Principal Sun didn’t hold a grudge against Liang Huan and her mother.

If Liang Huan had performed well and scored over 460 points, Principal Sun would have been happy for her.

When the college entrance exam results were announced, both Liang Huan and Liu Fang were stunned.

Liang Huan hadn’t performed above her usual level – she scored consistently at 397 points, a full 70 points below her estimated score. After previously refusing to consider non-Beijing universities, now she couldn’t even qualify for vocational colleges within Yunan Province.

The teachers at County No. 1 High School tried to encourage Liang Huan:

“With these scores, if you repeat a year and work hard, you’ll have a chance at undergraduate programs next year.”

Though the teachers meant well, Liu Fang reacted like a cat whose tail had been stepped on:

“Liang Huan won’t repeat here! The school’s teaching is poor – you’ve wasted my daughter’s potential!”

The well-meaning teachers felt like coughing blood.

Poor teaching?

In the past, Anqing County No. 1 High School could barely get a few students into undergraduate programs each year.

This year, 47 students qualified for undergraduate programs!

This level could compete with city high schools.

Liu Fang dragged Liang Huan home. The Liang family had already boasted about Liang Huan going to university in Beijing. When the results came out, the family lost face, and Liang Huan herself began a hunger strike.

She insisted she had scored over 460 points and demanded a review of her exam papers.

While Liang Bingnan could have indulged her before losing his position, how could he manage it now?

After Liang Huan caused trouble at home for several days and lost several pounds, Liu Fang was beside herself with worry and discussed solutions with Liang Bingnan.

“What solutions do I have? What’s the use of making trouble with me when you won’t ask the people who could help?”

Capable people?

Liang Bingnan had struck Liu Fang’s sore spot.

Among all the people she knew, the most capable was her previously despised second sister, Liu Fen.

Liu Fen had married a high-ranking official and transformed from a country chicken to a phoenix.

While Liu Fang was still hesitating, Liang Huan came out with a pale face: “Mom, ask my Second Aunt, ask my Uncle, ask anyone – they can get me into a Beijing university! If I can’t go, I’ll starve myself to death, or if that doesn’t work, I’ll jump from the building. Either way, I won’t live!”

Liu Fang was scared half to death.

Liu Fang knew her daughter was mostly trying to frighten her, but Liang Huan was willful – what if she did something rash? Every year some students go crazy or committed suicide over the college entrance exam; Liu Fang had heard about such cases.

This led to Liu Fang’s repeated trips to Qijing Village, trying various ways to contact Xia Xiaolan and her mother.

With hope in sight, Liang Huan stopped her hunger strike and began eating properly, though she still refused to leave the house, staying cooped up all day.

The family waited and waited.

By late August, students who had been accepted received their admission letters. Whether in undergraduate or vocational programs, everyone was happily preparing to report to their schools.

Only Liang Huan remained without a placement.

Liu Fang was beside herself with anxiety and went to Shangdu again to find Sister-in-law Li Fengmei.

Knowing what kind of person Liu Fang was, Li Fengmei ignored her.

There was no way she would give Liu Fang contact information for Liu Feng and Liu Yong.

Liang Huan started crying and making trouble at home again.

Liu Fang was exhausted, and the home atmosphere was very tense.

One evening after dinner, while the Liang family was out for a walk, only Liu Fang and the house-bound Liang Huan were home when Liu Fen called… When the phone rang, Liu Fang jumped:

“Huanhuan, quickly answer it, what if it’s your Second Aunt?”

Liang Huan sat motionless in her chair, her eyes full of hatred, “You and Dad offended Second Aunt so badly, that she won’t help me! You’re trying to deceive me again! It’s all your fault, I hate you both!”

Liu Fang nearly died of anger and had to answer the phone herself.

To her surprise, it was Liu Fen.

Liu Fen’s voice was very calm, completely different from her former timidity:

“I heard you’ve been looking for me?”

“Second Sister?! Yes, yes, I’ve been looking for you. Second Sister, you’re so hard to contact!”

Liu Fang pointed at the phone receiver, and Liang Huan became anxious:

“Let me talk to Second Aunt, Mom, let me talk!”

Liang Huan snatched the receiver, speaking harshly to her mother but sweetening her voice like honey for Liu Fen: “Second Aunt, why did you take so long to call? I’ve been waiting for so many days!”

On the other end, Liu Fen was surprised.

Liu Yong wasn’t familiar with Liang Huan, and neither was Liu Fen.

Liu Fen’s impression of Liang Huan was of a proud and pampered little princess. As the Liang family’s daughter, she was raised delicately and had no regard for poor relatives.

The only time she had seen Liang Huan looking pathetic was when Xiaolan had scared her.

But being pathetic and being sycophantic were two different things – Liu Fen had never received such treatment before.

Reflecting on Liang Huan’s pragmatism, Liu Fen tried not to be too cold: “Is that Huanhuan? I didn’t know you were looking for me until I just heard about it… You should give the phone back to your mother, I need to talk to her.”

Liang Huan wouldn’t let go, “Second Aunt, you can tell me anything you’d tell her. I haven’t talked to you in so long, haven’t seen you in ages. When are you coming back to Yunan? I miss you.”

Liu Fen had a headache.

She preferred the former little princess.

“Then I’ll tell you – I’ve heard the message you sent through Chen Dasao. I understand you’re disappointed with your college entrance exam results and eager to attend university. I’ve asked around about this matter. There are vocational colleges in Yunan Province that haven’t filled their enrollment quotas and will give priority to local students. Perhaps…”

Liang Huan pouted, “Second Aunt, I just don’t want to study in Yunan Province. There aren’t any good schools here. If I’m going to university, it has to be in Beijing. Isn’t Sister Xiaolan studying in Beijing too?”

Liang Huan must be a Sagittarius.

All universities in Yunan Province took an arrow to the knee – Liang Huan’s single statement had turned them into porcupines.

With her next statement, Liang Huan hit Liu Fen too.

Yes, Xiaolan was studying in Beijing, and she’d even gone to America!

But Xiaolan had scored over 600 points, while Liang Huan couldn’t even reach 400… Liu Fen felt stifled. Xiaolan was her pride, and Liang Huan had just dismissed all of Xiaolan’s hard work as if Xiaolan’s admission to a Beijing university was through some backdoor connection.

What backdoor?

Liu Fen didn’t want to beat around the bush with Liang Huan and told her directly:

“Huanhuan, if you want to study in Beijing, it’s impossible this year. You should repeat a year and work hard. Second Aunt wishes you success in getting into your desired school next year.”

Liang Huan’s expression changed, but her voice became even more pitiful:

“Second Aunt, are you still angry at my mother? That was something she and my father did. You can’t hold it against me, can you? Is it wrong for me to want to go to university? I’m not trying to get into Huaqing University, that’s for Sister Xiaolan – I won’t compete with her. I just want to attend an ordinary university!”

There are no ordinary universities.

Since the restoration of the college entrance examination, students have been admitted based on their abilities.

Liu Fen was at a loss for words.

How could some people be so unreasonable?

“Huanhuan, Second Aunt can’t fulfill this request. I’m sorry to disappoint you.”

When words fall on deaf ears, even half a sentence is too much. Liang Huan wouldn’t listen to anything Liu Fen said, so she could only hang up. Grandmother Yu was making dumplings nearby and had witnessed everything:

“I knew it. This call was pointless – now they’ll hate you even more.”

When they couldn’t contact her, they had an excuse, but now that they had reached her and she wouldn’t help, wouldn’t they be even more resentful?

They wouldn’t care about Liu Fen’s difficulties; they’d just believe she could help but wouldn’t.

Liu Fen had a headache:

“Let them hate if they want. I can face my conscience and face Xiaolan’s maternal grandparents. Let them be!”