I have few friends, but many childhood sweethearts.

Chapter 145. Transferring Schools
"Grandpa, you can't park here!" On his way back to Chuxi Village, Xu Qingfan saw a tricycle overturned in a stinky ditch beside the road, so he got out of his car and kindly reminded the driver.

"What did you say?" The old man was stunned for two seconds, wondering if there was something wrong with his ears.

"I said, parking is not allowed here, why did you park your car down there!"

"Get the hell out of here! Do you think I stopped here? Are you blind?!" the old man cursed, his face dark.

"Haha~ You're so glib. Sorry, sir, we'll help you lift the car up." Xu Aiguo got out of the car and nodded in apology.

After a brief incident, the group returned to the car.

With December approaching, after more than half a year of rapid growth, Haowei Duck Neck now has 64 directly operated stores and 73 franchised stores in the port city.

With everything going smoothly, a notice issued by customs at the end of the year disrupted Zhong Wenqing's subsequent expansion plans.

Starting next year, 05, customs will prohibit the import of all parts of poultry and livestock, including offal, heads, and feet, from abroad.

Because foreigners have limited dietary habits, parts that are difficult to cook, such as pork knuckles and duck necks, are usually discarded. Importing a ton of duck necks from abroad is even cheaper than importing cabbage.

A large number of raw materials, such as duck necks and gizzards, have inevitably seen a slight price increase. If the policy is officially implemented next year, there may be another surge in prices.

A person who does not plan for the future will have trouble in the present. In order to enable the delicious duck neck to go beyond the port city, Zhong Wenqing had no choice but to find a new supplier before 05.

If a company wants to grow into a behemoth comparable to McDonald's, omnichannel control is an inevitable path.

After discussing it with Zhang Chunxue, she decided to invest in or acquire a large or medium-sized breeding farm.

However, in the early 2000s, most farms were still family-run businesses, which were small in scale and had extremely chaotic management systems.

After learning about several farms, Zhong Wenqing abandoned his original idea. Rather than acquiring a farm that was extremely difficult to manage, he decided to start building from scratch.

When Xu Qingfan learned about this, his first thought was of Chuxi Village. It would be really unfair not to take care of his hometown when it comes to such a low-pollution, zero-emission investment project.

Rather than letting Chuxi Village become a mess due to the dyeing and weaving factories of the past, it would be better to use the thousands of acres of wasteland in the village to build a breeding farm, and use the duck manure produced by the ducks every day to make organic fertilizer, so as to achieve true zero pollution and zero emissions.

Fortunately, my maternal grandfather, Yao Shulun, was the village head of Chuxi Village, so the issue of local bullies that the investors were worried about was not a problem.

After Xu Qingfan spoke to Zhong Wenqing, the other party immediately put down his work and brought professionals to Chuxi Village to investigate the situation.

“Ms. Zhong, I don’t know if you are satisfied with the environment here. If you are not satisfied, we have many similar plots of land in Sanhe Town. You don’t need to worry about transportation and water and electricity. As soon as the cooperation is reached, I will immediately send someone to build it!” The mayor of Sanhe Town also rushed over after receiving the news.

In the early 2000s, GDP represented everything in China. Now, Haowei Duck Neck has gained considerable popularity in the port city, especially with the recent double boost from hilarious daily comics and Liu Xiang. Citizens in the port city who haven't tried Haowei Duck Neck are already out of touch.

It was inevitable that the local mayor would be alarmed when such a promising company wanted to invest in Sanhe Town.

Zhong Wenqing quietly asked a few questions to the professionals who had come to inspect the area. After receiving an affirmative answer, she smiled and said, "Mayor Qiu is truly a parent official who cares about the villagers. I wish us a pleasant cooperation."

“We are very happy to have more outstanding enterprises like Ms. Zhong take root in Sanhe Town. We believe that in the near future, Haowei Duck Neck will become a local postcard.”

After a thorough investigation, both parties reached a preliminary agreement on cooperation, but the specific details will be discussed in detail later.

The contract was finalized a few days later. The newly established Haowei Breeding Co., Ltd. will invest three million yuan to build a breeding farm and import modern breeding equipment from abroad. Chuxi Village will provide the right to use three hundred mu of land for twenty years free of charge. In exchange, the Chuxi Village Committee will hold a 5% stake in the newly established subsidiary.

After promising the local government that the investment would be expanded to 20 million within three years and that more than 1,000 jobs would be created for the local area, Mayor Qiu guaranteed that the infrastructure construction would be properly completed by the end of the year.

It is worth mentioning that because Zhong Wenqing was unable to take care of the daily construction work of the breeding farm, at the instigation of Xu Qingfan, his uncle Yao Jianjun stepped forward to become the factory director and legal representative, and also invested 30 yuan, holding a 10% stake.

The money was naturally borrowed from Xu Qingfan's family. In 2002, the family won the lottery and had more than 800,000 yuan left. They deposited 500,000 yuan in a three-year fixed deposit, and the remaining 300,000 yuan, plus the annual interest and the couple's income, had grown to nearly 500,000 yuan in two years.

With a brand new career to strive for, Yao Jianjun, the eldest uncle, seemed to have been reborn. His personality was no longer dull and taciturn. He seemed to have returned to the most confident time of his life when he was seventeen or eighteen years old, and completely emerged from the shadow of being abandoned by his wife.

Yao Shulun became a guest of honor for many people, and she gained a lot of face wherever she went.

My maternal grandfather's family suddenly became famous throughout the surrounding villages. Everyone knew that their family was about to become rich. Those who used to ridicule Yao Jianjun for not being able to keep his wife are now asking matchmakers to inquire whether my maternal uncle has any plans to remarry.

As the head of the logistics team, Wu Dahe's salary has increased from 4,000 yuan per month to 10,000 yuan per month, and he also receives a substantial year-end bonus.

Wu Lingyu's family no longer has to scrimp and save to make ends meet for the few thousand yuan they have for medical treatment each month. However, the only downside is that Wu Dahe no longer has time to take care of Xiaoyu's father.

Li Meijuan gave up her fried food stall business and made a special trip to Gangcheng to take care of Wu Suowei's daily life.

This inevitably leads to the question of whether Wu Lingyu should transfer schools with her mother and go to Gangcheng.

"Mom, I don't want to transfer schools. I can stay at school at night!" Wu Lingyu said to her mother, who was packing her luggage, in the rented room in Qiujie Village.

“That won’t do. How can a child your age stay out overnight? I’m worried about that!” Li Meijuan said immediately.

“My mom loves Experimental Primary School.” Wu Lingyu said, her eyes glistening with tears.

Li Meijuan assumed she was just being childish, so she stopped folding clothes, stood up, and said to him, "Going to primary school in Gangcheng means you can live with Dad and Grandpa. Hasn't Yu'er always wanted the whole family to live together?"

"I...I don't know," Wu Lingyu stammered, speechless for a moment, her body trembling, and she didn't say anything more.

Seeing that her daughter didn't say anything more, Li Meijuan thought she had persuaded the other party and said earnestly, "It's not like we're leaving right away. After this semester, you can say goodbye to your classmates properly. Then we'll go to Gangcheng to go to the third grade."

[Saying goodbye to everyone.]
Whenever such a thought crossed Wu Lingyu's mind, she felt an indescribable discomfort, as if a piece of her heart had been ripped out, leaving her feeling empty.

She certainly wanted to live with her father and grandfather, but she also couldn't bear to be separated from them.

[Aunt Yao, Uncle Xu, Xia Xiaoxiao, Xiao Ruanwen, Lin Wanning, Zhang Yiyi, and Brother Fan, I can't bear to part with you all!] she cried out in her heart.

Wu Lingyu walked out of the house dejectedly and squatted silently at the door, tears streaming down her face.

It's another weekend, and the six little ones have made plans to go hiking at Reef Ridge.

"Xiaoyu, what's wrong? You've seemed down lately." On the bus, Xiao Ruanwen asked Wu Lingyu, noticing her low spirits.

Wu Lingyu bit her lip, not wanting to spoil everyone's mood by revealing the transfer at this moment.

She shook her head and smiled wryly, "I suddenly realized I got one of the questions wrong on the final exam."

"Hey~ Don't think about it after the exam, the results will be announced in a few days." Lin Wanning, a staunch opponent of not answering the questions, turned around and lay down on the stool to say this.

"Oh, it's just an exam. It's okay, I didn't know how to do many of the questions either!" Xiao Ruanwen comforted her with a smile. "Mm," Wu Lingyu replied, but hearing everyone's words of comfort only made her feel more upset.

Reef Ridge is just a small hill with an altitude of over 100 meters, but it is very popular with the citizens of Licheng because there is no entrance fee for climbing it.

The six of them walked and stopped along the way, and it took them almost an hour to climb to the top of the mountain.

After buying six bowls of sweet tofu pudding, everyone sat in a row on the bluestone steps, gazing at the houses in the distance that were about the size of ping-pong balls.

Wu Lingyu knew this was her last chance. After returning to school in a few days for the closing ceremony, she would go to Gangcheng with her mother.

"Everyone!" she suddenly shouted.

Everyone was startled by her, since Wu Lingyu usually spoke in a gentle and slow manner.

"What's wrong?" Xu Qingfan asked.

"I'm transferring to a school in Gangcheng next semester, and I'll be going with my mom."

"what?"

Ignoring everyone's reactions, Wu Lingyu continued talking to herself with her head down: "I am so fortunate to have been able to study at Experimental Primary School and meet everyone. The time I spent with you all was the happiest time of my life. I will always remember your tolerance and help, and I will never, ever, ever forget you all!"

With tears streaming down her face, Wu Lingyu stood up and addressed the crowd.

"Waaah~ Xiaoyu, don't go." Lin Wanning was affected by Wu Lingyu's emotions, so he got up and hugged her.

Zhang Yiyi and Xiao Ruanwen also got up and joined in. The four little girls huddled together on the mountaintop, crying like babies.

Xia Xiaoxiao's eyes were also red. She didn't like doing these things in public, but how could she be absent at this time?

[Oh right, Aunt Li is going to Gangcheng, so Xiaoyu naturally has to go with her.] Xu Qingfan realized belatedly.

He was moved by the children's sincere emotions, but ultimately he was too embarrassed to hug five little girls and cry in broad daylight.

He took out his camera, took a few photos, and then switched to video mode.

[When one of them gets married, we can show this at the wedding; the scene will be spectacular.] Xu Qingfan thought to himself.

After crying for a while, the group sat back down in their original seats.

Lin Wanning hugged Xu Qingfan and sobbed, wiping her tears on his white shirt. "Brother Qingfan, can you please ask Xiaoyu not to transfer schools?"

Xu Qingfan, being an adult, could naturally understand Lin Wanning's psychology, but in reality, people's adaptability is stronger than anyone imagines.

Perhaps in less than a month, Wu Lingyu will adapt to the new school environment, and their five-person gang will also adapt to Wu Lingyu's departure.

Wu Lingyu will make new friends at the new school, but she will gradually lose contact with them. When they meet again, an invisible barrier will be created, and they will never be able to go back to the way they were before.

However, he naturally wouldn't say such discouraging things. "Xiaoyu is just going to study in Gangcheng, not out of the province. We can take the bus to visit Xiaoyu on weekends. There are many more fun things to do in Gangcheng than in Licheng."

"No! Ningning doesn't want Xiaoyu to leave. Brother Qingfan, you have a way, right?" Lin Wanning looked at him expectantly, like a pitiful little kitten.

What he didn't notice was that Wu Lingyu's gaze was also full of expectation.

Everyone stared at him expectantly, and Xu Qingfan really couldn't resist the little girl's gaze.

Xu Qingfan recalled visiting Wu Lingyu's former home with her during the Spring Festival last year. [A family reunion must be the little girl's biggest wish, right? She probably also hopes to transfer schools, right?] Xu ​​Qingfan put himself in Wu Lingyu's shoes to think about the issue.

If that's the case, then it's not right to force the issue. Asking Wu Lingyu directly if she wants to transfer schools would seem like moral blackmail.

Everyone just cried for her, how could a little girl possibly say she misses someone?

“But Xiaoyu can see her father and grandfather in Hong Kong. If she doesn’t transfer schools, there will be no adults to take care of her if she stays here.” Xu Qingfan tried to persuade the others from Wu Lingyu’s perspective.

Xiao Ruanwen nodded in deep agreement. Her father was a soldier, and she could count on one hand the number of times she saw him each year. Although the time was short, it was precious.

"Brother Fan is right. If Xiaoyu transfers schools, she can see her father every day, instead of being like this now!"

Seeing that Xiao Ruanwen also said so, Lin Wanning pouted in grievance and did not continue to speak.

Xia Xiaoxiao and Zhang Yiyi both looked indifferent. The two little ones believed that having their mother and good friends was enough, and as for their father, they felt that there was no need for him to exist.

"Let's go down the mountain. If we miss the 12 o'clock bus, we'll have to ask Uncle Xu to pick us up," Xia Xiaoxiao said, glancing at her watch.

"Okay, everyone, let's clean up the trash and gather all our belongings before heading down the mountain," Xu Qingfan said after stacking the bowls of tofu pudding that everyone had finished eating.

The atmosphere on the way down the mountain was somewhat somber, partly because the novelty of the ascent was gone, and partly because of Wu Lingyu's transfer to another school.

The group tied their coats around their waists and walked down the cement-paved slope.

Unlike Huangshan, Jiaoshiling is not rugged and steep; it is easy to go up the mountain and even easier to go down.

Half an hour later, the six little ones returned to the foot of the mountain.

Just a few more steps ahead and we'd reach the archway of Reef Ridge, when Wu Lingyu suddenly stopped.

She felt something extremely important was leaving her, like a fish out of water, feeling suffocated and unable to breathe.

None of them noticed that Wu Lingyu had stopped behind them and continued walking forward. Just as they were about to step out of the archway, Wu Lingyu's shout came from behind them.

"Brother Fan, I don't want to transfer schools!"

Everyone turned around at the sound and saw Wu Lingyu running towards them without regard for anything else.

"I don't want to transfer schools!"

Wu Lingyu ran and talked, finally reaching Xu Qingfan and hugging him tightly, saying, "I don't want to transfer schools, Brother Fan!"

The little girl's voice was choked with sobs.

(End of this chapter)