Chapter 398: Rural Absurd Past Events Chapter 398: Heaven's Favor, Betting One's Life on the College Entrance Exam

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Protagonist:

Li Xiulan

Wang Xiaohua dreamed that he had returned to his childhood.

When his mother faced choices, she made all the right ones.

She did not have a third child, she did not go looking for He Dazhu, and after she and Niu Chunsheng opened a shop, she persisted in running it; even when misunderstood by that old man, she stuck to her principles.

She divorced that old man.

But she also did not get together with Niu Chunsheng.

She went alone to the city to work.

Relying on her outstanding ability and superior external conditions, she achieved success.

She had a new home in the city, and married a kind man; even if there were minor frictions in life and work, they were mutually considerate and mutually understanding.

They had a child, a happy family of three.

Wang Xiaohua gazed down upon it all in a daze, and his heart could not help but feel happy for his mother.

This is the correct trajectory of life — ordinary yet happy.

Only, suddenly, he felt bewildered.

What about me?

"Mom, don't leave me behind..."

Across the distant haze, Wang Xiaohua called out to his mother.

But his mother could not hear; she only held the newly born child, happily singing a lullaby.

That child was not him, because he had never been born.

Only then did Wang Xiaohua suddenly realize that the reason he existed in this world, the reason he was shaped into who he is today, was precisely the result of all the choices his mother had made in the greater half of her life!

His mother's hardships shaped his various shortcomings — for example, short stature, crooked teeth, introversion, sensitivity.

But at the same time, they also shaped his various strengths — for example, resilience, composure, rationality, and psychological maturity far beyond his peers.

At five o'clock in the morning, Wang Xiaohua woke up.

He felt quite baffled.

He did not know why, at the critical juncture of the college entrance exam, he would have such a dream completely unrelated to the exam.

Perhaps dreams are originally without cause.

Or perhaps it was because when he wrote the college entrance exam essay during the day, he wrote about his mother, leaving some lingering thoughts in his mind.

However, this dream gave Wang Xiaohua a new understanding of his mother.

Before, he felt his mother was both pitiable and lamentable, even somewhat hateful.

But now, he no longer felt that way.

He only felt his mother was great.

Ordinary yet great.

After the college entrance exam ends, and he goes to university and graduates in the future.

Once he has financial capability, he must give his mother the best.

By then, his mother, who has suffered a lifetime of hardship, should also enjoy some blessings.

At seven-thirty in the morning, Wang Xiaohua received his admission ticket from his homeroom teacher, then went alone to the exam venue.

The science comprehensive exam time, same as Chinese, was from nine o'clock in the morning to eleven-thirty in the morning, a total of two and a half hours.

Wang Xiaohua performed normally throughout.

The science comprehensive wasn't too difficult either; aside from the physics final question being a bit difficult, everything else was fine.

At noon he returned to school to eat a meal, and at two in the afternoon he went back to the exam venue again.

From three to five in the afternoon was the English exam.

Wang Xiaohua's mood only then began to grow a bit nervous.

He was truly afraid his English performance would be poor and affect his total score.

But fortunately, this year's English wasn't too difficult.

The most important part was the writing section.

The basic writing task was an introduction to the Guangzhou Asian Games volunteer activities.

The Asian Games were held as early as 2010; the relevant essay teachers had long ago assigned writing on it.

The reading-and-writing task required examinees to discuss their views on "whether more choices mean more happiness" based on given materials.

Again, it was about choices.

For Wang Xiaohua, he had long since gained various profound insights and realizations on this.

In truth, in our lives, no matter what, there will absolutely be countless choices.

But it is absolutely not that more choices bring more happiness; rather, making correct choices brings happiness, and making correct choices requires learning, requires vision, requires awakening.

This was his realization.

So although English was not his strong suit, he wrote this English essay very smoothly.

"Ring ring ring!"

It was five o'clock.

The English exam ended.

The college entrance exam is over too!

Wang Xiaohua walked out of the driving test venue, feeling as if he had just had a dream.

A wonderful dream.

He felt that heaven truly favored him too much.

The Chinese essay and English essay — he had practically used his own eighteen years of life experience to hit the mark on both topics.

If the topics had been different, he might not have been able to write such essays.

Sometimes luck is just this mysterious.

Perhaps it was the good luck exchanged for his mother's many years of hardship.

"Xiaohua!"

Wang Xiaohua was walking alone on the campus road.

Just as he was about to walk out the school gate, Li Jianjia jogged up from behind to greet him.

"Classmate Jianjia, what's up?"

Wang Xiaohua turned back.

Li Jianjia smiled radiantly and asked with concern:

"How did the exam go?"

Wang Xiaohua replied politely:

"Normal performance, I suppose. As for the specifics, we'll have to wait until the college entrance exam scores come out to know."

Li Jianjia smiled and said:

"You promised me before, don't forget!"

Wang Xiaohua was a bit bewildered:

"What did I promise you?"

He indeed did not know what he had promised Li Jianjia.

Li Jianjia just said:

"Didn't we agree before? After the exam we'd eat a meal together. Don't worry, I'm treating, you don't have to pay!"

Wang Xiaohua's first reaction was: what principle says a girl treats a boy to a meal?

He was just about to open his mouth and say he would treat, but the words reached his lips and he still stopped.

With his poor scholar look, what could he treat anyone to?

Could it be treating them to roadside wonton noodles at five yuan a bowl?

However, he also did not refuse Li Jianjia's kindness because of face issues.

He smiled generously and said:

"Sure, later when I have money, I'll treat you back."

Li Jianjia smiled and said:

"Deal, no problem!"

Li Jianjia, in high spirits:

"Let's go, I know a place on the snack street, a super delicious shop!"

But the two had just walked out the school gate.

At this moment, a middle-aged man got out of a white BMW parked at the school gate.

"Xiaohua, over here!"

Wang Xiaohua looked toward the sound, couldn't help but stare blankly, his face showing a trace of surprise.

What is Niu Chunsheng doing waiting for him at the school gate?

"Xiaohua, who is that uncle?" Li Jianjia, seeing Niu Chunsheng, was also somewhat surprised.

Her first reaction was that it was Wang Xiaohua's father.

Besides parents, who else would come pick up a student when the college entrance exam ends?

But she immediately hurriedly denied this thought — Wang Xiaohua's family circumstances were poor, that was something the whole class knew.

How could he possibly have a father who could afford a BMW?

Besides, the looks don't match either.

"That's an uncle of mine. How about this — we eat together another day?"

Wang Xiaohua knew Niu Chunsheng looking for him definitely meant business, so he decided to put off the meal with Li Jianjia first.

"Okay, no problem!" Li Jianjia agreed readily, and didn't throw a little tantrum or anything. She even took the initiative to say: "Let's leave each other contact info, so it's easy to contact later!"

Wang Xiaohua couldn't help but feel awkward:

"I don't have a mobile phone."

Li Jianjia said: "Then I'll give you my mobile phone number. WeChat is also my phone number. When you have WeChat, you can add my WeChat."

After speaking, Li Jianjia took out a sticky note, wrote down the phone number and gave it to Wang Xiaohua.

Then she left:

"Then I'll head back first!"

"Okay, goodbye!"

After saying goodbye to Li Jianjia, Wang Xiaohua came before Niu Chunsheng:

"Uncle Chunsheng, may I ask what's the matter?"

He originally thought Niu Chunsheng would bring up the matter of tutoring Niu Lin Xin.

Niu Lin Xin had explicitly refused him on this matter, so he planned to politely decline Niu Chunsheng's invitation, and had even thought up the excuses to push it off.

Unexpectedly, Niu Chunsheng did not mention this matter.

Instead, he said with a laugh:

"Your parents have come; they're at my home right now. Come on, I'll drive you to my home, and tonight we'll eat a meal together!"

Wang Xiaohua was immediately surprised:

"My parents actually came? Why didn't they tell me?"

Niu Chunsheng said with a laugh:

"Wasn't it because they were afraid of influencing your college entrance exam?"

Wang Xiaohua asked again: "Then why didn't they come to the school gate together with you to pick me up?"

Niu Chunsheng spoke honestly:

"I asked them to come together, but they refused, saying their clothes were too shabby, afraid of bringing you shame."

Wang Xiaohua felt somewhat at a loss whether to cry or laugh about this.

At this moment, Niu Chunsheng asked again: "By the way, how did your exam go?"

"Pretty good, normal performance..."

"Normal performance is good; with your ability, as long as you perform normally, a top-tier university should be a sure thing!"

The two chatted back and forth, and got inside the BMW.