Chapter 52 Restoring the College Entrance Examination and Helping Mom with Homework
Previously, when Political Commissar Zhao spoke with Fang Xudong, it wasn't at the Fang family home. Whenever someone came to persuade Grandma Fang and Gao Xiuxiu, it was always Mrs. Zhao who came.
This time, Political Commissar Zhao spoke these words directly to Fang Xudong, and even slammed his fist on the table.
Gao Xiuxiu and Grandma Fang were both startled. They both knew that Political Commissar Zhao held a high position, and they were terrified.
"Are you trying to deliberately offend your neighbors and move from this apartment to a tenement building?" Commissar Zhao had heard from Mrs. Zhao that some people were trying to move to a tenement building in this way.
Political Commissar Zhao couldn't help but think of this: was Fang Xudong's family also having this idea?
"No, no, absolutely not," Grandma Fang hurriedly said, somewhat frightened by the scene.
This is a political commissar, not an ordinary person.
Grandma Fang was still afraid of Political Commissar Zhao, fearing that her son would not be able to stay in the army.
"I come from the countryside, and I didn't pay attention to what I said. I will definitely pay attention in the future," Grandma Fang said. There was no need for Political Commissar Zhao to say anything else; Grandma Fang said it herself.
"..." Madam Zhao thought to herself that when she spoke to Grandma Fang, Grandma Fang also said she would pay attention, but afterwards she still didn't pay much attention.
Fat Sister accompanied Song Fenglan to sit and talk in Song Fenglan's courtyard. She felt that Grandma Fang had gone too far.
“If she says that, people will think we’re conspiring to murder her eldest granddaughter,” said the fat woman. “Pah, she’s heartless. It’s clearly her own problem, yet she’s blaming us.”
“It is indeed her problem.” Song Fenglan nodded. “A person like her has moral flaws, but she hasn’t broken the law, so it’s just a matter of a few words.”
"Isn't that exactly it?" the fat woman said. "She's just taking advantage of her age to talk nonsense over there."
Aunt Pang has seen far too many people like this, especially during those special times. These people, relying on their good class background, became even more unscrupulous. To be fair, Grandma Fang is considered relatively good; she might say some unpleasant things, but she didn't actually harm anyone. But some people are truly wicked—wicked in words, wicked in heart, and wicked in actions.
Those people went to ransack other people's homes, but when they didn't find anything, they would resort to deception.
In Fatty Sister's hometown, some people were driven insane in this way, and there was also a wealthy landlord who was tricked into going to be executed by the villagers. The villagers told the landlord that they just wanted to talk to him, but he was dragged there. When he arrived at the scene, he found out that he was to be executed. At that point, it was no use for the landlord to say anything; he just died.
Friends, fellow villagers, people who help each other out—it's all fake.
Some people are incredibly ruthless when it comes to their own selfish interests.
"I can't stand her like that," said the plump woman. "She's been here for so long, and she's always saying the same thing. She wants to stay with her son and wants her son and daughter-in-law to be filial to her. Fine, what does that have to do with us? If we don't give them anything, she goes on and on about whether they're our neighbors or not. If we do give them something, she has so much to say."
“Don’t give them to us anymore,” Song Fenglan said. “They really went too far.”
"Fenglan, you finally got a break, but you had to hear those things." The plump woman felt a little guilty.
“This is not your fault,” Song Fenglan said. “With so many people, it’s normal for a few individuals to have problems.”
It's perfectly normal for people to gossip about each other when they live in the same place. It would be unbelievable if no one did. Even close neighbors will talk about each other behind their backs.
Grandma Fang is the kind of person who likes to gossip. Everyone knows she favors boys over girls and has a bad temper, so few people agree with her. Unlike Shi Guilan, who at least gets a few words in her favor. Ultimately, Grandma Fang's social standing can't compare to Shi Guilan's.
Since there's no comparison, Grandma Fang should have been quieter. But she insisted on making a fuss, which just gave others the opportunity to come and teach her a lesson.
“If she criticizes you, then you should criticize her,” Song Fenglan said. “You don’t have to give in to her just because she’s older.”
“Yes, that’s what I think too,” said the plump woman. “She really doesn’t care about her eldest granddaughter, letting the child get into this state. Once or twice, she didn’t even consider that it was her own problem, and she still had the nerve to blame others.”
Did someone else ask Grandma Fang to feed her honey water to her granddaughter who is less than two years old?
No! No one made Grandma Fang do that; it was Grandma Fang who wanted to do it herself.
Grandma Fang made a mistake, and in order to lessen her guilt, she went to blame others, acting as if it was all someone else's fault.
That's outrageous, absolutely outrageous!
Song Fenglan thought she had seen all sorts of strange people; there were far too many like Grandma Fang. Especially the older generation of this era, many of them had terrible tempers. They were poorly educated, didn't understand scientific principles, yet they still insisted on criticizing others.
"Was Zihang scared?" Fatty Sister looked at Qin Zihang, who was playing nearby.
"No." Qin Zihang had just wanted to rush over and say a few words, eager to try, but his mother held him back.
Why do kids crowd around when adults are talking?
Song Fenglan hesitated for a moment, afraid of getting hurt again. Just as she let go, Political Commissar Zhao and his wife appeared. Then, Song Fenglan was even less likely to let Qin Zihang rush over, and pulled him back again.
“I haven’t even said anything yet,” Qin Zihang said. “How could they be so mean?”
"From now on, don't play with their baby," Song Fenglan reminded Qin Zihang.
“I’m not going to play with their baby,” Qin Zihang said. “They don’t like Mommy and they make things difficult for her. They’re all bad people.”
Qin Zihang didn't understand those things. He knew his mother was good to him, and those who hurt his mother were not good people. He couldn't possibly associate with those bad people.
“They’re so bad, their baby won’t like them either,” Qin Zihang said.
"..." Song Fenglan didn't know what would happen to Gao Xiuxiu's daughters in the future. What she did know was that if Gao Xiuxiu and Grandma Fang continued to treat the girls in their family that way, those girls would eventually resent them.
"Mom, why did you pull me just now?" Qin Zihang asked.
"I'm afraid you'll get hurt." Song Fenglan pinched Qin Zihang's cheek. "Sometimes, you can just say it, instead of rushing in."
"Mom, didn't you say that if someone bullies us, we can fight back?" Qin Zihang asked. "We can throw stones, even if we don't kick them."
The fat woman looked at Song Fenglan, not expecting Qin Zihang to have such thoughts.
Song Fenglan did say that; at that moment, she felt a little like bending down and digging at the ground, but she couldn't say it was bad.
“You can do that to people your own age, to people you can control,” Song Fenglan said. “But there are more people over there, and they are taller and bigger than you. If you make a move, they will grab your collar and you won’t be able to move.”
“With Mom and Dad here, you can move.” Qin Zihang thought for a moment.
Song Fenglan imagined them fighting with Gao Xiuxiu's family. If that happened, it would be too ugly and they'd likely get hurt. Song Fenglan preferred to use an opponent's strength against them, and besides, with Political Commissar Zhao and his wife present, it wouldn't be appropriate for Qin Zihang to rush in. But then, after thinking about it, Song Fenglan felt that Qin Zihang rushing in was quite suitable.
“Okay, next time I won’t hold you back. Just make sure you take good care of yourself and go for it,” Song Fenglan said.
"I'll charge in with my little brother Zihang," Zhang Xiaohu quickly said.
"..." When the fat woman heard what they were saying, she felt that something was wrong, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.
Song Fenglan's thought was that she couldn't dampen the child's enthusiasm, nor could she force the child to become timid. Adults need to consider many aspects of a problem, but children don't need to consider so many things, and few people will argue with children about those issues.
Grandma Fang felt afraid, not only of her son's career being affected, but also of being sent back to the countryside. In front of Political Commissar Zhao, Grandma Fang kept saying it was her fault, promising not to do it again, and recounting how hard she had worked in the countryside, how there wasn't even a room for her in their rural home, and so on…
Political Commissar Zhao didn't want to make things difficult for Grandma Fang, but he did say a few words to Fang Xudong. He told Fang Xudong that at his age, it would be very difficult for him to advance further in his position, and suggested that Fang Xudong consider his future.
Fang Xudong saw Political Commissar Zhao and his wife out, and when he returned home, he looked exhausted.
"What do you mean? What does your political commissar mean?" Grandma Fang asked.
"It doesn't mean anything." Fang Xudong rubbed his temples. "Mom, you should stay here and talk less. Don't talk about those feudal dregs."
Fang Xudong was rarely home and knew little about the situation. Gao Xiuxiu hadn't told him, so he was even less aware. He only found out by being told by others. Neither Qin Yizhou nor Zhang Chenghai had told Fang Xudong, let alone anyone else.
Qin Yizhou's idea was that it was Fang Xudong's mother, and Fang Xudong should handle it himself. If Qin Yizhou didn't intervene, Fang Xudong's family would be the ones to suffer. What was the point of saying a few indifferent words? Those people still had to pay a price. Zhang Chenghai thought that since he and Fang Xudong were neighbors and lived so close, it wasn't appropriate for him to say too much.
"I... how was I supposed to know it would turn out like this? In our village, a few words won't cause any trouble," Grandma Fang said. "Nobody will hold it against us."
Grandma Fang was truly surprised that Fatty Sister-in-law would stand there and say those things. She also saw Song Fenglan, who didn't stop Fatty Sister-in-law. Grandma Fang suspected that Song Fenglan deliberately let Fatty Sister-in-law speak first, and that Fatty Sister-in-law was actually willing to do so.
Grandma Fang dared not speak of Song Fenglan or Fatty Sister-in-law anymore. This time, when Political Commissar Zhao and his wife saw it, Grandma Fang was truly frightened.
Grandma Fang noticed that Song Fenglan had never spoken ill of them before, so she spoke up for her. She thought, "So what if she's the regimental commander's wife? I'll say a few words, and Song Fenglan won't dare to utter a sound."
It wasn't that Song Fenglan was afraid to speak up, but rather that she had been very busy recently, and Gao Xiuxiu had just given birth. Song Fenglan didn't want to argue with people who had only recently given birth. Perhaps because she herself was a woman and had also been pregnant and given birth, she was more tolerant of women who had just had children. It was precisely because of this that Gao Xiuxiu and Grandma Fang became so arrogant.
"Do you really think others won't hold it against us?" Fang Xudong looked at Grandma Fang with complicated emotions. "Mom, a gentleman takes revenge even after ten years."
“They’re not gentlemen. It was just a few words, not an enmity,” Grandma Fang said. Seeing her son’s bad expression, she quickly added, “Look at my mouth. It’s my fault, my fault.”
Grandma Fang slapped her cheeks twice. "I won't say it again, I won't say it again, I absolutely won't say it again."
Because Grandma Fang was afraid of Political Commissar Zhao, she became much quieter afterwards. She dared not say anything more about Song Fenglan and Fatty Sister-in-law. At least, she didn't dare to say anything to anyone who lived nearby and dared to come to her house.
Grandma Fang suddenly became much quieter, and she wouldn't say anything when others asked her about Song Fenglan.
"Why talk about her?" Grandma Fang said. "I won't talk about it."
It was late August, and the weather was still very hot.
Tian Kexian and Yang Yaohui got married without a wedding banquet or a large dowry—just two quilts. Tian Kexian became pregnant, but she had no choice but to marry Yang Yaohui, and the two lived in a dilapidated little room.
Tian Kexian thoroughly disliked this small room; it was far inferior to the Tian family's house. However, she was already married and could no longer live in the Tian family home. After her marriage, her brother's child occupied that room. When Tian Kexian returned, she had nowhere to stay.
Some people who had known the Song family were exonerated, and Song's father even took his family to visit them.
So many years have passed, things have changed, so many things have happened, many people are gone, and some have returned, but they are not the same as before.
Elementary school was about to start, and Song Fenglan took Qin Zihang to register. The school allowed Qin Zihang to attend elementary school at this time. If the school hadn't allowed it, Song Fenglan could have found someone to help her ensure her son could get into first grade.
Qin Zihang's schoolbag was remade by Song Fenglan. What's wrong with a kid having one or two extra schoolbags? Song Fenglan also planned to cover Qin Zihang's books; kindergarten books were fine, but elementary school textbooks were always a little different.
In her past life, Song Fenglan used to cover her books with newspaper when she was in elementary school. It seems that she stopped using book covers when she was in junior high school. By junior high school, she had too many books, a whole drawer full of them. She still needed to use all the knowledge she had learned in junior high school for the high school entrance exam, so she had to take out all those books. If they were all covered, they might not be easy to recognize. Without book covers, they were much easier to find.
Song Fenglan wasn't looking for newspapers, but rather blank paper. Instead of buying paper outside, she brought back two large sheets of ordinary white paper from her office. Song Fenglan personally covered Qin Zihang's books, while Qin Zihang handed her scissors.
"Mom." Qin Zihang watched Song Fenglan wrapping books and wanted to try it too.
"Give it a try." Song Fenglan saw the longing in Qin Zihang's eyes.
Qin Zihang tried to cover the books himself, but he felt like his hands weren't his own; he couldn't fold them flat and they kept creasing, which made him a little anxious.
"Take it slow, press it down a bit," Song Fenglan said.
"Mom, can I press down like this?" Qin Zihang put his hands on the book, jumped a couple more times, and then jumped a couple more times.
Song Fenglan was amused by her son's actions. "Why don't you just lie down?"
"I'm afraid I'll crush the book," Qin Zihang said.
"It's not that serious," Song Fenglan said. "The book is originally flat, so I'm afraid it will be folded or wrinkled. It's okay, we'll wrap the book up properly, and we can write on the cover so you'll know what kind of book it is. We'll also write your name on it."
Song Fenglan also bought crayons and watercolor pens, and Qin Zihang could draw some patterns on the cover.
"I want to draw an airplane," Qin Zihang said. "A beautiful airplane, with white clouds and a blue sky."
“Okay,” Song Fenglan said.
When Zhang Xiaohu came over and saw Qin Zihang's book, he also thought about covering it with a book cover.
"Bring your books over." Song Fenglan brought some extra white paper; she could wrap a few more books in it.
Zhang Xiaohu and Qin Zihang go to school together and always play together. Song Fenglan prepared extra so that Zhang Xiaohu wouldn't want something he didn't have.
However, it wasn't Song Fenglan who covered Zhang Xiaohu's books; it was Qin Yizhou who helped him cover them, and Qin Yizhou did a pretty good job.
"It's alright," Song Fenglan glanced at it.
"I learned it from you," Qin Yizhou said. He had just watched his wife cover Qin Zihang's books and he had learned it in no time. From now on, whenever Qin Zihang needed book covers, Qin Yizhou could help his son cover them, saying, "Your covers look the best."
"It's just wrapped like that, what's so special about it?" Song Fenglan chuckled.
I used to wrap quite a few books.
"Should your parents write the title for you?" Qin Yizhou asked Zhang Xiaohu.
"My dad wrote the title of my book," Qin Zihang said. "My mom covered the book, my dad wrote the title, and I wrote my name."
Qin Zihang felt that this was the best way, and he felt very happy.
"But...their handwriting is ugly." Zhang Xiaohu complained. His parents' handwriting was bad, and he didn't want them to write for him.
Since Zhang Xiaohu refused to let Fatty Sister-in-law and Zhang Chenghai write the book title for him, Qin Yizhou had to write it for him. Qin Yizhou's handwriting was quite good.
Zhang Xiaohu happily went home with the wrapped books and showed them to his parents.
"My uncle made these for me, and he also wrote the characters," Zhang Xiaohu said.
"What's the name?" the plump woman asked, looking at the name on the paper.
“I wrote it. This is my book, of course I wrote it,” Zhang Xiaohu said.
"Such ugly handwriting," the plump woman said disdainfully. "I told you to practice your handwriting properly, but you wouldn't. Now look, Zihang's handwriting is better than yours."
“That’s because Zihang’s parents are amazing. My parents aren’t that amazing.” Zhang Xiaohu pouted. “Mom, you can’t just criticize me.”
"..." The fat woman still looked down on her son, "How many people's parents are as amazing as Zihang's parents? You're lucky to have parents like us, don't even dream about it."
"My brother is so pitiful," Zhang Xiaohu sighed.
Zhang Wen looked at his younger brother; what was there to pity about him?
“My brother doesn’t have anyone to help him cover his books,” Zhang Xiaohu said. “I have my uncle and aunt to help me.”
"That's because your brother knows not to bother others. He's much more sensible than you." Looking at Zhang Xiaohu's smug expression, the fat woman wanted to spank her son a few times.
"Brother, you're wronged," Zhang Xiaohu said.
“No, I’m not wronged,” Zhang Wen quickly said. He really didn’t think he was wronged at all; his younger brother was truly unafraid of being beaten.
“Listen to what your brother has to say. He’s not aggrieved. I think you’re just asking for trouble,” said the fat woman.
"Don't hit me, don't touch my books, these are my books," Zhang Xiaohu emphasized.
"Yes, it's your book. The book is wrapped up so well. You should study hard from now on," said the plump woman. "You and Zihang will be in first grade together. When the time comes, your little brother Zihang will know everything, but you won't know anything. Let's see how embarrassed you will be."
“It’s not shameful. I can’t, but my little brother Zihang can.” Zhang Xiaohu changed the order of what his aunt had said. He was quite proud of himself for having such a good study buddy.
The reason why Fatty Sister-in-law wants Zhang Xiaohu to stay at home is definitely because Zhang Xiaohu is her biological son.
The policy to reinstate the college entrance examination has not been officially released yet, but there are rumors circulating about it.
Those intellectuals were exonerated and returned to the city.
The educated youth in the countryside also wanted to return to the city, but returning was not an easy thing. The requirements for returning to the city were high, and not everyone could return easily.
By October, newspapers, television, and various media outlets had all announced the resumption of the college entrance examination.
Song Fenglan naturally wanted to apply, even though her abilities were undeniable, she couldn't reveal them publicly. She also needed to maintain a respectable image; people wouldn't expect someone who only graduated from high school to be so capable, and even if she passed the college entrance exam, no one would take her seriously.
Fan Yani also signed up for the college entrance examination; she had to give it a try.
In their province, the college entrance examination was held from December 11th to 13th. By this time, Fan Yani was about seven months pregnant. Fan Yani still decided to take the exam. Pregnancy would indeed have an impact on her health, but her grades weren't very good to begin with. Fan Yani just wanted to participate in the first round of the college entrance examination after its resumption.
Whether I pass the exam or not is another matter; the important thing is to participate.
Besides Song Fenglan and Fan Yani, some other people also took the college entrance examination, such as Li Hui.
Li Hui wasn't pregnant. Having worked in a performing arts troupe, she was somewhat educated. Li Hui wondered if people would treat her differently if she passed the college entrance exam. Even if she didn't work in the troupe, she wasn't incompetent.
Qin Yizhou thought of his second sister. She had attended high school, but he wondered if she had forgotten what she knew after all these years.
Earlier, Song Fenglan mentioned that the college entrance examination might be reinstated, and she brought back some books. Song Fenglan had thought of Qin Erjie, so she asked Qin Yizhou to send those books to her. It's important to know that finding those books at the last minute is difficult; even for people in the city, let alone in the countryside, finding those books would be quite challenging.
Song Fenglan held a high position in the research institute, so when she needed those books, others would lend a hand, and she quickly found them. Song Fenglan herself was fine; being a science student, she still remembered much of the content. As for the political subjects, she only needed to review the ones required for the exam.
"Thinking about your second sister?" When Song Fenglan returned home, she noticed that Qin Yizhou had checked the phone several times, which reminded her of her second sister, Qin.
"Yes, the last time I called, my second sister didn't answer the phone and had someone else pass on a message to her," Qin Yizhou said. "The book wasn't returned, but I wonder what my second sister is thinking."
Qin Yizhou hoped that his second sister could take a serious look at those books, but given the Qin family's situation, it was unlikely that they could help her; they couldn't count on them.
“If Second Sister wants to go back to the city, that’s fine,” Song Fenglan said. “First, we’ll see if she took the college entrance exam. If she didn’t, or if she didn’t pass, that’s okay too. We can find a way to get her a job so she can go back to the city.”
Song Fenglan felt these weren't major issues; the important thing was that Sister Qin was willing to contact them. If Sister Qin wasn't willing to do things that way, nothing they did would be of any use.
“There are still people selling jobs. It’s not allowed by the authorities, but everyone says it’s because they’re relatives or something,” Song Fenglan said. “Nobody will say anything about it.”
"Yes, that's it..."
“Actually, the policy has changed now. Even if it doesn’t work out, my second sister can go back in a year or two,” Song Fenglan said.
“If we can go back in a year or two, my second sister definitely won’t want to owe us anything,” Qin Yizhou said. “I did think about paying for a job for my second sister, but she refused.”
"Don't want it?" Song Fenglan looked at Qin Yizhou.
“Yes, Second Sister doesn’t want that,” Qin Yizhou said. “Second Sister doesn’t want me to buy her a job; she wants Mom and Dad to give her an answer.”
"You didn't want it then, but what about now?" Song Fenglan said.
“Second sister isn’t the eldest aunt; she’s stubborn,” Qin Yizhou said. “If she were the eldest aunt, she would have agreed immediately.”
Aunt Qin is a fence-sitter, always siding with whoever offers the best deal. Second Sister Qin, on the other hand, is stubborn, as evidenced by her refusal of the gifts Qin Yizhou sent her. Second Sister Qin isn't easily swayed; she's just stubborn, and it seems she wants to rely on herself right now.
"..." Song Fenglan didn't know what to say when she heard this. She could only say that everyone is a person with dignity.
Not everyone would fawn over something they see. If it were her, Song Fenglan didn't know what she would choose. She might do what Qin Erjie did, or she might simply take the things.
"Let's not talk about Second Sister. You're so busy, and you still have to take the college entrance exam. Is that okay?" Qin Yizhou asked worriedly.
“Zihang keeps saying that I’m going to college. If I don’t go to college, wouldn’t I be embarrassing him?” Song Fenglan said. “I can’t be a mother who embarrasses my son. I have to go to college.”
"With your grades, you'll definitely get in," Qin Yizhou said.
“Of course,” Song Fenglan said. “You don’t need to worry about my grades.”
To put it bluntly, if her score were slightly lower, the relevant departments would have tried to find a way to help her. But since she wants to get into Nancheng University, her score should be high enough.
Fan Yani took the college entrance exam, and people laughed at her behind her back, saying she was overestimating herself. Fan Yani didn't care if people laughed at her; it wasn't important. What mattered was that she took the exam, and that was enough. Later, she could tell her children that she had taken the college entrance exam.
Some people couldn't find their review books, and some even came to borrow them from Song Fenglan. Song Fenglan didn't have that many books; she simply said she didn't have any. She didn't need books for subjects like physics, chemistry, math, or foreign languages, and she didn't need them for Chinese either; she just wanted to look at things like biology.
Others didn't believe that Song Fenglan wouldn't have books, but Song Fenglan simply said, "Those contents are in my head."
Qin Zihang learned that his mother was going to take the college entrance examination. He wanted to watch her study when she returned home.
"Mom, aren't you reviewing?" Qin Zihang asked, looking at her mother sitting next to her watching TV.
"I will watch it," Song Fenglan said. "I'll watch it later."
“It will be even darker if we stay up any longer,” Qin Zihang said. “Mom, you’re about to go to sleep, how can you read? Hurry up and read, read carefully.”
"..." Song Fenglan's lips twitched slightly. She wasn't even worried, but Qin Zihang was even more anxious than her.
"Mom, you have to get into the best university, the most prestigious university," Qin Zihang said.
“The best university in our province is fine,” Song Fenglan said. “The national universities are out of the question, we still need to stay here.”
"Is the whole country better than the whole province?" Qin Zihang asked.
"Yes." Song Fenglan nodded.
"Then why not aim for the top score in the country?" Qin Zihang asked again. "Mom, are you afraid you won't do well on the exam?"
"No," Song Fenglan said, her face darkening. "It's because Mom wants to stay with Zihang, and also with Zihang's dad. Our whole family wants to stay here. If he gets into the best university in the country, then we'll have to go back to the capital. Are we going to go back and leave Dad here alone?"
"This..." Qin Zi
Hang hesitated, "Dad is holding Mom back."
“It’s good to study here,” Song Fenglan said. “The schools here are also very good.”
“They’ll say Mom isn’t good enough,” Qin Zihang said. “No, it’s not Mom who’s bad enough, it’s Dad who’s bad enough.”
Qin Yizhou had just helped Qin Zihang do the laundry when he entered the living room and heard Qin Zihang say that he couldn't do it. He was speechless.
"Qin Zihang!" Qin Yizhou called out Qin Zihang's full name.
Upon hearing his full name, Qin Zihang instinctively felt a little scared and moved closer to his mother.
“I…I didn’t say anything wrong,” Qin Zihang said. “When Mom goes to college, I’ll cover her books and take her to school.”
Qin Zihang had already decided that if his mother would take him to school, he would also take his mother to school.
“It’s all because of you, Dad, that Mom couldn’t go to the best university in the country,” Qin Zihang said. “It’s Dad who’s no good.”
“You can say it’s Dad’s fault, but you can’t say Dad is no good,” Song Fenglan chuckled.
"Why?" Qin Zihang didn't understand. "No means no."
"Qin Zihang!" Qin Yizhou reached out to grab Qin Zihang, who was running around in the living room.
Qin Zihang ran a lap and then hid behind Song Fenglan again, saying, "Dad, Mom is still here."
"What do you think?" Qin Yizhou raised an eyebrow.
"Dad's doing great, isn't that enough?" Qin Zihang sighed. "Dad, this is really not good for you."
"You can't just say things like that," Qin Yizhou said. "You told your mother to study, but did you study?"
"I've finished all my homework, but I didn't see my mom doing it." Qin Zihang looked at Song Fenglan.
"Homework?" Song Fenglan was speechless. She didn't have any homework; she just needed to do her own work.
“Yes, studying means doing homework. Mom, don’t you have to do homework too?” Qin Zihang said that he had been struggling with this for a while and had looked at his mother many times, but she hadn’t done her homework. “When I’m watching TV, you all tell me to do my homework, so why don’t you tell Mom to do her homework when she’s watching TV?”
"..." Song Fenglan fell silent. Should she say that she didn't have any homework? But her child was not young anymore. If her child remembered that she didn't do her homework before the college entrance examination, would her child also not do her homework when she took the college entrance examination later?
If the upper beam is crooked, the lower beam will be crooked too!
Song Fenglan thought for a moment, then got up and said, "Mom will go to the study to do her homework."
"Mom, can you let me see your homework after you finish it?" Qin Zihang said. "I did my homework, and Mom has already looked at it. I want to see Mom's too."
Song Fenglan wanted to slap her forehead. Was her son taking this too seriously? How was she supposed to appease him?
"Mom, Mom, is it okay?" Qin Zihang stared at Song Fenglan with his big eyes, eagerly needing his mother to give him an answer.
"Yes, absolutely," Song Fenglan said. "Can you understand the homework Mom wrote?"
"Even if you don't understand it, you can still take a look," Qin Zihang said.
"..." Song Fenglan thought that this was her son, it was just homework, he just needed to write a little something.
Song Fenglan thought she needed the correct information; what if her son took it out?
After Song Fenglan went to the study, Qin Yizhou tried to persuade Qin Zihang.
“You can’t understand the homework your mother wrote, so why don’t you just not look at it?” Qin Yizhou said. “Aren’t you tired?”
"Not tired, not tired." Qin Zihang shook his head. "Mom said that the college entrance examination can change one's destiny. The college entrance examination is a very, very important thing. We should all care about Mom, look after Mom, and not let Mom play too much. She can only play after she finishes her homework."
“Mom did her homework while she was at work,” Qin Yizhou said.
"I didn't see it," Qin Zihang said. "Mom did her homework while she was at work, why didn't she bring it back?"
"..." Qin Yizhou thought his son talked too much.
“Dad, we need to be serious.” Qin Zihang said with a straight face, “That’s the college entrance exam. Mom said that if I don’t pass, I won’t be able to go to university. Mom needs to go to university; she can’t be without a university education. We need to help Mom. Mom has already looked at my homework, so I need to look at Mom’s homework too.”
"Are you sleepy? Do you want to go to bed early?" Qin Yizhou asked.
"I'm not sleepy." Qin Zihang shook his head. "Mom hasn't finished her homework yet, I'm not sleepy."
"We'll see tomorrow," Qin Yizhou said.
“No, that won’t work. There’s homework every day. You’ll look at today’s homework today, and tomorrow’s homework tomorrow,” Qin Zihang said. “Dad, you need to pay more attention to Mom and help her, okay?”
Qin Zihang looked at his father with an expression that suggested his mother was being unfairly treated, and asked, "Dad, do you want to help Mom with her homework?"
"you……"
"I can behave myself." Qin Zihang clenched his little fist. "I didn't run out; I stayed at home."
Qin Yizhou looked at his son, and finally decided to knock on the study door.
"Come in," Song Fenglan said.
Qin Yizhou brought in a glass of water, and when Song Fenglan saw Qin Yizhou arrive, she had a sudden idea.
"You've come at the perfect time. Copy these questions down and write down the answers," Song Fenglan said.
"Are you asking me to do your homework?" Qin Yizhou asked. "Aren't you afraid Zihang will find out?"
Despite saying that, Qin Yizhou put down his water glass and then picked up the paper and pen in front of Song Fenglan.
“He can’t read these,” Song Fenglan said. “He’s so young, he doesn’t understand handwriting. Besides, it’s not easy for him to tell if I wrote these letters and numbers.”
Song Fenglan walked to the study door and peeked into the living room through the crack in the door. She gestured for Qin Yizhou to write faster and write more.
Qin Yizhou could only bury himself in writing, while Song Fenglan sat beside him and read for a while.
After a while, Qin Zihang rubbed his eyes; he was feeling a little sleepy. Qin Zihang knocked on the study door, but Song Fenglan was so engrossed in her book that she didn't hear him for a moment. She was only startled when she heard Qin Zihang call for his mother.
Song Fenglan quickly got up, sat down in her seat, placed paper and pen in front of her, and pushed Qin Yizhou aside.
Okay, that's perfect.
"Go open the door." Song Fenglan winked at Qin Yizhou.
Actually, the study door wasn't locked. Song Fenglan left it unlocked in case Qin Zihang needed to come in if something happened. Since there were no secrets in the study, there was no need to be so careful.
However, Song Fenglan still instructed Qin Zihang to knock before entering the study and to wait for permission before going in. This rule applied not only to Qin Zihang but also to Qin Yizhou. Without Song Fenglan's permission, they could not enter her study without her consent.
"Mom, have you finished writing?" Qin Zihang squeezed past Qin Yizhou's hand and ran to his mother.
"Look." Song Fenglan showed Qin Yizhou's copy to Qin Zihang. "Did you see it?"
"Mom, these words look weird," Qin Zihang asked. "Are these the words for the college entrance exam?"
“Yes.” Song Fenglan nodded. “This is what the college entrance examination will test, and there is a lot of content that you haven’t learned yet.”
"After I learn all this, will I be able to take the college entrance exam and go to university?" Qin Zihang asked. "Mom, can I start studying now? If I study now, I can take the college entrance exam and go to university next year."
"..." Song Fenglan looked at her innocent and adorable son. Her son really dared to say that. Children don't understand how difficult these knowledge points are to learn.
"Mom, if it's not possible next year, it's not possible the year after either?" Qin Zihang asked.
“You can only take the college entrance exam after you enter high school,” Song Fenglan said. “You can only take it when you reach a certain age.”
"Are you this age as your mother?" Qin Zihang asked.
“No, you don’t need to be as old as your mother. Wait until you’re a teenager,” Song Fenglan said. “As long as you’re in high school, you can go. Of course, if you’re very good in junior high, you might be able to go to the gifted youth program.”
"I want to be as good as my mom." Qin Zihang couldn't tell who wrote those words, and he didn't expect his mother to lie to him.
“Study hard and do your homework well, and you can do it too in the future,” Song Fenglan said.
"Mom, you must get into university, because I want to be like you," Qin Zihang said.
"You'll pass the exam, you'll definitely pass." Song Fenglan hugged her son. Was her son acting like a mother hen?
A smile played on Song Fenglan's lips; this feeling was truly peculiar. In her previous life, when Song Fenglan took the college entrance exam—oh, she was single then, without children, so there was no such thing as being encouraged by a child.
What's the difference between this and parents having their children be flower girls at their wedding?
"Is Hangbao sleepy?" Song Fenglan asked.
"I'm not sleepy, I can stay with my mom," Qin Zihang said.
“If you’re sleepy, you should go to sleep. Doing homework later will make you nearsighted,” Song Fenglan said. “If your eyes are damaged, you won’t be able to go to many schools. Come on, let’s go to sleep.”
Song Fenglan didn't want her son to keep watching her do her homework. If her son wasn't watching, she could ask Qin Yizhou for help.
If her son was watching, she would have to do it herself. Song Fenglan never imagined her son would turn out like this when she signed up for the college entrance examination.
The next day, when Song Fenglan returned from work, she saw Qin Zihang showing Zhang Xiaohu his homework, saying, "Impressive, isn't it? This is my mom's homework."
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