Chapter 240: A Brief Parting Beats a Fresh Marriage

There's definitely hope.

Aren't there schools offering Correspondence Education now? You can get a Correspondence Undergraduate Diploma, and the subsequent regularization will be absolutely guaranteed.

Our Dance Academy doesn't offer Correspondence Education.

Tian Xianma hesitated and said, "And it seems all the art schools nationwide are like that."

"Are you stupid? I never said you have to take an art Correspondence Education."

"Hmm?"

"Can I use one from another school?"

Tian Xianma looked puzzled and said, "I'm afraid the major won't match, and the school might not recognize it."

"No way. There are only two undergraduates in total; who would fuss over the major?"

"Relax. As long as you finish the Correspondence Education, the school will definitely accept it."

Xu Yuexin and Tian Xianma gave their word, and smoothly placed his large hand over their beautiful leg.

In the 1980s, there were few university students, so even a Correspondence Education diploma had high social recognition.

Getting a part‑time diploma now would surely let you reap the era's benefits.

"Alright, I'll follow your advice."

Tian Xianma said, then, with a flushed face, nudged Xu Yuexin's hand and said, "You focus on driving, too."

"It's fine, one hand is enough to drive."

Xu Yuexin leaned on the driver's seat, leisurely resting one hand on the steering wheel, and pressed the accelerator to speed up.

Back in front of the gate of Tian Xianma's residence at Jia Su Yuan, Xu Yuexin stopped the car.

"Come in and have a seat at home."

Tian Xianma invited Xu Yuexin.

"Hmm, I also want to go up and sit."

After Xu Yuexin finished speaking, he and Tian Xianma got out of the car together and walked toward the gate of Jia Su Yuan.

Halfway there, he felt something was off and stopped.

"I'll drive the car inside."

After saying that, Xu Yuexin turned back toward the Mercedes, opened the door, and sat back inside.

Leaving the car out there is a bit unsafe; what if someone smashes it? Xu Yuexin drove the Mercedes to the gate, rolled down the window, told the guard a word, and then drove the car into Jia Su Yuan, parking it downstairs.

"Let's go."

Xu Yuexin and Tian Xianma went upstairs and arrived at their house's entrance.

Tian Xianma took out the key, opened the door, and a fresh fragrance drifted toward the two of them.

"What flowers are growing at home to smell so fragrant?"

Xu Yuexin lifted his leg as he entered, sniffed, and muttered to himself.

"It's not flowers, it's incense."

"Oh… homemade incense?"

"Yes, I found the incense sold in stores too strong, so I made a few scented sachets at home using rose and Narcissus petals."

"Not bad, I didn't expect you to have this skill."

Xu Yuexin took two deep breaths and surveyed the interior décor.

In the entryway stood a slender celadon vase holding lush, dripping roses, looking elegant and beautiful.

Looking ahead, the previously bare white wall now displayed two oil paintings, and the balcony's formerly bright red curtains had been replaced with fabric curtains painted with stars and moon motifs.

Compared with when it was first bought, after Tian Xianma lived in and tended it, the house now feels fresher, more refined, and full of artistic atmosphere.

"Looks good, right?"

Seeing Xu Yuexin's gaze fixed on the painting, Tian Xianma tapped his arm and said,

"Hmm… it's arranged quite well."

"You haven't skimped on effort, have you?"

"I tidy the room as soon as I get home from work."

Tian Xianma, praised, smiled, took Xu Yuexin's hand, and headed toward the master bedroom.

Inside the master bedroom, a carefully framed photo of Xu Yuexin and Tian Xianma was hung above the large bed.

"We took a photo together?"

Seeing the picture, Xu Yuexin involuntarily exclaimed in surprise.

"Yes, we took it when we went to Beihai Park; you forgot?"

"Hmm… I really forgot."

Xu Yuexin scratched his head and said, he's just can't recall.

"I knew you wouldn't remember."

Seeing his reaction, Tian Xianma became a bit upset.

Xu Yuexin quickly embraced Tian Xianma and pinched their delicate, pink cheek.

"Just teasing you, you took it seriously."

"I really did forget, honestly."

Tian Xianma said plaintively.

"How could that be? I still remember what you wore that day."

"You saw the photo, of course you know."

"…"

Looking at Tian Xianma's aggrieved little eyes, Xu Yuexin felt a sudden itch behind his ears and a scratch on his cheek.

Originally, he had planned to use a few small tricks to get by.

Now it seemed that wouldn't work.

"From now on, any important matters between the two of us, you must remember, understand?"

Tian Xianma shook her head at Xu Yuexin at that moment.

"Don't worry, I'll definitely remember it firmly."

Xu Yuexin looked into Tian Xianma's eyes and declared solemnly.

It's not that he's inattentive to Tian Xianma, but there are indeed many women, and he can't possibly remember everything one by one.

For today, he'll just promise this, get through this hurdle, and deal with later matters later.

"Hmph, you can't just say it, you have to do it."

"Ha, could I still deceive you?"

Xu Yuexin hugged Tian Xianma, gave her a quick kiss on the cheek and said, "Tomorrow we'll look around together, see which schools offer Correspondence Education, and then apply."

"What majors are available in Correspondence Education?"

"Mostly humanities and social science majors."

"Economics, Business Administration, Chinese, and the like are all offered."

"Then I'll apply for Chinese."

Tian Xianma said, "It's best to apply for one close to home."

…

The next day, Xu Yuexin drove a Mercedes, shuttling Tian Xianma among the major universities in Jingcheng.

These days universities don't even have gate control; in fact, these old campuses are all in the old city district, surrounded by residential buildings, making closed management impossible.

After a round of inquiries, they finally settled on the Chinese Secretarial Major Correspondence at Beijing Normal University.

The major matched Tian Xianma's preferences and was relatively close to Wanshou Temple.

There was nothing more suitable.

Tuition is 20 yuan per year, unlike full‑time programs which are tuition‑free.

Before enrollment, one must take an Academic Proficiency Test; according to the registrar's teachers, its difficulty is equivalent to high school level, testing only Chinese language and politics.

"The exam is next month; I need to cram for it."

On the way home, Tian Xianma said anxiously, "It's been several years since high school graduation; the knowledge is almost all forgotten."

"Relax, it won't be too hard."

Xu Yuexin said confidently.

The purpose of Correspondence Education is to allow many candidates who cannot pursue full‑time study due to work or family reasons to acquire some knowledge at university and obtain a diploma.

If the entrance test is set too difficult, what's the point? Hearing Xu Yuexin's words, Tian Xianma nodded, yet remained immersed in anxiety.

A month later, the entrance exam for the Chinese Secretarial Major Correspondence at Beijing Normal University began.

Xu Yuexin drove to Wanshou Temple in the morning and escorted Tian Xianma into the exam hall.

Outside it was scorching; Xu Yuexin parked the car in a shady spot and waited at a tea stall.

When the exam was about to end, Xu Yuexin left the tea stall and walked to the gate of Beijing Normal University.

At a teacher‑training university, the entrance was naturally filled with clouds of beautiful women.

Xu Yuexin, standing about 1.85 m tall with a handsome appearance, naturally drew many glances.

However, the passing girls only dared to glance at him a bit longer; once their eyes met his, they quickly looked away.

As for initiating conversation, that simply didn't happen.

In the end, people of this era are still conservative.

After waiting at the gate for a few minutes, Xu Yuexin saw Tian Xianma stride lightly from within the campus toward the main gate.

"How does it feel?"

Xu Yuexin asked.

"It feels okay; the questions are just as you guessed, not too difficult."

Tian Xianma lifted the corner of her mouth, stepped forward, took out a handkerchief, wiped Xu Yuexin's sweat, and said, "Getting hot, huh?"

"Just arrived at the gate a moment ago."

Xu Yuexin took Tian Xianma's hand and walked with her toward the parking area. On the way back, feeling the blazing sun that streamed in from outside, his brows twitched.

The car has Air Conditioning, so it doesn't feel hot.

But if they get home, what then? A mere electric fan, he thought, is already insufficient to cool.

"Let's go to Wangfujing."

Xu Yuexin rested his hand on the steering wheel and said.

"What do you want to buy?"

"Hmm, buy an Air Conditioning unit."

Xu Yuexin said.

They already have Air Conditioning, but it's generally only used by large public institutions.

Xu Yuexin plans to install it at home as well, to avoid the summer heat.

At Wangfujing, Xu Yuexin and Tian Xianma walked into the department store and went up to the top floor.

The top floor sells expensive appliances, such as Color TV, tape recorders, and the like.

Xu Yuexin approached a sales clerk and asked if they had any Air Conditioning units for sale.

"We sell Air Conditioning units here, 50,000 yuan each, but we don't have stock in the warehouse…"

"If you really want it, just pay a deposit, leave a contact method, and we'll let you know when the goods arrive."

The young, attractive sales clerk answered truthfully.

Indeed, in these times Air Conditioning is an extremely expensive piece of equipment, and there aren't many customers who can afford it.

If Baihuo Dalou dares to bring in a unit lightly and then can't sell it, the person responsible will likely be held accountable.

"Here's my phone number, 010…"

Xu Yuexin gave the sales clerk a string of numbers; the clerk hurriedly took out a small notebook, wrote them down, and double‑checked them with him.

"Comrade, may I ask which unit you belong to?"

After Xu Yuexin paid the 3000‑yuan deposit, the sales clerk took out the receipt form and asked him.

"I have no unit; I'm buying as an individual."

"My name is Xu Yuexin."

"Individual purchase?"

The sales clerk was genuinely startled.

Since Baihuo Dalou began selling Air Conditioning to the public, it has only sold six units in total, all purchased by large organizations.

It was still her first time encountering an individual customer.

"What's the matter, any problem?"

Xu Yuexin lightly tapped the glass countertop and asked the sales clerk, "If there's any issue, return my deposit and I'll go buy elsewhere."

"No, no, no problem."

The sales clerk hurriedly replied, "May I ask which 'Yue', which 'Xin'?"

"The 'Yue' of leaping, the 'Xin' of old and new heart."

"Alright…"

The sales clerk promptly prepared the receipt and respectfully handed it to Xu Yuexin.

Baihuo Dalou adjusted its salary system this year, linking the sales staff's Reward to their sales volume.

Therefore, they were very enthusiastic toward a major customer like Xu Yuexin, no longer as cold as before.

After taking the receipt, Xu Yuexin compared it, confirmed the numbers and name were correct, and his mind began to work.

"What's the maximum number of Air Conditioning units you can supply?"

Xu Yuexin suddenly asked the sales clerk.

The sales clerk was taken aback by his question.

Because there are so few customers who can afford Air Conditioning, they have at most stocked one unit at a time.

As for the maximum they could stock, she had no idea.

"Comrade, please wait a moment; I'll go ask the Manager."

The sales clerk said hurriedly, turned away from the counter, and walked toward the office area.

"How many units are you planning to buy?"

Heavenly Mother asked softly.

Buying an Air Conditioning unit alone already exceeded her understanding, yet Xu Yuexin still wanted to buy several? "I'll buy ten units."

Xu Yuexin said lightly.

Guogongfu is spacious; five units.

Da Yizi's place one unit, Heavenly Mother here one unit.

Aunt Shen's place is also sizable, three units.

That makes ten units.

The price for ten Air Conditioning units is 500,000 yuan, not a small sum.

But Xu Yuexin is willing to spend it.

His net worth is already over 200 million; how could he still let himself and the women around him endure hardship?

At this moment, the office area ahead.

The female sales clerk knocked on the Manager's office door and reported the situation.

"Boss, I just encountered a comrade customer asking how many Air Conditioning units we can sell at most."

"I can't answer his question, so I'm consulting you."

The sales clerk pressed both hands against his trouser seam, formally told the female Manager, "By the way, he's purchasing in his personal name."

"Individual purchase of Air Conditioning?"

The female Manager was also surprised; she recalled that such a case had never occurred before.

Perhaps this is a newly risen Sole Proprietorship, or a boss coming from Xiangjiang?

"Bring him in; I'll talk with him."

The female Manager thought for a moment, then stood and said.

"Alright, I'm coming right away…"

The female sales clerk hurriedly turned, left the office, and went outside to invite Xu Yuexin and Heavenly Mother inside.

"This is our Manager."

The sales clerk introduced to Xu Yuexin.

"Hello, please have a seat."

"Hello."

"I heard you want to buy several Air Conditioning units at once, is that correct?"

"Yes, I'm planning to buy ten units; can you supply that?"

"Ten units?"

"No problem."

Manager quickly responded, "If it's only the deposit…"

"I'll give you a ten‑thousand yuan deposit."

"Alright, we'll definitely urge the manufacturer to deliver the Air Conditioning as quickly as possible."

Manager said with a smiling expression.

This is a half‑million‑yuan deal.

"As for the price, please give us a discount."

"Four hundred fifty thousand yuan; I won't consider anything higher."

"Alright, four hundred fifty thousand is four hundred fifty thousand, with three years of warranty."

Manager readily agreed.

Manager could see from Xu Yuexin's attire that he definitely had the means to pull out that amount of money.

So when dealing with Xu Yuexin, she didn't think much about it.

After paying the deposit, Xu Yuexin and Tian Xianma left the Baihuo Dalou and drove away.

"Can we really need that many Air Conditioning units?"

As soon as they got into the car, Tian Xianma asked in confusion.

When she first heard the number ten units, Tian Xianma was more surprised than anyone.

But she hadn't asked more because it was in front of others earlier.

"That's not the case. Just at my house, we'd need several units."

"Indeed…"

Tian Xianma thought it made sense, then nodded and said.

Xu Yuexin took Tian Xianma back to Wanshou Temple, and had lunch at her home.

"You're leaving?"

After the meal, Tian Xianma asked Xu Yuexin.

"What, you don't want me to go?"

"Guess?"

Tian Xianma flirtatiously winked at Xu Yuexin and said.

Xu Yuexin understood instantly.

He said nothing, stepped forward, pulled Tian Xianma into his arms, and kissed her two cherry‑red lips.

And Tian Xianma returned with a passionate kiss, and the two of them walked toward the bedroom while continuing to kiss.

(End of chapter)