Chapter 67 Going to School

When Qin Yue finally settled Wu Chunliu and Hu Fang, and came back, everyone in the room was sitting in the living room looking at him.

The light was a little dim, and shining on Qin Yue's face, it looked even gloomier.

He looked at Wu Chunmei, with a rare look of anger on his face:

"Mom, my second aunt and cousin, please don't bring me here anymore."

Wu Chunmei had prepared something to say, but under her son's gaze, she didn't know what to say. She could only lower her head and utter an inaudible "hmm".

Chen Minzhi came out to smooth things over:

"Okay, Xia Tang is awake and talking to Qin Lian. Go in and check on her."

Qin Yue walked into the bedroom. The night light was on, casting a warm atmosphere in the room.

Xia Tang was lying on the bed, talking to Qin Lian.

The sleeping baby lay beside her, the dim yellow light from the overhead light shone on his face and body, adding a touch of gentle maternal nature to his whole person.

After seeing this picture, Qin Yue's originally irritable and depressed mood was unconsciously smoothed out.

He walked in, passed Qin Lian, and held Xia Tang's hand.

Xia Tang let him hold her, and said softly:

"Lian'er told me everything."

Qin Yue hummed softly, his dark eyes filled with emotions, like dark clouds before a storm:

"We went to the No. 1 County Middle School to check it out. Lian'er did well in the exam, ranking third in the county. Her name was also listed on the big red list at the door, saying that she was admitted to Yunnan University."

"But I also asked the teacher, and he said that I can't enroll in the university with this alone."

Xia Tang nodded, and looked at Qin Lian with clear almond eyes:

"It's good that you passed the exam. There's something we can do about the admission letter."

Qin Lian had recovered from her initial shock. She looked at Xia Tang and Qin Yue and felt warm in her heart, as if she had taken a reassurance pill.

She asked:

"Sister-in-law, what should I do?"

"Go to Yunda University to apply for a replacement."

Xia Tang looked at Qin Yue again:

"You have to take her back to school tomorrow to get a certificate of Qin Lian's student status, and then go back to the village and find a way to move the household registration page out. Once you have both, go directly to Yunnan University and ask the admissions teacher to get a new one for you."

She paused for a moment and said:

"When you return to the village, don't say you're going to get your admission letter. Just say you found a job for Qin Lian and you need to report to the factory."

Qin Yue had been listening carefully to Xia Tang's instructions, but when he heard this, he couldn't help but frowned:

"Do you suspect that someone from the village did it?"

Xia Tang shook his head:

"There are only three candidates in your village, two men and one woman. It is quite difficult for a man to take the place of a woman to go to school."

"I don't think Qin Lian's degree was given to her by someone from the village, but there must be something wrong with your village chief."

The most important part of college entrance examination substitution is to withhold the admission letter and prevent the candidate from knowing his admission status.

In this stage, the village chief is definitely one of the easiest people to take action.

Moreover, Xia Tang felt that the village chief's attitude of "minding his own business" was also very suspicious.

After all, if Qin Lian really passed the exam, it would be the honor of the whole village.

Why doesn't he care about this?

Qin Yue nodded:

"That's great. I have to go back to do something."

"What else do you want?"

Xia Tang was puzzled.

"I will send those two big Buddhas back."

There was a hint of helplessness in Qin Yue's voice.

Qin Lian and Xia Tang looked at each other and smiled helplessly.

*

The next day, Qin Yue and Qin Lian set out again early in the morning.

They left early, and when Wu Chunmei got up in the morning, they were gone.

She looked everywhere but couldn't find it, so she could only go over to ask Xia Tang while he was having breakfast.

"Oh, they went back to the county town."

Xia Tang just spoke lightly.

She didn't tell Wu Chunmei the details because nothing had been decided yet. If she told everyone, she was afraid Wu Chunmei would tell Wu Chunliu and ruin Qin Lian's business.

Moreover, after spending such a long time together, Xia Tang has come to understand her mother-in-law.

He is not a bad person, but he just can't figure out the situation.

So for some things, it’s better not to let her get involved too much.

Over the next few days, the house became much cleaner.

Qin Yue and Qin Lian were not at home, so Xia Tang spent her days eating, sleeping, and breastfeeding the baby.

It's been a rare period of time where I have some free time.

After what happened to Wu Chunliu, Wu Chunmei dared not get close to Xia Tang anymore.

Following Zhu Qiuhua's help every day, the relationship between the two has improved a lot.

Xia Tang would like Wu Chunmei and Zhu Qiuhua to get closer.

Let someone who is stable and honest take care of her more, so that she won't always listen to Wu Chunliu blindly.

Qin Lian's case took a total of three or four days.

On the fourth day, I finally ran down.

As soon as the brother and sister opened the door, Qin Lian, holding the hard-earned acceptance letter, immediately had tears in her eyes when she saw her mother.

"Mom, look!"

She handed the acceptance letter to Wu Chunmei.

Wu Chunmei was confused at first. She didn't know many words and was a little confused when she saw those small black characters.

Qin Yue pointed upwards and said to her:

"Lian'er is promising and was admitted to Yunnan University!"

"Ah...really?"

Wu Chunmei's hands were shaking with excitement. She looked at Qin Lian'er, then at Qin Yue:

"I passed the exam, great!"

She actually didn't quite understand these things about the college entrance examination, but she felt that Qin Lian had worked so hard for such a thing, and now she finally reaped the rewards.

The whole family was crying and laughing.

However, in her joy, Wu Chunmei could not help but ask:

"Since you passed the exam, why did you say you didn't pass it then?"

“…”

The brother and sister looked at each other and decided to keep the secret for the time being.

Qin Yue said:

"The acceptance letter was lost during the process, and we have been running around these few days just to get it back."

Qin Lian'er held her mother's hand intimately:

"Mom, just know that you're pregnant. My brother and sister-in-law will take care of the rest. You don't have to worry about it!"

Don’t worry, it’s better not to worry!

Wu Chunmei felt warm in her heart as she looked at her eldest son who had grown up.

yes!

Before he knew it, Qin Yue had become so capable! He had become the pillar of the family!

Qin Lian handled the matter well, which made the whole family feel much more relaxed.

This is especially true for Xia Tang.

She had a comfortable confinement period, and when the baby was one month old, Wu Chunmei had completed her mission of "taking care of the baby during the confinement period" and could retire and return home.

She was eager to go home, but this time four people went there and only one came back.

Shuigen will transfer to Yuncheng to attend primary school next semester, and Niuzi has also completed the procedures for admission to the machinery factory kindergarten.

And Qin Lian is about to start her new life at Yunnan University.

Although Wu Chunmei was reluctant to leave her children, she was happier to return to her hometown.

She packed all her luggage early in the morning and sat at the door waiting for Qin Yue to pick her up.

Xia Tang carried the child to the door and shook her head when she saw the old lady smiling so hard that her teeth were showing.

It seems that no matter how good this son's home is, it is not his own home.

A nest of gold or silver is not as good as your own doghouse!

Qin Yue sent Wu Chunmei home and wanted to go back without staying.

Before leaving, he told Wu Chunmei to chat more with other old ladies and spend less time with Wu Chunliu.

Wu Chunmei heard it when she was in Yuncheng.

But when I returned to Xiayazi Village, this reminder immediately became vague.

Wu Chunliu is her biological sister after all. If she doesn't hang out with her, who else can she hang out with?

However, she didn't dare to go to Wu Chunliu casually.

She knew that her second sister held a grudge, and she must have had a lot of thoughts when Qin Yue sent her back.

If I go find her, maybe I can get her to say a few words to me.

Wu Chunmei must be unhappy too.

But she didn't expect that Wu Chunliu would find her in advance.

Wu Chunliu also scolded Wu Chunmei several times at the beginning, making Wu Chunmei speechless.

When she finally calmed down, she began to talk about the purpose of her visit.

She wanted to find a partner for Qin Lian.

"Although your daughter didn't get into college, she at least graduated from high school. My distant nephew is also a good person. He works as a boiler maker at school and can earn thirty or forty dollars a month."

"Don't let Qin Lian go to Yuncheng to work. Go home and find someone closer who can take care of you. When the time comes, you can get married, and then you won't have to worry about it, right?"

Wu Chunmei was confused by what she said, and then she realized that she had not told Wu Chunliu that Qin Lian had passed the exam.

She quickly grabbed her second sister's hand and said:

"You don't know, our Lian'er passed the exam."

Wu Chunliu looked at her doubtfully:

"How can that be possible? Didn't you receive the acceptance letter?"

Wu Chunmei smiled innocently:

"That was because the acceptance letter was lost along the way. Later they went to the school to check and found that he had indeed been admitted."

"These few days! I should go to school!"

*

A few days after Wu Chunmei returned, Qin Lian had to report to Yunnan University.

Normally, the actual registration date would be one week later.

However, when she went to apply for the admission letter, the admissions teacher saw that she was steady in her words and deeds and was from the countryside, so he discussed with her to come to the school early to work and study.

Qin Lian was naturally very happy about this, so the reporting time was brought forward.

On the day of registration, the school was quiet.

Qin Yue was carrying a newly bought cool mat and quilt, Qin Lian was carrying a bag of clothes, and Xia Tang, who had just finished her confinement, also came over.

The three of them stood at the green campus gate and took a deep breath, feeling hope all over their bodies.

What a great school!

Standing on the university campus, I feel like I am ten years younger!

Xia Tang closed her eyes gently, feeling the long-lost breeze blowing on her face.

She spent most of her previous life at Yunnan University.

But even so, this school has never belonged to her in the slightest.

Today, Qin Lian has realized her dream of going to college, and Xia Tang also feels as if his lost dream has been fulfilled.

The admission procedure went smoothly.

After that, several people took Qin Lian's luggage to the dormitory.

Qin Lian was assigned a six-person room.

The rusty iron bunk beds are covered with hard wooden bed boards. There is a large wooden table near the window and two rows of small cabinets on both sides. These are all the furnishings in the dormitory.

But Qin Lian seemed very satisfied.

A room for six is ​​much better than the dormitory for twenty people she lived in during high school.

Besides, she was just living in the university. What was more important was to absorb knowledge eagerly.

She applied for Yunnan University’s Traditional Chinese Medicine program. As she has been interested in Chinese medicinal herbs since she was young, she hopes to learn real knowledge at Yunnan University that can help her cure diseases and save lives.

Qin Lian started a new life.

After her confinement, Xia Tang gradually resumed her work at Tang Ji.

She never went out during her confinement period.

When I first entered the store, I felt a little uncomfortable seeing the huge crowds of people.

But the regular customers had already spotted her and rushed over to congratulate her, saying that they had eaten her red eggs and wished her great fortune.

Xia Tang laughed and accepted the blessings one by one.

Ma Dafeng came out with the dishes and looked at Xia Tang with a smile:

"Let them talk."

"These past few days, I've been asking you how you are and when you'll be out. I guess I miss you all the time."

"Aren't you doing great?"

Xia Tang said with a smile.

Ma Dafeng smiled.

She was busy serving the dishes, and when she was done, she came over to Xia Tang:

"Boss Xia, did you know that Sister Lan also came to see you a few days ago?"

Xia Tang's accident:

"What did she come to me for?"

"Hey, it's all about the orchid business. I heard that they had eight orchids, and half of them died. The family realized they couldn't make any money, so they thought of asking her to come out and make some money."

After Ma Dafeng finished speaking, he patted his chest in relief:

"After the incident, my daughter-in-law told me to invest. She even convinced my old man."

"But later, didn't you say in the store that you couldn't buy it? We discussed it and didn't want to give up this job, so we didn't agree. Now that I think about it, I'm lucky!"

Xia Tang fell silent.

It seems that although the deadline given by Mr. Zheng was September this year, in fact, before that, there had been a series of bankruptcies.

The reason why it has not been completely exposed is because everyone is eagerly waiting for the arrival of the savior in September.

But what if September comes and the savior doesn’t come?

Xia Tang didn't dare to think about this situation.

She said to Ma Dafeng:

"Sister Dafeng, I know you sympathize with Sister Lan, but you can't invite her back at this time. At least, not now."

Ma Dafeng was still a little confused:

"I understand if you don't want to invite him back, but why can't you invite him now?"

Xia Tang's eyes were deep:

"Only half of their seedlings have died now, but after September, they will lose everything. Such people are very dangerous. Sister Lan may not be a big deal, but she has a whole family behind her. We are small traders, and we should be cautious, and the same applies to hiring partners. We cannot hire people with risks behind them. Even if we do, it's not now."

Only then did Ma Dafeng understand.

She thought of something again and asked:

"Oh, and there's also the...Mona Lisa Western Restaurant."

"Suman? What happened to her?"

Xia Tang was a little surprised.

"She is different from the customers we face!"

After all, the first and second stores next to Xia Tang and Su Man are snack bars that offer high quality and low prices. The environment is average, but the food is delicious and cheap. They cannot compete with Su Man's high-end route.

Besides, doesn’t Suman have a brother who is the deputy factory director?

With Director Su bringing people over to her, would Su Man still have to cause trouble for Tang Ji?

Ma Dafeng sighed:

"That was indeed the case before. The people there were indifferent to us, so we just went there to hide away."

"But I don't know what happened during this period. They come to us every day to complain about our problems. They say that we throw dirty water everywhere, or that we sell at low prices... I don't understand what they are saying."

"Didn't Lao Zhang come to deliver food this morning? He rested at the door for a while before we opened the door. But the people over there insisted that Lao Zhang was blocking the public seat!"

Speaking of this, Ma Dafeng complained bitterly:

"Boss Xia, please judge for yourself. Lao Zhang just put the vegetables at our doorstep. How can it be that far from their place? The two shops are not even adjacent to each other. How can they be blocked?"

Xia Tang frowned when he heard these words.

Just as I was about to say something, there was another commotion at the front door:

"Hey, Tangji, why are you throwing garbage around in your store? You threw it in front of our door again!"

Ma Dafeng had a crying face:

“Here we go again.”

"I'll go out and take a look."

After Xia Tang finished speaking, he led two or three assistants out the door.

As soon as I walked out of the front door, I saw a few young girls in shirts and aprons pointing at the Tang Kee sign, while Su Man was watching not far away with her arms folded and a mocking look in her eyes.

Xia Tang walked out:

"What's up?"

The leading girl had never seen Xia Tang before, but when she saw him she shouted:

"Isn't it an old woman you are in charge of? Let her come out and speak."

Ma Dafeng stood up behind him:

"This is our boss Xia."

The little girl then shifted her gaze to Xia Tang.

Xia Tang was wearing a plain blue jacket today. She looked gentle and young, so the little girl didn't take her seriously at all.

He pointed to a pile of garbage on the ground and said:

"Boss? The quality of your staff is too low! All this garbage is left everywhere! It stinks so bad!"

Ma Dafeng said quickly:

"Boss Xia, our garbage is collected by someone special. We can't throw it to her!"

Xia Tang also thinks so.

Since she opened Tang Ji, she has made very detailed arrangements for all these details.

For example, kitchen waste is handled by specialized garbage collectors.

There are two large vats for storing slop behind the kitchen. Every night, people from the pig farm take the slop back to feed the pigs.

They make the best use of resources, and the pig farmers also save on feed.

However, looking at the person in front of me who was messing around, it definitely didn't make sense to say this.

At this time, the commercial street was gradually crowded with people, and many people saw that there was a lot of excitement and came over to watch.

The little girl was even more proud and said boldly:

"You guys are throwing things around and it's affecting our business! Since you're the boss, you should compensate us for our losses!"

"That's it! Pay the money!"

"You guys just dumped the garbage on us on purpose! You just can't stand seeing other people doing well!"

"Pay the money now!"

Xia Tang glanced at the garbage on the ground:

"But the pile under your feet doesn't belong to our store!"

The little girl immediately denied loudly:

"Of course there is one, it's yours!"

Xia Tang did not argue with her, but pulled a spectator in the crowd over:

"Brother, please be my witness and see if this pile of garbage is from our Tangji."

The man also wanted to join in the fun, so he agreed immediately.