With Teacher Li leading him, Shen Duzhou returned to the examination room.
After a full day of mock exams, by the time the bell rang to signal the end of the last session, the sun outside the window was already setting in the west.
Shen Duzhou packed up his stationery, walked straight out of the school gate, and didn't look back at the corner where he was being punished. He headed directly to the bus stop.
In the past ten years, S City has undergone tremendous changes, and the city has continued to expand outwards.
The military dependents' area, which used to feel remote and like another world, has now become a suburb of S City, with bus service making it much more convenient to travel to and from.
It was rush hour, and the platform was packed with people.
Just as Chen Duzhou reached the end of the line, he heard a panting voice behind him: "Chen Duzhou! Zhouzhou! Wait for me!"
She turned around and saw Jiang Xiangyang running towards her, covered in sweat and grinning.
"Don't squeeze onto the bus! My mom's picking me up in her car, it's on her way, let's go home together! This bus is so crowded, it's like a can of food, it's awful!"
Shen Duzhou raised an eyebrow and said in a nonchalant tone, "Oh, you even have a private car to pick you up and drop you off. Are you quite proud of yourself?"
She knew, of course, why Aunt Deng Cuixiang had come; it was most likely because the teacher had informed the parents about the punishment of standing in the corner.
But looking at Jiang Xiangyang's grinning face, he showed no sign of remorse whatsoever.
Jiang Xiangyang chuckled, didn't reply, and casually pulled the backpack off Chen Duzhou's shoulder and slung it over his own.
A tall, strong young man stood out conspicuously with a light pink women's backpack swaying on his back.
This scene was witnessed by several familiar faces from the military dependents' area who were also waiting for the bus.
It was none other than Xiao Fengxian, Li Jiajia, and Qiu Simeng.
They were a year younger than Chen Duzhou and her classmates, and were in their second year of high school at another school. They were also preparing to take the bus home.
"Brother Xiangyang! Wait for us!"
"Exactly! Give us a ride too! We don't want to squeeze onto the bus!"
Xiao Fengxian and Li Jiajia immediately surrounded them.
Jiang Xiangyang ignored the two girls who were giving him flirtatious glances and waved his hand impatiently.
"Go away, take the bus yourself, don't cause trouble here!"
Qiu Simeng, however, was quick-witted. She turned and snuggled up to Chen Duzhou, pulling on her arm and acting coquettishly.
"Sister Zhouzhou~ You're the best, please put in a good word for us!"
Seeing Qiu Simeng's pitiful appearance, Shen Duzhou finally softened and nodded gently.
Finally, the group squeezed together into the brand-new white Santana that Deng Cuixiang had driven.
Ten years have passed, and Deng Cuixiang is no longer the small vendor in the vegetable market. Her pickle workshop has developed into a well-established pickle factory, and this car is proof of her success.
The car suddenly became lively.
The little girls chattered away, and the conversation quickly turned to the future.
"Sister Duzhou, I heard you came in third in the city in the last mock exam! That's amazing! You're definitely going to go to university in Beijing, right?"
"Xiangyang, what about you? Which school are you planning to apply to?"
The youngest, Qiu Simeng, looked like a little adult, glancing at Chen Duzhou and Jiang Xiangyang, who were squeezed in the middle of them, and said with a grin:
"What do you know! Sister Duzhou and Brother Xiangyang are childhood sweethearts, they're definitely going to Beijing together! My sister Qiu Dameng is a teacher in Beijing, I miss her so much!"
Hearing this, Deng Cuixiang, who was driving, smiled and glanced at the mirror:
"What does this little girl know? Don't make a fuss! Your Xiangyang's grades are miles behind; he can't go to Beijing!"
Upon hearing this, Jiang Xiangyang, who was squeezed to the very edge and leaning against the car window, stubbornly stuck out his neck in protest:
"Mom! Why are you so narrow-minded? Who said I can't go to Beijing? I'm definitely going to apply to Peking University as my first choice!"
Deng Cuixiang didn't take it seriously at all, and teased her with a smile:
"Peking University? You? You think you can compare to your brother? If you can even get into a provincial sports school, I'll be burning incense every day!"
Deng Cuixiang always said this, and it used to be the hardest thing for Jiang Xiangyang to hear.
But ten years have passed, and he no longer cares. He stuck out his tongue, too lazy to argue anymore.
Chen Duzhou listened quietly, his gaze fixed on the traffic flowing by outside the car window, his teeth unconsciously biting his lower lip lightly.
After a brief moment of lively conversation in the car, Deng Cuixiang seemed to suddenly remember something. As she turned the steering wheel and entered the military dependents' area, she said to Chen Duzhou in the back seat:
"By the way, Zhouzhou, isn't today your grandma's birthday? Your Aunt Qiqi specially came back from Milan. Her flight is this afternoon, and your third uncle picked her up from the station. Your eldest uncle and aunt are also here. It's quite lively at home right now, with everyone helping out. It's a bit chaotic. If you have a lot of homework, why don't you go to your aunt's house to do it? It'll be quieter there."
Ten years have passed in the blink of an eye, and the changes have been earth-shattering.
Deng Cuixiang's pickle stall has long since become a well-known pickle factory, and Zhou Qiqi's first clothing factory, which she contracted back then, has long since shed its state-owned shell and been wholly acquired by her.
That Spring Festival, the "Seven" brand clothing became a hit across the country. Later, it was invited to participate in the Canton Fair and became the first clothing brand to export overseas, gaining great fame.
Today, "Seven" is a top international brand, yet it has always maintained a people-friendly approach, firmly holding the top position among domestic clothing brands.
Zhou Qiqi has become a household name as a top designer, constantly flying around and never having a moment to rest.
Shen Duzhou hadn't seen his aunt for over a month and really missed her.
The two elders of the Shen family still live in the original courtyard, but the courtyard has long since been expanded to three stories.
After several expansions of the military dependents' area, the Qiu family, who originally lived next door, moved to a courtyard that complied with the new regulations, while the old house next door was allocated to the Shen family.
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