Chapter 121 Reward from Lu Hongzhe
Although the owner of the convenience store agreed to settle the matter of Ji Wenwu, his reputation had spread in the school, and he became more and more reluctant to go to school. For Ji Yuanping and Chen Guilan, this was unacceptable. How could the only child of the Ji family not study? Ji Wenwu was unwilling to go to school for the time being, so they let Ji Lanlan go home during the holiday to review his lessons. They came here today specifically to pick up Ji Lanlan and take her back to tutor Ji Wenwu.
Jiang Lili didn't know why the old couple were here, but she figured it wasn't a good thing, so she stepped forward and asked, "Grandpa and Grandma, did you know Sister Lanlan was going to take the college entrance exam soon, so you came to take her back to replenish her nutrition?"
"Lili, why are you here?" Chen Guilan looked at Jiang Lili with vigilance in her eyes. Why is this girl here?
"I just passed by here and saw you guys coming over to say hello. Are you here to take Sister Lanlan home to improve her life? How about taking me with you?" Jiang Lili said as she moved closer to them.
"Go away, we are here to see Lanlan for serious business, so don't make trouble here." Chen Guilan said, wanting her to leave quickly. This girl is very harsh with her words, and if she stays here, she will definitely cause trouble.
"Grandma, what serious matter can be more important than Sister Lanlan's college entrance examination? Are you guys going to ask Sister Lanlan to go back and take care of Wenwu again?" Jiang Lili couldn't help but raise her voice at the end.
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone around couldn't help but look over. Preference for boys over girls wasn't uncommon these days, but everyone knew it tacitly. Now that she pointed it out so directly, wouldn't everyone's attention be drawn to her? And what's more, Ji Wenwu was from the same school.
As expected, as soon as Jiang Lili finished speaking, some people started discussing whether the Ji Wenwu she was referring to was the junior high student who had been placed on probation two days ago. For Ji Yuanping and Chen Guilan, who were very concerned about their reputation, this undoubtedly hit their vital point. They looked at Jiang Lili with pale faces and said, "Shut up."
"Lili," Ji Lanlan's cheerful voice suddenly stopped when she saw the old couple. She asked with some confusion: "Grandpa and grandma, why are you here? Are you here to pick up Wenwu?"
"No, we came here specifically to see you, Lanlan. We're worried about you living alone. You should come back to the iron factory during the holidays." Chen Guilan looked at her with a smile.
Ji Lanlan knew Chen Guilan very well. If someone showed affection for no reason, they were either a traitor or a thief. She had lived alone for over half a year, so it was definitely not because she had a change of heart that she wanted to take her back. Thinking of Ji Wenwu who had just been placed on probation, she had a rough idea. She looked up and refused, "No, grandma, I'm used to it now. Besides, we have a lot of homework and a lot of review to do. I only sleep six hours a day. If I go back, it will affect you. So I won't go back?"
"No, you must go back with us." Chen Guilan's face looked a little bad. This girl has become wild after following Yao Yan, and she even dared to reject her.
"Grandma, have you forgotten that I was awarded to my mom when my parents divorced?" Ji Lanlan said, glanced at Jiang Lili, then left with her schoolbag on her back. She couldn't let them know that she went to Lili's house on the weekend, otherwise they would cause trouble for Lili again.
"Ji Lanlan, you are rebelling, aren't you? Come back with me quickly." Chen Guilan said impatiently.
"Why go back? Go back to serve Ji Wenwu? Impossible. If you continue like this, I will find the teacher." This time, Ji Lanlan went back to school directly with her schoolbag on her back.
"You," before Chen Guilan could utter any harsh words, Ji Lanlan's figure had disappeared in the crowd in front.
Ji Yuanping frowned at her and said, "I told you to coax her back first. Why are you trying to show off in front of her?"
"Then why didn't you say anything just now?" Chen Guilan gave him a look of displeasure. What else could this guy do besides talking after the fact?
Jiang Lili, who was standing by, roughly understood what the two men were up to. They wanted Ji Lanlan to go back and be a free babysitter. She had just witnessed Ji Lanlan's fighting ability, so there was no need to worry that she would be tricked into going back. She approached the two and asked with a smile, "Grandpa, Grandma, is Wenwu in trouble again? Didn't you say he was the smartest of our generation? Why is he being held back now?"
Jiang Lili's gloating was too obvious. One could tell how angry Chen Guilan was by the heaving of her chest. Without waiting for them to speak, she slowly began, "When Third Uncle comes out and finds out what you've done to Wenwu, and you're still planning to take the college entrance exam, will he be happy?"
As soon as these words came out, Ji Yuanping's expression turned serious. Wenwu's current condition made it difficult for him to go to high school, and as for college, there was no hope. But Lanlan was about to take the college entrance examination, and no matter which university she got into, the third brother would be proud. If they really let that girl go back to tutor Wenwu, wouldn't she have an excuse to blame them if she did poorly on the exam? Then the third brother would only think that they had ruined the future of her two children. Although Lanlan was awarded to Yao Yan, they were still connected by blood, and they were still family. Thinking of this, Ji Yuanping quickly made a decision: "Guilan, let's go back first."
"Go back?" Chen Guilan was a little puzzled. Since she was already here, wouldn't it be a wasted trip if she went back now?
"Let's go back first." Ji Yuanping glanced at Jiang Lili. No matter what her purpose was, he agreed with what she said.
Ji Yuanping always keeps his word. Although Chen Guilan was dissatisfied and hesitated for a moment, she finally followed him back. Jiang Lili stared at their backs until they left completely, then she turned around and looked inside the school gate. It seemed that her bet was right. Ji Yuanping was indeed worried that Ji Yumo would come out and blame them for not educating the child.
After a long while, Jiang Lili finally asked the security guard to pass on a message for her. She waited there for about ten minutes before she saw Ji Lanlan. She looked at her with a frown, carrying her schoolbag. "Lili, how about I not go to your place? That way you won't get harassed by them."
"This matter has been resolved. Don't worry. They should be the ones who most hope that you can do well in the exam." Jiang Lili signaled her not to worry about it.
"Really? Ji Wenwu has been placed on probation and hasn't come to school for the past few days. I guess they want me to go back and review his lessons for him so he can take the high school entrance exam and get his junior high school diploma first." The time just now was enough for her to calm down and guess their motives for looking for her.
"Ji Wenwu's grades are basically ruined. If he delays you any further, do you think your father will use this as an excuse to cause trouble?" Jiang Lili reminded.
Ji Lanlan understood what she meant instantly. Yes, their whole family was selfish. When something happened, they would never reflect on themselves. They would only think that it was someone else's fault. They judged others by their own standards and thought that others were the same as them. They were afraid of facing Ji Yumo's anger, so they changed their minds.
"I guess not only will they not let you go back to take care of the civil and military affairs, they will probably also send you food and money." After all, Ji Lanlan is going to take the college entrance examination soon, and this is a ready-made fruit.
Ji Lanlan remained silent, tacitly agreeing with her suspicions. She assumed they'd heard about Yao Yan's trip to Beijing from her grandmother's house. She stared at the passing scenery and spoke slowly, "Perhaps, but considering how stingy they've been with us, I doubt they'll find anything good. I don't expect anything from them, I just hope they stay away."
"Let's see what happens next. If they really affect you, you can go to your grandmother and uncle's house to make some noise." As I said before, this ready-made "fruit" of hers is not only wanted by the Ji family.
"I know, thank you, Lili." Ji Lanlan's tone was full of emotion.
"Don't be so polite, we are sisters." Jiang Lili said gently.
Ji Lanlan didn't say anything, but she kept these words firmly in her heart.
Sure enough, in the days that followed, Chen Guilan came to the school to find her several times, saying that she would take her back to the iron factory on weekends to improve her life, but Ji Lanlan refused every time. However, she did not give up and sent some things instead, such as some rotten fruits and some wrinkled pastries. Ji Lanlan felt angry and funny. These people were so perfunctory even when trying to please her. Fortunately, the difficult days were about to pass.
This summer vacation kicked off with the end of Ji Lanlan and her classmates' college entrance examination, but as students about to be in their senior year of high school, Jiang Lili and others had a very short summer vacation. They first had a three-day vacation with the rest of the group, and then had to go back to school to make up for the lessons. Making up for the lessons had become their normal state, and they complained about taking the summer vacation make-up lessons. There was no other way, as all senior students had to go through this. Fortunately, they still had three days to catch their breath.
This semester made Jiang Lili truly feel what it meant that time flies. Before she knew it, this semester was over. Fitness racks and fishing toys in both Yuncheng and Jingshi have been put on the market for sale. At present, fitness racks are more popular in Jingshi, and fishing toys have more orders in Yuncheng for the time being. However, at the current daily increasing rate, it is only a matter of time before Jingshi surpasses Yuncheng.
Because she had to make up for the missed classes, Jiang Lili's plan to go to Beijing had to be postponed. She clamped the receiver against her neck, sifting through the calendar with both hands, and said helplessly, "I can only find time to come here in mid-August, but I can't stay for many days. Senior year starts early."
"If the schedule is too tight, it's okay if you don't come." Cheng Yuntian hesitated and persuaded her. The output of the production line in Beijing has also increased, and there is no shortage of orders. She should still focus on her studies. Anyway, she will come to Beijing in a year.
"Okay, let's see what the arrangements are at that time." Jiang Lili was actually a little hesitant. If she went, the schedule would be too tight and her energy was limited.
"Well, there's no rush. Focus on your studies. By the way, are there any other conditions for settling down that you're not clear about?" Cheng Yuntian asked casually.
"I basically understand it." Settling in Beijing is more troublesome than Jiang Lili imagined, especially for Jiang Jianyi. However, she also figured it out that settling in Beijing does not necessarily require a permanent residence, so making money as much as possible is the most important thing.
"Okay, then you go ahead and be busy. If you want to come over, tell me in advance and I'll pick you up at the airport." It has been more than a year since the branch factory in Beijing was established. Cheng Yuntian often stays in Beijing and has his own circle. He lives a much more comfortable life than before.
After hanging up the phone, Jiang Lili got up and sorted out all the books in her bag. She hadn't decided whether to go to Beijing yet. When she pushed the door open, she saw Ji Lanlan in the living room. She was a little surprised: "Sister Lanlan, when did you come?"
"I just arrived a while ago. My classmates are planning to go to Jincheng to work during the summer vacation. I also want to try it, so I came to tell you today." Ji Lanlan explained her purpose to her.
"Jincheng?" Jiang Yulan handed the freshly poured water to Ji Lanlan.
"Yes, my classmate's relative is the director of the factory over there, so it would be more convenient for us to go there. Aunt Jiang, Lili, thank you for taking care of me these days." As for repaying them in the future, Ji Lanlan felt that it couldn't just be words, but actions. She clenched her fists and told herself that she would let time prove their judgment correct.
"Is your classmate reliable? Have you thought about your major?" Jiang Yulan asked with concern.
"It's okay." Ji Lanlan signaled them not to worry.
"That's good. If you have any problems, just call us directly. Don't handle it alone, okay?" Jiang Yulan reminded in a gentle voice.
"I know." Ji Lanlan was deeply moved. Her grandparents and her grandfather and uncle only asked her to promise her what they would do after she went to college, and never cared about her. She went to Jincheng to avoid them.
After sending Ji Lanlan off, Jiang Yulan glanced at Jiang Lili and said, "Next year it will be your turn. Time flies."
"Yes, I'm about to become an adult." Jiang Lili, who had completely detached herself from the plot, had longing in her eyes.
In Jiang Lili's memory, the last summer vacation of her second year of high school was filled with remedial classes. In the huge campus, only the seniors who were about to take remedial classes were taking them. The campus became empty, and there was no need to worry about not having a seat in the cafeteria. Jiang Lili followed Song He and the others to the cafeteria to get food. When she got to her seat, Ke Sisi next to her nudged her with her elbow, motioning her to look to the side. She followed her gaze and saw Ji Mingyue and Lu Jiaze. What were they talking about?
"It seems like they are discussing math problems." Ke Sisi whispered. She suddenly remembered the rumor in her class during her freshman year of high school that Lu Jiaze and Lili had been engaged. Thinking of this, she regretted her impulsiveness just now.
Jiang Lili quickly retracted her gaze: "I guess so, right? They actually did that? Sisi, let's go back and write two more papers."
"Well, I'll write two more and try to improve my score by one point." One point in the college entrance examination is much more important than one point at other times. Seeing that she didn't seem to be affected by the two people over there, Ke Sisi couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
Honestly, Jiang Lili felt a sense of relief when she saw Ji Mingyue and Lu Jiaze dining together. After all, Ji Mingyue had never failed to capture a target before. Ji Mingyue had always been good at managing relationships, and perhaps in the eyes of others, she was indeed an excellent person. As for Lu Jiaze, her relationship with him would not be affected by Ji Mingyue's presence. Of course, if he distanced himself from her because of Ji Mingyue, she could accept it calmly. Isn't growth just about constantly distancing yourself from old friends and making new ones?
When Ji Mingyue caught a glimpse of Jiang Lili's gaze, a flash of pride passed through her eyes. It took her a year to finally sit opposite Lu Jiaze. During this year, she created an image of diligence and love of learning. The two became acquainted with each other through an English speech competition. Later, Ji Mingyue slowly became familiar with Lu Jiaze under the pretext of asking for help with homework. Glancing at the 20% strategy value above his head, Ji Mingyue curled the corners of her lips.
When Lu Jiaze stood up, he saw Jiang Lili, who was not far from him. He stood up with his plate in hand, nodded at her, and then left. Ever since the class was re-assigned, the two of them no longer went to and from school together, and their interactions had suddenly become less frequent. After Jiang Lili told him not to wait for him last time, Lu Jiaze began to compete with her. He no longer took the initiative to look for her, and used all his free time to study. He didn't want to fall too far behind her. Fortunately, his efforts paid off. Although she was still at the top of the list, the gap between them was getting smaller and smaller each time. He told himself that the college entrance examination was the most important thing, and everything should be settled after the college entrance examination.
As for Ji Mingyue coming to ask questions, they were all classmates, so it was difficult for him to refuse. Also, because she was the English class representative and he was the math class representative, they would occasionally have intersections, and the two became familiar with each other. He felt that this was normal interaction between classmates and not a betrayal of Jiang Lili.
During the days of make-up classes, everyone tried to have fun in the midst of hardship. The biggest gain every day was the competition of who could finish more test papers. The tactic of doing a lot of questions in the third year of high school had become the norm. Just when everyone had gotten used to the rhythm of make-up classes, the class time was over and they still had a week left for their summer vacation.
"Are you still going to Beijing?" This was the first thing Jiang Yulan said when she picked her up at school.
"No, it's just a week, it's too much trouble." Jiang Lili shook her head. She just wanted to lie down at home for a few days.
"You won't be gone for a few days. Let's go to your uncle's house. Your grandpa went fishing, and your aunt specially made fish soup for you to nourish your brain." Jiang Yulan said to her.
"Okay, I want to drink fish soup too." She hadn't tasted her aunt's cooking for a long time.
"Sister Lili, you are finally on vacation." When she arrived at Jiang Aiguo's house, the first thing that greeted her was Jiang Qitong's loving eyes.
"That's right. You must have lost a lot of skin from playing so much." Jiang Lili pinched her cheek. The little girl had grown a lot taller during the summer vacation.
"No, Sister Lili, you are not going to Beijing, right?" Jiang Qitong asked hurriedly.
"Well, I'm not going. What's wrong?"
"That's good that you're not going. You haven't played with me this summer vacation, and school is about to start." Jiang Qitong reminded.
"I'm going to Xinhua Bookstore the day after tomorrow. Do you want to come with me?" Jiang Lili remembered that she and Ke Sisi had made an appointment to go to Xinhua Bookstore the day after tomorrow.
"You only have seven days off, and you still want to go to the bookstore?" Jiang Qitong was a little curious.
"Yes, we need to buy some reference materials, so are you going?" Jiang Lili stood up as she spoke, and Zhou Qingfen came out with the fish soup.
"Go." Jiang Qitong agreed without much hesitation. Going to Xinhua Bookstore is better than staying at home.
"Lili, Tongtong, you two should drink a bowl of fish soup first and then eat later." Zhou Qingfen called on the two to drink the fish soup quickly.
"I'll be right there." Jiang Lili took the fish soup and took a sip. It still tasted like what she remembered. Zhou Qingfen made the best fish soup in her family.
After having dinner here, the mother and daughter went home. On the way back, Jiang Lili asked her, "Mom, is Sister Lanlan coming back?"
"He came back a few days ago to get his admission letter. I guess he will leave directly from Jincheng." Jiang Yulan guessed.
"This is also good." Ji Lanlan chose a university in the south, away from Yao Yan in Beijing. She can be said to have taken the bravest step.
"Yes, I always thought that I was the one who persuaded her to go to high school. Whenever I thought about her failing to get into college, I would feel guilty. This is the best outcome now." Jiang Yulan opened her heart to her.
It was the first time that Jiang Lili knew that she had such thoughts. She took Jiang Yulan's arm and whispered, "Mom, you have done a great job. If it weren't for you, she would have been forced to work by Yao Yan. You saved her life." It also saved her from the regret of not being able to take the college entrance examination.
Jiang Yulan didn't say anything. She wasn't actually as good as she said. She just thought about herself back then. She could have taken the college entrance examination, but was coaxed into submission by Lin Wenkang with just a few words. She just hoped that more girls could continue their studies.
After witnessing Ji Lanlan's busiest six months, Jiang Yulan has already adjusted her working hours with Yan Xiaoqing. This year, her schedule needs to be coordinated with Lili's. As for the factory affairs, Yan Xiaoqing is now fully capable of handling them, and she only needs to play a supporting role.
"I've roughly calculated the orders from Yuncheng since the Chinese New Year, and this is the amount allocated to you." Jiang Yulan decided to say something she liked to hear, and she gestured towards her.
"Are there so many?" Jiang Lili was a little surprised.
"Of course. Although we have added new fitness racks and fishing toys, the orders for previous products have not been affected at all," Jiang Yulan explained to her.
"There is still a year left, and it seems that my original capital will only increase." Jiang Lili's tone was a little excited.
"This doesn't include the money paid by the factories in Jing City and Manager Zhang's Quan City. Lili, you were very far-sighted in choosing to cooperate with Xiao Cheng." Jiang Yulan's tone was full of undisguised praise.
"I think so too." Jiang Lili's eyes were full of smiles.
This news made Jiang Lili very happy during the seven-day holiday. She practiced the questions again every day. The seven-day holiday was over quickly, and they returned to school with the main group to welcome the arrival of the last year of their high school career.
Before the start of their senior year, they had already learned all the high school knowledge. All they had to do this year was review various knowledge points and then constantly do exercises. This was Jiang Lili's second time experiencing senior year. Probably because of her first experience, she easily accepted this model and also actively motivated the people around her.
Shortly after school started, Jiang Lili received a package from Beijing. She initially thought it was from Cheng Yuntian, but after seeing the various test papers inside, she overturned her suspicion. It was at this time that Lu Hongzhe called. His smiling voice came from the other end of the line: "Did you receive the package?"
"Well, there are a lot of test papers. It will probably take me a long time to finish them." Jiang Lili stared at the test papers in front of her and said resentfully. Did he know that the thing that high school students have the most is test papers?
"Tell me when you finish writing it, and I'll send it to you." Lu Hongzhe seemed not to hear the resentment in her tone and continued to speak happily.
Jiang Lili grasped the key point in his words and asked, "Is there a copy of Lu Jiaze in this?"
"No, you sent them separately. Everything in here is yours. Do it well. There will be a reward when you finish it." Lu Hongzhe's tone was like he was coaxing a child.
"What reward? It won't be another set of test papers, right?" Jiang Lili asked.
"Congratulations, you got it right." His laughter was faintly heard on the other end of the phone, and Jiang Lili couldn't help but smile even through the phone.
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