was quick-witted enough to know that if he didn't care about his reputation, it wouldn't be difficult to get his seat back. In the end, the old lady gave up her seat, grabbed her granddaughter, and moved to another carriage.