People in the alley: A woman dressed as a man shouldn't be foolishly filial, Zhuang Chaoying

Chapter 174 Ah Ling, close your eyes!

"Tunan, Pengfei, Xiaoting, we've got some money now, let's go out and have some fun!"

"go!"

Pengfei and Xiaoting echoed in unison, cheering and heading towards the door.

Huang Ling called out to them from behind, "Remember to come back soon! Tu Nanqian is all packed."

As the children disappeared through the doorway, the room became much quieter.

Zhuang Chaoying smiled and beckoned them over: "Now that the children are gone, the house is quiet. Ah Ling, you should drink less too. This wine is alright, not too strong, and not too high in alcohol content. It has a grain flavor."

Huang Ling picked up his wine glass, tilted her head back and took a small sip, her brows furrowed and her mouth wide open: "Spicy!"

Seeing this, Song Ying quickly picked two peanuts from the plate and handed them to Huang Ling: "Sister Ling, how can the wine not be spicy!"

For the past two years at Tunan High School, you've been on edge for two years straight. Now, things are much better; high school is now a three-year program. After the middle school entrance exams this summer, the kids will be going to high school again. Luckily, I only have Dongzhe. If I had another troublemaker like him, I really couldn't handle it.”

Huang Ling ate some peanuts, then picked up a piece of cured meat and chewed it slowly. "Song Ying, even if you give birth now, the higher-ups won't allow it. Don't you want your job anymore?"

"Sister Ling, you're just teasing me. Teacher Zhuang, you don't know, every time Wu Feng and I finish attending a parent-teacher conference for Dong Zhe, we feel a mix of emotions. We always come out sighing."

Unlike you and Sister Ling, who always come out of parent-teacher conferences happy and carefree. I really envy you for having such easy-going children.

Zhuang Chaoying picked up a small dish with her chopsticks, put it in her mouth, chewed slowly, and nodded slightly: "Hey~ Xiao Song, Dongzhe's grades have improved now, he's in the top of the class, which is quite good. As long as he can maintain this level, he'll definitely be able to continue studying at No. 1 Middle School in the high school entrance exam."

Song Ying just sighed softly: "I hope he can keep it up. This kid is just a bit of a worry. His grades are always up and down, and I'm always worried about him."

Huang Ling handed the freshly peeled peanuts to Zhuang Chaoying: "Boys have more stamina. Dongzhe and Pengfei have both made a lot of progress in their studies. I think you and Engineer Lin just lack confidence in Dongzhe. Children have their own strengths and potential; we need to have faith in them."

Once Lin Dongzhe was mentioned, Song Ying seemed to open up and had a lot to say: "Sister Ling, Dongzhe is very confident in himself. He participated in Rubik's Cube competitions and dance competitions and even won awards. But why can't he put more effort into his studies? I really don't know what's going on in this kid's head."

Zhuang Chaoying couldn't help but laugh, and picked up her wine glass: "Engineer Lin, let's drink! Let's not just talk about the kids anymore. It's New Year's Day, let's relax a bit."

"Cheers, Teacher Zhuang." Lin Wufeng also raised his glass and drank it all in one gulp.

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That evening, Zhuang Chaoying, like two children, held firecrackers in her hands, which she had managed to "snatch" from Pengfei.

This kind of firecracker is different from the later ones that look like small garlic bulbs; it's about three centimeters long and thin.

Zhuang Chaoying asked Huang Ling with great interest, "Ling, have you ever played this before?"

Huang Ling looked at him like he was a child and waved her hand: "Never played this before, what's so fun about it, you?"

Zhuang Chaoying ignored him, excitedly picked up one and slammed it to the ground with a loud "crack".

Huang Ling was startled by the sudden noise, her body trembling involuntarily. She then reached out and gently patted Zhuang Chaoying, saying, "You scared me! You're such a grown-up, still playing this game."

Zhuang Chaoying seemed to have found a new source of fun, grabbing a firecracker and throwing it towards Ah Ling's feet, laughing as she did so: "Let's play together! It's quite interesting."

Huang Ling was furious and quickly walked over to Dong Zhe.

Lin Dongzhe tactfully handed over the remaining firecrackers, saying, "Aunt Huang, here you go! Take these and give Uncle Zhuang a good 'lesson'."

Huang Ling grabbed a firecracker and threw it at Zhuang Chaoying with all her might, shouting, "Zhuang Chaoying, don't run away!"

Zhuang Chaoying continued throwing firecrackers as she ran, laughing as she replied, "Only a fool wouldn't run!"

Huang Ling's fighting spirit was ignited, and she fought with increasing ferocity, chasing closely behind Zhuang Chaoying in circles.

As Zhuang Chaoying ran, she kept turning back, shouting anxiously, "Ah Ling, please don't throw it on my clothes! This firecracker will make a hole in my clothes, and my down jacket will be ruined!"

Before long, Huang Ling had thrown all the firecrackers in her hand. Looking at Zhuang Chaoying, who was still running, she suddenly burst out laughing.

This Chao Ying is so old, yet he acts like a child. There's just no way to deal with him.

Seeing that Ah Ling wasn't moving, Zhuang Chaoying slowly walked over, panting, and asked, "Ah Ling, was it fun? Do you want to buy some more? It feels like I've gone back to my childhood."

Huang Ling leaned against him, patting the black powder left on her hands from the firecrackers: "Let's stop playing now and go home. It's quite cold outside. After playing for a while, I feel all warm."

The streets were bustling with activity, with many children having a great time playing with firecrackers and sparklers.

Some adults were carrying large firecrackers, which were very powerful and as thick as a finger. In comparison, the ones the two of them had just played with were only as thick as a pencil, clearly suitable for children.

Looking at the large firecrackers, Zhuang Chaoying recalled a time when she was a child. A distant cousin of hers had thrown a firecracker into the stove because he was naughty, and as a result, one of his hands was blown off.

He remembered that the powerful firecrackers were called "two-stage firecrackers," and from then on, he developed a sense of awe towards firecrackers and never dared to play with those dangerous firecrackers again.

The children were still playing in the street. Huang Ling called out loudly, "Tu Nan, take your younger siblings and don't let them play too late."

"Got it, Mom!"

Zhuang Chaoying and Huang Ling, like a young couple deeply in love, returned to their room hand in hand.

Huang Ling walked quietly to the cabinet, took out a paper bag, and then, with her hands behind her back, pretended to be calm as she slowly walked towards Chao Ying.

Her heart was pounding faster than usual, as if it were about to leap out of her throat.

She pursed her lips quietly. This was the first time she had given Chao Ying a gift, and she felt both nervous and excited, wondering if he would like it.

She sat down on the edge of the bed and put the book that Chao Ying was holding on the bedside table.

Zhuang Chaoying leaned against the headboard, holding her head in her hands, watching Huang Ling's unusual behavior with a playful expression on her face.

Huang Ling took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down, and handed the paper bag in her hand to Zhuang Chaoying: "Open it and take a look!"

Zhuang Chaoying sat up slightly, took the paper bag with some surprise, and slowly took out a brown leather wallet with a metal clasp.

"Ah Ling!"

Huang Ling opened her eyes wide and looked at his reaction, her face slightly flushed: "Your plastic wallet from Shanghai is cracked. When Song Ying and I were strolling around the department store, we saw this and thought we'd buy it for you as a New Year's gift."

Zhuang Chaoying opened the metal clasp of her wallet and found that it not only had card slots but also a place to put photos.

He looked up, his eyes filled with emotion: "Ah Ling, I like it very much."

Zhuang Chaoying suddenly remembered that she had also prepared a gift for A-Ling. She had bought it when she went to Shanghai to collect her subsidy money last time, but she hadn't found a suitable time to give it to her.

He quickly stood up, put on his shoes, and strode to his bag. After rummaging through it for a while, he took out a small box.

Zhuang Chaoying, carrying the box, walked briskly back to Huang Ling's side with a smile on her face, and said gently, "Ling, close your eyes!"

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