Wang Xiaolan smiled but did not answer, because she knew that it was not a good decision for her to make on her own.
Then she comforted the old lady, "Shanhu Mama, don't be sad. We should be happy."
Wang Shanhu comforted her, "Mom, Sister Xiaolan is right. We should be happy."
At this moment, Zeng Cheng came running over breathlessly and said, "Now is not the time to discuss this. We have an exam this afternoon. Your task now is to eat well and rest well."
The old man wiped his tears and said, "That's right, let's go eat together first."
Wang Xiaolan said, "Auntie, we won't go with you. My mother has already prepared dinner for us at home!"
They just went their separate ways.
When Wang Xiaolan finished her last exam and was about to go downstairs, someone called out, "Big sister, please wait."
Wang Xiaolan turned around and saw the candidate who fainted on the first day.
"Are you calling me?"
The candidate ran over, pulled Wang Xiaolan downstairs quickly, and came to the school flower bed. He took out a paper bag from his schoolbag and said, "This is for you."
Wang Xiaolan's gaze slowly settled on the woman before her, carefully examining her attire. She wore a pale, washed-out blue, coarse cloth dress, patched and worn. She wore a pair of shabby cloth shoes, their uppers covered in stains and signs of wear.
Seeing this, Wang Xiaolan's heart ached. She knew that such clothing meant this woman's life must have been full of hardships and difficulties. So, she quickly waved her hand and declined, "Oh, sister, please don't be so polite to me! You should keep this thing for yourself. I just did you a small favor. It's really not a big deal. You don't have to keep it in your heart. I appreciate your kindness, but I absolutely cannot accept this thing!"
The candidate lowered his head slightly, a blush on his face, and said a little embarrassedly, "If you hadn't helped me in time that day, I'm afraid I wouldn't have been able to continue with this exam. You know, for me, this is my only precious opportunity!"
As she spoke, she raised her head and looked at Wang Xiaolan with eyes full of gratitude and respect, and her eyes conveyed the sincere gratitude from the bottom of her heart.
Wang Xiaolan consoled him, "Exams are sometimes a matter of luck. No one can guarantee success on the first try. If you don't pass this time, there will always be another chance next year. As long as you don't give up, opportunities will always come to those who are prepared."
The candidate lowered his head slightly, his face filled with loneliness and sadness. His voice was low and trembling as he spoke, "This precious opportunity was truly hard-earned for me after going through untold hardships! The night before the exam, I prepared a cooked sweet potato for myself and placed it in the cupboard for breakfast the next day."
"But the next morning, when I happily headed to the kitchen to get my breakfast, I was shocked to find the cupboards completely empty. Not only was there no delicious food, but not even a grain of salt. I was filled with despair and helplessness, but time was running out and I couldn't afford to lose even a moment."
She paused, then continued, "Helplessly, I could only endure hunger and walk dozens of miles along the mountain roads with heavy steps. My feet were blistered and exhausted, and my legs felt as heavy as if they were filled with lead. But I didn't dare stop, because I knew that only by catching the earliest bus into the city would I have a chance to take this exam... and change my fate."
Wang Xiaolan looked at her sympathetically and said, "It's really not easy for you. Your mother-in-law is really cruel! She clearly doesn't want you to take the exam!"
The candidate nodded and said, "She was afraid that I would pass the exam and not want her son. She even instigated her son to torture me all night long, not letting me rest properly. Her goal was to make me pregnant and prevent me from taking the college entrance exam this year. What they never expected was that my husband tried his best but still couldn't get me pregnant."
Wang Xiaolan asked, "How did you do it?"
The candidate said, "Me! God has blessed me. By chance, I learned about a kind of herb that can be used as a contraceptive from an old Chinese medicine doctor who lived in a cowshed. This herb is everywhere in the village, so I use it to make tea and drink it every day."
Wang Xiaolan said, "It's really not easy for you. How do you feel about the exams these past two days?"
The candidate said with a relaxed look, "I feel good about myself."
Wang Xiaolan looked at her perseverance and sincerely admired her. She said, "Let's get to know each other! My name is Wang Xiaolan. I was also sent down to the countryside as an educated youth. I worked as a barefoot doctor in the village for a few years. I also encountered a wicked mother-in-law. At that time, I wanted to die, but I am luckier than you. I met a man who loves me and understands me. We can keep in touch in the future. If you have any difficulties, you can come to me. I will do my best to help you."
When the candidate heard that Wang Xiaolan was also an educated youth, he showed a look of surprise and said, "You are also an educated youth, and so am I. My name is Zhou Bihua. I don't have anything good to give you, but I dried this dried sweet potato myself. I didn't spend any money on it. If you think highly of me, you can accept it!"
Seeing her like this, Wang Xiaolan felt embarrassed to go back.
Then Zhou Bihua talked about his own experience.
Wang Xiaolan learned from her story that Zhou Bihua came to the countryside from Chengguan Town in the county. Her parents were temporary workers in a street factory. She had an older brother and two younger brothers. In order to protect her brother, her parents had no choice but to let their daughter, who had just turned sixteen, settle down in the countryside.
All the educated youth who have been sent to the countryside know that life in the countryside is much more difficult than living in the educated youth camp, and the labor intensity is also very high.
Zhou Bihua settled down in the home of a villager with the worst conditions in the village. This family had two sons and two daughters. Both daughters were disabled and could not get married. Both sons were of marriageable age, but no matchmaker came to propose marriage.
Zhou Bihua's arrival was the hope of the family. She was arranged to live in a better house in their home. The hostess smiled brightly when she saw her and enthusiastically took out a piece of blackened bacon left over from the Chinese New Year to treat her.
At the time, she was grateful to have moved into a good family, and what touched her most was that they gave her the best room. But she never expected that when she woke up from the pain, she would find a man lying on top of her in the darkness. She struggled and cried. Just then, the door opened and an old woman walked in, holding a kerosene lamp.
She asked anxiously, "Dog, is there any bleeding?"
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