Chapter 20

My heart hardened again.

The house was bustling.

Many people envied my parents’ good fortune.

They also praised me, and while doing so, “instructed” me that when I became successful in the future, I must never forget my parents’ hardships.

I must help support the men in the family-the elder brother.

I was happy, yet there was an indescribable sense of oppression and exhaustion.

I applied to a university in my province, and when I smoothly received the admission letter, I brought up old memories with Shasha online.

[Shasha, come back and study.]

[Let’s go to university together.]

After a long while, Shasha asked: [Can I really do that?]

[Of course you can. If I can get into First Tier, you could get into Tsinghua University or Peking University with no problem.]

Shasha was speechless: [You’re overestimating me. I’m afraid I can’t even get into Second Tier.]

But she still came back.

Before that, I begged the Village Party Secretary to step in and trick Aunt Zhao into handing over the household registration book.

Because of this, Shasha managed to get her ID card without Aunt Zhao knowing.

I accompanied her to a cram school in the neighboring city.

The admissions teacher frowned: “With such a weak foundation, we normally wouldn’t accept you.”

“If you really want to study, the tuition is 6,000 yuan.”

That was an astronomical figure.

At that time, a year’s tuition and boarding at a public high school was about 1,200 yuan.

Cram schools wanted high college entrance rates, and would even pay for good students to attend.

Someone like Shasha, who had never attended high school, had to pay the full amount to get in.

Shasha hesitated: “It’s so expensive, maybe I should just forget it.”

“I don’t really want to study, and even if I do, I might not pass the exams. Better not waste the money.”

…

These past few years, she was basically a child laborer outside, with no diploma and not old enough.

She couldn’t earn much each month, yet she still helped pay my tuition and subsidized my living expenses.

All she had left for herself was 5,000 yuan.

I grabbed her hand: “I have money, I can support you.”

Old Liu introduced me to three tutoring jobs.

Eight hours a day.

I could earn 140 yuan.

Tuition could be covered by a student loan.

Because No. 2 Middle School had a low college entrance rate, my admission to First Tier was a matter of pride. Old Liu even applied to the school for a bonus for me-2,000 yuan.

It had already been deposited into my bank account.

The university I chose was in the provincial capital, so there were plenty of opportunities for tutoring and part-time jobs.

I felt that after supporting myself, I still had the ability to help Shasha.

“But I…”

“No buts.” I interrupted her. “You helped me before, now it’s my turn to help you.”

“Shasha, I’ve climbed out of this quagmire, and I absolutely won’t leave you behind.”

In my freshman year, I did many part-time jobs.

As long as it made money, I would try it.

Besides tutoring, I sold SIM cards in the dorms, sold roses by the roadside on Qixi Festival, bought small accessories wholesale at the market, and set up a stall in the park during holidays.

For a while, I even sold clothes.

I remember my roommates always asked me: “Xiaoxia, you’re always so busy making money, why don’t we ever see you buy new clothes?”