At Sister Huang’s Fast Food, business was booming, making Zhang Cui increasingly anxious.

Today was report card day, and Zhang Cui was very concerned about Xia Xiaolan’s grades – but not in the same way as Liu Fen, her birth mother. Zhang Cui feared Xia Xiaolan might surpass Xia Ziyu.

She had grown accustomed to thinking of Xia Ziyu as the Xia family’s most outstanding girl. Accepting that Xia Xiaolan might be more capable than Xia Ziyu would be worse than death for Zhang Cui! Moreover, having wronged Xia Xiaolan with Xia Changzheng, she feared potential revenge if Xia Xiaolan became successful.

While she was still wondering how to find out Xia Xiaolan’s grades, she saw her surrounded by students entering Sister Huang’s Fast Food across the street.

Shortly after, Zhang Cui spotted Principal Sun’s wife entering the shop and sitting at the same table as Xia Xiaolan.

“Hongxia, your eyes are sharp – is that Auntie Wu over there?”

Xia Hongxia craned her neck, taking in every detail of Sister Huang’s shop.

“It is Auntie Wu, sitting with Xia Xiaolan!”

Xia Hongxia gritted her teeth, “What’s so great about that? Look at how those students are fawning over Xia Xiaolan.”

Just as she finished speaking, a male student eating lamb noodles laughed: “It is pretty great – she just transferred in this semester and scored over 500 points, ranking second in our grade.”

Zhang Cui nearly dropped her bowl.

“You’re talking about Xia Xiaolan?”

The boy gave her a strange look, “Who else? 514 points – you think that’s fake?”

Zhang Cui seemed to grasp at something crucial, muttering, “Maybe it is cheating. Yes, it must be cheating.”

The boy eating noodles heard clearly. He used to like eating at Zhang’s but now found it distasteful. Here was someone who ogled male students and accused others of cheating on their hard-earned exam results – it ruined his appetite.

Well, he’d already paid. No point in letting good lamb noodles go to waste.

But next time he wouldn’t eat at Zhang’s. He’d try the rice bowls across the street instead.

Xia Hongxia also believed it was cheating. How could someone as pig-headed as Xia Xiaolan score above 500 points and rank second in the grade at County No. 1 High School?

She didn’t quite understand the scoring, but second in grade meant university admission.

Xia Hongxia strongly agreed with Zhang Cui – Xia Xiaolan must have cheated to get those grades. She couldn’t cheat on the college entrance exam, and then her true colors would show! While thinking this, she couldn’t help but ask with a dry mouth:

“Aunt, when is Sister Ziyu coming back?”

Zhang Cui steadied herself, smiling, “Not sure if she’s on the train yet, but she should be home in a day or two.”

Xia Ziyu was the smartest person Zhang Cui had ever known, and this brilliant person was her daughter. Thinking about Xia Ziyu’s imminent return gave Zhang Cui confidence.

Why was Principal Sun’s wife eating at the same table as Xia Xiaolan?

Why hadn’t Principal Sun expelled Xia Xiaolan?

Xia Ziyu would surely get to the bottom of these questions when she returned.

Xia Xiaolan’s final exam score of 514 points felt like a heavy stone weighing on Zhang Cui, making her restless.

When Xia Xiaolan brought these results home, Liu Fen was overwhelmed with joy.

She examined the report card over and over, repeatedly asking Xia Xiaolan, “How did you do so well?”

Li Fengmei, hearing that Ding Aizhen had been arrested and formally reported to the police, had gradually recovered from her shock. With Xia Xiaolan’s excellent final results bringing such pride, Li Fengmei could even joke:

“Who complains about their daughter’s test scores being too good? If it were me, I’d be setting off firecrackers at the door!”

Liu Fen took it seriously: “Then I’ll go buy some right now.”

Xia Xiaolan quickly stopped her, “Let’s wait until the college entrance exam results come out to set off firecrackers. It’s still early.”

The family was delighted with Xia Xiaolan’s results. Hu Yongcai’s wife marveled at how her mind worked – running around setting up stalls every day to make money, yet still likely to get into university. Even Grandmother Yu, learning that Xia Xiaolan ranked second in the grade, had to dispel some of her long-held doubts.

Being a private business owner earned good money, but would someone like Grandmother Yu look up to Xia Xiaolan for that?

The Yu family had once been truly wealthy merchants, and Grandmother Yu didn’t care about Xia Xiaolan’s earnings. Though she now worked as a street sweeper earning a meager salary, she hadn’t lost her pride.

But Xia Xiaolan being studious was different.

In the eyes of traditionally-minded people like Grandmother Yu, scholars held a different status. Grandmother Yu had attended a missionary school in the old society, and she liked studious young girls… Xia Xiaolan found her eccentric landlady’s changed gaze unsettling.

However, she couldn’t dwell on it too much.

She and Li Fengmei had sold most of their stock at their stall, and the remaining thousand yuan worth of goods could be sold in the shop without rush.

While Kang Wei and Shao Guangrong had been exploring Shangdu these past few days, Xia Xiaolan was finally ready to leave for Yang City. Shao Guangrong wanted to tag along, but Kang Wei was clear-headed and knew he couldn’t involve Shao Guangrong:

“You need to stay in Shangdu and see how the Zhu family matter plays out, otherwise those two beatings I took would be for nothing.”

That Hou wasn’t decent at all – turned out it wasn’t Shao Guangrong who got beaten!

Kang Wei realized this afterward and nearly burst with anger. But since Chengzi’s wife still needed Secretary Hou’s regular care, Kang Wei swallowed his anger. Shao Guangrong felt embarrassed – Secretary Hou’s differential treatment was too obvious, making him lose face in front of Kang Wei.

Kang Wei was closer to Zhou Cheng, and accompanying Xia Xiaolan to Yang City must have been approved by Zhou Cheng. Shao Guangrong couldn’t insist on tagging along.

When Xia Xiaolan asked Kang Wei about handling matters in Yang City, he remained mysteriously tight-lipped. Xia Xiaolan sent her usual telegram to Bai Zhenzhu. Carrying all available funds, she boarded the train with Kang Wei.

Unused to hardship, Kang Wei insisted on getting two sleeper tickets. Xia Xiaolan wasn’t stubborn about riding in hard seats either, so she happily boarded.

At the “Blue Phoenix” shop, Liu Yong was directing workers installing chandeliers:

“Don’t damage the lampshade!”

“Pull it tight, don’t let go!”

The workers were nervous under his supervision.

Each chandelier cost over a thousand yuan – if broken, their wages for many days wouldn’t cover the damage.

“Blue Phoenix” would open before the 24th. Liu Yong had personally supervised the renovation, installing crystal chandeliers and securing various glass fixtures to the walls. When they closed the door and turned on the lights to see the effect, Li Fengmei was stunned:

“You managed to renovate a shop like this?”

In Beijing.

On the windy train platform, Wang Jianhua pulled Xia Ziyu closer as he saw her face reddening from the cold. Wang Jianhua’s family had once been well-off, and he understood basic etiquette. Besides train tickets, he had bought some gifts for Xia Ziyu’s family from his saved living allowance.

However, Wang Jianhua worried that his savings were too meager. Accompanying Xia Ziyu’s home would cost nearly a hundred yuan just for their round-trip tickets, and after buying some gifts, his living allowance was almost depleted.

How would he visit his parents at the farm?

He couldn’t just set aside money for train tickets. Conditions at the farm were extremely harsh, and Wang Jianhua would certainly need to bring some necessities for his parents.

At a minimum, he needed to buy something to help them have a good New Year… Wang Jianhua somewhat regretted accompanying Xia Ziyu home.

Xia Ziyu seemed to sense his concerns. Breathing white mist, she leaned into his embrace and softly said:

“This is my first time meeting your parents. My mother will certainly prepare good gifts for me. Your parents probably need daily necessities most at the farm, right? What if we bring two thick cotton coats and some New Year goods?”

Wang Jianhua tightened his arm around Xia Ziyu:

“No one thinks things through as carefully as you do. Let’s do as you say.”

No one compares?

Xia Ziyu buried her face in Wang Jianhua’s chest, feeling reassured by this praise.

Come to think of it, she and Wang Jianhua had spent half a year together now. Wang Jianhua and Xia Xiaolan had only just begun their relationship back then. In Wang Jianhua’s heart, Xia Ziyu surely held more importance now!

Thinking of this fact, Xia Ziyu couldn’t help but smile.