Chapter 128

Grandpa Han has been holding meetings very frequently recently, but no matter how many meetings he holds, it has nothing to do with his family. Everyone eats and drinks as usual, and life is no different from before.

When Wen Xiuwei was at home, Chang Fangyuan took her out to buy clothes and see the beautiful scenery of the capital. If Wen Xiuwei was not at home and went out to work, Chang Fangyuan would find the underground agents he had contacted and slowly look for a house in the city.

She wanted to buy a house closer to the studio and also closer to the Chu family. When Chu Jiujiu found out, she was so envious that she almost cried.

These are the real rich people. Even though they have no worries about food and drink now, they are still far from having the freedom to buy a house.

She said she would no longer compare the present with the future, but Chu Jiujiu could not control herself. With the future inflation and the country's strong power, the richest people would have tens of billions of US dollars in their hands. Even if the few thousand dollars she had were converted into future money, it would be just a drop in the bucket for others.

Originally, there was a person in the family who was good at business, but Chu Shao no longer had to worry about making a living in this life. He loved to save money, but he had no interest in making money or making a lot of money. His hobbies were all about machine parts. It was impossible to expect him to lead the family to become rich.

It would be better to rely on Wen Xiuwei. As long as her career is long enough, making hundreds of millions will not be a problem.

Now Wen Xiuwei only earns a few hundred yuan for each movie she makes. The last time she went to Luoyang to shoot for nearly a year, she had saved three hundred yuan when she came back. Don’t think it’s a small amount, it’s already the highest salary among the four of them.

At the end of June, when the graduation exam was about to begin, Chu Jiujiu went to Qi Baozhu's house to do homework together. They sat face to face at the desk, and the atmosphere was quiet. Suddenly, Qi Baozhu's door was pushed open.

It was the blazing midday sun, and Chief Qi had unexpectedly returned at this time. The two girls looked at him in astonishment, but Chief Qi didn't care anymore. He laughed loudly three times and told them the news with great joy: "Baozhu, Jiujiu, I have something important to tell you: the college entrance examination will be resumed next year!"

…

Chief Qi never treats his family as outsiders. He is the first to inform them of any news. In fact, at the meeting today, people said it was just an estimate, and it is not certain that it will really recover next year, but Chief Qi felt that this matter was a foregone conclusion. After the meeting, he immediately returned home and told his children at home.

Qi Baozhu and Qi Baoguo were both very shocked. The college entrance examination had been suspended for so many years. Could it really be resumed?

Chief Qi patiently explained to them the many reasons behind this. Chu Jiujiu listened for a while, but she didn't want to listen anymore. She even forgot to pick up her homework and rushed home. She pushed open the Han family's door and excitedly announced to everyone, "Gaokao, the Gaokao will be resumed!"

Chu Jiujiu ran out of breath. After yelling, she realized that the Han family was deadly quiet. About three minutes later, Grandma Han, who was taking a nap, walked out of the bedroom with a listless look. She walked slowly and asked as she walked, "Jiujiu is back. What did you say about recovering?"

…

The resumption of the college entrance examination was a big deal, like a spring thunder waking up the dreamers. All of a sudden, both families were in an uproar. Grandpa Han actually got the news, but he didn't come back as quickly as Chief Qi, so Chief Qi got there first. When he got home, the whole family had been discussing the news for almost two hours.

Grandpa Han was welcomed to the seat of honor. Everyone looked at him eagerly, wanting to know more inside information. Grandpa Han had never been looked at so eagerly by everyone before, and he felt a little uncomfortable.

"Well... they just mentioned it briefly, but didn't say when it would resume or what the exam would be about. But, it should be pretty much the same as before."

Grandma Han asked him, "You didn't say when? Didn't Lao Qi say it would be next year?"

Grandpa Han: “…”

Qi Wantang, you speak so quickly.

He nodded and said solemnly, "Yes, it's too late this year, so it should be next year. The question is which month, it's hard to say. I guess it might be July or August."

Hearing this, everyone's expression was thoughtful, except for Chu Jiujiu, whose eyes lit up. She then turned her head and looked straight at Han Shengyi.

Han Shengyi: “…”

The original bet had agreed that if Chu Jiujiu won, Han Shengyi would apply to the same university with her. Han Shengyi genuinely thought that the news was more likely to be released this year. Unexpectedly, the news was indeed released this year, but the recovery time would be next year.

Since we didn't know the exact date, we decided to start reviewing right away. High school textbooks were readily available, but the problem was that many things weren't in the textbooks but would be tested on the exams.

From childhood to adulthood, this period of time should be the most hardworking time for Chu Jiujiu. If she wants to ensure that nothing goes wrong, she must take this matter seriously.

Han Shengyi was still working in the secretariat. Grandpa Han had wanted him to go home and review, but he said it wasn't too late. He could review after the news was released nationwide. Knowing his grandson wasn't just talking nonsense, Grandpa Han let him go.

Chu Shao is still in the military area, but Chu Liqiang has already sent the message in. As for whether he plans to review while working, or put work aside and prepare for the exam with all his strength, Chu Liqiang doesn't care. He can make the decision for himself.

Dabao and Erbao of the Nie family benefited from Chu Shao's help and received the news at the same time. However, Erbao was young, and even if the college entrance examination was resumed next year, it would not be her turn to take the exam. Therefore, Dabao was the only one who was nervous.

These people are all striving to get into prestigious schools. Wen Xiuwei's grades are average and she is also older. She feels that she should not join in the fun with these seventeen or eighteen-year-olds, but Chang Fangyuan thinks that she should also give it a try.

Learning is important to everyone, regardless of age. Beyond the mere receipt of a diploma, college also offers the benefits of broadening horizons and increasing experience. Wen Fuming graduated from an Ivy League school in Europe, while Chang Fangyuan herself graduated from a women's university. Both of them hold high academic credentials, and naturally, they want their daughter to pursue further educational advancements.

If Chang Fangyuan hadn't persuaded her, Wen Xiuwei really wouldn't have considered going to college. After hearing what Chang Fangyuan said, she began to think about whether she should also try to get into a school she likes.

——

In early July, Chu Jiujiu graduated. There was no graduation ceremony, no sending of flowers or souvenirs. Chu Jiujiu received her diploma and went home.

After arriving home, the whole family was waiting for her. In the evening, everyone sat together to celebrate her high school graduation. Although she was not yet an adult, she kept glancing at the wine bottle. Finally, Chu Liqiang felt that she looked so pitiful and poured her a little bit.

It was just the bottom of the cup. Under everyone's gaze, Chu Jiujiu picked up the cup and took a sip tentatively. After a second of silence, her expression almost turned into Picasso's famous painting - Weeping Woman.

…

From then on, Chu Jiujiu was deeply traumatized by alcohol. From then on, no matter who joked with her at the table and asked her if she wanted a sip, she would wave her hand and say very politely, "No, no."

She just took a small sip, which did not have much effect on her body, except that her throat felt hot at most. Han Shengyi sat next to her, drinking one glass after another without changing his expression. Chu Jiujiu admired him very much. Many things depend on talent, but she, with a name that was full of the smell of alcohol, had no talent for drinking at all.

Han Shengyi drinks alcohol like he drinks water, but when he is at home, everyone will stop him and ask him to drink less. Han Shengyi is obedient and puts it down after drinking half a bottle. Instead, he picks up the freshly squeezed orange juice prepared by Chu Jiujiu and pours it into the original wine glass.

When Chu Jiujiu has nothing to do, she likes to make drinks. This orange juice is made by putting shiny green oranges in a jar and pounding them repeatedly to get all the juice out. It is then diluted with water, honey and sugar. It tastes sour and sweet. Although it is not as delicious as the orange juice sold by big companies in later generations, it is a rare delicacy at that time.

In summer, I would make a big can of Chujiu. I would put it in a cool place for a few hours before drinking it. It would then have the effect of cooling off and quenching thirst.

At the dinner table, Chu Jiujiu saw that he liked it and kept it in mind.

After graduation, she no longer had homework and no longer had to get up early, but Chu Jiujiu's previous biological clock had not yet adjusted to the new routine. So, early in the morning, the whole Chu family could hear the sound of Chu Jiujiu pounding oranges in the kitchen.

…

Han Shengyi and Grandpa Han worked together. Sitting in the back of the jeep, Grandpa Han noticed that Han Shengyi had a thermos cup in his hand and couldn't help but take a closer look. "Isn't this the cup that Jiujiu used to go to school?"

Han Shengyi smiled: "Well, she sent it to me this morning. It contained orange juice and told me to drink it when I felt hot."

Grandpa Han: “…”

outrageous.

Why does his grandson have it, but he, the grandfather, doesn’t?!

It's okay to think about this in your heart, but if you say it out loud, it will be too cheap. Grandpa Han sighed in his heart and looked out the window dimly.

Some people live a fulfilling life without getting married, while some people have been married for decades and still have to ask for permission humbly if they want to have a meal.

…

Who made Grandma Han angry? He had been eating the children's meals these days. Once the children didn't come home, Grandma Han would go out to play cards with her old sisters, not caring whether Grandpa Han had food to eat.

It's so miserable.

Today was scorching hot, the air agonizingly stuffy. Standing outside for even a moment made my head feel like it was being burned, making it impossible to stay out. This weather was a nightmare for anyone working outdoors. Han Shengyi wasn't an outdoor worker, but as a secretary assistant, running around was his normal routine.

It was a coincidence that he went to another agency to collect something. This was the agency where Han Shengyi first met Han Jibin. However, Han Jibin would not come this time. He had asked someone to hold him accountable, but it failed in the end. When the higher-ups held him accountable, they did not punish him but only gave him a punishment, which made his career stagnate for a few more years.

For someone like Han Jibin, stagnation is equivalent to regression, which is more painful than killing him. When Han Jibin was in a bad mood, he appeared less frequently in front of Han Shengyi. However, as his appearance frequency decreased, Ruan Mengru's appearance frequency increased again.

Han Shengyi's face turned gloomy when he thought of Ruan Mengru coming to his home that day. She was really brave, just like some disgusting insects. She knew that there was a chance of being beaten to death or getting benefits if she crawled out, but she still insisted on crawling out and taking the risk in front of people who hated her.

Thinking of her, Han Shengyi didn't look happy. He took his things and left. Before leaving, he saw a familiar face walking into the building.

Ding Boyun?

Han Shengyi was stunned. Ding Boyun was holding a bag and was dressed no differently from the other cadres. When he saw Han Shengyi, he paused, then gave Han Shengyi a kind smile.

The two did not talk or say hello. Ding Boyun just smiled and nodded at Han Shengyi, then left, looking unfazed by praise or criticism.

Meeting in Qingzhu Village wasn't a particularly good thing for either of them, but it wasn't a bad thing either. Now that things were better, many people could laugh off past hardships. Ding Boyun's reaction was perfectly normal. He didn't come up to talk about their friendship or reminisce about the past. In the past, Han Shengyi would have liked this kind of reaction the most—neither humble nor overbearing, it didn't require him to expend excessive energy on it.

But thinking of what this person had done in the past, Han Shengyi felt that this person was not that simple, and his gaze lingered on Ding Boyun for a while.