June of the following year.
Ji Ziqing was promoted to sixth grade. As the number one in the city's primary school, she passed the "three-subject competition" without any pressure and was admitted to Jiacheng Middle School, a rumored aristocratic middle school in the city.
Ji Huaile blossomed, and Yin Cai accompanied Ji Ziqing to register early in the morning.
The gate of Jiacheng Middle School is majestic. As soon as you enter the door, you will see a row of red lists, densely packed with names. This year's high school entrance examination and college entrance examination achieved good results again, so the test questions in the competition were much more difficult.
There is no way, the momentum is too strong, and I heard that the tuition fees have increased again this year.
"Last year the tuition was only 32,000 yuan, but this year it's 38,000 yuan?" Ji Huai thought it was too expensive, and there would definitely be fewer parents sending their children.
But he didn't expect that there would be a long queue of parents who signed up, and the spots had to be grabbed. Some parents were waiting at the door before dawn with registration materials and money.
The registered students who were admitted and those who paid school selection fees were not in the same place. Ji Huai walked in and looked at the crowd, still too shocked.
Many parents are not very well dressed, and they lead their children aside, holding bags in their hands, and from time to time they can hear voices chanting:
"You have to study hard. If you don't study hard, how can you live up to your parents?"
"Look, this is the consequence of not studying hard. Do you know how expensive the tuition is?"
"I don't pay this money just so you can come in and play. Study hard!"
…
Most of these parents have no ill intentions and may want to motivate their children to study hard. I saw many children standing next to their parents with their heads lowered, looking around the school environment with a little anxiety.
I was both panicked and looking forward to it, with a little bit of trepidation. After all, this is the school that many students dream of. The "Three Subjects Competition" held every year by Jiacheng Middle School almost all students from primary school to junior high school in the city and county sign up to participate, eager to pass the exam.
Yin Cai and Ji Ziqing went to the toilet, and Ji Huai found a shady spot and looked at the crowd. He was inexplicably reminded of the scene in the previous life when Yin Cai went to register Ji Ziqing.
He didn't come with her, and he thought she was just messing around. With that kind of money, it would be better to build a house or buy a car to enjoy the scenery. He just thought she was crazy.
Children who study can study anywhere. For this, he even scolded Yin Cai. He had to send her to an aristocratic school because she had no money. She was out of her mind.
"Are you here to register your child too?"
Suddenly remembering a voice behind him, Ji Huai turned around and saw a dark, tall and thin middle-aged man asking him.
"Yes." Ji Huai replied with a smile, taking out his cigarettes out of habit and passing one over.
The man also took it, lit a cigarette, and frowned as he looked at the people queuing up under the scorching sun, "We were late today. We had to go out early. His grandma fell and had to be taken to the hospital before she came. There are so many People, I don’t know if I can sign up.”
From what he heard, Ji Huai knew that they were here to pay for school, "Do you have boys or girls?"
"Boy, where is your house?" The man took a puff of cigarette.
Ji Huai: "Girl."
"Studying in the city is better..."
"The city is small."
"My home is the third primary school in the city."
…
There is always a topic when talking about children. When he learned that Ji Ziqing only went to the city to study in the second grade, the man shook his head, "My son came to the third primary school in the city in the fourth grade. The teacher saw that he had good grades and recommended him to the teacher of the third primary school in the city. , after he passed the exam, his mother and I also came here to find a job and study with him."
"It's not easy." Ji Huai admired him. Just like Yin Cai before, it was really not easy.
"As long as children who have not been in the first grade have studied in the city, they are not eligible for the recommended quota for the high school entrance examination. But if you want to study in the city in the first grade, don't you have to have a school district room?" The man said this in a tone of voice Both melancholy and helpless.
Jiacheng Middle School's junior high school is good, but its high school is not so good. Everyone's first choice is Gaofen Middle School, a century-old school. This middle school only has a high school, followed by the other two middle schools.
In addition to students who pass the exam, these three middle schools will give each school a certain proportion of places for recommendation with reduced scores. If they fail to pass the exam, they can still be recommended with reduced scores.
The students at Jiacheng Middle School have a very good foundation and have received the most places. However, children who have not been studying in the city since the first grade are not eligible for this place.
The only way is to pass the exam, there is no chance of knowing the truth.
"It's not easy to get into Gaofen Middle School. I was only ten or twenty points short of getting a recommended place. Now I have to rely on myself. The tuition is expensive again this year. My son said he doesn't want to come, but I know he wants to go." The man seemed to have started talking, and took another long puff of cigarette. His tone was a little trembling, "He was just 0.5 points short of taking the 'Three Subjects League' exam, just a little bit short. My mother and I are also angry, but you can't bear to blame me." A child? He has tried his best. He locked himself in the room for half a month and lost a lot of weight. I told him, it doesn't matter, my parents will send you there."
Ji Huai felt ashamed. He actually didn't understand much about this. In this way, Ji Ziqing could only pass the entrance examination to enter the high school department of Gaofen Middle School.
In her last life, she also failed by 0.5 points in the "Three Subjects League" exam. Yin Cai cried for a long time and seemed very angry, but he was not willing to blame the child.
For a child who has been sensible since he was a child, his parents have spent hundreds of thousands more because he is only 0.5 points behind. You can imagine the psychological burden.
"My son can read and has a better brain than us. Since he was very young, his mother and I have been saving money. At first, we didn't think that he would be able to get into the third primary school in the city. We thought that he would be sent to a good school no matter what. Cheng is going to junior high school, no matter how hard it is, he still has to be allowed to go to school!" The man's eyes were extremely determined, which was quite moving.
After he finished speaking, he talked about the management system of Jiacheng Middle School. Students have to get up before 6:30 in the morning and study until very late at night. There are no weekends, but only single days. There are endless things to do during the winter and summer vacations.
The teaching system is almost harsh, and the results are achieved bit by bit. This trick is really useful. As long as students keep up with the team and are willing to learn, if they persist, they will have a good foundation.
"Hard work is hard work. How can any parent not feel sorry for their children? But if you don't endure hardship now, you will have to endure the hardships of life in the future. My mother and I both earn hard money and are exposed to wind and sun. We can't earn thousands a month. We don’t expect him to have any big future, and he will have a more relaxed life in the future... "
The man continued talking, as if he had been suppressing it for too long, and he did not dare to say more in front of his son, so he chatted with Ji Huai intermittently.
Ji Huai sighed silently and handed him another cigarette.
He seemed to understand why Yin Cai was determined to send Ji Ziqing to Jiacheng Middle School.
Education is fair, but educational resources are unfair. For many children from ordinary families, studying is really a life-changing path, and it can be said to be a relatively easy one.
The path is also gradually narrowing as education starts to become expensive. Take Jiacheng Middle School as an example. The tuition fee of 38,000 yuan, plus various expenses, is not enough to afford 50,000 to 60,000 yuan a year.
This is still the price of junior high school. Although high school is more expensive, it is more expensive than junior high school. It is said that in the past, when online payment was not so convenient, the middle school had to drive a truck to collect cash every time it was time to pay tuition.
There is no other way. For this city and county with poor education, this middle school is where ordinary parents try their best to provide the best educational environment for their children.
After all, compared to school district housing that costs millions, one can complete junior high school with just over 100,000, which is the first choice for most parents.
After chatting for a while, Yin Cai led Ji Ziqing and started to walk over. There was a woman and a little boy in front of them. Seeing the man walking over, Ji Huai knew that they were the wife and son he mentioned.
The other party's wife is tall and thin, but much older than Yin Cai. The little boy is neatly dressed, but his expression shows that he is a restrained child.
He followed behind his parents and looked at the bag his father was holding, which contained his tuition fees. His little hands hanging by his side were clenched tightly, and his fingertips were so hard that they turned white.
"Jinglin, you are just recovering from your illness. Don't bask in the sun here. Go and stand under the tree." The woman said to the little boy with a concerned tone.
The little boy stood still, stubbornly standing beside his parents, and slowly moved forward with the team. While wiping his sweat, he accidentally turned his head and saw a little girl in a light blue sportswear holding the hands of her parents, smiling and wondering. What are you saying.
The sun was hot, the fair skin, the crooked smile on the eyebrows dazzled him.
First day of school.
Li Jinglin sat obediently in the classroom, put the stationery he bought in the drawer, and looked at the new classmates coming around without saying a word.
A new classmate also came to the aisle on his right, carrying a nice schoolbag and wearing a ponytail. He accidentally knocked the thermos cup to the ground, and he heard it and ran away.
It was a familiar face. She seemed to be startled by the unintentional move. When she looked at him, she looked like a frightened little white rabbit. There was still some apology in her eyes. She quickly glanced around and hurriedly took her cup. Picked it up and stuffed it in the drawer.
That was the first time he thought she was cute.
Later I learned that she had a nice name: Ji Ziqing.
She was always overly good, and although she was shy, she could sing, dance, play the piano, and draw... She was good-looking, soft-spoken, and had such good grades. There were always many, many boys who liked her.
Li Jinglin is a good student and can read naturally. Although he was ranked at the bottom when he entered school, he quickly caught up and even ranked among the top.
In the third grade of junior high school, Zong and Ji Ziqing competed for first and second place in the school. Jiacheng Middle School has frequent tests and generous bonuses, which can even be broken down into rewards for each subject. He also received a scholarship that offset the high tuition due to his excellent grades.
With the high school entrance examination approaching, it’s time for prestigious schools to compete for high-quality students. Yin Caidu received invitation calls from three private schools, and the conditions offered were naturally generous.
Jiacheng Middle School competes with several other schools every year, and the cost increases every year. It hopes to make the high school as popular as the junior high school.
This year, it is promised that the top fifteen students in the school will not only have their tuition and living expenses free of charge, but also receive a certain amount of bonuses. They also promise that as long as they sign the agreement, they will be directly promoted to the "Rocket Class", taught by a team of famous teachers, and they will be able to sprint to the top domestic schools.
As the first place in the school in the last exam, Ji Ziqing's results were really excellent, and the school was very determined to keep her and offered a "bonus" of 500,000 yuan.
Her results are even better than the first place in previous competitions, and she is expected to get a high ranking in the province. If you achieve good results in the college entrance examination, the value created to the school can far exceed the 500,000 yuan.
The head teacher talked to her several times. Of course, the school wanted to keep Li Jinglin with a high scholarship, but the school knew about his family background and offered him much less conditions than Ji Ziqing.
After a night of late repair, Ji Ziqing met Li Jinglin downstairs and asked softly: "Will you stay?"
Compared with when he first entered the school, he has grown much taller. Now he has handsome features and a tall and thin figure. He is favored by countless girls, but he rarely communicates with others and is obsessed with various topics.
He was silent for a while, then his eyes fell on her, and he didn't speak for a while.
Ji Ziqing already knew his answer. This was his most correct decision.
Finally, he looked at her deeply and said, "I will be admitted to University A, I will."
Ji Huai asked Ji Ziqing to fill in the provincial capital No. 1 Middle School. He learned that if he applied for a school in the provincial capital, he could only fill in one application. If he did not pass the exam, he would not be selected for the school in the urban area. He patted his daughter on the shoulder: "It doesn't matter. If you don't pass the exam, dad will send you to Yuhang to study. We are the ones who want to take the exam at Demco University!"
Yuhang is a well-known private school in the province, comparable to the provincial No. 1 Middle School. It has international classes to lay the foundation for going abroad. The tuition fee is naturally a very ugly figure. Compared with it, the fees of Jiacheng Middle School are just childish.
Yin Cai thought Ji Huai was just joking about Chadwick University to encourage his daughter. But Ji Huai believed that Ji Ziqing had the ability to study abroad.
There was it in the previous life, but in this life he will clear the obstacles and make her more confident and confident.
Ji Ziqing refused Jiacheng Middle School's offer to stay and resolutely applied for the No. 1 Middle School in the province. She knew clearly that if she stayed there, she would have little hope of getting admitted to University A. The last one she got into was ten years ago.
The results of the high school entrance examination were expected. Ji Ziqing was admitted to the provincial No. 1 middle school without any suspense. Li Jinglin did not agree to the conditions offered by Jiacheng Middle School, but went to Gaofen Middle School, a century-old school.
Compared with private schools, the conditions offered by public schools were definitely not as good, but he went anyway.
After she went to high school, Li Jinglin would contact her from time to time. He always told her that since she left, he was ranked first every time and was so boring, and he proposed to compete with her.
Ji Ziqing naturally agreed, and the two of them contacted each other more frequently. He didn't like to communicate with others, and even had a low self-esteem, but he was extra shameless to her and asked her to share educational resources.
She would send him the latest test papers, the test papers written by the teacher from the Provincial No. 1 Middle School, and some compiled information...
Li Jinglin's grades have been improving since he entered high school, and he has been on the A-level several times. The teachers at Gaofen Middle School were very excited. Ji Ziqing was also excited and nervous with them.
She has already touched the score line, and even exceeded it by a lot.
In order for him to improve his score, she would actively discuss issues with him and contact him. The relationship between the two was once close.
The teachers at Gaofen Middle School have high hopes for Li Jinglin and think he can get good results in the college entrance examination. A is a bit behind, but B is not a problem. This is also a historic result. Compared with him, he ranked first in the school last year. It's all a few points short of that.
Before the college entrance examination, Ji Ziqing met. He became more and more mature. The two of them sorted out their knowledge points and chatted about everything. The atmosphere was very harmonious.
Li Jinglin's attitude was surprisingly good, and he even asked her what major she wanted to study.
Ji Ziqing wants to major in medicine at University A.
"I want to apply for the Finance Department of University A." Li Jinglin said.
Ji Ziqing looked at him with big bright eyes, "You can do it."
She was so serious that Li Jinglin curled his lips and reminded her, "The scores of the finance department of University A have always been relatively high."
Higher than the medical profession.
"Well, the finance major at University A is very good." Ji Ziqing nodded, her expression devoid of other emotions, serious and trusting.
Li Jinglin smiled slightly and lowered his head, but his eyes deepened.
She is always like this, beautiful and warm, relaxed and comfortable in front of her.
Except for him, no one knew how nervous he was when checking the college entrance examination results, and his fingers were shaking.
He got admitted to University A and also entered the Department of Finance as he wished. Gaofen Middle School was completely popular. Firecrackers were set off for several days, banners were hung all over the streets, and a large bonus was obtained.
Everyone thought that he was performing exceptionally well, but only he knew that it was within his capabilities. After all, he controlled his scores in every exam. Only in this way can the relationship with Ji Ziqing be closer and closer.
Riding on Li Jinglin's trend, Gaofen Middle School also opened a junior high school, slightly breaking the near-monopoly position of Jiacheng Middle School.
A few years later.
On the campus of University A.
Ji Ziqing was wearing a white pleated skirt, with a slim figure and long black hair, straight and silky. She was walking on the school road holding a book, and the warm sun fell on her body, like a layer of soft light.
A tall boy quickened his pace, walked to her side and looked at her sideways, "Are you applying to Chatham University?"
"Um."
"What a coincidence, me too."
Ji Ziqing looked up at him, and the two smiled at each other.