She wasn’t foolish; she had placed the book in the logistics department and asked anyone who needed it to make copies.

Many people came to thank her and asked if she had a second set.

Wen Jiajia’s expression grew increasingly indifferent as she repeatedly answered, “Of course not.”

Although she understood their request, it was still frustrating at times.

Fortunately, most people were considerate, bringing Wen Jiajia various gifts like vegetables from their gardens, fish from the lake, and even homemade milk cakes. Wen Jiajia’s heart warmed with their kindness.

Zhong Huisheng was very pleased when she heard about this. Knowing Wen Jiajia had been studying diligently, she said, “I wonder if you’ll pass the exam this time. I’ve heard that time is very tight.”

This implied that time was tight, but it might also give Wen Jiajia an advantage.

Wen Jiajia smiled and replied, “I don’t know yet. No one knows what will happen before the exam starts. Just do your best.”

If she couldn’t pass this year, she would try harder next year. She was determined to keep trying as long as she could.

Zhong Huisheng asked, “Jiajia, will you continue to work after this?”

This was exactly what Wen Jiajia had been contemplating recently. She wanted to make the most of the remaining time to try her best to get into a good school, as a good school often meant a good future.

However, the factory had been busy lately, and quitting suddenly seemed a bit unethical. Additionally, Wen Jiajia felt she had reviewed enough, having started her review at the beginning of the previous year.

Wen Jiajia frowned and decided to think about it further.

Zhong Huisheng suggested, “Try taking some time off. I’ve heard of people asking their children to take time off to concentrate on the exam.”

Dinner was quickly prepared, as the three children in the family were at an age where they didn’t need much attention.

Wen Chun and Wen Xuan knew about the college entrance examination resuming but were more focused on the chicken legs in their hands at the moment.

To celebrate the resumption of the college entrance examination, Zhong Huisheng had bought a chicken from the market.

“This chicken is tender and weighs only two kilograms. I thought I’d stir-fry it. Chestnuts are ripe this year, so fresh chestnuts are perfect for roasting with the chicken,” Zhong Huisheng said.

Wen Xuan nodded and continued eating, the sauce-colored juice staining the area around her mouth.

Even Xiaomei was enjoying the meal. She sat on the high stool that Wei Dai had made especially for her, wearing the bib that Wen Jiajia had sewn, and ate with great satisfaction. How could she not be satisfied with such flavorful food? Even after Wen Jiajia had washed her with boiling water, she was still content.

Wen Jiajia had eaten a big lunch, so her appetite wasn’t as strong now. She stopped after having just one chicken wing and two pieces of meat.

By the time they finished eating, nearly half of the chestnut roast chicken was still on the table. But that was fine—Wei Dai hadn’t returned yet. When he did come back, he would surely clear everything away, like the autumn wind sweeping leaves.

Wei Dai didn’t come back until midnight. He had been quite busy recently, having been on a mission for nearly a month. He returned with a 200 yuan subsidy and a bunch of tickets, which made Wen Jiajia very worried. What kind of task could warrant a 200 yuan subsidy? It must have been quite challenging.

Fortunately, he had only a wound about four or five centimeters long on his left arm and no other injuries. His appearance was very dark this time—so dark that it was hard to see his face in the night. Wen Jiajia had only felt this way before when looking at people from Africa.

He also managed to scare Xiaomei. She didn’t recognize him as her father at first. It wasn’t until Wei Dai fed her several times and took her out for a walk that she started calling him “Dad” again. Wen Jiajia seriously suspected that Xiaomei was a bit superficial; it wasn’t that she couldn’t recognize Wei Dai, but rather that she thought he looked a bit unappealing and didn’t want to acknowledge him.

When Wei Dai came back, he went straight to the shower. Wen Jiajia had already placed his clothes on the sofa. She didn’t hear the sound of him opening the lid of the pot, so he must have used the water in the thermos for his shower.

“You’re finally back. The food is in the pot,” Wen Jiajia said, yawning as she stood by the door after hearing the sound of him finishing his bath.

Wei Dai brought the food from the pot to the table and lit the kerosene lamp: “Why haven’t you gone to bed yet?”

Wen Jiajia, who was so sleepy her eyes were half-closed, walked over and leaned on him: “I was waiting for you.”

Wei Dai hugged her: “What’s wrong?”

Wen Jiajia perked up and nodded. She had been struggling with insomnia due to her dilemma about whether to ask for leave. Without exams, Wen Jiajia was a bit uncertain about her own abilities. She felt she could get into an undergraduate program, maybe even a regular one, but she wasn’t sure about her chances with a prestigious university.

After listening to Wen Jiajia, Wei Dai thought for a moment and asked, “Are you referring to top universities like Tsinghua or Peking University?”

“…Yes, those are top-tier universities. For now, or maybe even in the near future, getting into them seems almost impossible for me,” Wen Jiajia said, feeling a bit discouraged. Even with another two years of review and one-on-one tutoring, it seemed unlikely.

“I’m aiming for a provincial capital university,” Wen Jiajia clarified. She didn’t want to be too far from home and wasn’t used to the northern climate or food. After several business trips, she was more determined to stay in the south.

So, her two goals were universities in her own province and Hai City. When filling out her application, she decided to select only universities in these two locations.

“You always say you’ll do your best,” Wei Dai said, noting that she needed to take leave to focus on her studies. “Also, you need to stay in good shape during this period. If you don’t take leave and the factory is busy, you won’t be in good shape or in the right state of mind. All your hard work over the past two years could go to waste.”

Wen Jiajia paused, realizing the truth in his words. The college entrance examination was more important than anything else, but the factory was indeed very busy.

The next day, Wen Jiajia asked Director Gao for leave.

Director Gao was surprised: “You’re taking leave too?”

Wen Jiajia glared: “Director, I also want to take the college entrance examination. I haven’t graduated for many years.”

Director Gao sighed: “I forgot. I always felt you were just a few years younger than me.”

Wen Jiajia was silent. Did she really look so old? She found Director Gao’s comment a bit unpleasant.

Director Gao smiled and said, “I think of you as very dependable.”

“But,” he continued, frowning, “if you take leave, many things in our department will come to a halt.”

Wen Jiajia became alert, worried that Director Gao might refuse her request. “Is it really necessary for things to stop? This is a large factory and department. Surely it can operate without me?”

Director Gao was flattering her, and it would be foolish to believe otherwise.

Wen Jiajia played her part well, saying, “But I need to review now. The exam is in December, which is only two months away. It’s very tight, and I really need to focus.” Her determination was clear.

Director Gao added, “You’re now the deputy director. If I leave, you might be promoted to full director and take over the entire department. Isn’t it a shame to take leave now?”

Wen Jiajia wanted to complain that such a promotion wasn’t guaranteed. With only a high school education, she had likely reached the limit of her career as deputy director. If Director Gao left, it was likely someone else would be appointed.

Wen Jiajia smiled slightly and said, “But if I pass the exam, I will need time off to study as well.”

Director Gao hesitated and then conceded, “Alright, you can take leave. But I will need to get approval from the deputy director.”

Wen Jiajia nodded, “Okay.”

The person responsible for this matter was Song Jiacheng, and he would likely not create any problems.

“In fact, many people in the factory are preparing for exams, but few truly focus on studying full-time. You should work hard and let us hear good news from you!” Director Gao said as Wen Jiajia left.

“Okay, thank you, Director, for your care over the years!” Wen Jiajia said.

She was truly grateful to Director Gao, who had been very kind. After leaving the hospital, she felt that she could consider him a real friend.