Back to the 90’s-Chapter 3.

Early the next morning, Jiang Ye, having finished his breakfast, left the house. He didn’t even inquire about Lin Wenjun’s plans for renting a house or how she intended to transfer their daughter to a new school.

He treated Lin Wenjun’s words as mere jokes.

Transferring schools involves finding connections and spending money, something Lin Wenjun, relying on herself, simply couldn’t manage!

As soon as her husband left the house, Lin Wenjun woke up her daughter and dressed Jiang Ning in a neat and lovely little dress.

She separated her daughter’s long hair into layers, lifting a strand and securing it with a butterfly hair clip. Then she braided the two lower sections into braids. Jiang Ning, while eating a steamed bun, asked, “Mom, are we going out?”

“We’re going to check out the new school,” replied Lin Wenjun.

Lin Wenjun, now wearing a dress, applied a light makeup as she reminisced about the time when she used to do makeup regularly. However, after staying at home to take care of her son, there were moments when she didn’t even have time to wash her face, let alone put on makeup.

Once the powder touched her face, she looked much more refreshed. She applied a touch of peach-colored lipstick and then took her daughter’s hand, ready to head out.

Jiang Ning walked to the doorway and pointed to the perfume bottle on the chest of drawers. The transparent purple perfume bottle looked incredibly beautiful in the little girl’s eyes.

“Mom, do you use perfume?” she asked.

Lin Wenjun picked up the bottle and sprayed a bit on her wrist and behind her ear.

The rich fragrance of the French perfume instantly filled the small room. Jiang Ning tilted her face upward, took a deep breath, and then sneezed, “Ah-choo!” with a laugh.

“It smells so good,” she exclaimed, squinting her round eyes.

Lin Wenjun couldn’t help but smile, patting her daughter’s head. “Let’s go.”

With only one subway line in the entire coastal city, Lin Wenjun had long forgotten which bus routes went where. She and her daughter walked to the street and hailed a red Xia Li, a common type of car.

[the taxi back then]

“Go to the Foreign Language Primary School,” she instructed the driver.

It took quite a while to reach the Foreign Language Primary School from their neighborhood. Jiang Ning felt a bit carsick, and even Lin Wenjun wasn’t comfortable. Mother and daughter bought two ice popsicles at the school gate’s small convenience store to alleviate their discomfort.

With ice in their mouths, they felt somewhat relieved.

Lin Wenjun, who later started driving herself, had long forgotten the feeling of not being able to use the air conditioning in the summer while riding in a car. Leaning against the small store’s freezer, it took her a while to recover.

The auntie at the store noticed Lin Wenjun, who was pregnant and holding a child. Despite that, she was well-dressed, exuding the scent of high-quality perfume. The auntie asked, “Are you bringing the child for the summer class?”

The summer class had already started early in the morning, so coming now would be too late.

Lin Wenjun felt a surge of energy. She used to be shy and reserved, especially when Jiang Ye married her and promised to take care of her. He had indeed kept his promise, keeping her at home.

The longer she stayed at home, the more she forgot how to interact with people. She became timid in facing situations and gradually turned herself into a shadow, a mere presence that could be there or not.

“I’m thinking of transferring my child to this school and wanted to get some information,” Lin Wenjun said with a smiling expression.

Drawing from her later experiences, she knew that in schools like this, the gatekeepers and support staff were often connected. The small store they were at was part of the school’s premises, and any bit of information she could gather would be helpful.

Jiang Ning’s big eyes rolled around.

The auntie at the small store looked at her again, “Are you from out of town? Do you have a local household registration?”

Lin Wenjun was momentarily taken aback. Of course, they didn’t have a local household registration. They hadn’t even bought a house yet; how could they have a household registration? Buying a house and obtaining local residency would be something to consider four years later.

“If you don’t have a household registration, it might be quite difficult,” the auntie at the small store explained to Lin Wenjun. She mentioned that because they were organizing the summer class, there were teachers present in the school, and the head of education was also on duty.

With the weather being so hot, even the teachers would come to the small store to buy ice cream and soda.

“Could you please give me two packs of cigarettes?” Lin Wenjun entered the school gate, holding a plastic bag, and handed cigarettes to the security guard. It was an easy way to find out how many teachers were in the office. She then went back to the small store and bought ice-cold sodas.

Lin Wenjun first went to the enrollment office, luckily on the ground floor. She asked Jiang Ning to wait in the corridor while she went in.
[Bcz it’s hot]
A middle-aged female teacher in her forties greeted her, “Do you have something you need?”

“Hello, teacher. I’d like to inquire about the process for transferring my daughter to this school,” she said, presenting the sodas and handing one to each teacher.

The sodas were just taken out of the fridge, with tiny bubbles forming on the glass bottles. Since there was no air conditioning in the office, a few bottles of cold soda instantly made the teachers somewhat more courteous to Lin Wenjun.

After inquiring about Jiang Ning’s situation, the middle-aged female teacher shook her head.

“Your daughter has already completed the first grade, and without a local household registration, it’s very difficult to transfer here,” the middle-aged teacher said. Seeing that Lin Wenjun was pregnant and had come on a hot day, she brought a chair for her to sit.

Lin Wenjun understood that it wouldn’t be easy to handle. Jiang Ning started her education in their hometown, paid the tuition, obtained a school record, and then transferred to the coastal city. She also paid a tuition fee to the current primary school she was attending. It took a significant amount of money for Jiang Ye to secure her education, and he didn’t want to go through the hassle again.

However, Lin Wenjun wasn’t afraid of the trouble. She was determined to ensure her daughter studied in a stable and good environment.

“Teacher Cheng, is there any other way? Temporary enrollment is also fine,” she asked.

Teacher Cheng could tell that Lin Wenjun was willing to pay for temporary enrollment. Glancing at Jiang Ning, who was peeking from the windowsill, she explained, “There really is no way. We are a public school, and everything has to follow regulations. If you want temporary enrollment, there has to be available slots, and you need to wait in line.”

With so many parents wanting to enroll their children, schools like theirs have stringent admission criteria, and having money alone doesn’t guarantee admission. While it might seem challenging, if there was a recommendation from a school leader, things could be made easier.

Upon hearing that she couldn’t handle it on her own, Lin Wenjun wasn’t discouraged. She had already anticipated this outcome when she came.

“Teacher Cheng, could you give me a contact number? Since you’re familiar with the school system, do you know of any other schools that might accept students in my daughter’s situation?” Lin Wenjun inquired.

Teacher Cheng provided a contact number for Lin Wenjun and walked her to the door, saying, “If you don’t have any connections here, you might have to consider private schools. I see that your conditions are good, and there are some private experimental primary schools with excellent teachers.”

Jiang Ning overheard this and suddenly, like when she was younger, reached out to hold the hem of her mother’s dress.

Teacher Cheng glanced at Jiang Ning, noting that the little girl was elfin and adorable, dressed beautifully – a clear indication that she was a cherished child.

She comforted Lin Wenjun, “Moreover, we start learning English from the first grade here. Regular schools usually start in the third grade. If your daughter hasn’t learned it before, she’ll need to catch up if she transfers.”

Teacher Cheng didn’t insist, leaving room for the possibility that Lin Wenjun might find a way.

“Thank you, Teacher Cheng. I’ll go inquire at other schools,” Lin Wenjun replied without showing any disappointment. Teacher Cheng then mentioned the names of two private experimental primary schools, saying, “These two schools have recruited some of our teachers. They have good facilities and a good teaching staff.”
They had also tried to recruit her, but private schools, being private, lacked the stability of public schools. After much consideration, Lin Wenjun decided against it.

Lin Wenjun smiled, holding her daughter’s hand as they were about to leave. A young teacher in the office remarked, “Second child, huh… exceeds the birth quota.”

Since the Spring Festival Gala, the term “Exceeding the Birth Quota” had become popular nationwide. Lin Wenjun heard it loud and clear, finding it somewhat amusing. More than two decades ago, discussing having a second child was taboo, but now, the country encouraged it. Lin Wenjun’s younger sister’s daughter was already in university, and she was now determined to have a second child.

She held her daughter’s hand and headed home.

It wasn’t a wasted trip; at least, she had explored two additional options.

Looking at the names of the two private experimental primary schools, Lin Wenjun found them somewhat familiar. After a moment of thought, she remembered that Jiang Ye had helped a friend enroll their child in one of those schools.

At that time, the sponsorship fee was 20,000 yuan. However, when he was preparing to enroll Jiang Ning, the fee had increased to 50,000 yuan. With the recent purchase of a car and tight finances, the extra 30,000 yuan became a considerable burden, and the plan was shelved.

Lin Wenjun held onto the piece of paper and left the school with her daughter.

Jiang Ning remained silent throughout the journey. Lin Wenjun shook her little hand and asked, “What’s wrong?”

“Can I no longer learn the piano?” Jiang Ning saw students from that school in the corridor, and their uniforms were different from hers!

It wasn’t the usual white top and green pants; they wore beautiful white shirts and black checkered skirts.

“Who said that?” Despite running around all day without eating lunch, Lin Wenjun still smiled. “If you want to learn, we’ll find a way. How about Mom takes you to have Three-Yellow Chicken?”

Jiang Ning immediately brightened up. Eating out for two consecutive days was a rare treat for her.

Originally, Lin Wenjun had planned to buy a couple more outfits after having lunch. However, she overestimated her stamina. After being out for most of the day, she was already tired. After the meal, they took a taxi back home, and Lin Wenjun took a nap with the electric fan on.

In the evening, Jiang Ye unusually came home early. Lin Wenjun didn’t mention anything about finding a school. Instead, she laid out the Three-Yellow Chicken she bought, cooked rice, stir-fried vegetables, and prepared a winter melon and pork ball soup.

After taking a few bites, he said, “I bought an air conditioner. It will be delivered in a few days.”

“An air conditioner?” Lin Wenjun had already anticipated it but thought of settling the school and housing matters before getting an air conditioner.

“Gao ming and his colleagues have a special price for internal purchases. He bought one last year, and this year they asked if I wanted one. I took one,” Jiang Ye explained. The internal purchase price for Chunlan air conditioners was quite attractive, not something easily available to the public. Although it was cheaper, it still cost a few thousand yuan.

Lin Wenjun, being pregnant, was afraid of the heat, and their one-bedroom apartment felt like a steamer every noon, causing her to sweat profusely.

Jiang Ye bought the air conditioner primarily for the comfort of his wife and daughter at home, but he wouldn’t express it that way.

Lin Wenjun glanced at him and brought it up herself, “I went to the Foreign Language Primary School today.”

Jiang Ye almost choked on his soup, “Foreign language?”

“Students at that school start learning English from the first grade. We’re a bit late for Ningning, and being non-local residents makes it difficult to get in,” Lin Wenjun explained, showing the paper Teacher Cheng had given her. “Tomorrow, I’m going to visit this school. It’s a private experimental primary school that started in early last year. I heard the teachers were recruited from several key schools in the city.”

Jiang Ye was somewhat surprised, “You really went?”

Lin Wenjun served herself a bowl of winter melon soup, “Yes, I’ve been here for over two years. Today, I got to see half of the city.”

Although more than two decades had passed, the tall buildings and large structures were still absent. There were still many vacant fields and wasteland, but everywhere was under planning and preparation for construction. Jiang Ye had caught up with this wave of development, and that’s how he got their current house.

Jiang Ye hadn’t expected his wife to actually go, to have the audacity to do so.

Lin Wenjun, for once, saw a surprised expression on her husband’s face, a look that made her feel quite pleased.

“We don’t need to rush to install the air conditioner once it arrives. Let’s wait until we’ve moved to a new house,” she said.

On the TV screen, the drama featured the female lead playing the piano. Jiang Ning was fixated, her eyes wide open. She had seen it before, but before her mom told her she could learn to play the piano, it was something she hadn’t even considered.

“Dad, I want to learn to play the piano too.”

Jiang Ye readily agreed, “Sure, if you want to learn, go ahead.”