Chapter 157 It's a blessing for them to associate with the Gu family!
Jiang Yuren sat down on the sofa and listened to the report from the other side. The more he listened, the more his brows furrowed. "Shouldn't you check this carefully? I know Gu Yin from Wanli Town No. 2 Middle School. She's only in her third year of junior high this year! How could she possibly get first place in the county? Yes, okay, you can verify it again. Let me know when you have the results."
After hanging up the phone, Jiang Yuren rubbed his temples.
"Why does it sound to me like Gu Yin got first place in the county?" Grandma Jiang asked, puzzled.
Jiang Yuren nodded: "That's what the people below are saying, but Gu Yin has only just finished the second year of junior high school and hasn't even taken the high school entrance exam yet, and she's already gotten first place! I don't know what those teachers are doing, they can't believe they made such a mistake! If the student who actually got first place finds out the result and makes a scene, our county will become famous again!"
Grandma Jiang agreed, saying, "This kind of mistake is really stupid. When your bureau has a meeting later, issue a document to make them take it seriously."
The old lady picked up the newspaper and flipped through it as she said, "I wonder how your cousin's child is doing in school. Next year will be the final year of junior high. If he can get into high school, that'll be good. If not, he'll only be able to go to a vocational school. But in their village, those who don't get into high school usually go to work and get married at eighteen or nineteen. They wait until they can get their marriage certificate before. I had intended for them to study at the county's No. 1 High School, but they didn't appreciate it and had such a bad temper. Well, they're country folk, short-sighted. They'll regret it later."
The old lady didn't mention at all the unfortunate look on Jiang Yuren's face when she brought it up, as if he had been leeched off by a poor relative, or the look of disdain he had for Gu Yin's grades.
Jiang Yuren seemed to have forgotten as well. He nodded upon hearing this: "That's just how stupid people are. They won't even seize an opportunity. Forget about them. What future can people like them have? If Gu Yin comes to you after graduating from high school because of her poor grades, don't bother with them. It's a thankless task."
The old lady nodded and said nothing more.
After a moment of silence, Jiang Yuren's phone rang.
He was peeling an orange when he saw it was a number that had just arrived, so he turned on speakerphone.
"So, have you figured it out? Is it a student from No. 1 Middle School or No. 2 Middle School?"
A male voice quickly came from the other end: "Deputy Director, no, the results are correct. There's nothing wrong with either the person or the results! It really is Gu Yin from Wanli Town No. 2 Middle School who got first place. This student is amazing. She skipped the second year of junior high and went straight to the third year! And she still got first place in the county! She was even included in Jiang High School's enrollment plan! Can you believe how amazing she is? Thinking about my child, it's really infuriating to compare people!"
After the man finished speaking, the room fell silent for a moment.
"Deputy Director, if there's nothing else, I'll get back to work!" After the other end of the phone hung up.
Jiang Yuren looked at his mother, and the old lady also put down her newspaper and looked at him.
The two were incredibly embarrassed. Thinking about what they had just said, their faces burned as if they had been slapped on the spot! Then one of them lowered his head to continue reading the newspaper, while the other picked up an orange and started eating it, trying to avoid the awkward moment.
Finally, the old lady couldn't help herself. She looked at her son and sighed, "Back when I told them to ask you to find a school for Gu Yin, they refused. Was it because Gu Yin's grades were very good at the time? And she was even planning to skip a grade? Meng Xin is really something. If the children have good grades, is it necessary to hide it?" The old lady's tone was full of complaints.
Jiang Yuren didn't speak, but thought of his son who was working himself to the bone and might not even get into the county's top high school. Although he could help him get a place in school, it wasn't his own effort. He could help him in middle school, but could he help him in college?
As he thought about it, he recalled the scene when he first saw his cousin and that girl Gu Yin. The more he thought about it, the more resentful he became. That girl was from the countryside, in such a bad school, with such bad teachers, how could she do so well in her exams? His own son was in the best school in the county, with the best teachers, and even had teachers from the city come over to help with tutoring in the evenings and on weekends, how could his grades still be so bad?! He absolutely refused to accept such vague concepts as genes and talent.
"Mom, let's go visit the Gu family sometime. Gu Yin is so amazing, she must have taken a lot of notes. Our Zhu'er will be in her final year of junior high next year."
The old lady was taken aback, but thinking of her grandson's academic achievements that had persuaded many tutors to quit, she finally nodded.
The two didn't feel awkward about their visit; on the contrary, they felt it was a blessing for the Gu family. After all, if they started associating with the Gu family, wouldn't the Gu family be the one to benefit?
In the evening, at the Gu family home.
The courtyard was brightly lit, bustling with people.
"The roast lamb is ready! Let's eat!" Li Sen wiped the sweat from his forehead with the towel around his neck, and he and a few others carried the whole roast lamb to the long table that had already been set up. They quickly took out knives and cut the lamb into pieces, and plate after plate of crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, with an irresistible aroma, were placed in various positions on the long table.
All the other prepared dishes were also laid out, with five servings of each dish. The five-meter-long table was filled with delicious food.
Originally, Gu Yin and Gu Hua were supposed to sit at the head of the table, but they both refused, so everyone stopped worrying about seating arrangements and started to relax.
"Come on, let's have a toast! Congratulations to our Ahua and Ayin for achieving outstanding results in this year's high school entrance exam! They've set a great example for the children in our village!" The old village chief stood up, raised his glass, and smiled at everyone.
Everyone stood up. Those who couldn't drink alcohol and the children all picked up their drinks, clinked glasses, and then Grandpa Gu raised his chopsticks: "Let's eat! Help yourselves!"
After that, everyone ate whatever they wanted.
The old men were chatting, while Gu Yin was talking to Li Xiaohua.
When Li Xiaohua was in the second year of junior high school, she entered the experimental class, but it was Class 2. Her grades were just average, neither good nor bad. She didn't know how to improve and didn't dare to ask the teacher. She just got by as long as she didn't regress.
Gu Yin picked up a lamb leg and, while gnawing on it, said, "Next semester you'll be in your final year of junior high. Are you confident you can get into high school?"
Li Xiaohua was enjoying her meal when Gu Yin's question suddenly made her lose her appetite. She sighed helplessly and said, "I hadn't thought about this before. If I could get into the university, I would study there; if I couldn't, I would work. But today, when I heard that you got into Jianggao High School, I was very happy. However, after that happiness, I suddenly felt disappointed."
Li Xiaohua put down her bowl and said in a low voice, "I feel like you're going further and further away, flying higher and higher. Our city can't hold you back at all. I just think, in the future you'll be a white-collar worker sitting in a high-rise office, and I'll be a factory worker. You'll be eating Western food with coffee every day, while we'll be eating cold food with only a few slices of meat on stainless steel plates. When you go home for the New Year, you'll be driving a car with lots of bags, all looking glamorous, while we'll be crammed on the train, crying and miserable! I feel uneasy just thinking about it, and I get anxious. When I get anxious, I take out my textbooks to look at them, and then I find that I can still do the questions I know, and I understand the ones I don't know after looking at the answers. But it's the same as my previous studies! I've been like this for two years, and I haven't made any progress. Ayin, do you think I don't have the talent for studying?"
After finishing her sentence, Li Xiaohua looked at Gu Yin with a troubled expression.
In her world, drinking coffee, eating Western food, and working in a skyscraper is the ultimate life!
Gu Yin patted her head. In her past life, she was just like that. She wanted to learn, but didn't know how. She wanted to ask the teacher, but was afraid. So she blindly studied while deceiving herself, but the final result shattered her self-hypnosis.
"If you don't have the talent, you can work hard! Everyone knows how my grades were before, but everyone has seen how hard I worked afterward. While you were playing, I was studying; while you were sleeping, I was studying; while you were shopping, I was still studying. I was memorizing vocabulary and formulas while walking, going to the toilet, eating, and before bed. I squeezed out time little by little like this. As long as you want to learn and you put your heart into it, your grades won't be too bad. But if you don't like learning, or even hate it, then no matter how hard you try, it's useless. Besides, if you really try and it still doesn't work, then you have the right to say, 'I'm really not good enough.' Even if I really am not good enough, I've done right by myself and my family."
With that kind of willpower, no matter what you do in the future or what industry you're in, you won't do too badly. There's no need to tell Li Xiaohua this, since she's still young and doesn't have enough willpower. Gu Yin was afraid that if she said this, Li Xiaohua would relax.
Li Xiaohua thought that Gu Yin basically never went out during winter and summer vacations, and when she came to find her, she was either doing exam papers or doing exam papers!
"So tell me, is it too late for me to start working hard now?"
Looking into the other person's eyes, which shone like stars that never stopped twinkling in the sky, Gu Yin nodded firmly: "It's never too late to work hard, as long as you're determined, ruthless, and willing to push yourself!"
Li Xiaohua pursed her lips and nodded vigorously: "Then starting tomorrow, after I finish my chores at home, I'll come to your house and study with you!"
Seeing the determination in her eyes, Gu Yin nodded: "Sure! If you have any questions, you can ask us!"
She didn't want Li Xiaohua to get married so early like in her previous life. She was in the prime of her life; wouldn't it be a waste of such a precious time if she didn't study?
After making the decision, Li Xiaohua finally felt relieved, and even the white rice tasted better than before!
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