Chapter 64
Qinjiatun is a village mainly inhabited by people with the surname Qin. The village itself is not very big, so most people know each other, and most people even know who has whom.
Suddenly, a few well-dressed people showed up, and everyone became curious and wary.
Someone then asked, "Excuse me, is Qin Xiang's home here?"
"Qin Xiang, yes." The man being questioned was a man in his fifties, and he really didn't know what Qin Xiang was doing outside.
He brought his people to the Qin family's house very enthusiastically.
Lian Fengying was talking to her daughter-in-law, Tian Zhongmei, at home. She was curious when she heard the noise and asked, "Is anyone looking for Xiangxiang?"
So the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law came out.
The leader asked, "Excuse me, is this Qin Xiang's home?"
Lian Fengying was stunned for a moment. "Yes, I am Qin Xiang's mother."
"Finally found it." The leading woman wore glasses and looked gentle and refined, with a relaxed smile on her face.
Several people gathered around Lian Fengying. "Hello, comrade! We are teachers from the city's No. 1 Middle School. We'd like to discuss Qin Xiang's academic problems with you."
"Academic problems?"
Tian Zhongmei was quick to react and immediately realized, "Did Qin Xiang cause trouble at school? She has nothing to do with us. She's married, and although she's divorced now, she's no longer considered a member of our Qin family."
Hearing this, the teachers looked at each other in confusion. Lian Fengying sighed and said hurriedly, "Zhongmei, don't say that. Xiangxiang has no choice..."
The teachers at No. 1 Middle School were increasingly puzzled by the conversation. Feng Yujie, the leader, found the two women's words odd. Qin Xiang was so outstanding, yet her family was still badmouthing her. And what about divorce? Was this the man they were looking for? She frowned and interrupted the conversation. "Comrades, Qin Xiang scored first in the city in the preliminary exam. We'd like to discuss her schooling. No. 1 Middle School would like to invite her to our school. Is she home?"
After the resumption of the college entrance examination, all schools attached great importance to academic performance, especially after the third year of high school, when there were constant examinations of all sizes. Moreover, these two examinations were city-wide examinations, so they also knew which good students there were.
They noticed Qin Xiang during the first mock exam, but at that time Qin Xiang was only in the top 50 in the city. Many good students in the city were in their school, so they didn't take it seriously if one of them appeared occasionally. Who knew what would happen in the next exam?
But the problem was that there was a major change in the pre-exam. The top scorer in science was a name they had never heard of. Upon checking, it turned out to be a girl who had been in the top 50 the previous time, and she was from Qingshui County No. 1 Middle School. Qin Xiang's paper was reviewed and she had done really well, especially in Chinese, math, and English. The paper was perfect, the only regret was that her chemistry score was a little low.
How a school is rated as a good school naturally depends on its admission rate. For high schools, it depends on the percentage of students who pass the college entrance exam. Having good students will certainly enhance the school's reputation. They were originally confident that their student would take first place, but then Qin Xiang showed up and surpassed the second place by a full ten points!
The leadership team of the No. 1 Middle School in the city held a meeting overnight, and at dawn they gathered a few teachers to rush to the No. 1 Middle School in the county.
The purpose is very clear, to poach people.
There is still one month left for the college entrance examination. What is there to be afraid of? As long as the file is in their school during the college entrance examination, the honor will belong to their school.
As a result, they came to the county No. 1 Middle School to inquire, and found out that Qin Xiang was not attending classes at the school. As for the others, the people in the school were not stupid and did not tell them.
They could only find Qinjiatun through connections, and then came here with a bumpy journey.
But what are these two women saying? They can’t have come to the wrong place, right?
Lian Fengying also reacted at this time, "School, I think I heard that she went to study, but she is not at home."
Feng Yujie and the other teachers were dumbfounded. Tian Zhongmei rolled her eyes, realizing there was something to gain, and asked, "What benefits does your No. 1 Middle School offer?"
Feng Yujie then explained the conditions offered by the school. "The scholarship is 1,000 yuan, including room and board. In addition, if you rank first in the city's college entrance examination, we'll give you a 300 yuan reward. If you rank in the top 20 in the province, we'll give you a 500 yuan reward."
The school spent a lot of money this time, adding up to more than a thousand yuan.
Upon hearing this condition, Tian Zhongmei's eyes lit up. She pulled Lian Fengying and whispered a few words to her. Lian Fengying nodded hurriedly, "Agree. I agree on behalf of Qin Xiang. Can you give me the money?"
As soon as the words fell, several teachers couldn't help but frown. Feng Yujie said, "Comrade, we have to see Qin Xiang in person."
Lian Fengying was unhappy. "I'm her mother, she's my daughter, how could she not listen to me..."
"Don't listen to her."
Someone called out at the door. Feng Yujie turned around and saw a fat aunt and a middle-aged man in his fifties coming in.
Pang Xiuju looked at her sister-in-law with a look of disappointment, then said to Feng Yujie, "Teacher, this is the brigade secretary of our village. Let him come and talk to you."
The brigade secretary's surname was also Qin. He looked at Lian Fengying coldly and said, "Baotian's wife, Baotian has only been away for a few days, and you're already making trouble at home."
Being scolded by the secretary, Lian Fengying looked embarrassed and said, "They are giving me money. This is a good thing. Qin Xiang is at home and I can't refuse it."
"Hmph, whether she agrees or not is Qin Xiang's business. What's it to you? You just run away when you hear about money." Secretary Qin said to Feng Yujie, "Teacher, Qin Xiang is from our village, and she is also her daughter. But Qin Xiang is now in the provincial capital and hasn't been back for a long time. I have her phone number. If you need, you can call our brigade and ask for her opinion. Her father told us before he left that his wife can't make the decision on matters concerning his child. The child must be consulted."
Feng Yujie understood as soon as she heard it. Qin Xiang had a bad relationship with her family, at least with her mother, and no one else could make the decision.
Since it has come to this, they can only follow Secretary Qin to make the phone call.
Seeing the money she had earned was about to fly away, Tian Zhongmei became anxious, "Ah, this teacher..."
"Just shut up." Pang Xiuju turned around and gave Tian Zhongmei a glare. "Why don't you have any sense? Qin Xiang and you have already torn your relationship apart, and you still have the nerve to use her to make money? Do you have any shame? You prevented her from taking the college entrance examination two years ago, and now you want to sell her out?"
Wow, this one sentence shocked the teachers of No. 1 Middle School even more, and they hurriedly followed Secretary Qin out.
I went to Secretary Qin's house and called him. The call went through, but I couldn't find Qin Xiangren. I didn't know where he had gone.
In fact, Qin Xiang followed Zhao Qian to visit the Zhao family.
It happened to be the weekend, and Qin Xiang felt it was not good to bother others all the time, so she bought some gifts and told Zhao Qian in advance, and then went to Zhao's house to express her gratitude.
When they arrived at the Zhao family's house, Qin Xiang was very impressed by the Zhao family's parents. Zhao Qian's father, a math teacher, especially, even gave Qin Xiang a test on the spot. He found out that Qin Xiang had a solid knowledge and liked her even more. After a while, Qin Xiang was invited to stay for lunch. When she returned, she found out that the team had called her.
Qin Xiang thought he was looking for her father, so she went to call Secretary Qin back, and only then did she hear about this matter.
Qin Xiang was at a loss for words and said, "The conditions you offer are really high, but I don't need them. Secretary Qin, if there's another such thing, just help me push it off. The college entrance exam is almost here, so I won't bother with it anymore."
Secretary Qin laughed and said, "Okay, I know you're a promising person and don't care about that little money, but I'm afraid your mother and your sister-in-law won't let it go."
"It's okay. My mom doesn't dare to come to the provincial capital by herself, and my dad is still in the provincial capital. They don't dare to come."
After hearing her say this, Secretary Qin knew that Qin Xiang was a promising person. He couldn't help but sigh in his heart. At the beginning of the year, Qin Xiang was still a poor little girl that many people sympathized with. But look at her now, she is someone they can't afford to meet. Not only can she make money, but she is also a good student. Schools in the city are competing for her.
"By the way, those teachers got your address and probably went to look for you," Secretary Qin added, "but don't worry, they didn't give the address to your mother."
Qin Xiang laughed and said, "Okay, I understand. Thank you, Secretary Qin."
After hanging up the phone, Qin Xiang was still worried, so she went to the university town to tell her father about it.
Qin Baotian didn't understand these things, so he asked, "Is the No. 1 Middle School in the city better than the No. 1 Middle School in Qingshui County?"
Qin Xiang smiled, "Dad, the college entrance examination is less than a month away, and I'm not going to school, so whether the No. 1 Middle School in the city is good or not has nothing to do with me."
"But……"
Qin Xiang interrupted him, "Dad, I already know all the teachers at the Provincial Experimental Middle School, and I can get the materials and test papers. Why would I care about the City No. 1 Middle School?"
Qin Baotian thought about it and laughed immediately, "Dad didn't think it through completely. You can make the decision yourself. I will keep an eye on the house for you."
Qin Xiang admired this aspect of her father and nodded, "Dad, you're so kind."
"Silly girl." Qin Baotian stopped her again when she turned around. "Your mother... she's just not thinking straight. She doesn't have any bad intentions."
The expression on Qin Xiang's face faded instantly, "I know."
Seeing Qin Xiang leave, Qin Baotian couldn't help but sigh. Lian Fengying was like that. What else could he do except keep an eye on her and prevent her from causing trouble for Qin Xiang? After all, so many years had passed. Could he still kick her out? After all, she was the mother of several children.
Then Qin Baotian took a look at the two-story building that was almost completed, and his mood improved. His daughter was promising. Not only could she make money, but she was also good at studying.
The Qin family is about to send out a college student. Although it is two years late, it is not absent.
Qin Baotian was full of energy.
In the evening, Qin Xiang was studying upstairs when He Liping suddenly ran up and said, "Sister Xiangxiang, there are several people outside looking for you. There is an auntie who said she is your teacher, and Sister Tan Xiu said she has been here before. I don't know the others."
When Qin Xiang heard this, she was immediately surprised. Teacher Ning is here?
However, she looked down at the window and couldn't help frowning.
In addition to Ning Sumei, there were several other unfamiliar people below, who were talking to Ning Sumei at the moment, so it was obvious that they were acquaintances.
Who are these people?
Qin Xiang didn't even think about the teachers from the No. 1 Middle School in the city, and immediately changed her clothes and went downstairs.
As soon as she saw her come out, Ning Sumei saw her, "Qin Xiang."
Seeing Qin Xiang again, Ning Sumei couldn't help but sigh. This student was truly exceptional. When Qin Xiang first approached her, she was only impressed by her experience and wanted to give her a chance to study. Who could have imagined that Qin Xiang would be so outstanding? Just look at her test scores when she first enrolled, and now.
Ning Sumei was both relieved and sad, feeling that the County No. 1 Middle School could not keep Qin Xiang.
"Qin Xiang..."
Before Ning Sumei finished speaking, Feng Yujie took the initiative to speak, "Hello, Qin Xiang, we are teachers from the No. 1 Middle School in the city. We would like to talk to you. Is that okay?"
Although there was an misunderstanding in Qinjiatun, Feng Yujie felt that the conditions they offered were high enough. Even if the student came to the provincial capital, the first thousand yuan would be a lot. How many years would it take to earn that by working?
Indeed, Feng Yujie and the others thought Qin Xiang was working in the provincial capital. They claimed to be teachers in the city, and after a few words with Secretary Qin, they didn't take it seriously. Although Secretary Qin was from the countryside, he could tell the difference between good and bad attitudes, so he didn't say much.
Feng Yujie was confident that Qin Xiang would agree. They had even just discussed this with Qin Xiang's teacher, Ning Sumei, and it was clear that Ning Sumei agreed with their views.
However, just as Feng Yujie finished speaking, Qin Xiang frowned and looked at her, "Sorry, I won't go."
Feng Yujie was stunned. "Our No. 1 Middle School is the best school in the city..."
"I don't care about the best school."
"As long as you're willing to transfer, we'll give you a scholarship of 1,000 yuan. If you rank first in the city on the college entrance exam, we'll give you 300 yuan. If you can get into the top 20 in the province, we'll give you 500 yuan." Feng Yujie was very unhappy about being rejected. "Think about it, this is not a small amount. Just 1,000 yuan is enough for four years of living expenses."
Qin Xiang couldn't help laughing after hearing this. She called out to Tan Xiu, who came out and said, "Sister Xiangxiang."
Qin Xiang looked at Feng Yujie and asked, "Tell this teacher, how much is our store's daily sales?"
Although Tan Xiu didn't understand why Qin Xiang said this, she still answered honestly, "I can make 700 to 800 yuan a day on weekdays, and 1200 to 1300 yuan on weekends."
"Did you hear that?" Qin Xiang looked at Feng Yujie and said, "The turnover is 1,200 to 1,300 yuan. How much do you think we can earn? This store is mine, and we're building a branch. Do you think I'd care about 1,000 or 2,000 yuan?"
Feng Yujie was surprised.
Qin Xiang is not working here to earn a living, but is working as a self-employed person?
Looking at their surprised expressions, Qin Xiang had a calm expression.
It is indeed a pleasant thing to be valued by others, but the prerequisite is mutual respect. If this teacher from No. 1 Middle School is polite and kind to others, and does not treat Teacher Ning like that, Qin Xiang will have to invite him upstairs and treat him well before sending him away.
But what is the result?
Just now, upstairs, she saw this teacher speaking arrogantly to Teacher Ning. It was obvious that the city teacher looked down on the county teacher and felt that he was a level higher. Teacher Ning was interrupted before she could finish her words, which made Qin Xiang even more unhappy.
Qingshui County No. 1 Middle School is indeed not that good. Whether in terms of hardware conditions or teaching staff, it cannot be compared with the city’s No. 1 Middle School.
However, there are simple teachers in the county who only care about their students. Even Teacher Qi, who dislikes her, treats her students with care. Not to mention the help and protection given to her by Principal Cao and Teacher Ning.
The teachers at the Provincial Experimental Middle School are polite to others, but a teacher from the city looks down on others.
Pooh.
Qin Xiang is rare.
"Qin Xiang..." Teacher Ning hesitated and said, "I think No. 1 Middle School in the city is also good. It would be good for you if you go there."
Qin Xiang was stunned for a moment, then realized what she was thinking. She said helplessly, "Teacher Ning, whether it's the County No. 1 Middle School or the City No. 1 Middle School, I won't go to class, so does it matter where my student status is?"
"But……"
"But the information on the County No. 1 Middle School isn't as extensive as that on the City No. 1 Middle School?" Qin Xiang laughed. "You forgot, I know a teacher at the Provincial Experimental Middle School. Do you think the Provincial Experimental Middle School can't compare to the City No. 1 Middle School?"
Feng Yujie was shocked. "You know a teacher from the Provincial Experimental Middle School?"
The Provincial Experimental High School is the number one high school in Shandong Province. Since the resumption of the college entrance examination, its annual college entrance examination admission rate has been the highest in the province.
Qin Xiang ignored her and said to Ning Sumei, "Teacher, it's not easy to come here. Stay here with me tonight and go back tomorrow."
She looked at Feng Yujie and the others and said, "I'm sorry. I appreciate the school's kindness, but I won't go. You don't have to think about asking my family to persuade me. My relationship with my mother is average, and she can't be my boss. I've already cut ties with my eldest brother and his wife, and it's even more impossible for my other brothers and sisters to be my boss. Sorry, I have to open my business and greet customers. Please do as you please."
After saying that, Qin Xiang happily pulled Ning Sumei upstairs.
Feng Yujie and others knew there was no hope at first glance and had to turn back.
But how am I going to explain this to the school leaders when I get back?
Headache.
Qin Xiang naturally didn't know what these teachers were thinking, and it wouldn't matter even if she knew.
And what she said was the truth. It didn't matter where her academic record was. She wouldn't go to school anyway, and she couldn't be a heartless person.
The two went up to the second floor, and Ning Sumei sighed, "You shouldn't have rejected them."
Qin Xiang laughed and said, "You think I'm joking? Look at my current situation. How can I possibly leave school? Don't worry, I will do well in the exam. I've been studying most of the time and I promise I won't fall behind in my studies."
Ning Sumei knew she couldn't win the argument, so she stopped talking.
In fact, it was the principal's idea that she came here today. Naturally, he wanted her to persuade Qin Xiang not to agree to the request of No. 1 Middle School in the city.
Ning Sumei hesitated for a moment and said awkwardly, "I came here today because I was asked by the school leaders. Our school is not like other schools in the city, so the support we can give you is limited. The most we can give you is a 200 yuan bonus..."
Seeing Teacher Ning like this, Qin Xiang couldn't bear it. "Teacher Ning, I don't need the 1,800 yuan right now. I'm staying here not for anything else but for you and Principal Cao, and I won't leave. If you really want to give me a bonus, you have to wait until I win the city's top science score and make contributions to the school. Before that, I won't accept any money."
In her situation, going to other schools might actually result in her being rejected because of her reputation.
But at that time, Teacher Ning didn't think she was embarrassed, and the principal didn't think she was wrong. He gave her the opportunity to continue studying. If she left because of a thousand yuan, wouldn't that be ungrateful? Maybe others wouldn't think it was a big deal, but Qin Xiang couldn't get over it.
In her previous life, she had seen too many petty thoughts and selfishness. Coming back again, encountering such true love was more precious than anything else.
Looking at Qin Xiang's serious expression, Teacher Ning felt a bit uncomfortable, but at the same time, she was very happy. She choked up and nodded, "Good boy."
If their school could produce a city champion, it would bring about a huge change to the school. The city has limited educational resources, so it will definitely prioritize schools with high acceptance rates. For example, their county is poor, with low admission rates, so the city naturally doesn't pay much attention to them. When better resources become available, they won't even consider a small school like theirs. If they have a city champion, at least the city leaders will consider their county when allocating resources, right?
Wouldn’t that also attract more parents to send their children to school?
Ning Sumei suddenly became excited when she thought of that day.
However, looking at Qin Xiang who was busy preparing to cook, Ning Sumei closed her mouth again. The college entrance examination was approaching, and she couldn't put pressure on the student. With Qin Xiang's learning ability, if he made steady progress step by step, he might really get a good ranking.
In the evening, Qin Xiang called Qin Baotian and Qin Yang back to have dinner with Teacher Ning. Ning Sumei then stayed in the same room with Qin Xiang for the whole night.
The next day, Qin Xiang wanted to personally take Teacher Ning to the bus, but Teacher Ning refused. "You're most energetic in the morning. Just study at home. I'll go by myself."
Qin Xiang had no choice but to ask Mi Hongjun to come and see her off. She also packed some clothes and snacks from home and said, "Teacher Ning, don't bother with me about this. Go back quickly."
After seeing Teacher Ning off, Qin Xiang couldn't sit idle either.
I studied in the morning and went to the university town in the afternoon to take a look. The two-story storefront will be completed in two days.
Looking at this row of storefronts, Qin Xiang felt extremely satisfied. These were all her assets. Even if her business failed one day, these assets would allow her to be a comfortable landlady.
But she is not someone who is content with the status quo. She will not give up until she has enough money to enjoy herself.
At the same time, the goods ordered by Tuo Zhibin were also shipped to the provincial capital, and Mi Hongjun hired a tricycle to bring the goods back.
The store was piled high with goods, and regular customers who came to buy things couldn't help but ask, "What good stuff did Boss Qin buy this time?"
Qin Xiang smiled and said, "There are some nice sun hats and parasols, and some new clothes. I'll hang them up tomorrow when I finish sorting them out. Come and see them then."
Although Qin Xiang's store has been open for a short time, it has many repeat customers, and its reputation has spread from one person to another. When I come to the night market here and see their brightly lit store, I can't help but come over to take a look.
There are large windows on both sides of the store, so you can see the general situation from outside, and the beautiful clothes can attract people in.
As soon as Qin Xiang said this, the customers were eager to see the goods right away, but unfortunately the goods were not ready yet and Qin Xiang was not going to put them on the shelves.
When they unpacked the things, they saw a pile of folding umbrellas and a separate pocket of sun hats. Tan Xiu and the new staff were there to serve customers, while Qin Xiang and Miao Xiaofeng slowly sorted out the things.
Qin Xiang opened a folding umbrella, but he was not very satisfied with it. The folding umbrellas at that time could only be folded. They were heavier and larger than those in later generations, but they were very fashionable in that era, not to mention that these folding umbrellas were colorful.
Qin Xiang couldn't help but sigh that the people in Hong Kong City enjoyed themselves.
As for sun hats, there are also many varieties, some are made of cloth, and some are made of nylon with flowers, which is very fresh.
These two items alone were enough to excite Qin Xiang. Then she looked at the clothes that had been sent over. Three hundred of them were summer clothes, and the remaining two hundred were autumn styles. They were all new models, and the styles were in line with the characteristics of this era and very fashionable.
The items were ready and put on the shelves the next day. The hats were matched with the clothes, and the folding umbrellas were placed on a separate shelf.
Qin Xiang felt that it didn't seem very conspicuous here, so she asked someone to open the folding umbrella and hang it on the wall facing the door to ensure that it could be seen as soon as she entered.
The purchase price of this thing is ten yuan per bunch, but Qin Xiang directly doubled the price to twenty-one bunches.
As soon as they put it on the table, people came and couldn't help asking about it. Some people thought the price was too high, while others really liked it and bought it. More than twenty pieces were sold in one day.
In the evening, He Liping asked Qin Xiang for permission and went directly to the night market with her sun hats and folding umbrellas. Even though the prices were high, because the items were fresh, she sold more than a dozen folding umbrellas and more than a dozen sun hats in one night.
The start went smoothly. He Liping was excited, and Qin Xiang was also very excited. They had already planned to send money to Guan Zhibin to ship the goods here after they had enough money.
At this time, Mi Hongjun came over excitedly and called Qin Xiang to go to the university town. When they got there, Qin Xiang was also excited.
The storefront is completed.
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