Chapter 1: Getting the first place is useless

. Early June 1983.

Outside the steamer room of the Shiqiao Town Middle School cafeteria.

Xia Xiaoxi held a small sweet potato in one hand and an enamel pot with several patches in the other. Just as she sat down on the stone pier and prepared to eat, a classmate ran over and said, "Xia Xiaoxi, you got the first place in the grade this time, even surpassing Li Haoran."

"What, are the test results out?"

"It's out. Teacher Cao just posted the results on the blackboard in the corridor."

Everyone swarmed to the classroom.

Xia Xiaoxi was happy to know that she got the first place in the exam this time, but she sat there without moving, took out the sweet potato from the net bag, and ate it without peeling the sweet potato skin. The sweet potato skin was also a precious food for her.

Zhang Lan stood up and looked back at Xia Xiaoxi and said, "Xiaoxi, don't you want to go and take a look? You got first place this time."

Xia Xiaoxi said weakly, "Zhang Lan, I'm almost starving. I want to have lunch first. You go."

Zhang Lan sat back down and broke off some steamed bread for Xia Xiaoxi.

Xia Xiaoxi shook her head, "Eat it yourself."

Zhang Lan knew that Xia Xiaoxi didn't like to take advantage of her, so she had to give up, "Xiaoxi, you are so amazing. You got first place in the grade this time. You will definitely have no problem going to high school in the future."

"It's useless to get first place. Her aunt won't let her go next semester. Last time she came to our village, she wanted to tell Xia Xiaoxi about a bachelor in our village who was over 30 years old."

After saying this, Xia Xiaoxi looked up at Wang Meili in shock.

Others who didn't go to see the grades also looked at Wang Meili.

Wang Meili was getting more and more proud after receiving so many people's gazes. "That old bachelor likes to steal the underwear and pants of the women in our village who hang them outside. He is lazy and ugly, so he can't get married even at his old age. Xia Xiaoxi, you won't even have to make underwear and pants after you marry this old bachelor. Hahahaha."

"Wang Meili, what nonsense are you talking about?" Zhang Lan frowned at Wang Meili.

"Humph, I'm not talking nonsense."

"Then it seems that your underwear and pants have been stolen?" Xia Xiaoxi looked at Wang Meili and said.

"You, you are talking nonsense. Don't think you can ruin my reputation just because you got the first place in the exam." Wang Meili pointed at Xia Xiaoxi and said anxiously.

Xia Xiaoxi said, "Then don't think you can ruin my reputation just because you ranked last."

Some people laughed when they heard this. Wang Meili had always been the last in the class and her position was solid.

"Xia Xiaoxi, you, you wait and see." Wang Meili stomped her feet and went back to the classroom.

As soon as Wang Meili left, Xia Xiaoxi stared at the soup in the enamel pot that was provided free of charge in the cafeteria and was not much different from boiled water.

She didn't expect Wang Juhua to not let her finish junior high school. She was only in the second grade of junior high school. When her brother went to work, he agreed that as long as she could pass the high school entrance examination, he would let her finish. She knew that Wang Juhua was cruel and guessed that Wang Juhua would do something bad later, but she didn't expect that Wang Juhua couldn't wait and wanted to tell her about it now.

Thinking of this, she felt heavy-hearted and the joy of getting the first place in the exam was completely gone.

Zhang Lan comforted her, "Xiaoxi, maybe that Wang Meili is talking nonsense. She is just like that. She can't stand others being better than her. She is just jealous that you have good grades and look better than her." As Xia Xiaoxi's deskmate, she knew too well how much Xiaoxi cherished the opportunity to study. She also knew too well how hard Xiaoxi studied, which can be seen from the fact that she could get the first place in the exam even though she didn't have enough food every day.

Xia Xiaoxi said gloomily, "My aunt's family is from the same village as Wang Meili. What she said should be true. These things are also something my aunt can do."

No matter what, she will find a way to study. She won't let Wang Juhua succeed. Thinking of this, Xia Xiaoxi drank all the soup in the enamel pot, without wasting a bit. She has to have the strength to compete with Wang Juhua in wits and courage.

After dinner, the two returned to the classroom. As soon as they walked to the door, they heard a commotion in the classroom.

When they entered the classroom, they saw Chen Xiuxiu squatting there crying. A group of people surrounded her to comfort her.

It turned out that the money she used to register for the county trip after the final exam was missing.

This class county trip was voluntary, and one dollar was required to participate. One dollar was not a small amount of money, but most of the class still signed up because going to the county was too attractive to them. I heard that they would also go to the cinema to watch a movie.

Chen Xiuxiu's family is not rich, and this dollar was saved by her from her living expenses for two semesters. Now when she was about to register and get the money, it was gone. This made her eyes go black and she was about to cry and faint.

"Xiu Xiu, I know where your money is?" Wang Meili suddenly asked.

"Where?" Chen Xiuxiu looked up at her with tears in her eyes, full of hope.

Wang Meili pointed at Xia Xiaoxi standing at the door and said, "It's in Xia Xiaoxi's pocket. I saw that there was a dollar in her pocket."

All the classmates looked at Xia Xiaoxi.

Xia Xiaoxi didn't expect that the fire would burn herself. She looked at Wang Meili and said, "According to what you said, the students in the class who have money in their pockets are all Chen Xiuxiu's? You are jealous of me for getting the first place in the exam, but you can't slander me like this."

Other classmates also felt that Wang Meili was unreasonable: "That's right, Wang Meili, it's unreasonable for you to talk like this."

Wang Meili said to Xia Xiaoxi angrily: "Who is jealous of you for getting the first place in the exam? I don't doubt that other people have money in their pockets, but Xia Xiaoxi, we all know that your family is poor. You can only eat one sweet potato a day, and you are reluctant to throw away even the pencil head when you can't hold it. Where did you get a dollar? You... You must have wanted to steal a dollar from Chen Xiuxiu to sign up for this county trip."

Xia Xiaoxi was not embarrassed at all because Wang Meili revealed her poverty. She looked at her and said, "I saved a dollar just because I was reluctant to spend money. What's so strange about that? You are guessing me like this, I think it's because you want to steal a dollar from Chen Xiuxiu. I think you are the most suspicious. By the way, you are still staring at my pocket and you know I have a dollar. Do you want to steal another dollar from me?"

Wang Meili was so angry at Xia Xiaoxi's words that she vomited blood. She raised three fingers and swore to the sky, "If I think so, I will be struck by lightning."

"I don't believe it. God is always blind. You have to prove yourself."

"I, I," Wang Meili took out the money in her pocket and spread it out, two one-dollar bills and three one-cent bills. "I am so rich, why would I want to steal money?" She shouted.

"You, your one-dollar bill looks like mine." Chen Xiuxiu, who came over, suddenly said.

She lost a dollar, and now she walked over to look at the money. The more she looked, the more she felt that the dollar in Wang Meili's hand looked like the one she lost.