Looking at Shen Xiaoyan's expectant eyes, Li Weidong was somewhat tempted.

But then I remembered that I had to pick up my sister the next day.

He shook his head again: "Let's call it a day. I have things to do tomorrow."

"Then let's do it another day. We'll take it slow and steady, anyway."

"Yes, a steady, gradual approach."

...

Mengbei County in 1992.

The high school entrance exam consists of four subjects.

The first day included Chinese in the morning and math in the afternoon.

The second day included English in the morning and integrated subjects in the afternoon.

The comprehensive exam only tests politics, history, geography, and biology.

Physics and chemistry are courses offered in high school.

Before the comprehensive exam was even over, Li Weidong was already waiting at the school gate.

I'm worried that my younger sister, who has finished her exams, might take the school bus back home and miss me.

After the exam bell rang, a large number of students began to leave the school.

Li Weidong waited at the school gate for about five minutes before he saw his younger sister in a blue dress in the crowd.

"Lili, over here, over here!!"

Li Weidong waved to Li Xiaoli.

When Li Xiaoli saw her brother, she skipped and hopped over happily like a little rabbit.

"Brother, what brings you here?"

"I came especially to pick you up. How did the exam go?"

Li Xiaoli was initially quite happy.

Upon hearing this, her face immediately fell: "I just finished my exams, can you not ask me about studying? Let me have a few days of fun..."

Hearing her say that, Li Weidong knew that he had not done well on the exam.

"You'll definitely get into that top high school, right?"

"That's definitely not a problem."

"That's good. Come on, I'll take you out to eat."

"Eating out?" The foodie girl swallowed hard. "Wait a minute..."

Li Xiaoli glanced into the crowd.

What are you looking at?

"Ono is also in this exam area. Let's take her with us; she's never eaten out before."

She's here too?

Li Weidong said with a beaming smile, "Okay, hurry up and find her, but don't go astray."

...

A dozen minutes later, Li Weidong arrived at Xiaoyan Restaurant with his sister and Zhou Xiaoye.

The restaurant is right next to the school, only a five-minute walk away.

When Shen Xiaoyan saw Li Weidong, she came out to greet him with a joyful expression.

"Wei Dong is here... Oh, and who are these two?"

She suddenly noticed two people following behind Li Weidong.

“My sister and her classmate came to No. 1 High School to take the exam. They just finished the exam, and I was thinking of treating them to something nice to reward them.”

"Okay, let's go up to the private room on the second floor. I'll ask the chef to prepare some of his signature dishes."

"Okay, sis, you take care of the arrangements."

After saying that, Li Weidong took his sister and Zhou Xiaoye upstairs.

We found a small private room and sat down.

It was Zhou Xiaoye's first time eating out, and he looked around curiously.

After being discovered by Li Weidong, she timidly lowered her head again.

As for Li Xiaoli, she was much more at ease. Sitting on the stool, her buttocks seemed to have springs installed, swaying back and forth...

Before long, Shen Xiaoyan brought out a table full of dishes.

Dishes include braised rooster with rice noodles, deep-fried cicada nymphs, flavored eggplant, braised pork belly, braised pork hock, and rolled pancakes.

These are all the restaurant's signature dishes.

The three of them ate for over an hour before leaving, burping contentedly.

...

Li Weidong first took Zhou Xiaoye back to Baishiwu Village, and then took his sister and headed towards Taohuayu.

My younger sister sat next to Li Weidong, chattering away the whole way.

"Brother, that landlady is such a nice person."

"What's good about it?"

"They served us so many dishes and didn't charge us at all. Aren't they such kind people?"

"Not taking money makes you a great person?"

"Of course!"

Hearing his sister's evaluation, Li Weidong smiled but didn't offer any further explanation: "How was the food? Was it good?"

"It's delicious! It's much better than what Mom makes." Thinking of the delicious food she had just tasted, Li Xiaoli couldn't help but swallow again.

"Look at you, looking so greedy, as if you're starving at home... If you think it's delicious, you can go to her house to eat every now and then when you go to No. 1 Middle School."

"That won't do, it would cost so much money."

Although my younger sister has a sweet tooth, she still knows how to manage money.

After all, they had lived through a period of poverty.

"No need to spend money, just mention my name."

"I don't believe it. She's not my sister-in-law. How could she let me eat like that every day?" Li Xiaoli pouted.

“Although she’s not your sister-in-law, she can still feed you every day. I saved her before… You can eat there every day, and she won’t have any objections.”

"Pshaw, I don't believe it."

The brother and sister bickered all the way home, and soon arrived.

...

The next day, Li Weidong went to the junior high school on the east side with his sister again.

I helped her move her textbooks, desks, and chairs from school back home.

Back in 1992, the school's teaching staff wasn't as strong.

Even the school was built by the entire township through fundraising from each household.

Apart from a classroom, students have to pay for their own desks and other items.

30 yuan a set.

When I graduate, I can move back home...

After carrying the desks home, Li Weidong hadn't even had a chance to catch his breath when Zhao Xiulian came over.

"Dongzi, that young widow called again and wants you to call her back later."

Zhao Xiulian couldn't remember Shen Xiaoyan's name, only that she was a widow.

"Mother, her name is Shen Xiaoyan, don't call her 'widow'."

"How would your mother know her name? You should call her back right away."

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