Chapter 44
Pei Ze was chopping meat while Zhong Miao was washing the newly bought dishes. Both husband and wife were concentrating on the work at hand, and it actually felt like they were a young couple living together.
In the house, the old father and mother were teasing their grandson, teaching him what a refrigerator is, and watching TV with the child.
An An was so busy that he was overwhelmed by the car, new home, TV, refrigerator, and snacks and soda prepared by his grandfather. He was the most handsome boy among all his friends today, and he was so happy that he was bubbling with happiness.
During dinner, the family watched black and white TV, enjoying the freshness that was completely different from life in the village. They laughed and talked constantly, and were full of expectations for their future life.
Zhong Miao was going to take an exam, so of course she and Pei Ze lived in the best room. Her mother-in-law and An An lived in the room next door, and her old father lived in a room by himself.
Zhong Miao did not refuse. She would not let her family down.
The only drawback of this house is that it takes a few minutes to walk outside to use the toilet. Fortunately, it is not too close to the public toilet, so there is no smell at home.
The public toilet in the alley is a dry toilet, with dozens of households using one. The conditions are even worse than those in the village. We will have to change the water supply and drainage system and separate a toilet in the future.
Pei Ze was thoughtful and worried that An An would ask to go to the toilet in the middle of the night and his old mother would have to take the child out in the dark, so he specially prepared a spittoon for him and even made something to cover it with a lid. He could just go to the public toilet to empty it in the morning.
"Can't sleep?" After turning off the lights, Pei Ze coaxed Zhong Miao for a long time but she still couldn't fall asleep. She had to take the exam tomorrow and had to sleep.
She also wanted to go to bed early, but she just couldn't fall asleep.
"Yeah, I can't sleep."
She felt very uncomfortable. The people around her, her father, her mother-in-law, Pei Ze, and even An An, were all really kind to her.
But what can she get in return? Is she just a leech? Or is she just a leech?
Her biological father loves her because of his responsibility and emotional support. They are the closest people to each other, but her father will also get tired and grow old. Since she entered the book, she has not earned a penny and has not paid much. Not only did her mother-in-law and Pei Ze not despise her for being greedy and spending money, they also wanted to pass the ancestral property to her.
She doesn't want to be a daddy's boy anymore. She can rely on her father, but she can't let him worry about her forever. She can rely on her mother-in-law, but she can't rest assured and let her mother-in-law take care of her forever.
And Pei Ze, their relationship is close. Although his efforts were not initiated by her, nor begged by her, she is indeed the beneficiary. What should she give in return?
Even if it was An An, that cute little guy with such pure feelings, who couldn't hide his love and intimacy for her, the child called her mom, but she herself was still a daddy's boy, how could she be worthy of being a mom?
They warmed her heart, but also made her feel distressed.
But she didn't think she was wrong. She was true to her heart. The college entrance examination was what she should do, but she just felt like something was missing.
Zhong Miao hadn't realized that she was being too stubborn. It was her gentle, sensitive and transparent nature that invisibly brought warmth and care to those around her. It was very easy and pleasant to get along with her, and it also attracted people around her to approach her and care for her.
During their time together, she received sincere love from her family, and she also gave it back sincerely.
She has always been living a good life. The ability to express emotions is something she possesses instinctively, and everyone around her can feel it.
"My dear wife, what are you thinking about that can't make you sleep?" Pei Ze's voice was low and hoarse, his pair of black eyes were filled with tenderness, shrouded in darkness.
"You've all been so good to me. In comparison, I seem quite selfish and a bit of a burden. Uh, only a little, not much, but I don't think I'm not good enough. I'm pretty good the way I am. It's quite contradictory."
Pei Ze's eyes sparkled. How could his wife be so cute and lovable? How did he meet such a good girl?
His palms were warm as he gently caressed her soft cheeks, and with care and reverence, he placed a burning kiss on her forehead.
Zhong Miao seemed to be a little burned. This feeling was different from the usual intimacy, as if he had left some kind of mark on her forehead. Her heart seemed to be affected by this heat, warm and full.
Pei Ze buried his head in her hair, sniffing her fragrance and chuckling.
His chest vibrated with his laughter, and Zhong Miao could feel his joy, but she didn't know why. What was there to be happy about?
"Wife, honey, so many people like you and treat you well, that proves that you are really good, especially good, good in every way."
"What? Are you sure?" Zhong Miao didn't think he was that good.
"I'm sure, love isn't about comparison. Perhaps, you've given us far more than you know. No matter how good I am to you, I still feel it's not enough."
He had completely fallen for her a long time ago and didn't want to run away. He just wanted to stay with her and be together forever.
"Yeah, I feel relieved when you say that. I will be better too."
"Of course, you, me, our mom, dad, and An An will all be better. Go to sleep, I'll be with you."
"Yeah, hug me." Zhong Miao snuggled into his arms and closed her eyes.
Pei Ze's heart was kneaded and squeezed by his beloved wife until it became as soft as a puddle of water.
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The car was driving at a constant speed. Zhong Miao could see from a distance that a large group of people were gathered at the entrance of Qingmei. Most of them were candidates carrying drawing boards and painting materials, and there were also some parents.
Pei Ze parked the car a little distance away from the crowd. The exam started at 9 o'clock and he would enter the examination room at 8:30, so there was still some time.
"Wife, why am I more nervous than you?"
Pei Ze was not nervous when he took the college entrance examination. He did not regard the college entrance examination as a stepping stone to change his destiny. If he passed the exam, there was a way to live, and if he failed, there were ways to avoid the exam.
But when it was Zhong Miao's turn, his mentality was completely different. He wasn't worried, but he was a little nervous.
"Why should I be nervous? I'm sure I'll pass the exam. There's nothing to be nervous about." Zhong Miao patted Pei Ze's hand. She found that she loved him more and more.
"Well, you're right. My wife will definitely pass the exam. Check the admission ticket again."
"Okay." Zhong Miao took out two documents from his coat and handed them to him.
This morning, my mother-in-law checked her, my father checked her, and Pei Ze checked her. Even if she had obsessive-compulsive disorder, she should be cured.
Pei Ze finished reading it and stared at her as she put the ID back into her pocket.
Outside the car window, the candidates were carrying their painting materials and preparing. Some were chatting in groups of three or four, while some were simply sitting on the ground against the wall, squinting their eyes to rest. Occasionally, there were a few parents accompanying their children to take the exam, but not many.
This is completely different from the feeling of school exams and college entrance exams in the previous life. In the previous life, whether it was school exams or college entrance exams, there were very few parents who did not accompany their children to take the exams.
At this time, there will be many out-of-town candidates taking the school entrance examination. They come to Qingzhou City from neighboring cities and surrounding towns. Those who are farther away have to take trains across provinces and cities to take the school entrance examination. Those with limited family conditions and parents who have no time will not be able to accompany their children to take the examination.
"How can I be so lucky? I can even be picked up and dropped off by car."
Zhong Miao thought about her last art joint exam. Her father accompanied her throughout the whole process, and his luxury car provided pick-up and drop-off. Food, drinks, and hotels were all booked long ago. She really didn't have to worry about anything at all.
Unexpectedly, she would receive such treatment after living her life again. Although the conditions were not as good as those decades later, she was still arranged clearly. The only difference was that her old father went to work in the factory because he did not have a driver's license, and this time Pei Ze accompanied him throughout the test.
My mother-in-law was afraid that there would be too many people in the nearby restaurants at noon, so she prepared lunch for them and put it in the thermos bucket that Pei Ze had just bought so that she could eat hot food at noon. I have to say that Pei Ze is really thoughtful. If he wants to be nice to someone, he will definitely make arrangements for it.
When she left the house, she also received a kiss from An An and a small note with the words written in childish handwriting: Mom will definitely be able to get into college.
"Of course. Your situation is of paramount importance to our family, but don't feel pressured. Everyone cares about you; your grades are secondary."
"Yeah, don't worry, I'm fine. I won't be nervous." Why should she be nervous? Let's not talk about the cultural subjects for now. As for the professional courses, it's not an exaggeration to say that it's a dimensionality reduction attack.
"Okay, just don't be nervous."
"Pei Ze, after the school exam, you can help me with physics. I'm fine with the other subjects. Art students don't need to take math because it's not counted in their scores. But I'm always a little bit behind in physics."
"That's all I can say, but I'm busy lately. Going back would take up too much time. How about you move to the city first? That way I can help you with your studies at night, and you can study peacefully during the day without An An bothering you."
"Well, that's fine." Zhong Miao was reluctant to leave her mother-in-law, but she had to prioritize the college entrance examination.
"After you finish your exams, come home and stay for a while. I'll ask a worker to connect the water pipes and fix the toilet, and then I'll come home to pick you up."
"It's okay if I don't do it, I can overcome it."
"No, there's not even a street light over there at night, and the public restroom is too far away. Just be good and obey."
"Well, then I'll listen to you."
The candidates began to enter the examination room. Zhong Miao got off the car, and Pei Ze got off to help her carry the drawing board, holding her pencils and drawing materials in his hands, and sent her to the school gate.
"Give it to me. I'm going in." Zhong Miao took the bag from his hand and patted his shoulder. "Wait for good news from me. I'm leaving."
Pei Ze's eyes softened as he watched Zhong Miao gradually disappear into the crowd.
After entering the examination room, the candidates sat down according to the numbers on their admission tickets, one by one, adjusting their positions around the plaster statue.
The sketching exam required her to draw a plaster statue. The statue was of an old man named Marseille. It was not as beautiful as the Apollo she had drawn before, but its structure was more prominent.
She painted from the age of six to twenty-six, and she had already painted these things to death, and had already got the hang of them.
"Classmate, how long have you been learning painting?" The boy next to him was an active one, chatting with others the whole time. He turned around and noticed Zhong Miao next to him. He was attracted by her beauty and took the initiative to start a conversation.
"It's been many years." Zhong Miao smiled back at him.
The boy was about eighteen or nineteen years old. He was dazzled by Zhong Miao's smile and started chatting with her enthusiastically. Unfortunately, the exam started before they could say a few words.
Although Zhong Miao did not recognize the invigilator this time, he was also a famous senior in his previous life. Zhong Miao glanced at the teacher twice, without thinking much, and focused on his own painting.
After an hour, the picture was finalized, with an accurate structure and grand yet not dirty. After two hours, the relationship between light and dark was vividly displayed on the paper, and the picture was delicate, laying a good foundation for the subsequent detailed depiction.
During this period, the invigilator stopped behind her many times, but she was drawing so seriously that she didn't notice.
However, the boy next to her would look at her painting from time to time, and then there would be the sound of an eraser hitting the drawing board, the sound of him throwing things, and occasionally he would sigh.
Zhong Miao didn't care about these things at all. Her paintings could be seen by anyone, and these things could not be copied.
The person next door was just curious about what her painting looked like. Artists would not be so naive as to copy homework. Some works would be useless even if they were put there for people to see for months, years or even a lifetime. If they couldn't draw it, they couldn't draw it, let alone in just three hours.
Real ability is to break down and absorb what you see and learn, even if it is just a small part, and make it your own. This requires time and energy to accumulate and digest.
If you have accumulated enough knowledge and then see certain works, you will understand them immediately, but it cannot be separated from your own cognition.
Maybe his paintings were too different from Zhong Miao's, which affected his mentality.
In the last hour, Zhong Miao was depicting the details. By the time she handed in the paper, she had already produced a beautiful work. The invigilator looked at the painting, then looked at Zhong Miao again, his eyes full of admiration.
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