Time flies, and soon it was time for Chang Shuying to participate in the competition.
During that time, Chang Shuying would rush to the cultural center to study with Director Ning every day after school. On Sundays, she would study from morning till night without rest. The two of them, one big and one small, were full of energy and high spirits every day.
After work, Zhou Hongyu has to stay at the cultural center until closing time before she can pick up her daughter.
Because they always got back very late, Zhou Hongyu took Chang Shuying back to her parents' home to stay, as her in-laws had a lot of things to take care of and couldn't look after them for the time being.
When Granny Zhou heard that her daughter had changed jobs to work near their home and that her granddaughter was also learning to paint at her new workplace, her face lit up with a smile. She no longer had that look of disdain she used to have, and every day she would sit on a stool outside on the road waiting for them to come home.
The first floor of the small villa is about to be completed, and we are just waiting to choose an auspicious day to raise the roof beam and complete the roof.
Zhou Hongyu planned to finish renovating the two or three rooms on the first floor before the snowfall, so that they could move in.
When Director Ning learned that she and her daughter were staying at her parents' home because of this, she comforted her, saying that welfare housing would be built in the vicinity soon, and the cultural center would also be included. She assured her that as long as she worked hard in the future, she would definitely apply for it for her!
Zhou Hongyu turned around and spat, "This pie in the sky is too big and too round!"
On the day of the competition, Zhou Hongyu took Chang Meiying to the competition and cheered her on.
Chang Shuying was on edge from the moment she woke up in the morning. After Director Ning's encouragement, she no longer doubted her abilities, but the thought that this would be the first time she would present herself to her mother made her incredibly nervous.
"Shuying—"
The tall and handsome man stood out from the crowd. Wen Suiyang spotted Chang Shuying in the throng and walked towards them from a distance.
At the same moment, Cai Qi'er heard a familiar voice and immediately shook her head and looked around to find the owner of the voice.
Wen Suiyang greeted her and asked about Chang Shuying's learning progress with her new teacher these past few days.
Both were busy with their own things, and they only met briefly once during this period. They parted ways quickly without having a chance to say much. Wen Suiyang only knew that Chang Shuying was studying with an old man at the cultural center who was about the same age as his master.
Wen Suiyang couldn't help but feel a little worried. The older generation believed that the master was above all else and did not adhere to corporal punishment. Beating and scolding were common occurrences. Even though he was exceptionally talented back then, he was punished with many slaps on the palms.
He feared that Chang Shuying would be treated roughly by the new teacher, which would cause her to develop a dislike for painting.
Chang Shuying shook her head: "Teacher Wen, Grandpa Ning is a good teacher."
"Shuying, tell me the truth!" Wen Suiyang frowned. Shuying always described others well, and she rarely spoke ill of them. Moreover, the new teacher was from the older generation, so he couldn't help but worry.
He didn't want to say much about the older generation, but he was sure they were strict teachers who didn't smile, just like his master.
Chang Shuying insisted, stubbornly saying, "Grandpa Ning is a good teacher!"
What does Teacher Wen want to hear? She wants to hear her admit that Grandpa Ning wasn't a good teacher!
It's fake, but it's not real either; it's what it is.
In a corner where no one was watching, Chang Shuying was no longer controlled by certain people. She had her own ideas and knew right from wrong.
"Shuying, don't rush to refute me, I'm doing this all for your own good..."
"Teacher Wen, Jiang Jun has lost his exam admission ticket—"
Before he could finish speaking, the students Wen Suiyang brought were in a panic and frantically looked for their teacher due to the unexpected situation.
Wen Suiyang glanced in that direction, then looked away. He instructed, "Shuying, you should remember what your teacher said. Your teacher is someone you can trust. If you need anything, be sure to ask your teacher. I'm going to go help the other students now!"
"Yes, thank you, teacher!"
Chang Shuying secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
As long as Teacher Wen doesn't impose his own ideas on her, Chang Shuying still considers Teacher Wen to be a responsible and good teacher.
Before entering the examination room, Zhou Hongyu hugged the mischievous Chang Meiying, trapping her in her arms, and told Chang Shuying to check her things one last time.
After saying that, she couldn't help but pat Chang Meiying's little bottom.
The little guy was so excited about all the crowds today, he kept asking to come down and play with the other kids.
Even with her big heart, Zhou Hongyu wouldn't dare to do it again. She was afraid that if she let go, she would lose the little one and never find her again. She hadn't planned to bring the little one over, but someone suggested it, and Meiying insisted on coming.
"Chang Shuying, stop right there!"
Chang Shuying walked toward the inspection team when Cai Qier suddenly called her from behind. She turned around.
Cai Qier walked over aggressively and quickly stood in front of her.
Cai Qier raised her chin and said sarcastically, "Chang Shuying, didn't I tell you that all this fussing is just a waste of time!"
Chang Shuying frowned, about to voice her objection.
Seeing that something was wrong, Zhou Hongyu arrived just in time and shielded her behind her: "Little girl, where's your mother?"
Dealing with a little brat isn't satisfying; if you want to fight, you have to go to Cai's mother!
"Mommy—"
Soon, Cai's mother arrived and, seeing the murderous Zhou Hongyu, quickly pulled Cai Qi'er away.
Chang Meiying raised her little fist at them: "Bad guys have to get beaten up!"
Cai's mother glanced at Chang Shuying without saying a word. The child had subtly changed in the few days she hadn't seen her. She should have been timid, but she seemed to have victory in her grasp.
Thinking about how she had spent a lot of money hiring so-called famous teachers to guide her, but had not achieved the desired results, and that even she, an amateur, found Cai Qi'er's paintings unacceptable, she couldn't help but feel jealous of Chang Shuying's talent.
Chang Shuying came from an ordinary working-class family and should have worked honestly in the factory for her whole life. Such great talent should have been given to her daughter!
Cai's mother blurted out, "Mr. Chang Shuying, I don't think my daughter is wrong. Ordinary families like yours should be honest and diligent in their studies. If they have the ability, they should go to university and find a good job instead of wasting time learning these useless things. What's the use of being good at drawing? It can't put food on the table, right?"
She looked at Chang Shuying, who was being protected by Zhou Hongyu, with a malicious smile.
"Shuying, I heard from Qi'er that your grades aren't good. This can't go on. If you keep going like this, you won't get into university. There are so many unemployed young people on the streets these days. Will you be able to find a job after you graduate?"
Is this even a big deal?
Zhou Hongyu straightened her back. So what if she couldn't get into university or had a job? At least one floor of her five-story villa within the Third Ring Road would be allocated to Shuying in the future.
Even if Shuying only keeps one room on this floor and rents out the others, she can live a life of comfort and security as long as she doesn't do anything foolish.
Moreover, even though there was no villa in her dream and her house was a mess, although she was a bit of a loser, she eventually lived a life of comfort and ease after marrying a good man.
Of course, now that Zhou Hongyu is about to own a five-story villa within the Third Ring Road and has already accumulated five-figure savings, her daughter no longer needs to worry about basic needs.
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