Chapter 60

Tang Qingqing did not remind Zhao Dahua; even if she had, Zhao Dahua would not have taken it seriously, as she did not value her child's education.

Despite many examples in the village of elderly parents being neglected by their children, Zhao Dahua could not take them as warnings and blindly believed she could control her child.

Those who mistreated their parents never thought that their children would follow suit.

Zhao Dahua's cursing was useless; Uncle and Auntie would not give up what they had obtained just because of a few scoldings.

In the past, when they were not separated, they never got any good things. Now that they were independent, they finally earned some good things and could enjoy them.

After the separation, life was not as difficult as they had imagined; they managed to get by.

This was also due to the fact that they had a way to sell the vine baskets; otherwise, Auntie alone would have struggled terribly to support the family.

Uncle was also diligent; despite his leg problems, he did everything he could around the house.

Yang Zhaodi and her husband also often came over to help, such as helping with cutting vines.

Tang Qingqing also brought things back, so the family lived quite well, better than before.

Tang Qiaoqiao's personality became more cheerful and outgoing, livelier than before.

When distributing meat, Old Lady Wu made sure that the eldest branch showed some gratitude.

Uncle and Auntie were not stingy; they sent a few pieces of cooked meat to Old Lady Wu, but giving more was out of the question.

The lard from the fatty meat they received would last the family for a long time.

"If only we could raise more pigs next year!" Tang Qiaoqiao said happily while eating the pork scraps.

The pigs raised by the brigade were limited, and each household received a fixed number.

Some households did not even get a pig, and most received only one.

They received two pigs because Auntie Wang Simei raised them well. Other households raised one pig weighing about two hundred pounds, while Wang Simei's pigs weighed nearly three hundred pounds, and this time, they were over three hundred pounds.

Therefore, the brigade assigned two pigs for her to raise, and no one had any complaints.

Wang Simei smiled and said, "We can't have all the benefits."

"Ah, if only we could raise more chickens," Tang Qiaoqiao sighed.

Each household was also limited in the number of chickens they could raise. If they could raise more, they would collect eggs every day and earn a lot of money.

Tang Qiaoqiao often spent time with Tang Qingqing and knew what Zhai Hongyi and Wang Heizi were doing.

She was not envious of their trading profits but always wished they could raise more chickens.

Tang Qingqing: "There will be opportunities in the future."

Tang Qiaoqiao trusted Tang Qingqing, "Really? That would be great. Then we could raise ten or twenty chickens, and we'd have lots of eggs every day! When the chickens stop laying, we could sell them for money."

Tang Qiaoqiao became more excited, wishing she could bring back so many chickens tomorrow.

Wang Simei shook her head and smiled, "Even if we could raise that many chickens, where would we get the feed?"

Their family could afford to raise two pigs because they received rice bran from the brigade as feed.

Tang Qiaoqiao stuck out her tongue; she almost forgot about this.

"When the time comes, these issues will be resolved," Tang Qingqing said confidently.

Once the fields were distributed, Wang Simei's diligence would ensure the land was well-managed, and the yield would be much higher than now.

According to historical progress, as long as they worked hard, their lives would improve.

Wang Heizi and Zhai Hongyi, who were constantly on the move, noticed changes in the situation.

Now, regulations were not as strict as before, and business was easier to conduct.

Tang Qiaoqiao was very hopeful about the future Tang Qingqing described, but Uncle and Auntie did not have many expectations, feeling that their current life was already good enough.

After the separation, living like this was already a pleasant surprise.

In June, Tang Qingqing took the junior high school entrance exam and was admitted to the No. 1 Middle School of the commune with excellent grades.

This was the first time in nearly a decade that someone from Rongshan Brigade had been admitted to the county's No. 1 Middle School. The old principal was pleased but not surprised.

He had seen Tang Qingqing's performance and knew that a girl with such abilities would naturally excel in the commune's middle school.

Tang Qingqing's reputation was now greater than that of Rongshan Brigade itself. Even without taking the exam, she could have been recommended directly into the middle school.

The only issue now was that Tang Qingqing would likely only return home during winter and summer vacations after entering the middle school.

Tang Xingqiang held Tang Qingqing's arm, "Sis, I'll miss you so much. Will you forget about us when you go to school?"

Tang Qingqing laughed, "What nonsense are you talking about?"

Tang Qiaoqiao and Tang Xingsheng were also downcast, lacking the excitement they initially felt when learning about Tang Qingqing's admission.

"I'm going to study, not leaving forever."

"But we won't see you for a long time," Tang Qiaoqiao muttered.

Tang Xingsheng remained silent, visibly sad.

In this family, Tang Qingqing was the one who never overlooked him.

Wang Heizi, although also reluctant, was still relatively relaxed since he often went to the commune and had Zhai Hongyi by his side.

"I'll visit you frequently with Brother Yi."

At this moment, Wang Heizi never imagined that soon he would experience the pain of Tang's siblings.

When the news of the restoration of college entrance exams spread throughout the brigade, all the educated youths were elated.

In fact, as early as July and August, there had been faint rumors, causing ripples among the educated youths, making everyone restless and unable to settle down.

When the official announcement came and it was confirmed that the exam would be held in a month, the educated youths were even more agitated.

This schedule was too tight! Many of the educated youths had not touched books since leaving school.

Many did not study diligently even when they were in school, and now suddenly facing the college entrance exam, many had forgotten what they had learned.

However, no one wanted to miss this opportunity to change their fate, so they all registered and started looking for old textbooks to review.

Not only the educated youths but also the locals sensed a shift in the winds.

Those who were more perceptive encouraged their children to study hard, as the restoration of the college entrance exam indicated that there would be more opportunities in the future.

On the day the official announcement of the restoration of the college entrance exam was made, Tang Qingqing took a special leave from school to return home, bringing along the newspaper with the notice.

Since entering the commune's No. 1 Middle School, Tang Qingqing rarely took leave to pursue investigations.

Although the school leaders and most teachers knew her name, taking leave was not difficult. However, she only sought leave if she could not find any clues.

Due to her fame, Tang Qingqing was not ostracized or bullied by city kids—her experience of apprehending murderers earned her admiration.

Tang Qingqing became famous at school not just because of her reputation as the "Divine-Eyed Heroine," but also because of her beauty.

Now fully grown, standing at 1.6 meters tall, her skin, though not as fair as described in books due to frequent exposure to the sun, was smooth and radiant. Her slightly darker complexion did not diminish her beauty; instead, it added a sense of resilience to her demeanor, lacking the fragility described in books.

Her appearance was as outstanding as described, but with a more sunny and vibrant aura.

She was poised and graceful, excelled academically, and was liked by both teachers and students alike.

When Tang Qingqing asked for leave from her head teacher, the teacher approved it without even asking why.

Rongshan Brigade, being remote, received information later than others. Although Tang Qingqing was not the first to bring the news back to the village, she was the first to bring the newspaper.

With the newspaper, everyone was more certain of the news.

The educated youths rushed over to borrow and read it, and some cried while holding the paper.

Tang Qingqing left the newspaper and went to look for Zhai Hongyi.

As expected, Zhai Hongyi was at Old Liu's house, chopping firewood in the courtyard.

Today was bright and sunny, and the temperature had risen again.

Zhai Hongyi was shirtless, his physique now fully developed, broad-shouldered and narrow-waisted. Though he looked slim in clothes, his muscles were solid and powerful when bare-chested.

His body glistened with a thin layer of sweat under the sun, making his muscles stand out prominently and beautifully.

Despite their familiarity, Tang Qingqing still blushed whenever she saw him like this.

"Why are you back?" Zhai Hongyi, feeling her gaze, looked up in surprise.

Tang Qingqing pretended to be calm and withdrew her gaze. "Brother! The college entrance exam is restored! The exam date is set for this year, starting in a month!"

Zhai Hongyi was taken aback, despite having heard rumors before. Hearing the confirmation still surprised him.

"Brother, you should register too!"

Hearing the commotion outside, Wang Heizi came out of the house.

"Tang Qingqing, why are you back? What's restored?"

Tang Qingqing repeated herself, and Wang Heizi exclaimed, "Ah, really restored?"

"It's restored. Look, it's in the newspaper."

Wang Heizi quickly grabbed the newspaper and read it carefully.

"Ah, it's really restored."

Zhai Hongyi, now dressed, remained calm, unlike the other educated youths who were either frustrated or elated upon hearing the news.

Others, regardless of whether they could pass, felt a glimmer of hope.

At least this time, they could rely on their own efforts to compete fairly, and even if they failed, they would be content.

Zhai Hongyi seemed too calm.

Wang Heizi and Tang Qingqing exchanged glances. Could he not want to take the exam?

Though Wang Heizi was reluctant to part with Zhai Hongyi, he knew what mattered.

Wang Heizi cautiously asked, "Brother Yi, what do you think?"

"No particular thoughts."

Both Wang Heizi and Tang Qingqing drew a sharp breath.

"Just go for the exam, what else can you think about?"

This big sigh!

Wang Heizi and Tang Qingqing both breathed a sigh of relief; they had been terrified.

Wang Heizi: "I was so scared. I thought you didn't want to take the exam anymore."

"I don't want to take it."

Wang Heizi wanted to pinch his pressure point.

"Give it a try." Zhai Hongyi spoke casually, showing little enthusiasm.

Tang Qingqing was somewhat worried. Although the books said that this year's first restored college entrance exam would not be very difficult, and Zhai Hongyi's level was on par,

many people were signing up, but only a few would be admitted, which made her worry about his attitude.

Zhai Hongyi sensed her concerned gaze. "If I take the exam, no one will laugh at me."

"Brother, I believe you can definitely get in!"

To encourage him, Tang Qingqing changed the subject. "Brother, where do you want to go to school?"

Zhai Hongyi remained silent, while Wang Heizi said, "It has to be the capital! I'll also take the exam there in the future; that's where the great leaders are!"

"Then let's do that." Zhai Hongyi responded indifferently.

Despite such a significant matter, Zhai Hongyi's calm demeanor left Wang Heizi and Tang Qingqing unsure of what he was thinking.

Nevertheless, regardless of how things stood, Zhai Hongyi wouldn't give up this chance to change his fate, so they felt relieved.

Now it was Wang Heizi's turn to feel sad. "When you two leave, I'll be all alone in the village."

With Tang Qingqing leaving, their trio was almost no more.

Now that Zhai Hongyi was also leaving, their business partnership would disband, making Wang Heizi feel a lump in his throat.

If only he hadn't given up schooling back then; now he could keep up.

Tang Qingqing encouraged him, "Work hard, and soon you'll catch up too."

"Aren't you going to abandon this lagging member?" Wang Heizi finally understood how the siblings felt.

"What foolish talk is that? What do you take us for?"

Still gloomy, Wang Heizi began studying hard without anyone pushing him that day.

Tang Qingqing stayed in Rongshan Brigade for just one night before returning to school.

She needed to work harder to pass the middle school and college entrance exams. She loved campus life and wanted to learn more.

On Saturday after school, Tang Qingqing prepared to head to the Public Security Bureau's cafeteria as usual—

a benefit provided by the bureau, where she improved her diet every weekend.

As she walked out with her classmates, she saw Zhai Hongyi and Wang Heizi standing at the school gate.

Tang Qingqing was talking to her classmates and hadn't noticed them yet, but her classmates spotted them first.

Indeed, Zhai Hongyi was too eye-catching, tall and striking, with an exceptionally handsome face. Even his casual stance exuded charm.

Teenage girls were already aware of certain things and couldn't help being attracted to such an outstanding young man.

Tang Qingqing heard someone mention a particularly handsome person at the gate and looked up to see the two of them.

Surprised and puzzled, she excused herself from her classmates and hurried over.

"Why are you here?"

Looking at Zhai Hongyi, she asked, "The college entrance exam is just days away. Why are you still hanging around here?"

Nowadays, the educated youth were studying late into the night, but Zhai Hongyi seemed unaffected, acting as if nothing had changed.

If Tang Qingqing didn't know he had registered, she would have thought he had given up on the exam.

Before Tang Qingqing could question him, Wang Heizi defended himself:

"Don't blame me. Brother Yi insisted on doing everything as usual. If I didn't join him, he'd do it alone."

Zhai Hongyi: "Everything is already in my head."

Tang Qingqing knew he was smart but didn't know what else to say, so she simply replied, "As long as you know what you're doing."

Seeing them made her happy despite her concerns. Though she had made new friends at school, her feelings for them remained strong and unchanged.

The trio headed to the Public Security Bureau for dinner, and Chef Li was delighted to see them.

"It's been a while since you three came together. Today, I'll make something special!"

Soon, Chef Li brought out three bowls of noodle soup, each brimming with sauce and aroma, making them look incredibly appetizing.

"Xiaoyi, you're taking the exam this year, right? You look smart; you'll definitely get in!"

Zhai Hongyi had managed to establish a business relationship with Chef Li, openly and officially under the brigade's name. Tang Qingqing didn't even know how he did it.

This arrangement benefited all parties involved, and the brigade leader now smiled genuinely whenever he saw Zhai Hongyi.

Though the Public Security Bureau's cafeteria wasn't large, securing Chef Li's cooperation made it easier to connect with other units' logistics.

Chef Li's position as the chef at the Public Security Bureau was due not only to his excellent cooking skills but also because of his connections, otherwise, he wouldn't have been assigned there.

Tang Qingqing had never paid much attention to their business, and after starting junior high, she became even less involved.

As a result, she was always the last to know, yet she was very clear about what they had been busy with.

It had to be said that Zhai Hongyi had a real talent for business.

"Uncle Li, may your words bring us luck."

The college entrance exam day arrived quickly, and whether one was well-prepared or not, everyone had to enter the examination hall.

Unexpectedly, on the first day of the exam, something went wrong with Zhai Hongyi.