Chapter 176 The Birth of the City's Top Scholar
After two days of travel, the car finally arrived in Jiangcheng. After getting off the car, Yunxia said goodbye to Li Chen, carried an oversized backpack and dragged her suitcase, and walked on the familiar streets.
"Hey, Xiaxia's back! I heard she went to Rongcheng for summer vacation. Did she broaden her horizons? Did she bring any gifts for the neighbors?"
"Oh, wishful thinking. People strive for higher positions, just as water flows downhill. Once she's successful and knows rich and powerful people, she won't remember the neighbors who fed her steamed buns."
"The world is going to the dogs, and people's hearts are no longer what they used to be. These days, who can remember a favor that's just a pittance? Besides... it happened many years ago!"
...
The street was filled with sarcastic remarks. Yun Xia forced a smile, but her feet kept moving. In no time, she fought her way through the crowd and returned to her own courtyard.
"Phew, the neighborhood committee is setting off firecrackers. Everyone's talking in a sarcastic or sarcastic tone, like they owe him (her) eight million."
"Oh! Little Butterfly, you're finally back! I missed you so much! Don't pay any attention to those sour grapes on Huaimin Street. They're just jealous because they can't have what they want!"
After saying that, the boy, whose husky personality kicked in, suddenly pounced over, grabbed the girl, and held her tightly in his arms, refusing to let go.
Suddenly, a pair of well-defined hands pulled her away, their brows furrowed, and they said unhappily, "How old are you? You don't know how to hold back. Look how tightly you've choked her. She can't even breathe. And Yunxia is already a young lady. You should know how to be respectful in your daily interactions."
Yunxia: ...What the hell is this sense of propriety?
"Alright, stop fooling around. What's with those gossipy women outside?"
Feng Jingling brushed someone's hand away and excitedly said, "He's just jealous. The college entrance exam scores are out, and A-Chao got... the top score in the city. Hehe, he can choose any of the top universities in the country, the kind that everyone's scrambling to get. The neighbors wanted to force him to do it, asking his godmother to throw a three-day feast for them, but A-Chao refused outright. He didn't get any benefits and got roasted. Plus, you did well on the exam too, so naturally he's incredibly jealous and is talking badly about people everywhere."
So what if I say it? I'll forget about it after a while. "What does it mean that I did well on the test?"
"The tenth in the city, the kind of school that top high schools are vying for!"
Tenth? Far exceeded expectations. It seems that cramming before the exam is quite effective!
"I... I don't need to think too much, I'll just go straight to high school. The better the high school, the stricter the management and the more oppressive the learning atmosphere. My young and fragile heart can't take it!"
"Hehe, your English is so good, even top international high schools are coming to you, and you're not going?"
"No way, I'll just go straight to university. Chinese is so profound, I haven't even mastered my own mother tongue yet, why bother learning some foreign language? Ugh, stop standing here like an idiot, it's so hot, I want to eat... a chilled watermelon!"
"Heh heh, that's all the ambition you've got!"
Although he was sharp-tongued, after returning to the house, he took a watermelon from the refrigerator, cut it up, and handed it to the girl.
This melon wasn't from the space's fertile fields; it was bought at the market. But it tasted pretty good, incredibly sweet. The girl ate three bites in a row, then patted her belly, turned around, and went back to her room to sleep.
Having not seen their owner for a long time, Xiao Hei and Xiao Bai missed him terribly. They jumped onto the bed, tilted their heads and stared at his face, meowing. Jiang Chao frowned, picked up the two cats and took them away, tapping their round heads and scolding, "If you wake Yun Xia up, I'll confiscate... half a month's worth of dried fish."
Upon hearing this, the two cats were in an uproar. The white cat rubbed its head against the person's palm, while the black cat bared its teeth and grumbled, as if it would reach out and scratch the person at any moment.
Feng Jingling stepped forward and hugged it tightly, covering its eyes. "What bad thoughts could a kitten possibly have? It just wants to eat dried fish. Ah Chao, don't be angry, we'll take it away now."
After saying that, he picked up the black cat that was kicking its limbs and ran into the side bedroom in a flash, closing the door behind him. Jiang Chao smiled contemptuously and stroked Xiaobai's chin, "Born from the same mother, how come your personalities are so different?"
Meow meow meow! Meow meow meow!
With its innocent big eyes blinking, Little White flicked its tail, slipped to the doorway, pried open a crack, and transformed into a cat, squeezing inside.
That evening, Wu Lifang led Jiang An back. Upon hearing that Yun Xia had returned, she circled around her, looking her over with concern, worried that she might have lost weight from hunger while away.
"Aunt Wu, I'm doing great! I haven't gained or lost weight, and I'm eating just the right amount!"
"You didn't even tell me you were coming back. Sigh, there's nothing good to eat at home!"
"Why be so formal among family? Simple home-cooked meals are fine. Look, here are the gifts I brought for you."
As she spoke, she pushed out her suitcase, opened it, and began distributing gifts: Aunt Wu received a dress and shawl; An An received paintbrushes and toys; Jiang Chao received an antique clock, a landscape painting, and a miniature claw machine.
"Little Butterfly, this gift is exactly what I wanted. Now I can play the claw machine at home!"
"Xiaxia, don't waste money. The fabric and style of this dress look expensive." Although she said this, her eyes were almost crescent-shaped with laughter, showing that she really liked it.
"Four-wheel drive, my favorite! Go go go! Tomorrow I'm going to have a showdown with Coal Ball! Go!" Jiang An said excitedly, holding the four-wheel drive car he had just taken apart.
"Heh heh, mine is the old one!"
"Hey, you stinky Jiang Chao, don't you know what's good for you? Is a new one still considered an antique clock? If you don't want it, give it back!"
After saying that, he reached out to snatch it, but the boy nimbly dodged to the side, tightly hugging the antique clock. "Hmph, I won't give it to you. It's so-so, but I'll take it for now."
Ugh, so stubborn. He likes it but doesn't dare admit it. I rolled my eyes at him, bent down, and continued distributing the gifts.
Next, it was Xiao Hei and Xiao Bai's turn. One cat happily received a row of dried fish, several cat toys, and feather toys. Upon seeing the feathers, the two cats' eyes lit up immediately, and they stopped eating the dried fish and had a great time playing with them.
"Okay, it's all sorted out. There are still some sausages and cured meat left, waiting for the courier to arrive."
"Sausages and cured meat, those are Rongcheng's specialties. We're in for a treat in the next few months! Oh, by the way, now that everyone's here, let's talk about college applications!"
Yun Xia, needless to say, simply chose direct admission. Feng Jingling went straight into the top domestic business school arranged by her family. Jiang Chao, however, faced a dilemma.
Jiangda University is a top university in China. Its advantage is that it is close to home, so he can come back to live on weekends or when he doesn't have classes. If there is an emergency at home, he can rush back immediately. The disadvantage is that the computer science major that Jiang Chao wants to apply for is newly established at Jiangda University and is not yet mature in all aspects. Rongda University, which is hundreds of miles away, has a very mature computer science major, but it is too far from home and the cost of living is also high.
“Ah Chao, if you really want to study, go to Rongda University. Your mother is here, so don’t worry. You won’t have to worry about living expenses. The supermarket business is booming, and the performance bonus is almost catching up with your salary.”
"That's right, Ah Chao, don't worry, I'll have the Feng family keep an eye on things. Don't forget my mother's goddaughter is living with the Jiang family!"
Rongcheng is far away, and Tianjin is even further away. But his parents were determined to make up their minds. The application had already been submitted and the files had been taken away. There was no room for maneuver. Fortunately, the boy was an optimist. If it were anyone else, they would have made a huge fuss.
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