Chapter 13

Mom took a deep breath, turned back, and smiled: “I’m a little drunk. You wash the dishes yourself.”

After leaving Aunt’s yard, Mom quickened her pace. After a few steps, she suddenly burst out laughing.

But as she laughed, she started to cry.

She turned back and hugged me: “Xiaxia, Xiaxia, you really made me proud!”

“Mom finally stood tall for once.”

“When Qiuqiu gets into a top-tier university, I’ll be able to stand tall completely.”

I really wanted to tell her-

Mom, even without a son, you can still hold your head high.

You live your own life; there’s no need to care about idle gossip.

But I knew she couldn’t do it.

She couldn’t shake off those beliefs ingrained in her bones since childhood.

Only if my sister and I keep moving upward and upward-

Our excellence would become her pride and confidence.

News travels fast in the countryside.

That very night, everyone in the village knew I had gotten in.

Everyone was surprised.

After all, I had never shown any particular talent for studying.

Dad strolled with his hands in his pockets from one end of the village to the other.

When he came back, he pulled out over a dozen cigarettes from his pocket, all given by others.

When Mom went to the pond to do laundry, she became the center of attention among the women.

Her face stayed flushed for days.

When I went to fill out my university choices, I finally saw Jiang Xin.

“How did you do?”

“Compared to last year’s Fudan cutoff, I’m eight points above the line. It should be enough. Just can’t get into the major I wanted.”

“Then you…”

“I’m still going!” Her eyes shone with determination. “Once I get there, I’ll figure something out.”

The homeroom teacher called me aside.

“Zheng Xiaxia, if you repeat the year, I think you could get into a top-tier university.”

Repeating another year-my parents would never agree.

I shook my head: “Let’s just leave it at this. I won’t repeat.”

Jiang Xin put her arm around my shoulder: “Don’t be discouraged. You can go to graduate school. With your perseverance, even Fudan is possible.”

“I’ll wait for you at Fudan.”

I filled in a Second Tier University in the provincial capital and applied for a student loan.

My parents were proud of me. I thought my life had turned a new page.

But in truth, many things hadn’t changed.

Over the summer break, I helped Mom stir-fry rice noodles and took on all sorts of part-time jobs.

Once, I worked as a mascot for a newly opened shop.

In 38-degree heat, I wore a thick mascot costume. By the end of the day, I was completely drained.

When I got home, I found a watermelon soaking in the bucket.

I grabbed a knife, eager to cut it open, when Mom returned.

She slapped my hand: “Wait for your sister to come back from school so you can eat together. She’ll be walking home soon and must be hot.”

“I want to eat now.”

“Can’t you wait just an hour?” Mom frowned. “Why are you so impatient?”

She nagged on and on.

In the end, after my persistence, she still cut open the watermelon.

When Dad came home from work, she complained about me at the dinner table again because of it.

But Mom, if it were my sister who wanted to eat, would you have made her wait for me, who hadn’t come home yet?

The new semester was approaching fast.

Mom counted out 500 yuan for me.

Two 100-yuan notes, three 50s, and the rest was a wad of 20s.

She counted it three times: “The city inspectors are getting stricter and stricter. My business is getting harder. Your dad’s foreman is always late with wages. You have to be thrifty with this money.”

“Behave yourself out there and don’t get into trouble.”

When she handed me the money, she drew back 100: “You did plenty of part-time work this summer. You should still have some money left, right?”