After Chen Suwen took Yu Xiaotian home, she went to the post office with Zhou Qingyun.
She called her daughter Zhou Ling directly to ask her about the college entrance examination.
Everyone in the family except Zhou Cunzhi took the college entrance examination. Chen Suwen thought that Zhou Ling also liked to read, and IU wanted to ask her what she thought.
"Hello? Mom, is something wrong at home? Why are you calling me?" Zhou Ling was puzzled when she received the call from her mother.
Although her mother calls her from time to time over the years, it's not particularly frequent, usually only once every three or four months.
It's only been less than two months since her mother last called her. Has something happened at home?
"Nothing's wrong at home, I just wanted to let you know that your sister-in-law, your third brother, and your third brother's wife are all taking the college entrance examination."
"I just wanted to ask you, do you want to take the college entrance exam too?"
Zhou Ling is a good student, and Chen Suwen doesn't want her to waste her life. He hopes she can read more books and go further in life.
“I will participate.” Zhou Ling’s tone was firm. “Mom, I want to take the college entrance examination.”
Zhou Ling and Song Che have not had any more children in recent years. She only had twins, Song Chen and Song Qing, and has not had any more since.
The main problem is that she doesn't have much energy to take care of the child, and Song Che also doesn't have much time to take care of the child because he is busy with work.
Zhou Ling was also a little scared when she gave birth to twins. She and Song Che were in the military in Yunnan Province, and neither of their families were around, so she was hesitant to have children.
She knew very well that even if she gave birth, her mother wouldn't take care of her during her postpartum period, which made her even less willing to have the baby.
Since she already has two children, there's no need for her to have any more.
Therefore, Song Chen and Song Qing are now almost six years old, and Zhou Ling has not had a second child.
Song Chen and Song Qing are about to graduate from kindergarten and go to primary school, giving Zhou Ling more time to develop her career and fulfill her dreams.
"Mom, I want to get into Tsinghua University, I want to go to Tsinghua's mathematics department," Zhou Ling said excitedly to Chen Suwen.
Chen Su asked, "Are you sure it's Tsinghua University? Haven't you considered applying to Peking University, which is next to Tsinghua?"
Tsinghua and Peking University are top-tier universities. Does her daughter only like Tsinghua and not Peking University?
"Yes, I'm very sure I want to get into Tsinghua University." Zhou Ling's tone was particularly firm, without any worry about not being able to pass the exam.
"Alright, if you want to get into Tsinghua University, then go all out."
"Let your son-in-law do the housework when he has time. The two children are grown up now, so let them do some things they can manage so you can have more time to study."
“If you can get into Tsinghua University, I’ll talk to your dad and ask him to open an ancestral hall for you and put you in the family genealogy.”
After all, getting into a top university like Tsinghua University is a source of great honor for one's ancestors.
It's like a thousand soldiers crossing a single-plank bridge; out of so many candidates across the country, only a handful can get into Tsinghua University. If Zhou Ling gets in, she absolutely has to be added to the family genealogy.
Although the Zhou family ancestors fled from the north to Guangdong Province, the Zhou family has indeed integrated into this area and has ancestral halls and genealogies just like the locals.
Therefore, if Zhou Ling could get into Tsinghua University, it wouldn't be impossible to open an ancestral hall for her and have her name recorded in the family genealogy.
"Really, Mom? If I really get into Tsinghua University, will you really open an ancestral hall for me to record in the family genealogy?"
“What your mother said is true. If you pass the exam, it will be a great honor for the family.”
"Although it's just the college entrance examination, unlike the imperial examinations of the past, it's still quite difficult."
“If you get into university, we will remember your great achievements,” Zhou Qingyun said to her daughter as she overheard her words.
Zhou Qingyun didn't think that daughters couldn't bring honor to their ancestors. Whether it was a son or a daughter, anything that brought glory to the family should be recorded.
A son can bring honor to his ancestors, and so can a daughter.
"We'll also throw you a graduation banquet, and we'll invite ten tables of guests to attend."
"The premise is that you can get into Tsinghua University."
If Zhou Ling fails to get into Tsinghua University, then his talk with Chen Suwen about opening an ancestral hall and recording the family genealogy will just be empty words.
"I understand, I will definitely try my best."
No one can resist the allure of a family tree, and Zhou Ling was no exception.
Having grown up in an environment that favored sons over daughters, she couldn't resist the temptation to be included in the family genealogy and have her deeds recorded there.
Her brothers couldn't do it; they couldn't get their elders to open an ancestral hall or keep a family genealogy. If she could, she could boast about it for the rest of her life.
"Even if you need to study hard, you must take good care of your health. Health is the foundation of everything, you know?" Chen Suwen instructed her. "Don't forget to stick to the prescription I gave you."
"Strengthen your body and health."
As Zhou Ling listened to her mother's concerned words on the other end of the phone, she couldn't suppress the smile on her lips.
She used to feel resentful. Why was it that her older brother and younger brother, who were both her parents' children, received their parents' favoritism, while she did not?
Even when she graduated from high school and her mother forced her to marry Song Che, she still resented her mother.
Because at that time she did have someone else she liked, although she didn't say it out loud, and the other person didn't express their feelings to her either.
But she did have someone she liked, and she only wanted to marry him, not Song Che, a "stranger" she didn't know at all.
As a result, her mother schemed against Song Che, not only forcing him to marry her, but also forcing her to marry someone she didn't like.
She resented her mother, feeling that her mother didn't love her at all and that her mother sacrificed her for her brothers.
But now that her mother is nice to her, she has forgotten her past resentment towards her mother and only feels that her mother truly loves her.
After hanging up the phone, Zhou Ling couldn't shake off her smile and happily left the reception room.
"What's making you so happy?"
When Zhou Ling returned home, Song Che was puzzled when he saw the undisguised smile on her face. Had something good happened?
"Any good news from your hometown?"
Zhou Ling walked over and hugged Song Che, happily sharing with him, "I want to go to university. My parents said that if I get into Tsinghua University, they will open an ancestral hall for me and record it in the family genealogy."
“My parents said that this is something to bring honor to our ancestors and that we should tell them about it.”
Although opening the ancestral hall to tell the ancestors is a bit of a feudal superstition, she was still very excited.
This is her parents' approval, believing that she, like her brothers, can bring honor to the family, which shows that her parents do not think she is inferior to her brothers.
How could she not be excited?
Looking at her beaming face, Song Che reached out and hugged her. "Then I wish my wife all the best in getting into Tsinghua University and becoming the most successful child in the Zhou family."
Zhou Ling's smile deepened at his words, and she hugged his waist tightly with both hands.
"Thank you for your kind words. When the ancestral hall is opened or the graduation banquet is held, please set up a separate table for us."
"No need then, I'll sit at the same table as you," Song Che replied with a smile.
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