bookrebus Chapter 2 Family Dinner
Chapter 2 Family Dinner
Ling Yun was still secretly calculating the major events that were about to happen, and how he could benefit from them: the recent A-share bull market, the Asian financial crisis, the US internet bull market, 9/11...
Suddenly the phone rang in the living room. Lingyun quickly went to the living room, answered the phone, and her mother's voice came through: "Xiaoyun, your uncle is back today. Go to your grandfather's house for dinner tonight. Your father and I will go directly from the stone quarry and won't be going home. You can go to your grandfather's house by yourself."
Ling Yun agreed and then hung up the phone.
As evening fell, the aroma of food filled the old-fashioned apartment belonging to the bearing factory where Grandpa Lingxiao lived. Several people were already seated around the heavy round table in the small living room/dining room.
When Lingyun stepped into the house, she saw her mother, Ding Ran, and her aunt, Huang Qian, carrying the last dish of vegetable and tofu soup out of the kitchen.
The father, Ling Min, spoke loudly on the phone, discussing nothing more than the stone quarry business. He deliberately or unintentionally placed his black Motorola cell phone beside him, a display of his status.
Grandpa Lingxiao sat in the rattan chair in the main seat, his back straight, wearing reading glasses, reading an evening newspaper in his hand. Even at home, he exuded an unquestionable authority.
"Grandpa, Uncle, Aunt, Dad, Mom." Ling Yun greeted them according to his memory, his voice still carrying a hint of estrangement from his recent rebirth.
Ding Ran, the mother, immediately looked over, her eyes filled with pure concern: "Xiaoyun's back? Quickly wash your hands and eat, we've been waiting for you. Why does your face look a little pale? Have you caught a cold?"
"It's nothing, Mom. I was a little sleepy this afternoon, so I took a nap and just woke up." Ling Yun smiled, a warm feeling flowing through her heart.
Grandpa put down his newspaper, his gaze sweeping across Lingyun's face like a searchlight, and he nodded slightly without saying a word.
Ling Min, the father, finally hung up the phone, a hint of businessman's smugness in his eyes. He gestured with his chin towards Ling Yun: "You're back? Perfect timing! I just finalized a big deal with Director Liu from the cement factory! My business is about to take another leap forward!"
His mother, Ding Ran, glanced at him helplessly and whispered reproachfully, "Alright, you think your business is so big? The child just got back, let's eat first."
Everyone took their seats. Dinner began in an atmosphere that seemed harmonious but was actually fraught with tension. The initial conversation revolved around Uncle Lingjun's work at the municipal party committee and some trivial family matters.
Grandpa picked up a piece of green vegetable with his chopsticks and casually asked, "Xiaoyun, you're graduating soon. What are your thoughts on job assignments?"
It's here. Ling Yun's heart skipped a beat; he knew the moment of judgment had arrived. He swallowed the rice in his mouth, carefully choosing his words: "Grandpa, I... I'm still considering it."
"Consider? Didn't I tell you to go to the Municipal Bureau of Industry during the Spring Festival? What are you hesitating for after considering it for half a month?" It was Uncle Ling Jun who spoke up.
"It's good for young people to have ideas, but they also need to be realistic. I talked to your grandfather about it. The Municipal Bureau of Industry has a quota this year. Although it's a public institution, the platform is good, and your major is a good match. If you go there and gain experience for a few years, you'll have a good future."
Father Lingmin immediately scoffed, clearly unimpressed by the suggestion: "Brother, what's the point of working in that dead-end government office? A few hundred yuan a month for a fixed salary, what can that even do?"
He turned to Ling Yun, his voice unconsciously rising, carrying a businessman's bluntness and allure: "If you ask me, kid, just forget about that job assignment! Come work for my gravel factory, work for your old man! Putting everything else aside, with your college graduate brains, making thirty to fifty thousand yuan a year won't be a problem, will it?"
Ding Ran, the mother, immediately frowned and gently nudged her father: "Your stone quarry is always covered in dust and dirt, what's so good about it? Besides, is that kind of work something a proper college graduate would do?"
Ling Yun opened his mouth, intending to use the "I need time to consider" excuse he had prepared to soften the blow, when the old-fashioned landline phone in the living room rang shrilly as if it had timed it perfectly.
Aunt Huang Qian got up and answered, "Feed? Oh, Yu Jin... looking for your brother? Yes, yes." She covered the receiver and gestured towards Ling Yun, "Xiao Yun, your older sister is on the phone, looking for you."
Ling Yun's heart skipped a beat. Her eldest sister, Ling Yujin, was the "model child" from a young age, a top student at Peking University, and an insurmountable peak for her peers in the family. Her "concern" was often more penetrating than the direct pressure from elders.
He took a deep breath, walked over, and took the receiver: "Hello, big sister."
On the other end of the phone, Ling Yujin's clear, cold, and penetrating voice immediately came through. Even through the phone, one could feel the pressure from the other end, and everyone else at the table subconsciously softened their movements.
"Lingyun, Mom said you don't want to accept the assignment and have your own ideas? Didn't your uncle say you should go to the Municipal Bureau of Industry?" Her opening remarks were always so direct.
Ling Yun gave a vague "hmm".
"What exactly do you want to do? Do you have a clear plan?"
Ling Yun gripped the receiver, feeling the entire family's gaze fixed on his back. He composed himself, not directly answering the question, but speaking in a more composed tone than usual, "Sister, I want to work in the computer industry, starting with software development, and then moving on to hardware development after gaining some experience, but I still need to do some research. Don't worry, I won't do anything reckless."
There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone, as if they were assessing the credibility of his words. Then, Ling Yujin's voice rang out again, her tone unchanged: "Yes, think it through and then do it. Give the phone to your uncle, I'll talk to him."
Ling Yun turned to her uncle at the dining table and said, "Uncle, my sister wants to talk to you."
Uncle Ling Jun answered the phone, spoke with Ling Yujin for a few words, and then hung up.
"Big brother, what did Yujin say?" Mother Ding Ran asked with concern.
Uncle Ling Jun gave Ling Yun a deep look, his gaze seemingly piercing into his heart. He picked up his wine glass, took a sip, and said inscrutablely, "Yu Jin said that it's better to guide than to block. Since you want to try, then... give it a try. You still have six months until graduation, so give it a try first. At most, a year. If you still can't figure it out, then you should honestly go and work at the Industry Bureau."
"Okay, Uncle." Ling Yun appeared cautious on the surface, but was secretly delighted, as he had at least been given a chance to improvise.
Ling Yun ate his meal quietly, savoring the rich aroma of the braised pork in his mouth. He knew in his heart that this was just the beginning. He had won preliminary "autonomy," and now it was time to put his elder sister's words, "It's better to guide than to block," into practice.