Chapter 250: After the College Entrance Examination

Several of the male educated youths worked together to tidy up the house, making sure everything was in order. Meanwhile, Xu Ning, Wei Lanlan, Yang Xiaomei, and Pan Mi were busy in the kitchen, preparing meals for everyone.

Since the pot at Grandpa Wang’s house wasn’t very large, they had to cook in two batches to ensure there was enough food. They made braised pork with cabbage and vermicelli, accompanied by fresh flatbreads.

After the meal, Xu An, Jianmin, Da Lin, and Wang Liang set off to visit the homes of Jin Dapeng and Fan Sizhe.

The family compound of the machinery factory was not far from Grandpa Wang’s house; it took just a few minutes to walk there.

The remaining male educated youths slept with Grandpa Wang, while the four female educated youth stayed in another room.

After a whole afternoon of bustling around, everyone was tired. Since they had another exam the next day, they went to bed early.

After breakfast, they all double-checked their backpacks. When the time was about right, they got ready to leave.

Grandpa Wang walked them to the door and said, “Come back after the exam. I’ll have lunch ready for you.”

They all felt a bit embarrassed; it was already enough of an inconvenience to stay with him, and asking to eat there too felt thoughtless.

Chen Xiangdong laughed and said, “Grandpa Wang, you don’t need to go to so much trouble. We can just eat at the state-run restaurant at noon.”

“There are so many people coming to take the exam these days; the state-run restaurant can’t handle the demand. Don’t be polite. Just for these couple of days, come back for lunch.”

Grandpa Wang waved at them, saying, “It’s getting late; hurry off to your exam.”

The group gave their ration tickets and money to Grandpa Wang, asking him to buy some food at the state-run restaurant for lunch, so they wouldn’t have to trouble him to cook.

After two consecutive days of exams, Xu Ning let out a sigh of relief as she stepped out of the exam hall. At the same time, Xu An emerged from another classroom nearby.

“How did it go, Sis?” Xu An asked, his breath visible in the cold air.

Xu Ning smiled, replying, “Not too bad. Are you cold, Xiao An?”

Her question seemed to make him more aware of the chill. The classroom’s heating had been poor, and as soon as she mentioned it, Xu An felt the cold settle into his bones. Shivering slightly, he nodded.

“It is cold. Let’s hurry back, Sis,” he said, eager to get somewhere warmer.

They had all agreed that whoever finished their exams first would head straight back to Grandpa Wang’s house, without waiting, since the winter air outside was biting.

After Xu Ning packed her belongings, she waited for everyone to gather before they made the journey back to Yushu Village together.

Having been away for two or three days, Xu Ning couldn’t help but worry about the children at home. She was anxious to return and see how they were doing, hoping everything had gone smoothly in their absence.

Yang Xiaomei and Wei Lanlan felt the same eagerness to go home. The snow was thick, and it was already dark by the time their group finally made it back to Yushu Village.

Niu Niu and Pi Pi were the first to spot their mother. The two little rascals’ eyes immediately turned red, and they rushed over to hug her legs, crying loudly.

Tang Tang also dropped her chopsticks and ran over. Xu Ning picked her up, cradling her along with Niu Niu and Pi Pi.

Wei Lanlan and Yang Xiaomei also embraced their children affectionately, while Chen Xiangdong and Sun Hao stood nearby, watching them.

Xu Ning smiled and said to the kids, “Stop crying now! Do you want to see what Mommy brought back for you?”

Niu Niu, still sniffling, perked up and guessed, “Delicious tanghulu!” The mention of candied hawthorn instantly grabbed everyone’s attention.

Pi Pi, who had been wailing moments before, suddenly swallowed hard, while even Tang Tang, who had been crying too, stopped in her tracks, her eyes now fixed on the treat in her mother’s hand.

Surrounded by her three eager children, Xu Ning felt a wave of warmth and amusement. As she pulled out the strings of tanghulu, the kids stared wide-eyed, their mouths practically watering. It was as if they had completely forgotten their earlier tears and, for the moment, even their mother!

With a playful glint in her eyes, Xu Ning picked up one of the tanghulu sticks and popped the largest piece into her mouth.

Niu Niu swallowed hard, eyes widening. “Mommy, let me have a bite,” he pleaded.

Pi Pi and Tang Tang stared intently at the remaining pieces, swallowing eagerly, their excitement barely contained. Overwhelmed by their adorable impatience, Xu Ning handed the rest of the tanghulu to Niu Niu, instructing him, “Share with your brother and sister.”

The onlookers couldn’t help but laugh at the sweet scene unfolding between the mother and her children. Niu Niu, being the eldest, dutifully took the string that his mother had already started and then handed the two untouched strings to Pi Pi and Tang Tang. As he did so, his eyes lingered wistfully on the fuller strings his siblings were given. He glanced down at his own, missing one piece, and pouted, looking like he might cry all over again.

Xu Ning pretended not to notice and instead asked Xiao Mo to take the remaining strings of candied hawthorn to share with the adults.

Aunt Dashuan and Aunt Si hadn’t been home for two days either. Seeing that everyone had returned, they prepared to go back.

Xiao Mo hurriedly stopped them, saying, “Aunties, eat something before you go back.”

He then said to Chen Xiangdong and the others, “It’s getting late now; you should all stay and eat something here.”

Dinner was steamed buns made from mixed flour by Aunt Dashuan, and there was plenty. They quickly stir-fried some cabbage to go with it.

Xu Ning continued, “Just eat here; if you go back, you’ll be dealing with a cold stove. Who knows when dinner will be ready? Plus, there are children to consider.”

Hearing this, the others didn’t decline. They had already owed Xu Ning quite a few favors, and one more meal didn’t make much difference; they could repay her gradually in the future.

Xu Ning then pulled the two aunts aside, saying, “Aunties, we haven’t had a good chat in a long time. Now that I’ve finished my exams, let’s sit together and talk after dinner.”

The two women felt comforted by her words, thinking that Xu Ning was indeed good at speaking and getting along with people.

Everyone gathered together and enjoyed a lively meal.

Sun Hao and Chen Xiangdong each took out two yuan to give to the two aunts, but they both declined.

Not wanting to take their money, Sun Hao and Chen Xiangdong decided to buy something for them instead. They knew that the aunts had refused the money out of consideration for Xu Ning, but they didn’t want to pretend to be clueless about the situation.