Chapter 75 Passed the exam at five in the morning, rented bungalow...
At five o'clock in the morning, gray light filtered through the windows of the rented bungalow.
Cheng Xin sat on the bed, organizing her pencil case, filling her fountain pen with ink, and wrapping her admission ticket with oil paper.
Geng Yunye was squatting beside a small coal stove in the corner of the room, carefully putting a military water bottle filled with sugar water, a towel and a bag of egg cakes into a net bag.
"Everything is ready." Geng Yunye tightened the mouth of the net bag, looked up and saw Cheng Xin staring at the old newspapers pasted on the window, "What are you thinking about? Are you nervous?"
Cheng Xin came back to her senses: "No, I was just wondering if the table in the exam room was level."
"If it's uneven, use some scratch paper to put under it. You must not puncture the test paper." Geng Yunye picked up the net bag, and the net rope left red marks on his rough palms. "Eat first, and digest the food after you are full."
The iron pot on the small coal stove was bubbling. Geng Yunye opened the lid and the white steam wrapped in the aroma of noodles filled his face. He quickly filled two bowls, and a plump poached egg lay on top of Cheng Xin's bowl of noodles.
Geng Yunye pushed the bowl over and picked up another bowl of clear soup noodles.
Cheng Xin picked up the chopsticks to pick up the eggs: "I can't finish two..."
"Eat quickly, the noodles are clumping together." Geng Yunye pressed down the tip of her chopsticks with his chopsticks, lowered his head and gulped down a big mouthful of noodle soup, and beads of sweat immediately broke out on his forehead.
The sun was already hot at seven o'clock.
The examination room was at the No. 2 Middle School in the county. Geng Yunye walked outside Cheng Xin, carrying a net bag.
Passing by the post office, a tractor carrying bricks rushed over with black smoke. He crossed his arms to block Cheng Xin behind him, and the dust and mud splashed on his trouser legs.
"Don't you have eyes!" the young man driving the tractor yelled as the wheels rolled over the puddles.
Cheng Xin took out a handkerchief and wanted to wipe him, but Geng Yunye held her wrist and led her forward: "Walk faster, there are too many people at the school gate and it's crowded."
There were crowds of people outside the iron gate of No. 2 Middle School. Some students were reading books and some parents were fanning their children with palm-leaf fans.
Geng Yunye handed the net bag to Cheng Xin and reached into his trouser pocket to search for a while.
"I almost forgot," he pried open Cheng Xin's fingers and stuffed something in, "Mint candy, if you feel sleepy during the exam, eat it to wake you up."
The three green candy balls carried the warmth of his body. Cheng Xin pinched the candy and watched the sweat on his forehead slide down his temples to his jawline.
"Go back to the rented house and wait. It's very hot outside." She pushed his arm.
"I'll watch you go in and then I'll go back." Geng Yunye stood still: "What do you want to eat for lunch? Should I go back and make noodles or dumplings?"
Cheng Xin didn't want him to work too hard: "Just heat up the leftover noodles from this morning."
The female teacher in a white shirt began to call out names.
Geng Yunye pushed her inside and said, "Go into the examination room slowly and don't squeeze with the crowd. Don't run around after the exam. I'll be under this camphor tree."
The bell rang to end the morning exam, and Cheng Xin followed the crowd out. Geng Yunye stood in the shadow of the camphor tree, with a water bottle hanging on the handlebars of his bicycle.
When Cheng Xin came closer, he handed her the kettle. Her throat had been very thirsty for a long time, and she didn't dare to drink water during the exam.
The kettle was filled with boiled water, and Cheng Xin drank half of it in one breath. Only after he sat in the back seat did he notice that his back was covered in sweat.
On the square table in the rental house were cold cucumbers and stewed pork ribs with potatoes, as well as a pot of tomato, vegetable and egg soup, and the staple food was rice.
"Take a nap for forty minutes after eating," he handed her the spoon, "I'll call you at ten past one."
Cheng Xin lay on the bamboo mat with her eyes closed while Geng Yunye sat on the doorstep picking leeks, with a bunch of crisp and fresh green onions beside him.
While picking leeks, he couldn't help looking into the room. It wasn't until he heard her even breathing that he felt relieved.
Halfway through the afternoon math test, the sky suddenly darkened. Cheng Xin had just finished solving a function problem when bean-sized raindrops hit the window glass with a crackling sound.
When the papers were handed in, the rain was like a waterfall. Cheng Xin opened her oil-paper umbrella and saw Geng Yunye rushing into the school gate holding a large raincoat. His trouser legs were rolled up to his knees, and half of his legs were covered in mud.
"The umbrella is too small to stop the slanting rain!" He opened his raincoat and wrapped Cheng Xin around it, half of his body soaked through.
The straw raincoat smelled of fresh green grass, and the rain water flowed down the grass stems into small waterfalls.
The dirt road on the way back was extremely muddy. Geng Yunye pushed his bicycle stuck in the mud, with beads of sweat and rain dripping down his forehead.
Cheng Xin followed with one foot deep and one foot shallow, and her plastic sandals were sucked into the mud and couldn't be pulled out.
"Get up." He patted the front beam of the car.
Cheng Xin shook her head, and drops of water dripped down her forehead: "The tires won't be able to bear it."
Seeing her hesitation, Geng Yunye bent down and held her knees to carry her onto the beam: "Sit tight."
Cheng Xin hurriedly grabbed the handlebars and heard a laughing gasp behind him: "If you're embarrassed, bury your head in your raincoat."
The wheels rolled over puddles, splashing mud. The heat from his chest shone through his wet sweatshirt onto Cheng Xin's back.
On the day the postman delivered the admission letter, Geng Yunye was repairing the tire of his bicycle, and the sunlight left dark sweat stains on his back.
Cheng Xin rushed into the yard holding a red envelope. The gold-embossed seal of "Hudan University" on the envelope shone brightly under the scorching sun.
Cheng Xin couldn't suppress the smile on her face: "Brother Yunye, look, I passed the exam!"
Geng Yunye rubbed his greasy hands on his trouser legs, but felt that they were not clean enough, so he went to the sink and washed them twice with soap. Only then did he carefully take her admission letter.
"Yeah," he responded, his voice lower and hoarse than usual, his thumb stroking the school name on the page.
"I'll find time to make you a big suitcase to carry your things." He held up the notice to the sunlight, squinting to read every word on it, "I'll also make you a cotton mattress. Shanghai is cold and damp in the winter. I have to tell my parents about the good news. Mom will definitely know where to get a thick cotton mattress."
Cheng Xin held his arm and said, "Eat first, the pancakes are getting cold."
Geng Yunye wrapped the fried potato shreds in a pancake and glanced at the bicycle outside the window: "I plan to buy a motorcycle."
"Where can we get that kind of money?" Cheng Xin scooped up the pork rib soup.
"The commune rewarded the advanced enterprises in the brigade and gave us two." Geng Yunye finished the pancake in his hand and said, "Xingfu brand motorcycle is 2,800 yuan."
Cheng Xin sipped the pork rib soup: "Since we all have the tickets, you can decide. Buying a motorcycle will definitely make it easier for you to do your business."
Geng Yunye acted quickly and returned within two days riding a brand new motorcycle, followed by a group of excited children.
The motorcycle has tough lines and exudes an industrial sense of power. The shiny black fuel tank has a deep luster in the sun, and the sharp-edged outline extends from the front to the rear. The round headlights on the front are bright and the chrome frame reflects the cold light.
"Try it?" He parked the car at the gate of the yard and raised his chin towards Cheng Xin.
Cheng Xin held his waist and sat on the back seat. The wind caused by the car starting to move instantly blew her braids apart.
She hugged Geng Yunye tightly, her cheek against his strong back, the sound of wind and engine intertwined in her ears.
Three days later, in the early morning, the sounds of gongs and drums could be heard from one end of the village to the other.
Cheng Xin went out to look curiously, and saw a large group of people following the commune cadres. The person in front was standing at the gate of the courtyard holding a red list, and the red silk of the gong and drum team was fluttering in the wind.
"Congratulations, Comrade Cheng Xin!" The commune cadre said in a loud voice, posting the red list on the wall, "Admitted to Hudan University! The city's top scorer in liberal arts!"
Outside the wall of his home, a large red banner reading “Warm congratulations to Cheng Xin for being admitted to Hudan University” was hung high up, and was particularly eye-catching in the sun.
Cheng Xin's face flushed red instantly, and she looked eagerly for Geng Yunye in the noisy crowd.
Just then, the sound of a motorcycle engine came closer and closer.
Geng Yunye was seen riding a brand new black motorcycle with Cheng Lei, whose face was beaming with excitement, sitting on the back seat.
Behind the motorcycle was a slowly moving ox cart, on which sat Cheng Xin's parents, both with rosy faces.
The ox cart stopped in front of the courtyard gate in a busy manner.
Geng Yunye stopped the motorcycle with his long legs, and Cheng Lei immediately jumped off the back seat. He looked around the motorcycle with sparkling eyes and couldn't help but reach out to touch the cold fuel tank.
Before the ox cart came to a complete stop, Xu Fengxia leaned down hastily and was carefully supported by Cheng Cunzhi.
As soon as her feet touched the ground, she couldn't stop smiling. She took a few steps forward and held her daughter's hand tightly, her voice choked with sobs: "Good child! Good child! You bring honor to our family! You bring honor to our ancestors!" She stroked the back of Cheng Xin's hand repeatedly, and was so excited that she didn't know what to say.
Cheng Cunzhi looked up at the red banner, then at his daughter who was being held by his wife. He moved his lips, and finally just wiped his face vigorously. His brows, which were always a little sad, were now filled with unprecedented pride and brightness, and his eyes were slightly moist.
"There's a college student in our village! He's even the city's top scorer!"
"Hudan University is an old university, ranked on par with Yenching University and National University!"
The onlookers all praised Cheng Xin for bringing honor to the village, with proud smiles on their faces.
The children were milling in the crowd, curiously surrounding the majestic motorcycle and the big red banner.
The small courtyard was packed with people and everyone had a happy look on their face.
Cheng Xin was holding her mother's hand, listening to the villagers' sincere praise and blessings, looking at her father's rare relaxed brow, and then looking at Geng Yunye who was standing beside the motorcycle and looking at her with a smile. Happiness instantly filled her heart.
In the kitchen, Xu Fengxia sat on a small stool, turning the rolling pin in her hand rapidly, and the dough was skillfully turned into dumpling skins of even thickness under her hands.
Cheng Xin sat opposite her mother, picked up a piece of dumpling skin with her fingers, and carefully scooped a spoonful of leek, egg and shrimp filling on it.
She tried to make beautiful folds with her fingers like her mother, but her movements were a little clumsy, and the dumplings she made were not very stable and were slightly tilted.
"My daughter," Xu Fengxia rolled out another piece of dough and handed it to her. She glanced at her daughter's not-so-evenly wrapped dumplings and said tentatively, "You and Yun Ye have been married for half a year. Haven't you thought about having a baby sooner? Mom can also hold her grandson sooner."
Cheng Xin was trying hard to pinch a dumpling, but her fingers slipped when she heard the words, and the filling almost leaked out. She quickly pinched it tightly, her cheeks instantly flushed, and she lowered her head even lower: "Mom, it's only been a short time."
"Half a year is not a short time." Xu Fengxia kept rolling the rolling pin in her hand, and her tone was filled with the worry of someone who has experienced it: "You are about to go to school, and university will take four years. I'm afraid that others will gossip about you, saying that you are too ambitious and don't care about your family." She frowned slightly, and the sound of the rolling pin hitting the chopping board was a little heavier.
Cheng Xin finally managed to wrap a dumpling that could stand on its own and breathed a sigh of relief.
She raised her head, the blush on her face had not yet faded, and her eyes were firm: "Mom, don't listen to that, Yunye is not in a hurry to have a child."
When she mentioned her husband's name, she felt confident: "He told me to focus on my studies and that it would not be too late to have children after I was assigned a job in the future. He said that the opportunity to study is rare and it would be a pity to be distracted now."
Xu Fengxia paused while rolling the dough and looked at her daughter in surprise: "Does he really let you do whatever you want? Doesn't he urge you?"
"Yeah!" Cheng Xin nodded vigorously, and the corners of her mouth couldn't help but rise: "He supports me, ever since I got married..."
She looked at the dumplings she made, which were obviously not as beautiful as her mother's, and her ears felt slightly hot: "He rarely lets me into the kitchen. He cooks most of the meals at home." She was embarrassed to say that her hands were numb from not cooking for so long.
"What? He cooks?" Xu Fengxia was really stunned this time, and her hands slowed down. In her opinion, even if the couple had a good relationship, she had never heard of the man cooking at home: "He cooks every meal?"
"That's about right." Cheng Xin didn't dare look into her mother's eyes, pinching the dumplings guiltily: "He said that studying was more important for me, and told me to rest more, or to read and review. He would think of ways to make delicious meals for every meal."
She quickly added, fearing that her mother would think they were too extravagant: "In the morning, we either boil eggs or steam custard buns. For lunch, we make one meat dish and two stir-fried vegetables. The doctor said I was anemic and a little malnourished, so he used the doctor's words as a token to not let me enter the kitchen, saying that my cooking was not oily and that he wanted to supplement my nutrition."
"You eat meat every meal?!" Xu Fengxia gasped and completely forgot about rolling the dough. She looked at her daughter and said, "You...you young people really don't know how to live! Is this how you live? No matter how big your family fortune is, it can't withstand spending it this way!"
She was really anxious. She felt sorry for the money and also thought her daughter didn't know how to manage the household.
"Mom, don't worry!" Cheng Xin hurriedly explained in a low voice, "We didn't spend money recklessly! Really! Yunye gets dividends from the factory, and his salary is higher than that of dual-income families in the city. I manage the money at home, and I keep accounts of all the expenses. I know the situation well. If the family is in financial difficulty, I will definitely not let him spend money recklessly."
Xu Fengxia saw that her daughter's face was whiter and rosier than when she was at home, and it was obvious that she had never been tired. She also saw that even her unfamiliar movements in making dumplings showed that she was obviously well taken care of. The worry and anxiety about gossip in her heart instantly disappeared.
She was really happy for her daughter: "Mom didn't make a mistake when she first chose him. Yunye really loves you and holds you in his heart. He never lets you get tired with housework or eat anything. He even supports you in important matters like studying. That's great!"
She breathed a sigh of relief: "Since you two have discussed it, mom supports you to study. Studying is good, and studying is a big deal! Just study with peace of mind, mom and your dad support you!"
Cheng Xin looked up at her mother, her eyes soft but firm: "Mom, Brother Yunye treats me well, I remember it in my heart. We two live together, and we work together. We save what we should save and spend what we should spend. We spend big money together after discussing it. I will study hard to live up to Brother Yunye's kindness and never let you and Dad wait in vain."
The smile on Xu Fengxia's face deepened, and the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes smoothed out.
In the yard, Cheng Cunzhi's drunken laughter was particularly loud, interspersed with Geng Yunye's steady responses.
The water in the big iron pot on the stove was bubbling and bubbling with dense bubbles.
Cheng Xin picked up the round bamboo plate and pushed the plump dumplings into the boiling hot water.
"It smells so good! Sister, Mom! Are the dumplings ready? I'm starving." The kitchen door curtain was lifted, and Cheng Lei poked his head in, his nostrils flaring, his eyes staring at the dumplings bubbling in the pot, his saliva almost flowing out.
"You greedy boy, you only know how to eat!" Xu Fengxia laughed and scolded, reaching the strainer in her hand into the pot and stirring it a few times: "It's almost done, just add some more water and it will be ready. Look how hungry you are!"
Cheng Xin took a look at the plump white dumplings in the pot, then looked at her brother's drooling expression, and couldn't help but laugh.
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