Chapter 36 is me, Meng Yanxi

When I was young, I felt that ten days was very short, especially when you added the words "summer vacation" to the ten days, it was incredibly short.

During the summer vacation of my second year of high school, which lasted ten days from July 9th to July 18th, Jin Zhao still remembers the scene of widespread lamentation when Chen Shu announced the news in class.

Jin Zhao also felt that ten days of summer vacation was too short, but she never dreamed that ten days of summer vacation would be so long, and that so many things would happen...

She clearly remembered that her aunt's family came to visit that day. Her aunt and uncle were both teachers, and they had taken her cousin, who was also on summer vacation, on a road trip. They stopped in Suiyi to visit relatives. Her aunt's family was always very considerate; they prepared gifts for her grandparents, Jin Wenhui, Lin Yao, Jin Zhao, and her newborn brother, and even for Lin Yao's unborn child. They had also specially asked someone to buy a free-range chicken from the countryside.

The chicken soup from the free-range chicken stew is especially delicious, particularly when it's freshly ladled out of the clay pot and still hot. Jin Zhao was craving it that day, and went into the kitchen several times to ladle out soup from the clay pot. In the end, she drank several bowls of soup but didn't eat any rice.

The family had a small gathering that day. The aunt and uncle chatted about their recent lives and played with the children, creating a harmonious and joyful atmosphere. Jin Zhao was also very happy; she had always loved her aunt since she was little.

However, my aunt's family didn't stay long. They chatted together for a while in the afternoon before continuing their journey.

The storm came that evening.

It must have been late at night when Jin Zhao was half asleep when she was woken up by noises outside. She heard Jin Wenhui calling for her grandparents, and Aunt Niu was also hurriedly packing things up. It seemed that she had woken up her younger brother, and the baby's cries were loud.

She struggled to get out of bed to check on things, and when she opened the door, Jin Wenhui, Lin Yao, and her grandmother had just left. In the living room, Aunt Niu was holding and comforting a child, while her grandfather sat on the sofa, looking very serious.

"What's wrong?" Jin Zhao stepped forward and asked softly.

Aunt Niu glanced at her, said nothing, and then carried the child back to her room.

Grandpa said, "It's okay, go back to sleep."

Later, Jin Zhao also couldn't fall asleep.

That night, a strong wind was blowing outside, and the wind howled and wailed as it rushed between the buildings.

Jin Wenhui and Lin Yao had not returned by dawn.

The cleaning ladies in the neighborhood started sweeping the yard, and soon, groups of elderly women came out to walk their dogs and stroll in the community garden. Occasionally, they would wander around downstairs from Jinzhao Building, and the sounds of their chatter drifted into her room.

Which family's son got into a relationship, and the girl demanded a huge dowry, so the relationship ended? Which family's mother-in-law and daughter-in-law don't get along, and the mother-in-law takes care of her grandson but not her grandchildren? And which family's son graduated from university but doesn't look for a job, spending all his time playing on his phone at home? It's all thanks to that girl across the hall who's so bright and academically gifted, in the top class of the affiliated high school, she'll definitely get into a top university like a 985...

Jin Zhao fell asleep amidst their gossip.

I was later woken up by the sound of police sirens.

Lin Yao called the police.

Last night, Lin Yao experienced bleeding and was rushed to the hospital, but the pregnancy ended in miscarriage.

Lin Yao couldn't accept this reality and cried in the hospital. She asked the doctor, but the doctor couldn't explain the cause; it was simply a miscarriage. Lin Yao spent the whole morning reflecting in her hospital bed. Suddenly, she remembered Jin Zhao, who had been constantly going into the kitchen the day before. She concluded that Jin Zhao had put something in the soup that caused her to miscarry and resolutely called the police.

That was the first time Jin Zhao had ever ridden in a police car.

She went to the police station to give a statement, and the police investigated and collected evidence. This process shouldn't have been difficult. Everyone drank the chicken soup yesterday, and everyone was fine. If Jin Zhao had drugged her, it wouldn't have targeted anyone specifically. But Lin Yao insisted that she ate the baby food her younger brother refused to eat yesterday, and that the food had been kept warm in the kitchen. She accused Jin Zhao of putting the drug in the baby food, claiming that she originally intended to poison her brother, but he didn't eat the food, so Lin Yao ate it for him.

This is a bit tricky. Lin Yao's logic is a mix of coincidences, much like a flawless abortion plot in a palace drama. But the most crucial point is that she has no evidence, and the police don't have an omniscient perspective.

Since he was presumed innocent, Jin Zhao returned home quickly that same day.

Lin Yao stayed in the hospital for three days.

Jin Zhao felt very wronged for the past three days.

She hadn't done anything wrong, yet the police came knocking on her door. And it all started because she ate too much and went into the kitchen a few extra times.

How absurd! It's her home, yet she can't even enter the kitchen.

Grandma told her that Lin Yao was crying and shouting in the hospital, and hoped that she could understand a mother who had lost her child, and not hold it against Lin Yao, nor blame Jin Wenhui for not stopping her from calling the police.

Jin Zhao nodded. Even after suffering such an injustice, although she couldn't prove she had done it, she also couldn't prove she hadn't. She was so sad; she wanted to cry and scream. And she was just a high school student.

She endured her grievances and planned to have a proper conversation with Lin Yao after she was discharged from the hospital and returned home, so that she would know that she really hadn't done anything.

There are many reasons for miscarriage. You can't blame her just because she was superfluous. She can't bear the responsibility of losing someone else's life.

But Lin Yao didn't give her a chance.

Lin Yao somehow got to know Ji Haoxuan's mother. During her miscarriage, Ji Haoxuan's mother visited her at the hospital every day, and the two became very close, their friendship blossoming from adversity. Ji Haoxuan's mother showed Lin Yao her discussion thread about Luo Shen on the affiliated high school forum, and "casually" mentioned to Lin Yao the origin of Jin Zhao's silk dress adorned with feathers.

The final piece of the high-end fashion show was bought by a mysterious man before the show and given to Jin Zhao, just so she could wear it to an ordinary campus arts festival.

A sixteen-year-old high school girl, wearing an expensive designer dress. —Whether it was outdated thinking ten years ago or the inherent prejudice against girls in society has never changed, they so hastily and confidently linked the present era to some sordid and shady transaction between men and women.

When the news from Ji Haoxuan's mother reached Jin Wenhui, the father, through Lin Yao, the Jin family was plunged into a real storm.

Jin Wenhui was furious and asked Jin Zhao if her family was lacking food or clothing, so that she would be so shameless, flirting with a male classmate and having someone bring her breakfast, all for a dress... all for a breakfast and a dress!

Jin Zhao, suppressing her grievances, explained gently that Meng Yanxi had eaten the breakfast, and later Ji Haoxuan's mother had gotten 3,000 yuan back from Meng Yanxi. This incident was captured on camera by a classmate and is still posted on the affiliated high school forum. As for the skirt, it was a dance skirt, provided by Meng Yanxi. Every girl in the class who dances has one, not just her; she can ask her.

With tears in her eyes, Jin Zhao said that she didn't know the dress was so expensive, and that she would return it to Meng Yanxi when school started.

Jin Wenhui didn't say anything more.

Jin Zhao originally thought that this matter was over, just like many other things in the past that weren't really that big of a deal. Although it felt like it was suffocating her when it happened, as long as she endured it, she could get through it without any problems. And once she got through it and looked back, it wasn't really a big deal.

However, what she didn't expect was that after a night of reflection, Jin Wenhui would drop a devastating bomb on her life.

The next day, Jin Wenhui, seemingly open-minded, spoke with her, telling her that he and Lin Yao had discussed it the previous night and that it wasn't really her fault. After all, she was still young and didn't understand the harsh realities of the world. As parents, they should protect her even more. Therefore, they decided to transfer Jin Zhao to the No. 9 Middle School near their home, making it easier for the family to take care of her.

Before that day, Jin Zhao hadn't raised her voice to Jin Wenhui for many, many years—no, not just to Jin Wenhui, but to anyone in many, many years. But on that day, hearing that she was about to be transferred to No. 9 Middle School, Jin Zhao felt as if she had watched an utterly absurd drama.

She tried her best to control her emotions and asked in return, "Is it difficult to transfer from the Affiliated High School to the Ninth High School?"

Jin Wenhui thought she was giving in and said, "It's not difficult, it's very easy."

Jin Zhao sneered: "Of course, Sui Da Affiliated High School is the best high school in the province. It would be easy for me to transfer from Class A of the affiliated high school to anywhere, let alone a bunch of slackers like No. 9 High School. Dad, have you really not considered at all what kind of future I would have if I went to such a school?"

Jin Wenhui frowned: "If you are truly excellent enough, how can external circumstances affect you?"

“External environment…it seems you are aware of what No. 9 Middle School is like.” Jin Zhao was finally stung, her voice rising, her eyes red as she loudly questioned Jin Wenhui, “If the environment really doesn’t matter, why did Mencius’ mother move three times? Even Mencius needed a supportive environment, let alone someone as mediocre as me!”

Jin Wenhui's patriarchal mindset was immediately aroused, and he retorted in a louder voice: "It's better to be at No. 9 Middle School than to embarrass yourself at the Affiliated Middle School!"

Jin Zhao retorted loudly, "Am I the one who has embarrassed myself, or is someone just jealous of my success?!"

"Hello?" Jin Wenhui said sarcastically. "What's so good about you? You think you're good because you attracted a bunch of shady characters? Do you think Meng Yanxi is a good person? He's nothing but a spoiled brat protected by a few stinking bastards in the Meng family! At such a young age, he's resorted to any means to fight for the family fortune, breaking up his father's marriage and preventing him from remarrying. Did Meng Yanxi teach you to poison your aunt's soup?"

Jin Wenhui: "What good can come of you sitting next to someone like that! You might not do as well academically in high school, but at least your hands will be clean, and you can live an honest and upright life!"

Jin Zhao stared blankly at Jin Wenhui. She suddenly felt that this Jin Wenhui was so unfamiliar. So unfamiliar that even though the police had reached a conclusion, in his mouth, in this father's mouth, she was still the murderer; he insisted on it. And Jin Zhao didn't even know if his insistence stemmed from his genuine belief, or simply from a desire for family harmony, and whether he had once again aligned himself with his new wife!

They even shamelessly convicted Meng Yanxi with just a few words.

Jin Zhao suddenly laughed.

She had always envied Meng Yanxi and her brother for having a loving father like Meng Shixu. But now she understood that someone like Jin Wenhui would never understand why Meng Shixu loved Meng Yanxi and her brother so much.

It was only at this moment that she realized she wasn't a good girl at heart; she was full of ambition. She could tolerate all those things before, only because they hadn't touched what she truly cared about. Only her future; her only concern was her own future!

Transferring to No. 9 Middle School would definitely affect her future, and she would never accept that!

This provoked her fiercest resistance.

She ruthlessly tore apart all the facades of peace and tranquility that had been put on before.

With red eyes, she looked at Jin Wenhui: "Back when I was in junior high, you and Auntie told me that the family didn't have that much money. We couldn't be like other kids who could have both. If I wanted to continue dancing, you said you wouldn't spend money to get me into a good high school, so I could focus on being an arts student. I had to choose between dancing and academics, and I chose academics without hesitation. Dad, do you know why? It wasn't because I loved studying so much, nor because I thought choosing studying would lead to a better future! It was because I knew that only by choosing studying could I have more control! If I gave up a good high school and chose dancing, with such high costs, you would regret it sooner or later. Once an arts student loses the support of their family, they will lose both their outstanding dance skills and the ability to fight for the college entrance exam with their backs against the wall! But being a regular student is very different. It costs less. Although it seems more difficult for me, in a high school where scores matter, as long as my scores are high enough, no one can pull me down from the A class!"

"Dad, do you really think I can't guess what happened? Ji Haoxuan's mother thinks I'm the reason he got last place. She wants me to leave Class A so as not to interfere with her son's chances of getting into Tsinghua or Peking University. To that end, she's been trying to get involved with Lin Yao. Lin Yao and Ji Haoxuan are mutually benefiting, and she's been urging you to transfer me to another school, which I can understand. What I can't understand is, Dad, you're my father! I worked so hard to get into this high school, and I went all the way from the regular class to the experimental class, and then to Class A. In the end, you're telling me to give way to someone else's son! Did I cause Ji Haoxuan to get last place? He's capable of keeping himself in Class A! I'll say it again, no one can pull me down from Class A! Unless you go and get the principal to re-rank the students!"

"Smack!"

That day was the most intense argument the father and daughter had ever had in all these years, and it ended with Jin Wenhui's slap.

Later, as Jin Zhao watched Jin Wenhui leave indignantly, he calmly reminded him, "Dad, if you're not afraid of being gossiped about, then go ahead and transfer me from Class A of the Affiliated High School to No. 9 Middle School."

Later, when Jin Wenhui went to the school to handle the procedures for Jin Zhao, Chen Shu asked him about it. Sure enough, he didn't mention transferring schools at all, but said he was going abroad.

From his perspective, this decision was the result of multiple factors. While it couldn't be proven that Jin Zhao was responsible for his wife's miscarriage, it also couldn't be proven that she wasn't. Furthermore, she had a classmate like Meng Yanxi, who was ruthless and unscrupulous. As the saying goes, "One is influenced by one's company," and it's possible that Meng Yanxi taught her some ruthless methods. This was naturally the primary reason. Also, Jin Zhao's summer vacation started on July 9th, but she didn't tell her family that day and went out as usual. Where did she go? Was she with Meng Yanxi? Jin Zhao's ambiguous relationship with Meng Yanxi, coupled with Lin Yao's encouragement, all solidified Jin Wenhui's determination to transfer Jin Zhao to a different school.

People tend to subconsciously add filters to their own image, which led Jin Wenhui to believe that his public statement that he sent Jin Zhao abroad was not because his decision was wrong, nor because he was afraid of being criticized, but simply a well-intentioned lie to avoid complications.

Moreover, No. 9 Middle School is indeed close to home, just across the street, which makes it convenient for family members to look after Gu Jinzhao.

He had added such a thick filter to his own image that he couldn't understand Jin Zhao's desperate resistance at all costs. In order to avoid entering the Ninth Middle School, Jin Zhao even sought out his aunt and uncle who were on a trip.

It was only at this time that Aunt Jin Wenyi heard about Lin Yao's miscarriage. She blamed herself for bringing food that day and was even less convinced that Jin Zhao would poison her.

Jin Wenyi and her brother Jin Wenhui had a long private talk, and Jin Zhao finally learned Meng Yanxi's ruthless methods. While Jin Wenhui and Jin Wenyi were talking, Jin Zhao sat alone in the garden in the central courtyard of the community, shedding tears.

Sure enough, she quickly attracted the attention of the elderly people taking a walk in the neighborhood, who asked her with concern why she was crying.

Jin Zhao tearfully said that she was wrongly accused of causing her stepmother's miscarriage. She had given birth to her younger brother less than a year ago, and her uterus had not yet recovered. The police had also come to investigate, but her father and stepmother insisted that she was the murderer and wanted to transfer her from the Affiliated Middle School Class A to the Ninth Middle School.

One characteristic of older residential areas is that neighbors generally know each other's situation well.

Jin Zhao also thought that she would not be able to stand the gossip and criticism behind her back because of the police coming to her door after being wrongly accused. Unexpectedly, Jin Wenhui and Lin Yao were the first to break down.

Amidst the gossip that a stepmother means a stepfather, Jin Wenhui finally lost the tug-of-war over transferring schools, but Jin Zhao didn't win either. She didn't have to go to No. 9 Middle School, but she also couldn't stay at Suiyi Middle School anymore.

Jin Wenhui pointed at her: "I'm so disappointed in you. I've raised you for so many years, and all I've raised is such an ungrateful wretch who will do anything. Fine, since this family is causing you so much pain, and you've had to seek help from outsiders, then we'll grant your wish. You can go to the neighboring city with your aunt from now on. I hope you'll take care of yourself."

As an outsider, Jin Wenyi couldn't accept this outcome. From her perspective, she came here to resolve the conflict between Jin Wenhui and his daughter, even if it was because she chose the wrong chicken that caused Lin Yao's miscarriage. But if she took Jin Zhao away, it would only exacerbate the conflict between father and daughter, and they would become strangers from then on. She couldn't bear such a responsibility.

Jin Wenyi tried to mediate, but Jin Zhao, with red eyes, said, "Okay."

She looked at Jin Wenyi pleadingly: "Auntie, I heard that the No. 1 Middle School in the neighboring city is the second best high school after the affiliated high school. You can help me with the enrollment procedures. I will live on campus from now on. I don't need you to pay my tuition and living expenses. My mother probably expected this day to come. She left me a sum of money in the bank, enough to support me until I graduate from university."

"Why is this child saying such hurtful things?" Jin Wenyi said helplessly.

In the end, because the argument had become too heated and neither the father nor the daughter would back down, the grandparents also thought that it would be best for Jin Zhao to go back to Jin Wenyi for the time being so that the father and daughter could calm down and make a more careful decision later. So Jin Wenyi took Jin Zhao back to the neighboring city.

The start of the new school year was fast approaching, but Jin Zhao did not get to return to the affiliated high school. Instead, he received news that Jin Wenhui's family was moving.

Jin Zhao had always known that Jin Wenhui and Lin Yao had bought another house outside, which had been renovated a year ago, but they had never taken her to see it. She never expected that it would come in handy at a crucial moment.

Although Jin Wenhui and Lin Yao's quick move caused a lot of gossip among the elderly residents of the neighborhood, they had already decided to ignore it by then.

Jin Wenhui called Jin Wenyi and asked her to take Jin Zhao back to move her things out, as the house would be sold later.

It was precisely because of their hasty relocation that Meng Yanxi waited outside the community several times afterward, but never saw Jin Zhao or anyone from the Jin family.

Later, he found Jin Zhao's home phone number in Chen Shu's office, but no one answered when he called.

Jin Zhao went back to move his things in August, by which time the affiliated junior high school had already started.

That day, Jin Wenyi drove her home. Besides clothes, there were also many old books and homework assignments from elementary and middle school, none of which were needed and couldn't be taken with her, so Jin Wenyi called a scrap collector to come. Jin Zhao squatted on the ground sorting through the clothes, and when she saw the silk dress with feathers, she was momentarily stunned.

The sun blazed fiercely outside the window, and the cicadas chirped incessantly.

The landline in the living room rang at that moment. Jin Wenyi was giving directions to the scrap collector on her phone and was asked to answer the call.

"Hello."

Meng Yanxi dialed the number casually during the break between classes without even realizing it. By the time he realized it, the dial tone had already rung several times.

No one answered the phone, and he found his behavior rather amusing. Just as he was about to hang up, the call was answered.

A soft, quiet voice entered my ears.

Meng Yanxi stood up abruptly.

The next second, ignoring the school bell ringing at the same time, he went against the flow of people out of the back door, took a few steps upstairs, opened the dark fire door, and walked to the rooftop.

Under the blazing sun, the young man stood there, his voice scorching: "It is I, Meng Yanxi."

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Author's Note: I'm afraid you'll complain if I split this into two chapters, so I'll keep writing until 3:30 AM for this chapter, combining two parts!