"Come on, stop thinking about it."
"The road ahead is full of uncertainties, but the path beneath your feet is real. In a battle, blind confidence is bound to lead to failure, and the same principle applies to studying."
If you were to ask Chen Mengshu why she was so convinced that Hua Qingqing's attempt to skip grades would end in failure, it was because almost all the "predecessors" had failed. Of course, there were those who had managed to pass the exams, but the quality of the schools they got into was another story.
Seeing how tense Chen Mengshu was, Hua Qingqing decided to drop the subject.
Anyway, she would do things her own way. Others were others, and she was herself. Hua Qingqing was destined to be different.
"Remember to keep an eye out for those books I mentioned. Money is not an issue."
"If you're not skipping grades, why do you need those books... Never mind, I'll do it for you. It's on the house."
True to her word, Chen Mengshu wasted no time and brought up the matter right at the dinner table.
"Dad, do you have any exercise books for senior two and senior three? Old ones are okay too. The more, the better."
Chen Donglai smiled and asked, "Why do you ask? It's only been a short time since school started, and you're already eager to read other books?"
Hua Qingqing's eyelids twitched wildly. She had a bad feeling.
Sure enough, the next second, Chen Mengshu threw her under the bus.
"It's not for me. It's for Qingqing. She wants them. Don't you ever say again that I'm oblivious to the world when I'm reading. She's much better than me!"
"The other day at school, I saw her doing senior three's exercises!"
Chen Mengshu was so excited that she was practically dancing with joy as she recounted the incident.
Before she could spill all the beans, Hua Qingqing quickly pinched her under the table and gave her a look.
But if Chen Mengshu had any sense, she wouldn't have been running her mouth in the first place.
"Ouch! It hurts!"
"What's wrong? Am I not telling the truth? You were doing senior three's exercises that day!"
Seeing that this girl was completely oblivious to the situation and was even getting red in the face, ready to argue with her about what exercises she had been doing that day, Hua Qingqing couldn't help but sigh and shake her head. She had overestimated this girl.
She suspected that all of Chen Mengshu's emotional quotient had been channeled into her intelligence.
Mrs. Chen watched this scene with a gentle smile on her face. She exchanged a look with her husband and finally felt at ease.
Their daughter had finally made a friend.
"Qingqing, don't mind her. She's just like that. She acts on impulse."
Mr. Chen chimed in.
"Qingqing, when do you need those books? If you're not in a hurry, I'll have Mengshu bring them to you in a few days. I'll find as many as I can for you."
Hua Qingqing didn't reject the offer directly. At this point, it would have been pretentious to do so.
"Uncle, I'm not in a hurry."
Chen Donglai smiled. His smile was somewhat similar to Chen Mengshu's.
"That's good. Uncle will definitely find them all for you. I've already talked to my friends whose kids are in college. I asked them to save their books for Mengshu. Now it's great that you two can share them. Mengshu always praises you for your good grades and excellent notes at home. She must be very happy now."
Chen Mengshu sighed. "She's already studying senior three's stuff, and I'm still in senior one. How can I be happy?"
Mrs. Chen rolled her eyes at her silly daughter.
"The top student in the entire Nan County is right here. A smart person would seize the opportunity to ask questions. But you're such a fool. You're even complaining. Sigh, why did I give birth to such a silly daughter..."
Mrs. Chen shook her head and smiled at Hua Qingqing. "You can still come with Mengshu later. Auntie will ask Uncle to cook some delicious food for you."
Before Hua Qingqing could say anything, Chen Mengshu had already nodded.
"Don't worry, Mom. I'll bring her here whenever I can. You should prepare more delicious food. Qingqing likes this braised pork!"
"I think it's you who likes it!"
Mrs. Chen didn't give her daughter any face and exposed her directly.
Watching this warm and tender scene between the mother and daughter, Hua Qingqing couldn't help but smile slightly.
However, something seemed strange. It was Chen Mengshu's birthday today, but with so many dishes on the table, there was only her as a guest.
She had originally thought that Chen Mengshu's friends would come later, but halfway through the meal, not a single soul was in sight.
Hua Qingqing was a little curious, but she soon forgot about it.
I have to say, Mr. Chen's cooking skills were really good. It was almost as good as the food in the state-run restaurant. It was really rare.
After the meal, Hua Qingqing stayed at the Chen's house for a while.
Chen Mengshu did her homework while Hua Qingqing read books.
There was a large bookshelf on the wall of the Chen's living room. There were many books that couldn't be bought on the market, and there were also many foreign-language books, all of which were famous works that didn't involve taboos.
Hua Qingqing was a little curious about Chen Donglai's occupation.
He could often travel to other provinces, so his job must be special. There were always books at home, and his words revealed a lot of knowledge about education.
What exactly was his job?
Before she could find an opportunity to ask, Chen Mengshu started the conversation.
"My dad is going on a business trip next month. He's going to a meeting in the provincial capital. I'll ask him to buy some delicious food. I'll bring them to you later. The chocolate you gave me was so delicious!"
Chen Mengshu, who had been doing her homework, had somehow opened the chocolate and was eating it with a mouthful of wine aroma. There were black spots on her teeth...
"Uncle works in what field? He even has to go to a meeting in the provincial capital."
"He works in the Education Bureau... Mmm, it's so delicious! I don't want to finish it!"
Hua Qingqing: "..."
It was already afternoon when Hua Qingqing left the Chen's house. The sun was still hanging low in the west, not completely setting yet. The thin clouds were illuminated, turning them a bright orange.
Hua Qingqing rode her bike towards the school.
The cadre's building was not far from No. 1 Middle School. It was only about a ten-minute ride.
Hua Qingqing rode her bike into the alley. This was the path she had discovered when she often went to the Zhou's house. She could get back to school faster by taking this route.
"Screech!"
Suddenly, a black figure ran out in front of her. Hua Qingqing didn't see clearly and quickly hit the brakes. The handbrake, which hadn't been lubricated for a long time, let out a sharp and ear-piercing screech.
Hua Qingqing almost fell off her bike. Fortunately, her legs were long enough. She stepped on the ground with one foot and managed to steady herself.
She was scared out of her wits.
She looked up angrily at the person who had suddenly run out in front of her.
When the person looked up, she was stunned.
"Auntie, what are you doing here?"
The person who had almost collided with her was actually Yu Jianhua!
Cough cough, luckily she hadn't cursed!
Yu Jianhua was also surprised. "Qingqing, what are you doing here?"
After saying that, she seemed to remember something. Her face changed slightly, and she turned her head to the side.
Hua Qingqing got off her bike and walked up to Yu Jianhua. She first took a look at the alley behind her. The houses hidden deep in the alley were ordinary, and the outer walls were a bit dilapidated. The wind and rain had eroded the walls, leaving behind small whirlpools.
"Auntie, do you live here?"
What on earth was Grandma Fang thinking? This Zeng family was even worse than the countryside. Why did she want to marry her daughter into this place just for a city hukou?
Come on, the ration of commercial grain was limited. It was not as good as the people in the brigade who had some savings.
Moreover, if she remembered correctly, that Zeng He had even snatched Auntie's job at the wood factory.
Hua Qingqing didn't have the heart to complain in front of Yu Jianhua. She withdrew her gaze.
"Auntie, why did you suddenly run out? If I hadn't braked in time, we would have both fallen to the ground."