Chapter 341: Chapter 341: Freeloading a Meal
"Ah, Youzi, you’re being too formal," President Yang said, rubbing his shiny forehead. "We’re friends. Friends don’t need to stand on ceremony. Besides, for your mother to have raised someone as outstanding as you, she must be quite exceptional herself."
"What’s wrong with being a beginner? Beginners are actually more receptive to learning."
President Yang’s words fired everyone up, but Tan You remained unfazed. She’d heard these kinds of pep talks far too many times. ’Come to think of it,’ she mused, ’is this a required skill for every boss?’
’It’s just that I’m not one to get spittle flying everywhere like President Yang,’ Tan You thought. She recalled that when she used to be a leader, she had always been quite composed. ’But my subordinates were especially good at hyping themselves up.’
Thinking of the subordinates she had once worked with, Tan You couldn’t help but feel a pang of nostalgia. ’The more missions you go on, the more people come and go in your life. No one is a permanent fixture in another’s life.’
"Hasn’t Master Ding gone home yet?" Tan You asked casually, noticing the light was still on as she passed the office.
President Yang replied, "Ding Lan is studying the clothes you brought in today. She keeps saying the pattern is exceptionally good. She said that judging by the cut and design alone, it looks like the work of a master pattern maker."
Tan You deflected with a laugh. "It’s just something I cobbled together."
President Yang didn’t press the issue. "Let’s eat first. Youzi, I’m planning to have the factory rush a batch of samples. Then I’ll take some people out to drum up sales."
Tan You pretended not to understand the probing tone in his words. She just smiled and said, "That sounds great. With you leading the charge personally, President Yang, it’s bound to be a triumphant success."
President Yang sighed. ’This girl has clearly seen through me, but she’s not saying a word. She’s completely impenetrable.’ He was now genuinely curious about Cheng Wenhui. ’What kind of mother could possibly raise a daughter like this?’
If Tan You knew what President Yang was thinking, she probably would have laughed. ’Truthfully, while Cheng Wenhui was part of the reason I grew into who I am today, it had much more to do with the broadening of my horizons.’
Perhaps it was because her horizons had broadened that Tan You could now look back on the past and better put herself in Cheng Wenhui’s shoes. Her mother had also once been a naive little girl, the apple of her parents’ eye.
But because she married an incapable man, her life was now so difficult. So, there was definitely some truth to the old adages, like the one that says a woman’s greatest fear is marrying the wrong man.
Tan Yue was a very quiet little girl who didn’t talk much. While Tan You and President Yang spoke, she just hugged her bowl and focused on eating. Occasionally, her large eyes would peek over the rim of her bowl, sizing up the others at the table. Of course, her gaze lingered most on Ding Lan.
Her sister had told her this woman would be their mother’s teacher. ’So, what should I call her?’ A big question popped into Tan Yue’s little head.
After grabbing a meal at the clothing factory, Tan You, Tan Yue, and Tan Deming finally headed home. Wang Hunv was still waiting up in the living room, and the moment she saw them, she started bustling about to heat water for Tan You’s bath.
Tan You stopped her. "I can do that myself. You should go get some rest."
Wang Hunv replied, "Alright. What did you two get up to today?"
Tan You answered nonchalantly, "I found Mom a job. She’ll be working at the factory now."
When Wang Hunv fell silent, Tan You glanced at her, knowing what her grandmother was worried about. "They won’t be living here for long. I plan to buy them a house in town. They’ll live there, and the three of us will live here together."
Wang Hunv’s face immediately lit up. "Really? We’ll still live together?"
"Yes, really. Tan Yue needs to start elementary school, and getting her there and back every day would be a problem. It’s more convenient for them to live in town, and it’s closer to the factory." Tan You took the water ladle from Wang Hunv’s hand. "I promised I would take care of you and Grandpa. I don’t go back on my word."
For once, Wang Hunv looked a little bashful, though she still felt the need to make a token protest. "But they’re your parents..."
Tan You shook her head with a laugh, then smiled at Tan Yue. "Why don’t you walk Grandma to her room? I’ll give you your bath in a bit."
Wang Hunv waved her off. "No need. It’s just a few steps. Why would I need someone to walk me?"
She took a few steps, then turned back to ask Tan You, "But we don’t have enough money to buy a house."
Tan You just raised an eyebrow. "We’ll have the money soon. Don’t you worry. Am I the type to bite off more than I can chew?"
Wang Hunv fell silent. Just the thought of not having to live with her son and daughter-in-law put her in an excellent mood. ’I know I’m not the most tolerant person,’ she admitted to herself, ’and my daughter-in-law is strong-willed, too. It’s best if we don’t live under the same roof.’
Knowing that Cheng Wenhui and Tan Lin would be rushing back that night, Tan You didn’t go to sleep after Tan Yue was tucked in. Instead, she waited in her room. She didn’t sit idle. In front of her lay the math competition book she was only a third of the way through.
Flanking it on either side were two other books she had hunted down at the bookstore: one on competitive problem-solving strategies and another filled with practice exercises, though they were, of course, much less difficult than the main book she was studying.
In the dead of night, working quietly on the problems, Tan You felt her entire being settle, allowing her mind to sink into a state of deep concentration.
The sound of a motorcycle engine dying outside finally pulled Tan You from her flow state. She glanced at the scratch paper in front of her and set down her pen. ’My inspiration’s not bad tonight.’
A glance at the clock told her it was already one in the morning. Tan You pushed the door open and went out to see Cheng Wenhui and Tan Lin walking in, each carrying a large bag.
Cheng Wenhui was startled to see Tan You. "You’re still up?"
Tan You nodded. "Mhm. I made you guys a late-night snack. Eat before you go to bed. Dad can unpack tomorrow. There’s hot water in the pot, so you can go wash up."
Cheng Wenhui shot her a look. "We can manage on our own. You go to sleep."
Tan You had no desire to play mother hen; she just said what needed to be said and went to sleep with Tan Yue in the small partitioned-off space. The house only had two bedrooms. One belonged to the elderly couple, Tan Deming and Wang Hunv, and the other was naturally for Cheng Wenhui and Tan Lin, with a sofa bed over by the window.
In the past, whenever Cheng Wenhui and Tan Lin came back for the holidays, Tan You and Tan Yue would share a small bed. But Tan You no longer liked sharing a room, so she had set up her own bed in the small alcove.
After Tan Yue returned, she had insisted on sleeping with Tan You, and was now clinging to her like a little octopus.
Cheng Wenhui had worked in a factory when she was younger—a woolen sweater factory. She never imagined that after so many years, she would be heading back into factory work. That night, she was buzzing with excitement.
Perhaps because she had something on her mind, Cheng Wenhui woke at the first sound of movement the next morning. What she didn’t expect was to see that Tan You was already up. ’It’s only five, isn’t it?’
When Cheng Wenhui came out, Tan You didn’t stop jumping rope. Her mother watched her for a few moments before washing up and heading to the kitchen to prepare breakfast. But when she opened the refrigerator, she froze.
