"How's it going? Have the results come out yet?" Li Chunmei asked anxiously, looking at the silent Xia Jianguo.

Xia Minmin also watched intently. Ever since the college entrance examination scores officially began to be available at 5 p.m., the family's two mobile phones and one landline had been constantly dialing the hotline, trying to find out the scores as soon as possible. There were so many inquiries at the same time that it wasn't until half an hour ago that they finally got through.

Hearing the voice on the phone, Xia Jianguo's mind was replaying the score: 556. This was much better than his previous mock exam scores; in the past, a score of 500 was barely enough to get into a second-tier university, but this time it seemed like a sure thing.

"Haha... I can finally go to university!" Xia Jianguo laughed loudly, but soon his eyes reddened and tears slid down his cheeks.

"It's a pity that my parents will never see this. If I had passed the college entrance exam on my first try, they wouldn't have had to endure all that criticism."

Grandpa and Grandma Xia also faced a lot of pressure in continuing Xia Jianguo's education. Their family was poor, and every time they borrowed money from relatives and friends, they inevitably heard unpleasant things.

Li Chunmei held Xia Jianguo's hand tightly, "Don't say that. After you and Xiaomin receive your admission notices, let's go back to our hometown and burn paper money for them at their graves."

"Um."

Xia Minmin's last trip back to her hometown was when she went to Chang'an. It had been about five years since she last went back. Every year around the Qingming Festival, Xia Jianguo would go back home alone to pay respects to his parents.

Grandpa and Grandma Xia would come to Shenzhen every winter to spend the winter, as the temperature there was more suitable for the elderly. After spring, the two elderly people would take the train back to their hometown.

"Is the house in our hometown still habitable?" Xia Minmin asked.

Houses that have been uninhabited for a long time are prone to decay and collapse, and various small animals and plants will take root in them.

Xia Jianguo didn't know the answer to his daughter's question. Although he would go back to his hometown to pay respects to his parents every year, he would usually arrive in the morning and return to Shenzhen in the afternoon. He had never visited the old house before. This time, he was determined to treat his close relatives and friends to a celebratory meal.

"How about we stay at my parents' house? We can treat everyone to a meal at Baojia Restaurant in town?" Li Chunmei suggested.

“My younger sister told me before the college entrance exam that she wanted to take the children back to our hometown for a visit after Xiaomin’s exam,” Xia Jianguo said.

“I’ll stay in the county town. It was quite convenient when I went back to my hometown last time; there are taxis everywhere,” Xia Minmin said.

“Xiaomin is so quick-witted. Look, neither of us thought of that. The hotels in the county town should be better than those in the town. We’ll bring two sets of bedding to use.” Li Chunmei said to Xia Jianguo.

After resolving the matter, Li Chunmei couldn't wait to call her siblings.

"Hey bro, the results of the college entrance exam for Jianguo are out. Getting into a second-tier university is no problem." It was Li Zhonghua's voice.

"When did this happen? Congratulations! Congratulations! Such a big event as the college entrance exam, why didn't you tell us in advance?"

"It's not that I was afraid I didn't do well on the exam before the results came out."

"Double happiness! When are you going to treat us to a meal?"

Li Chunmei looked at Xia Jianguo, who thought about his work arrangements for the next few days and whispered, "The night after tomorrow."

"Brother, are you free the night after tomorrow?"

"I'm available anytime. Just let me know when you've booked the place."

After hanging up with Li Zhonghua, Li Chunmei started dialing the next number.

As the sun began to set, the light in the living room gradually dimmed. It was getting late, and Xia Minmin realized that no one had time to cook.

"Mom and Dad, should I go outside the neighborhood to get dinner to eat at home?"

"Um."

Xia Minmin changed her shoes, took her skateboard, and went downstairs. Today, she planned to buy barbecue first and ask for permission later. Before the college entrance examination, she would see a newly opened barbecue restaurant on her way home from evening self-study. The lamb was in big chunks, and her classmates who had eaten there said it tasted great. She had wanted to try it for a long time.

It wasn't completely dark yet, and there was a long queue in front of the barbecue restaurant. The evening breeze blew by, and the aroma of lamb grilling over charcoal and sprinkled with seasonings filled the air. Xia Minmin swallowed her saliva. No wonder she could buy all the barbecue skewers after evening self-study every day.

"What would you like, pretty lady? Our red willow lamb skewers are very popular, would you like some?" The young man had deep-set eyes and a high nose bridge; he was a strikingly handsome guy.

Xia Minmin looked at the menu hanging on the right wall and said, "I want fifteen skewers of red willow lamb skewers, six baked buns, and to go."

"Okay, please wait a moment."

Xia Minmin looked around the shop. There were two slaughtered sheep hanging inside, and two workers were constantly shaving meat off the sheep, cutting it into pieces and skewering it on wooden sticks, which were probably red willows.

Hearing the sizzling sound of mutton oozing oil, Xia Minmin felt even hungrier.

As darkness fell completely, the queue grew longer, all the tables in the barbecue restaurant were filled, and another barbecue grill was moved outside, ready to be used at any time.

"Hey pretty girl, here's your grilled meat and baked buns."

Xia Minmin took the barbecue and ran home.

Before Xia Minmin got home, Li Chunmei had already finished her phone call and was sitting on the sofa watching TV with Xia Jianguo.

"Mom and Dad, come and eat some barbecue!"

Xia Jianguo pointed at his daughter with his finger and knew that the child was so eager to prepare dinner because she must have ulterior motives.

Looking at the large meat skewers on the table, Li Chunmei realized this was the first time she had ever seen so many meat skewers in all her years in Shenzhen. "Xiaomin, where did you buy these barbecue skewers? What kind of meat are they?"

Li Chunmei had heard people talk about barbecue before, and that the meat skewers were made with duck meat instead of other meats.

"It's lamb, so these skewers are definitely fine. I saw the owner cut the lamb, skewer it, and grill it right away."

Xia Minmin vividly described to the couple the sheep she saw hanging in the shop.

Xia Minmin handed two skewers of lamb to the couple before starting to eat herself. The lamb was not dry at all and was bursting with juice; it not only didn't have a gamey smell, but also had a unique and very pleasant aroma.

When Xia Jianguo took the second skewer, Xia Minmin said, "How is it? It tastes pretty good, right?"

Xia Jianguo looked at his daughter's smug expression and said, "It'll do."

He said it was alright, but his actions spoke louder than words. He didn't slow down his eating speed at all, and even took out a can of ice-cold beer from the refrigerator to drink.

Xia Minmin especially loves baked buns. The outer skin is crispy, and the filling should contain mutton, onions, pepper, and salt.

"What's that smell? It's awful," Xia Jianguo said.

Xia Minmin looked at the three people at the table. She was the only one eating a baked bun. She put the half-eaten bun under Xia Jianguo's nose.

"Yes, yes, that's the smell." Xia Jianguo quickly turned his head away to avoid the pungent odor.

Li Chunmei took the baked bun from Xia Minmin and smelled it. "It should smell like pepper."

Xia Minmin took the bun. What a shame! This bun was so fragrant. The outer layer was crispy, and the inside was soaked in soup. It was incredibly delicious.

Xia Jianguo couldn't stand the smell, so Xia Minmin had to sit on the balcony and eat the buns. Li Chunmei then sat down too, as neither of them disliked the pepper flavor.