The tail end of August was approaching, yet the scorching sun remained relentless.
Within his spatial dimension, Li Haochen wore a radiant smile. His space had welcomed its first green resident – a coconut tree. Watching the tender green bud unfurl, Li Haochen felt thankful for his earlier attempt.
"Excellent, it's indeed viable. Coconut trees are plants that thrive by the sea. Fortunately, I made that attempt on a whim. My space won't be so monotonous from now on, hehe!"
Glancing at the long coastline, Li Haochen made up his mind. He quickly exited the space and dashed towards the natural coconut grove at Li Family Village's bay. Seeing the clusters of ripe, tempting coconuts on the trees, he let out a knowing smile.
Having settled his debts, Li Haochen did not slacken. He still went out to sea every day as a routine. His harvest was divided in a three-to-seven ratio: three parts were sold, and the rest were brought into his space for cultivation.
"Tomorrow, I'm heading back to school!"
Li Haochen brought all his day's catch into his space. He walked along the coastline, observing the coconut seeds he had painstakingly planted for over half a month. Many tender sprouts had already emerged.
"Huh? I clearly planted a coconut seed at the very edge here last time. Why is there now half a meter of beach next to it?" Li Haochen mused, looking at the peculiar change. "Could this place grow? It must be so."
Exiting the space, Li Haochen tidied up his house thoroughly. After handling all affairs, he went alone to his parents' graves, where he sat for half the day.
Dusk had arrived, and the cries of crows returning to their nests sounded rather desolate. Li Haochen stood up, brushed the dust off his pants, and looked once more at the black and white photos on his parents' memorial tablets.
"Mom, Dad, Haochen is going back to school tomorrow. I'll come back to see you when I have time!"
...
"Haochen, you'll be off to school soon. Don't worry about the house; your uncle will come by often to tidy things up. And when you get to school, don't be stingy with money. Spend when you need to, ensure you get enough nutrition. Even on weekends with holidays, don't be afraid to spend money. Come home more often, and your uncle will cook delicious food for you!"
Li Dehai spoke with the anxious concern of a parent whose child is venturing far from home, his words a stream of nagging affection. Li Haochen listened very earnestly, absorbing every word, for this was family, a kinship deeper than blood.
"Uncle, you should go back. It's windy here."
The moment Li Haochen turned to get into the car, a thick red envelope appeared in his hand. Li Dehai's voice followed from behind, "May your journey be smooth and your health be strong!"
Li Haochen sat in the car seat, tightly gripping this tangible expression of concern, unable to hold back the tender emotion welling up within him.
Ring ring ring~~
Returning to his familiar high school felt surreal. The first Chinese, Math, and English classes, the first physical education class, the first meal in the cafeteria, the first... Although he had experienced it all before, the feeling was different now. He possessed more life experience, more of a calm detachment.
Looking at the familiar textbooks, doing the familiar practice questions, Li Haochen was surprised by the change.
"Why do I feel like all the knowledge I've seen has been imprinted in my mind, indelible, as if I can't forget it? Could this also be a benefit from the bead?"
For all these miraculous occurrences, Li Haochen attributed them to the mysterious bead.
Seasons turned, and another college entrance examination arrived...
As the bell rang for the final subject, the tension that had gripped 1.4 billion people dissipated. The scenes outside the examination halls were a mix of joy and sorrow.
Li Haochen walked out of the examination hall with confidence. The heavy stone in his heart also dissolved with the end of the examination bell. Results and scores were cast aside; all of this was for fulfillment – to fulfill the wishes of his parents and himself, to fulfill Liang Qiujin's regret, to fulfill the aspirations of millions of Chinese students who toiled through hardship for a chance at advancement, fulfillment achieved, completion made whole.
Throughout this year, Li Haochen was immersed in the ocean of knowledge. He only entered his space when he returned home on weekends, and for the entire year, he had added almost no new life to the space.
With the end of the college entrance examination, Li Haochen resumed his former life, digging for snails, catching crabs, and fishing daily.
Li Haochen sat under the shade of the coconut trees in his space. In the span of a year, the entire beach had become lush and green. The four to five-meter-tall coconut trees had begun to flower and bear fruit.
And the sea snails were growing luxuriantly: plump mussels, “general’s hats” as wide as eggs, and spiral shells the size of silver coins!
"After a year of retaking the exams, my money is almost gone. Should I sell the sea snails in my space? So many of them could fetch thirty to fifty thousand."
After careful consideration, Li Haochen abandoned the idea for now. He decided to continue earning tuition fees from going out to sea while also introducing more marine life into his space.
Time flowed by, and soon it was the day for the results to be released. Countless families nervously hovered around their electronic devices, anticipating the numbers that would bring them pride and bragging rights.
Li Haochen felt no excessive tension or anxiety about his results, leaving it all to fate.
Following the instructions, he quickly logged into the inquiry system. A line of bright red numbers made Li Haochen gasp in astonishment.
"750 points?"
Li Haochen rubbed his eyes and looked again.
"Full marks? I actually got first place in the entire province!" Li Haochen found it hard to believe, much like when he had first acquired the bead and entered his space.
Ring ring ring.
"Haochen, congratulations!" Without many words, a simple congratulation was the best blessing.
"Teacher Liang, thank you for your guidance over the past four years. Thank you!"
...
His simple and regular life was soon disrupted by numerous calls from unknown numbers and visits from strangers.
Leaders from his school, the education bureau, and even the city government paid visits, all eager to publicize his achievements to highlight their own proud accomplishments.
Although it felt somewhat hypocritical, these visits and their ensuing rewards provided Li Haochen with considerable "benefits." With the combined rewards from the school, town, and city, he received a total of 130,000 yuan, which brought Li Haochen a surge of unexpected joy.
Li Haochen's perfect score on the college entrance examination had become the talk of the village, yet none of the villagers felt envious. They were all happy for Li Haochen. Several elder relatives in the village even specially convened a ceremony in the ancestral hall to honor Li Haochen's achievement.
"Bringing glory to our ancestors, bringing glory indeed!"
Upon learning that Li Haochen was the top scorer in the college entrance examination, Li Dehai was beaming with joy every day. He greeted everyone with a smile, his interest in going out to sea even waning. When idle, he would wander around the village, boasting about his nephew's success!
......
"Haochen, you must have received quite a few offers recently?" Liang Qiujin asked with concern as she visited Li Haochen's home.
Li Haochen scratched his head and smiled faintly, "Indeed, quite a few. Universities like Yenching and Shuimu have extended offers, and the conditions are excellent. But I..."
"Follow your heart, and seek your own ideals. Don't be too concerned with the views of the mundane world," Liang Qiujin said to Li Haochen before leaving.
"Follow my heart..." Li Haochen entered his space, gazing at the boundless ocean, his eyes resolute. "Since I was fortunate enough to obtain you, I, Li Haochen, will surely forge an extraordinary life."
......
"Uncle, I'll be going to Bin Hai University tomorrow. Please take care of yourselves at home and don't overwork." Li Haochen took a bank card from his satchel and placed it on the table. "Brother's wedding was delayed by a year due to finances. Don't let our in-laws look down on us. This card has 100,000 yuan. Use it to hold his wedding first."
"Haochen, you..."
"Don't worry, Uncle. I also saved ten thousand yuan during these two months of summer vacation, and there's still 30,000 yuan left from the rewards. That's enough for my university expenses. We're family, so let's not say so much," Li Haochen replied.
"Alright..."