Ethan Yang hadn't been home for nearly a week.
Alexander Yang was quite concerned about the affairs of Grace Tang and her son. He quickly completed the transfer procedures for Liam Tang and also found a leisurely job for Grace Tang in a public institution not far from home.
Grace Tang had no objection and accepted the new life arranged by Alexander Yang. A few days later, he went to work with his bag.
Liam Tang remembered that his mother Grace Tang was not like this before. When he was very young, every time Alexander Yang handed over the money, Grace Tang would reach out to take it first, and then throw it hard in his face. Later, Alexander Yang learned to be a little smarter, secretly hiding the money under the doormat, and then called Grace Tang to tell him. He thought that everything would be fine, but he didn't expect that when he came next time, Grace Tang opened the door a little, stretched out one hand, and threw the stack of money hard in Alexander Yang's face.
It seemed that from a certain point on, whenever Alexander Yang handed over money, Grace Tang would accept it silently. After accepting his money, it was naturally difficult to scold him, after all, it was a debt owed to others, and this also worked for Grace Tang.
It probably started from that time when the "incident was exposed"...Liam Tang sat at the dinner table, eating while letting his mind run wild with thoughts about the past.
The other two people at the dinner table had obviously adapted to this not-so-harmonious reconstituted family and were discussing Liam Tang's transfer to another school.
"It's all done. I'll send them to school on the first day of the semester," said Alexander Yang, who is nearly 40 years old. Although he still looks handsome and respectable, his words can't hide the ostentatious tone of a middle-aged man. "XiaoEthan Yang and I are in the same class. The teachers are all top-notch in No. 1 Middle School. Parents in the city who have some connections are trying their best to get their children into this class. But if the grades are not good enough, you will definitely not be able to get in no matter how much money you spend."
"Didn't they say XiaoEthan Yang's grades were not good?" Grace Tang asked nonchalantly while eating, "How did he get into this class?"
"Hey, that kid used to have good grades in junior high school, but later he missed the high school entrance exam because of his mother's problems. Without the high school entrance exam score, no school could accept him. He happened to have won a place in the city sports meet before, so I asked someone to find him a place as a sports specialty student, and he was able to get in."
It turned out that Ethan Yang was a sports student. Liam Tang heard them discussing Ethan Yang and drew his attention back.
"His mother used to be a middle school teacher and had a good relationship with the department head. The department head knew XiaoEthan Yang's situation and gave him one of the sports student quotas in the class. But the child was not motivated. After entering high school, he refused to study. Now he has really become a sports student." As Alexander Yang spoke, he became angry and his face turned a little ugly.
Grace Tang listened silently without expressing any opinion.
"Jun He is promising. He can still do so well even after skipping a grade," Alexander Yang turned to Tang Jun He, his expression slightly brighter, and said with a smile, "After you move in, maybe you can influence your brother. You two will be in the same class in the future. You can take care of each other and make progress together, no matter in life or study."
As Alexander Yang spoke, he began to speak in an official tone, which made Liam Tang feel uncontrollably disgusted.
Liam Tang didn't say anything. He scooped a spoonful of soup with a spoon and drank it in small sips.
"You have no manners at all. I'm talking to you, do you hear me?" Grace Tang tapped the rim of his bowl with chopsticks.
"I heard it." said Liam Tang.
"All rebellious kids are like this." Alexander Yang felt a little embarrassed by being ignored, so he laughed dryly and tried to make amends for himself.
After a moment of awkward silence, Grace Tang asked again: "XiaoEthan Yang hasn't come back these few days, where is he living?"
"One of his classmates is also a playboy, hanging around all the time and not being serious."
Grace Tang lowered his eyes and whispered, "Maybe he felt uncomfortable because Jun He and I came here."
Alexander Yang seemed not to want to talk about Ethan Yang any more, and said with a straight face: "Don't worry about him, he doesn't like to come back and no one is begging him."
"I was thinking..." Grace Tang paused, and finally said what had been lingering in her mind for the past few days, "If he feels uncomfortable, why don't he stay in school for a while after school starts? When he wants to come back, he can come back anytime..."
Before she could finish her words, Liam Tang interrupted her coldly: "I want to live on campus, too."
Grace Tang was stunned for a moment, then his face darkened, and he deliberately suppressed his anger and asked: "Which school do you live in?"
Liam Tang put his chopsticks on the table, looked at Grace Tang's face and said, "I feel uncomfortable."
"From childhood to adulthood, what have you done that I didn't help you do? You live on campus," Grace Tang immediately became a little excited, "Do you have the ability to live on campus?"
"Okay, okay, let's not live here anymore," Alexander Yang saw what Grace Tang was thinking, and also saw that Liam Tang didn't like him, so he said dully, "Let's all live here. No matter how uncomfortable it is, it's still a home after all."
"I'm done." Liam Tang stood up and went back to his room. At the last second before turning around, he received Grace Tang's reproachful gaze. He thought that he was probably thinking that he was an ungrateful person.
Liam Tang sat back at his desk and continued working on the math problems he had not finished in the morning.
For him, being a good student is not for getting ahead, nor for bringing honor to his family, nor even for living a decent life in the future. It has only one purpose - to leave here, go far away, and never come back.
Grace Tang's voice could be heard faintly from outside: "He is just a little ignorant sometimes, but I never have to worry about his studies. When he was in junior high school, he even had the opportunity to represent the school in the city's Olympic competition. If not..."
Hypocritical, Liam Tang thought, how did Grace Tang become like this.
Or maybe Grace Tang was like this from the beginning. Even his name showed his ambition to compete with others, and he also wanted to skip a grade... When Grace Tang used his connections to let Liam Tang skip a grade, he was thinking of Alexander Yang, the eldest son.
Speaking of which, Liam Tang vaguely remembered that he did hear that Ethan Yang had good grades before... It seemed that Grace Tang specifically told him that in the year when he skipped a grade, just to make him do better. However, it was a long time ago, and he didn't take it to heart at the time, and now he can't remember it clearly.
He was the only topic of conversation between Grace Tang and others. The few days when the report cards were issued every semester were the times when Grace Tang was most proud.
Liam Tang knew all of this. He knew his mother Grace Tang's vanity and hypocrisy better than anyone else, but he was also the one who had the least right to blame Grace Tang.
***
On the afternoon of the last day of winter vacation, Lucas Feng called several classmates to come to his house to copy homework. The gatekeeper of the community was strict and no one could enter without swiping a card. Ethan Yang and Lucas Feng had lunch at the restaurant downstairs and stood on the roadside waiting for those people to come.
The agreed time was 1:30 p.m., and Ying Hui arrived first with about ten minutes before the appointed time.
"Oh my, you even put on makeup just to meet Brother Ethan Yang." As soon as Lucas Feng saw Ying Hui, he pointed at her and joked, "Let me take a picture of you and send it to the head teacher's phone."
"Do you want me to take a picture of you when you copy my homework later?" Ying Hui fought back without showing any weakness.
Ying Hui stood next to Ethan Yang as soon as she arrived. She was not very tall, only reaching his chin. She was pretty and attractive, which could be seen from the passers-by who kept turning their heads.
Ying Hui stood next to Ethan Yang, as if she wanted to find something to talk to him about, but she couldn't think of a good topic for a while, so she could only ask dryly: "Have you eaten?"
Ethan Yang leaned against the electric pole and said "hmm" in a very uncouth manner.
"What did you eat?" Ying Hui continued and asked again.
Ethan Yang raised his arm, pointed backwards with his thumb, and said lazily, "That one."
"Oh," Ying Hui continued the meaningless topic and asked, "Is it delicious?"
Ethan Yang said succinctly: "Not bad." Then he looked at the people coming over from behind and said, "Are you almost all here? Shall we go?"
"All gathered, let's go." Lucas Feng waved his arm, "Let's go, brothers!" Then he glanced at Ying Hui, "And that...sisters!"
When Ying Hui stopped talking to Ethan Yang, her shyness disappeared: "Let's go, Sister Feng, lead the way!"
The group walked to the gate of the community arm in arm. Lucas Feng reached into his trouser pocket and howled, "Fcuk!"
He quickly searched both pockets and said to Ethan Yang with a sad face: "Brother Ethan Yang, did you bring your keys?"
"Didn't you tell me you brought it with you when you went out?" Ethan Yang looked at him speechlessly.
"I was wrong..." Lucas Feng wanted to cry but had no tears, "I'm sorry to everyone..."
"Are we going to KFC again?!" Wang Xingchun, who was standing aside, sounded obviously unhappy.
"Hey," Chen Hao beside him patted him on the back, "Stop talking about chickens, be civilized."
"The school beauty is here, can you please restrain yourself a little?" Wang Xingchun waved his hand away.
"What should we do? Where should we go?" Ying Hui still stood beside Ethan Yang, waiting for the opinions of the others.
"My mom is at home..." A paw was raised.
"My grandpa came to my house..." The other paw was raised again.
Lucas Feng thought for a moment and nudged Ethan Yang with his shoulder: "Hey, Brother Ethan Yang, how about we go to your house?"
Ethan Yang looked at him and said indifferently: "Don't you know what's going on in my family?"
"You'll go only after you know about it," Lucas Feng said excitedly, "Let's go together to piss off San'er to death, and by the way, take a look at what San'er's son looks like. I heard he was transferred to our class?"
"What's so good about it? It's annoying. I won't go."
"It's really strange. That's your home," Lucas Feng added fuel to the fire. "How come it looks like you've been kicked out now?"
"What? What happened?" Ying Hui asked Lucas Feng curiously.
"Ethan Yang Ge's father married San Er, who also brought a little burden with him. The two of them worked together," Lucas Feng made a pushing gesture with his hands in front of his chest, "and pushed Ethan Yang Ge out of the family."
"Don't talk nonsense." Ethan Yang warned him with his eyes.
Lucas Feng fell silent and shrugged at Ying Hui.
"Let's go and support Brother Ethan Yang," Chen Hao waved his arms, "To be kind to bad guys is to be cruel to yourself. Let's go, I've been to Ethan Yang's house, I know where it is."
Several people were clamoring to go, so Ethan Yang didn't say anything and just followed them.
The temperature suddenly dropped a few days ago and it snowed. It has been sunny again in the past few days. The unmelted snow is piled on the roadside, looking dirty and disgusting.
Several people went upstairs and walked to the door of Ethan Yang's house. They automatically stepped aside and waited for Ethan Yang to come and open the door. Ethan Yang walked forward, took out the key, bent down slightly, and lowered his head to unlock it.
As soon as the door opened, the warm air from the room hit us. The few of them kept silent in tacit agreement.
The living room was empty and quiet. Apart from Ethan Yang's room, there was another room with the door locked.
Lucas Feng and Chen Hao looked around the other rooms and turned to whisper to Ethan Yang, "It seems like there's no one in these rooms?"
Ethan Yang had already sat on the sofa and said in his usual voice: "I don't know. The cup is on the table. Whoever wants to drink water can pour it for themselves."
"Hey, who's in this room?" Lucas Feng pointed to the closed door.
Ethan Yang took a sip of water and put the cup back on the table: "Who else could it be?"
"Oh - I see," Lucas Feng pretended to be enlightened, "little burden."
"Copy your homework." Ethan Yang said.
It was cold outside and several people were wearing thick clothes. As soon as they entered the house, their hats and coats were thrown all over the floor.
"This is math, physics, chemistry and biology. I borrowed it from Xueba," Lucas Feng put a stack of test papers on the table, "English is up to you, Ying Hui."
"I know. I brought it." Ying Hui picked up the schoolbag that was set aside, unzipped it, lowered her head and took out her test paper from it. "Don't copy the same one. The teacher will ask about it later."
"Sister," Chen Hao turned around and smiled at her, "We are old hands at committing crimes, do we still need your advice?"
Several people started to copy homework noisily.
Ethan Yang took the remote control from the coffee table and turned on the TV.
"Ethan Yang, aren't you going to copy?" The floor heating was turned on high, so Ying Hui sat on the ground not far from Ethan Yang and looked up and asked him.
"Well, I won't copy." Ethan Yang looked at the screen and pressed the remote control to change the channel.
"The teacher wants to check it." Ying Hui said again.
CCTV6 was broadcasting "A Chinese Odyssey". Ethan Yang stopped to change the channel, put the remote control aside, and said "hmm" again.
"Cheating homework is not cool. Brother Ethan Yang never cheats homework." Lucas Feng buried his head in writing while not forgetting to expose his tricks.
"I'll help you write it." Ying Hui volunteered, took Ethan Yang's test paper, and began to fill in the answers on her own test paper.
Liam Tang had been awakened by the noise outside.
When those people outside came in, he was taking a nap in the room with the door closed. He must have woken up from the "little burden". Lucas Feng was standing at his door and he heard it clearly.
Liam Tang pulled the quilt over him irritably, buried his head in it, and lay there for a while with his eyes closed. Will the noisy people outside be his classmates from tomorrow? It seems that going to school will not be a pleasant experience, Liam Tang sighed.
But after waking up, he still wanted to go to the bathroom, but he didn't want to go out and face the people in the living room.
It seemed that they couldn't leave for a while. Liam Tang tossed and turned in a rage, threw off the quilt, sat up, took a deep breath, got out of bed, put on his slippers, and walked to the door.
Then he walked back.
---I should change out of my pajamas, Liam Tang thought.
He was wearing the red panda pajamas that Grace Tang bought for him. There was a furry panda head on his chest, which made him look so unimposing.
It would be detrimental to the subsequent eye contact and exchange of vision. Thinking this, Liam Tang grabbed the collar and pulled the pajamas off her head.
He went to the closet with his upper body naked and took out a brown sweater, put it on, and walked to the door again. He took a deep breath and then opened the door.
The noise in the living room stopped instantly, and several people turned around to look at him, their eyes full of curiosity.
Except for the person sitting on the single sofa at the edge, Ethan Yang.
Ethan Yang was the last one to look at him. When he slowly turned his head, his gaze lingered on the TV screen for a while, as if he was reluctant to leave.
Liam Tang could tell that "A Chinese Odyssey" was playing on TV, because when the noise died down, Fairy Zixia was saying that classic line: "I like you so much, you'll die if you like me a little bit."
He and Ethan Yang looked at each other for two seconds, or maybe longer, no one could tell.
Then Ethan Yang shifted his gaze back to the screen.
After all, that scene is really classic, and Fairy Zixia is much prettier than this little burden. Thinking of this, Liam Tang also withdrew his gaze.
He bent down and threw a piece of clothing away from his feet, then walked to the bathroom as if nothing had happened and closed the door.
As soon as the door closed, everyone in the living room except Ethan Yang looked at each other.
The first person to react was Chen Hao. He blew a loud whistle and said loudly: "What a pity, Ethan Yang, why is it not a sister who came?"
Ethan Yang replied nonchalantly: "Sister, what are you doing?"
It was originally a serious question, but Chen Hao misinterpreted it to mean something else. He said: "Do it."
The other boys reacted and laughed maliciously.
Ying Hui was sitting on the ground. When she heard this, she rolled up her test paper and stood up to hit him: "Why is your head full of dirty thoughts?!"
Lucas Feng laughed the loudest: "You are putting it too mildly. His head is full of yellow things, not thoughts, but..."
Before he could finish his words, he was hit by Ying Hui and shut up wisely.
Ying Hui stood up, moved closer, and hit him on the head with the test paper: "Aren't you disgusting?"
Lucas Feng protected his head with his arms, and begged for mercy while retreating step by step: "Sister, Ying University campus beauty, Ying sister, please stop hitting me, I was wrong, really wrong!"
Ying Hui then sat back, copied two questions, and looked up at Ethan Yang, seeming to want to say something but stopping herself.
Ethan Yang was a little annoyed by being stared at, and frowned and asked: "What do you want to say?"
Ying Hui then looked at him and spoke carefully: "Your brother is really good-looking. To be honest, he looks a bit like you."
"Sister," Lucas Feng touched him with his arm, "could you please not offend the person you are in love with?"
"I'm just telling the truth," Ying Hui curled her lips, "What's wrong? Just because I like you, I can't tell you the truth. If you were so pretty, I would praise you in different ways every day."
"Cigarettes," Ethan Yang raised his chin towards Lucas Feng, "I didn't bring mine, do you have any more?"
"Oh, yes, go ahead." Lucas Feng threw the cigarette box at him.
Ethan Yang raised his hand to catch it, took out a cigarette from the cigarette box, and took out a lighter to light it. With his eyes downcast, he said vaguely: "He doesn't look like me, he looks like his mother."
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