"Then Auntie, I'm going back to study. The exam is in three weeks!"
"Go quickly, go quickly, don't delay your studies, go back!"
After Zhou Xiang left, Aunt Huang was still not satisfied. She walked up to Zhou's mother and said, "Your little girl is so well-behaved. She can help with housework and study on her own without any delay. She is also so sweet and praised me. I am still happy to this day! That's great. Your daughter is so kind!"
Zhou's mother knew that her daughter was doing this for her. Sister Huang was the most talkative, but if she could make her happy, she would only say nice things.
"She's telling the truth. I didn't even know there were distinctions between class and grade rankings! I didn't care when she came home and told me about the top three, thinking they were just the top three in the class! Big sis, you're pretty well-informed, as you're out there getting news every day. Unlike me, I stay in this warehouse all day and have no one to tell me anything!"
Mother Zhou replaced gossip with inquiring for information, which Aunt Huang found much more agreeable. Then she started talking more. "I'm telling you in secret. The person who said you were so cruel as to expel your daughter from school and send her home to do housework was Zhong Ling's mother. She said her daughter's grades were bad, but she didn't expel her."
Zhou's mother's eyes changed. Her little girl was right. Zhong Ling's mother did know about Zhong Ling's affairs and helped spread the news outside.
"Let her say whatever she wants. Once my daughter actually goes back to school to take the exam, everyone will understand."
"You! You just have a good temper!" Aunt Huang said with a disappointed look on her face.
Zhou's mother smiled but said nothing. Didn't she know Sister Huang's mentality? She just wanted to watch the fun! She didn't want to be the laughing stock!
Thinking about my daughter asking me to borrow money, I quickly locked the warehouse door and said, "Sister Huang, it's almost time to get off work. I have to go to the front. I'm leaving now!"
"Okay, okay, go ahead! Go back and tell your family to read more books. I still need to see the certificate!"
"Okay!"
Zhou wanted to go home and cook quickly because his mother would be home for dinner soon. Zhou's father was lying in bed at home and didn't cook, unless there was delicious food, such as meat or fish, then he would take the initiative to cook!
Zhou Xiang went into the house and pulled his father, "Dad, get up and cook. I'll light the fire. I have something good to tell you. Hurry up."
Zhou's father had slept enough, and when he heard his daughter say there was good news, he got up.
The father and daughter were making lunch and talking: "Dad, do you have any money on you?"
Zhou's father paused, "What for?" He was saving his own money to buy cigarettes! It was still a week before his salary was paid!
"Can you lend me some money? I know you still have money for cigarettes. Lend me one dollar and I'll pay you back one dollar and fifty cents when I get back."
"Come back? Where are you going?"
"I'm going to the county town to do something and need some money. I went to borrow one dollar from my mom, but I'm worried it's not enough! If you lend me the money, I'll give you interest. Don't tell my mom."
"How old are you? You still have things to do. Okay, I'll lend it to you, but you really have to pay back the interest!"
"Don't worry! I'll definitely pay it back. Just don't let Mom know."
Father Zhou nodded, lifted the hem of his cotton-padded jacket, and took out a dollar from his inner coat pocket. "Here, your mother will be back soon."
Zhou Xiang happily put away the dollar and said, "Well, my mom will borrow another dollar. Two dollars will be enough to go to the city."
When Zhou's mother came back and saw the father and daughter happily cooking, she felt strange. Did the sun rise from the west today?
Zhou Quan never cooks these vegetarian dishes, it’s strange!
Zhou Xiang wanted to wash the dishes after dinner, but her mother stopped her and said, "Mom, please wash them. Don't use cold water."
Zhou Xiang didn't argue. He put down his bowl and chopsticks and waited for himself to find a way to build the kang so that he would have hot water at all times.
In the evening, Zhou Xiang organized the things he was going to sell in his space. The next day, he got up early to catch a bus. The first bus from the town to the county was less crowded.
The bus left on time at 5:30, and Zhou Xiang rushed to the city with trepidation and hope.
When Ling Ran came to find Zhou Xiang with breakfast, he heard Zhou's mother say that Zhou Xiang had already gone to the county town, and he felt very bad.
Where did she get the money? She even sold wine bottles to buy seeds that day.
"Auntie, Zhou wants her to take the early bus, right?"
"Yes! The one at 5:30."
Ling Ran returned home with breakfast and placed it in front of his father. "I'm going to the county town and will be back tomorrow."
After saying that, he ran out. Father Ling looked at the breakfast in front of him and said, "Huh? It's definitely not bought specially for him."
Seeing that her husband didn't eat, Ling's mother dragged him in front of her and said, "Son, you've never bought anything for the family before, but today you bought breakfast for me. I'm such a grown-up, didn't he see it?"
Father Ling pulled a chair closer to his wife and whispered, "Your son has someone he likes. I bought this for the girl, but she's probably not at home."
"What?" Ling's mother was extremely surprised.
Ling's father signaled his wife to lower her voice, "Keep your voice down. If others hear us, who will say anything good? Does our son want others to say bad things about him and the girl he likes?"
Ling's mother thought about her son's bad temper and wondered who he resembled. He couldn't be provoked, because if he was provoked, he would never let it go and would get back at people. If he couldn't get it back, he would get it back at people's children or the chickens and ducks at home.
I apologized to others so many times for him, but he became even worse after the apology. Others dared not come to me again and just thought they were unlucky!
"Who is so unlucky to be liked by him?" Ling's mother asked her husband.
When Father Ling heard his wife's words, he nodded at her and said, "If our son hears this, you'll have to buy all those cosmetics again."
Ling's mother covered her mouth and asked in a low voice, "Who is it?"
“Think about it!”
"I can't remember!"
Father Ling looked helplessly at his carefree wife, "Zhou Xiang!"
"Ah! That little chubby girl? She's so cute. Doesn't Ranran always bully her? What's going on?"
"You don't understand. Ranran likes her but can't express it, so he bullies her and draws her attention. Now, I guess the girl will stay away from him when she sees him. He's going to suffer!"
Ling's mother laughed when she heard this, "That's great, so funny, huh, let him bully others and cause trouble for me everywhere, only the little girl never comes to our house to complain."
"The little girl is so stubborn! She won't come to complain! I don't know how long it will take for our Ranran to catch her back!"
Ling's father and mother looked at each other and laughed.
When Ling Ran ran to the provincial road, it was already the third bus. Each bus was forty-five minutes apart, which meant that he and the little girl were one and a half hours apart.
When Zhou Xiang arrived at the county town, it was almost seven o'clock. It took more than an hour to travel thirty miles. This speed made Zhou Xiang speechless. There was no other way. There were people getting on and off at every village entrance along the way. The road conditions were not good. His stomach was uncomfortable due to the bumpy ride. Fortunately, he had not eaten breakfast.
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