Chapter 46: I Really Got In

“How did you think of using a cotton jacket as a cushion on the bike seat? That’s such a great idea.” With her butt no longer hurting, she felt much better.

Jiang Hong smiled slightly, “I’m glad you like it.”

Li Yiyi listened to his gentle voice, her eyes sparkling as she wrapped her arms around his solid waist, bashfully resting her chin on his back. The scene was warm and lovely.

Jiang Hong tightened his grip on the handlebars, a faint blush showing on his dark cheeks.

Half an hour later, the young couple finally arrived at the school gate where the scores were being announced.

At this point, many people had already gathered at the school gate to check their results.

“Why aren’t you going over?” Jiang Hong parked the bike and saw her standing still, so he walked over and asked.

Li Yiyi took a deep breath, “I’m a bit nervous.”

Jiang Hong chuckled softly, looking at her with tender eyes, “Didn’t you say you already knew the results? Why are you still nervous?”

“Knowing is one thing, checking is another. You wouldn’t understand,” she argued, stretching her neck at him.

Jiang Hong immediately surrendered, “Okay, you’re right. How about this—I’ll go check for you, and you wait here for me.”

Li Yiyi shook her head, “No, I’ll check myself. This is my affair; if I don’t participate, I’ll regret it for the rest of my life.”

“Don’t be afraid; I’ll stay by your side.” He stepped forward and gently held her hand, but seeing the crowd around them, he reluctantly let go.

Maybe it was because of his encouragement, but Li Yiyi took a deep breath. “I’m not scared; it’s just checking the results. What’s the big deal?” After saying that, she held her head high and walked toward the crowd.

Jiang Hong followed behind her, watching her try to look calm with her adorable demeanor, and the smile on his lips never faded.

Finally, with his help, she found her name at the top of the first red paper.

“Jiang Hong, did you see? I got first place! First place!” Staring at the name, it took her a while to believe it really was hers.

“I see it; you’re amazing,” Jiang Hong said happily for her.

If it weren’t for the many people around, he really would have wanted to hug her.

At her shout, the people checking the scores immediately turned to look at her.

“Comrade, are you Li Yiyi?” A few bolder individuals approached her with envious expressions.

Li Yiyi quickly shook off her earlier childish excitement and answered them with a mature demeanor, “Yes, I’m Li Yiyi.”

“So the name at the top is really yours! You’re so incredible; you actually got first place!”

“Comrade, where did you graduate from? Or have you studied medicine before?”

“No, I haven’t studied medicine; I guess I just got lucky.” Faced with the enthusiastic questioning from everyone, Li Yiyi replied calmly.

“You’re really amazing! I heard that the first-place winner gets to intern directly at a big hospital in the city, no further exams required. You’ve truly secured a job with the state this time,” someone said with a hint of sourness.

Seeing some people envying her while others were jealous, Li Yiyi quickly pulled Jiang Hong aside and ran out of the crowd and out of the school gate.

“What’s wrong?” After being pulled out, Jiang Hong saw the panic on her face and asked with concern.

Li Yiyi glanced back at the crowd and whispered in his ear, “Didn’t you see? Those people look like they want to eat me. If I don’t leave soon, they might even devour my bones.”

The warm breath from her mouth brushed against his face, making him feel a bit restless.

Just then, a surprised voice interrupted his thoughts.

“Little sister, is that really you? I thought I was seeing things.” A voice of astonishment came from not far away.

Li Yiyi heard the call and turned around, quickly spotting the owner of the voice.

Narrowing her eyes, she recognized the approaching figure—it was her cousin, Li Mushui, who had been involved in reselling goods.

“Mushui Ge, what a coincidence! What are you doing here?” Knowing that her relationship with this cousin was about the same as her original self, Li Yiyi greeted him in a casual manner.

“It is quite a coincidence. I’m here to drop off some things,” Li Mushui answered with a smile.

At that moment, his gaze landed on Jiang Hong standing beside her. “This must be your husband, right? Hello, brother-in-law, I’m Yiyi’s cousin, Li Mushui.”

Jiang Hong nodded at him, cherishing the interaction, and called out, “Mushui Ge.”

Li Mushui’s expression didn’t change; he still looked cheerful. “Would you like to come to my house for a drink?”

Li Yiyi suddenly remembered that her cousin had moved to this side of the city with his wife and children last year to rent a house.

“No, thank you, Mushui Ge. We have some things to do at home; let’s do it another day,” Li Yiyi politely declined.

Li Mushui smiled and nodded, “Alright, let’s do it another day.” He then mentioned a location.

“If you come to the city in the future, you can find me at this place. I live there,” Li Mushui said.

After chatting for a while, Li Mushui had things to attend to, so the three quickly parted ways.

The young couple rode their bike to the supply and marketing cooperative, but they arrived a bit late; all the fresh meat had sold out. In the end, they bought a roasted chicken and a braised pork leg.

While checking out, hearing the price announced by the cashier made Li Yiyi wince a little. For just these two items, it cost half a jin of meat tickets plus eight yuan. If she had bought this in the space supermarket, she could have gotten quite a lot of things.

On the way back, Li Yiyi remembered that the man in front of her wouldn’t be home for long.

“When are you going back to your unit?” she asked.

“Four days from now,” Jiang Hong answered after a moment of silence as he rode the bike.

Upon hearing his answer, Li Yiyi thought about how she should find some time in the next few days to visit the space supermarket to buy some fresh meat to cook for him to take back to his unit.

“Wife, aren’t you considering coming with me to the army?” After hesitating for a while, Jiang Hong finally asked.

Li Yiyi was taken aback for a moment and then quickly regained her composure, hugging his sturdy waist as she replied, “Haven’t we discussed this before? I just passed my medical qualification exam; if I go with you now, wouldn’t it be a waste? I want to achieve something here first before considering that. You’ll support me, right?”

Although he already expected this answer, he felt a bit disappointed but nonetheless responded affirmatively, “Of course, I support you. Just take good care of yourself and the kids while I’m away. If you need anything at home, write to me.”

“Got it. You do the same, and take care of yourself in the unit. If you run into any danger, don’t push yourself too hard; think more about me and the kids back home.” She often recalled what Yang Tao said, which made her feel a little uneasy.

“Mm, okay.” He replied in a slightly muffled voice.