bookrandom Chapter 150 A Letter from Tunan
Chapter 150 A Letter from Tunan
I didn't expect Zhuang Tunan to be such an interesting person. I originally thought he was the kind of bookworm who only knew how to bury himself in books.
Zhuang Tunan returned to his assigned area, gripped the shovel tightly with both hands, and diligently dug tree pits.
Yu Tao looked up at Tu Nan, who was radiating an indomitable spirit, and advised, "Tu Nan, take a break. The other students have just finished planting two trees!"
Zhuang Tunan straightened up and wiped the sweat from his face with the back of his hand: "There are few girls in our class, and we are boys, so we have to make up for their share. Hurry up and get to work, or you can dig the hole!"
Yu Tao pursed his lips. He didn't have Tu Nan's stamina and drive, so he quickly waved his hand and said, "You dig, I'll fill in the holes. It'll be easier if we work together!"
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The postman stood at the gate of the courtyard, holding a letter in his hand. He called out loudly into the yard, "Does Zhuang Tunan live here?"
Upon hearing the sound, Lin Dongzhe instantly perked up and ran out like a little monkey.
"Yes, yes, yes! Thank you, mail carrier!"
"You're welcome!"
He took the envelope, turned around impatiently, and rushed into the house, shouting as he ran, "Auntie, Xiaoting, Pengfei, Brother Tunan has written a letter!"
Xiaoting was engrossed in reading a book in the room. Her two pigtails swayed gently with her movements.
Upon hearing Lin Dongzhe's shout, he immediately put down the book in his hand, and the book slammed shut with a "snap".
Xiaoting quickly stood up. "Lin Dongzhe, let me see, quick!"
Lin Dongzhe held the letter high in his hand, his arm outstretched, so that Xiaoting couldn't reach it no matter how she jumped.
He grinned as he watched Xiaoting's anxious expression, his mouth wide open to reveal a row of white teeth: "Come and get it, Xiaoting!"
Xiaoting stomped her feet angrily: "Lin Dongzhe, are you trying to make me angry?!"
"Let's watch together, let's watch together!"
Xiaoting took the envelope, tore it open, and took out the letter!
Huang Ling packed her lunchbox and walked into the house from the kitchen.
Her hair was neatly combed back, with a few stray strands clinging to her cheeks. "Xiaoting, read it to Mom!"
The letter paper was covered with dense writing.
In the letter, Zhuang Tunan wrote.
"It's like seeing you in person. Dear Mom and Dad, Xiaoting, Pengfei and Dongzhe, hello."
Everything was great at university. My studies and extracurricular activities were vibrant and varied. The library was truly enormous, just as my dad described, with several floors. I even joined the Eagle Language Interest Group, which was incredibly fun—digging holes and planting trees, outdoor sketching, exploration... (And so on and so forth, describing my university life and course experiences...)
Xiaoting, have you missed your brother? I've missed you terribly! Have Dongzhe and Pengfei bullied you? If they have, write to me and I'll deal with them when I come back from my vacation!
Xiaoting, Dongzhe, Pengfei, university is really great! You must study hard. I'll be waiting for you in Shanghai! By the way, your brother is now the class monitor, running errands for the teachers and helping classmates improve their studies. Mom and Dad, I miss you, and I look forward to your reply!
Xiaoting read the contents of the letter aloud.
Pengfei leaned back in his chair, propping his head up with one hand: "Xiaoting, Uncle wants us to reply to the letter. You should reply. I can write a self-criticism, but I can't write a letter!"
Dongzhe jumped up and down beside him: "Xiaoting, when you reply to Tunan, tell him that I won a trophy in the dance competition, it's so shiny! And thanks to Uncle Zhuang for buying me the Rubik's Cube book, I'm working hard on it now!"
Pengfei looked at Lin Dongzhe and teased him with a smile, "Xiaoting, tell your brother, this guy Lin Dongzhe can now spin six sides. Auntie says his hands can spin faster than the hands of the model workers in the textile factory."
Everyone couldn't help laughing after hearing this.
Huang Ling, carrying a lunchbox and a small leather bag, glanced at the clock on the wall and said, "Song Ying, it's time to go!"
After straightening her clothes, she added, "Xiaoting, don't forget to write back to your brother. Mom's gone to work. Pengfei, remember to drink your milk. Make sure it's boiled tonight, or it'll spoil in the heat! You guys cook some noodles. I didn't cook anything today because I was a bit rushed."
Pengfei turned to look at his aunt and said, "Okay, goodbye, Aunt."
Goodbye, Mom! Goodbye, Auntie!
Pengfei felt nothing but gratitude towards his uncle and aunt.
His maternal grandparents and his younger uncle didn't like his family, only his eldest uncle and aunt didn't dislike him and his mother.
When he first came here, his mother gave him two hundred yuan, which he then gave to his aunt.
In this family, his uncle and aunt, along with Tu Nan and Xiao Ting, treated him like family.
On ordinary days, Xiaoting ate and used the same things as him; he was never treated differently.
His aunt was even more thoughtful; whenever she saw that his clothes were old or didn't fit, she would help him cut fabric and make new clothes. He silently saw and remembered all these small acts of care.
My aunt manages the living expenses that my mother sends me every month perfectly, and she spends more on him than she earns.
Pengfei knew in his heart that the extra amount must have been covered by his uncle and aunt with their own money.
He will remember this kindness and will repay it many times over when he has the chance in the future.
Xiaoting read excitedly in the letter her brother described the wonderful university life.
The rich and colorful academic life and extracurricular activities planted a seed of longing for university in her heart. This seed quietly took root and sprouted, making her look forward to stepping into a university campus in the future.
Zhuang Chaoying, carrying her briefcase, returned home after a busy day at work.
"Xiaoting, Pengfei!"
Xiaoting held a bowl and chopsticks in her hand, while Pengfei carefully carried a steaming bowl of noodles behind her.
"Uncle, I cooked noodles."
Zhuang Chaoying gently placed her briefcase on the chair, turned around, and went out to wash her hands.
Entering the house, Zhuang Chaoying looked at the noodles on the table: "Pengfei, not bad, you can cook now. At least you won't go hungry when you're home alone, that's good. Has your aunt gone to work?"
Xiaoting picked up some noodles with her chopsticks: "Mom, she's gone to her afternoon shift. Dad, please sit down and eat!"
Zhuang Chaoying took the noodles, slurped them up a few times, and nodded in praise: "Pengfei, it tastes good!"
Xiaoting suddenly put down her chopsticks: "Dad, can we go to Shanghai to see my brother for New Year's Day?"
Seeing Xiaoting's longing eyes, Zhuang Chaoying thought that she would also be going to collect her allowance on New Year's Day, so she nodded and agreed: "Sure, Dad is going too."
Upon hearing this, Pengfei's eyes widened instantly, and his mouth gaped open: "Uncle, can I come along too?"
Zhuang Chaoying looked at Pengfei: "The midterm exams are coming up in November. If you can get into the top ten in your class, I'll take you there!"
Upon hearing this, Pengfei immediately pouted. Although he knew that he had learned and basically mastered what the teacher and his uncle had taught, he still lacked confidence in himself when he thought about his reputation as a "slacker".
He gave a soft "hmm" and then lowered his head to slurp his noodles.
After dinner, Zhuang Chaoying carried the bowls and chopsticks to the sink in the backyard and began washing them carefully.
After finishing, he dried his hands with a towel and returned to his desk.
I turned on the desk lamp, sat down, picked up the manuscript paper, and began to write about the story of a small town in Jiangnan.
His brushstrokes moved slowly across the paper, depicting the details of family and life in the alleys of Jiangnan.