Two days of exams have made everyone nervous. There are few people in the evening self-study class. Apart from the students with good grades and hard work, only those who have nothing to do come to play with their classmates.
During the break, Bai Lu was reciting words. Someone rushed in and shouted, "Hey, hey, hey, do you know who got first place?"
"Who?" The person who asked looked at Bai Lu and Awen. It seemed that there were no other candidates except them.
"Not only is he first in the class, he's first in the district! The teacher was so excited that he cried! He was wiping tears in the office."
"Wow!"
"Who is crying? Lao Zhou or Lao Rao?"
"Of course it's Lao Rao!"
Bai Lu clenched her hand holding the pen, she lowered her head, her palms were sweaty, and she prayed silently in her heart that it must be her. She performed very well this time, but she was afraid of accidents.
She has been wanting to participate in the L3 Comprehensive Science Competition for three years.
"Guess who took first place?"
"Don't keep me in suspense, big mouth! Speak now!"
The person who spoke looked around and said, "Guess."
"No guessing! Stop talking nonsense! Just tell me!"
"Speak now!"
Zeng Xiaoling stood up anxiously: "Who is it?"
Someone joked: "Could it be Skinny Monkey? He copied Awen's answer and got first place?"
Skinny Monkey and Fatty didn't come in the evening.
"Hurry up and tell me! Are you going to tell me or not?" A classmate threw a ball of paper at Big Mouth.
"Hey, let me tell you!" Big Mouth looked at Bai Lu.
Zeng Xiaoling rubbed Bai Lu's shoulder. Bai Lu, who had been nervous and afraid to look at Big Mouth, raised her head and found that Big Mouth was looking at her. Hope was instantly ignited in her heart.
Bai Lu's lips curled slightly, and the mechanical pencil in her hand gently poked the paper.
"The new guy. Ye Zhao!"
The lead of the mechanical pencil broke, and Bai Lu's heart instantly sank to the bottom of the water, ice-cold.
"Wow! So awesome!" Xiaotian exclaimed loudly, and was touched by others. Everyone knew the relationship between Bai Lu and Ye Zhao, so no one dared to be too gossipy.
With the best result in the district, even though the students in Class 3 and 4 of Senior High School were trying hard to suppress their scores, the liberal arts classes next door were all excited because they heard that this was a student who transferred from liberal arts to science and crushed all the students in the science classes.
How can I not be excited? It is simply the light of the humanities.
Ye Zhao was still unaware of the fact that he had gotten first place in the district. She did not attend evening self-study classes and was currently tutoring Xiangzai at home.
She found that Zeng Xiang didn't like to study or use his brain, but he was very smart and could easily solve any problem as long as he was willing to use his brain.
In today's physics class, Ye Zhao set a time limit for Zeng Xiang to memorize the formulas, write them out, and then do the corresponding exercises.
Zeng Xiang seemed to be cooperating, but he seemed to be shrouded in smoke, and his mood was not as good as yesterday.
He finished all the math homework assigned by Ye Zhao yesterday, and did a very good job.
Ye Zhao sat on one side, trying hard to recall why he was in such a good mood yesterday
She glanced at the four little red flowers that were neatly pasted on the pen holder. She had given him two of them as a reward yesterday, but they were pasted crookedly. She didn't know when he had torn them off and pasted them again, and they were so neat.
Falling in love with Little Red Flower? Successfully tamed it in just a few days?! While Ye Zhao was pleasantly surprised, he also felt that there seemed to be something wrong with the logic.
It takes 21 days to form a habit, but it's only been a few days? Or does he want to exchange the red flower for some reward from her
I can't figure it out for the moment.
Glancing at the boss's grim face as he was reciting the formula, Ye Zhao suddenly realized, oh, she forgot to give him the red flower as a reward today.
When he finished writing the formula, Ye Zhao whispered, "Hey, let's set a rule."
Zeng Xiang looked up at her. Ye Zhao had her hair tied up in a half-bun. Her facial features were delicate but with soft lines. Her skin was glowing white. She was prettier than any other girl in their class. It made him dizzy after looking at her for too long.
Looking away, Zeng Xiang picked up a dart and hit it at the dartboard on the wall, hitting ten rings.
Ye Zhao was stunned, thinking this was amazing. Just when he was about to applaud him, he immediately remembered that he was in extra classes, so he turned his hand and knocked on the table.
"Concentrate in class."
As soon as she finished speaking, another dart flew over and hit ten rings again.
"What rules?" he asked.
"In the future, when you complete your homework, you will be rewarded with a small red flower. If you complete it very well, you will be rewarded with an extra one."
An extra red flower as a reward
Ye Zhao looked at Zeng Xiang's puzzled expression. Wasn't the temptation strong enough? He raised another finger and said, "You did an exceptionally good job. I'll give you two extra flowers as a reward."
Seeing Zeng Xiang seemed indifferent, Ye Zhao pushed his hand on the table and said, "Give me a reaction."
The boss, who was ecstatic inside, said calmly, "It doesn't matter."
Another meaning of "it doesn't matter" is that I have no opinion!
"Then it's a deal. Let me make it clear that I have the final say on what prizes the red flowers can be exchanged for. No prizes that are too expensive will be accepted."
Zeng Xiang ignored him, but his whole state was obviously different. He quickly wrote out the formula from memory, and then did exercises based on the formula, starting with the simple ones, and was able to apply what he had learned to other situations.
Ye Zhao couldn't help but praise him: "I don't know if it's because you're smart or because I can teach you. You can learn it once you teach me. We are a perfect match, master and apprentice!"
She was praising herself, but the corners of his mouth were obviously raised.
"Hold on, we can't be proud. Aunt Qiao said that if you pass the college entrance examination, she will give me a bonus."
Zeng Xiang asked: "Are you short of money?"
Ye Zhao said truthfully: "I am very short of money. Without money, I feel insecure. My dad said he would not care about me, so he might really care about me. We are different."
Zeng Xiang glanced at her. He had never lacked money since he was a child, so he didn't understand.
Ye Zhao took the opportunity to ask: "The prize money for the Gulf Music Competition is 10,000 yuan, why don't you want to participate?"
"Don't want to be fooled."
"Who fooled you?"
Zeng Xiang avoided the question about Ye Zhao's curiosity and lowered his head to flip through the physics book.
Ye Zhao was helpless. She couldn't continue to ask. She said, "Let's do it step by step. There's still time." If it really doesn't work, she will have to do it. She doesn't believe Xiaotian can hold on to the end.
After a while, the boss raised his head again and continued with the previous topic, "I'm not going to college."
"Why?"
“Not so many whys.”
Ye Zhao rolled his eyes at him, thinking he was just talking nonsense. "It's okay if you don't want to take the exam. You're a local native. You can become a landlord without taking the exam. If you're really bored, you can even drive a motorcycle to pick up passengers."
Driving a motorcycle to carry passengers...
As soon as these words came out, the air froze for a few seconds.
Zeng Xiang solemnly clarified: "My motorcycle does not carry passengers."
Ye Zhao smiled and handed the homework book back to him. "Motorcycles will be banned in the future. You won't be able to carry passengers even if you want to."
Zeng Xiang opened the notebook and continued to work on the next page. He paused for a long time before asking, "Why?"
"what why?"
“Why is motorcycle banned?”
There was a period of chaos in the 1990s, when some people robbed people on motorcycles, which eventually led to a city-wide ban on motorcycles. But it was only for a short period of time, and after public security improved, it was gradually relaxed.
"I'm just guessing. There are more and more vehicles on the road now, and motorcycles are running rampant and competing with large trucks for the road. Traffic accidents will definitely increase. Maybe motorcycles will be banned in the future."
"No. There are more private cars in Hong Kong, so there is no ban in Hong Kong. As long as you have a license plate, it's fine."
"Have you been to Hong Kong?"
Zeng Xiang responded vaguely and changed the subject, "I'm thirsty."
As he said that, he got up and went out. Not long after, he came back with two bottles of Coke and put one of them in front of her.
Ye Zhao happily drank ice cola and watched Zeng Xiang do his homework quietly.
There was a sound of bicycle bells coming from downstairs. Xiaotian and his sister came back from evening study.
Xiao Tian ran up excitedly and shouted as soon as he entered the door: "Ye Zhao got the first place in the district."
Auntie Qiao, who opened the door for him, immediately responded, "Number one in the district? Number one in the district? Wow, how can you be so amazing, Xiao Zhao!"
Aunt Qiao's tone sounded as if she was talking about her daughter.
Xiaotian can not only play the drums, he can also play the trumpet. "Our teacher was so excited that he cried. Isn't that exaggerated?"
"That's not an exaggeration!" Aunt Qiao said, looking at her son, "It just shows that the other students are not doing as well as they should."
Ye Zhao looked at Xiangzi with a smile and raised his eyebrows slightly, as if to say, your master is awesome, but he was still modest: "It's just a monthly exam, don't take it too seriously."
Aunt Qiao: "You're first in the monthly exam, and I'll add more food to celebrate tomorrow."
Xiangzai buried his head in writing and ignored everyone.
Ye Zhao pulled Xiaotian to the balcony of the living room and asked him: "I just tried to persuade Brother Xiang to participate in the music competition, and he said he didn't want to be fooled. What happened? Who fooled him?"
Xiaotian: "Misunderstanding. You know our keyboard player Awen, right?"
Ye Zhao shook his head to indicate that he didn't know.
"He's the one who sat next to me, Skinny Monkey. He had very good grades. Last time, he stood us up in a competition. It was very embarrassing. We went from first to last in the rankings. You know how much face Brother Xiang wants. He couldn't stand this. Since then, Wen Tianxiang's band has never been together again."
"Why did Awen stand you up?"
"I don't know. He is a bit weird sometimes. Among us, Wen Tianxiang, I am the only normal person."
Ye Zhao smiled and said, "Add me in. With me, we will be two normal people. You won't be alone anymore."
Xiaotian now looks at Ye Zhao with great respect. It is an honor to have a top student who brings honor to the whole school.
"What instrument can you play? You said before that you can play a little bit of everything?"
She was exaggerating. Ye Zhao said, "I have learned the erhu."
"Huh?" This doesn't make sense. Erhu, keyboard, percussion instruments... How can this fit together? Xiaotian smiled awkwardly, not knowing how to say it clearly.
Ye Zhao knows how to play the erhu because the former director of the orphanage liked to play the erhu. Among so many children, the director chose her, saying that she had a strong sense of music and was a good candidate.
"I can sing, and I sing very well."
Facing Ye Zhao's confidence, Xiaotian didn't want to pour cold water on him. He smiled innocently and said, "We'll talk about it when the time comes."
Bai Lu hid in her room and cried when she got home. Bai Yunlian brought her some milk and asked her in a low voice what was wrong.
Bai Yunlian couldn't believe it when she learned that Ye Zhao had ranked first in the district in the monthly test. She shook her head slightly and asked, "Is there something wrong?"
"That's right, she got first place."
"She is a repeater. Did she take the same test before? It's not a big test, don't worry about it. Small tests are not important. Everyone knows what kind of person she is."
Ye Zhao did better than Bai Lu in the exam. Bai Yunlian was shocked and felt uncomfortable in her heart, but she didn't dare to show it too obviously for fear of making her daughter more sad.
"This monthly exam is very important. If she gets first place, she can represent the school in the L3 Comprehensive Science Competition." Bai Lu wiped her tears and sobbed softly. She had waited for this opportunity for three years, but just missed it.
"Didn't you say the other day that Teacher Zhou gave you a spot in the comprehensive science competition?"
“Then they changed their mind.”
"How can you go back on your word?"
"The teacher said we should compete fairly." Bai Lu cried so much that her eyes and nose turned red and she couldn't even drink milk.
"If you don't want to take the test, then don't take it. It's no big deal."
"I've been waiting for this opportunity for three years."
"I know I know."
Bai Yunlian was very annoyed but didn't dare to speak loudly. Ye Dingguo came back early today and was discussing something with Su Yingmin in the study.
"Don't let your Uncle Ye know about this."
Ye Dingguo has always believed that Bai Lu is smart and Ye Zhao is dull. Who knows what he would think if he knew that his daughter is good at studying.
Bai Lu said nothing, holding a toy panda in her hand, "Mom, I don't like this."
Bai Yunlian avoided the topic and said, "Drink the milk. Don't read too late at night and go to bed early."
Bai Yunlian came out of the room and just heard the door open. Ye Dingguo and Su Yingmin went out.
Feeling confused, Bai Yunlian called her sister. When Bai Yunping heard about it, she was first incredulous. "Don't we all know her previous grades? Why did she change after coming to Shenzhen? Did she know the answer in advance?"
Sure enough, everyone had the same idea.
"She is repeating a grade, so there are many possibilities. There is no point in arguing about it now. It doesn't matter whether her grades are good or bad. I just want her to leave as soon as possible."
Bai Yunping complained, "She is just a troublemaker. She embarrassed me so much at the factory that day. I get angry just thinking about it. You and your brother-in-law should have gotten the marriage certificate here, and you shouldn't have gone back to Wancheng to get it."
Bai Yunlian was helpless: "I originally thought that after getting the certificate, I could transfer my household registration, but I didn't expect it to turn out like this."
"He's just dragging you along like this, not solving the problem?"
"What can I do? He said he doesn't have a household registration booklet, and I need his daughter's signature to apply for a replacement. I'm stuck here."
Bai Yunping couldn't help but mutter, "If you ask me, these are all excuses. He's a big boss and wants to get a new household registration. How can the police station not give him a replacement? Is this irrelevant? I asked Xiao Feng to do it. Xiao Feng can get it back immediately. Do you believe it?"
Could Bai Yunlian not know this? There were some things she couldn't tell Ye Dingguo. She wasn't a girl in her teens or twenties. She had been in love with Ye Dingguo for so many years, and she knew that in the end, it was nothing compared to the marriage certificate.
If something happens to Ye Dingguo today and there is no marriage certificate, all the property will belong to Ye Zhao and she won't get a penny.
She was annoyed. "Oh, stop talking. Is there any way to get Ye Zhao to go back to Wancheng quickly? After she leaves, I will slowly talk to Old Ye about marriage."
"Don't you want her second mother to come and pick her up?"
"Zheng Qiuxia and I have an average relationship. I don't know how to bring this up."
"Didn't her little daughter follow Ye Zhao to Shenzhen? Let her come to pick up her daughter and take Ye Zhao away with her. Give her some money and be generous. She will definitely agree."
"I'm just worried that Zheng Qiuxia won't be able to take her away."
"Then we have to think of a solution. Sister, do you want to try the suggestion I gave you last time?"
"What if something really happens?"
"If something really happens, we will just do our part and get her out. If we can't get her out, there is still Ye Dingguo. He will definitely get his daughter out. If we get her out, can we let her stay here any longer? That's impossible."
Bai Yunlian breathed a sigh of relief, "It seems there is no better way, then I will call her tomorrow."
"Strike now, and get things settled while the iron is hot, so as to avoid any more trouble later."
Ye Zhao, a celebrity who got the first place in the district in the first monthly exam, did not go to the cram school for several days. She went to the factory shed where scrap was collected. Granny Liang was sitting at the door eating sweet potatoes. Ye Zhao asked her for the photo, but Granny Liang said she had not found it yet and would go back to look for it in two days.
Ye Zhao suspected that the other party did not help her look for it seriously, but she had no evidence, so she had to coax her: "Mother-in-law, if you find the photo, I will give you double the price."
Granny Liang was angry. "I, an old lady, really helped you look for it carefully. Don't disbelieve me."
"I believe."
"So double the price is agreed?"
What an old fox! Ye Zhao nodded: "Double, it's a deal."
"Okay, okay, okay! Come see me in two days."
Two days later, this was the third time Ye Zhao came. She said, "Tomorrow! Let's do it tomorrow!"
Granny Liang thought for a moment and said, "Okay, tomorrow afternoon."
The next afternoon, Ye Zhao and Aunt Qiao went out together. Ye Zhao went to find Grandma Liang, and Aunt Qiao went to play mahjong. As a result, when they came downstairs, they ran into Ye Zhao's second uncle and second aunt looking around at the gate of the courtyard.
Aunt Qiao asked loudly, "Who are you looking for?"
Second aunt Zheng Qiuxia was sharp-eyed. She held a short bamboo stick in her hand and pointed at Ye Zhao, "I'm looking for her."
Zheng Qiuxia rushed in and pointed at Ye Zhao and cursed: "Finally I found you. You have no conscience!"
After cursing, he raised the bamboo stick and wanted to hit Ye Zhao.
Aunt Qiao saw that the other party was coming aggressively, so she quickly blocked him and asked, "Who are you? What do you want to do?"
Zheng Qiuxia glanced at Aunt Qiao, she didn't know who she was, she didn't care about what happened to others when she was away from home, she pretended to be pitiful and said, "I beat my own child, she stole money, she stole a lot of my money and ran away, you don't know."
"Second Mom, I advise you not to get too excited. This is Shenzhen City, not your home. If you really hit me, the police will not let you go."
Zheng Qiuxia sneered, "Even if the police come, they will stand on my side. You stole my money! You also kidnapped Xiaoqin! The police will come just to arrest you."
Second uncle Ye Dingquan snatched the bamboo stick from his wife's hand and said, "Don't scare the child. Xiao Zhao, pack your things and go back with Second uncle."
This couple, one plays the good cop and the other plays the bad cop, and they cooperate very well in the fight.
Ye Zhao was firm: "I won't go back."
Ye Dingquan advised earnestly: "Your father said that if you continue to stay here, he will not care about your affairs, but if you are willing to return to Wancheng, he will find a way to arrange a good unit for you."
Zheng Qiuxia: "Everything has been arranged. You will go to the factory in the grain station and eat the state grain. Why are you still repeating the grade? You won't understand it even if you study. It's a waste of time and money. Don't you agree?"
The factory in the grain depot? It was a state-owned enterprise. Unfortunately, within a few years, all the workers were laid off.
The residents in the yard, Fatty Ying and the pockmarked-faced woman Zhang Yueli, were watching nearby.
Fatty Ying just watched the fun without joining in. Zhang Yueli came from the countryside and was not very knowledgeable. When she heard that she could go to the grain station, she was extremely envious. She said, "Yes, it would be the best to be able to eat state-owned grain."
Aunt Qiao disagreed: "Our Xiao Zhao can be the top scorer in the college entrance examination. She can study, why can't she study?"
"She told you she could be the top scorer in the college entrance examination? Oh, sister, you are a good person, but she deceived you. Don't I know what kind of person she is? I raised her with all my heart, and she gets nervous every time she takes an exam. The college entrance examination hasn't even come yet, but she frightened herself to the point of falling ill. She didn't even pass the college entrance examination."
Aunt Qiao is good at reading faces. She saw that Ye Zhao's second mother had a face full of fat, and she knew at first glance that she was not a good person. She immediately retorted: "How could I not know? Xiao Zhao just got the first place in our district in the exam yesterday! If this was my daughter, I would wake up laughing in the middle of the night."
Ye Dingquan and Zheng Qiuxia looked at each other. Ye Zhao got first place in the district in the exam? How is that possible
Zheng Qiuxia laughed and said, "Even if you give her the answers to copy, she won't be able to get first place."
"As relatives, why don't you hope for the best for others?"
"I came to pick her up because I hope she gets better. If she misses this opportunity and can't get into the grain station, what do you think she will rely on in the future?"
Aunt Qiao was so angry that she laughed, "Rely on what? Rely on herself! I Zeng Erqiao is optimistic about her. I can see at a glance that Ye Zhao is a capable child in the future."
"She has no talent at all. She is really not cut out for studying."
Ye Zhao was tired of listening to this. She said, "No matter what my grades are or what place I get in the exam, I am already 18 years old. It is my own life, my own choices, and my own decisions. I want to study. The quota at the grain station is so good, you should leave it to Ye Xiaozhen."
Ye Dingquan advised: "Ye Zhao, think it through..."
"She can't think clearly!" Zheng Qiuxia interrupted her husband angrily, "This is a ghost. Look at what she has done in the past half month. Isn't it the result of a ghost?"
Zheng Qiuxia said as she reached for Aunt Qiao's hand and pulled her aside. "Big sister, don't let her fool you. She has been without a mother since she was young. She was a premature baby, as small as a mouse. The doctor said she couldn't be raised, but I didn't believe it. I got up early and stayed up late, watching over her day and night, and used my own private money to buy her malted milk, and I raised her little by little. At that time, I had just married her second uncle, and I devoted all my body and soul to her. I raised her until she was four or five years old, and only after I raised her did I dare to have my first child. Tell me, can I not have feelings for her? I love her more than my own children. She was very well-behaved and obedient since she was young, but I don't know what happened to this child recently. Since she fell ill and didn't take the college entrance examination, she has completely changed. She beats her sister at home, steals my money, and calls me to make me angry..."
Aunt Qiao listened with a stern face. When she didn't say anything, she looked quite scary.
Zheng Qiuxia thought Aunt Qiao had heard it, "She kidnapped my little daughter and ran to Shenzhen secretly. She even called me to threaten me. Do you think it's chilling?"
Zheng Qiuxia acted well in this drama. Ye Zhao: "You treat me better than your own children?"
Acting? Who can't
Ye Zhao lifted the hair on his forehead and faced everyone.
"I have two scars on my forehead. One was caused by this woman hitting me with a spatula when I was seven years old. She hit me just because I stole a piece of fat meat from the table. The bigger scar on the right was caused by this woman when I was thirteen years old. She also hit me because I didn't change my little sister's diaper in time..."
Ye Zhao stretched out his hand and rolled up his sleeves. There was a large white scar on his elbow. "I got this scar when I was nine years old. This second mother who said she loved me very much called me. I was a little slow to react when she called me, so she hit me with a hot water bottle and burned a piece of my skin off!"
"No... not..." Zheng Qiuxia opened her mouth and wanted to explain. Ye Zhao's words were half true and half false. She didn't know how to defend herself for a moment. After all, she did abuse her.
Everyone present was shocked. The women in this yard all had children. Who could tolerate their children being abused
Aunt Qiao looked at the scars on Ye Zhao's body, tears welled up in her eyes, and she felt so distressed, "What kind of person is this! How could he have the heart to do this?!"
Zheng Qiuxia wanted to explain: "Don't listen to her nonsense!"
Aunt Qiao yelled, "Fugui! Get your weapons!"
"Ah ah!" The mute was the first to swing the chain.
Fatty Ying also picked up the iron rake beside her and shouted, "Who let you in? Shovel! You're hitting the street! Stand still! Don't even think about running away!"
Ye Zhao wiped the tears from his eyes. When it comes to acting, who can beat who? !
When the yard was in chaos, two policemen came in at the door.
"What happened? Who called the police?!"
(End of this chapter)