Chapter 435: Rural Absurd Past Events Chapter 435: Encounter on the Main Street

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Protagonist:

Li Xiulan

After leaving Niu Chunsheng's home, Wang Xiaohua ate a five-yuan vegetarian noodle dish at a small noodle shop on Old Street, and that counted as solving dinner.

After finishing dinner, he returned alone to the rental house.

"Wang Xiaohua!"

Walking halfway there, someone suddenly called out Wang Xiaohua's name.

He turned back to look, and it was surprisingly Li Jianjia.

Beside Li Jianjia was another girl, named Zhao Xiaoyan.

Zhao Xiaoyan was also a student who had just graduated from Senior Year Three, and she attended the same high school as Wang Xiaohua and Li Jianjia, but she was in the Liberal Arts Special Top Class, not the same class as Wang Xiaohua and Li Jianjia.

Back in first year before the arts and sciences division, Li Jianjia and Zhao Xiaoyan were deskmates, and they became good friends because of that; tonight they had arranged to go out shopping together, and unexpectedly ran into Wang Xiaohua halfway.

"Didn't expect to run into you here!"

Li Jianjia greeted Wang Xiaohua enthusiastically.

"I didn't expect it either, what a coincidence."

Wang Xiaohua replied with a smile.

"What are you two going to do?"

"We're planning to go wander around Xiaochijie, how about you?"

"I just finished my tutor job and got off duty, planning to go back to the rental house."

"You rented a house in the county town, that's great." Li Jianjia said with a smile.

Zhao Xiaoyan spoke enthusiastically at this moment:

"It's still early, why go back so soon? Why not wander around together?"

Wang Xiaohua glanced at Li Jianjia; there was some expectation in Li Jianjia's eyes.

Wang Xiaohua thought for a moment, felt the time was indeed still early, so he agreed:

"Alright then, let's wander around together."

The three of them walked toward Xiaochijie together.

Walking along, they chatted idly.

"The college entrance exam scores come out tomorrow, wonder how many points we'll get?" Li Jianjia casually brought up the topic of the exam.

"Who knows, leave it to fate." Wang Xiaohua said lightly.

Zhao Xiaoyan laughed: "You can afford to leave it to fate, after all you ranked first every time, the college entrance exam definitely won't be far off; we're different, especially me as a liberal arts student, one slip and I might not even make a first-tier university."

Zhao Xiaoyan's worry was not without reason.

Every year among the dozen or so liberal arts classes at No. 1 High School, the students who could make the key university score line numbered only a dozen or so.

The liberal arts admission score line is low, but the scores tested out are also generally low.

After all, in the liberal arts comprehensive exam, candidates can almost never write answers exactly identical to the standard answers, making it very difficult to score near full marks.

"Xiaohua, when the college entrance exam scores come out tomorrow, you must call me first thing and tell me your score, I'm really looking forward to your results!" Li Jianjia said with a smile, "Who knows, you might become our county's first Tsinghua/Peking University student!"

Wang Xiaohua was made a bit embarrassed by the praise.

"Hard to say, my usual exam scores always fall just that little bit short."

Wang Xiaohua was telling the truth.

In his inner heart, he actually didn't feel he could get into Tsinghua or Peking University either.

His last provincial mock exam he scored 670-something, ranking 500-something in the province.

This was already very high up.

But it was still that little bit short of Tsinghua/Peking.

Every year, Tsinghua/Peking's admission ranking within Guangdong Province is within the top 100 in the province.

So Wang Xiaohua instead settled his mindset; as long as the score that comes out isn't too low, it's fine. These days while researching applications, he had already set a psychological expectation for himself.

He also didn't carefully estimate his score, because he knew estimating scores has no damn use, and might instead cause all plans to go awry due to excessive estimation error.

He just thought, as long as he can get into Zhejiang University or USTC, that would already be very satisfying.

If he really bombs it, then go to Sun Yat-sen University.

Sun Yat-sen University is close to home, and that's not a bad thing either.

"What are you saying? The scores aren't out yet, don't belittle yourself!" Zhao Xiaoyan said with a smile, "Additionally, the key point of what Jianjia just said isn't your score, the key point is that you have to call her first thing and tell her your score, don't you understand that?"

Wang Xiaohua couldn't help but feel embarrassed, and hurriedly said to Li Jianjia:

"Then tomorrow when the scores come out, I'll call you."

And also said:

"I don't have a mobile phone yet, tomorrow I'll probably borrow someone else's phone to call you, so watch out for an incoming call from a stranger."

Li Jianjia smiled:

"Rest assured, I might miss anyone's call, but I'll never miss yours."

Then she added enthusiastically:

"Come on, I'll treat you to beef offal; I know there's an old-brand beef offal place on Xiaochijie, it's delicious!"

The three of them walked together into the bustling Xiaochijie, weaving forward among countless small shops.

They arrived at that old-brand beef offal shop, bought three bowls of beef offal, and then continued wandering forward while eating the beef offal.

At a milk tea shop up ahead, they ordered milk tea again.

It was still Li Jianjia who treated.

This made Wang Xiaohua feel a bit embarrassed.

He hurriedly said:

"When my tutoring salary comes through, I'll definitely treat you all back!"

Li Jianjia didn't politely refuse, but instead said with a smile:

"Then I'll wait for you to treat!"

This night, the three chatted a lot.

From north to south, aimlessly, all kinds of idle talk.

Wang Xiaohua had never been this relaxed, this at ease.

His life these years had been far too tense.

To the point where just an ordinary shopping trip gave him an extremely comfortable feeling.

That feeling took root deep in his heart, so that many years later, when he faced life's various predicaments, life's various pressures, recalling this night, he would feel incomparable nostalgia, incomparable longing.

They strolled until nearly ten o'clock before the three parted ways.

Wang Xiaohua saw Li Jianjia and Zhao Xiaoyan onto a tricycle; before the tricycle set off, Li Jianjia didn't forget to remind:

"Tomorrow the scores come out, remember to call me!"

"Okay, I'll definitely call you!" Wang Xiaohua watched Li Jianjia leave, shouting loudly.

For some reason, watching the tricycle grow distant, he felt an inexplicable sadness in his heart.

It seemed to be a rehearsal for a permanent parting that was about to arrive.

Alone, he walked back to the rental house.

Wang Xiaohua took a cold shower, read a bit, then went to sleep.

The next day, early morning, just as dawn broke, Wang Xiaohua got up.

Three years of high school life had already formed his habit of rising early.

Ask him to get up after eight o'clock, and he couldn't do it.

Once past five-thirty, he would naturally wake up, and could no longer continue sleeping.

After Wang Xiaohua brushed his teeth and washed his face, he went downstairs to buy breakfast, ate breakfast, then went to the nearby park and ran a few laps.

This time he had learned his lesson, and didn't go to Niu Chunsheng's home early like before.

If he went to their home and they were still eating breakfast, how awkward.

Out of politeness, they would definitely invite him to eat together.

If he agreed to eat together, how insensible.

If he politely declined, he could only wait dryly, also not good.

Besides, Niu Linxin didn't want him to come over too early either.

So Wang Xiaohua killed time in the park, killing time until eight in the morning, then headed to Niu Linxin's home.

This time the timing was just right.

When Wang Xiaohua pressed the doorbell and entered, the Niu family had just finished breakfast, Lin Xiaofang was in the kitchen washing bowls and chopsticks, Niu Chunsheng was packing up, preparing to go to work, and Wang Xiaoqian had already arrived.

"Xiaohua, you're here, have you eaten breakfast?" Niu Chunsheng greeted warmly, he also said: "I had your Aunt Xiaofang leave some steamed buns, specially saved for you, if you haven't eaten breakfast, you can eat at my place."

"Thanks, Uncle Chunsheng, I've already eaten."

Wang Xiaohua politely declined.

Niu Chunsheng then said:

"Then alright, Lin Xin's homework is entrusted to you, I have to go to work, right, the computer in my room is already on, you can use it anytime."

"Thanks, Uncle Chunsheng, no rush to use it, the scores won't come out until after noon."

Niu Chunsheng then said:

"I'll squeeze time to come back at noon today, then we'll all go out for a meal together! Celebrate your scores coming out!"

Wang Xiaohua hurriedly declined:

"Uncle Chunsheng, no need to spend so much, I'll handle lunch myself."

But Niu Chunsheng said with a smile:

"Deal, deal, it's settled then, this time you brat don't leave early with an excuse again, just give me some face, okay?"

Wang Xiaohua could only agree:

"Then okay."