Chapter 90: Teacher Ke, Are You Willing?

Every year for the college entrance exam, County No. 2 Middle School would formulate various plans to ensure that not a single student fell behind and that no accidents occurred.

Therefore, lining up to leave school in the morning and lining up to return in the afternoon was a must, and roll calls twice a day, morning and evening, to confirm that not one was missing and not one was "wrong," was how a normal day of exams ended.

Generally speaking, the queue walking out of County No. 2 Middle School on the morning of the first day, July 7th, had the highest morale.

Hu Man and the others were like a group of little roosters who, although nervous, were full of courage and ready to peck at their opponents, their fighting desire exploding.

But by the afternoon of the second day, July 8th, the queue that returned was basically collectively wilted.

Except for those "mixers" who were just going through the motions and didn't care, the vast majority were frowning and listless.

Because five of the seven exams had already passed, they basically had a rough idea of how much they had gained this year.

Xia Xia Yue had already calculated eight times in her heart, but the frown on her face still hadn't relaxed.

She didn't even need to flip through the book to check the answers for the fifty points on the biology paper; she knew she couldn't get more than 40 points, and even 35 points weren't guaranteed.

Facts proved that the extra 20 points this year weren't prepared for her.

Calculating this way, she had to get 135 points in tomorrow's physics and English exams to have a chance of getting into Beijing Foreign Studies University.

And it was only... a chance.

Physics was 100 points, English was calculated at 70% of the paper score, total score 170, calculating it... the problem wasn't small.

But among the four columns of County No. 2 Middle School, there was a heterogeneous small group.

Li Ye and Wen Watching Wen Leyu walked side by side, looking calm and carefree.

Hu Man, Han Xia, Li Li Dayong, and the others were beaming with joy, full of ambition, their happy mood overflowing.

Why?

Because they were also secretly calculating scores in their hearts!

Chinese, calculated conservatively, 85 points; math, calculated conservatively, 85 points; chemistry, 60 points—is that low enough?

Politics, be conservative, 85 points; biology... count as 40!

Calculating this way, oh my god, 355!

355, wow~.

Tomorrow, as long as they get seventy or eighty points, they'll pass, right?

This, this... if they dream tonight, they might wake up laughing!

In such a mood, you still expect a few young children to be "low-key" as Li Ye repeatedly urged?

I got a high score with my own ability, why should I be low-key?

Li Ye looked at the few classmates who faintly showed signs of "raising their tails" and felt quite gratified and accomplished.

Good seedlings, plus the right irrigation method, will inevitably yield twice the result with half the effort.

He spent more than half a year irrigating, step by step cultivating these tender seedlings to sprout, bloom, and bear fruit.

Han Xia, Hu Man, and these people were admitted to the fast class of County No. 2 Middle School with their own strength, and among all the candidates in Qingshui County, they were considered the excellent batch.

In the final stage of Li Ye tutoring Fu Fu Yingjie and the others, although the study intensity was extremely high, not a single person fell behind.

Instead, it was Li Ye who entered the repeat class after Grandpa approved flat-price grain for him, and had always been looked down upon by Xia Xia Yue and the others.

"Jiang Xiaoning, what are we eating tonight?"

"Hmm, Brother Jin Peng sent a few chickens, our main dish is stewed chicken, and there are cucumbers. I don't know if there's pig head meat. If there is, we'll mix it cold; if not, we'll smash cucumbers with garlic..."

"Then weren't there a few catfish sent yesterday? Are you saving them and not eating them for the New Year?"

"That, that... I was afraid we couldn't finish them! If you want to eat... then iron pot catfish..."

"Cough, cough, cough~"

Seeing Han Xia and the others discussing what meat dishes to eat tonight in their joy,

Li Ye had to remind them not to cause trouble and provoke the gasoline barrels full of resentment around them.

Sure enough, many people around looked over, and the look in their eyes was quite unfriendly.

We are all in grief, and you are eating chicken and fish?

Why don't you eat hot pot?

Why don't you eat three dishes for a meal and burst yourselves?

Jiang Jiang Xiaoning lowered her head and didn't speak. She seemed to realize that she might have done something wrong.

But Han Xia and Li Li Dayong didn't care at all, staring back at everyone's gazes one by one.

Li Ye was somewhat worried. Even if nine out of ten people around were kind, one malice could affect a lifetime.

After the four columns returned to school, Li Ye found that the school teachers also seemed to have realized something.

On the side of the playground opposite the boys' and girls' dormitories, a large mosquito net was set up with bamboo poles, with two simple beds inside, and the school electrician was running wires to hang up electric lights.

Obviously, there would be school teachers on duty outside the student dormitory tonight.

This made Li Ye feel much more at ease.

However, when Li Ye saw Teacher Ke, he suddenly had an idea.

Li Ye approached Teacher Ke and said with a smile, "Teacher Ke, you see it's the second day of the college entrance exam. We are all too tense, and we are getting more and more nervous in our hearts.

Can you eat with us tonight and tell us about your college entrance exam back then, to help us relax..."

"Too tense?"

Teacher Ke looked at Li Ye playfully, reading the probing and inquiry in his eyes.

Just looking at the faint smile on my Xiaoyu's face, too tense?

Are you trying to pull my tiger skin to make a banner?

"Hearing you say that, Li Ye, I really feel a bit ashamed. Xiaoyu has been with her classmates for so many days, and I haven't cared about them. Tonight, I must get close to the students and express my apologies."

Teacher Ke readily agreed and went to the No. 2 Grain Store with Li Ye, Jiang Jiang Xiaoning, and the others.

This move naturally fell into the eyes of the students and teachers of County No. 2 Middle School. As for what they thought, that was their own business.

Teacher Ke hadn't attended any dinners in the county these days, and had been eating in the cafeteria every day, but now she was gathering for a meal with a group of children. What was the intention?

Thought-provoking.

"I've heard Xiaoyu say that your food here is good. It turns out it's two meats and one vegetable? No wonder Xiaoyu doesn't go back to eat with me anymore!"

"We don't eat like this often... usually just one dish. These two days of the college entrance exam, Li Ye asked people to send a bit more..."

"Not bad, not bad. My Xiaoyu has gained several pounds in the past six months, all thanks to you, Jiang Jiang Xiaoning."

"Hee hee hee hee, not at all... it's Li Ye's credit."

Arriving at the No. 2 Grain Store, Teacher Ke joked with Jiang Jiang Xiaoning and the others very easily, quickly dispelling the caution of the few of them, and the atmosphere was quite good.

Teacher Ke not only personally got involved, cooking with Jiang Jiang Xiaoning and the others, but also told stories of her learning when she was young, and described and told everyone about the beauty of college life.

This directly fascinated a group of children who had never left Qingshui County, so much so that when the dinner ended and they parted with Teacher Ke upon returning to school, they were still reluctant to part.

Teacher Ke said very generously: "Don't be too nervous, go to bed early and get up early, and strive for good grades tomorrow. If you can get into the capital, you are welcome to visit my home."

Li Ye's heart settled.

With Teacher Ke's words, many troubles that might have occurred with a small probability shouldn't happen.

After all, there were already vague rumors that after Teacher Ke returned to the capital, she might be transferred to work in the Ministry of Education.

Li Ye originally didn't want to make a mountain out of a molehill and pull Teacher Ke out to show off. After all, the current Teacher Ke wasn't the Teacher Ke of a few months ago.

In his previous life, he watched a TV series "The Human World," where the eldest son was a real son-in-law! He didn't even have the confidence to speak in front of his mother-in-law.

He didn't know how far he was from that step with Wen Watching Wen Leyu. If he offended Teacher Ke, would he have to elope with Wen Watching Wen Leyu?

But in the end, Li Ye still did it from the heart.

Although there is much ugliness in the world, he believes that kind people will eventually have good rewards.

"Li Ye, you go back quickly! You still have an exam tomorrow."

Teacher Ke said goodbye to Li Ye with a smile, and then took Wen Watching Wen Leyu back to the dormitory.

In her view, this child Li Ye is sometimes extremely shrewd, and sometimes excessively kind. Very contradictory.

If it were someone else borrowing her influence like this, the favors owed before would have been repaid, but Li Ye...

How could it ever be repaid?

When Wen Watching Wen Leyu stopped talking for those two years, Teacher Ke was driven crazy with worry—no medicine to cure, no doctor to consult, and her hair had turned white a lot.

But a few days ago, Teacher Ke actually heard Wen Watching Wen Leyu humming a strange little tune.

Hey, in just a few days, the white hair actually started to turn black, turned black, turned black.

With this, are you willing?

Returning to the dormitory, Hu Man and the others were so excited that they discussed it for a long time and couldn't sleep.

"Go to the capital! In the autumn, the eight of us will go to the capital together..."

"Right, take the train. I haven't taken one yet! I heard that when the train starts! Clack-clack, clack-clack, clack-clack... it sounds so nice..."

"After I go to the capital, I must take a photo in front of Tiananmen and send it back to my dad,

let him take the photo to Er Gun's house and spit fiercely in his face.

He cursed me for two years in a row, saying I was a blockhead and would never get into college in my life..."

Jiang Jiang Xiaoning was quiet. Listening to Hu Man and Han Xia's discussion, tears flowed out unknowingly.

"My mom has never left Qingshui in her life. When I get my salary and save up a hundred yuan, I'll take my mom to see Tiananmen and take her to see my university..."

"........."

The three girls all stopped talking. Han Xia and Hu Man were both deep in thought. They would likely fly out of Qingshui County, but what about their own dads and moms?

Only then did they remember the words Li Ye said during the New Year.

【In the future, if you want to eat the food your mom makes again, you might have to travel over mountains and across thousands of miles...】

Han Xia suddenly said: "If I get into college in the capital, when I come back on vacation, I'll definitely bring my dad a few bottles of Erguotou. Li Ye said it's the liquor people in the capital love to drink most, it's delicious and not expensive..."

Hu Man also nodded repeatedly: "I'll bring my mom roast duck, bring two, eat one, and show off one..."

Jiang Jiang Xiaoning was pondering what to bring for her family. Their impression of the capital all came from Li Ye's beautiful descriptions. There was plenty about the Temple of Heaven, Beihai, the Great Wall, and the Forbidden City, but when it came to specific food, they were severely lacking.

But before she could figure it out, she heard a hoarse, angry shout coming from a nearby dormitory.

"Are you going to let people sleep or not? Are there no exams tomorrow?"

Following this shout, the patrol teacher's flashlight beam shone over, sweeping across the windows of the girls' dormitory, as full of deterrence as a searchlight on a blockade line.

"........."

The three girls looked at each other. After a long while, Han Xia lowered her voice and said: "Was that Xia Xia Yue just now?"

Hu Man and Jiang Jiang Xiaoning didn't speak, but it was clearly an admission.

But that hoarse voice and that suppressed irritability made people feel strange, as if it wasn't the Xia Xia Yue they had known for several years.

Hu Man looked at the watch her dad lent her and hurriedly said: "It's almost eleven o'clock. Sleep. Those who travel a hundred miles should consider ninety the halfway point. There are still two hard battles to fight tomorrow!"

"Oh oh oh, I'll start counting sheep now."

Jiang Jiang Xiaoning immediately followed the method Li Ye taught and muttered silently in her heart.

"One sheep, two sheep... seventeen sheep... snore, snore..."

Children with simple minds, no matter what they do, will be focused and single-minded, achieving twice the result with half the effort and being successful in everything.