Xu Mengyao's journey to the county town for the exam was full of twists and turns and warmth.
At dawn, she sat on the back of the principal's bicycle and headed to the town primary school. Because the county was far away, she had to take a bus from town. The principal specifically told her to relax and that he would be waiting for her at the platform before 5 pm.
The bus slowly approached, and Xu Mengyao boarded with her team leader, Teacher Wu, and two other student representatives. The unpleasant smell of diesel filled the car, causing her to frown.
The car was driving on a bumpy dirt road, and every bump made her feel like she was sitting on a disco turntable at an amusement park, played ten times slower. She covered her nose and tried to breathe through her mouth, but the pungent smell still made her dizzy.
Just when she was about to give up, she finally heard the conductor's announcement of the station, and she stumbled off the bus along with Teacher Wu and her classmates.
Teacher Wu was heartbroken when she saw the children's pale faces. She immediately ran to buy some dried plums and shared them with everyone. After the children ate the dried plums, their complexions gradually returned to normal.
Teacher Wu led them slowly toward the county primary school, allowing them a short break along the way. By the time they entered the exam room, Xu Mengyao had regained some energy. Teacher Wu thoughtfully stuffed prunes into their mouths and encouraged them to study hard.
The exam went smoothly again, with the results not announced until the afternoon. At noon, Teacher Wu treated the students to wontons to a special treat to reward their hard work. The steaming wontons, seemingly a foretaste of victory, filled the children's faces with satisfaction and gratitude.
After dinner, Teacher Wu took the children to the supply and marketing cooperative in the county. They were very happy. They were dazzled by all kinds of novel items. Curiosity and amazement flashed in their eyes as they strolled around leisurely.
When she returned to the county primary school, the awards ceremony on the playground was already underway. When her name was called out, she happily walked up to the podium and once again received the honor of first place. This time, in addition to the certificate of honor, she also received a crisp ten-yuan note as a reward.
She clutched the ten-dollar bill tightly, her heart filled with joy. This was the first money she had earned in this era, and it was the reward for her hard work. This was a good start; she would earn more money in the future and realize her plans.
Before leaving the county town, she went to the supply and marketing cooperative again. She used the money to buy a pack of Donghai cigarettes for Huang's father, a bottle of cold cream for Huang's mother, and beautiful hairpins and hair flowers for her sister and younger sister. Finally, she weighed a pound of loose sugar and bought a bottle of canned fruit.
After finishing all this, she followed Teacher Wu on the way home. Although the bus still emitted an unpleasant smell that made her feel uncomfortable, she felt more relaxed and happy than ever before.
When she returned home exhausted, her mother assumed she was devastated by her poor test scores. She gently shook her head, indicating she was fine, washed up quickly, and fell asleep. She didn't wake up until the next day, feeling fully recovered.
Knowing her father would be home today, she decided to wait until everyone was together before sharing the good news. Unexpectedly, Huang's father gave her a surprise first—a pair of small black leather shoes as a reward for her first place on the last exam. She happily accepted the shoes and said, "Thank you, Dad! I have something for you too!"
She ran back to her room, took out the gifts she had carefully prepared, and distributed them to her family one by one. Everyone's face was filled with happy smiles, except for the eldest brother Huang Wenbin, who had a gloomy face and asked dissatisfiedly, "Where is my gift?"
Xu Mengyao blinked innocently and said:
"You can eat the fruit candy. It's sweet and delicious!"
Huang Wenbin's eyes widened: "Why do they all have separate gifts!"
Xu Mengyao sighed softly and said in a feigned embarrassment:
"But brother, you don't smoke or wear your hair in a bun. I really don't know what to buy you. I think everyone likes candy, and you must like it too."
Huang Wenbin snorted coldly, obviously not believing her words, and turned away angrily.
Her parents praised her and went back to work. The three sisters were exercising in the yard. Not long after, Huang Wenbin came back. He had been in the house for a long time. Xu Mengyao felt a little strange and asked her sisters to go in together. They found Huang Wenbin opening her can of food and hurriedly shouted:
"Don't open it, bro. You can't eat that!"
Huang Wenbin refused to listen. The more he shouted, the harder he pushed. With a bang, the can opened. He scooped up a piece and put it in his mouth, saying proudly as he ate:
"I knew you were hiding something. Why can't I eat it? I'll eat it!"
Xu Mengyao didn't go over but said in a very urgent voice:
"Put it down quickly, I bought it for grandma!"
Huang Wenbin was even more pleased when he heard this:
"Hmph, don't try to trick me. I'm going to eat it all and not leave a single piece for you!"
At this time, the eldest sister Huang Wenrong winked at them and whispered, "Come together!"
The three of them immediately attacked in unison. However, Xu Mengyao did not forget to remind her elder and younger sisters:
"Pinch hard where you can't see!"
The four siblings immediately started fighting, and the noise in the house became louder and louder, alarming the neighbors. When Huang's parents came back, they saw the main room in a mess, with the four siblings tangled on the ground with their hair disheveled.
In a rage, Huang's father picked up a broom and hit each of them, and then made them kneel in the yard as punishment.
When Grandma Huang heard about it, she rushed over and saw her four grandchildren kneeling in the yard. She asked angrily, "How could you fight? Why did you fight with your brother?"
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