Go back to the prosperous days and become a layman

Chapter 940 939 Lingering Memories

Moving from a rented house usually takes up most of a day to set things up, let alone changing houses. Tang Zhitong felt that it was already very efficient to set things up in one day.

The large items in the Tang family's home have been placed in their places, while the small items are being organized by the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law. Tang Zhitong hung up the photo frame and then went to the bathroom to busy herself.

The wooden frame and hot water tank have been installed, but the piping needs to be redone.

Fortunately, the parts were readily available; all that was needed was to hammer a few nails into the wall to secure the pipes. If cast iron parts had been used, it would probably have taken a whole morning.

These days, without raw rubber tape, every screw hole has to be covered with waterproof hemp fiber.

Waterproof hemp fibers have the property of swelling when exposed to water, so they are currently being used for waterproofing joints.

The wrapping of waterproof hemp fibers requires considerable skill. If done incorrectly, leaks are inevitable. However, once properly wrapped, even if the water pipe is rusted through, there will be no leaks.

After installing the pipes, Tang Zhitong began filling the hot water tank little by little with a bucket. On the surface, he was not idle, but in fact, he would occasionally use a hook to cheat, since it would save effort.

He plans to take a shower tonight. He's been busy moving and sweated a lot, so a shower will refresh him and also test the waterproofness of the wooden tub. He just doesn't know if his friend Xiao Wang will cooperate...

After lunch, Tang Zhitong wrote a letter to Meng Qingfeng and sealed the key in the envelope, intending to mail it later.

"It feels a bit cooler here than the previous house." After working hard for most of the day, Xiao Wang was a little tired and was resting on the bed, fanning himself intermittently with a palm-leaf fan.

“The roofs here are thicker, so the sun can’t penetrate them. The roofs on the older houses are thinner. This is just right, so the summer won’t be so unbearable.” Tang Zhitong sat on the edge of the bed, took Xiao Wang’s hand, and gently suggested, “You must have been working hard today and sweating a lot. Why don’t you take a shower tonight?”

"Pah, don't get any bad ideas." Xiao Wang read a different meaning in her husband's eyes, gave him a light push, and explained why she couldn't do as he wished: "Didn't you plan to have Jingying and Jingmin come today? Too many people, it's not appropriate."

"Alright, let's wait a few more days then." Tang Zhitong sighed. Jingmin was quick to speak, and his sister-in-law was sharp-eyed. Last time, they caught her "blowing" on Xiao Wang's eyes. If they heard anything again this time, she would lose all face as his sister and brother-in-law.

After a short rest, Tang Zhitong left right on time, first dropping the letter into the mailbox at the entrance of the alley, and then going to Chunshu Alley.

It was both to bring Jingmin and Fengzhi over and to introduce Xiao Gu to the place.

Although Xiao Gu is still Xiao Gu, we can't treat him like a mere formality. I need to bring him here personally to show my sincerity, rather than letting him come and ask around tomorrow.

The two studious elementary school students not only brought their textbooks from home, but also brought their "culture dish" of Chlorella.

Tang Zhitong introduced his mother to Xiao Gu, and then went down into the cellar to bring out some refrigerated peaches and apricots as a treat.

We can't serve Huaiyang cuisine for the time being, but we can still supply some fruit.

Seeing that there was still a lot to be done at the Tang family's place, Xiao Gu ate two apricots and didn't stay long. Before leaving, Tang Zhitong insisted on giving him two washed peaches.

With one in each pocket of his pants, he looked incredibly cute. If this were captured on camera, it would definitely be a piece of historical footage years from now.

With the arrival of the two little ones, things finally started to get lively in the house.

After watching Teacher Gu leave, the two little ones immediately returned to the west wing to declare their ownership: "Brother-in-law promised to buy me a desk, this desk is mine!"

"My brother agreed! I want this one!" Fengzhi naturally wouldn't give up and took the other one.

"But what will our sister use when she comes?" After returning, Jingmin walked around the west wing. There were many beds in the north room, which were obviously where the sisters and Fengzhi lived. He lived alone in the south room, and the middle room had a desk for studying.

"..." Jingmin's question made Fengzhi lose confidence. Competing with her sister? That didn't seem likely. Then she could only...

"Don't even think about touching this desk, it's mine!" Jingmin saw Fengzhi staring at the desk under his arm, so he immediately leaned down, afraid that Fengzhi would pull him down, since he was small and weak and not as strong as Fengzhi.

"At worst, I'll give you half of my portion of algae!" Seeing Fengzhi's sullen expression, Jingmin gritted his teeth and offered her a reward.

Fengzhi was preoccupied with Xiaoqiuzao and had no awareness that she would have to change schools after moving houses.

Because there was no Chlorella, Fengzhi was afraid she wouldn't be able to complete the task assigned by her teacher, and she had begged Jingmin several times in the past two days.

However, as the group leader, Jingmin always believed that he should prioritize feeding the group members with the cyclone he produced, and only the rest could be distributed to his teammates.

"You little rascal, you're so young and you already know how to switch things?" Tang Zhitong heard the two little ones arguing and came in to rub their heads.

"Stop arguing. There are two desks, enough for all four of you. You can each have one desk when you're studying at home in the morning." Tang Zhitong couldn't let the two of them develop a rift, so she had to step in and mediate.

"What about this afternoon?" Jingmin, who had a desk in name only for the first time, was unwilling to give it up so easily.

"Afternoon? You two go sell popsicles at the alley entrance this afternoon. Let Jingying and Fengzhen use the desk." Tang Zhitong smiled. Fengzhen and Jingying will also have a holiday tomorrow. They will go to the music academy to learn piano in the morning, and Xiao Gu will tutor them a little in the afternoon. The times will be staggered.

"Okay!" Upon hearing that they were selling popsicles, Jingmin stopped arguing. The desk was nice, but the popsicles were even better... Let's eat!
Since you're selling popsicles, it's reasonable for you to taste a couple to check out the quality, right?

"Fengzhi, is this alright?" Seeing that Jingmin had agreed, Tang Zhitong looked at his younger sister.

"Hmm. Brother, who gets the money from selling the popsicles?" Fengzhi nodded. She wasn't thinking about eating the popsicles, but she liked collecting the money.

“Hey, you’re thinking pretty far ahead. After deducting the cost of buying popsicles, we can split the profits in half. You can’t expect me to go to the wholesale market for nothing, right?” Fengzhi’s question caught Tang Zhitong off guard, but after all, she was an open-minded person. It wasn’t a bad thing to use this opportunity to let her younger siblings experience life while learning about financial management.

"Okay!" Fengzhi's enthusiasm immediately rose when she heard that there was money to be made.

"It's settled then. No arguing, and no scribbling on the table. Otherwise, you'll lose your allowance." Tang Zhitong rubbed the two little ones' heads and set the rules for them.

Currently, child labor is not allowed in various industries, but if you change the name, no one will care.

It's perfectly reasonable for a family to have their own children making matchboxes and envelopes at home, and for them to run their own stall.

Even schools have similar arrangements.

The school's labor classes are still in session, with about two classes per week.

Each school will arrange labor classes according to its own conditions, which generally involves students doing a collective cleaning.

Some schools will contact businesses in the neighborhood to allow students to participate in social practice. For example, a class might combine two weeks or a month of labor classes and have its students serve customers at a restaurant.

I can't do heavy physical labor, but I can still serve food, clear tables, wash dishes, and do other tasks.

Not only did they not receive wages, but they were also graded based on their performance, making it quite a miserable experience. However, Tang Zhitong still believed that the benefits of labor classes outweighed the drawbacks, and that appropriate contact with society and life experiences were very necessary, which was also his original intention in having his younger siblings sell ice cream.

After Jingying and Fengzhen returned, Jingmin and Fengzhi were each taught by their respective older sisters. With the bloodline difference in place, no one dared to cause trouble, and they got along well. Zhang Guifang's smile never faded.

After dinner, while eating the ripe apricots that Tang Zhitong had taken from the cellar with the four children, Xiao Wang assigned them their summer vacation tasks: "Read ten thousand books and travel ten thousand miles. I will borrow some books from my workplace tomorrow. You must read them tonight and not slack off."

“Okay! Sister-in-law, can I read while selling ice cream? They say sharpening your axe won’t delay your work, and it even saves electricity!” Fengzhi was very affectionate towards Xiao Wang, and behaved especially well in front of her.

"Sure, just don't get the book dirty." Little Wang smiled and gently patted his sister-in-law's head.

Jingmin watched from the side, feeling a little jealous. He snorted and turned his head away. That was his own sister, yet she had never treated him like this. He was so angry and really wanted to say something to her, but he had made a promise to his brother-in-law that he couldn't upset his sister.

After thinking it over and over, all I can do is sulk.

"I'll take you fishing on Sunday." Tang Zhitong flicked his brother-in-law's forehead when he saw that he was unhappy. His voice was deep and dull, showing that he was also a greenhorn.

"Really?!" Jingmin was immediately overjoyed upon hearing this.

"Really, after you finish eating, wash up and go to sleep. Tomorrow is the first day of selling ice cream, and we need to have a great start. We can't have a bunch of unsold ice cream." Tang Zhitong patted his brother-in-law's head, very kindly.

After school, Jingying and Fengzhen went back to Chunshu Hutong and brought the siblings' toiletries and changes of clothes. Tang Zhitong only needed to prepare two more towels.

Girls are more careful and use a basin to wash their feet, while Jingmin is not so particular. He just rinses his feet under the tap a couple of times while wearing sandals and considers that washing his feet.

The sheets and blankets were already prepared; Zhang Guifang had already made them for the children. Although the west wing was a bit simple, it was no longer a problem for them to move in and study.

After the younger children had fallen asleep, Tang Zhitong went to the bathroom to run a bath for Xiao Wang.

If the water temperature isn't high enough, hot spring water will do the trick.

I thought I could take advantage of the situation since the younger one was asleep, but Xiao Wang still managed to push him out.

After a busy day, Tang Zhitong was a bit tired. He didn't mention the matter of rewriting the lyrics for "The Painter". Instead, he took a bath for a while after Xiao Wang finished showering. When he finished and turned on the bathwater, he paid special attention to the operation of the drain. In short: perfect!

The only downside is that the cats in the Forbidden City are a bit noisy, meowing loudly in the middle of the night. Tang Zhitong thinks he should become a great philanthropist and help them cut off their offspring and solve their cat problems.

On July 14, after breakfast, Tang Zhitong took the envelope Ye Zhijuan had given him a while ago and led Jingying and Fengzhen straight to the music academy.

Jingying and Fengzhen's teacher is still Professor Sun. The three of them don't need much introduction, so let's get straight to the teaching session.

The envelope was addressed to Liu Songde, who is Professor Sun's wife.

Tang Zhitong had heard Ye Zhijuan introduce Liu Songde before. He used to be a teacher on the front line of education, but later switched to administration. Although his position changed, his theoretical knowledge was very solid, and he was more than capable of teaching her.

Liu Songde had met Tang Zhitong twice before, so they weren't exactly strangers. He took the envelope, opened it, and glanced inside. There was no letter, only a stack of money.

"Director Ye has been telling me for a while now. I thought you'd be here in a few days, but I didn't expect you to be so patient." Liu Songde closed the envelope but didn't put it away. Instead, he chatted with Tang Zhitong about everyday things.

"I've been busy with school, work, and family matters lately, which has kept me tied up and prevented me from coming over," Tang Zhitong replied with an apologetic smile.

"Come on, this piano is a bit noisy, let's go to the office." Liu Songde smiled, picked up his lesson plan, casually tucked the envelope inside, grabbed a thermos from home, and headed out.

"Director Liu, I'll take the thermos." Since he was a guest, Tang Zhitong naturally had no objection. He got up, took the thermos, and followed Liu Songde out the door and downstairs.

Upon reaching the bottom of the stairs, Liu Songde slowed his pace.

It was summer vacation, and there weren't many people on campus. Liu Songde chatted with Tang Zhitong as they walked, mainly showing concern for Tang Zhitong's life at the University of Posts and Telecommunications.

The two walked and chatted as they went, until they entered the office building.

Most of the offices in the office building were closed, and the sound of footsteps was particularly loud in the empty corridors.

Liu Songde took out his key, opened the office door, and went in first: "Come in and sit down. I haven't been here for several days. Let me open the window to let some air in."

Tang Zhitong casually agreed, silently put down the thermos, but did not sit down immediately. Instead, he looked around the office environment.

It has to be said that artists have style; the walls are covered with masterpieces by famous calligraphers.

"Come on, have some tea." Liu Songde took out two covered porcelain cups from the cupboard, put a pinch of tea in each, and was about to pick up the thermos to brew some.

"Director Liu, please sit down, I'll do it." Tang Zhitong was closer to the thermos, so he bent down and picked it up, and started brewing the tea first.

"Sit down and have some tea." Liu Songde didn't stop her, but he also took the initiative to pick up a cup and place it in front of Tang Zhitong.

"Thank you, Director Liu." Tang Zhitong was somewhat puzzled by Liu Songde's courteous treatment. He was just a temporary student who had paid to study, and as the director of the university, Liu Songde really didn't need to treat him like this.

"I heard from Director Ye that you've already written songs for the China National Radio and the Military Band. I've listened to the radio broadcasts and seen the sheet music for 'Athletes' March.' It's very well written! It enriches the spiritual life of people across the country and is a model for us music professionals." Liu Songde sat down first and then proceeded to praise Tang Zhitong.

"Director Liu, you flatter me. I know I still have a long way to go, which is why I've come here to humbly seek your guidance." Tang Zhitong didn't get carried away by Liu Songde's praise; instead, he became more vigilant. The two were not subordinate to each other, so this reason was rather far-fetched.

“There is no order of precedence in learning; those who are accomplished are teachers. Your work is very popular, surpassing mine in this respect. I must learn from you.” Liu Songde’s attitude was not arrogant, but his words were full of admiration for Tang Zhitong.

"A teacher should be virtuous and learned. I've only achieved a little success by accident, and I'm still far from perfect." Tang Zhitong heard Liu Songde's increasingly exaggerated praise and alarm bells went off in his mind.

There's a saying, "To take something in advance, you must first give something in return." Liu Songde is not related to me, and he holds a high position, so there's really no need for him to try to get close to me like this.

“Let’s learn from each other and discuss things together. How well do you understand music theory now?” Next, Liu Songde stopped praising Tang Zhitong and began to understand his musical background, starting targeted tutoring.

Liu Songde treated Tang Zhitong this way partly because Tang had written popular songs, and partly because Tang had given him advice during the winter break.

That idea worked well; it not only curbed the unhealthy trends in the academy, but also left the parties involved with no objections, and solidified my position.

Liu Songde observed Tang Zhitong's reactions but didn't rush to reveal the truth. After all, Tang was there to learn, and if they became too polite, the class would be ruined. He planned to finish today's lesson first.

(End of this chapter)