CHAPTER 348: CHAPTER 306: CAN’T ASK FOR A DOWRY, RIGHT?

At half past eleven, Jiang Nian was still scribbling away at his desk.

His phone was playing music on the desk, with the screen never turning off.

His phone buzzed with a notification sound, he glanced at it and then again.

He hesitated for two seconds, then opened the image [enlarge].

Is this how a horse-face skirt looks?

To be honest, the skirt wasn’t that attractive. He only went back and forth over it more than twenty times, examining every corner by zooming in.

The lower part is a black skirt with gold trimming on the pleated edges. The upper part is a white Chinese-style shirt with a stand-up collar, exuding a cold and placid vibe together.

It wasn’t particularly ancient and beautiful like a beauty walked out of a painting.

After all, the outfit clearly had a modern design and seemed not to be newly bought. Jiang Nian even suspected it might be custom-made because it fit too well.

Even traditional dresses need de-glamorization since not everyone suits them.

Generally speaking, slim people fit into these outfits quickly.

The implication is that slim people have a more adaptable physique for traditional dresses. For instance, wearing a horse-face skirt, the hips won’t bulge awkwardly.

Commonly referred to as "exploding pleats."

For example, someone with a pear-shaped figure like Yu Zhiyi wearing traditional style clothes will just bulge out front and back, appearing clumsy and heavy.

Li Qingrong obviously isn’t traditionally slim but still looks slender when dressed, undressed... that he wouldn’t know, clearly she has a figure.

But in the photo she sent, there was no bulkiness in the upper body, nor any "exploding pleats" in the lower part, a large chance this outfit was custom-made.

Impressive, what kind of family.

Jiang Nian thought of his VIP treatment at the driving school, with all first-aid session videos covered by the coach, including subsequent driving practice for session two.

Never mind, let’s first kneel before the master.

A few minutes later, there was still no response from Li Qingrong, as though no more messages were intended beyond the one sent, or perhaps unsure of what to send next.

Jiang Nian scrutinized it and replied.

"Very beautiful."

Whoosh, Li Qingrong almost instantly responded.

"Hmm. (smile)"

In the room, Jiang Nian gazed at the smiley on the phone screen, a trace of bewilderment surfacing on his face.

"Could the class president be mocking me?"

"It shouldn’t be."

So, it was just a pure smile.

Jiang Nian smiled, seeing the chat had halted, waited a bit, then resumed burying himself in his biology exam paper.

A beauty is certainly precious, but knowledge is even more valuable; six hundred points are no worse than five hundred.

So what if it’s six hundred points, stress enough and it’s possible.

What’s wrong with Qinghua University!

Falling short, no matter how stressed, even death won’t reach it.

Stressed doesn’t mean insane, he could clearly distinguish that.

Under the small lamp, the pen’s tip glided silently across the paper.

Jiang Nian’s eyebrows were focused, his eyes scanned each line of the paper. With every completed question, he could trace a corresponding knowledge network map in his mind.

Subconsciously able to extend and apply, gradually feeling a sense of fulfillment.

And just like this, time passed unnoticed.

Buzz, the phone vibrated softly.

Jiang Nian was on the sixth exam paper and was nearly at his limit. Thinking it might be a message from Chen Yunyun, he opened his phone as a matter of course.

Who knew, the message turned out to be from Xu Qianqian, a picture of her and Song Xiyun in front of a full-length mirror.

"[Picture] How is it? Does it look odd?"

Jiang Nian replied, "👍 It can be used as a wallpaper."

Next door.

Xu Qianqian and Song Xiyun lay on the bed playing with their phones after freshening up.

The two girls were lying close enough to easily see each other’s phone screens. While Xu Qianqian was sending the message, Song Xiyun was playing a game.

She enjoyed playing MOBA games, but her phone couldn’t handle them.

So she settled for puzzle games, which flashed brilliantly with every match, just to pass the time.

When she turned her head, she saw Xu Qianqian had sent the photo over, and immediately felt something was off.

The photo was a joint shot, but it didn’t actually reveal much. On the contrary, it was a perfectly normal photo, at most baring a bit of calf.

Just as Song Xiyun dismissed it, she happened to see Jiang Nian’s reply and couldn’t help but pause, turning to look at Xu Qianqian who was also looking at her.

The two girls couldn’t hold back their laughter and burst out giggling.

"Hypocrite."

"I think so too."

The "hypocrite" defined Jiang Nian, who was still grinding under the stars and moon doing exercises.

As the moon hid deep into the night, thin mist settled.

The next day.

Jiang Nian woke up groggily from bed, his memory still dwelling on hunching over doing exercises.

He didn’t remember how he went to bed last night, his body likely working on autopilot, climbing into bed and pulling the cover over himself to sleep unwittingly.

His head was a bit heavy, struggling as he went to freshen up.

He didn’t use the Healing Skill that’s once a day because the coming-of-age ceremony was in the morning. He could rest in the morning if tired, but still had to attend regular classes in the afternoon.

Nearly two hundred days until the college entrance exam, slacking off for one day doesn’t matter?

It spells disaster.

Just like basketball players rely on muscle memory for shooting, so it is with the college entrance exams. Stop training after a joint exam and the next mock exam will teach you a lesson.

The system had given him a foundation, scoring five hundred points wasn’t hard.

For a score around six hundred, textbook knowledge alone wasn’t enough. Repeatedly memorizing various problem-solving strategies, applying them seamlessly, until they become muscle memory.

The system didn’t give him a second chance, but he figured he could achieve it on his own.

Feedback from high-frequency exercises gave him confidence and assuredness.

Jiang Nian gurgled and spat out the mouthwash, the toothbrush landing in the cup with a clink. He never used a cup for brushing, opting instead to scoop water with his hands.

The sky outside the bathroom window was dimly bright, washing his face with cold water he prepared to step out.

In the living room, Li Hongmei called to him sleepily.

"Isn’t your coming-of-age ceremony today?"

Hearing this, Jiang Nian, holding his bag, seemed slightly surprised.

"Mom, how did you know?"

"What do you mean, I saw it in the parents’ group." Li Hongmei pointed at him, hesitating, "You’re leaving so early, will the classroom be open?"

Jiang Nian thought of Huang Fang, so he nodded.

"It will be."

"Go on, then." Li Hongmei thought for a moment, asking, "Do you still have money?"

"Are you running out of money?" Jiang Nian asked in surprise.

Hearing this, Li Hongmei’s face immediately fell, in the past giving money seemed like throwing it into the water. Now, wanting to give but feeling like there’s no chance.

"I’m asking if you need money."

Jiang Nian perhaps realized he seemed to have prematurely deprived his parents of distress, also denying them the joy of giving money, it should be similar to raising a pet.

One day suddenly discovering that their cat could earn its own cat food, even starting live streams and earning more than themselves, handling everything well.

The only downside was, the cat was ready to leave home.

"No need, I still have quite a bit of money, not enough I’ll let you know." Jiang Nian didn’t refuse flatly, "Oh, and there’ll be a few deliveries today."

Li Hongmei was startled, "What did you buy again?"

"Just some winter clothes and shoes for you guys." Jiang Nian didn’t babble, he simply slipped out after speaking, "I’m off to school."

In the living room, only Li Hongmei was left standing in place.

She slightly furrowed her brows, to be honest feeling a bit anxious. Pigs raised freely for years haven’t gone to market but fully matured, they won’t run wild everywhere anymore.

Sooner or later turning into a tale of empty Huanghe Tower left behind.

Li Hongmei thought for a moment, then went into the room, waking up Old Jiang.

"Still sleeping? Your son bought you things again, can you sleep!?"

Old Jiang, groggy, looked at his weekend-wife.

"Wasn’t I awake?"

After Li Hongmei’s explanation, Old Jiang was even more confused.

"Isn’t that a good thing?"

"What’s so great about it!" Li Hongmei couldn’t articulate what was wrong, just not accustomed, "Do you think he works so hard because of Qian..."

Old Jiang propped himself up from the bed, putting on his glasses, and thought for a while.

"Then Old Xu surely won’t ask us for a dowry."

With a snap, Li Hongmei slapped Jiang’s father’s arm.

"That’s all you can think of!"

Old Jiang chuckled awkwardly, "Just joking, I was thinking Old Xu living so stubbornly isn’t good, not remarrying nor caring much about Qianqian."

"Bringing a grandchild for him to hold together with us wouldn’t be wonderful?"

Hearing this, Li Hongmei was slightly tempted.

"Doesn’t that boy seem unreliable?"

"Don’t know, lately they seem to get along well." Jiang’s father rubbed his head, "If nothing else, why don’t you visit the school today if you’re free."

"What the hell for, imagine what Qianqian would think." Li Hongmei refused without thinking, "I’ll see when they confirm their relationship, meet them both then."

"After a name change, at least there’s a mother."

Jiang’s father didn’t press further, they had no secret recipe for raising children like most families, relying much on the child’s self-discipline, at most setting an example.

As for why not focus on parent-child education?

Let them eat cake?

....

When Jiang Nian left, he saw Xu Qianqian and Song Xiyun’s shoes still on the shoe rack.

He held his bag calmly and went downstairs, getting to the classroom early as usual.

The front door of Class Three was locked, but the back door was open.

Huang Fang, in her school uniform, was sitting in the classroom reading a book, seemingly uninterested in the "coming-of-age ceremony". Actually, it was because there was no choice.

Jiang Nian also had no particular feelings about the coming-of-age ceremony, mostly for the eye candy. However, he had more choices, able to passively participate and check out girls.

"Morning, Fangfang."

"Morning." Huang Fang didn’t lift her head, engrossed in her homework.

"Did you open the door?"

"Yeah, last night asked Chai Muying for the backdoor key." Huang Fang continued her work, pausing all of a sudden, "Why so early?"

Her tone a bit surprised, finally raising her head.

"It’s not starting until nine..."

"Ding ding ding, of course, because of the unfinished papers in hand." Jiang Nian sat down, too lazy to get hot water, would just do so at eight.

"Oh, that way." Huang Fang turned back, after a moment, her muffled voice came, "Jiang Nian, you’re really diligent."

"Next time just praise my good looks, it stands out more." Jiang Nian said.

Huang Fang chuckled, then buried her head deeper in her work.

In a group, two overachievers aren’t allowed!

The classroom instantly quieted down, bright with only the sound of two people’s writing.

The sky gradually brightened.