“Xiaolan, what should we do about the terrible math exam…”

“It was so difficult!”

“I definitely won’t get in this year!”

While others were breaking down, Xia Xiaolan couldn’t ignore them. Being from the same Anqing County No. 1 High School, she truly feared they would give up. Though people naturally had different levels of closeness, Xia Xiaolan felt some connection to these students. “Are you already admitting defeat? Yes, the math was difficult. I found it challenging too, and I believe students across the country felt the same! If points are deducted, you’ll have the company of students nationwide losing points. There are still four subjects left to do well in. Whatever university you’re meant to attend, you can still get in. If you don’t want to continue with the exams, pack up and go home now. I always advise those who give up not to repeat the year – this year math was difficult, and next year it might be chemistry or biology. There will always be subjects that break you!”

Successful people move forward against the current.

The failures each have their excuses, but giving up at crucial moments – who else would fail if not you?

Xia Xiaolan showed them no mercy, using both encouragement and harsh truth, which stopped their crying.

It wasn’t just Xia Xiaolan’s firm attitude that affected them; these students had grasped a key point – if even Xia Xiaolan said the questions were difficult, then they must truly have been challenging!

“Alright, let’s go have lunch. We still have politics and biology this afternoon. Don’t let the math exam’s emotions carry over. We’ve all worked so hard for so long, who doesn’t hope to change their life through these college entrance exams? If you don’t even try now, then prepare to let life change you instead!”

Did these words have any effect?

At least Teacher Wang, who led the group, was grateful to Xia Xiaolan because, during the afternoon politics exam, there were already empty seats in the examination hall. Some students had abandoned the exam after being devastated by the math paper, but regardless of how the No. 1 High School students performed, they all sat properly in their seats. Teacher Wang and another teacher watched closely, afraid that any of their students might abandon the exam.

The college entrance exam wasn’t just about one subject’s performance.

Besides math, there were still six other subjects, totaling 690 points, with math only accounting for 120 points. Even if you scored zero in this subject, wouldn’t there still be 570 points remaining?

Out of 570 points, as long as you scored above 350, you could continue your education, whether at a college or technical school – at least it would be an answer to yourself and your family! For those who abandoned the exam directly, three years of high school sweat, tears, late nights, and practice papers were all wasted… Out of seven subjects’ total points, missing math wasn’t everything, but if you only took three subjects – Chinese, chemistry, and math – even perfect scores would only total 320 points. What good would that do?

Persevering through the exams was the only hope. Saying they would disregard math was just venting – how could anyone score absolutely zero on even the most difficult questions?

They had studied math for so many years. Even in the first two years after the college entrance exams were reinstated, many candidates only knew the 26 English letters, yet no one scored zero in English. Even if you chose B for all multiple-choice questions, you’d guess some correctly. Teacher Wang had never seen a student who could completely avoid correct answers through pure guessing!

In the examination room, Xia Xiaolan worked through the questions at a turtle’s pace.

The politics paper required too much writing.

She wasn’t good at this subject and didn’t hold much hope, accepting whatever score she could get.

Outside the examination hall, in Hedong County, the Liang family had been shrouded in gloom for a long time. Liang Bing’an’s dismissal had an enormous impact on the family. Their previously spacious house had to be returned to his work unit since he no longer held his position. The unit had provided free housing – now that he wasn’t working there, no longer Deputy Director Liang, what right did he have to keep the house?

The family of four had to move in with Liang’s parents.

That Liang Bing’an could come out completely free, merely dismissed rather than imprisoned, had cost his parents dearly.

Liang Bing’an’s deficits needed to be covered. Much of the money he had brought home had already been spent – Liu Fang wasn’t frugal with money! Liu Fang hadn’t saved much either, and she had honestly told her in-laws about their savings at the time, which had to be used first to cover Liang Bing’an’s deficit.

The elderly couple didn’t have enough savings either, forcing them to secretly sell some valuable items they had acquired over the years to cover Liang Bing’an’s shortfall.

They had managed to get him out, but how would they live now?

Liu Fang had no job, and Liang Bing’an was completely demoralized. What work could someone dismissed from their unit find? Even township enterprises wouldn’t hire him after seeing the black mark in his records. In these times, units rarely dismissed people – once someone joined a unit in their youth, they were bound to it for life: work, housing, marriage, children, schooling, medical expenses, retirement… the unit solved everything. To be dismissed by your unit, what terrible thing must you have done?

Liang Bing’an was a dismissed Deputy Director, clearly a ‘bad cadre.’

So now Liu Fang and Liang Bing’an, along with Liang Huan and Liang Yu, a family of four, not only had to live with his parents but also rely on the elderly couple’s retirement pension. Life had become utterly depressing!

Liang Huan especially couldn’t handle this fall from grace. Previously, people had said her father would become Director, but instead, he was dismissed and unemployed. Those who had fawned over her at school scattered instantly. While not all the boys who liked her had disappeared, their attitude toward the fallen princess had become quite casual. Without the halo of power, Liang Huan was just a pretty girl, and with her spoiled personality, good looks remained her only merit.

The Liang family couldn’t spare energy to comfort Liang Huan’s mood. While the elderly Liangs could accept supporting their son and grandchildren, why should they support a daughter-in-law who wouldn’t work?

And this daughter-in-law wasn’t even likable!

After Liang Bing’an’s release, his attitude toward Liu Fang changed dramatically. He believed his dismissal was due to interference from Xia Xiaolan’s boyfriend. He forced Liu Fang to confront Xia Xiaolan, but after two failed attempts and bringing back Grandmother Yu’s comment that “the punishment was too light,” Liang Bing’an didn’t dare send Liu Fang to Shangdu anymore.

Liang Bing’an felt he had been brought down by his association with Liu Fang. Previously, when his parents had given Liu Fang a hard time, he had stood by his wife’s side.

Now when his parents complained about Liu Fang eating for free, Liang Bing’an turned a blind eye and pretended not to hear.

No matter how thick-skinned Liu Fang was, with the children watching, she couldn’t bear being scolded by her in-laws. But living under someone else’s roof and relying on their support, she didn’t dare talk back. One day, when Liang’s father said he had arranged a job for her, Liu Fang nearly exploded in anger when she saw what it was… they wanted her to work as a sales clerk at the department store!

She had only ever been a customer there, and even then, she had looked down on the goods at the Hedong County Department Store. Now they wanted her to serve others?

Liang Huan’s grandmother’s face darkened: “You don’t have any qualifications or skills. Do you think this job was easy to find? If you’re so capable, go find one yourself!”

The department store sales clerk position was something young women would fight over. Though Liang Bing’an was finished, the Liang family still had other connections – otherwise, how could they arrange a job for a housewife? Liu Fang had to grudgingly go to work. While Liu Fang found it torturous, Liang Huan also found school unbearable. Fortunately, the semester would soon end for summer break, and Liang Huan could temporarily escape school.

Liu Fang struggled at the department store, dreading encounters with former acquaintances every day.

Were others coming to shop?

It felt more like they came deliberately to humiliate her and laugh at her misfortune.

Upon returning home, Liu Fang would hold Liang Huan’s hand and cry, “Mother only has you to rely on now. You must get into university to earn me some face, and secure your future – we certainly can’t count on your father anymore!”

No longer the Director’s daughter, what else could Liang Huan rely on to turn things around? Liu Fang believed it was university admission.

Xia Xiaolan might have found a good boyfriend, but he was just a middle school graduate. Liu Fang believed Liang Huan’s future would be better than hers!