Chapter 39 Preliminary Round Results
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With the chopstick tip pressed against her lips, She Ning blinked and thought for a moment, guessing that the math Olympiad results must have come out. She looked up at She Hongmei, who looked somewhat tired, and said, "Mom, I'll go out with you tomorrow."
She Ning had already planned out the schedule: going to school in the morning and then picking toon leaves on the back hill afterward. She picked up a piece of cold plantain salad for She Hongmei and said softly, "Mom, this is good for cooling down, you should eat more."
"I also bought some dried chrysanthemums for you in the city. They're in the kitchen cabinet. Take some with you when you go to the shop and brew them to drink on a regular basis," She Ning continued, her tone tinged with concern.
She's been busy with the restaurant lately and hasn't been sleeping well. Her tongue tip is prominent and reddish in color, which are obvious symptoms of excessive liver fire.
Seeing the redness in her eyes, She Ning felt a pang of heartache and couldn't help but ask about the hiring: "Mom, what did Boss Shen say about hiring at the restaurant?"
She paused her chopsticks, sighed, and looked tired. "The person I was going to introduce has already found a job, so we don't have any suitable candidates to recommend right now. However, Boss Shen promised to keep an eye out and let us know if she finds anyone suitable."
"Right now, I still have to rely on myself to do it." She forced a smile. "But it's okay, Mom can manage."
Hearing this topic, Xiao She Ni, who was eating quietly on the side, also perked up her ears to listen. She didn't want to exhaust her mother because of the restaurant.
I still vividly remember Mom and my sister being incredibly busy at the shop yesterday, without even a moment to rest. Today, Mom is still working alone at the shop, so she's bound to be even busier.
Thinking of the scene last night when she woke up and saw She Hongmei sitting on the edge of the bed, secretly massaging her shoulders, patting her waist and kneading her calves, Xiao She Ni felt even more upset.
Putting down her chopsticks, Xiao She Ni nimbly slid down from the octagonal table, ran to She Hongmei's side, hugged her waist, and looked up at her with concern, saying, "Mom, are your hands sore? Does your back hurt? Let me massage it for you."
As she spoke, she raised her little fist and punched She Hongmei.
She Hongmei quickly pressed down on the little girl in her arms to stop her: "Nini, Mom isn't tired, you go eat."
"You say you're not tired? Look at your red eyes, look at your lips, they're so dry they're peeling." Grandma Chen Yuzhen, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke up. "I'm not saying this to be mean, but you probably haven't had a drop of water all day, and you probably just ate a quick lunch."
No one knows a daughter better than her mother, and Chen Yuzhen was absolutely right. She Hongmei's eyes darted around, and she guiltily lowered her head to eat a few bites of rice, not daring to answer.
Seeing her behavior, Chen Yuzhen understood everything perfectly well.
She was so angry that she put down her chopsticks, used her cane to support herself to stand up, and staggered past She Ning. She reached out and pinched She Hongmei's ear, her tone filled with reproach and concern: "Haste makes waste, and you can't get fat in one bite."
"Take your time, your health is the most important thing, you know?"
"Ouch, Mom, be gentle!" She Hongmei cried out as her ear was pinched. She rubbed her ear and said with a wry smile, "Okay, okay, I know."
"Good to know." Chen Yuzhen then let go of his hand and sat down again. Her tone softened. "Take it slow with the restaurant business. Don't rush it. Your health is your most important asset. If you overwork yourself, you won't be able to do anything."
She Ning also chimed in, "Mom, Grandma's right. We'll all work together to figure out what to do about the restaurant. Don't worry too much; your health is the most important thing."
Little She Ni also came over sensibly, hugged She Hongmei's arm, and said in her childish voice, "Mom, don't work too hard, Ni Ni will massage your back."
Feeling warmed by the family's concerned gaze, She Hongmei also felt a pang of guilt. She nodded firmly and said softly, "I understand, I'll be careful."
"Eat, eat! It'll get cold if you don't eat now." Seeing that the atmosphere was a bit awkward, the eldest lady in the room, Grandma She, spoke up, "Little girl, why don't you come back and sit down? Otherwise, your shepherd's purse dumplings will be gone."
Shepherd's purse dumplings have already been elevated to one of the most delicious foods in She Ni's mind. Upon hearing this, She Ni immediately let go of She Hongmei's arms.
She ran quickly to her stool, and before she was even tall enough to reach it, she skillfully climbed up the stool by stepping on the railing. Holding her little spoon, she sat down obediently and said, "Grandma, I'm done. Please give me three shepherd's purse dumplings."
"Okay, here you go." Chen Yuzhen affectionately scooped three plump white dumplings into the stainless steel bowl for her.
She Ni wasn't afraid of getting burned. As soon as the dumplings were put in her bowl, she would scoop one up, open her mouth, reveal her tiny teeth, and bite into the dumpling with a loud thud.
With bulging cheeks and eyes curved into arcs, her little hands danced excitedly up and down as she ate.
"Mom, Grandma, my sister and I dug this shepherd's purse. It's so delicious. You should try some!" After swallowing the food in her mouth, She Ni enthusiastically recommended it.
"Okay, okay, let's give it a try."
"Not bad, as expected of wild vegetables dug by Xiao Ni herself."
"tasty."
As night fell, the bright moonlight shone on the earth, and the dim candlelight flickered through the frosted glass windows. Laughter and cheerful voices filled the She family home, creating a relaxed atmosphere.
The next day, before the roosters crowed, the gate of the She family's courtyard was pushed open.
When they arrived at the shop, it was just beginning to get light. Around the train station, only sanitation workers in blue and black uniforms were sweeping the streets with garbage trucks. After opening the shop door, She Ning and She Hongmei began preparing to start their business.
Today is the last day of the trial operation. Yesterday's improved braised chicken with potatoes received praise from most customers. In particular, the potatoes, which were stewed until soft and tender with the sauce, were so delicious that some customers only wanted potatoes and not meat. Fearing that the customers would be shortchanged, She Hongmei had to give them almost three times the amount of potatoes, filling the stainless steel bowl to the brim.
She Ning placed the large, deep pot containing the braised food near the door and lit the stove.
The braised dishes sold now are all made in advance at night. She Ning deliberately doesn't stew them to the proper level, so that the braised dishes can continue to simmer over low heat in the store, soaking in the flavor and becoming more tender and soft, but not too soft and mushy.
Wash the potatoes, cut them into diagonal chunks, and soak them in salt water to prevent them from oxidizing and turning black. She Ning then cut the chicken into medium-sized pieces. Adding caramel coloring to the braised chicken and potatoes will make the color look much better. She Ning made a small bowl of caramel coloring for She Hongmei to use when making the braised chicken and potatoes.
Cut the green beans into sections, cut the eggplant into chunks and soak in salt water, boil the braised pork belly in cold water until cooked, fry the skin and set aside, remove the back bones from the ribbonfish...
After preparing all the dishes, it was getting late. She wiped the water droplets off her hands, took off her dark gray apron, slung her handbag over her shoulder, and said to She Hongmei, who was setting up a discount sign at the door, "Mom, I'm going to school now. Breakfast is on the table, remember to eat it."
She brought over the leftover shepherd's purse dumplings she made yesterday for breakfast today. The tender and delicious dumplings with a little vinegar and chili peppers are a blessing for spicy food lovers.
As dawn broke, the streets gradually came alive. When She Ning arrived at Xiahe Middle School, Director Xia had just returned from his rounds.
"Ah Ning, come here." Upon seeing She Ning standing at the entrance of the Education Office, Director Xia's originally stern expression instantly changed. She smiled, her eyes crinkling, and quickened her pace. Before she even reached her, she was already calling out to her.
She walked quickly to She Ning, warmly took her arm, and led her into the house, saying, "You're here so early, come in and sit down."
She Ning followed Director Xia into the Education Office. Looking around, she saw that several teachers were already sitting inside, all busy with their tasks.
Director Xia pulled her to sit down in an empty chair, then turned around and picked up a document from his desk, handing it to She Ning: "Ning, this is the results sheet for the preliminary round of the math Olympiad. Take a look."
She Ning took the document and opened it slowly. After the exam, she had roughly estimated her score, and the score on the document was about the same as her estimate. A satisfied smile appeared on her face, but she quickly regained her composure.
Director Xia glanced at her calm expression and secretly admired her.
She had long known that She Ning was a composed child, but seeing that she could still maintain this composure when faced with excellent results, Director Xia couldn't help but give her a thumbs up in her heart.
This calm and composed personality is undoubtedly an important cornerstone for her future success.
"Ah Ning, your performance in this preliminary round was outstanding." Director Xia's tone was full of satisfaction and encouragement. "Not only did you get first place, but you also got first place by a wide margin."
Although the other students who took the exam did not perform as well as She Ning, they generally did well. In this league, half of the top thirty students from their school were from this school.
That was a huge slap in the face to several schools in the neighboring town. Thinking of the expressions on their faces when the results came out, Director Xia couldn't help but smile slightly, but he quickly regained his serious expression. "These results are not only the result of your hard work, but also a reflection of your talent and perseverance. I hope you can continue to maintain this."
She Ning met her eyes, her gaze firm yet humble: "Thank you, Director Xia. I know, this is just the beginning, and I will continue to work hard."
Director Xia nodded and continued, "Your calmness and composure put my mind at ease. This preliminary round is just the beginning; many more challenges await you in the future. I hope you can maintain this mindset and not let temporary success go to your head."
"I will, Director Xia," She Ning replied earnestly. "I know there's still a lot to learn, and I will work even harder."
Director Xia smiled with satisfaction and patted her on the shoulder. "I believe in you."
"This is the information I've collected over this period of time. Take it back and work on it." Turning around, she pulled out a large stack of documents from the drawer. Director Xia routinely handed her documents. "Keep up the good work. If you encounter any difficulties, come to me anytime."
That stack of materials must have cost Director Xia a great deal of time and money. Talking about money with Director Xia would only make her angry. The only way to repay her for her efforts is to study hard and achieve good grades.
She Ning took the documents with both hands, carefully placed them into her bag, stood up, and bowed deeply to Director Xia.
"Teacher, I won't let you down."
"come on."
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Author's Note: Upcoming novel: I'm the Boss's Cannon Fodder Wife [Historical]
When Shen Zhu woke up, she found herself to be the cannon fodder ex-wife of a beautiful, tragic, and powerful boss in a rebirth novel. The boss was only briefly mentioned in a few words, yet readers gritted their teeth and wanted to get rid of him as soon as possible.
His ex-wife not only schemed against his marriage, but also eloped with someone else when he was at his lowest point, causing his only loving grandmother to pass away.
The most amazing thing is that before eloping, she sold out the powerful man's younger brother and sister!
-
The ramie has been soaked.
What kind of plot twist is this? She's not, she doesn't have it, she's a citizen with all five rights!!!
When she regained all her memories, the plot had already manipulated her to the scene where the powerful man's younger brother and sister were being sold.
Moreover, tomorrow is the day the original owner and her gigolo agreed to elope, but half of the money that saved the big boss is in her family's hands and the other half is in the gigolo's hands!
After calming down for three seconds, Shen Zhu turned around and sent the human traffickers to the police station. Then she took the money back from her bloodsucking family and the gigolo who lived off her, and told them to eat their shit!
Then, in order to avoid being killed off by the plot, this marriage must end!
-
Recently, Xu Fei discovered that his wife, who used to cause trouble, had changed.
She stopped taking things from her parents' home, kept her messy house spotless, and came home to hot meals after finishing her chores. She not only read books herself but also helped her younger siblings with their homework and cheered up her sick grandmother...
She even agreed to the divorce.
Is he plotting something? He definitely won't fall for it.
Xu Fei secretly observed, and then one day he suddenly discovered that his bankbook was in that woman's hands, that he massaged her shoulders every night before bed, and that he was holding a bouquet of flowers he intended to give to her...
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
