Chapter 54.2

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One year later, October.

"The National and Party Central Leaders' Meeting decided... to resume the college entrance examination... All workers, peasants, and educated youths who go up and down the mountain... can apply for the exam!"

The voice on the radio was very emotional. He Xiaoyun stood in front of the table and listened. Although she knew this long ago, she still couldn't stop her excitement when she heard it with her own ears, and her heart kept pounding.

If He Xiaoyun was excited like this, what about the other scholars who have suffered and been in turmoil for a long time?

It's already October. At the end of November, the first round of the college entrance examination will be conducted, and some eligible people will be screened out to formally participate in the college entrance examination at the end of December.

He Xiaoyun had been preparing for this for a long time. She was very confident but still can't help feeling a little nervous. Xiaoyun was determined not to relax for the remaining month, and she would work harder to study.

Now, she's the only one left at home because Wei Jianwei is in the camp, and Wei Yuanhang started going to school.

By all accounts, the child is only five and a half years old this year. He's not yet at school age. It's just that when Wei Yuanhang found out Wang Derong is going to school this September, he had troubled his parents for several days to also enter the elementary school. 

He Xiaoyun was so vexed that she discussed it with Wei Jianwei and simply sent the child there. Maybe the little kid will eventually lose interest in going.  However, to her surprise, it has been more than a month, and Wei Yuanhang still insisted on it. Every day, he bounced around, bounced back and forth, and keep going to school.

Since he's willing, He Xiaoyun let him do whatever he wants. If the child can't keep up with the study progress because of his young age, it will be fine for him to re-enter the first grade next year. 

Footsteps came from the quiet corridor outside the house. He Xiaoyun moved her head and looked up at the door. After a while, she saw Wei Jianwei push the door in.

She glanced at the time and asked, "You're so early today?"

"There's nothing to do in the camp." Wei Jianwei took off his coat and hung it on the hanger.

He Xiaoyun nodded, glanced at the textbook in front of her, and remembered a problem: She has decided to take the college entrance examination, but she hasn't discussed it with Wei Jianwei yet.

When she was thinking about how to speak about it, Wei Jianwei walked over and sat down in a chair nearby, "Have you listened to today's broadcast?"

He Xiaoyun immediately understood.

"About resuming the college entrance examination?"

Wei Jianwei nodded and his eyes fell on the textbooks scattered on the table. He knew that she had been studying high school textbooks by herself for the past two years, so when he heard the broadcast in the afternoon, Jianwei immediately realized that she would be interested in it.

He Xiaoyun thought for a while, decided not to hide it, and said straightly: "I want to participate, and I hope you can support me."

Wei Jianwei didn't speak for a while, as if thinking about something, and his face wrinkled slightly. Seeing this, He Xiaoyun felt a little stunned.

To be honest, although she was discussing with Wei Jianwei, Xiaoyun hadn't thought that the other party would disagree. After all, Jianwei has always been so tolerant, understanding, and respectful to her, even when it comes to the matter of children.

Therefore, his hesitation at this moment made her heart sink.

Going to college is He Xiaoyun's obsession. Even if Wei Jianwei disagrees, she will go, but if she can, she hopes that he can support her and share the joy with her instead of being alone.

"You..." Xiaoyun opened her mouth and realized that her voice was a bit dry. Then, she realized that her mood was tense, and she valued his thoughts more than she thought.

Wei Jianwei slowly said, "After you pass the entrance examination, you're going to be a college student, right?"

He Xiaoyun couldn't figure out what he meant and didn't speak.

Wei Jianwei pitifully said, "When the time comes, you can't despise me for being ignorant."

It took a few seconds for He Xiaoyun to understand the meaning of his words, her heart suddenly loosened, and she couldn't help picking up her notebook to throw at him, "You're still teasing me!"

As He Xiaoyun said, her eyes were red. Just now, she really thought that Jianwei wouldn't agree.  Although her determination will not change because of Wei Jianwei, she's really a little afraid that the two of them will be separated by this, and will eventually part ways.

Wei Jianwei hid for a while and was about to say a few more jokes when he suddenly heard that her tone was wrong, and after another look, he saw her red eyes covered with mist. 

Wei Jianwei was stunned, and then he rushed to her. So far, he hadn't seen her cry. He stood up and walked two steps closer, and reached out his hand to touch her. Jianwei looked lost. If he was seen by others like this, their chins would definitely drop.

"What's the matter?" Jianwei finally summoned the courage to get He Xiaoyun from the table and hugged her in his arms. He Xiaoyun buried her head in his arms, squeezed her fist, and punched him twice, her voice a little choked, "You scared me..."

Wei Jianwei felt his heart crumpled into a ball, sour, astringent, and soft. He dropped down his tone and softly coaxed: "It's me who's wrong. Don't cry, be good."

"Who's crying? I didn't cry." He Xiaoyun fiercely denied it. But because of her red eyes, it diminish the fierceness and didn't have any impact at all. 

Wei Jianwei didn't dare to refute her this time, and quickly said, "You didn't cry or wail."

He Xiaoyun softly snorted and wiped her tears in his military shirt. The two of them hugged quietly until the sound of people came downstairs. Soon, someone slammed the door open, "Mom, I'm back! Huh... Dad is also at home, what are you two doing?"

Wei Jianwei breathed a sigh of relief. His son finally did something good. 

He Xiaoyun withdrew from Jianwei's arms, her emotions had stabilized, and her face was calm, with only a little redness at the end of her eyes.

Compared with a year and a half ago, Wei Yuanhang is much taller, and his height is about to exceed 1.2 meters. He has completely inherited his dad’s excellent genes. Since he went to school, Yuanhang thinks he's already a real big kid, and actively requests to sleep in a separate room. He usually goes to and from school, and he walks with the older children in the family building. He doesn't need to be picked up by He Xiaoyun. It can be said that he's a very worry-free child.

It’s just that this worry-free kid was a troublemaker when sleeping, always kicking his blanket away.

"You're back, what did your teacher teach in school today?" He Xiaoyun cleared her throat and asked.

Wei Yuanhang threw his school bag on the table and said, "The teacher taught us to count. I'm good at it long ago! But my classmate at the same table isn't. He is so stupid."

He Xiaoyun put away the books on the table and planned to go to the kitchen to cook dinner. Hearing the child brag, she glanced at him, "I didn't call you stupid when you didn't know how to count before. Now that you can, you start to dislike others for being not to? "

"But he's already old, and he still doesn't know how..." Wei Yuanhang retorted in a low voice.

"Maybe his talent isn't on counting. Maybe he can paint, sing, and do other interesting things, and not everyone has to learn to count right away, right?"

Wei Yuanhang nodded, "Well, I won't say he's stupid in the future."

"You can't talk to others like that either." He Xiaoyun said, "It will take a while before you can eat. You can go and play for a while."

"Okay!" The child ran out immediately.

Wei Jianwei also went into the kitchen to help prepare dinner with her.

Jianwei still had lingering fears when He Xiaoyun had cried just now. While cooking, he glanced at her from time to time, feeling quite cautious.

It wasn't until He Xiaoyun couldn't stand such an atmosphere that she glared at him and scolded him with a few words.

In the evening, Wei Yuanhang heard his mother was going to take the university entrance examination. He was quite surprised. In his mind, his mother was already an adult, so why would an adult still have to study?

He Xiaoyun said: "As long as you want to, you can read a book with a big beard. What does it have to do with your age?"

Wei Yuanhang thought about becoming a grandfather, bending over to carry his school bag to go to school, and rapidly shook his head, "I don't want to think about it, I don't want to."

He Xiaoyun didn't hide about wanting to take the college entrance examination, so after two days, Xu Lanxiang heard about it.

"I heard Xiaoyuan say that you're going to take the college exam?"

He Xiaoyun smiled, as if she was a little embarrassed, "I just want to give it a try. I may not pass the exam. Sister Xu, don't make fun of me then."

"Make fun of you?" Xu Lanxiang said, "You dare to try it. I don't even dare to take it."

She said again: "It's quite great. You're young, and your child is in school. If you can go to college, you'll have a good job in the future. Isn't it better than caring for children in a lifetime?"

"How old is Sister Xu now? Maybe you can take the exam too." He Xiaoyun suggested.

Xu Lanxiang laughed, "Forget it, you take the exam, and when you pass it, this sister will make delicious dishes for you to eat."

"Okay, I'm borrowing Sister Xu's auspicious words." He Xiaoyun smiled.

"However," Xu Lanxiang continued, "There will definitely be someone who will say cold and harsh words. Don't take it to heart. You don't have to listen to their words. As long as you passed and achieved good results, they will naturally be slapped on the face then."

He Xiaoyun nodded naturally. On the other end, Wei Jianwei was also caught by Lin Yuefei for questioning. (long time no see, talkative Lin)

"I heard that sister-in-law is going to take the college entrance examination?"

"Where did you hear that from?" Wei Jianwei asked.

Lin Yuefei waved his hand, "You don't need to know. With so many people in our camp, there are always people who can reveal it to me. I just want to know if it's true or not?"

"Real."

"Oh..." Lin Yuefei sighed, "When your wife wrote to you, I saw her handwriting, and I felt that she was something else. Sure enough! Your wife will be a college student in the future. Old Wei, you're a bit rough, not worthy of a college student yo."

Lin Yuefei's words suddenly reminded Wei Jianwei of the conversation between him and He Xiaoyun the day before yesterday, and of course, the scene of her crying.

He was so flustered when he saw her crying at that time. Looking back, he felt that her appearance at that time was both pitiful and cute. He just wanted to hug her into his arms.

"Old Wei? Old Wei?!" Lin Yuefei shook his hand in front of him with a look of disgust, "What are you thinking? Your expression looks so wretched."

Wei Jianwei didn't even bother to glance at him anymore, turned, and left.

"Don't go! I still have something to ask you!" Lin Yuefei ran after him.

---

He Xiaoyun didn’t feel bored reviewing in the house all day long. Except for occasionally shopping at the market, she would go downstairs to check her small vegetable garden.

Her vegetable garden isn't very big, but she has grown a lot of things. At this time, the beans were growing well. The dense vine leaves are all over the bamboo frame.  He Xiaoyun picked up enough food to be cooked tonight and pulled out the weeds again. She was to walk away when someone suddenly mentioned Jianwei.

Not far from her, two people were picking vegetables and talking.

"Have you heard? Commander Wei's wife is going to take the university entrance exam."

"Which Battalion Chief Wei? The one on the second floor?"

"Who else is there beside him?"

The family building didn't belong to any regiments, and so, many families from other regiments are also living there. Except for Xu Lanxiang and others, He Xiaoyun didn't have much contact with other people, and she just nodded when she met familiar people during normal times. 

The two who are talking now are not from the same regiment as He Xiaoyun.

"Chief Wei's wife... didn't she come from the countryside?"

"Yes, and she suddenly said that she's going to take the college entrance examination. She probably thought that the university is like a small restaurant on the roadside. Whoever wants to enter can enter."

"Don't speak so confidently, maybe she'll be admitted."

The other person laughed: "It's not that I look down on anyone, but look at her, does she look like she can read a book? All she has is a good-looking face and a delicate and fragile appearance, which fascinates Commander Wei. Three times, I heard that she even asked her man to was her feet!"

"Really? Captain Wei doesn't look like someone who knows how to wash feet."

"I saw it with my own eyes, can it be fake? Maybe men like women like her. Otherwise, how come when you wanted to introduce your cousin to Chief Wei before, he didn't take a look at her? He just turned his head and got married immediately."

"Oh, that happened so many years ago, don't mention it."

"Let's not keep talking about this. Let's just wait. It will only take a month or two for the people to announce the results. Everyone knows that she's going to take the university entrance examination, and we'll see how she ends up at that time."

When He Xiaoyun's feet were almost numb, the two people finally left. Xiaoyun straightened up her body and didn't move for a while. Not only was she waiting for her feet's numbness to pass, but she was also figuring something out. She asked herself if she offended anyone before, did she make someone uncomfortable?

He Xiaoyun didn't offend those two women before and finally thought that the reason might not be her, but Wei Jianwei.

The person who introduced her cousin to Wei Jianwei a few years ago, although she didn't say much, there are disdain and contempt in her words.

In the end, Wei Jianwei is too good of a husband material and too good to her, so some people spit out bitter words here and there.

Thinking of this, He Xiaoyun was immediately refreshed.
 
They are just jealous of me, right? Take your time, you all will continue to be jealous of me in the future. (Go, girl!)

In the evening, when He Xiaoyun was cooking in the kitchen, Wei Jianwei came back from work with a paper bag in his hand.

"What is that?" He Xiaoyun curiously asked him.

"Nutritious brain tonic."

He Xiaoyun became speechless.

These days, Jianwei brings things to his house every day. Today it’s walnuts, and tomorrow it’s pig brains. He Xiaoyun doesn’t know where he got it all from when he stayed in the camp all day, but when she heard that it could replenish her brain, she ate it all.

He Xiaoyun suddenly saw an image of a nervous parent when their child is taking the college entrance examination, going as far as to go to the temples to pray to God and worship the Buddha.

Why did she suddenly feel that Jianwei's nervousness is bigger than her?

Wei Jianwei is still introducing how to eat ginseng tablets to her, "Just soak it in water and drink it every other day."

Seeing He Xiaoyun not speaking, he asked: "Have you heard?"

"I heard it," He Xiaoyun weakly said, "You know what? I'm a little touched."

When Wei Jianwei heard that, the corners of his mouth bent up, but then he heard her continue: "You're like my father."

Jianwei's expression cracked.

In the evening, the family of three gathered around the table. Wei Jianwei was reading, He Xiaoyun was reviewing, and Wei Yuanhang was copying numbers.

The child used to be unable to sit still, but ever since he learned that his mother is also going to school, his interest in learning has greatly increased. Every day, he will write a page of numbers.

"Mom, I'm finished."

He Xiaoyun took a look, and the expression on her face was a bit awful.

The little kid writes very seriously, but his results are really unsatisfactory. His handwriting is both large, small, and twisted. The number 3 is written like an earthworm, and the number 8 is like two pumpkins stacked together.

Of course, a child’s confidence should not be damaged. He Xiaoyun drew two small red flowers on the paper, saying: "Good, you're writing is better than yesterday. If you can write better tomorrow, I'll give you three little red flowers."

"That's great! I will have ten little red flowers soon!" Wei Yuanhang jumped up and cheered.

He Xiaoyun made an agreement with the child that every ten small red flowers can be exchanged for a candy gourd, so the child is full of energy.

He Xiaoyun closed her book and brought the child back to his own room to sleep. When she came out, Wei Jianwei had cleaned everything up, so she changed into pajamas and was about to lie down to sleep.

But the man didn't let her get what she wanted and turned her over and over again just like a pancake all night.

He Xiaoyun finally couldn't take it anymore and took the initiative to beg for mercy: "Jianwei, I want to sleep..."

Wei Jianwei sucked at the corner of her mouth and said in a low voice: "Didn't you say I was your dad? Who are you calling?" (This petty man...)

He Xiaoyun raised her hand and landed a soft slap on the man's face.

T/N: I can feel that some people are gonna get slapped on the face really soon~

 

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