I Don’t Want To Reincarnate

Chapter 5

The street still looked the same and so did the buildings. Even the broken streetlights had not changed.

Chen Hansheng stood at the door of his house. He wanted to knock gently, but they ended up being loud as always. “Mom, I’m back.”

The inner wooden door opened first and a middle-aged woman in her forties appeared in Chen Hansheng’s line of sight. The moment she opened the door, she was quick to reprimand him. “What are you making so much noise for? The entire building can hear your voice. You’re already an adult but you don’t even bring your keys when you go out.”

‘The same words and the same smell.’ Chen Hansheng thought to himself.

Chen Hansheng had been nervous before knocking on the door. But the moment he saw his mother and heard her talk, he felt as if he had returned to being his seventeen-year-old self. Nothing had changed.

Chen Hansheng eventually entered the house, despite his mother glaring at him the entire time. The living room might look a little stuffy, but otherwise, he felt truly at home. He bent over the sofa to look for a remote control. “Why don’t you turn on the air conditioning? It’s so hot. Where’s Dad?”

Liang Meijuan took out the refrigerated watermelon as she said, “All you know to do is turn on the air conditioner when you get home. Your dad hasn’t gotten off work yet.”

When he saw the refrigerated watermelon, Chen Hansheng chuckled. “Seems like my mother still dotes on me.”

“Well, I only have one son to feed.”

Liang Meijuan looked at her lively son. She loved him very much but pretended to be very stern with him. “Where’s the admission letter?”

Chen Hansheng casually threw the envelope containing the admission letter on the dining table. “Here.”

“Are you asking for a beating?!”

Liang Meijuan hurriedly picked up the envelope and made sure that there was no watermelon juice on it. Then, she used the spatula to lightly hit Chen Hansheng. “You little brat, do you still want to go to university?”

Liang Meijuan carefully took out the admission letter and read the words printed at the top. “Chen Hansheng has been accepted in the ‘Public Administration Major’. Please report to the university with this notice on September 1, 2002.”

Although domestic universities saw an increase in enrollments since 1999, getting admitted to one was still a good thing for those among the older generation.

After all, many of that generation such as Liang Meijuan did not attend university, and neither did many of her nieces and nephews. Although her son was not very obedient, he still did well in his studies.

He may only be in the second batch of admissions but he could still take the postgraduate entrance exam in the future.

As Liang Meijuan read the letter, Chen Hansheng had already wolfed down half of the watermelon. Once he was done, he patted his belly and left for the bathroom to take a shower. Liang Meijuan quickly advised him. “Let the water heat up for ten minutes first, or else you will catch a cold.”

Their place had a solar-powered water heater, which meant that they would need to let the water heat up for a while before using it to shower. But Chen Hansheng did not listen to her. He picked up a fresh set of clothes and walked into the bathroom. “It’s been such a hot day, so I’d rather take a cold shower.”

“Rascal!” Liang Meijuan could not persuade him, so she could only let Chen Hansheng be. She looked back at the admission letter again, and suddenly felt a sense of relief.

Chen Zhaojun nodded but Chen Hansheng shook his head.

“I can just go by myself. You don’t have to go out of your way for me.”

Liang Meijuan glared at him. “It’s hundreds of kilometers away. Besides, we have some money left over from paying your tuition.”

“Just keep it,” said Chen Hansheng.

Back then, Chen Hansheng didn’t ask his parents to accompany him either. They had paid for his tuition in cash and he took a bus with the few thousand yuan left in his pocket. He was very nervous then.

“Plus…” Chen Hansheng paused for a moment before continuing. “If our families met the conditions for a student loan, I would have applied for one a long time ago. I would have loved to take advantage of the government system.”

“Nonsense!” Liang Meijuan put down her chopsticks and said, “Although our family is not rich, it’s not a problem for us to provide for you to go to university. Don’t try to fool us. Just do things honestly and focus on your studies.”

Liang Meijuan knew her son very well. But Chen Hansheng refused to listen. “I have thought it through. Other than the first semester, I will not ask for tuition and living expenses from you guys in the future. I will think of a way to earn money myself!”

“Don’t you dare!”

Liang Meijuan raised her eyebrows.

“What’s there to be afraid of?!” Chen Hansheng argued back.

“Chen Zhaojun, say something!”

It always came down to this. Whenever the mother and son had an argument, Chen Zhaojun would be the referee. This family tradition continued even into the future.

Chen Zhaojun thought seriously and slowly said, “Hansheng is now a man. It’s normal for him to want to take risks, just as long as he doesn’t fall behind in his studies.”

Liang Meijuan became even unhappier when her husband sided with their son. “This child has always been so obedient since he was young. Now, you’re telling me that boys need to develop an independent and tenacious character and a sense of responsibility. You’ve always supported his strange ideas until he doesn’t listen to me anymore.”

However, the family democracy vote was two to one, which meant that Chen Hansheng’s proposal to report alone and earn his own money had been approved. Liang Meijuan remained unhappy even into bedtime.

Chen Zhaojun comforted his wife, “Hansheng may not be the best student, but I’m sure you know that his hands-on ability and EQ are better than many of his peers. His strengths will be more obvious once he goes out into the world.”

When the thirty-five-year-old Chen Hansheng started his own business right after graduating from university, he had failed time and time again before finally succeeding. His tenacity and communication skills were something his dad had trained him in since he was young.

“My son, it seems that you have learned to become more sensible.” Liang Meijuan muttered to herself.

Chen Zhaojun chuckled. “Our family just has a son that has finally grown up.”

…

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