Chapter 241 Young People
When Nan Zhiyi returned home, Sister Zhang was watering the flowers and plants in the yard.
She greeted with a smile, "Sister-in-law is back? The food is keeping warm in the pot. Xiaoman is taking a nap in the small bedroom downstairs. She just fell asleep not long ago."
Nan Zhiyi nodded: "Thank you for your hard work, Sister Zhang. You go ahead and do your work. I'll go check on Xiaoman and then have dinner."
She tiptoed into the bedroom.
The weather is not yet May; it's neither too hot nor too cold, making it a comfortable season.
Xiaoman was covered with a thin blanket, her little face rosy from sleeping.
Nan Zhiyi bent down and kissed her son's forehead, tucked him in, then went to the kitchen for a quick lunch before heading to the study next to the small bedroom to spread out her manuscript paper and continue writing her story.
She didn't want to receive another frantic phone call from Editor Lin.
After calmly writing more than a chapter, Nan Zhiyi was stretching her slightly sore wrists when she heard rustling sounds and a little one's sweet, childish voice calling from the next bedroom: "Mommy? Mommy!"
Immediately afterwards, Xiaoman, wearing her pajamas, came running in. Seeing her mother at the desk, she immediately clung to her leg like a little koala, tilting her head up and pleading, "Mommy, are you done writing? Play with me!"
Nan Zhiyi put down her pen, smiled, and hugged her son, gently stroking his soft, tousled hair as he slept: "Okay, Mom will play with Xiaoman for a while."
She took Xiaoman to the yard and watched him run and laugh in the spring sunshine.
After finishing her chores, Sister Zhang brought over some hot milk and cookies, placed them on the stone table and chairs in the yard, and called to Xiaoman, "Xiaoman, come and have some snacks."
Nan Zhiyi handed her son over to Sister Zhang to look after, and then returned to her study to continue writing her manuscript as quickly as possible.
Gu Xiao came home quite late that night. Nan Zhiyi had already put Xiaoman to sleep, so she just turned on a small lamp and waited for him while reading.
After washing up, Gu Xiao walked to the bedside, still damp and smelling of soap.
Nan Zhiyi, who was originally drowsy, immediately woke up when she smelled the familiar scent.
"Fifth Brother, there's something I want to tell you."
Gu Xiao first pulled her into his arms before asking, "What is it? Tell me."
Nan Zhiyi then recounted in detail her speculations with Zhang Yueran about that radio engineering classmate, including their doubts, concerns, and preliminary plans for testing the waters.
Gu Xiao listened quietly, his brows gradually furrowing.
After Nan Zhiyi finished speaking, he remained silent for a moment before speaking in a deep voice: "If this is true, then the problem is likely quite serious. Such a sophisticated substitution cannot be easily accomplished by one or two people in one place; it likely involves loopholes or manipulation in multiple stages, including registration, review, admission, and even household registration. This is probably not an isolated case..."
His analysis made Nan Zhiyi's heart sink.
Gu Xiao noticed her nervousness and patted her back reassuringly: "Don't think too much about it. Let's wait until Yue Ran comes tomorrow and see how she gets through her test."
Nan Zhiyi felt much more relaxed after confiding her worries to him. As sleepiness crept in, she hugged him tightly.
"With you here, I have nothing to worry about."
Gu Xiao chuckled softly, picked her up along with the blanket, and carried her straight to the next bedroom.
Nan Zhiyi playfully punched his shoulder and scolded, "What are you doing! I'm so tired today..."
Gu Xiao didn't stop walking. He lowered his head and bit her lip, trying to seduce her: "I'm not letting you move... what's tiring about it? Hmm?"
The following weekend, Nan Zhiyi slept in, which was unusual for her.
Gu Xiao had already gotten up and gone to work because he needed to take turns on duty.
Sunlight streamed in through the gaps in the curtains, and the faint sounds of Xiaoman and Sister Zhang talking could be heard from the courtyard.
Nan Zhiyi lazily turned over, enjoying this moment of tranquility.
Around noon, Zhang Yueran arrived in a flurry of activity.
As soon as she entered the house, she played with Xiaoman for a while before going to talk to Nan Zhiyi.
"Sis, last night during self-study, I pretended to discuss some problems and asked him a few math and physics problems that were difficult at a high school level. It turned out that he really didn't know any of them! He couldn't even apply the most basic formulas!"
Zhang Yueran's face turned pale. "This...this is too abnormal!"
The two sisters exchanged a glance, sighed in unison, and remained silent for a moment.
After a long pause, Zhang Yueran clenched her fist: "Tomorrow is Monday, and as soon as the counselor starts work, I'm going to report it! This kind of thing absolutely cannot be tolerated; it's so unfair!"
Nan Zhiyi understood her feelings, but she was also well aware of the complexity of the matter.
She patted Zhang Yueran on the shoulder.
"Yueyue, your idea is right. This kind of thing should indeed be set right and fairness restored. However, reporting it is not something that can be done with just a few words."
What do you need to prepare? Is the reason "he can't do the problems" sufficient? Won't it be seen as a conflict between classmates or malicious speculation? Have you considered collecting more solid evidence? For example, does the handwriting in his school records match the handwriting in his current homework? Or, is it possible to find out more about the college entrance examination situation in his hometown back then?
Nan Zhiyi's words cooled Zhang Yueran's impulsive passion slightly.
She bit her lip and nodded, saying, "Sister, you're right. I was too anxious... Just talking isn't enough. I... I'll think of another way."
"Let's think about it together, don't rush."
"Um!"
Zhang Yueran nodded emphatically.
After finishing her meal, she volunteered, "Sister, let me put Xiaoman down for a nap."
Nan Zhiyi looked at the faint dark circles under her eyes and refused, saying, "I see you have dark circles under your eyes. Did you not sleep well last night? Go to your bedroom and get some sleep."
Zhang Yueran rubbed her eyes and admitted, "Yes, I tossed and turned all night, thinking about it constantly, and couldn't sleep at all. Come on, Xiaoman, Auntie will go to bed with you!"
She took Xiaoman's hand.
Xiaoman twisted her body and leaned towards Nan Zhiyi, calling out, "Mommy, stay with me."
Nan Zhiyi smiled and nudged her younger sister: "Look, the little one specifically asked for me. Go to sleep, don't think too much. There's always a way out. You'll be clear-headed when you're well-rested."
Zhang Yueran nodded and went to the small bedroom.
Nan Zhiyi then took Xiaoman upstairs to rest.
She helped Xiaoman wash up, settled him in bed, and gently patted his back through the blanket to lull him to sleep. She thought to herself, "Gu Xiao, hurry home so we can all think about this together..."
As evening approached, the sound of a jeep could be heard outside the courtyard. Gu Xiao was returning from get off work, accompanied by a young man.
Gu Xiao led the young man into the living room and invited him to sit on the sofa.
Nan Zhiyi was somewhat surprised and immediately went to brew some tea and bring it over.
"Comrade Qin, this is my wife, Nan Zhiyi, who is studying in the Chinese Department of Peking University. This is my younger sister, Zhang Yueran, a freshman in the Department of Radio Engineering at Peking University."
Nan Zhiyi and Zhang Yueran quickly greeted each other.
Gu Xiao then introduced the two sisters: "Zhiyi, Yueran, this is Comrade Qin Fen from the Ministry of Education."
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