A few days later, the college entrance exam results came out. Cao An and Xia Youyou didn't have to wait; Huada had already contacted them through the school. The exam that day caught the attention of the two invigilators, who reported it to the higher-ups, and their papers were immediately collected.
After being admitted, the two took Liu Hui to prepare their trip to the capital.
Xia Youyou put the Qiangong bed into the space, and the other things were put away by Cao An. He left some unimportant things and boarded the train to the capital.
Liu Hui kept holding Xia Youyou's hand. She knew that all this was brought about by Xia Youyou. Cao An was excellent, but without Xia Youyou, with his above-average grades, he would never have been able to be admitted to the capital. At most, he could go to a police academy.
Xia Youyou leaned in her arms, asking her from time to time what was outside. She was still very curious about the outside world and found everything new.
Cao An sat across from them, considering where to stay first in the capital. The old house hadn't been renovated yet, which was why he was going there early. Once the house was renovated, the family could spend the New Year in the capital, as school wouldn't start until after the New Year.
When they got off the train and walked out of the train station, they saw Qi Siling and Xiao Hai already waiting for them on the roadside.
"Brother Cao, sister Youyou! This is my aunt! Oh, I've been waiting for you to come!" Xiao Hai was as excited as a child, and hurriedly ran forward to help Cao An carry the luggage.
In order to hide their tracks, the three of them only carried some simple clothes.
"You are Xiao Hai, right? You look very energetic." Liu Hui had heard about the cooperation between them a long time ago, but they always came in the evening and left in the morning, so they had never met each other.
Qi Siling followed behind and came forward to greet her. "Hello, auntie, I'm Qi Siling."
Liu Hui looked at the man who was as tall as Cao An and nodded secretly. This is good! "Okay, all good. Sorry for bothering you to come and pick him up."
"No. We borrowed a car and will take you to dinner first."
Qi Siling led the way, walking side by side with Cao An. "Brother Cao, I've checked on your house. If you have the title deed, go to the Housing Authority to register it. As for your household registration, you'll need your admission letter to register it and transfer your food allowance."
Cao An nodded. "Okay, help us find a team to repair the house in the next two days. We need to rest as soon as possible, otherwise we might not be able to celebrate the New Year."
Qi Siling drove the family back to the old house, where Grandpa Qi had already prepared a meal and was waiting. In the middle of the year, the old house was returned to them, and the Qi family was no longer a shady capitalist. Grandpa Qi had been a professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Hua University, but now he was demobilized. Due to his age and inconvenience in moving around, he became a visiting professor.
The Qi family's courtyard was bustling with activity. Ten half-grown children lined up neatly to face the few people who had just entered. Xia Youyou curiously gazed at these children, eight boys and two girls, aged eleven or twelve. They had been wandering around since childhood, nameless and without surnames. Old Master Qi, taking pity on them, gave them his own surnames, following the pattern of "Bo, Zhong, Shu, Ji, Chun, Xia, Qiu, Dong, Jiu, Mo." The eldest was given the name Qi Zi Bo to avoid the embarrassment of being called "Qi Bo," and the rest of the children were named after him, using the character "Zi" (Zi) for their surnames.
Xia Youyou looked at these people who were about the same height as her, and some were even taller than her. She smacked her lips, feeling uncomfortable. Why was she the only one who was short?
She has grown a lot taller in the past six months, but has stopped at 1.58 meters and can't grow any taller.
Mr. Qi is almost 70 years old this year. He came out with a hunched back and greeted a few people.
"Come inside and eat."
Cao An and Xia Youyou walked forward and called out, "Hello, Grandpa." Liu Hui also nodded to the old man and said, "I'm shameless enough to call you uncle. We're relatives now."
The old man stroked his goatee, laughing heartily. "Don't be so formal. This is your home from now on. Come, this is Youyou. I've heard Si Ling talk about you so much. You're so pretty." The little girl, wearing a pastel-colored coat with white fur trim, had a rosy, fair face and naturally rosy lips. Her long, dark hair draped over her shoulders, she looked at Old Man Qi pretentiously.
"What did Brother Qi tell Grandpa about me? Did he say something bad about me?"
"Hahaha! No way, if he bullies you next time, tell grandpa and I'll help you beat him up."
Seeing him laughing so happily, Xia Youyou quickly stepped forward to support him, fearing that he would lose his balance and fall to the ground. She looked at Qi Siling and asked, "Did you hear that?"
Mr. Qi looked at the wall-like Cao An next to him. "Oh, Cao An is so big. From a distance, I thought my house had built a wall."
Cao An scratched his head and felt a little embarrassed.
"Come, go in and sit down first."
Qi Siling's heart softened at the look of the little girl. It had been a month since they last saw each other, since they were preparing for the college entrance exam. She walked to the other side, supporting each other, and it felt a bit like family. Cao An followed behind, his eyes twinkling, the corners of his lips curled up, and he smiled at his mother.
There were more than ten people, and one table couldn't accommodate them at all. The ten children brought their own food and ate in the kitchen, leaving plenty of space for the guests to sit.
The dining table was bustling with activity. Old Master Qi hadn't seen outsiders for a long time. He took out the wine he had treasured for a long time and started toasting with Cao An and Xiao Hai.
Xia Youyou and her mother were talking in a low voice. Qi Siling leaned over to eavesdrop. When Xia Youyou noticed him, he glared at him and then he sat down quietly.
"Have you received your admission letters?" Seeing that he was honest, Xia Youyou moved closer to him and whispered.
Seeing her eyelashes trembling and her bright eyes looking at him questioningly, Qi Siling felt a little nervous for no reason. "She hasn't come down yet."
Xia Youyou retracted her gaze and sat up straight. She and her brother had their acceptance letters written directly by a professor from Hua University, signed and stamped. The rest would indeed take some time.
"Are you sure?" Although they had talked on the phone and knew that he had done well in the exam, she still couldn't help but feel worried.
Qi Siling touched her soft little head and said, "Even Xiao Hai is confident." It is impossible for him to be inferior to Xiao Hai.
Xiao Hai nudged him with his elbow, "How dare you talk like that!"
Xia Youyou chuckled softly, brushing away his large hand on her head. "If you keep rubbing me, I'll go bald!" Her hair, which had finally grown back, wasn't as dry and sparse as when she first arrived. After a year of careful care, it was now thick and smooth, and she sometimes couldn't let it go. She also wanted to tie her hair into a long braid like everyone else, but Cao An had no idea how to do it. The hair tie wouldn't hold it in place; it was too slippery and would fall apart if she moved!
Qi Siling saw that her hair had already grown to her bangs, and she thought it would probably reach her waist next year. "It looks great, and she won't be bald!"
Liu Hui watched their interaction from the side. Cao An had already told her about the flirting between them. Qi Siling was interested, but the girl hadn't caught on yet. Sigh, there was no telling when Anzi would find someone she liked. She was already 26!
They had a very enjoyable meal. Qi Siling did not let them stay in the guesthouse. He had already prepared several rooms in the old house and was waiting for them to come.
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