2003: Starting with Foreign Trade

Chapter 13 The Class Reunion on National Day (Please continue reading)

The seven-day National Day holiday has passed in the blink of an eye.

During this time, Tan Jincheng and Zhang Xupeng had already discussed it. Staying at home like this was not a solution. If they did nothing for too long, their parents would definitely complain.

In addition to these, the two also attended a class reunion organized by the class monitor.

These two good brothers usually don't cause much trouble in class and are quite popular. After the class monitor learned that they had returned, he kept contacting them to attend the reunion.

Since they had nothing to do during the holiday, the two went as agreed; the atmosphere of the class reunion was quite good, and their classmates were also curious about their experience at sea.

Tan Jincheng dared not talk nonsense like he did in front of his younger siblings. Among his classmates, there were many who had not continued their studies and had already started working.

It would be bad if they were really affected and had to go out to sea, as life at sea is very tough; as for wages, the two of them were also being modest.

In fact, their classmates thought their experience was somewhat legendary; they said they were going on vacation during the summer vacation, but before they even received their acceptance letters, they went to work at sea.

After disappearing for more than a year, the two returned; for a group of young people under 20, no matter how tough the sea was, such an experience was something to brag about.

The class reunion was held at a restaurant near the high school, and most of the attendees were classmates from similar economic backgrounds.

Aside from some curiosity about their new lives after graduation, no one was trying to outdo each other, and this was the kind of atmosphere that Tan Jincheng liked.

Speaking from the perspective of someone who has been through it all, Tan Jincheng believes that young people should be more pure and live more authentically.

Unfortunately, it will be difficult for young people 20 years from now to do this, not because they don't want to, but because the pressures of life prevent them from doing so.

To some extent, the lives of those born in the 1980s and 2000s are happier than those born in the 1990s and 2000s, like Tan Jincheng's generation.

In the process of a thriving society, there are many opportunities; academic qualifications are important, but not that important.

In his previous life, Tan Jincheng graduated from high school and, apart from a chance encounter that broadened his horizons by going to sea, he didn't have many other opportunities.

In this way, they also benefited from the dividends of social development, such as starting a business by chance or buying a house.

Reborn and attending a class reunion, a group of energetic young people share their new lives and discuss their views on the future.

It's very pleasant, and I hope this purity can last for a few more years.

"Tan Jincheng, I heard you're not planning to study anymore?"

Just as Tan Jincheng was listening to his classmates bragging, a pleasant voice rang in his ears. He didn't know when, but Zhang Xupeng, who was sitting next to Tan Jincheng, had been replaced by Chen Shuyi, his high school deskmate.

“Yes, I’m not going to study anymore; even if I retake the exam, I might not pass, so I might as well give up,” Tan Jincheng said with a smile.

With her ponytail, round face, and petite figure, Chen Shuyi looked incredibly cute; her big eyes looked at Tan Jincheng with a regretful expression.

After all, in her opinion, Tan Jincheng's grades were quite good, and it was a real pity that he didn't go to university.

Don't get me wrong, the two don't have any special relationship; if Tan Jincheng were to be polite, he would have to call Chen Shuyi "aunt".

Tan Jincheng's unmarried aunt is Chen Shuyi's cousin; from the perspective of his uncle, Tan Jincheng is her junior.

My uncle and aunt met through a blind date arranged by my mother, but I never expected that they would have this connection with my classmate.

Tan Jincheng only found out about this in his second year of high school, and Chen Shuyi found out around the same time; because of this, Tan Jincheng was often teased by Chen Shuyi.

Without realizing it, the girl seemed to have truly taken on the role of an elder.

Over the course of two years, this girl frequently used her senior status to urge Tan Jincheng to study hard, leaving him both amused and exasperated. In his previous life, she had married a classmate; oh, the class monitor who organized this gathering. He didn't know when their relationship developed, but Tan Jincheng was certain it wasn't during high school.

In his previous life, when Tan Jincheng returned to Yicheng, if he encountered this girl, she would still unconsciously assume the role of an elder and urge Tan Jincheng to date and get married as soon as possible.

It's funny, but also very heartwarming.

"Why don't you try harder? Your grades weren't bad to begin with. If you get a tutor, you should be able to get into university." Chen Shuyi pressed on.

"Xiao Tan, do you want to reconsider? Your aunt suggested you repeat a year. If that doesn't work, I can ask my brother to tutor you. He's studying at Yicheng Normal School."

The two didn't lower their voices during their conversation, and some classmates nearby immediately started to tease them.

"Go play somewhere else," Tan Jincheng said with a laugh.

Then, Tan Jincheng looked at Chen Shuyi and said, "No, I've already talked to my parents and Xu Peng. We'll go to Zhejiang Province in a few days to see if we can do some business."

"But there's no rush to do business. You're not even 20 yet. Besides, wouldn't it be better to study more before starting a business?"

Many people from Yicheng went out to work and do business; they were Huizhou merchants; the creator of Babi Mantou, which later ranked among the top three delicacies in Hangzhou, was a native of Yicheng.

Although they were young, they didn't find it strange that they were doing business.

"Let's go and see first. If things don't go well, we can always come back to school. It won't make a difference of a few days."

Tan Jincheng was a little annoyed. This girl was too enthusiastic, so he had no choice but to just deal with her like this for now.

"Alright, if you find doing business difficult, be sure to come back and retake the exam as soon as possible. Don't waste time, after all, it's already October."

"Okay, okay, I understand, Auntie," Tan Jincheng teased.

The word "aunt" startled Chen Shuyi, and it took her a while to react: "What are you calling me? You've become so glib after being away for a year."

Although she sometimes liked to tease her deskmate, she was still a little embarrassed when she actually heard the term "aunt," something Tan Jincheng would never have called her before.

"Hahaha, what the hell! Tan Jincheng actually called Chen Shuyi 'Auntie,' something he didn't say even once during their two years of high school!"

"Tan Jincheng, how about I become your uncle-in-law?"

"roll!"

"roll!"

Tan Jincheng and Chen Shuyi said in unison; after speaking, they couldn't help but smile at each other.

However, we have to thank this kid; the atmosphere between the two of them finally eased up, and Chen Shuyi stopped asking about repeating a grade.

After several rounds of drinks and several dishes, it was time to part ways. There was no sadness, for the next gathering would surely be in the near future.

The class monitor was in charge of paying the bill. Everyone had already split the bill beforehand, with any difference refunded and any difference collected. There was no special treatment, and no pretentious face-slapping scenes like in online novels.

Everything is so harmonious.

Tan Jincheng and Zhang Xupeng waved to their classmates and walked arm in arm toward their residential compound.

Next, the two of them prepared to head to Ningbo.

(End of this chapter)