Chapter 146: The Ritual of the College Entrance Exam

After checking the exam venues on the afternoon of June 6th, the two days of the college entrance exam, which were crucial for everyone, arrived.

The college entrance exam might not determine one's entire life, but it certainly can change one's destiny.

For the vast majority of ordinary people who weren't born with a silver spoon in their mouths, the college entrance exam is the most equal opportunity for competition.

Ten years of hard study to sharpen a sword; today, it leaves the sheath to test its edge!

Even though he had already participated once, Qin Tian still felt a hint of nervousness when this day truly arrived again.

Of course, it was only a hint.

At eight o'clock in the morning, he was woken up by his mother knocking on his door.

He got up, washed up, and then the mother and son sat down in the main room to eat breakfast.

Compared to the usual deep-fried dough sticks and hot dry noodles, today's breakfast was lighter and healthier.

There was millet porridge and steamed buns bought from a breakfast shop outside, a glass of milk, and two fried eggs.

Perhaps to bring good luck, she had also fried a ham sausage, neatly arranging it on the plate in the shape of "100."

"Mom, this ritual is quite something!"

Qin Tian looked at his mother with a surprised expression.

"Ritual?"

Tang Xiuxia was stunned for a moment. After roughly figuring out what the word meant, she rolled her eyes and said, "Stop talking nonsense and eat quickly!"

"It's just that it's a bit off. There's no such thing as a 100-point score for the four subjects. Chinese, Math, and English are all 150, and the Comprehensive Science is 300. If I only scored 100 on all of them, wouldn't that be a disaster?"

Qin Tian shrugged his shoulders helplessly.

"Pfft, pfft, pfft!"

Tang Xiuxia spat several times, picked up her chopsticks, reached over, and tapped him on the head, annoyed: "I'm implying that you'll get full marks on everything. What are you babbling about?"

"Oh!"

Qin Tian rubbed his head, picked up an egg, and ate it in one bite.

Tang Xiuxia stared at the remaining ham sausage and fried egg on the plate, her eyes twitching a few times as she resisted the urge to tap him with her chopsticks again.

"Mom, I can just go to the exam venue myself after I finish eating. You don't need to go; it's at our own school anyway."

Qin Tian took a steamed bun, took a bite, and said to his mother.

He was lucky; his exam venue was at his own school, so he could just go over as if he were going to school on a normal day.

"What? On such an important day, I can't go and take a look?"

Tang Xiuxia squinted at him.

Qin Tian was caught between laughter and tears and quickly explained: "That's not what I meant. It's just unnecessary. It's hot outside today; why would you want to stand out there?"

"None of your business. I just want to go and chat with the other parents. Is that not allowed?"

Tang Xiuxia stared at her son and asked.

"Fine, fine, I'm wrong, I'm wrong."

Qin Tian surrendered helplessly.

"Have you packed everything?"

"Packed. You don't need to bring anything for the Chinese exam; one pen is enough."

"Bullshit. What if it breaks? Bring two pens, one as a backup. Bring your scratch paper and correction tools, too. And don't forget your ID and admission ticket."

"Got it, don't worry!"

"I'm worried as hell. You're so careless. I'll check everything for you in a bit; don't leave anything out."

"Alright, alright, alright."

After eating and drinking his fill, his mom carefully checked the things he needed to bring, and then they went out together toward the exam venue.

When passing by a small supermarket, his mom went in and bought two bottles of mineral water, then handed him one when she came out.

"Don't drink too much, so you don't have to go to the bathroom halfway through."

"Got it. Do you think I'm a three-year-old?"

"Even if you're thirty, you're still a child to me."

"You're really something!"

"That's right!"

While joking, Qin Tian was texting Xia Nuannuan on his phone.

Xia Nuannuan wasn't as lucky; she was assigned to the Experimental High School, which was the furthest away, and she was currently on her way to the exam venue with her parents.

On the chat app, Xia Nuannuan was complaining that both her parents insisted on coming along. She had asked her father to just send her alone, but her future mother-in-law wouldn't hear of it.

Qin Tian typed a comforting reply with a smile, saying that all parents in the world were the same, and his mom was currently nagging him right beside him!

"Who are you chatting with again?"

Tang Xiuxia leaned her head over, full of curiosity, wanting to peek at her son's phone screen.

"Just chatting. What are you doing?"

Qin Tian quickly pressed the phone screen against his chest and looked up at his mother with a vigilant gaze.

Tang Xiuxia showed a look of disdain, curled her lips, and said: "I can't look? You're hiding things from your own mother?"

"You need to respect a child's privacy."

Qin Tian said solemnly.

"Pfft, fine, fine, fine. I won't look, okay?"

Tang Xiuxia gave him a sour look and reminded him: "Don't forget what you promised before. Find an opportunity after the exam to bring her home for a meal."

"We'll see."

Qin Tian said dismissively.

"What do you mean 'we'll see'? Say that again?"

Tang Xiuxia immediately reached out and grabbed his ear, threatening him with a deep frown.

"I'm wrong, I'm wrong. I meant I'll think of a way. Mom, let go quickly. It's easy to run into my classmates. How embarrassing would it be if they saw me!"

"You still care about face?"

"Don't mess around, okay? My classmates either call me 'Brother' or 'Teacher Qin.' Who's like you? You don't respect me at all."

"Pfft!"

Tang Xiuxia was amused. She let go of his ear, put her arm around his shoulder, and teased with a smile: "Yo, my son has such high status in class?"

"That's right."

Qin Tian smiled quite proudly, took her arm off his shoulder, and pushed her slightly to the side: "Don't get so close. You're trying to sneak a peek at my chat history, aren't you?"

"You're overthinking it. Who wants to look?"

Tang Xiuxia, having had her intentions exposed, feigned disdain and denied it.

"Heh!"

Qin Tian didn't believe it at all. He moved another step to the side and picked up his phone to continue texting.

Seeing this, Tang Xiuxia's eyes became dazed.

Her son, whom she had raised with her own hands, already had a girl he liked so much?

Of course, she felt more happy than anything else, but undeniably, there was also a hint of loss and sourness, feeling that her precious son was gradually no longer hers alone.

When they arrived outside the school gate, quite a few parents and students were already waiting for the gate to open.

Almost all of them were accompanied by parents—either a father or a mother, and there were quite a few where both parents had come.

At this time, parents were either tirelessly talking about some precautions or comforting and encouraging them not to be nervous, to perform well, and so on.

The examinees were responding with helpless faces, feeling more or less nervous and uneasy inside.

"Brother Tian, Auntie!"

A familiar voice called out.

Qin Tian and his mother looked over and saw Zhang Peng walking over with a broad smile.

Behind him, a middle-aged man with somewhat similar features and a rather rugged appearance was his father.

"Uncle Zhang!"

Qin Tian greeted him with a smile.

"Hey, little Qin."

Zhang's father nodded with a broad smile and said: "Little Qin, find some time after the exam, and Uncle Zhang will treat you to a meal. Qin Tian's mother, you come too."

During this period, he had seen his son's learning attitude and the improvement in his grades, and he knew it was all thanks to Qin Tian. He hadn't found an opportunity to express his gratitude until now.

Originally, he had already made arrangements to have his good-for-nothing son go work with relatives after finishing high school.

But now that his son had a chance to get into an undergraduate university, he was naturally very happy. ===== CHAPTER 147 =====