"Mom, Dad, so we've settled on this?"
After chatting with her parents for a long time, the two finally nodded, agreeing to go together.
Initially, Mom Qiu was reluctant to go out because she still had work here.
But her daughter said that for someone like her, who works in design, going out to see the country's landscapes from time to time could spark inspiration. At the same time, it would also broaden her horizons significantly, making it easier to do her work.
"I understand. I'll discuss it with the other elders in the next couple of days, and then we'll go out for a month or two before returning."
She hadn't had any thoughts about going when she didn't want to, but now that she had decided, things needed to be arranged properly. Furthermore, the travel plan required time to think about and discuss with everyone.
Hearing her mother's words, Qiu Xi smiled in satisfaction. "Good! You guys go ahead, come back whenever you feel like it."
"As long as you stay safe on the road and call me once in a while."
Qiu Xi was already content that her parents were willing to go.
As for when they would return, her intention was that as long as they were safe, they could travel and see whatever they pleased.
"Got it, little bossy boots!" Dad Qiu playfully teased his daughter.
She wasn't old, but she worried about quite a few things.
"Hehe~" Qiu Xi chuckled, looking at her father.
As long as it worked, a little bit of meddling now and then wasn't a bad thing.
"Alright, since you still have things to do, I won't disturb you further. I'll head back to my room now~" With a smile, Qiu Xi picked up the small notebook she had brought and returned to her room.
This way, she had accomplished what her mentor had mentioned.
For the rest of it, by the time she started school, the people at home should have been almost ready to depart.
Now that her parents were here, she didn't have to worry so much about the elders' trip; she could focus on studying at school with peace of mind.
......
As September approached, Qiu Xi was already preparing to report to school.
Meanwhile, the elders at home, under the planning of Dad and Mom Qiu, were preparing to start their journey as soon as the children went to school.
Because the trip would be quite long, the elders were also following the trend of young people and planned to tour the country.
However, their tour would definitely be different from that of young people. After all, with age, one couldn't endure the constant hustle and bustle.
Therefore, under the arrangements of Dad and Mom Qiu, they planned to travel at a leisurely pace, resting intermittently. If they found an interesting place, they would rent a small courtyard and stay for ten to fifteen days before moving on.
If, midway, the elders felt they couldn't continue or wanted to rest, they could return promptly and be sent home.
This plan received the approval of the entire family.
It remained to be seen how many places they would manage to visit.
Or perhaps, after just one or two stops, they would decide to return to Jinhai City.
However, these were not within the current scope of consideration, as they hadn't even departed yet.
After spending over a week packing their luggage, Qiu Xi briefly considered buying an RV, but thinking that it might be too tiring for her father, she abandoned the idea.
......
September 10th.
This was the day Qiu Xi was scheduled to register for graduate school.
And the day after was when the family's "elderly tour group" would depart for their trip.
"Xiao Xi, why did you and Nan Hua move out?" Before the school officially arranged anything, Qiu Xi and her three friends seized the opportunity to get together.
The three who were still living in the dormitories were a bit surprised and even a little resentful upon learning that Qiu Xi would no longer be staying on campus.
"Moving out is one thing, but you didn't even tell us..."
"If you had told us earlier, Xiao Xi, I wouldn't have stayed at school either."
"Mmm!"
They hadn't paid attention to graduate student accommodation before. It was only when they registered yesterday that they discovered all their dorm rooms were single rooms.
In that case, there was no difference between living off-campus and living at school.
They had initially hoped to relive their camaraderie, but alas, the conditions were no longer there.
Qiu Xi held her chopsticks and looked at the three of them, apologizing softly. "I didn't think of it before. After I found a suitable place, I was busy with the elders' travel plans and didn't have time to mention it. And with everything piling up, I really didn't remember..."
"Alright!" Liang Yunfei laughed. "The three of us are just saying things out of habit..."
"But speaking of which, Xiao Xi, do you think it's too late for the three of us to move out?" Liang Yunfei wondered if she could go directly to the company if there was nothing else, which would be more convenient.
"Move out if you want to. The school is probably overjoyed for you to move out..." Qiu Xi nodded directly.
Due to the expansion of student enrollment, the school was reluctant to provide dormitories for graduate students anymore. It was best if they could arrange their own accommodation; otherwise, they would stay in the school dormitories.
After hearing Qiu Xi's words, the three of them thought about it and nodded in agreement. "That's true..."
In fact, it wasn't just their school; many schools nationwide had begun to implement this policy.
This was especially true for non-full-time and part-time students, where the requirements were even more pronounced.
Of course, there were other considerations, and each school had its own unique requirements.
"In that case, let's wait until after the opening ceremony. We'll talk to the teachers then."
"Mhm, okay."
"Speaking of the opening ceremony, are you still the one giving the new student speech this time, Xiao Xi?" Song Daiyao looked at Qiu Xi.
After eating their fill, they engaged in a bit of gossip.
"......"
"It's me......"
Qiu Xi was also a little helpless.
She had only received the notification two days before school started and was still revising the draft last night...
She had no idea how the school selected students for speeches.
"It seems there's going to be some excitement to watch this time~"
It was the same school. The graduation ceremony had just ended, and its afterglow was still lingering, with the graduate student orientation following closely.
With so many new students, not all of them, but quite a few should be students who had been promoted from within the school.
"I don't think so," Qiu Xi said, shaking her head directly.
"Perhaps many students have already been roped in by their teachers to work. Unlike you, who are gossiping like this..."
Upon hearing Qiu Xi's remark, Song Daiyao's smile vanished.
"Xiao Xi, if you hadn't said that, I'd still be in a better mood..."
"???" Qiu Xi looked at Liang Yunfei and Shen Yan next to her in confusion.
What did Daiyao's words mean?
Liang Yunfei shrugged, indicating she didn't quite understand.
However, Shen Yan glanced over and then started explaining, "It's all because her supervisor has been nagging her..."
It turned out that ever since she was summoned by her supervisor, Song Daiyao had entered a period of intense study.
For an entire month, she had been reading books and documents, and also working part-time as the teacher's assistant... In short, she hadn't stopped.
In her own words, she felt she worked longer hours than a donkey on a collective farm...
Not only that, but they also demanded quality along with quantity.
In that case, who else would be tired if not her...
Qiu Xi, "......"
"Take care!"
Song Daiyao, ""
"We're all in the same boat, let's take care of ourselves..."
The three of them, "......"
What she said actually made some sense!
Indeed...
Only getting accepted and graduating brought happiness...