“671? That’s 11 points higher than your estimate!”
The old salted fish slowly turned his stiff neck, muttering as if trying to stay calm.
Only after chewing over the number “671” several times did he suddenly leap off the sofa like a carp. “671! You got 671!”
One salted fish went offline; one energised Wen Dongrong came back to life.
He strode over, grabbed Wen Ying’s shoulders, and shook her. “671! You can go to Huaqing if you want Huaqing, Jingda if you want Jingda!”
He really wished he could shake all the water out of that stubborn hamster brain.
Wen Ying herself was stunned.
She had estimated conservatively and was prepared to score a few points higher, but she had only expected four or five, not a full eleven!
Did she not mess up that multiple-choice question after all?
Or did the markers give her high marks on both the Chinese and English essays?
Nobody ever complains about scoring too high. Wen Ying broke into a wide grin. “Stop trying to persuade me. At 660 I was going to Shanghai; at 671 I’m still going to Shanghai. Eleven extra points won’t change my choice.”
Little Wen told Old Wen to accept fate.
Old Wen didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
Chen Ru was also floored by “671”. For a long time she couldn’t speak, too happy to find words.
Decisive Manager Chen logged off; Proud Mum logged on.
At that moment someone knocked on the door. Chen Ru floated over like a ghost to open it.
Deng Shangwei and Chen Li burst in, waving their phones, faces glowing. Deng Shangwei shouted, “Is it really 671? I thought I’d looked up the wrong number. How is it so high?”
Another person turned silly with joy.
At critical moments the women of the family stayed clear-headed. Chen Li threw her arms around Wen Ying. “Little Ying, you’ve made us so proud!”
So proud that Chen Li was lost for words.
Wen Ying blushed. “I never expected it myself. I completely overperformed…”
Chen Ru finally returned to her body and picked up where Wen Ying left off. “Every overperformance is built on a solid foundation. This isn’t luck; it’s the reward for three years of hard work!”
Heaven never betrays those who strive.
Every drop of sweat accumulates to water the most beautiful flower.
In that instant countless motivational quotes flooded Chen Ru’s mind. She hadn’t suddenly become poetic; she was simply too happy.
So happy she refused to let Wen Ying call 671 “luck”. This was the fruit of effort, a success earned fair and square, just like her royalties!
Wen Dongrong had been half happy, half sad. Once the Deng couple arrived, the happy half swelled and completely crushed the regret about Huaqing and Jingda.
Then Wen Dongrong’s “lifelong best friend” Old Li called to ask Wen Ying’s score. The last trace of regret evaporated.
“You want her score? Aiya, it’s a bit different from the estimate. No no no, she didn’t do worse; she did a little better…”
Wen Dongrong walked toward the balcony as he spoke.
The living-room windows were open; cool night breeze filled the flat. He didn’t care if the neighbours upstairs or downstairs were asleep. Afraid Old Li couldn’t hear, he roared like thunder, “They say this year’s papers were hard. The whole province might not have a single 700. She got 671; should be okay, right?”
671; should be okay, right?
The words didn’t just drift through the neighbourhood; they echoed in Old Li’s heart for a long time.
Old Li on the other end of the line suddenly felt very tired. A thousand words became one sentence. “As long as you’re happy.”
Pfft.
Chen Li couldn’t hold back her laughter. Wen Ying laughed too.
Chen Ru scolded, “Will you die if you don’t show off?” but the smile on her face refused to fade.
Deng Shangwei was even worse; he had forgotten Wen Ying was already rich and was only thinking about rewards. “Why don’t you get your driving licence this summer? I’ll buy you a car!”
Wen Dongrong whipped around and glared daggers at him.
Buy a car?
For the black-hearted little cotton-jacket?!
He had scrimped and saved to afford a family trip abroad as a “graduation gift”. If Deng Shangwei bought her a car, his present would look pathetic!
Before Wen Dongrong could drag his brother-in-law outside for a “friendly spar”, Wen Ying rejected the offer first. “Uncle, buying me a car would be such a waste. I won’t drive much at university, and I’d have to worry about parking. Shanghai has great transport; taxis everywhere. For events the company will send a car. Right?”
True.
Buying her a car now really wasn’t practical.
Deng Shangwei scratched his head. “Then let me think of something else.”
Wen Dongrong slung an arm around his shoulders. “Come, come, to the study. Let’s have a proper chat. I’ll help you brainstorm!”
Wen Ying knew her father’s petty side had flared up.
She was about to warn him not to go too far when Chen Ru stopped her. “Your score is out; your classmates’ scores should be available too. Aren’t you going to call and ask?”
When Chen Ru said “classmates”, the first person Wen Ying thought of was Xie Qian.
She really wanted to know how many marks he got.
She wanted to call him, but in front of her mother she inexplicably felt guilty.
Ahem, better call Li Mengjiao first.
She’d work her way through the list. By the time she reached Xie Qian, Manager Chen wouldn’t overthink it!
…
Beijing, the Peng house.
Wen Ying checked her score with both parents helping.
Peng Guoqing’s score-checking ceremony was grander; three generations were involved.
Because he hadn’t estimated, it felt like opening a mystery box. How many points? Could he reach a 211 university in Shanghai?
Everything was unknown!
Grandpa and Grandma Peng were getting on in years and kept strict schedules; usually in bed by 9:30 sharp.
Tonight they threw routine out the window and stayed up with everyone until midnight.
Mrs and Mr Peng Senior were of course also present.
A week earlier Mrs Peng had warned her husband: cancel all social engagements. If he wasn’t home by 8 p.m., he could sleep at the office forever.
“I’ll be home on time.”
Mr Peng always kept promises. Tonight he really stepped through the door before eight.
Only to discover that, because scores were released tonight, his wife had cooked a huge feast for their son.
Grandpa and Grandma Peng were eating too.
Mr Peng stood in the doorway clutching his briefcase, looking at the table groaning with delicious food, then remembered the sad cafeteria dinner he’d eaten at the office an hour ago. He once again suspected he was the live-in son-in-law.
Why had no one told him his wife was cooking tonight?
Never mind.
Pursuing such details was pointless.
Like the sunflowers in the garden; he wasn’t allowed to pick even one. Two days later he noticed several were missing.
Where did those sunflowers go?
To this day he didn’t dare ask, terrified of the heart-stabbing answer!
Excluding the “son-in-law”, the four Pengs finished dinner. Mrs Peng cut fruit, everyone gathered in the living room, and Grandpa Peng suggested watching Lane Family together.
“There’s still time anyway.”
At the recent Magnolia Awards, Lane Family had been the biggest winner. With awards piled high, Jiaxin immediately released official DVDs. Genuine discs were expensive; small rental shops wouldn’t stock them.
No problem; Jiaxin’s genuine discs weren’t aimed at rental shops but at die-hard fans.
Peng Guoqing was, after all, a Jiaxin shareholder. Before ordinary fans could buy them, he had used his status to grab more than twenty sets.
Yes, twenty-plus sets.
Of course he couldn’t watch that many himself.
Almost every relative and friend in the Peng family had received one; all gifts from Grandpa Peng!
Sending discs was one thing.
Now the old man wanted to watch Lane Family again. Mr Peng felt exhausted. Again? We can recite the lines already!
Yet the live-in son-in-law had no vote. Grandpa’s proposal was unanimously approved.
The familiar theme song, familiar characters, familiar dialogue.
Grandpa and Grandma watched with relish.
Mr Peng turned to his idiot son. “When is Jiaxin releasing something new?”
Peng Guoqing immediately grew wary. “Why are you asking? You’re not giving me pocket money anyway. Jiaxin has no cash to shoot anything new!”
Two million in pocket money?
Normally Mr Peng would tell his idiot son to get lost.
Tonight, strangely, he wavered.
Lane Family was excellent, but he truly was sick of it.
If spending some money meant a new drama to watch… maybe not a bad deal.
And so Mr Peng endured four long hours until the clock finally struck midnight.
Mrs Peng’s alarm rang. Mr Peng escaped the endless Lane Family loop.
As long as it stopped looping, he would agree to anything. Right now his expectations for his son had hit rock bottom.
A 211 university really was a bit ambitious for Peng Guoqing.
Lower the bar; any regular first-tier university would do.
Relatives and friends all helped look up the score. In the end Peng Guoqing himself got through on the hotline first.
“What?!”
He heard his score but also somehow didn’t.
Fortunately the phone was on speaker; the whole family heard it.
Mrs Peng was the first to laugh. “Qingqing, you did great!”
Grandpa Peng smiled. “I told you our Qingqing would be fine.”
Grandma gently tugged her husband’s sleeve. “Is this score good? Can he get into a 211?”
Peng Guoqing himself felt he was dreaming. He murmured, “Last year Beijing’s science Tier-1 line was 528. Xie Qian said this year’s won’t be much higher. Optimistically the same, definitely not over 532.”
Mr Peng seized the key point. “So you’re above this year’s Tier-1 line?”
Peng Guoqing had blind faith in Xie Qian. “Of course!”
Even before the official cutoff was announced, Peng Guoqing was certain he had crossed the Tier-1 line!
Doing some quick mental maths, he fell into ecstasy. “Not only did I cross Tier-1, I’m probably ten points above! Last year that 211 university’s lowest score in Beijing was 529, just one point above Tier-1! I’m ten points over. How can I not get in?”
Yes. Peng Guoqing scored 539.
If this year’s Beijing science Tier-1 line was as Xie Qian predicted, Peng Guoqing was indeed about ten points above it.
