2003: Starting with Foreign Trade

Chapter 39 The Birth of My Sister
Unable to resist Tan Jincheng's nagging, Tan Lihua made arrangements for Tan Licheng's hospitalization and delivery early the next morning.

After the formalities were completed and the apartment was moved in, Tan Jincheng was temporarily free of work, and Tan Lihua had already requested maternity leave from her workplace.

My maternal grandmother and paternal grandmother should be coming over in the next couple of days.

With nothing much to do for the time being, Tan Jincheng decided to enroll in a driving school. He didn't know how long he would be staying back this time, so he wanted to get his driver's license first.

If you can drive and spend a little money, getting a driver's license is easy these days.

We need Lao Tan's help with this. Lao Tan has been working in the petrochemical industry for years. Although he hasn't been promoted much, he still has some social connections.

Living in a small, third-tier city, if you're part of the system and have some social connections, you won't become extremely wealthy, but you can still live a relatively comfortable life.

Tan Lihua is the kind of person who doesn't strive for advancement and prefers a comfortable life.

Sometimes Tan Jincheng would think that if he hadn't been so reckless in his past life, and had instead gone to university honestly, and then listened to his parents' advice to go home and take the civil service exam or find a job in a public institution.

I wonder what I would be like living in another way?
"You want to get a driver's license? Are you kidding me? Are you out of your mind?!"

Tan Jincheng's idea surprised Tan Lihua. At most, you might lose some money in business, but this was no joke.

"Dad, I can drive, really, I just don't have time to learn to drive. Could you please help me get a driver's license as soon as possible?"

“We don’t have a car at home, so where did you learn to drive? I had no idea about this. Don’t tell me you said it at sea, I don’t believe it at all.”

"Don't worry about where I learned it. If you don't believe me, take me to the driving school and let the instructor judge me."

"Are you really sure you can do it?" Tan Lihua hesitated when his son spoke with such certainty.

"I really will; Dad, don't worry. If the coach says my level isn't good enough, I will definitely take the test honestly according to the procedure. I wouldn't risk my life like that."

I've been a driver for over 10 years. I wouldn't say my skills are perfect, but I'm definitely capable of normal driving. There's absolutely no need for me to retake the test.

"Alright, when your grandma and great-grandma come over tonight, I'll ask around for you tomorrow to take over my shift. But let me make this clear first, if the coach says it's not okay, then you have to take the test properly."

"Don't worry, if the instructor says it doesn't work out, I'll go back to Ningbo to take the test. The driving test in Ningbo is the second strictest in the country, so I guarantee I'll be fine."

"The second strictest in the country? Where did you get that claim?"

"Hey, who cares? When your sister gets a little older, you can go to Ningbo and have a look. The environment there is nice."

"We'll talk about it later. Go have fun; there's nothing for you here. I need to go back and take care of your mother. Don't cause any trouble here."

It would be a lie to say that Lao Tan wasn't nervous. After all, his wife was already 40 years old. However, his son was always hanging around, which was a bit annoying.

"Okay, I'm off then. Call me if you need anything," Tan Jincheng said with a smile.

My dad is still a bit too proud, but I can't really help him here. His words just now reminded me.

Grandma and Grandma-in-law are coming over so we can go home and tidy up the room.

The Tan family only owns this one house, a two-bedroom, one-living room apartment. When Tan Jincheng was young, his grandparents didn't find it too inconvenient to come over, but things changed after Tan Jincheng started high school.

When grandparents or maternal grandparents come to visit, the elderly often sleep on the floor to save money and don't want to stay in hotels.

"Should we buy a house in our hometown first? That way it will be more convenient to come back in the future."

In 2004, the average housing price in Yicheng was roughly the same as the average monthly salary, ranging from 1200 to 2000 yuan. A 90-square-meter apartment would cost between 11 and 20 yuan, while a similarly sized apartment in Beicang would cost between 22 and 27 yuan.

In terms of appreciation potential, Beicang is definitely stronger.

Considering all this, buying a house in one's hometown is indeed not a good deal when funds are tight.

"Never mind, let's talk about it later." After thinking it over, Tan Jincheng decided to give up.

If you're going to buy, you should definitely buy in Beicang first. Even without considering the potential for appreciation, you'll have to live in Beicang for longer.
-
November 26th, the 15th day of the tenth lunar month, around 4 a.m.

With a loud cry from the delivery room, Tan Jinyue was born.

My birth date is still today, but the time is two hours earlier. I remember my sister was born at around 6 a.m. in my previous life.

I don't know if it was because of the early delivery or something else, but it's good that I didn't have to suffer for two hours. It's just tough on the family members waiting outside the delivery room.

As the attending physician walked out of the delivery room, he said to Tan Lihua and her family, "Mother and daughter are safe."

Advanced maternal age is also a pressure for hospitals, and both the hospital and the attending physician are very happy that the mother can give birth safely.

Tan Lihua, who had been extremely nervous just moments before, breathed a sigh of relief.

"Mom, you two go and rest for a while. Xiao Tan and I can manage here."

"Yes, Grandma, Grandma, you should go and rest for a while. Don't overwork yourselves."

The two elderly people hadn't slept all night. They're so old, and it's almost late autumn now. It wouldn't be good if something happened to them.

Tan Jincheng booked two standard rooms at a hotel next to the hospital, where everyone took turns resting. At first, the two elderly people were unwilling, feeling that it was a waste of money.

I eventually accepted it.

After the two elderly people relaxed, they were also a little too tired to resist, so they did not refuse the suggestion, but decided to wait until Zhang Suzhi came out of the delivery room before making a decision.

These past few days, Tan Jincheng has been forced by Tan Lihua to practice driving. Unable to resist his son's persistent pleading, Tan Lihua eventually asked someone to find a driving school they knew.

Although the instructor said his son was a good driver, Tan Lihua still asked him to practice for a few more days.

After a while, Zhang Suzhi was wheeled out of the delivery room. She looked a little weak. It is really dangerous for an elderly mother.

Tan Jincheng didn't know how much harm his sudden disappearance had caused his parents to make such a decision.

The younger sister was also brought out, and Tan Lihua carefully held her in his arms for the whole family to see.

Newborns are all wrinkled when they are first born; to be honest, they are quite ugly.

However, the Tan family members are all quite good-looking, and Tan Jincheng himself is rather handsome. He also knows how good his sister will look in the future.

But honestly, at this moment, Tan Jincheng couldn't imagine that the wrinkled little person in front of him would become his beautiful younger sister.

"Hello, Tan Jinyue, it's nice to see you again."

(End of this chapter)