Chapter 38.3

The next morning, Jiang Rou and Li Xin took An An to the school.

Last year, it was Li Xiao who helped her with the registration. At that time, she was still in her confinement period. When he went to the school, he discovered that her homeroom teacher had kept her enrollment status intact, and the belongings in the dormitory were still there.

The homeroom teacher had said that as long as she didn’t hear Jiang Rou explicitly state that she was dropping out, she would keep her enrolled until the college entrance exams ended.

Jiang Rou was deeply moved when she learned of this.

—o—o—o—

Following her memory, Jiang Rou found her homeroom teacher’s office. The teacher was not there, so Jiang Rou took a seat on a nearby chair to wait.

There was another teacher in the office, from the adjacent class, who couldn’t help but glance at them a few more times.

The little one in Li Xin’s arms twisted and wanted Jiang Rou to hold her. In an unfamiliar environment, An An was more dependent on Jiang Rou.

Li Xin’s hair had grown a lot, now at ear-length, making her small face look even smaller. Though still a bit thin, she had quickly recovered from her previous thinness.

With her thick black hair, oval face, and fair skin, she looked very pretty in the navy skirt that Jiang Rou had brought back. She looked very pretty and pleasing to look at.

An An liked her aunt, who dressed up beautifully and always wanted her to hold her when they went out.

But at this moment, she preferred her mother. Jiang Rou had to take her and hold her in her lap, gently rocking her, which made An An smile happily.

After waiting for about ten minutes, Jiang Rou heard the class bell ring. Shortly after, the homeroom teacher arrived.

Jiang Rou’s homeroom teacher, Ms. Teacher Zeng, was a middle-aged woman who looked quite stern. In Jiang Rou’s memory, she hadn’t paid much attention to “Jiang Rou.”

However, one shouldn’t judge by appearances alone. If it weren’t for her persistent effort to keep Jiang Rou’s student status “active,” it would have been much harder for Jiang Rou to register last year.

Jiang Rou stood up while carrying An An.

Teacher Zeng, the homeroom teacher, didn’t seem surprised to see Jiang Rou. She waved her hand to signal Jiang Rou to sit down, then opened the drawer of her desk and took out the registration form for her to fill out.

Jiang Rou moved the stool to the side. The little one in her arms seemed unafraid of people. An, who was sitting on her mother’s lap, tilted her head to look at people curiously.

Teacher Zeng met the child’s innocent eyes, and her heart softened. “Let me hold her. You sit over here and fill out the form.”

Jiang Rou glanced at her, then smiled and handed the child over. She reminded her, “She’s a little heavy.”

When Teacher Zeng took An An, she found her weight a bit heavy but smiled. “You’ve raised her well.”

Jiang Rou smiled and sat down, picking up a pen to fill in the information. She turned her head to ask Teacher Zeng questions whenever she was unsure.

Teacher Zeng looked at Jiang Rou’s gentle and peaceful face and noticed that she was very different from the sad and gloomy person she had been a year ago. She guessed that Jiang Rou must be doing well now.

Indeed, some things couldn’t be judged by just hearing.

Teacher Zeng said, “Apply to several schools, not just the ones you’re sure of. Even attending a vocational school is a good option.”

“Okay.”

When Jiang Rou handed the completed form back, Teacher Zeng glanced at it and saw that she had only listed schools in Province G, which surprised her.

Jiang Rou took the child back and explained, “Her father is working in the south now, and our family wants to stay together.”

Hearing this, Teacher Zeng couldn’t help but ask, “How is Li Xiao doing now? ”

She had previously become Li Xiao’s teacher in physics and remembered him as a very bright student. She had felt regret when he dropped out of school.

When Jiang Rou heard her asking about Li Xiao, her smile deepened. “He’s doing very well now; he’s working as an assistant in a big company. The boss thinks highly of him.”

Jiang Rou decided to maintain a bit of pride for Li Xiao, especially since he had left school in such an “undignified manner.”

Teacher Zeng nodded and advised her, “Do well in the exam this time, and don’t give up studying no matter what the result is.”

“Yes, Teacher Zeng.”

Before leaving, the class director handed her a few test papers and asked her to take them back and answer them.

Jiang Rou accepted them happily and said, “Thank you, teacher.”

As she left the office, she ran into a few classmates. One of them, Zhang Ping, whom Jiang Rou remembered from last year’s visit, was holding a thick stack of papers. She looked at Jiang Rou in surprise and called out, “Jiang Rou?”

Jiang Rou met the curious or disdainful gazes of several classmates; she smiled and nodded without saying much. She then left with the child in her arms.

Li Xin followed behind, holding the papers.

As they walked away, someone sneered, “Why come back after getting married and having a child? ”

“Does she want to take the college entrance exam too?”

“Don’t joke. With her condition, how could she possibly pass the exam? Her grades were never good, and now, having been out of school for over a year, what could she expect? ”

Zhang Ping couldn’t stand it any longer. Jiang Rou had never offended them, and she didn’t understand why they harbored such hostility. “Have you said enough? What has Jiang Rou ever done to you? Why are you so hostile to her? “

Jiang Rou didn’t pay any mind to the critical stares behind her and continued into the school with the test papers.

The faces of the people who remained behind were unfriendly. Someone muttered quietly, “Are you sick? Why are you talking so much about her? ”

On her way back, Jiang Rou stopped by the vegetable market. Besides buying vegetables, she also picked up a few pairs of underwear and socks at the nearby clothing shop.

She had noticed last time at Li Xiao’s place that his underwear was worn out, and he had refused to discard them, saying they were comfortable and hard to find replacements for.

Not wanting to seem inappropriate and knowing that if Zhou Jian saw them, he would probably laugh, Jiang Rou also bought a couple of plain white undershirts for men, which were very cheap, just one yuan each. She also bought a black and gray pair of loose shorts, which here were simply called “shorts,” not “beach shorts.”

After packing everything up, Jiang Rou went straight to Zhou Jian’s house.

At Zhou Jian’s home, she also encountered Zhu Qiang and Wang Tao. It seemed that they had come to see Zhou Jian off, having heard he was heading south.

Zhou Jian was too busy to pay them much attention, as he was packing up for his departure the next morning.

Seeing Jiang Rou, Zhou Jian was surprised. “Why are you here, sister-in-law? I was planning to visit you this afternoon.”

Jiang Rou looked at the piles of items and couldn’t help but ask, “With so much stuff, can you carry it all? ”

“Of course,” Zhou Jian replied eagerly. “I’ll carry one on each shoulder.”

Without further comment, Jiang Rou handed the items over and said, “These are newly bought and not yet washed. Have your brother wash them before wearing them.”

Jiang Rou was well aware of Li Xiao’s tendencies and knew he would likely wear the new clothes without washing them first. She didn’t voice this, understanding Zhou Jian’s enthusiasm.

After handing over the items, she bid Zhou Jian farewell and left.

Seeing her leave, Zhu Qiang and Wang Tao also left the courtyard and caught up with Jiang Rou, asking about Li Xiao’s situation in the south.

Jiang Rou kept her response neutral. She mentioned that Li Xiao had been injured and was planning to start a business.

Zhu Qiang’s expression softened a bit. He shook his head sympathetically and said, “It’s tough to get by in the south. I’ve heard they’re tough on outsiders. If things don’t work out, he might as well come back. Our county isn’t bad; many big bosses have visited here lately, and the Jiangnan Hotel is doing quite well.”

Wang Tao added, “Yes, Zhu Qiang got a tip from a foreigner a few days ago. It was a full 500 yuan.” He looked envious as he spoke.

Jiang Rou felt a bit awkward. “That does sound quite profitable, but I can’t make the decisions for our family. Li Xiao wants to stay, so I have no choice but to respect his wishes.”

Zhu Qiang, seeing Jiang Rou’s obedient demeanor, felt envious of Li Xiao. He thought he was no worse than Li Xiao, but he hadn’t found a good woman, which was why Li Xiao had surpassed him. Now, whenever people spoke of Li Xiao, they praised him, unlike himself, whose achievements seemed to have been squandered.

He harbored the hope that Li Xiao’s time in the South wouldn’t be too successful, perhaps hoping that if Li Xiao failed, it would somehow justify his own decisions and feelings of inadequacy.

—o—o—o—

T/N: Why would you wish for Li Xiao’s downfall? T__T