Chapter 4 Familiar Connections
1332 Words
As Chen Jiahua neared home, someone stepped out to block his way.
Removing his sunglasses, Chen Jiahua recognized the familiar face—it was his third uncle.
“Ah Hua,” his uncle began with a grin, “you’re old enough to bring a girlfriend home, aren’t you?”
Chen Jiahua’s face immediately twisted into a bitter smile. “Third Uncle, look at me. Do I look like someone a girl would be interested in? If you’ve got someone in mind, why don’t you introduce her to me?”
His uncle shook his head and chuckled. “Your dad’s been nagging nonstop. You know, our Chen family has always been blessed with romantic charisma. Take your cousin Jianian, for example. Ever since he got into Jiajing University, that girl who used to ignore him is now visiting him all the time.”
Ah, so that’s what this is about. Chen Jiahua smirked inwardly, beginning to understand why his father had been so determined to force him back to school.
It was all because of his third uncle, flaunting his son’s success in front of everyone. Thinking of how his father had to endure his brother’s smugness, Chen Jiahua couldn’t help but let out a wry laugh.
“Yeah, Third Uncle, Jianian’s a smart kid. Don’t worry, maybe he’ll bring someone home by the New Year,” Chen Jiahua said, raising the stakes for his cousin with a bit of teasing.
“Speaking of school,” his uncle suddenly asked, “I heard you’re going back to study?”
Chen Jiahua froze for a moment. Seriously, Dad? It’s not even a done deal yet!
He forced a casual laugh. “Third Uncle, did my dad tell you that? Don’t believe it! Really, don’t. I was just messing with him.”
I knew it! Second Brother was just bragging after a few drinks. His uncle burst into silent laughter but kept a straight face as he scolded, “You rascal, how can you joke about something like that?”
“Actually,” Chen Jiahua replied seriously, “what my dad said isn’t entirely false. I am planning to go back to school—but for adult education. You know, brushing up on some skills.”
“That’s the spirit, Ah Hua! As long as you’re willing to learn, it doesn’t matter where or when. It’s never too late,” his uncle said, smiling as he left.
However, their chat wasn’t entirely fruitless. Chen Jiahua learned an interesting piece of news: his cousin—his aunt’s daughter—was getting engaged in a week. According to local customs, all cousins on both sides of the family were expected to visit the groom’s house and would likely receive red envelopes.
Chen Jiahua was thrilled. Who would pass up the chance to pocket some red envelopes?
Later, as Chen Jiahua sat on the couch at home, his father slammed his palm on the table, glaring at him.
“What are you laughing about? This war drama’s intense!”
Chen Jiahua, startled by his father’s sudden outburst, quickly pointed at the TV. “It’s nothing, Dad. Just watching Shunliu almost take out the commander.”
His father shook his head, unconvinced, then asked, “I heard you talking outside earlier. Was it your Third Uncle?”
“Your hearing’s sharp, old man. Yeah, I ran into him just as I was getting home.” Chen Jiahua smirked, then added, “You should’ve seen him, Dad. If his nostrils were any bigger, they’d look like two wells pointing to the sky.”
His father chuckled disdainfully. “Your Third Uncle’s always been full of himself. Back in the day, I was the one who taught him how to work, brought him to the city, helped him settle down, even found him a wife. Then he failed his first business venture and I had to bail him out. Now that he’s finally made something of himself, he thinks he’s untouchable.”
“But do you really think your cousin got into Jiajing University on merit?”
“What do you mean?” Chen Jiahua asked, suddenly intrigued.
“It’s one of those joint international programs. Tuition alone is over 100,000 yuan a year.”
Hearing this, Chen Jiahua couldn’t suppress his grin. If that’s the case, maybe I don’t need to go back to school after all.
He was about to suggest some alternatives when his father cut him off.
“Can you believe this? He has the money to pay for his son’s six-figure tuition, but when I asked him to lend me a few thousand yuan, he said he didn’t have it! That’s the same brother I used to look out for!”
His father let out a long sigh as he reclined on the family’s well-worn sofa, the protective cotton cover carefully maintained over the years.
“Dad, are we really so short on cash that you need to borrow from him?” Chen Jiahua asked, turning down the TV volume with the remote.
“It’s not for me,” his father replied. “It’s for you and your sister. If you’re both going back to school, your sister will need extra living expenses. She’s moving far from home, and I don’t want her to feel looked down upon when she gets there.”
Chen Jiahua sighed. “Dad, it’s not necessary. The government offers interest-free student loans that don’t need to be paid back until after graduation.”
“What?” His father’s temper flared. “Why didn’t you say anything when you went to college?”
Back then, to scrape together Chen Jiahua’s tuition, his father had swallowed his pride and borrowed from both his elder and younger brothers. They had only agreed to lend the money because of Jiahua’s promising future at Jiajing University.
“I didn’t know about it back then,” Chen Jiahua explained. “The program only started during my second year. I’ll take my sister to the bank in a few days to apply for it. You can come along if you want.”
“What about you?”
“Why would I need it?”
“Listen, Ah Hua,” his father said sternly, setting his enamel cup down with a loud clink. “I’ve already told all our relatives that you’re going back to Jiajing University. If you back out now, you figure out how to explain it to them.”
With that, his father stormed off to his room, leaving Chen Jiahua with a pounding headache.
Later that night, Chen Jiahua rummaged through his old bedside drawers and found his previous phone—a sturdy Nokia with its signature greenish glow. He quickly scrolled through the contacts and dialed a number using his newer flip phone.
“Hello?”
“Hello? Who’s calling?” The voice on the other end was frail but carried a hint of surprise.
“Mrs. Li? It’s me, Chen Jiahua.”
“Chen Jiahua?” The old woman paused for a moment. “Ah, my memory isn’t what it used to be. Why are you calling? Did something happen?”
“Not at all, Mrs. Li. I just wanted to check in on you. How’s your recovery?”
“Ah, Ah Hua, how kind of you to ask. If you want to visit, I’m still living at the same place. You’re welcome anytime.”
“Uh…” Chen Jiahua froze for a second. He hadn’t planned on visiting, but with the way she put it, he couldn’t refuse.
“Alright, then. I’ll come by this weekend and bring you some local treats,” he replied.
After hanging up, he stared blankly at his phone. That… went way too smoothly.
He had prepared a long list of excuses to lead the conversation toward visiting her, only to find all his effort was unnecessary.
Just as he finished with that, a text message arrived on his phone, prompting him to head back out again.
- Writer
