In that era, a vocational school diploma was considered a high level of education.

Many people want to attend this school but don't have the opportunity.

However, Shen Yulan had higher ideals and pursuits; she wanted to apply to Beijing Normal University.

Old Xu often praised Shen Yulan for her quick comprehension; she understood things immediately and was a natural scholar.

Shen Honggang also fully supported Shen Yulan's decision to take the college entrance examination.

Over the past year, many suitors have come to propose marriage for Shen Yulan, but Shen Honggang has rejected them all.

He wanted his daughter, sister Shen Qiuye, and niece Shen Jingyan to be admitted to university and achieve success, just like them.

Before we knew it, it was Lunar New Year's Eve. Amidst the continuous sound of firecrackers, the whole family enjoyed a sumptuous New Year's Eve dinner.

Halfway through the meal, two uninvited guests arrived.

Compared to a few days ago, Chen Feng and her daughter Shen Yuqin looked even more disheveled.

First published on: Tower > Read Novels

The lively New Year's Eve and the mother and daughter's miserable expressions formed a stark contrast.

Both mother and daughter had bruises on their faces, and Chen Feng's cotton-padded jacket had a large tear, revealing the dirty cotton wadding inside.

Shen Yuqin's face and neck were covered in bruises, and her tears and snot were all mixed together from crying.

Before Shen Honggang could speak, Chen Feng knelt on the ground and clung tightly to Shen Honggang's leg.

She cried loudly and pitifully, "Gangzi, my son and I have nowhere to go. The whole world is so big, but there's nowhere for us to stay..."

Seeing the pitiful state of the mother and daughter, Qiao Su felt a pang of compassion.

"What's going on..."

Shen Yuqin recounted her story in broken sobs: "That old bachelor came to my maternal grandmother's house, grabbed my mother's hair and started hitting her. When I tried to pull my mother away, he hit me too, saying that my mother had cheated him... My grandmother paid him fifty yuan to settle the matter, and then, in a fit of anger, she kicked us out..."

Shen Honggang's eyes reddened as he listened, but after glancing at Shen Yulan and An Zi, his gaze hardened again.

He forcefully pried Chen Feng's hands off.

□□

"Gangzi, you can't be so heartless... We've been together for over twenty years, don't you have any feelings for me at all?"