The next day, Chu Jiaojiao learned from her mistake the day before and slept through the night. She barely managed to get through the exam, as she knew most of the questions on the test. If she hadn't, she probably would have slept through the entire exam.
Chu Xingyue glanced at the test paper and got a general idea of what was going on. She started writing, and the proctor noticed her as soon as she started. Yesterday's result might have been a coincidence, but if it was the same today, their school would become famous. Just thinking about it made her excited, and she rubbed her hands to wipe away the sweat from her heart.
Three days passed quickly.
...
The bell rang to signal the end of the exam, and Chu Xingyue followed the flow of people out of the examination hall. She stood in the sunlight, twisting her stiff limbs—
"An'an, come here!" Aunt Liu Nuoling waved to her, and Chu Xingyue walked over unhurriedly. "How did the exam go? It's so hot. When Jiaojiao comes out, we'll go home."
"Okay, Auntie, I filled in all the blanks," Chu Xingyue replied to Liu Nuoling with a smile. "Once the exam is over, you can finally relax!" Liu Nuoling had barely finished speaking when she heard, "Mom, Grandpa, Grandma, hurry, hurry, let's go home! It's so hot!" Grandma Su chuckled and patted Chu Jiaojiao's shoulder. "You silly child! It's not that hot. A calm mind cools you down. Do you know that once the exam is over, you can't relax? Really, you child! Go home, go home!"
The family walked home hand in hand, happy and carefree.
"Let's congratulate An'an and Jiaojiao on completing the first stage of their lives. From now on, they'll have to walk their own path. Drink this glass, and you'll both be adults." Chu Qian raised his glass and stood up. The younger members of the family quickly stood up as well, clinked glasses, and drank it all in one gulp. When Chu Xingyue and Chu Jiaojiao were around ten years old, they couldn't move their arms and legs freely during winter exercise. Old Master Chu would pour each of them a small glass of homemade grain liquor. The two girls got used to drinking it and had a high alcohol tolerance. Usually, the family kept a close eye on them because they were still students and rarely got to drink. However, the three elders in the family would drink a little every day.
Today, the whole family is happy, so even if we don't drink to our hearts' content, we'll at least have a great time.
"Jiaojiao and An'an, you're adults now. Grandpa can tell you some things about the family. Our family isn't a native farmer in the village. Although we farm, we have little land, just enough for our family to eat. The Chu family is a second-rate family in the capital. Back then, your father had a special job, and in order not to affect the entire Chu family, I volunteered to leave the Chu family and come to this small village. The government gave us a lot of money, and the village chief allocated some land to us."
Although I left the Chu family back then, I was still the youngest, and my older brothers and sisters were worried about me. They often sent people to check on our family to see if we were doing well here. Later, it was those people who came over who discovered that your two older brothers were highly intelligent, and they reported your brothers' situation to the higher-ups. That's why your two older brothers have never been home since they were little. After you finish your college entrance exams, our whole family is going to Kyoto. I recently received news from your father that his job transfer has made him safe, and your two older brothers can occasionally come out and experience a few days of normal life. I'm not worried about your college entrance exams at all. The family has already passed the political vetting, and all obstacles in our way have been cleared away.”
The old man looked at Chu Xingyue with loving eyes, paused, and then said, "An'an, it's time to tell you about your parents. They were childhood sweethearts. After they grew up, they went to study abroad together, and naturally, they got together. Then you were born. This was a turning point for them. They studied weaponry at a military academy abroad, but the specifics of their research were never revealed, which led to their disappearance from the public eye. Someone must have been suppressing things. We live far from Beijing and didn't hear any rumors. Later, you were secretly brought back by special envoys, who only told us, 'Wait for good news.' And so you've lived with us ever since."
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