Chapter 148 : Han Zhenyu is going to school?

Han Zhenyu went to see Li Shaohua again.  

The two men spoke in hushed tones inside the room for a while before Han Zhenyu emerged holding a fish.  

He slung the fish over his bicycle and said, “When your wife has some time off, bring her over to our house so she can get to know my wife.”  

Li Shaohua sighed. “My wife has been wanting to visit, but it’s just bad timing. Every time she has a break, we end up on a business trip, so it’s hard to plan.”  

“Oh, by the way, my uncle mentioned yesterday that we’re heading south next week. Four trucks will go, including the two of us. You should prepare, the trip might take about ten days.”  

Han Zhenyu nodded. “Got it. I’ll be ready. You head back inside. I need to swing by the supply and marketing cooperative to pick up a few things.”  

Li Shaohua added, “Don’t forget to come tomorrow afternoon. My uncle said there’s a meeting.”  

“Sure, I won’t forget.” Han Zhenyu waved and rode off on his bicycle.  

—  

In the woods, Su Xieqiu was gathering mushrooms with the two children when she spotted Han Zhenyu riding his bike home, a fish and a net bag hanging from the handlebars.  

She asked, “Why did you buy a fish?”  

“I didn’t buy it, Shaohua gave it to me,” Han Zhenyu replied with a smile. “I’ll cook braised fish for you this morning.”  

Su Xieqiu stepped closer to inspect the fish. “This is grass carp. It’s not ideal for braising. Let’s make pickled fish instead.”  

Han Zhenyu looked puzzled. “Pickled fish? I don’t know how to make that.”  

“I’ll do it. I’m an expert at cooking it. You’ll love it, it’ll smell so good your tongue will melt.”  

In her previous life, pickled fish was Su Xieqiu’s favorite dish. She had even learned multiple recipes online just to perfect it.  

Han Zhenyu gazed at her warmly. “Alright, I’ll help you.”  

Su Xieqiu grinned and nodded. As they headed home, little An An hugged Han Zhenyu’s legs and said in a soft, babyish voice, “Uncle, An An wants a ride.”  

“Okay, let’s get An An in the bike,” Han Zhenyu said, lifting her onto the front bumper with a smile.  

Su Xieqiu picked up Chenchen and placed him on the rear of the bike. Both children clapped their hands in delight.  

—  

While preparing the meal, Su Xieqiu suddenly asked, “Han Zhenyu, how many years of school did you attend?”  

Han Zhenyu paused, added some firewood to the stove, and replied lightly, “I studied at my grandmother’s for three years and here for two years. I stopped after primary school because my father said the family couldn’t afford it. My uncle offered to pay for me, but I refused since they’d already supported me for years. I didn’t want to add to their burden.”  

Su Xieqiu glanced at him, deep in thought.  

At 21 years old, Han Zhenyu would be 28 when the college entrance exam resumed. Although he’d be older, she remembered the age limit for the first exam was under 30.  

She couldn’t help but think that Han Zhenyu was so intelligent that he had to try, no matter what.  

The first college entrance exam was incredibly valuable. If he got into university, it would help him make connections that could benefit him greatly, whether he pursued business or politics in the future.  

She touched her chin, pondering whether graduating from primary school would qualify him for the exam. It would be even better if he could obtain a junior or high school diploma.  

Seeing her silent, Han Zhenyu misinterpreted her reaction, thinking she looked down on his lack of education. He wanted to say something but hesitated and stayed quiet.  

Unaware of his unease, Su Xieqiu was busy planning how to prepare him for the exam.  

She thought, ‘I’ll give him a test after dinner to assess his level. If he’s struggling, I’ll tutor him myself.’  

She recalled reading somewhere that the first college entrance exam required a junior high school education or higher. But was her memory accurate?

To be cautious, she decided it was best to let him try the test first, there was no harm in doing so.  

While eating, Su Xieqiu noticed that Han Zhenyu put down his chopsticks after eating only a little. She thought he didn’t like the pickled fish.  

She asked, “You don’t like today’s food? Next time, let’s make braised fish. Braised food is quite delicious too.”  

Han Zhenyu smiled and shook his head. “No, this fish is delicious, much better than braised fish.”  

Seeing her look of disbelief, he hesitated but decided to address the matter directly.  

He valued honesty in their relationship, knowing that bottling things up would only harm them in the long run.  

“Su Xieqiu, do you think I’m not well-educated?” he asked straightforwardly.  

“Ah, no,” she said, surprised by the question.  

Realizing he had misunderstood her, she put down her chopsticks with a helpless smile. “What are you thinking? I didn’t study that much more than you. What right do I have to look down on you?”  

“Are you sure you don’t think less of me?” Han Zhenyu raised an eyebrow skeptically.  

“I already told you no, but you keep asking. Aren’t you annoying?” she shot back.  

She scooped a large bowl of rice for him and said, “Eat up. A grown man sulking, it’s hilarious, isn’t it?”  

Han Zhenyu realized how childish he had sounded but didn’t want to admit it. Instead, he argued stubbornly, “I wasn’t sulking!”  

Ignoring him, Su Xieqiu focused on carefully removing fish bones for An An and Chen Chen.  

Left with no choice, Han Zhenyu picked up his chopsticks and resumed eating. Just as he took a couple of bites, Su Xieqiu said nonchalantly  

“Your elementary school education is a bit basic. How about I give you extra lessons so you can take the junior high school diploma exam?”  

Han Zhenyu paused. “I’m already over 20. Isn’t it inappropriate for me to go back to school?”  

“What’s inappropriate about it? People say you can learn as long as you live. You’re only in your early 20s, why can’t you learn?” she replied with a smile, feeding a piece of fish to An An.  

“I’m not saying you need to go back to school,” she clarified. “I’ll tutor you, and then you can take an exam through connections. Having a higher education level will really help your future work.”  

Determined, Su Xieqiu silently resolved to tutor Han Zhenyu herself over the next few years so they could take the college entrance exam together.  

After thinking carefully, Han Zhenyu realized her suggestion made sense.  

Even in their current factory, promotions required a certain level of education.  

With a smile, he said, “Wife, I’ll listen to you. If you want me to take the test, I’ll give it a try.”  

Pleased, Su Xieqiu smiled and, after dinner, tested him with a few questions.  

Han Zhenyu’s foundational knowledge surprised her. He answered five out of six questions correctly.  

His handwriting was also impressive, neat and bold, far from what she expected from someone who only graduated elementary school.  

She praised him sincerely, “Han Zhenyu, you’re so smart, and your handwriting is beautiful! You must’ve done really well in school.”  

Amused, Han Zhenyu teased her by pretending to be proud. “Not bad, right? From first to fifth grade, I always ranked first in every exam.”  

“Wow, so amazing?” she exclaimed, playing along as she pinched his cheeks like a fangirl.  

“Of course. Don’t you know who I am?” he quipped.  

Both burst into laughter, their joy infectious. Even Chen Chen and An An giggled along, their faces lighting up with innocent delight.