She had a hearty breakfast in the space, and then put on a down vest, thermal underwear, cotton socks and other warm equipment, and a few heat packs. It was already deep winter, and there was no heating facility in the examination room, so it depended on who had a strong body to resist the cold. The exam lasted two days, and if she caught a cold right away, she would be in trouble later!
When Xiang Nuan arrived outside the examination room, she met a few kids from the compound that she knew. They greeted each other and exchanged the information they had. Soon the school opened the doors to let the candidates in.
Xiang Nuan hurriedly followed the group inside, and entered the examination room shown on her admission ticket with an excited heart.
Soon, with the ringing of the exam bell, Xiang Nuan calmed down and started answering the questions. The two hours seemed to pass very quickly, but Wu Xiaoying at home felt that every second was like a year.
"The Jade Emperor, Queen Mother, Tathagata Buddha, Guanyin Bodhisattva, Lord Guan... Please all the gods bless my family to be warm and smooth, and to pass the imperial examination..."
She walked back and forth in the room with her hands clasped together, praying non-stop, hoping that Xiang Nuan would get good grades.
Xiang Nuan took the exam for two consecutive days. On the second day, she came out of the examination room at 3:30 in the afternoon and went back to the family compound with the people from the compound. Before she reached her doorstep, she could smell the strong aroma of meat.
The curve of her mouth gradually deepened, and she quickened her pace and returned home.
"Auntie, I smell pork stewed with sauerkraut!"
When Wu Xiaoying heard her voice, she threw down the spatula and ran out of the kitchen. Seeing Xiang Nuan, she couldn't stop smiling. "Oh, my daughter is back. Come in and warm up. You must be exhausted these past two days. I stewed some big bones for you and made dumplings. They are all your favorite foods. Let's replenish your body!"
"Thank you, Auntie!"
Xiang Nuan came to the stove with her mouth frozen stiff, and Wu Xiaoying quickly poured her a basin of hot water and brought it over, "Soaking your hands and feet will warm them up faster."
"Good. It's too cold today."
As Xiang Nuan spoke, she soaked her red, frozen hands in the water.
Wu Xiaoying poured her another glass of water, "Drink some to warm yourself up first. The big bones will be ready soon. I'll make dumplings for you. I guarantee you'll be sweating after eating them!"
Xiang Nuan sat on a small stool, drinking hot water and soaking her feet. Wu Xiaoying was busy cooking for her in the rising heat. Looking at the scene in front of her, Xiang Nuan felt extremely happy. Happiness is sometimes so simple.
"Aunt, come with us to Beijing in a couple of days, and we'll revisit our old place."
Wu Xiaoying was stunned for a moment when she heard about going to Beijing, then she smiled and said, "That's fine. I'm worried about you going there alone with the two children, so it's just right for me to go with you. I'll go back after you're all settled."
When I think carefully, it has been fourteen years since I left Beijing. A lot of things have happened in these years. Things and people have changed. I just feel a lot of regrets.
Xiang Nuan smiled and said, "Okay then it's settled. Let's start packing tomorrow."
Wu Xiaoying nodded, "Okay."
The meal was ready, but the children had not yet returned from school, so the mother and daughter ate first. Xiang Nuan was really hungry, so she not only ate a large plate of dumplings, but also gnawed on several bones and ate a lot of sauerkraut.
It had been more than a month since she had been separated from Yan Fangming. She missed him very much, and the children missed their father too. Yan Fangming also said that he would pack up and move over after the exams so that the family could spend the New Year in Beijing. So Xiang Nuan started packing the next day. Four days later, when everything was ready, she started to mail her things and buy tickets to go north.
Zhao Manman was reluctant to let her go and prepared a large table of food to see them off.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
