A few students, upon hearing this, did not dare to delay and immediately took out their money.
"That's more like it. Going to college is a lifelong affair. To be short of a few cents now, during the exam..."
Lin Qi, pocketing the money and feeling smug, looked up and saw Chen Lishu and Ding Chen standing not far away. He instinctively gathered his things, intending to run. He then turned around to find himself in a dead end, and with a sheepish grin, turned back, "Haha, Sister Chen, what a coincidence."
Ding Chen, upon seeing him, flushed with anger on her fair face. "Chen Jie kindly helped you, and you go and do this kind of thing. You've gone too far!"
Lin Qi touched his nose and said nothing.
Chen Lishu felt a pang of disappointment seeing him like this.
She had thought he was aiming to take the college entrance exam and was quite motivated. It was just that his circumstances were limited, and he lacked opportunities. Out of sympathy, she had not only lent him exam papers but also study materials. Who knew he would mistake her kindness for an opportunity to make money, perhaps even mocking her as a fool in his heart.
"Forget it, Ding Chen, let's go." All the good and bad would be borne by themselves. It was just that from now on, finding her for help would be impossible.
Lin Qi looked at the disappointment in her eyes and felt a prick in his heart. "Do you think I don't want to take the college entrance exam? But I am one of the 'five black categories.' My background dictates that I am inherently inferior to others. Instead of dwelling on unrealistic things, it's better to seize this opportunity to earn some money."
Meeting Chen Lishu's dark, solemn eyes, Lin Qi's voice grew softer as he spoke, eventually becoming inaudible even to himself.
"So many people have been rehabilitated now. Your background is no excuse for your lack of ambition."
It was laughable that she had once admired him, thinking he stayed up late studying, only to find out he was staying up late to make money.
"The country gives you an opportunity, and you don't even cherish it. You are truly disappointing," Chen Lishu said, turning away. "Consider it my misjudgment. I will not provide you with any more materials in the future."
Lin Qi watched Chen Lishu's receding figure, a flicker of pain in his eyes. His fingers gradually clenched, then loosened in dejection after a while.
...
As the weather gradually turned cooler, temperatures plummeted after the autumn harvest. At the end of November, the first snow of winter fell from the sky.
Despite the cold, the enthusiasm of people about to take the college entrance exam could not be extinguished.
During the preparation period, Li Xiulan specially slaughtered two chickens from their home. Chen Mantun also went to the mountains to catch rabbits and wild pheasants, sending them to Chen Lishu to supplement her health. Gu Xingping even took it upon herself to handle all the household chores, all so that Chen Lishu could focus solely on her studies for the exam.
Time flew by, and it was already December. The first year the college entrance exam was reinstated, Chen Lishu's province implemented local policies.
The day before the exam, Xu Ning specially stayed at Chen Lishu's home in advance. Everything that needed to be prepared was mostly done. If there was anything she still didn't understand, the time on this day would be of no use.
The two of them simply stopped studying and, along with Gu Xingping, huddled under the covers chatting. They talked about everything under the sun, and eventually, overcome by sleepiness, they gradually fell asleep.
On the morning of December 10th, Chen Lishu specially cooked noodles and eggs. "For good luck. I wish both of us great results."
After eating, and having checked their admission tickets, pens, and other stationery, the two of them set off for the examination hall.
In the morning, they took math, in the afternoon, Chinese. The next day was politics and comprehensive subjects, and the third day was an additional English exam.
On this day, as soon as she finished the English exam, Chen Lishu returned home. Before she could even rest, the old woman at the telephone booth at the end of the alley suddenly called her to take a call.
Hearing that there was a call for her, Chen Lishu was quite startled. "Auntie, did they say who it was?"
The auntie, her scarf pulled tighter against the cold, replied, "A man. He didn't say who he was, just that he was looking for you."
Chen Lishu walked while thinking. She had never given the telephone booth's number to anyone. She wondered who it could be.
"Hello, I am Chen Lishu," Chen Lishu said when the phone rang again.
Hearing the soft, sweet voice on the other end, Gu Xingdong couldn't help but show a slight smile. Wu Zheng, standing beside him, thought he was seeing things and rubbed his eyes vigorously.
"It's me."
A deep voice came through, and Chen Lishu was both surprised and delighted. "Xingdong, how did you know this phone number here?"
"When you called before, I specifically asked the radio station and remembered it."
Gu Xingdong paused as he spoke and then asked, "Are you done with the exam?"
"Mm," Chen Lishu nodded subconsciously, then belatedly realized, "How did you know?"
"Is it that hard to guess?" Between studying and buying materials, it was as if she had a sign on her forehead saying she was taking the college entrance exam.
Chen Lishu thought about it and agreed. She hadn't deliberately tried to hide it. Moreover, with Gu Xingdong's perceptiveness, nothing could truly be hidden from him.
"How did it go?"
Chen Lishu bit her lip, her voice tinged with dejection. "Not very good."
She wasn't being modest; she genuinely felt it hadn't gone well, especially since math was the first subject. She had persevered through the remaining subjects.
"It's okay, you still have me, your man." Gu Xingdong said, glancing at 'Wu Bangchui' (Wu Zheng) who was standing opposite, his ears pricked up and listening intently. He lowered his eyelids slightly and said, "You are already very excellent. There's no need to be fixated on that diploma."
This was the first time Wu Zheng had heard Gu Xingdong talk to Chen Lishu on the phone. Seeing his unusually gentle tone, he couldn't help but get goosebumps.
Gu Xingdong shot him a glance and said nothing.
"You always know how to sweet-talk me." Hearing him praise her, Chen Lishu couldn't help but laugh.
Hearing the laughter in her voice, Gu Xingdong finally felt a little relieved. He had refrained from calling for these past few months, fearing he might disturb her studies.
"When are you coming over?"
"As soon as the results are out, I'll come over. I'll spend the New Year with you this year."
After being busy with her studies for these past few months, hearing Gu Xingdong's voice now made her miss him.
Knowing that she would spend the New Year with him, Gu Xingdong contentedly hung up the phone.
"You are already very excellent." Wu Zheng deliberately mimicked his words and couldn't help but burst into laughter. "Old Gu, you say you..."
Before he could finish, his neck was suddenly seized. "Are your fists itching? Come on, I'll spar with you during today's combat training."
"No, Old Gu, I was wrong, okay?"
...
Returning home from the telephone booth, Chen Lishu glanced at the time and saw it was getting late. She began preparing dinner.
"Your third brother called today. After the results are out, I'll go to the provincial capital to spend the New Year with him," Chen Lishu told Gu Xingping while they ate.
"Sister-in-law, you're going to join the army so soon?" Although she had known this outcome, hearing that Chen Lishu was leaving still filled Gu Xingping with a deep reluctance.
"There are still many things to deal with at home, and it's not something that can be done overnight."
Thinking about the business in her hands, Chen Lishu also felt a bit worried.
She was certainly unwilling to let it go, but the current policies didn't allow it, and she didn't have a reliable person to manage it.
Furthermore, because of the college entrance exam, she still had a considerable amount of underwear and "false collars" that she hadn't had time to sell.
She had to resolve all of these before she could leave.