Ji Xia pondered for a moment: "Lin Haodong thinks he's so great just because he got into university. I want to prove to others that getting into university is nothing special."
Secretary Ji sighed and shook his head: "Getting into university isn't that easy."
Of all the educated youth in the town who took the college entrance examination, only a few passed. Among all the educated youth in the brigade, only Lin Haodong passed.
Ji Zhijun also advised, "Didn't you take the college entrance exam last year? How many points did you get? It would be such a waste to give up your job at the supply and marketing cooperative just for the college entrance exam."
“Last year during the college entrance examination, Lin Haodong told me that there was no need for the two of us to go to study away from home together, and that at least one of us should stay at home to take care of the family.”
“I didn’t study hard, but I heard that last year you could get into university with a score of just over 200 on the college entrance exam. I didn’t study much, but I still got a score of over 170.”
The father and son exchanged a glance: "Lin Haodong advised you not to study for the college entrance exam?"
"Yes!"
Ji Xia nodded seriously. In her previous life, she had sensed something, but after experiencing more and recalling her youth, she realized that Lin Haodong had been cunningly manipulating her when he was pursuing her.
If it weren't for this, she wouldn't have been so thoroughly brainwashed, willingly becoming his paid nanny until he no longer needed her.
Secretary Ji's face darkened, and he suddenly let out a few cold laughs. Ji's mother also sighed and said, "I knew it. When my little sister was in school, all the teachers said she was very smart."
Zhang Hong hesitated for a moment, then looked at her parents-in-law, and suddenly asked in a low voice, "Little sister, if you go to study for the college entrance examination, what will happen to your job at the supply and marketing cooperative?"
Ji Xia looked at Zhang Hong's belly: "Sister-in-law, I plan to work for another four or five months. After you finish your postpartum period, I'll give you the job. What do you think?"
"Really? Sure, I'm fine with that."
Zhang Hong was overjoyed and nodded vigorously, her face beaming: "You're really willing to give up your job to me?"
Ji Zhijun quickly said, "Have your sister-in-law work for you for a few months. If you don't pass the exam, we'll give the job back to you."
Zhang Hong's face stiffened, and Ji Xia rolled her eyes: "Brother, can't you think of something better? Do you hope I'll become famous and get into university?"
Zhang Hong's face lit up with a smile again; her aunt would definitely do everything she could to get into university.
She quickly said, "Studying is quite tiring, little sister. Take back the malted milk powder and milk powder you gave me yesterday, and eat better every day."
"Sister-in-law, don't worry. I work at the supply and marketing cooperative. Why would I worry about not eating well?"
After breakfast, Ji Xia packed up her textbooks to review, told her parents, brother, and sister-in-law, and then rode her bicycle back to the city.
I took a day off yesterday, but I have to go back to the supply and marketing cooperative to take over my shift before noon.
Lin's mother felt uneasy after hearing last night that Ji Xia was demanding that Lin Haodong annul the engagement and return the money.
She had a congenital heart disease and could not do strenuous or difficult work, nor could she withstand any stimulation.
Lin Haodong is a soon-to-be college student. Even if the engagement is to be called off, it should be his son who proposes it. Ji Xia is just a country girl. What right does she have to propose it?
Fine, they called off the engagement, but instead of returning the betrothal gifts, they sent them to Liu Zhiqing and kept pestering her to return more than two hundred yuan.
Upon receiving Lin Haodong's exaggerated words, he clutched his chest and couldn't get out of bed the next morning.
Lin Haodong and Liu Pianran had arranged to go to the commune to get their marriage certificate last night.
Early in the morning, Liu Pianran brought half a pound of brown sugar to the door. Lin Haodong knocked on his mother's door and found his mother lying on the bed, clutching her chest and breathing heavily.
The two were startled and quickly fed Lin's mother the medicine. After a chaotic scene, Lin's mother finally managed to sit up.
Seeing that Lin's mother looked so unwell, Liu Pianran wanted to please her, so she whispered, "Brother Hao, Auntie doesn't look well. Why don't we go to the town hospital together to get her checked out?"
Lin Haodong was also a little worried about his mother being home alone, so he nodded and said, "That's fine. We're going to the city to get our marriage certificate anyway, so let's go together."
Upon hearing that they were going to get a marriage certificate, Lin's mother anxiously grabbed Lin Haodong's hand and instructed Liu Pianran, "Liu Zhiqing, go to the kitchen and pour me a bowl of water."
"Auntie, you can just call me Pianran."
Liu Pianran responded respectfully in a low voice, then turned and left the room.
As soon as Liu Pianran left, Lin's mother grabbed Lin Haodong's hand tightly: "Adong, you can't get a marriage certificate with her. I don't want you to get a marriage certificate with her."
Lin Haodong gave a helpless bitter smile: "Mom, we have to get a marriage certificate. The militia registered our names the day before yesterday—"
"Find Ji Xia and talk to her properly. Her father will definitely have a way."
"Mother, Ji Xia won't agree. She even asked me for the money she spent on noodles for me last night—"
"That must be because you didn't win her over. Think about it, she's the daughter of Party Secretary Ji, and she gets a monthly salary. What's the point of marrying a female educated youth who can't work and can't earn money?"
She painstakingly explained the pros and cons of the two of them, but Lin Haodong remained silent.
He had thought about these things before. Although he liked Liu Pianran's body, he always felt that Liu Pianran was not a proper woman, and his ideal wife was always Ji Xia.
He originally intended to have a brief affair with Liu Pianran and then break off the relationship with her after returning to school. Who would have thought that the militia would find out!
After his mother spoke to him for a while, Lin Haodong finally said in a low, helpless voice, "Mother, it's not that I don't want Ji Xia, but she insists on making a big scene and breaking off the engagement. What can I do?"
"Take me to see her later. I'll beg her. I don't believe she won't give me the slightest bit of face..."
"But the militia leader said that if we don't submit our marriage certificate within three days, they'll arrest us—"
"We'll find Secretary Ji later and ask him for a favor. We'll say my old illness has relapsed and I can't get the marriage certificate today—"
Liu Pianran, who brought the water over, stood outside the door and listened for a while. A mocking smile appeared on her lips. She turned around, poured the water in the yard, and sat calmly on the stool to wait.
She simply refused to believe that Ji Xia, who had made such a huge scene yesterday, could be coaxed back to her senses by a few words from her and her son.
A short while later, Lin Haodong helped his mother out. When he saw Liu Pianran sitting expressionlessly in the courtyard, he felt a little guilty.
After helping his mother into the courtyard, he instructed Liu Pianran, "Pianran, my mother is not feeling well. I want to take her to the hospital for a check-up. Go and borrow an oxcart from the brigade leader first."
Liu Pianran chuckled inwardly a few times, then, without saying a word, got up and left.
Lin Haodong immediately helped his mother to find Secretary Ji and Ji Xia.
As they walked down the hillside at the Ji family's courtyard, Ji Xia was pushing her bicycle down the slope, preparing to return to the city for work.
Lin Haodong saw her figure in the distance and called out loudly to Ji Xia: "Xia, Xia, wait a minute, I have something to tell you."
Before Ji Xia could respond, Ji Zhijun strode out and rudely shouted, "What are you yelling about so early in the morning? Are you calling it a funeral?"
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