Chapter 1018: Rural Absurd Past Events Chapter 1018 Wang Erhai Attends Classmate Reunion

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Protagonist:

Li Xiulan

The prison only allowed half an hour of visitation time.

Wang Xiaohua wanted Li Jianjia and Li Zhongxian to talk more, so he only sat to the side, rarely speaking, silently watching the father and daughter converse.

What Wang Xiaohua didn't expect was that during the father and daughter's conversation, they tacitly avoided mentioning Zhao Xintong.

From this, Wang Xiaohua became even more certain that Li Zhongxian should already know that Zhao Xintong had embezzled funds and fled.

Half an hour passed quickly.

The prison guard came to take Li Zhongxian away.

Before Li Zhongxian left, he turned back and said to Wang Xiaohua:

"Xiao Hua, actually it's quite good for you and Jianjia to live an ordinary small life; there's no need to enter this big dye vat of officialdom."

Wang Xiaohua nodded:

"Dad, I know."

But it was obvious Wang Xiaohua was just saying polite words.

Now he had no way back.

For the civil service exam, and to adapt early to the various aspects of the system, he spent a large amount of time and energy, doing a lot of homework and preparation.

He even gave up the opportunity to do chemical battery research at Wan Zhiyuan's laboratory; if he chose to withdraw now, the sunk cost would really be too high.

Although he knew sunk cost shouldn't be involved in major decision making.

But now going back to do scientific research would obviously be half a beat slower than others.

Additionally, he also knew he didn't have the aptitude for scientific research.

At least compared to the two genius roommates Wan Zhiyuan and Wen Lingyun, his sensitivity to scientific research was far inferior to theirs.

After leaving the prison, Li Jianjia also said to Wang Xiaohua:

"Why not, from now on, we just stay in Beijing to develop?"

Li Jianjia fantasized about her and Wang Xiaohua's future:

"From now on, we'll both work in Beijing, save some money, buy a house, it doesn't need to be too big, a small one will do, it doesn't need to be in the city center, the suburbs are fine too, as long as we have a small nest belonging to us both, then I'll be satisfied."

Wang Xiaohua could only say:

"Let's talk about it later; the future has too much uncertainty."

Hearing this, Li Jianjia couldn't help but frown:

"Do you still want to take the civil service exam?"

Wang Xiaohua neither denied nor admitted, but only said:

"I'm worried that with your current state, you probably can't get into Tsinghua University's graduate program; why not settle for second best and take another university's, or recommended admission for graduate study at your own school would also be okay."

Li Jianjia frowned and was speechless.

Because she herself also knew that her state had indeed been very terrible recently.

A mindset of gains and losses made her unable to maintain focus on her studies.

Many times she looked like she was studying hard, but was actually doing ineffective consumption.

When last semester's GPA came out, her GPA had dropped.

"I will work hard; if I take the postgraduate entrance examination and don't get into your school, then it's meaningless; that was the goal I set when I first entered university, how could I retreat without fighting?"

After a moment of silence, Li Jianjia said thus.

Wang Xiaohua sighed:

"Yes, a goal set long ago, how could it be easily given up?"

Hearing him say this, Li Jianjia knew he had another meaning.

The goal she had set long ago couldn't be easily given up.

Then the goal Wang Xiaohua had set long ago naturally couldn't be easily given up either.

"I'm just afraid that you will walk down your father's old path in the future..."

Li Jianjia lowered her eyes and said this in a low voice.

Wang Xiaohua smiled:

"Rest assured, I'm not the same as your father."

Then he comforted:

"Don't think too much; thinking too much leads to too many worries, hesitation, and inability to move forward; let's take one step at a time."

The two left the prison and returned to Wang Erhai's car.

Then they went together to a nearby mall to eat lunch.

After finishing lunch, they returned to Shanggou Village.

Just after returning to Shanggou Village, Wang Erhai checked WeChat and discovered that in the high school classmate group, someone had @ him again, saying the gathering was postponed to eight o'clock tonight, asking if he wanted to come.

Wang Erhai thought for a moment, feeling he had nothing to do tonight, so he replied:

"Send me a location; if I have time, I'll go."

Soon a classmate sent an address; the gathering location was chosen in a KTV private room inside Huangsheng Hotel in County Town.

In the blink of an eye it was evening.

Wang Erhai finished dinner, said a word to his parents that he was going to County Town to attend the high school classmate gathering, then drove out.

On the way, Wang Erhai recalled bits and pieces of high school.

He thought and thought, yet discovered that high school actually held nothing worth remembering.

The only memory that left a deep impression on him was probably the experience after high school graduation, when he was deceived by classmate Yang Xiaoxiong into going to Guangxi Beihai to do pyramid scheme work.

Most importantly, back then he was the class's little transparency.

No grades to speak of, no height or looks to speak of.

He was the kind of ordinary person who, thrown onto the street, couldn't be found even with a magnifying glass.

All these years, he had never attended a junior high or high school class reunion — not that he didn't want to go, but many junior high and high school classmates had probably already forgotten that there used to be a Wang Erhai in the class.

For some reason, this year someone actually took the initiative to invite him to a reunion.

And that person was none other than the former class monitor, Huang Yingjie.

In his memory, during school days Wang Erhai and Huang Yingjie weren't close; aside from being in the same class, the two rarely interacted.

He also didn't know why Huang Yingjie would specially call him to go.

Only this morning he had called to politely refuse, yet Huang Yingjie actually changed the reunion time to accommodate Wang Erhai's schedule.

Since it was like this, Wang Erhai naturally had to go; otherwise it would be too socially inept.

In a blink it was past seven in the evening.

Wang Erhai drove to the gate of Huangsheng Hotel.

He knew this place well; back when he cooperated with Zhang Sheng relatively frequently, he came here often to eat and drink.

Huangsheng Hotel not only has dining areas, but also hot springs, karaoke, and banquet halls — truly comprehensive in business.

Worthy of being the county's number one largest hotel.

Wang Erhai found the K-room private room the class monitor posted in the group, pushed the door and entered.

Inside, quite a few men and women had already arrived.

Scanning these former classmates at a glance, Wang Erhai found everyone's appearance had changed quite a lot, and there were even several whose names he couldn't recall.

At the same time, he also saw a familiar figure.

That Yang Xiaoxiong who once cheated him into pyramid schemes had actually come too.

"Erhai, you're here, sit quick!"

Class monitor Huang Yingjie, seeing Wang Erhai arrive, immediately stood up enthusiastically to welcome him.

"What Erhai, should call him General Manager Wang! He's now a big boss with status in the county town!"

A woman called out with a laugh.

Wang Erhai felt baffled:

"You are..."

He didn't remember who this heavily made-up, flamboyantly dressed woman was.

Did the class used to have someone like this?

The woman hurriedly introduced herself:

"I'm Zhao Xingfang, old classmate, you don't recognize me anymore?"

Only then did Wang Erhai remember:

"Oh! Zhao Xingfang, the former class beauty! Sorry, really almost didn't recognize you!"

Zhao Xingfang used to be quite pure; who would have thought after mixing in society for so many years, she now exudes a worldly, dusty air!

If she hadn't said so, Wang Erhai would have thought she was a KTV hostess!

Zhao Xingfang said enthusiastically:

"Sit quick, come sit by me, weren't we quite close before, yet you can't recognize me, looks like I'll have to punish you with three cups of wine!"

Speaking, Zhao Xingfang actively poured wine for Wang Erhai.

Wang Erhai let out a dry hehe laugh.

In his memory, Zhao Xingfang never even glanced at him before, okay, how did they become quite close?

"I won't drink, came here just to catch up with everyone, later I still have to drive home."

Wang Erhai directly refused Zhao Xingfang's request to drink; scanning the room, there wasn't a single person here weighty enough to make him embarrassed to refuse alcohol.