Chapter 81

Qiao Xinyi understood that because Minister Zhu and the others helped, and since she had been busy taking exams all afternoon, the original afternoon plans were changed. 

The two of them first went to the train station to refund their original tickets and bought new tickets for the day after tomorrow at noon, then rode their bicycles back to town. 

Because of the back-and-forth, by the time they returned to the Feng family and parked their bicycles, it was already a little past ten o’clock at night. 

Aunt Feng’s whole family was still awake, with the two kids, who were still resisting sleep, waiting for Qiao Xinyi and Fu Qingshan. 

“Uncle, Bald Aunt, why are you just getting back~?” 

Hearing the voices, the two kids ran out quickly, one hugging Qiao Xinyi and the other hugging Fu Qingshan who was carrying the bicycle inside. The two kids looked very pitiful. 

“My brother and I thought you guys had a crash on the way,” Fu Linzhou held Qiao Xinyi’s hand with concern, “Bald Aunt, did Uncle not take you swimming in a ditch by accident?” 

Uncle Feng and Aunt Feng also came out when they heard the voices, looking at the two with concern, but relaxed when they saw both were fine. 

“Did the exam go smoothly? Why did it take so long? Have you eaten yet?” Aunt Feng held Qiao Xinyi’s hand and asked. 

Afraid the result might not be good, Aunt Feng quickly comforted her, “It’s okay even if you didn’t pass, exams are difficult, and you haven’t touched textbooks for a long time. Don’t worry, study well after you go back, and let Qingshan pull some strings to arrange another chance for you.” 

“Aunt Feng, I passed! I’ve already got my elementary school graduation certificate. Look! It’s fresh off the press!” Qiao Xinyi took the elementary school graduation certificate out of her bag and handed it to Aunt Feng. 

Fu Qingshan then explained, “When Xinyi was taking the exam, Minister Zhu from the Municipal Education Department happened to be inspecting the work. Minister Zhu values talent, and seeing Xinyi’s outstanding abilities, he arranged for her to take the middle school and high school graduation exams too. Tomorrow morning, Xinyi will go to No.1 High School to collect her high school diploma.” 

Qiao Xinyi waited until Fu Qingshan finished speaking, then proudly took out her middle school graduation certificate as well and showed it around confidently. 

Aunt Feng and the others immediately lit up with joy. 

“Oh wow! You’re amazing! No wonder you came back so late. It must have been such a hard day of exams! You must be starving! Auntie will cook you some noodle soup with two eggs.” 

Aunt Feng was even happier than when her own son graduated high school. Three graduation certificates in one day—wasn’t this a genius? 

Aunt Feng was glad Fu Qingshan found such a good wife and also felt happy for Fu Qingshan’s late mother and elder brother and sister-in-law. Outstanding people should be matched with outstanding people! 

Ignoring Qiao Xinyi’s objections, Aunt Feng hummed a tune and waved her arms as she went into the kitchen to get busy. 

“Xinyi, your brain is just incredible!” Feng Zhenzhu shouted excitedly. “From now on, I won’t secretly pray to the Buddha before exams; praying to you will be enough!” 

After saying this, Feng Zhenzhu glanced toward the neighboring house and snorted, “You weren’t home all day, and things got lively next door. Aunt Zhang took Zheng Dahe back to Zhangjia Village, but her family drove her out and wouldn’t even let her enter the house, saying they want to sever ties with her.” 

“Zhang Mengdi went to Fu’s house to cause trouble, crying that she didn’t want to live anymore and wanted to die, forcing Uncle Zheng to pay her ten yuan to settle the matter.” 

“Zheng Dajiang has been telling everyone that Fu Qingshan’s girlfriend is the biggest bragger around, ruining your reputation. He even said that if you manage to get your elementary school diploma, he’ll eat shit standing on his head in front of the whole town.” 

“Oh! Third Uncle’s going to eat shit!” 

Fu Linzhou and Fu Zeyu happily clapped their hands. They handed the graduation certificates back to Qiao Xinyi and immediately ran out of the Feng house, heading back to their own home. 

Before they even got home, their voices could be heard. 

“Grandpa! Grandma Zhang! Aunt Qiao got her diploma! Third Uncle has to eat shit standing on his head now!” 

“When is Third Uncle eating shit? Tonight or tomorrow?” 

The Zheng family had just gone to bed when they were rudely awakened by the children shouting loudly in the yard.

Zheng Dajiang fell off the bed with a bang but lay there silently, either stunned or dazed from the fall.

The two children knocked loudly on his door. Only then did Zheng Dajiang come to his senses, hurriedly put on clothes, opened the door, and shouted, “What are you knocking for? Don’t you know I’m sleeping?”

“Third Uncle, get up and eat shit!” Fu Linzhou proudly tilted his head back, “Aunt Qiao got three graduation certificates.”

“Elementary school, middle school, and high school!” Fu Zeyu counted on his fingers for Zheng Dajiang.

“Uncle and Aunt Qiao ate noodle soup at Grandma Feng’s and then came back, so when are you going to eat shit standing on your head?” Fu Linzhou sincerely asked. “Do you have shit now? Otherwise, my brother and I can go poop and save some for you?”

“Third Uncle, do you like your shit hot or cold?” Fu Zeyu also asked.

So annoying! Every sentence from the two kids involved shit, and Zheng Dajiang’s head was buzzing.

When he heard that Qiao Xinyi and the others were still at the Feng’s and hadn’t returned yet, Zheng Dajiang’s first reaction was to run away.

He grabbed the money from the table, stuffed it into his pocket, pushed past the two kids blocking the door, and took off running.

Fu Linzhou pulled his brother along and chased after him a few steps, asking, “Third Uncle, are you going to buy shit? No need to buy, my brother and I can poop. If you don’t like our poop, you can ask Grandma Zhang to poop for you.”

Zheng Dajiang was already far away, but Zhang Zao and Zheng Youliang had opened the window, glaring angrily at the two kids standing at the gate.

“Why are you screaming out here so late at night and not sleeping? If you don’t sleep, does that mean no one else can sleep?” Zheng Youliang shouted angrily. “What do grown-ups’ jokes have to do with you kids? Go to sleep!”

“Bleh bleh bleh~ Third Uncle is a liar, doesn’t keep his word, Third Uncle is going to eat shit!” Fu Linzhou made a face toward Zheng Youliang’s room, grabbed his brother, and ran back to the Feng’s house.

Even though they had eaten meat at Grandma Feng’s house at lunch and dinner, they still had their share of noodle soup for supper.

Aunt Feng, feeling happy, had put extra ingredients into the noodle soup.

Fu Qingshan brought out a big bowl of noodle soup with plenty of shredded meat (cut from leftover meat), several eggs, and vegetables grown in their own garden. Suddenly, no one felt sleepy and everyone happily ate.

It was already very late, and Uncle Feng and the others had to work the next day. After finishing the midnight snack, Fu Qingshan took Qiao Xinyi and the two kids back home.

Fu Linzhou and Fu Zeyu lived in the room previously occupied by Fu Qingshan’s older brother. Since Zheng Youliang had remarried and had two more sons, there were no extra rooms in the house anymore.

Fu Qingshan tidied up his room, and by the time Qiao Xinyi came out of the shower, he had already laid out clean bedding and sheets.

“You’ll sleep in my room tonight. I’ll sleep with Xiao Zhou and Xiao Yu. The tea in the cup is just boiled and a bit hot, be careful when you drink it. If you need to go to the bathroom at night, call me and I’ll go with you. The flashlight is by the bedside; the batteries were just changed.”

Fu Qingshan carefully explained every detail, worried that anything overlooked would make Qiao Xinyi uncomfortable.

Qiao Xinyi nodded and replied “Okay,” but the two kids weren’t happy.

They stood at the door and asked, “Uncle, can we not sleep with you? Can we sleep with Bald Aunt?”

“No.” Fu Qingshan refused outright, “You two sleep poorly and will disturb her.”

“Hmph!” Fu Linzhou retorted, “Then my brother and I will disturb you. Uncle, you might as well just sleep with Bald Aunt!”