Zhang Cui wanted to use Principal Sun’s connection to get Xia Xiaolan expelled, but she couldn’t say it directly.

It was like when Xia Hongxia went around badmouthing Xia Xiaolan – why did the director and the security guard look down on her? Hongxia was foolish. Everyone believes family members should present a united front to outsiders. When Hongxia spoke ill of Xiaolan to others, people assumed she was just jealous of her cousin. A jealous face is detestable; no one would like Hongxia… Zhang Cui took the opposite approach. She used her connection to Principal Sun’s wife, not to ask for Xiaolan’s expulsion, but to pose as a concerned aunt asking the principal to “look after” Xiaolan.

Why did Xiaolan need “looking after”? Through Hongxia’s mouth, it was revealed that the girl had a checkered past and wasn’t truly dedicated to her studies – she would only be a bad influence at No. 1 High School.

Zhang Cui hadn’t been so calculating before, but Xia Ziyu’s education had taught her these methods.

Did such methods work?

They worked extremely well!

Xia Ziyu had become the most favored in the family, and “Zhang’s Snack Shop” had opened successfully using exactly these tactics. Sometimes you shouldn’t rush to get what you want; you need to learn to give first. Leaving a good impression on people around you could come in handy at unexpected times.

“Aunt, why don’t you just ask Mrs. Wu to expel that little tramp directly!”

Hongxia didn’t know how close Zhang Cui was to the principal’s wife. Zhang Cui needed her cooperation, so she told Hongxia that the customer was Principal Sun’s wife from No. 1 High School.

Learning that the principal’s wife came to eat at their shop excited Hongxia tremendously.

If she could get on the principal’s wife’s good side, wouldn’t that help her get introduced to a soon-to-be university student?

Zhang Cui suppressed her dislike for Hongxia: “I never said anything about expelling Xiaolan. When Xiaolan misbehaves, how can we elders hold it against her? We can only hope for the best for her. But speaking of university entrance exams, hasn’t she been absent from school for several days now?”

How could someone like that hope to get into university?

Zhang Cui had seen how Ziyu prepared for exams – studying and doing practice problems every day, only taking breaks to help with ideas for the snack shop business. Ziyu never managed other affairs.

Even during holidays in the countryside, Ziyu never did any chores.

When Zhang Cui learned that Xiaolan wasn’t boarding at No. 1 High School, she felt the girl was digging her own grave. University? She must have other motives. Either way, Zhang Cui wanted to destroy all of Xiaolan’s plans. If Xiaolan wanted to attend No. 1 High School, Zhang Cui would make it impossible for her to stay.

She planned to handle this matter well before reporting her success to her daughter.

Looking at the foolish Hongxia, Zhang Cui smirked:

“You mentioned last time that Xiaolan seemed to be doing well, it looks like her uncle truly treats her well. Your Second Uncle can rest assured… Don’t mention to the family yet about Xiaolan attending No. 1 High School. It would be cruel to give hope and then disappoint your Second Uncle – better to wait until she gets into university to make him happy!”

Hongxia disagreed – how could someone like Xiaolan get into university?

The second Uncle was destined never to hear such good news.

However, Hongxia had her calculations. The Xia family currently despised Xiaolan, but if they heard she was studying at No. 1 High School preparing for university entrance exams, would their attitude towards her change?

Back then, Sister Ziyu was also good at studies, and Grandmother especially liked her, everyone in the family doted on her.

Xiaolan had no right to enjoy the treatment that Sister Ziyu received!

Though Zhang Cui and Hongxia each had their schemes, they shared one thing in common – neither wanted Xiaolan to get into university.

Zhang Cui acted out of guilt for her wrongdoings, while Hongxia acted out of hatred and jealousy.

Principal Sun, influenced by his wife’s pillow talk, also formed a poor impression of Xiaolan.

Hearing she was Xia Ziyu’s cousin, he assumed she had just entered No. 1 High School. However, when he inquired about “Xia Xiaolan,” he discovered she was a transfer student in the graduating class.

“She scored 446 points on the transfer exam, which was one of our mock test papers.”

“She’s quite a tough girl. Her parents are divorced, she lives with her uncle, has to study while helping support the family, and can’t come to school every day.”

“Principal Sun, I suggest the school provide some financial aid. If Xiaolan can focus on her studies, she’ll get into a top university next year!”

Principal Sun had expected to hear complaints about a bad student, but instead, Teacher Wang from the senior class and Teacher Qi were full of praise for Xiaolan.

“This is nonsense, how can a student attend school so sporadically…”

Principal Sun was angry that Xiaolan wasn’t cherishing her academic talent.

If she could score over 400 points without attending classes regularly, how much could she score if she attended properly?

Principal Sun forgot his original purpose and reviewed all of Xiaolan’s test papers. He felt Teacher Wang and the others were being irresponsible by allowing Xiaolan to skip regular classes.

Teacher Wang was helpless, “Her scores on regular tests have been quite stable. In the recent mock exam, she improved by 30 points. If we hadn’t agreed to her conditions, she would have transferred to No. 2 High School.”

Before her second trip to Yang City, Xiaolan came to school to take the unified mock exam.

She still completed her papers quickly, leaving blank spaces for questions she couldn’t answer and scoring points on those she could. She finished all seven subject papers in just a few hours. When the results came out, she had scored 30 points higher than her first transfer exam. Xiaolan had taken two transfer exams in total, scoring 446 on the first and 457 on the second. This time in the mock exam, she was impressive, scoring 478… defeating many repeat students and regular students to rank in the top ten of her grade.

But ranking in the top ten wasn’t what impressed Teacher Wang – it was Xiaolan’s shocking rate of improvement.

She did better each time – how high would she score on the actual college entrance exam?

“There was no cheating?”

Principal Sun was half-skeptical.

Teacher Wang chuckled, “Little Sun supervised the transfer exam, and the young colleague is quite reliable.”

Principal Sun’s doubts vanished immediately.

The newly arrived young female teacher, Little Sun, was Principal Sun’s niece.

Not many people knew about their relationship, and the principal had never revealed it. Teacher Wang was one of the few who knew.

If Little Sun supervised, there couldn’t have been any cheating. Principal Sun slapped his desk:

“How could we let her transfer to No. 2 High School? They couldn’t teach a damn thing there!”

In his excitement, Principal Sun even let slip some Yunan province dialect – “xun qiu” meaning “idiot”. He looked down on No. 2 High School. Though Principal Sun considered himself a cultured person, he forgot about maintaining his image when emotional. Teacher Wang asked curiously: “What made you suddenly ask about Xiaolan?”

Principal Sun felt quite embarrassed, unable to admit he had been scared off by the Xia family’s rustic gifts.

But was the Xia family’s gift-giving really meant to get Xiaolan expelled, or did they genuinely want to look after her?

Principal Sun asked a couple more questions about how Xiaolan got along with her classmates. Teacher Qi rushed to answer: “She only comes to school for exams and to ask questions, where would she find time to socialize? Xiaolan’s family circumstances are difficult, and studying isn’t easy for her…”

Principal Sun suspected Xiaolan might have conduct issues, but Teacher Qi was dissatisfied with this suggestion. Xiaolan only came for exams and left right after. Among the male students, she was only familiar with Chen Qing. And if you suggested they were dating, well, Chen Qing’s grades hadn’t suffered – his English had improved by more than ten points.

Well, another person was speaking up for Xiaolan.

When the principal’s wife next visited Zhang’s Snack Shop, she revealed Xiaolan’s school situation to Zhang Cui:

“Your niece is doing well at school, focused entirely on her studies. The teachers all like her. You can rest assured now!”

The principal’s wife even congratulated Zhang Cui, saying that given Xiaolan’s grades, the Xia family would produce another university student next year. Zhang Cui could barely maintain her smile as she tried to hide her shock. Hongxia blurted out:

“How is that possible? She…”

The principal’s wife gave Hongxia a rather cold look. Zhang Cui might claim to be concerned, but Hongxia was just trying to cause trouble.

“Why not possible? I think the Xia family girls all seem to have a talent for studying.”

First, there was Xia Ziyu, and now Xiaolan. Only this one before her was worthless, doing menial work in a snack shop while envying her hardworking cousin.

Hongxia panicked and sought support from her aunt, but Zhang Cui avoided her gaze.