Chapter 224: Skipping Grades and Beekeeping

After bidding farewell to the elderly men, Zhang Lan started tidying up the house they had stayed in. The room felt empty, with only the awarded thermos flasks and some bedding left behind, representing the presence of several people.

“Uncle Chen, I’ll have Mingyuan come and stay with you at night. This way, you’ll have someone to look after you, and you can also guide the children,” Zhang Lan suggested.

Old Chen, who had been feeling a bit lonely, felt warmer upon hearing Zhang Lan’s words. “Niece, with you here, Uncle Chen doesn’t need to worry about a thing. Later, you can bring Mingyuan’s bedding over. When Mingcheng comes back, let him stay with me. I may not have many skills, but guiding children’s studies is my strong suit. I really hope to see these children all go to college.”

“Uncle, with you around, the kids will certainly live up to your hopes. However, when the college entrance exam will be restored is still uncertain, so we’ll just have to wait. After all, Mingcheng has just entered high school, so there’s no rush,” Zhang Lan replied.

Old Chen settled in comfortably at the Wangs’ house. With Guo Xing and Zhang Qiang gone, only one remained, and after a few instructions from Old Chen, he also left.

This year, Wang Xuan is also taking the high school entrance exam, so Zhang Lan’s attention has been focused on her eldest daughter. With Old Chen around, Wang Xuan was in high spirits as she prepared for her exams.

Once again, Zhang Lan accompanied her daughter during an exam. Meanwhile, Mingcheng was having lunch inside the house. As Zhang Lan pushed the door open, she saw her son sitting alone in the courtyard, eating his meal.

Mingcheng wasn’t surprised to see his mother and sister. They had agreed on the timing during their last conversation. “Mom, come and have your meal. I’ve saved some dishes for you. I’ve also tidied up the house, just waiting for your arrival,” he said.

Upon seeing the meal his older brother had prepared, Wang Xuan’s stomach immediately growled. “Brother, this looks amazing, and there’s even a cold dish. It smells so good, and it seems like there’s sesame oil in it. Mom, let’s taste my brother’s cooking. I haven’t had it since the last time. Big brother, I’ll be counting on you after I start high school. We’ll come here for meals,” she said enthusiastically.

The siblings began to share their experiences, while Zhang Lan took the food prepared by Mingcheng out of the kitchen. Wang Xuan quickly rearranged the plates and bowls on the table.

“Ah, my son’s cooking is really good. Mingcheng, when you and your sister live together, Mom won’t have to worry,” Zhang Lan remarked.

After rushing back from the city following her daughter’s exam, Zhang Lan felt uneasy without her Aunt at home. However, as soon as she arrived, she heard her younger daughter directing Wang Zhenhe in the kitchen. Wang Xuan was standing on a small stool, stir-frying vegetables in a pan.

Zhang Lan quickly set down her things and took the spatula from her daughter. “Qianqian, let me take over. You take a break,” she insisted.

“Mom, this is the only dish left. I’ve done everything else,” Wang Qian replied.

Meanwhile, Wang Zhenhe was asking his elder daughter about the exam. Wang Xuan just chuckled, “Dad, you can wait for the admission notice at home. There shouldn’t be any major issues. Grandpa Chen even told me about it.”

Wang Xuan wasn’t entirely sure if she could outperform Mingcheng, but she had answered most of the questions. She felt quite confident about starting high school.

As the acceptance letters arrived once again, the village was filled with excitement. It was a matter of great honor for one after another from the Wang family to enter high school.

The status of Zhang Lan and her husband in the villagers’ eyes continued to rise. When Wang Deshan learned that his granddaughter had also passed the exam, he was overjoyed, even happier than when Wang Zhenguo had a son.

Zhu Qiyu just pursed her lips and said nothing. With the successive achievements of the third family, she felt a bit envious. She coaxed her grandson, who was drooling in her arms, “Minggui, be a good boy. In the future, you should also pass the high school entrance exam, and show those who look down on us what you’re made of.”

The elderly man didn’t like her words. He just rolled his eyes, turned his head, and continued smoking his tobacco.

In the summer, the production team was going to set up a nursery class. Families with children could collectively contribute money for care. At that time, there was no concept of childcare fees. The Wang family had two consecutive high school students, so some envious individuals nominated Zhang Lan to educate the nursery class.

Firstly, Zhang Lan had graduated from junior high school, at least a higher level of education compared to many of the older women. Secondly, with so many of the Wang children either skipping grades or entering high school, everyone believed that Zhang Lan had unique insights into educating children. Lastly, her physical condition was also taken into consideration.

Teaching the nursery class felt like a pleasant break for Zhang Lan, akin to doing light work. She gladly accepted the team’s arrangement.

The nursery class was set up in the courtyard of the production team, using the houses where the elderly men had lived.

Parents could conveniently drop off their children at the nursery class while they worked, allowing Zhang Lan to bring the children back home when their parents finished work. This arrangement was well received by the members of the production team.

Throughout the summer, the air in the village resonated with the clear and innocent voices of children singing songs taught by Zhang Lan. “A group of ducklings is raised in the production team. Every morning, I drive them to the pond…”

Hearing the children’s songs while working on the mountainside further energized the adults. When they returned home, the children would sing for them. With Mingyuan starting junior high, Wang Qian found herself alone at home. Without her brother’s company on the way to school, she had to accompany the village’s children to school.

Wang Qian was already in the fifth grade. There was no talk of starting the sixth grade yet, but she saw it as a time-saving opportunity.

After much consideration, she decided to study in the same grade as her brother. It seemed like a waste of time to continue separately. Time was truly precious to her.

In the evening, Zhang Lan and her husband discussed the matter with their daughter. “Mom, I want to skip a grade, preferably to be in the same class as my brother. This way, we can look out for each other when we take the high school entrance exam. I’m already very familiar with the current study material. Continuing as is would be a waste. What do you think?” Wang Qian asked.

Zhang Lan hesitated at her daughter’s proposal. After all, they had already skipped a grade once, and Wang Qian was still quite young.

But when the child brought it up, she couldn’t help but take it seriously. In her eyes, her youngest daughter’s thoughts were somewhat different from those of the other children, and indeed, different from any other child’s thoughts.

“Zhenhe, maybe we should let her skip a grade and be in the same class as Mingyuan. This way, they can look out for each other even when they’re in high school. I had hoped our daughter would find a playmate at school or in the village, but over the years, Wang Qian has rarely played with others. She’s always been focused on earning and supporting the family. If that’s the case, we might as well let her skip a grade,” Zhang Lan suggested.

Wang Zhenhe agreed with his wife’s thoughts. Their daughter had been mature beyond her years since she was young. They had hoped that things would be better at school, but she had shown little improvement there.

“Wife, let’s just go along with what the child wants. But Qianqian, you can only skip one grade. Remember, haste makes waste. Enjoy being a child for a while. When you grow up, it might be impossible to go back,” Wang Zhenhe advised.

With that, the couple settled Wang Qian’s schooling in the space. Wang Zhenhe got up to check on the fruit trees. They had already been pollinated, and there were quite a few small fruits growing. The fruit trees at the back of the house, however, had yet to bloom. As he looked at the green, unripe fruits, he couldn’t help but swallow hard, imagining how they would look when they grew up.

Wang Qian chuckled as she watched her father’s eager expression. “Dad, you’re drooling all over the place. Stop looking at them. They’ll be ready to eat in a few days. I’ll make sure you have a hearty meal then. Why don’t you have some grapes now? I just checked, and they’re already ripe,” she suggested.

Wang Zhenhe dashed outside. “Little rascal, you didn’t even tell me that the grapes were ready.”

After picking the grapes, Wang Zhenhe enjoyed them thoroughly. “Wife, it feels like the taste is getting better and better,” he remarked, handing a bunch to Zhang Lan. The couple had always felt that the flavor of these grapes had been changing.

At first, Wang Qian didn’t believe it, but after tasting them, she realized that the flavor of the grapes had indeed evolved. However, she couldn’t figure out what had caused it. Nonetheless, she enjoyed eating them. The sweet taste made her feel so comfortable.

“Mom, have some more. It might be good for your health. I’m starting to make wine tomorrow. Dad, can you help me talk to the school about skipping a grade? Also, can we get some bees to raise in the space? If they bloom in the winter, having bees could save us some trouble. Most importantly, I want you to have some honey, and royal jelly would be good for your health too,” Wang Qian proposed.

Wang Zhenhe always agreed to anything that would benefit his wife’s health. “Alright, I’ll inquire about it tomorrow,” he promised.

The next day, Wang Zhenhe went to arrange for his daughter to skip a grade. Although it was summer vacation, he knew where the principal lived.

When Wang Zhenhe once again mentioned the grade-skipping request, Principal Lin readily agreed. As far as she knew, the two students from the Wang family who had skipped a grade were excellent learners. There was no reason for him to refuse such high-caliber students, especially considering the attention Wang Mingcheng’s achievements had garnered at the county education bureau.

After sorting out his daughter’s admission, Wang Zhenhe began inquiring with a few friends about nearby beekeepers.

“Zhenhe, why are you buying bees? The native bees on the mountain are excellent, much better than the bees from the south. I’ll make a few beehives for you. This afternoon, I’ll accompany you to the mountain to catch some bees. Remember when we used to steal honey when we were kids? There are still some native bees in that area. But I have to warn you, it’s not easy to raise them. I’ve seen others try, but their bees all died. You need to be prepared for that,” suggested his carpenter friend, Ma Yongchao.

Wang Zhenhe was grateful for the suggestion. “Good idea. Can you make the beehives for me first? We can see if we can keep them alive. Mainly, my kids want to raise them as pets. We’ll go get them in the afternoon, and I’ll treat you to dinner. We’ve been living in our new house for so many years, and you’ve never had a meal at our place. This time, we’ve agreed; you’re dining at our house.”

“Alright, I’ll make the beehives and come over. You have no choice but to invite me to dinner. I’ve practically made myself at home at your place,” Ma Yongchao agreed.