The evening dinner was held in a three-story restaurant located on Huanhu Road, facing the lake. It looked very ordinary from the outside, the house was relatively old, and the outer walls were mottled in many places. Unlike the high-end restaurants that have sprung up like mushrooms in Chengdu nowadays, many restaurants in Shanhai City are far from the standard in terms of decoration and design. However, Luo Weisu, Hongdou and others did not think it was surprising. The food in many small restaurants was also very delicious. The meals they had eaten in Shanhai were all refreshing and they were full of expectations.
Everyone went into the private room and sat down one by one. After Cheng Ran sat down, Jiang Hongshao sat on his right, while Marco on the further right had already pulled out his chair. This made Yu Xiao, who had originally planned to sit in Jiang Hongshao's seat, move around the back of a chair and sit on Cheng Ran's left without saying a word.
This made it impossible for Luo Wei and Shu Jiexi to get in, so they had to sit on the edge, with Jiang Hongshao as the dividing line. On the left sat Cheng Ran and the students from the compound, and on the right sat Marco, Su Hongdou and other students from No. 10 Middle School. The seating arrangement was not awkward at the moment.
Then the dishes were served: fish head with chopped pepper, stir-fried pork with farm-style vegetables, frozen white fungus soup, pickled fish… They were all simple and delicate dishes, yet very appetizing. This was probably the greatest recognition of Shanhai by the people from Chengdu present, and it was very refreshing to eat.
We were in a private room on the third floor, overlooking the lakeside as night fell and the occasional lights came on.
In fact, after spending a day together, the atmosphere among everyone became more harmonious.
Although Su Hongdou and Marco were very interested in Cheng Ran, they were not completely one-sided. Marco realized that his reaction to the cultural wall was a bit too exaggerated. Sometimes it was due to his temperament that he got carried away by the rhythm, just like the ebb and flow of the tide. After the excitement, he would often restrain himself a little. Marco was like this at this moment. After all, he came from the big city of Rongcheng No. 10 Middle School, and he couldn't lose his dignity.
My opinion of Cheng Ran has changed, but the most it has changed from the original evaluation that he is good-looking to that he is good-looking and has a little talent.
Su Hongdou's performance was much better. She was more of a silent observer of Cheng Ran, occasionally asking him about his experience with painting, and talking about how she had learned to paint since she was a child, mostly talking about some embarrassing things that happened at that time. Moreover, her attitude towards Yu Xiao was no longer as lazy as before. Sometimes when Yu Xiao talked to her, she would respond and make fun of him.
After everyone got a little familiar with each other, we found out that Su Hongdou, who was the coldest and gentlest at the beginning, was actually the most talkative at the dinner table. She could tell her own embarrassing stories vividly and could also come up with humorous jokes, such as "Last time I went to Marco's house to watch a VCD, and her father came back. Marco turned his head and called out "Dad". I turned my head and don't know why my brain stopped working, but I also called out "Dad"... Her father went to the kitchen with a stern face, and wanted to pretend nothing had happened, but his red face betrayed him..." Everyone laughed.
There were delicious food and people who could adjust the atmosphere, and the scene was filled with laughter and joy for a while.
There was not much guard between the young people, and since they were all Jiang Hongshao's friends, they actually had a lot of fun together after spending a long time together.
Everyone was chatting happily. Cheng Ran sat next to Jiang Hongshao. This was the most revealing time of adolescence. Jiang Hongshao was becoming more and more beautiful. The night breeze blew into the room through the balcony that opened to the lake. He felt relaxed and happy. Cheng Ran said in a voice that only the two of them could hear, "Are you here just to bring a group of friends to play this time? Nothing else?"
Jiang Hongshao looked at the factory laughing without looking away, with a slight smile on her lips, "When I came back from the exam, on the way from the airport to home, I suddenly saw a person who looked very much like you..."
Cheng Ran was stunned for a moment, thinking, could it be a coincidence that he was taking an exam in Rongcheng
We can encounter each other like this. Is it fate that is too wonderful or is the world too small
She turned her head and looked at Cheng Ran. "I really thought it was you at that time... I got out of the car and patted him on the shoulder, but I got the wrong person. It turns out that it is really embarrassing to get the wrong person... That's also my embarrassing experience."
She stuck out her tongue and didn't continue talking, but Cheng Ran felt very cheerful.
In fact, Jiang Hongshao returned to Shanhai, walked the familiar road, went to the familiar middle school, and sat next to him in the first high school. Cheng Ran saw her melancholy and sadness. After receiving the notice from the tenth middle school, Cheng Ran did not tell her about it immediately, because he was originally planning to give her a surprise.
Whenever he imagined the polite yet awkward perfunctory smile she gave him when she transferred from Shanhai and left for Chengdu, Cheng Ran felt itchy. He felt that it would be very interesting to see her expression when he could really surprise her and attack her by surprise.
Because of this evil idea, he never told her.
Originally, Cheng Ran was planning to keep it secret, but after seeing Lao Jiang's every move and thoughts today, he suddenly had an idea and wanted to tell her the truth directly.
Just when he was about to speak, something that attracted everyone's attention was being discussed at the dinner table. The voices of the others became quieter, and Luo Wei's voice rose to become the only sound in the room.
"The transfer exam is the most difficult... Every year, No. 10 Middle School has independent enrollment for freshmen, and you can take the exam openly. This is stipulated by the Education Bureau. Every year, it seems that 50 places are admitted from other cities and counties in the province. Fifty, that means there are 3,000 to 4,000 people taking the exam! The enrollment rate is at least 60:1, so every time there is an independent enrollment, the streets outside are packed with people. Sometimes, once the newspaper reports it, the news spreads like a small college entrance examination."
"But this is nothing. These are the policies given by the Education Bureau. Although the enrollment is restricted, at least there are policy channels. The other transfer exam is different. This is a gray area. I heard from my aunt in the education system that after the independent enrollment, super middle schools like No. 10 Middle School will recruit transfer students. However, the purpose of recruiting transfer students is to recruit the top students of No. 10 Middle School. It violates the regulations of the Education Bureau and asks for the top students in the province! This is a gray area. If you want No. 10 Middle School to open a back door for you like this, then you must be extremely powerful yourself!"
"It is said that in recent years, only a few people have been able to pass the transfer exam to get in each year. However, there are still many people who don't believe that the pot is made of iron and overestimate their own abilities... Take this transfer exam for example, it seems that more than a hundred people took the exam." Luo Wei squinted his eyebrows with an expression as if he was talking about inside information. "How many people were actually admitted? This matter has spread all over Rongcheng. It is said that only three people were admitted this time!"
Liu Ying and Yao Beibei were listening intently, imagining this situation. Yao Beibei asked, "Is it really that difficult?"
Liu Ying's mother worked at the Shanhai Education Bureau after all, and had heard a little about this, so she nodded to Yao Beibei, "It's difficult! It is said that the people who set the questions are all perverts, those special teachers who receive subsidies from the State Council and set competition questions. Do you think it's difficult? After all, this transfer exam was opened by No. 10 Middle School, and it only tests science subjects. Why do you think so? It is to recruit some students who can help No. 10 Middle School win honors and participate in competitions! Isn't there a guy named Sun Bing in our unit? His father wanted him to enter No. 10 Middle School, so he took the exam, but he hit a wall. He lost his ambition and came back to study honestly. Most people in the unit know this!"
Luo Wei nodded, "That's right! This exam is so difficult that not everyone can take it. The top students in ordinary schools are not qualified. You will know the difference after taking the exam. So every time someone passes this transfer exam and enters No. 10 Middle School, everyone looks at them like giant pandas!"
During the whole process, Yu Xiao listened silently, occasionally looking at Cheng Ran and smiling helplessly. That smile was exactly the same as the bitter smile they used to comfort each other when they failed in the exams.
Then everyone lamented how difficult it was to pass the transfer exam.
Cheng Ran's sleeve was pulled. He turned around and saw Jiang Hongshao staring at him. He said softly, "It's not that exaggerated. There are many students in No. 10 Middle School who don't do well in their studies... Don't listen to people bragging about how great No. 10 Middle School is. In fact, the biggest difference between No. 10 Middle School and other high schools is just the overall learning atmosphere... So as long as you work hard, there is no difference between studying in Shanhai No. 1 High School and Rongcheng No. 10 Middle School. Next semester, I challenge you..."
"What the hell is this about a fight?"
Jiang Hongshao winked at him, as if to agree on a little secret, "Don't let me leave you too far behind... Okay?"
Emma…
Lao Jiang's look makes people's teeth itch.
It really makes people speechless!
Second update, floating or not!