Single-parent families, especially single mothers, were under a lot of pressure to survive in modern society.
The situation in China was different from that in the United States. In the United States, after a divorce, the man would basically have a new mother, and the woman would usually get a house and a child. She would receive monthly alimony, including double alimony for both the woman and the child. There might even be government subsidies and relief funds. In China, even if the property was divided fairly, the woman could only get child alimony at most, and the amount might not be much. It was very difficult for her to survive on this, so she had to go out and work.
Every family had its own difficulties. If the woman quickly found a new lover after a divorce, it would be okay. But if the woman was deeply hurt by the previous marriage and couldn't get over it, or if the stepfather didn't treat the child well, then she could only work and take care of the child. It was normal that she didn't have time to take the child to and from school.
Zhang Zian didn't know the specific situation of Little Celery's family. Maybe it was just as he had guessed, or maybe he was overthinking. The truth was that the couple worked for 996, and Little Celery didn't like her father very much, so she didn't mention it.
He didn't ask further. What could he do even if he did? What was the point of revealing other people's scars and expressing sympathy for things that he couldn't do anything about?
But at least he could do some small things that he could.
So he changed his tone and asked, "Then … is there anyone at home?"
Little Celery shook her head.
"Can you get into the house when you go back?" he asked again.
She stretched out a finger, lowered her head, and said embarrassedly, "Yes, because I'm too careless and always lose my keys, my mother changed the lock to a fingerprint one …"
In fact, she wasn't careless, but she was too lively, and it was easy for her to lose her keys when she was jumping around all day.
"I see …"
He pondered for a while. Little Celery didn't have a cell phone, and he didn't know if the school had called her mother. It was unlikely. At most, they would @ everyone in the WeChat group. How could so many students call one by one? Besides, the teachers were also in a hurry to go home, in case their children were in danger during the typhoon.
While they were talking, several primary school students ran through the door excitedly. They didn't know how dangerous the typhoon was, but they knew that they had at least half a day off. Although the teacher had given them a lot of homework, they were still as happy as birds out of a cage.
"Little Celery, if there is no one at home, would you like to stay in my shop for a while? Why don't you wait until your mom gets off work, or call her and wait for her to pick you up? "he suggested.
Normally, it would be fine, but during a typhoon, it might be dangerous for a primary school student to be left alone. Who knew how fierce this typhoon would be? Besides, even if there was no danger, it would still leave a psychological scar.
"But... the teacher told us to go home immediately after we left school..." Little Celery hesitated. Obviously, the teacher's words had a strong restraining force on her.
"It doesn't matter. The specific situation can be analyzed in detail. Of course, we have to listen to Teacher's words, but we can't generalize." He advised, "The teacher wants you to go home quickly so that you can stay at home with your parents, but your parents are not at home now. This is not in line with the original intentions of the school and the teacher."
At this moment, another person approached.
"Master, have you heard? A typhoon is coming."
Wang Qian, Li Kun, and Jiang Feifei came back together. They originally said that the school's welcoming ceremony would last for a day, but it seemed that it had ended early because of the unexpected arrival of the typhoon.
The three of them were like primary school students. They were not afraid at all when they heard that a typhoon was coming. Instead, they were excited and nervous, especially Jiang Feifei. Her home was inland, and she had only heard of typhoons before, but had never seen one with her own eyes.
Not only primary school students and college students, but middle school students, high school students, and some office workers also began to appear on the streets one after another, rushing home. All means of transportation were full, and even the shared bicycles that could barely be ridden were all pushed out.
Under normal circumstances, the travel times of primary school students, middle school students, college students, and office workers were staggered. Now, they were all gathered together. Coupled with the parents who came out to pick up their children because they were worried about their children, hundreds of thousands of people rushed to the streets at the same time. The chaotic situation was imaginable.
Everyone was in a hurry to go home, and the traffic was instantly congested. The more anxious they were, the more traffic jams became. Traffic violations such as cutting lanes and running red lights were frequent. Some people simply rode their bicycles or electric bicycles on the sidewalk because the roads were blocked. From time to time, car owners would stop and quarrel because their vehicles were scratched. Small accidents such as "you hit me, I hit you" happened one after another. The sharp and ear-piercing sound of horns came one after another, adding to everyone's anger.
The traffic police were all out on the streets to maintain order and ease the traffic, but it was tantamount to putting out a cup of water on a burning cart of firewood. The traffic of the entire Binhai City was almost paralyzed.
In the morning, it was just cloudy, and the air was so stuffy that there was not a trace of wind. Now, the sky was silently covered with dark clouds, and from time to time, a strong wind blew sand from the south, blowing paper and plastic bags into the sky.
"Little Celery, look at the situation now. It is too dangerous for you to go home by yourself. If you are not careful, you may be hit by a car. It is better to stay in the shop," Zhang Zian tried to persuade her again.
Wang Qian, Li Kun, and Jiang Feifei heard that there was no one at home, so they also tried to persuade her.
Little Celery was finally persuaded, and she nodded and agreed to stay.
Wang Qian and Li Kun were talking about the upcoming typhoon, and when they were about to walk into the shop, Zhang Zian stopped them and said, "Both of your homes are in Binhai City. You should also go home quickly, or your families will definitely be worried."
The two of them did not care at all. They said that it was okay, that they could just call home, and that the current traffic situation was really not suitable for them to go home.
As for Lu Yi Yun and Jiang Feifei, their families were both in another city, and they rented a house in the community opposite the pet shop.
Lu Yi Yun came out of the shop with Jasmine in her arms and asked nervously, "Mr. Store Manager, is the typhoon coming?"
"Yes, are you and Feifei going back to the rental house or staying in the shop? Did you close the windows when you went out this morning? "Zhang Zian asked.
They said that the windows were closed, but Zhang Zian thought that if the typhoon was very strong, the window glass would not be able to hold up. After the glass was broken, a lot of water would pour into the house, and their home appliances and digital products would all be ruined.
So, Zhang Zian asked Wang Qian and Li Kun to follow them back to the rental house, and then use tape to seal all the windows, disconnect the electric switch, turn off the gas valve, and put all the valuables on a high place. They would bring the important documents and the like with them, and then come back after everything was done.
Wang Qian and Li Kun took the order and ran out of the pet shop with the two girls.
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