Zhou Jiayi continued talking to herself, looking sympathetic: "Don't be sad. Just think of it as going to the exam hall to go through the process and experience the college entrance exam. After all, it only happens once in a lifetime."

"Your grades weren't ideal to begin with, so you should have been mentally prepared for not getting into college."

"But me..." Zhou Jiayi sighed proudly, not at all surprised: "I wasn't prepared at all, and my score easily made it into the first-tier university admission line."

"When I called the teacher to ask about my grades today, I still couldn't believe it. Bailu, don't be sad. Intelligence is something that not everyone has. A genius is a genius. Whether you admit it or not, you have to admit it. What you work so hard to get, I just write casually and get."

At first glance, these words sound like words of comfort, but upon closer listening, they are full of sarcasm, belittling, and a blow from a self-proclaimed genius to a fool.

Bai Lu was in a bad mood and didn't want to talk to anyone. She wanted to close the door, but Lan Caiying and three other classmates blocked the door with their feet and elbows.

"Bai Lu, you should go out more when you're sick. What are you doing cooped up at home all day?"

"Come out and listen to our good news about our successful college entrance exams, and share our joy and happiness."

"You must be happy for Jiayi when you hear that her score is above the first-tier university cutoff. She's really amazing, a true genius graduate of our school. Those students who dragged the class down and didn't even get into a third-tier university must be so ashamed of Jiayi's outstanding results that they want to bang their heads against the wall and bury themselves in shame!"

Li Shuixian and Lan Caiying, along with several other female classmates, openly mocked and ridiculed Bai Lu, doing whatever they could to make her uncomfortable.

They don't celebrate the White Dew season, and Xiao Cheng and Luo Shiliu are at home, so they can't do anything to them.

There are neighbors coming and going outside; do you think Xiao Cheng and his gang would dare to hit a girl?

The female classmates and Li Shuixian became increasingly bold in their conversation, their feigned concern pushing Bailu into the mud.

Each person delivered a unique and sarcastic remark, seemingly intent on making Bailu faint on the spot.

Although Bai Lu looked pale and sickly, she showed no anger whatsoever.

It was as if she didn't care at all about failing the college entrance exam. It was unclear whether she had already accepted the fact or was in great pain inside and was just pretending to be calm for their sake.

Even in a calm tone, I asked them, "Are you so sure you've already seen my score?"

"Do you even need to look at your grades?" Female classmate Liu Qing almost laughed her head off: "You're always either last or second to last in every exam. Do you think you can pull off a miracle in the college entrance exam and get third to last?"

The other female classmates chimed in, "It's already good enough to be second to last, let alone third to last. Liu Qing, you're really joking. Bai Lu couldn't do that even if she tried her best."

"Do you think she's our genius student Jiayi, who can easily pass the first-tier university entrance exam?"

Li Shuixian deliberately said loudly, "Bailu, don't be sad. It's just failing the college entrance exam. So many people fail every year. It's normal for you to fail too."

"Your grades have always been so bad. It's such a waste of the money you spent on the bus to the city to take the exam. You'd have to sell so many chestnuts to earn that back. It's a real loss!"

The neighbors passing by had no idea that Bai Lu had taken the college entrance examination. When they heard Li Shuixian's words, they all looked at Bai Lu with pity and sighs.

Fate is truly unpredictable.

Bai Lu was so clever at selling roasted chestnuts, yet she still failed her college entrance exam.

One should not be able to do two things at once, and should not be overly ambitious. How can one expect to get good grades while running a roasted chestnut business? It would be good enough if one did not get a zero.

Bai Lu was still too proud and complacent.

"You're talking nonsense!" Xiao Weicai didn't believe what Li Shuixian and Zhou Jiayi said. Bai Lu was so smart, she would definitely get good grades and wouldn't fail.

Zhou Jiayi, however, gloated and said with a smile, "If you don't believe me, tell her to call the teacher to check her grades and see if she's last or second to last."

"I think it's the worst in the whole province."

Li Shuixian, Liu Qing, and the others burst into laughter, knowing that Bai Lu would be too ashamed to call her teacher.

So they deliberately made Bai Lu call the teacher. If Bai Lu was too proud to call, she would be humiliating herself. If she didn't call, it would be admitting that her grades were so bad that she was too ashamed to check.

While the neighbors were still watching the spectacle, after these words were spoken, who could still doubt that Bailu wasn't in last place?

Before long, the whole town was abuzz with the news that Bai Lu had failed her college entrance exam and gotten the worst score.

If Bai Lu can't even study properly, who will dare to do business with her in the future? If she loses money, who will she complain to?

Bai Lu's business will soon perish.

Li Shuixian was finally able to avenge Bailu's ruin of the general store's reputation, and she laughed so hard that her whole body of fat trembled.

Looking at Bai Lu's pale face, Zhou Jiayi was convinced that Bai Lu had finally been driven to the brink of death by anger. She felt a surge of pleasure, and her mocking smile became twice as disdainful and contemptuous.

Liu Qing and her other female classmates laughed and mocked, giving Bai Lu and Xiao Wei no chance to speak.

Then came the sound of gongs and drums.

The deafening sound came from the main street, penetrating through the streets and alleys, heading straight for Xiao Cheng and Bai Lu's house.

The festive and lively sounds completely drowned out the laughter of Li Shuixian and Zhou Jiayi, as well as the mocking voices of Liu Qing and the others.

They both turned around at the same time.

He stared wide-eyed in shock.

Unable to bear seeing Bai Lu being bullied, Xiao Cheng, Luo Shiliu, and the others came out and were stunned at the door.

But in my confusion, I felt that this was the proper way.

The neighbors, who had been gossiping, were stunned. Only when the lion dance troupe got closer and closer, their ears nearly deafened by the loud gongs and drums, did they realize what was happening and quickly moved away.

Whether they were just watching the spectacle or going to the market to buy groceries, everyone immediately retreated to both sides of the road.

All eyes were fixed on the banner above the lion dance team led by Mayor Yang Qingsong, who was standing in the middle of the road.

"Warmest congratulations to Bai Lu from Pingcheng New Town on her outstanding achievement in the college entrance examination! She is the top female student with perfect scores in all subjects! She can choose any of the top universities in the country, bringing honor to her family!"

"Bai Lu, the top female scholar in the province, Bai Lu, the top female scholar in the country, a female scholar who has never been before and will never be again!"

After reading the congratulatory message on the festive red banner and listening to the lion dance team's loud congratulatory announcement, everyone present was no longer stunned; they were all amazed.

"Bai Bailu is actually the top scorer in the country!"

"Not last place, but a genius female scholar who got full marks in all subjects and ranked first in the country!"

The onlookers were amazed.

Yang Qingsong and other public officials in the new town did not want to be so high-profile, but Bai Lu's achievements were too dazzling, too domineering, and too glorious for the entire G province of Pingcheng in the new town.

They can't help but exude an aura of dominance.

If the banner doesn't have a powerful and imposing design, it would be a disservice to Bai Lu, the first female champion in G province's history!

Bai Lu is the first female student in China to achieve a perfect score in the National College Entrance Examination!