Chapter 30

“Let’s take a look first.”

As they browsed, the couple asked Lin Nanzhi about the prices. Eventually, they chose a two-story villa design, primarily because it was convenient for renovation.

The first floor was relatively high, while the second floor was smaller. They only needed to add another floor and build an additional two-story structure beside it, covering about forty square meters. The cost of the unfinished house was around a hundred thousand yuan, but the renovation was a bit more expensive.

However, Lin Nanzhi quoted a slightly lower renovation cost to keep it within the acceptable range for her uncle’s family.

Once they finalized the design, Lin Nanzhi handed over the blueprints, clearly marking how the first floor needed to be modified. Since Lin’s father was experienced in construction, he understood everything at a glance and patted his chest confidently. “Leave it to me, I’ll make sure this house turns out great.”

“That’s good. The foundation next to it is quite large and can be used,” Lin Nanzhi added.

Her uncle’s house was right by the roadside, on a downhill slope, but the courtyard they had purchased was quite spacious, eliminating the need to buy more land for expansion.

Lin’s father planned to gather workers the next day, as the materials had already been delivered. They could start construction the day after. The first floor needed some modifications due to moisture issues, which would slow down the process a bit, but everything should be completed within two months.

Once the blueprints were handed over, Lin Nanzhi’s part was done, so she left. As for the renovations, her uncle could call when he needed her assistance.

That evening, she took some food next door for dinner, played on her phone for a while, and went to bed.

—-

The next morning, Lin Nanzhi received some exciting news—her application for an accelerated exam had been approved.

She was currently in the second semester of eighth grade, and skipping a grade meant she would jump directly to the second semester of ninth grade, which also meant she would take the high school entrance exam alongside the ninth graders.

She had applied for this two weeks ago, and now that it was approved, she returned to school to take the exam.

Since last winter break, she had been studying diligently. Thanks to her strong memory, she grasped concepts quickly. After finishing the eighth-grade curriculum, she went ahead and studied the ninth-grade material, hoping to take the entrance exam as soon as possible and distance herself from certain classmates.

Her past academic performance had been poor, but recently, she had improved significantly. The teachers deliberated for a long time before approving her request. If she passed the exam, she could join ninth grade and take the entrance exam; if she failed, she would continue in eighth grade.

The Lin family was both happy and worried, fearing she might be rushing things and not perform well. However, Lin Nanzhi was confident, so they supported her decision.

The exam was relatively simple, and she passed quickly, becoming a transfer student in ninth grade.

A twelve-year-old transfer student was a source of pride for the school’s teachers. As a result, she became a key student under their watch. However, she didn’t mind the attention and continued to balance studying and relaxation.

—-

Time flew by, and June arrived.

Her uncle’s house was finally completed. After contacting the renovation team, Lin Nanzhi headed to the city for her entrance exam.

The exam lasted three days in the city, where she stayed with her teachers and classmates. Once the exams were over, she returned home.

As soon as she arrived, her family bombarded her with questions: “How was the exam? Was it difficult? Do you think you did well?” Even Lin Nanye curiously looked over.

Feeling a bit overwhelmed by their enthusiasm, Lin Nanzhi quickly raised her hand to stop their chatter. “Hold on, hold on! You’re asking too many questions at once—I can’t answer them all!”

“I think the exam was fairly easy, though chemistry was a bit tricky. But I don’t think I did too badly. Anyway, we’ll find out in a few days, so there’s no point in overthinking it now.”

She had no faith in gut feelings about exams.

She recalled a news story about a student who confidently told reporters that their college entrance exam was easy and that they were sure they’d get into their dream school. But in the end, they made careless mistakes and missed the cut-off, forcing them to retake the exam the following year.

On the other hand, some students came out of the exam room looking miserable but ended up passing with flying colors.

Feelings were unreliable—it was better to wait for the actual results.

The exam was on June 17th, and the teachers said the results would be announced on the 23rd. There were still six days to go, so there was no rush.

“Yeah, we’ll know soon enough. No need to worry,” Lin Nanye reassured everyone.

His words didn’t help much. Though the family stopped asking, they were still worried deep down. They kept reassuring Lin Nanzhi, telling her that even if she didn’t do well, she could always retake the year since she was still young.

However, she remained unbothered. She focused on preparing delicious meals for Lin Nanye and even started planning a trip to the capital. In her free time, she researched travel guides on her laptop, showing no signs of anxiety.

—-

Today was Lin Nanye’s medical check-up.

During his time at home, his condition had improved significantly, surprising even the doctors. His check-ups had been scheduled further apart. Yesterday, Lin Nanzhi gave him a whole glass of juice made from a special green fruit, and he woke up feeling exceptionally well.

Since today was his check-up, they decided to go to the hospital for a thorough examination.

The elders stayed at home, while Lin’s parents and uncle accompanied Lin Nanye to the hospital.

Aside from the check-up, they also planned to buy a car.

Lin’s father had just gotten his driver’s license and wanted to buy a second-hand car for practice. Since Lin’s uncle’s family had returned home and found it inconvenient to get around, they also planned to purchase a car.

Left at home, Lin Nanzhi couldn’t help feeling anxious.

For the past year, she had been taking care of Lin Nanye’s health, and he had been gradually recovering. But she didn’t know if the green fruit would lead to a complete recovery.

Unable to sit still, she decided to help out with the fruit harvest. The cherries and other fruits in their orchard had ripened, and while they had already sold a portion, there were still plenty left. Since her father had hired people to help pick the fruit, she joined in to keep herself occupied.

Even so, she remained distracted throughout the day.

At around 3 p.m., her family returned in a newly bought car. She immediately put down her basket and ran over to ask about the results. However, they were busy unloading their purchases and didn’t answer her right away.

It wasn’t until they were back inside that her grandmother finally asked the question on everyone’s mind.

Lin Nanzhi held her breath as her father smiled, and even her mother and uncle couldn’t hide their joy.

For a long time, their family had been filled with worry, their faces rarely lighting up with smiles. But now, they were smiling brightly.

“Hurry up and tell us! The suspense is killing me!”

Lin’s father finally spoke: “The doctor said it’s a miracle—Nanye’s illness has fully recovered. From now on, he only needs a monthly check-up to confirm there’s no relapse.”

That simple statement sent a shockwave through the family.

Grandmother burst into tears, and everyone rushed to comfort her.

Even Lin Nanzhi and the others couldn’t hold back their emotions, their eyes turning red with relief and gratitude.

This was truly the best news ever.