CHAPTER 45

Days passed, and the weather was getting hotter. The children had their summer vacation after their exams. This was supposed to be the longest time for them to go out and play, but this year, Li Xia was so busy that she couldn’t take care of it.

“Mom, our classmate said that his parents took him to Beijing to watch the flag-raising ceremony during the summer vacation.”

Yiyi will be going to primary school in the second half of the year. He will be one year ahead of the other children. She heard from Shen Haiyang that their teacher gave him a test and suggested that he should skip a grade. They discussed it and asked Yiyi for his opinion. Finally, they decided to let nature take its course and let the child make his own decision during the process of going to school.

He was admitted to a key university in his previous life; how could he reach this level in this life? Looking at the boy’s current performance, these are actually not big deals. He studies like playing now, and Li Xia focuses on letting him practice the piano. Study is the main job, and the other jobs are side jobs. The more talents a child has, the more confident he will be.

“So, you want to go too?”

“I asked my dad, but he said he was too busy this year and didn’t have time.”

“Then why are you saying this?”

The little guy stamped his feet anxiously: “Oh, I just reminded you that you didn’t take us to play this time.”

“Then what?”

“What then? I mean, you guys are all busy this year, and you won’t go out during the summer vacation, so can we go out and play during the National Day or winter vacation?”

“What if we still don’t have time?”

Yiyi was almost discouraged. “Then… well, I might as well wait until I grow up and go by myself.”

“You will be going alone?”

“I will take my parents and my older brother and sister.” Facing his mother’s approving gaze, he smiled proudly: “I am learning foreign languages from my grandfather, and I will take my mother abroad to travel in the future. Grandpa said that Hawaii, in the United States, has beautiful natural scenery and many islands. There is also Yellowstone Park, which is a magical paradise. There are also Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, which are both world-class universities that gather outstanding teachers and students from all over the world.”

“Okay, Mom will wait for you to take us abroad. Then you have to learn foreign languages well; otherwise, we won’t know how to ask for directions when we get lost abroad. And you have to be able to speak, recognize, and write when ordering food in a restaurant and reading road signs. If you want to go to college in the United States, you have to be proficient in foreign languages, not just half-baked. Otherwise, you won’t understand what the teacher is saying.”

“Well, I will try my best.”

After talking with her son, she found that he had become much more sensible during the summer vacation. He doesn’t cause any trouble when he goes out to play. He learned foreign languages with his grandfather every day and started writing words. He doesn’t need his sister to urge him to practice the piano. He practices on time every day.

The three children arranged their own time, while Li Xia was busy with factory affairs. Qin Mu was taking care of her father-in-law, who was ill, and she did not hear him coughing when she returned home in the afternoon.

As soon as the couple entered the backyard, they saw flowers blooming all over the windowsill. Purple, yellow, pink, and a pot of green. The flowers in full bloom were arranged in an orderly manner, and the water lilies in the large pot were also blooming. There was a kind of quiet beauty, and the colorful flowers were very beautiful.

Li Xia was attracted by the beautiful flowers and couldn’t help but slow down her pace. Shen Haiyang entered the room and lifted the door curtain; only then did he find that she had stopped in front of the rare green platycodon.

He lowered the door curtain and walked towards her. “Like this?”

Li Xia nodded and reached out to gently touch the flowers. “I was so busy every day that I didn’t pay attention to anything else except work. I almost missed such a beautiful flower blooming next to me.”

Shen Haiyang held her shoulders and asked her to sit down on the stone bench: “Then sit down today and take a good look at these flowers.”

Seeing him get up and walk out, she asked, “Where are you going?”

“Make a pot of tea and sit quietly for a while.”

The children went out to play, and the courtyard was quiet and warm in the afternoon. They had a few cups of light tea and sat leisurely to enjoy the flowers. The old man came out of the house happily and sat in the shade. He drank it in one gulp and thought it was too light.

“It would be so perfect to have a drink. Haiyang, go get a bottle of wine.”

“No.” Li Xia immediately stopped him. “You just recovered from a cold; you can’t drink.”

“Wine has the effect of softening blood vessels. Drinking a small amount is good for your health.”

“The doctor said you can’t drink.”

Li Xia didn’t know what kind of wine had what effect; she just remembered that the doctor said that they had better not drink. She was worried if they drank a little bit during the New Year and other festivals, so it was better not to drink on ordinary days.

She was afraid that Shen Haiyang would go get the wine, so she stood up anxiously, ready to stop him. The father and son looked at each other and laughed when they saw how nervous she was. It was a great happiness in life to be strictly controlled by a daughter-in-law.

“Okay, I won’t drink it. But, Xia, can you make me some chestnut cake? The one you make tastes great, and no one else can make it as good as you.”

“Okay, no problem. I’ll go get some chestnuts.”

“Don’t worry, you can do it when you are free.”

“I’m free now. I’ve already enjoyed the flowers and tasted tea, so it’s a good time to exercise.”

( These are the ancient Chinese chestnut cakes )

 

Qin Mu cooked dinner, and she bought chestnuts to make chestnut cakes. The two women chatted while cooking in the house, and in the backyard, the father and son set up the chessboard. They looked kind and calm on the surface, but the battle on the chessboard was fierce.

For supper, the old man ate the chestnut cake made by his daughter-in-law and looked at the flowers on the windowsill with a smile. Originally, they planned to install a boiler to heat the front and back yards this year. If everything goes well at the factory, it will be in time.

The factory, his retirement, and his son’s illness. He was most worried about his son. The factory had seen hope, and he could overcome the bumps. He was old and felt at ease returning to his hometown. But his son’s illness could not be further treated, and he would not be able to close his eyes when he died.

On Li Xia’s side, the high salary did not attract fresh graduates. Instead, during the period when the factory was busy installing machines and training employees, it attracted two middle-aged people. Middle-aged people have great pressure with elderly parents and young children to take care of, and Li Xia thought this was the reason for the job hopping.

“I was fired for having too many children.” The 36-year-old Fang Long was helpless when he spoke. He was not afraid of being laughed at. Anyway, this was the fact. His parents at home were urging him to have a grandchild. He would rather give up his job in exchange for his parents’ peace of mind. He really couldn’t stand it anymore.

“My son doesn’t speak and has intellectual disabilities. I want to earn more money to go abroad to see a doctor for him.”

The 37-year-old Xu Weidong was also forced to do so by life, for the same reason Li Xia guessed. Both of them were experienced mechanical technicians, and her R&D department took shape immediately.

These two were arranged to accompany the two foreign engineers, and they must make sure to smooth out the entire production process. As the weather was getting hotter, the production line was installed, the first batch of parts from abroad arrived, and the parts she ordered domestically also arrived, and the factory officially started production.

The factory has also completed its training and recruited workers. Under the leadership of the technicians, the factory has started production in full swing. The first TV set comes off the production line and is tested by the technicians.

At such a critical moment, this historic moment, the old man also came to the factory. Li Xia’s palms were wet with nervousness, and beads of sweat could be seen on her forehead.

The old man turned around and comforted her softly: “Don’t be nervous; the original factory technicians are here; there should be no problem. I discussed it with them at the beginning, and they also thought this plan was feasible.”

Most of the parts are from the original production line manufacturers, and only a few low-end ones are produced on the mainland. Although several technicians think there should be no problem, she can’t let go of her worries until the product is absolutely qualified.

As the power was turned on, the technician pressed the TV power button. The expected screen did not light up, and there was not even a sound. The inspection room was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. Everyone was staring at the TV that had just come off the production line, and Li Xia even wanted to go up and tap it because she did this in her previous life when her neighbor’s TV stopped working.

“what happened?”

“Let me see.”

The technician came forward to check the situation, and the old man bent over nervously and tiredly. Han Jun was very considerate and brought a chair to help the old man sit down. The technicians who didn’t understand the technology waited nervously for the technician’s conclusion.

The waiting time is always so slow; the time ticks by every second. From 4 p.m. until the lights were turned on in the house, several technicians dismantled the TV to pieces but still could not find what was wrong.

“What’s the situation?”

The technician she hired turned around and said, “I don’t know. I checked, and everything was fine, but why is it not working?”

The product situation was unclear, and Li Xia was extremely anxious. She got up and walked around the house twice and suddenly found that the old man looked bad, so she quickly sent him home. She gave him some medicine on the way, and she comforted him while driving.

“Everything is difficult at the beginning, so don’t worry too much. After all, this production line has been relocated, and some parts are made in China, so we have to give them some time to adjust.”

“I’m fine.” The old man sighed. “This body is really a burden. I’m old and don’t expect anything. I hope a treatment method can be developed quickly. Haiyang is still young.”

“Rest more and don’t worry. It’s okay. Leave the factory to me from now on.”

“Okay, I’m counting on you.”