“Didn’t you say the stuff was all gone?”

Cen Zhengnian turned off the light. Because of the rain, the moon was blocked by clouds, making it exceptionally dark outside.

“I bought a lot more from my cousin.”

Chu Xia’s face turned red immediately. “You actually asked your cousin for this?!”

Cen Zhengnian understood Chu Xia’s meaning and kissed her eyes, soothing her. “Don’t worry, Cousin doesn’t mind.”

Chu Xia: But I do mind!

However, she soon had no energy to think about this.

---

The next morning, Cen Zhengnian arrived at the research lab, his cheerful demeanor in stark contrast to Ye Xingxiu’s gloomy face.

“Here’s your umbrella back.” Ye Xingxiu, holding the umbrella, couldn’t help but recall the embarrassing incident from the previous day.

The more he thought about it, the more he wanted to hide the evidence.

“The umbrella is dirty.” Cen Zhengnian frowned at the mud on the umbrella. “It wasn’t like this when you took it.”

“Hahaha.” A colleague laughed from the side. “That’s because he ran with the umbrella and fell.”

Cen Zhengnian felt no sympathy for Ye Xingxiu.

The umbrella Chu Xia gave him was not something to be easily lent out.

“It’s fine if you get dirty, but the umbrella can’t be dirty.”

Ye Xingxiu looked incredulous. “Cen Zhengnian! Are you human? Is an umbrella more important than me?”

Cen Zhengnian nodded. “This is a gift from my wife.”

Fearing Ye Xingxiu might damage his umbrella further, he took it to the washroom to clean and dry it with a cloth.

Ye Xingxiu observed Cen Zhengnian’s actions and realized that indeed, the umbrella was more important than him.

Last night, when he fell, only the teacher showed concern after laughing, and his colleagues all laughed at him.

He had to change and wash his own clothes: it was pitiful.

---

Chu Xia brought An An to Grandpa Jiang’s house and found Jiang Zhiyi there as well.

Chu Xia told Grandpa Jiang that she had received her acceptance letter and was waiting to register at the end of August.

Grandpa Jiang, sipping tea, said, “That’s not far off. Have you prepared everything?”

“Almost,” Chu Xia replied. Mainly bedding and clothes were needed.

They had those at home, and daily necessities were easy to arrange.

Jiang Zhiyi, half-lying on the sofa, eating a peach, looked at Chu Xia with curiosity. “Cousin-in-law, which university did you apply to?”

Uncle Jiang’s family had not inquired about Chu Xia’s results, as they were focused on Jiang Zhiyi’s matters.

“Beijing Traditional Chinese Medicine University.”

Jiang Zhiyi straightened up. “I’ve heard that’s a high-ranking school. Cousin-in-law, you’re impressive!”

Her tone was both envious and sincere.

Chu Xia, sitting beside her, smiled at An An, who was trying to eat more watermelon, and did not speak.

However, An An, who was nearby, nodded and said, “Mom is the best! Mom scored…”

Before he could finish, Chu Xia put a peach in his mouth. “Don’t eat too much watermelon. Eat the peach instead.”

Jiang Zhiyi, feeling both intrigued and anxious, couldn’t help but ask, “Cousin-in-law, what was your score?”

“586, the top science student in the province.” Before Chuxia could speak, Grandpa Jiang chimed in.

Seeing Jiang Zhiyi’s stunned expression, clearly disheartened, Grandpa Jiang continued, “Your Cousin-in-law is indeed impressive. You should learn from her in the future.”

Jiang Zhiyi closed her gaping mouth and looked at Chuxia with sparkling eyes. “Cousin, how did you manage to score so high? I had no idea I was sitting next to the top science student in the province!”

She stood up and grabbed Chuxia’s hand. “I always thought you were amazing, but I didn’t realize you were this amazing. I should have held your hand before the college entrance exam to get some of your luck!”

Chuxia burst out laughing at Jiang Zhiyi’s cute antics. “If I really had that kind of luck, I’d definitely share it with you.”

Cen Huai’an, silently eating a peach, held Chuxia’s other hand.

He wanted to share in his mom’s good fortune too, even though he didn’t really understand what that meant.

The atmosphere was cheerful as they chatted when Second Uncle Jiang and Aunt Zhou Huaying arrived.

“Dad, we’re taking Zhiyi home today.”

“I’m not going!” Jiang Zhiyi hid behind Grandpa Jiang. “If I go back, you’ll force me to repeat the year. Even though the school I got into isn’t the best, it’s still a bachelor’s program. I don’t want to repeat!”

Second Uncle Jiang earnestly persuaded her, “Zhiyi, listen to your parents. You have the ability to get into a better university. We’re not trying to harm you.”

Aunt Zhou Huaying coldly added, “If you don’t repeat the year, don’t call me your mom in the future.”

Chuxia saw Jiang Zhiyi’s eyes redden instantly.

She lowered her head, hiding behind Grandpa Jiang and biting her lip tightly.

Her opinion of Second Uncle Jiang and Aunt Zhou Huaying worsened.

Grandpa Jiang tapped his cane heavily. “What are you trying to do? The child has already gotten into college. If she doesn’t want to repeat the year, then let it be. It’s not like she can’t continue her education later. Forcing her like this, do you think she’ll do better next year? When you made decisions, including marrying Huaying, did I interfere?”

Second Uncle Jiang’s face flushed red, and he lowered his head, but he still insisted, “Dad, things are different now.”

Grandpa Jiang snorted. “If not repeating the year means not acknowledging her as my daughter, then should I say that you not listening to me means you should stop calling me Dad?”

Chuxia silently gave Grandpa Jiang a thumbs-up in her mind: Grandpa is awesome!

“Dad!” Second Uncle Jiang exclaimed in panic.

“Dad,” Aunt Zhou Huaying called, her face also showing discomfort.

Grandpa Jiang said, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. I’m not trying to interfere with your parenting, but you should also respect the child’s opinion and listen to her thoughts.”

Second Uncle Jiang replied, “She’s just a child. What does she know?”

Grandpa Jiang retorted, “She’s 18 and understands what she needs to. When I married your mother, she was only 18.”

Second Uncle Jiang and Aunt Zhou Huaying’s faces grew even more strained.

They knew that with Grandpa Jiang present, they couldn’t force Jiang Zhiyi to go home and listen to them today.

Grandpa Jiang cleared out the study and sat aside, letting the family discuss things, ensuring it wasn’t just a one-sided decision.

Chuxia and Cen Huai’an stayed in the living room, drinking tea and eating snacks.

Cen Huai’an wanted to sneak a popsicle but was pulled out of the kitchen by Chuxia.

“You’ve already had one today. No more!”

Cen Huai’an licked his lips, still feeling hot despite having eaten a popsicle.

From the study, Jiang Zhiyi’s excited voice and Aunt Zhou Huaying’s haughty, angry tones could be heard.

Sitting next to Chuxia, Cen Huai’an asked, “Mom, if I don’t do well in college like Aunt Zhiyi, would you make me repeat the year too?”

“I think like your great-grandfather. I’d respect your opinion,” Chuxia replied, then added, “But I believe you’re so amazing that you won’t score poorly!”

Cen Huai’an’s mouth curved up. “Mm.”

He also thought, since Dad and Uncle said that Jinghua and Jingyan are the best universities, should he aim for Jinghua or Jingyan in the future?

He hadn’t decided yet and turned to Chuxia.

She paused eating grapes and patted his head, saying, “I think right now, you should focus on maintaining the top spot every time.”

Cen Huai’an nodded seriously. “I’ll study hard and make sure to be first in every exam!”

Chuxia encouraged him.

With Grandpa Jiang’s support, Jiang Zhiyi reluctantly reached an agreement with her parents.

She wouldn’t repeat the year but was expected to aim for a good graduate program, with Aunt Zhou Huaying setting a minimum acceptable university.

Chuxia thought: The pressure starts even before college.

The universities listed by Aunt Zhou Huaying were all difficult to get into, with Jinghua and Jingyan at the top.

Jiang Zhiyi didn’t go home with Second Uncle Jiang and her Mother.

Once her parents left, she slumped onto the sofa. “Sometimes, I really don’t know if my parents pushing me to study is genuinely for my good or just for their own pride.”

Grandpa Jiang patted her head. “Even though your parents’ methods are somewhat flawed, wanting you to study isn’t wrong.”

When Chuxia got home, she told Cen Zhengnian about the day’s events.

Cen Zhengnian wasn’t surprised and said, “This is typical of Second Uncle Jiang and Aunt Zhou Huaying.”

He obviously knew Second Uncle Jiang and Aunt Zhou Huaying better than Chuxia did.

He served Chuxia a bowl of rib soup and placed it in front of her. “Second Uncle Jiang works in the Ministry of Culture, and Aunt Zhou Huaying teaches at a university. The colleagues and friends they interact with place a high value on their children’s academic performance and often compare.”

So, it’s natural for Second Uncle Jiang and Aunt Zhou Huaying to be unhappy with Jiang Zhiyi’s lower-than-expected scores and the university she got into.

Chuxia nodded. “The issue is that Zhiyi doesn’t want to repeat the year. The pressure of repeating can be huge, and if next year’s results are worse than this year’s, it can be even more discouraging. Should she continue or not?”

Cen Zhengnian nodded. “With Grandpa Jiang around, it won’t become too tense.”

He looked at Chuxia with a smile and added, “Neither I nor our family will force you into anything. You can decide about college or further studies based on your own preferences.”

Cen Huai’an, sitting nearby, also raised his hand. “I won’t force Mom either.”

Chu Xia couldn’t help but laugh as she rubbed his head.

---

As late August approached, Chu Xia met the spirited Jiang Zhida at Grandpa Jiang’s house.

It was evident from his demeanor that his business venture had been quite successful.

He rushed into Grandpa Jiang’s house, downed a glass of cool water in one gulp, and his smile didn’t falter. “Cousin-in-law, do you know how much I earned?”

“This amount! It’s more than double my investment.”

Before Chu Xia could respond, he excitedly continued, “Cousin-in-law, asking my brother was the right move, and the business plan you helped me write was incredibly useful. I followed your advice, first surveying the market, and didn’t rush to buy goods once we got to Yangcheng. We observed for a long time, used my brother’s connections in Yangcheng to source goods, and once we arrived in Beijing, we found a high-traffic area. The sales were so quick that we couldn’t keep up with the demand. I even took several advance orders. After a short break, Xiaoran and I will go back to Yangcheng.”

Jiang Zhida came to Grandpa Jiang’s house primarily to discuss his successful business with Chu Xia.

Knowing his limited business acumen, he had brought a radio and an electronic watch as gifts.

With his brother’s help, the factory he found was reliable, and he wasn’t swindled.

He planned to further develop his business.

The products were inexpensive and readily available in Yangcheng and were very popular in Beijing.

In addition to selling radios, he also brought some popular music tapes, which were even more popular.

Some people specifically asked him for tapes of singers.

These items didn’t take up much space like radios did, so he could carry more and wasn’t worried about not selling them.

Jiang Zhida also came to return Chu Xia’s money.

Chu Xia asked, “You’ve returned the money, but do you have enough to restock?”

Jiang Zhida scratched his head, honestly admitting that he wanted to buy more, but the funds were still a bit short.

Chu Xia noticed his concern and smiled, “It’s fine. Keep the money for now. Zhengnian and I aren’t short of cash at the moment. Pay me back when you have enough.”

Holding the money, Jiang Zhida felt a bit emotional.

He wasn’t sure how to express his gratitude to Chu Xia and Cen Zhengnian.

“Cousin-in-law, tell my brother and sister-in-law that I’ll remember their kindness for a lifetime.”

Chu Xia replied, “You don’t need to be so serious. You’ve helped us a lot in the past as well, like getting An An’s school and finding a martial arts teacher.”

Jiang Zhida sheepishly scratched his head. “Well, the martial arts teacher was mainly introduced by Uncle.”

After leaving Grandpa Jiang’s house, Jiang Zhida rushed to Qian Ran’s house.

Qian Ran, having earned some money through his hard work, was no longer seen as a disappointment by his parents.

He had been treated well at home lately.

“Xiaoran.”

“Dazi, did you buy the tickets?”

Jiang Zhida shook his head. “No. My cousin-in-law didn’t take the money back and let me continue using it.”