I'm back in 1990

Chapter 49: Departure

At 4:30 a.m. on August 23, Zeng Lijuan got up. After making breakfast, she asked Lao Huang to wake Huang Xiaochuan up.

"Old Huang, I've made breakfast. Wake Xiao Chuan up to wash his face and brush his teeth. After breakfast, we'll go to the station."

Before Lao Huang could even knock on the door and come in, Huang Xiaochuan had already gotten dressed and come out.

"Dad, Mom!"

Old Huang asked in surprise, "You're already up?"

"I woke up when my mom got up, so I got up too and tidied up my things in my room."

"That's perfect. Hurry up and eat breakfast. After you're done, your mom and I will take you to the station, along with Old Yu's family. We'll all go together."

While Huang Xiaochuan was having breakfast, Zeng Lijuan went back to her room, took out an envelope, and handed it to Huang Xiaochuan.

"Your tuition and living expenses are all inside. Keep them close to your body and don't lose them."

Huang Xiaochuan took the envelope, patted it, and said, "Mom, don't worry, it won't get lost."

Zeng Lijuan glared at Huang Xiaochuan with dissatisfaction: "I don't trust you with your careless attitude. There's a lot of money in there! Tuition is 150, accommodation is 200, and your monthly living expenses are 150. What will you do if you lose it?"

To be honest, the university tuition fees at that time were only symbolic. After a few years, when universities expanded their enrollment, the tuition fees skyrocketed, which was a real burden for students from average-income families.

A monthly allowance of 150 yuan is a considerable sum, especially considering that the average monthly wage for an ordinary worker is only a little over 100 yuan.

Although Zeng Lijuan, the elderly mother, was usually frugal, she still gave her son a generous amount of money when he was about to live alone away from home, even though her own salary was less than 200 yuan a month.

They were afraid that their son was not doing well outside. It was like this in their past life. The old couple had spent the most energy and money on Huang Xiaochuan.

Fortunately, there were no financial burdens at home. The eldest and second eldest children were both paid employees, and even their underwear and socks were provided by the government, so they didn't spend much money at all.

The couple's salaries were more than enough to support Huang Xiaochuan. However, they were unaware that their youngest son's net worth had already exceeded 300,000 yuan, because the price of the batch of 80 monkeys that Huang Xiaochuan bought had increased by a full 50%.

To reassure his elderly mother, Huang Xiaochuan put the envelope into his bag and said, "Mom, I always keep this bag in front of me, so I guarantee it won't get lost. Don't worry!"

Zeng Lijuan looked at it carefully several times and felt that it was indeed safe, which put her mind at ease.

Next came the grain and oil certificates, household registration transfer procedures, admission notices, and other documents, all packed in an envelope. This time, Huang Xiaochuan didn't dare to be careless and solemnly put these important documents into his bag.

Luckily, the bag was big enough. Besides the mobile phone, charger, and spare battery, there was nearly 20,000 yuan in it. Putting in two more envelopes wouldn't be a problem at all.

It was already five o'clock when the whole family finished breakfast, and it was almost time to leave, since it would take nearly ten minutes to walk to the station.

Besides, with so much luggage today, it's better to leave early.

Just as they opened the front door, Yu Wei's family from the third floor came downstairs. Old Huang and Old Yu went together to push their bicycles out, and Huang Xiaochuan and Yu Wei helped load their luggage onto the bicycles, making it easier to push them along the way.

The two families chatted all the way to the long-distance bus station with Huang Xiaochuan and Yu Wei. Being the children of leaders from higher-level units, Huang Xiaochuan and Yu Wei received special treatment; station staff had already helped load all their luggage onto the roof of the bus. But that was all; they had to wait for their tickets to be checked and board the bus just like any other passenger.

During this period, large luggage items were mostly stored on the roof of the rear of the bus, while smaller items were placed on the luggage racks on both sides of the interior. The main reason was the poor road infrastructure; the buses were designed to be rather small, resulting in a cramped interior space. This contrasted sharply with later buses, which were taller and wider, offering more spacious and comfortable seating.

While waiting for the train, the two mothers gave their sons a few more words of advice. Huang Xiaochuan simply nodded, listening to whatever his mother said. Yu Wei, however, looked completely unconcerned. His mind was already wandering, and he couldn't wait to set foot on Shanghai's soil. For the first time, he had the opportunity to escape his parents' control, and he was incredibly excited about his future life.

Not long after, the waiting hall's announcement informed passengers going to Shanghai to check in and board the train at Gate 3. Upon hearing the announcement, Huang Xiaochuan and Yu Wei picked up their luggage, took out their tickets, and prepared to board the train.

The two mothers' eyes welled up with tears as they watched their sons leave. Yu Min, who had come with them, was also affected and her eyes reddened as she clung to her mother Zheng Aiying's arm.

After their tickets were checked, Huang Xiaochuan turned around, waved to his family, and said, "Mom and Dad, Uncle Yu, Aunt Zheng, Second Sister, you can go back now, we're leaving."

Seeing that Yu Wei was determined to run to the car, Huang Xiaochuan quickly kicked him and whispered, "Tell your parents and second sister first, are you mute?"

Yu Wei then realized what was happening, turned around, waved his hands, and shouted, "Mom and Dad, Uncle Huang, Aunt Zeng, Second Sister, you can go back now! I'll call or write to you when I get there."

The two didn't have time to linger at the ticket gate, as there were many people waiting to have their tickets checked behind them. They couldn't possibly block the ticket gate just because they wanted to say goodbye to their families!

Seeing their son disappear through the ticket gate, Zeng Lijuan and Zheng Aiying covered their mouths and wept uncontrollably, while Yu Min joined in the commotion.

Old Huang advised, "Why are you crying? They're just going to school, not to the battlefield. Stop crying and go home."

"Yu Min, why are you getting involved in this mess? Hurry up and take your mother home." Old Yu glanced unhappily at his second daughter, who was crying with Zheng Aiying in her arms.

Women are such a hassle. Sending a child to school is just a simple matter, yet they act like it's a matter of life and death. It's so inexplicable. Old Yu put his hands behind his back, huffed, and called Old Huang to leave. The three women followed behind, wiping away tears. When they got home and saw their son's empty room, they cried even harder.

Yu Wei sat next to Huang Xiaochuan. He was originally sitting near the aisle, but he wanted to see the scenery along the way, so Huang Xiaochuan switched seats with him.

Huang Xiaochuan was happy to switch places with him. The seats in the car were set up very tightly, so Huang Xiaochuan, who was 1.8 meters tall, couldn't stretch his legs. You should know that this car would be on the road for at least twelve or thirteen hours. Excluding the time to stop for lunch and take the ferry across the Yangtze River, the two of them would have to stay in this car for a full twelve hours.

A seat near the aisle allows you to stretch your legs out and avoid being cramped between two seats all the time. Huang Xiaochuan guessed that Yu Wei would probably get fed up in a few hours, and they would have to take turns sitting there; otherwise, his legs might be too numb to stand up when he got off the bus.

Yu Wei showed no sadness about leaving home; on the contrary, he was extremely excited and kept talking to Huang Xiaochuan.

"Xiao Chuan, I've heard Shanghai is very big. Just how big is it?"

"Xiao Chuan, I've heard there are lots of delicious things to eat in Shanghai. Shall we go eat together sometime?"

"Xiao Chuan, I heard that the Shanghai Zoo is the largest in the country, and you can even see giant pandas there! We definitely have to go check it out!"

"Xiao Chuan, I heard there's an amusement park in Shanghai. It's supposed to be really fun. Let's go check it out sometime."

"Ogawa..."

Huang Xiaochuan responded to Yu Wei in a half-hearted manner, and gradually fell asleep in the swaying car. It was such a long car ride, and sleeping was the best way to pass the time. Besides, people do get tired after sitting for so long, and the road and car conditions were not good. The swaying was like a cradle, so it was no wonder he was sleepy.