windy city rainy season

When Chang Zheng and his father came to the living room, Chang's mother was showing Tao Yu the family photo album.

"Andrew Demetrios is Tao Yu's mentor! What a coincidence!" Chang's mother smiled and said to her husband, "Do you still remember a few years ago when we performed surgery on a female prisoner's child? Andrew's wife, Carol, was helping prisoners in that prison To file a public interest lawsuit to solve their accommodation problem. Just now I saw a group photo of the four of us, and Tao Yu immediately recognized that it was his mentor!"

Tao Yu got up and saluted Chang Fu.The other party shook hands with him, patted him on the shoulder and said, "Sit down, be more casual."

Chang Zheng's father is obviously not as easy-going as his mother, and even when he smiles, he doesn't feel easy to get close to.Chang Zheng saw his nervousness, winked at his father behind him, walked over and sat beside him.

"How is Andrew?" Father Chang asked, "Has he started writing his novel?"

Tao Yu: "..." I never knew that his boss, who was so free and unconstrained, had such literary accomplishments.

"I remember that he planned to retire a few years ago and told me that he was going to write a detective novel. I didn't expect that he is still teaching students now."

Tao Yu said: "He plans to retire after I graduate, and then travel around the world with my teacher's wife."

Chang's father nodded: "Chang Zheng's mother and his wife are relatively close. We often get together when they come to New York. Andrew is very active in his thinking. He can relate to many aspects from one thing. Learn from him. You should be able to acquire a lot of knowledge other than books. But when you are working on a project, you must have your own ideas, otherwise you may be led astray by him."

Tao Yu thought that Chang's father was too polite, the old man's thinking was not active, but jumping, and he often said the first sentence of "Hedong" and the next "Hexi".It's hard to imagine that a serious person like Chang Zheng's father can have any common topics with his funny professor... Given the difference in income between the two, I'm afraid the old man's attempts to scold Bush and the Republican Party will not resonate.

"What are your plans after graduation?" Father Chang suddenly changed the subject and asked, "Stay here or return to China to develop?"

Tao Yu understood the intention of the other party's question, but whether he could stay or not did not entirely depend on his subjective wishes.

Before he could open his mouth, Chang Zheng said, "Dad, Tao Yu is at least three years away from graduating. It's too early to talk about it now."

"It's a bit early in terms of studies." Father Chang didn't seem to intend to let this problem go easily, "But for the two of you, this will be faced sooner or later. There is no harm in planning ahead."

Chang Zheng wanted to say something else, but Tao Yu held him down and said to Chang's father, "You're right, we can't avoid this. When I first came to the United States, I didn't have any idea whether to stay or go back. I found a job and did it. If you can't find it, go back. But the situation is different now, since I plan to live together, I will try my best to stay." After a pause, he added: "At present, the employment prospects of engineering majors are not bad."

Chang's father didn't comment on his answer, but just said objectively: "Don't think that I am asking this question is unreasonable. I believe that your attitude towards each other is very sincere, but in addition to feelings, you must also consider the obstacles that exist objectively. .Your situation is different from ordinary foreign marriages. If you want to be together for a long time, you must ensure that Tao Yu can find a job after graduation..."

"Dad..." Chang Zheng interrupted his father, "This matter is not the only way out. Tao Yu will work hard to find a job, but no one can guarantee the result. Now that the unemployment rate is rising, the locals may not be able to work as soon as they graduate. There is a job. If he really can’t stay in the end, I can accompany him back to China.”

"Chang Zheng..." Chang's mother seemed to want to say something, but she didn't say anything to the two young people.

Father Chang gave his son a complicated look, and said, "I won't interfere with your decision, but you have to be responsible for your own life."

"Don't worry about it. My dad is more serious. He's not against us."

Back in his room, Chang Zheng comforted Tao Yu who was not in a good mood.

He is not optimistic about you finding a foreigner whose identity problem is difficult to solve. Tao Yu walked to the window and looked at the passers-by downstairs. .

"What your father said is the truth." He sighed, "Actually, I have thought about this issue a long time ago. I usually go to some job recruitment websites to see what environment-related jobs are available and what conditions are required. I think I can find them... "

"I believe." Chang Zheng embraced him from behind and said, "But it's unfair to you that the future of two people is placed on one person. In fact, it may be an opportunity to go back to China with you. I can go to the hospital to find a job, or go to the hospital to find a job. Medical school does research, and I have the opportunity to look up patient diagnosis and treatment information in my spare time, and I can do some work on classifying and building databases.”

The warm breath swept across his neck, making Tao Yu shiver involuntarily.He was noncommittal about Chang Zheng's plan. The medical systems of the two countries are different, and Chang Zheng may not be able to adapt to the environment there.However, the other party's willingness to make this plan for him is enough to make him willing to bear all the pressure.

Chang's mother had a newborn patient who was admitted to the hospital due to neonatal jaundice. The originally planned family dinner was postponed to the evening, and Chang Zheng's younger brother also called to say that he would be home before dinner.Taking advantage of this time, Chang Zheng took Tao Yu to visit Manhattan.

When Tao Yu and his mother visited the famous Broadway and the Metropolitan Museum a few years ago, this time they just walked in Central Park, watching activities to celebrate Independence Day along the way, and finally the two of them sat on Park Avenue to enjoy the shade .

"There are only four people in your family. Don't you feel empty living in such a big house?" Tao Yu couldn't help asking while drinking iced coffee.

"When my grandfather was alive, many people lived here." Chang Zheng recalled when he was a child, "He had three wives, and my grandma was the wife that Ming Media was marrying. She only had one child from my father, and the other two wives also had children. At that time, everyone We all lived in this house. Later, because my mother couldn't stand those old customs, our family moved out to live by ourselves."

Tao Yu was surprised to hear it, and thinking about it carefully, Grandpa Chang Zheng’s generation seemed to have no restrictions on taking concubines, but this happened in the family of his closest relatives, which made him inexplicably touch the mystery of the old Huang Li. feel.

"Where are all those people now?"

Chang Zheng shrugged: "They all moved out after dividing the inheritance. There is an uncle who is close to my father. The whole family moved to Canada and they still have contacts. I don't know about the other families."

"What did your grandfather do in mainland China?" Tao Yu asked curiously.

"Soldier, it is said that my great-grandfather was the governor of a province during the Beiyang period and had his own army. It was later passed on to my grandfather, and later incorporated into an army by the government."

Tao Yu almost spit out his coffee, "Brother, that's not called a soldier, but a warlord!"

If we didn't leave this year, we would definitely be under the dictatorship of the proletariat!

Chang Zheng had no concept of modern Chinese history and asked, "What's the difference?"

"Warlords are not ordinary soldiers." Tao Yu thought for a while and said, "It was a chaotic era, with separatist forces everywhere. Simply put, your grandfather was the local emperor of one side. Fortunately, your grandfather withdrew later and stayed with you after liberation. The home is the object of land reform."

Chang Zheng nodded half-knowledge and said, "My grandfather also resisted the Japanese, and then went to Chongqing. Then Japan surrendered and started a civil war. He had different views with the government, and finally handed over the army and left with his family."

Tao Yu was speechless after hearing this, feeling that the family history of the Chang family seemed to be a little out of touch with the general public, and after a while he sighed and said, "I, a good young man from the proletariat, have fallen into the hands of you, a capitalist!"

Before Chang Zheng could reply, a pair of hands suddenly appeared from behind and grabbed his neck.

"Give me your money or give me your life!"

Tao Yu was taken aback, and was about to turn around and pounce on the person behind, when he saw Chang Zheng pulling the other person's arm and dragging him to the front. The "robber" was unsteady on his feet, and immediately fell to the ground.

"Ohman, whatagrouch!" The man on the ground turned over and sat up, and shouted at Chang Zheng——

"elder brother!"