Chapter 8: Acceptance Letters

Just at this moment, Shen Nainai's familiar voice suddenly rang out from outside the window; it turned out to be the courier delivering a package.

"I don't think I've bought anything lately, have I?"

As if thinking of something, Shen Yan's eyes immediately lit up. He tucked his ID card away, casually picked up the short-sleeved shirt from the bed, and pulled it on as he walked.

Just as he opened the front door, Yu Youwei walked out of her home at the same time, her pretty face overflowing with excitement, followed by her mother, Sun Bixia.

Seeing Shen Yan, Yu Youwei said impatiently, "Shen Yan, it must be our acceptance letters."

"I reckon so!"

Shen Yan nodded in agreement, which made Yu Youwei even more excited. She hopped and skipped, taking two steps at a time as she rushed downstairs, and Sun Bixia couldn't stop her even by calling out.

"This child, it's not like the acceptance letter is going to fly away."

"Shen Yan, you are much more steady."

Listening to Sun Bixia's grumbling, Shen Yan smiled and didn't say much.

It was four o'clock in the afternoon, and the scorching sun was like fire, baking the earth until it was piping hot. A south wind blew, rolling waves of heat up from the ground, so stiflingly hot it felt like being burned.

Looking out, one could barely see a soul in the open space in front of Zhongxinyuan. Two yellow stray dogs were seeking shade under a big tree, their mouths wide open, panting with their tongues lolling out. Cicadas were chirping tirelessly in the trees, as if calling out the summer with every sound.

At this time, Shen Nainai, who should have been playing mahjong in the building next to the convenience store entrance, hadn't even bothered with her game and was chatting happily with the courier.

The other few mahjong players were standing behind the glass door of the convenience store, peering out.

Without further ado, Shen Yan and Yu Youwei handed over their ID cards one after another and received their respective packages.

Sun Bixia was sensitive to the heat and was already drenched in sweat after being out for such a short time. Seeing her daughter impatient to open the package on the spot, she immediately stopped her: "It's so hot, it won't be too late to look when we get home."

Everyone agreed.

At this moment, a middle-aged woman of about 40 named Xie Qin emerged from behind the convenience store's glass door and said with a beaming smile, "Bixia, come into the shop to look. It's cool inside, and let everyone share in the good fortune."

The other mahjong players also chimed in.

Sun Bixia did not refuse; such a great event as her daughter getting into a key university was something that could never have too many witnesses.

This was precisely proof of how successful she was as a mother and a teacher!

Beside the convenience store checkout counter, the landlady—the "helpful neighbor" Aunt Li—who was lying on a recliner, curled her lip as she cursed Xie Qin, that gossip, in her heart.

"It's just a university acceptance letter, it's not like I haven't seen one before. Knowing my son's grades aren't good, she's doing this on purpose to make me uncomfortable."

Out of sight, out of mind, Aunt Li simply turned her head to look at the Television on the wall.

"Wow! Shen Yan and Youwei are truly capable; they really were admitted to a key university."

"Sister Li Juan, come and look! Two more top students have come out of our building. Hangzhou University, and it's for Law, too—they'll be lawyers in the future."

Aunt Li had no intention of responding, but someone didn't want to let her off. Just as Yu Youwei and Shen Yan opened their packages, Xie Qin craned her neck and started shouting.

The sound echoed throughout the narrow convenience store, as if it might break through the roof.

The exaggerated performance made the people present find it quite funny. These two women seemed to be natural enemies; they had been fighting ever since they married into the neighborhood, with each winning and losing, neither willing to submit to the other.

Li Juan cursed wildly in her heart, but since she couldn't pretend not to see, she had to force a smile on her face and congratulate Shen Yan and Yu Youwei.

"Oh! Sister Li Juan, Shen Yan and Youwei's letters have both arrived, what about your Xiao Jin's?" Xie Qin said with a fake smile, adding another jab.

Li Juan's eyelid twitched. Before she could reply, the oblivious Yu Youwei spoke up first: "Auntie Xie, junior college and undergraduate admissions aren't sent out in the same batch; it should take a while longer."

"You talk too much!" Sun Bixia slapped Yu Youwei on the head, wondering how she, being so shrewd, could have given birth to such a naive girl with no social awareness at all.

Looking at Shen Yan, who was standing to the side as if nothing had happened and even secretly smiling, she felt a strange sense of favor toward him.

In the past, Sun Bixia had never thought much of this introverted child. Having taught for so many years, she knew that academic qualifications weren't the most important thing, but successful people often possessed traits like boldness, meticulousness, and thick skin.

You can tell a child's future at three, and a person's character at seven.

Clearly, barring any accidents, no matter how well Shen Yan studied, he would eventually fade into the crowd.

But now the situation seemed to have changed; Shen Yan had become sunny and cheerful, and combined with his handsome appearance, it was hard not to feel favorable toward him.

Yu Youwei shrank her neck, unable to muster any resistance against her mother, so she took her anger out on the secretly smiling Shen Yan, glaring at him fiercely and raising her fist as a threat.

Shen Yan raised his eyebrows. He had no interest in these trivial matters, so he greeted Shen Nainai and turned to head home.

"Shen Yan, I'll go buy some groceries in a bit. I'll prepare a table tonight to properly celebrate for you and Youwei," Sun Bixia said hurriedly.

Seeing that Shen Nainai had no objections, Shen Yan naturally had no reason to refuse.

Given the relationship between the two families, eating together was the most normal thing in the world.