「February 17, the eighth day of the lunar new year.」
Early that morning, Xue Yuanqing and Zhong Hailan left for work. They had insisted on rushing back at noon to see Xue Yang off, but in the end, Xue Yang had to talk them out of it, joking that he was still counting on them for financial support. When they thought about it, each of them taking half a day off was equivalent to a full day of missed work, which meant losing their perfect attendance bonuses for two months. Furthermore, with the Lunar New Year just ending, taking leave meant they would also miss out on various post-holiday benefits, like the red envelopes for returning to work. That was over a thousand yuan—almost enough for their son's living expenses for a month. With that in mind, they decisively went to work, leaving in the morning without a hint of hesitation.
Xue Yang slept in until ten o'clock. His flight was scheduled to take off at 2:30 PM, so leaving after breakfast would be perfect.
