Chapter 105 Notification
When Xie Wei returned on Saturday, Lin Qingqing told him everything.
The situation was fine until Chief of Staff Jiang said he didn't know the way to Commander Zhai's house and Xie Shan was leading the way for him, at which point Xie Wei's face darkened.
Lin Qingqing asked in a low voice, "Why do you think he did that?"
Xie Wei snorted coldly, thinking to himself, "What could it be? It's just lust at first sight."
Knowing about this, Xie Wei was very cold when Chief of Staff Jiang came to their house the next day, which worried Li Xingfang greatly. After all, the other party was Xie Wei's superior, and she was afraid that his attitude would offend people.
But Chief of Staff Jiang wasn't angry as she expected; she had a smile on her face and spoke politely and gently.
Seeing this, Li Xingfang thought he was a good man. She had initially worried that her daughter and he wouldn't be a good match, but now she hoped that the two of them would get along. During dinner, she asked him about his family situation with a smile.
Chief of Staff Jiang did not hide anything and told everyone about his family situation.
His family wasn't large; both his parents were alive, and he had one older brother and two older sisters. He was the youngest. I say "was" because his parents adopted the daughter of a comrade-in-arms, who was younger than him.
He had already spoken with his parents about this on the phone, and they had a very good impression of Xie Shan and kept urging him to bring her back home. So he thought that if Li Xingfang agreed, he would take Xie Shan back to Beijing to meet his parents after the New Year, and then the two families could find time next year to sit down and discuss and finalize their marriage.
Chief of Staff Jiang spoke very sincerely, and Li Xingfang nodded repeatedly. She was about to finalize the matter when Xie Wei changed the subject.
Chief of Staff Jiang noticed Xie Wei's attitude but wasn't displeased. He knew Xie Wei doted on his younger sister, so caution was understandable. But sincerity can move mountains; he had earned Xie Wei's approval in his past life, and he could certainly do so in this one.
...
After finishing the meal, Xie Wei said to Chief of Staff Jiang, "Shall we go for a walk?"
“I’m going too!” Xie Shan stood up and said. She noticed Xie Wei’s attitude and was worried that he might say something inappropriate.
Xie Wei's face immediately darkened, but fortunately Chief of Staff Jiang understood the situation and said, "I also have something to say to Third Brother."
Hearing him call him "Third Brother," Xie Wei's face darkened further. He turned and walked outside, and Chief of Staff Jiang quickly followed.
After they left, Lin Qingqing saw Xie Shan looking worried outside the door, so she patted her shoulder and comforted her, saying, "Your brother knows what he's doing."
Xie Shan touched her nose shyly, blushing, and said, "I know." She was just too concerned and couldn't help but overthink things.
Xie Wei and the others didn't go out for long; they returned in about ten minutes, and both of them looked fine.
Xie Shan breathed a sigh of relief and didn't dare to approach Chief of Staff Jiang. She smiled and said to Xie Wei, "Third Brother, are you tired? Would you like some tea?" As she spoke, she picked up the teapot and poured tea for the two of them.
The tea was freshly brewed, and the water was still hot. Xie Shan saw that Xie Wei wanted to drink it and said, "Third Brother, drink slowly, the tea is hot."
Chief of Staff Jiang, who was also preparing to drink tea, looked at the tea in his cup and felt he couldn't drink it anymore.
Xie Wei wasn't particularly pleased looking at Xie Shan's ingratiating expression. When had she ever spoken to him so obsequiously? Simmering with resentment, Xie Wei muttered to Lin Qingqing, "She's not even married yet, and she's already siding with outsiders."
"How do you bend your elbow outwards?" Lin Qingqing asked, demonstrating as she spoke. "Like this? Or like this?"
Xie Wei: "..."
Seeing his pale face, Lin Qingqing climbed onto the bed and hugged him, saying, "Alright, you've been frowning all day. A girl has to get married eventually. Do you want your sister to stay at home forever?"
“It’s not like my family can’t afford to support me,” Xie Wei said.
Lin Qingqing clicked her tongue and asked, "What will you do when Xixi gets married?"
Xie Wei's fist hardened as he imagined that scene, but he stubbornly said, "Xi Xi is still young."
“Even the youngest child will grow up eventually. When she grows up, she might leave home, or she might bring someone back with her. You can’t take care of her forever.” Lin Qingqing narrowed her eyes and steered the conversation toward Xie Shan, saying, “Shan Shan is the same. It’s easy to say you’ll support her for life, but it’s not easy to make her happy for life. Actually, Chief of Staff Jiang is not bad either. He comes from a good family, is handsome, and is young and promising. There are so many people in the family compound eyeing him.”
"He's just too calculating," Xie Wei said in a neutral tone.
Lin Qingqing glanced at Xie Wei sideways: "I think you're not so cunning either."
Xie Wei smiled and said, "I'm an honest man."
Lin Qingqing reached out and pinched his cheek, laughing at his thick skin, and said, "So what if someone looks honest? Who knows how many tricks they have up their sleeve? If you ask me, you should find a smart person who knows what they want, so you don't live your whole life in a daze."
Xie Wei gave a meaningful "oh," and Lin Qingqing, seeing his reaction, deliberately said, "You're an honest man."
Xie Wei: "..."
Lin Qingqing couldn't help but laugh, and after laughing, she asked, "What did you talk to Chief of Staff Jiang about today?"
"Um?"
"You two went out and talked for more than ten minutes. What did you talk about?" Lin Qingqing asked curiously. "Did you ask him about asking Shanshan to show him the way?"
"I asked."
What was his response?
"I said I wanted to talk to Shanshan more."
Lin Qingqing thought it was true, but upon further reflection, she felt something was amiss. He hadn't been that enthusiastic towards Xie Shan during their several meetings in the summer. Xie Wei's gaze darkened slightly after hearing this: "That's why I said he's a man of deep thoughts."
Not only that, but also during lunch, Xie Wei noticed that he glanced at Lin Qingqing and Xie Xi a few more times, with a look of surprise in his eyes. He also asked about it at noon, and Chief of Staff Jiang said with a touch of emotion, "I just didn't expect you to be married and have a daughter. Congratulations."
When Chief of Staff Jiang was transferred here, Xie Xi had already been born, so to Xie Wei, what he said sounded strange and nonsensical.
But strangely enough, those words lingered in his mind, and he couldn't forget them no matter what.
...
Although Xie Wei disapproved of Chief of Staff Jiang's scheming nature, he didn't strongly oppose the marriage. From any perspective, Chief of Staff Jiang was exceptionally talented and a very good marriage prospect.
On the other hand, Xie Wei felt uneasy, so he told Li Xingfang not to agree to the marriage so soon and to wait another two years. Li Xingfang retorted directly: "Your sister is already twenty-four. Do you want her to get married at twenty-seven or twenty-eight like you?"
Xie Wei: "..."
Despite her teasing, Li Xingfang wasn't in a rush to get her daughter to settle down. One or two years was too long; she'd at least have to see how things went by at least six months.
Chief of Staff Jiang was clearly aware that he was under observation, and he visited the Xie family frequently during the Spring Festival. After a while, the neighbors all knew that Chief of Staff Jiang and Xie Shan were dating. Some offered their blessings, while others murmured, thinking that Xie Wei and his wife, who usually kept a low profile, were actually the most cunning!
Xie Wei was furious when he heard the rumors. That night, he grumbled to Lin Qingqing, saying, "What's wrong with his sister? People are making it sound like our family is deliberately trying to climb the social ladder by marrying Chief of Staff Jiang."
Lin Qingqing advised, "That's normal. When we were dating, people in the village gossiped about us too."
Recalling what happened back then, Xie Wei's anger subsided, and he ruffled her hair, saying, "You went through a lot back then."
"It's not hard work," Lin Qingqing said, leaning against him. "What others say doesn't matter; what matters is what Chief of Staff Jiang thinks." If we're truly living our lives sincerely, what others say doesn't matter. But if they think we're climbing the social ladder, then we really shouldn't continue this relationship.
Xie Wei hummed in response, but in the following days, he still saw that Chief of Staff Jiang was still acting strangely. Although Chief of Staff Jiang felt that he was an innocent victim, the Xie family had indeed been implicated by him, so he quickly kept a low profile. However, on New Year's Day, he still shamelessly ate a New Year's Eve dinner at the Xie family's house.
...
It was mid-February after the Lunar New Year, and the students in the family compound who had taken the college entrance examination were receiving their admission notices one after another, but there was still no news from the Xie family.
During those days, Li Xingfang didn't dare to speak harshly to Lin Qingqing, fearing it would upset her. She even went to the guard post to ask if there was any mail for her, doing so furtively. She also instructed Xie Wei, who was coming back over the weekend, to avoid mentioning the college entrance exam to his wife, so as not to upset her.
Although Xie Wei had confidence in Lin Qingqing, he couldn't help but wonder if others had really failed the exam since they had all received their acceptance letters. He was quite cautious in front of Lin Qingqing.
Having been married for several years, Lin Qingqing could easily see that Xie Wei was acting strangely. While sitting in front of the dressing table applying skincare products, she finally couldn't help but ask, "What's wrong with you today?"
"Um?"
"You're hesitant to speak, hurry up and tell me, what are you hiding from me?" Lin Qingqing asked Xie Wei with a sidelong glance.
Xie Wei asked, "Do I have one?"
"Yes, yes!" Xie Xi exclaimed loudly as she played on the bed.
Lin Qingqing laughed: "See, even your daughter says so."
When Xie Xi heard her mother mention her, she covered her mouth and giggled. Xie Wei said helplessly, "It's because many people in the family compound have received their notices. Mom was worried that you would feel bad, so she told me to be considerate of you these few days."
"So you don't give in to me usually?" Lin Qingqing asked with a smile.
Xie Wei said, "That's what I told my mother too, why do we need to do it now?"
Lin Qingqing couldn't help but laugh as he boasted.
Seeing that he was in a good mood, Xie Wei asked him what was on his mind and why he wasn't in a hurry at all.
"The admission notices should be issued in batches, first for vocational schools, then junior colleges, and finally universities." Some people at Qingshan Department Store also received admission notices. Lin Qingqing drew this conclusion based on the order, but none of the other people in her workplace who applied to university like her received notices.
Lin Qingqing said, "But it'll only be a few days. If I pass the exam, I should receive a letter before the end of the month."
"Are you confident?" Xie Wei asked.
Lin Qingqing thought for a moment and said, "It's alright."
The newspaper published the college entrance exam papers and answers before the New Year. Lin Qingqing re-estimated her score. The Chinese composition was worth 70 points, but she calculated it to be 35. If she didn't falter in the composition and politics sections, she was guaranteed to get into her first choice, Peking University. Even if she was really unlucky, she should be able to get into her fourth choice.
...
Although Lin Qingqing was confident, Li Xingfang was still anxious and went to the gatehouse three times a day to see if there was any letter from Lin Qingqing.
There was still no letter that day. When Li Xingfang saw Xie Wei return while cooking dinner, she couldn't help but whisper to him, "Do you think Qingqing didn't pass the exam?"
"It's only the middle of the month, the notification letter might already be on its way," Xie Wei said, coaxing his daughter as he held her.
"I hope so," Li Xingfang sighed, having given up hope that her daughter-in-law would pass the exam. However, despite her thoughts, Lin Qingqing kept her mouth shut when she returned, not mentioning a single word about the acceptance letter.
After finishing the meal, Lin Qingqing coughed and said, "I have something to announce."
"What's wrong?" Li Xingfang asked.
"I received my acceptance letter," Lin Qingqing said with a smile.
Li Xingfang was stunned: "Really? But I checked with the gatekeeper several times today and didn't see your letter."
"I ran into the postman when I got home from get off work. He must have been busy lately, so he was late delivering the mail." Lin Qingqing said as she went inside, took out an opened letter, pulled out a notice, and handed it to Li Xingfang.
Just as Li Xingfang was about to take it, she wiped her hands and said, "Show Xie Wei, I have oil on my hands."
Xie Wei took the admission notice, quickly glanced through it, and read aloud: "Lin Qingqing, our school has decided to admit you to the School of Economics..."
Listening to Xie Wei read aloud, Li Xingfang nodded with a smile. She recalled many years ago, the day Xie Qingshan's university admission letter arrived, their family also gathered around the dinner table to read it aloud. At that time, Xie Baoshan wasn't married yet, Xie Wei hadn't joined the army, and Xie Shan was still a young girl…
In the blink of an eye, they have all settled down and started families.
As Xie Wei's deep voice rang in her ears, Lin Qingqing recalled her initial decision to take the college entrance exam. She had just transmigrated to this world and felt out of place in every way, wanting to change her life through the exam. Her second decision came after arriving in Jin City. She didn't feel inferior to anyone, yet she was rejected because of her lack of formal education, which she resented.
At that time, she always felt a surge of energy, a sense that it wasn't enough, so she put all her effort into climbing higher.
Years have passed, and she is no longer alone; her resentment and bitterness have gradually faded away.
Holding her daughter in her arms, she listened as her husband's deep voice read, "Signature: Peking University."
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