CHAPTER 294: CELEBRATION

Yuequan Village achieved excellent results in this examination, with the highest scorer being Tian Shouhua, who got 385 out of 400 points. The passing score was 260 points, making him Sui City’s top examinee. Sisi scored 370 points, claiming the third place, while the second-highest score, 375 points, was by a boy from Sri Town named Zhuge Yun.

The name Zhuge Yun sounded outstanding, giving the impression that this boy must be an extraordinary person. If it weren’t for Sisi’s exceptional performance, Zhuge Yun would have likely been the top examinee without any surprises. Sisi became very curious about him.

As Sisi guessed, in her previous life, Zhuge Yun was indeed the top examinee from Sui City.

Other students also performed well. Mo Xiaomi scored 340 points, Tian Pinggui 310 points, Xuanlepang 312 points, Tian Ping’an 338 points, Zhong Ankang 315 points, and Zhong Xianming 345 points. All of them scored well above the passing line and were very happy.

Seeing Tian Pinggui and others smiling with joy, Sisi felt a bit distressed. The admission rate for this university entrance exam was only 4.7%, meaning many who exceeded the passing score would still not get in. It was extremely likely that Tian Pinggui, Xuanlepang, and Zhong Ankang, with their scores, might be eliminated!

Just as Sisi predicted, the three of them didn’t make it. Yuequan Village had a total of seven students who passed the exam, the six individuals mentioned earlier and the daughter of the Gao Family, Gao Qiamei.

Now at 21 years old, Gao Qiamei was already a beautiful young woman. Since she had neither achieved much nor married well, she faced a lot of gossip in the village. With the return of the university entrance exam, Gao Qiamei determinedly devoted herself to studying.

She knew that if she failed this time, her parents would marry her off and she’d likely spend her life in the rural area. She had to get into university and become a public servant! Fortunately, her efforts paid off, and Gao Qiamei was admitted with a score just on the cutoff line. Although it was only for a junior college, she was very content.

Because of Gao Qiamei’s successful high school completion, Gao Yuzhu was able to stand tall with pride. He strutted about the village every day, praising his daughter and, by extension, himself. He believed there could be no Gao Qiamei without his excellent genes. However, because many people from the village were admitted to university, there wasn’t much envy specifically for the Gao Family, and people simply smiled and moved on.

The entire village was bustling with excitement, as seven students had been accepted from one village out of only about sixty from Sui City, a highly commendable feat. Yuequan Village must have had incredible Feng Shui to produce so many scholars.

Despite their disappointment, the students who didn’t pass still felt happy for Sisi and the others, sincerely wishing them well and promising to take the exam again next year and join them at the university.

"You wait and see; I will definitely make it next year and become a university student," Zhong Ankang said confidently, clenching his fists as if to cheer himself on.

"We will work hard too, and we’ll meet again next year!" Tian Pinggui and his wife also stated their determination, holding their adorable little child in their arms.

To celebrate Yuequan Village’s once-in-a-century joyful occasion, the village secretary, mayor, and accountant decided, after consulting, to arrange a grand feast in the village and put on three opera shows. The cost would be covered by the families of those who were admitted, calculated per capita. As a result, the Tian Family would contribute the most, but they were more than willing.

Everyone agreed with the idea of contributing funds except for Gao Yuzhu, who was always very calculating and hated to spend even a single penny. His daughter’s university admission indeed brought prestige, but having to spend fifty yuan all at once was like cutting flesh from him!

So, Gao Yuzhu suggested eliminating the theater performances. If people really wanted to watch a play, they could build a stage under the old camphor tree and have villagers perform, as most of them could sing a bit. Naturally, no one paid heed to his suggestion.

His brother-in-law, Tian Qiusheng, gave him a sharp glare, saying, "If you don’t want to pay, then your family had better not come to the banquet or watch the play. If you show up, I’ll kick you out!"

Tian Qiusheng couldn’t stand his stingy brother-in-law’s behavior. It’s not like they didn’t have money. The Zhong Shaobai family was in a much worse financial situation than the Gao Family, yet they contributed without hesitation, even generously offering, "If there’s not enough money, just ask for more!" which was pleasant to hear.

Gao Yuzhu was quite afraid of his brother-in-law and reluctantly went home to fetch the money, his heart bleeding. After returning home, he instructed his children, "For the next two days, we eat only two meals and make them watery. Empty your stomachs so that during the banquet the day after tomorrow, you’ll eat your fill and earn back those fifty yuan."

The Old Man stepped in. He approached Zhong Boqiang and Tian Qiusheng, offering to cover the cost of the opera performances as a reward for the hardworking young people of the village and to inspire others to strive for university admission next year.

The Old Man took out four hundred yuan, handed it to Zhong Boqiang, and asked him to hire the best opera troupe from the city to perform six shows over three days, so the villagers could thoroughly enjoy themselves. If there was any money left, it was to be used to make the banquet even better.

In reality, the four hundred yuan came from Sisi. To her, a few hundred yuan was trivial. Sisi offered the money not only to treat the villagers to a good meal and a satisfying performance but also with consideration for Zhong Anping’s family’s financial situation.

Fifty yuan might not seem like a hefty sum, but to the struggling Zhong Family, it might as well have been astronomical. Especially since Zhong Shaobai had insisted that Zhong Anping and his brothers stop working two months before the exams to study, the family’s debts had increased. Sisi wondered where Zhong Shaobai had even found the fifty yuan.

Regardless of the fact that Zhong Anping was her good friend Tian Xinhua’s brother, given her friendship with Zhong Anping and Zhong Anmei, she couldn’t ignore their situation. Of course, she couldn’t personally handle such matters; the most suitable person for the job was the highly respected Old Man.

He Xuewen also joined in the excitement, contributing two hundred yuan to sponsor the village banquet. He announced he would gift each university-admitted student with a suitcase for their upcoming college life.

The villagers were immensely grateful and felt even more respect for the generosity of the Old Man and He Xuewen. Of course, no one was happier than Gao Yuzhu. His fifty yuan was returned, and his heart healed immediately. However, his plan to eat sparingly for the next two meals continued regardless.