Chapter 2928

"Thank you," Yan Xiwan said, her gratitude lacking any real sincerity.

Ouyang Tianyun smiled faintly. "Alright, today is our vacation. Tell me, where do you want to go? I’ll be your full-time driver for the day."

Yan Xiwan smiled back. Since it was rare for her to have a holiday, she had no intention of returning home immediately. Instead, she spent the day touring around with Ouyang Tianyun.

The next day, Ouyang Tianyun left, and Yan Xiwan returned to her studies.

Now in high school, Yan Xiwan spent most of her time boarding at school, only returning home on weekends.

It was true that Yan Xiwan and her family had purchased a small courtyard house in the capital. It wasn’t large, but it had four rooms.

Previously, Yan Xiwan and Yan Zhishan had lived together. Now that Yan Zhishan was confined to the military academy, Yan Xiwan lived alone. Although the house was small, it felt spacious enough for one person.

Of course, Yan Xiwan was not entirely alone. Several people were assigned to protect her, given that her research findings were consistently shocking. Protecting her was a necessity.

However, these guards remained in the shadows, never appearing in public view.

On Sunday evening, Yan Xiwan returned to school. Although the school no longer held evening self-study sessions, she preferred being at school rather than staying home alone.

At that moment, Yan Xiwan realized that her holidays were actually quite enjoyable when Ouyang Tianyun was around.

Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, she bought two pounds of apples at a special supply point outside the school and walked inside.

"Yan Xiwan, why are you back?"

The dormitory had eight beds for eight roommates, making it quite crowded. However, since everyone loved studying, no one complained about the environment.

The speaker was her roommate, Ma Sanhua.

"I felt it would be too rushed to return tomorrow morning, so I came back tonight," Yan Xiwan said, placing the apples on the table. "I bought apples for everyone. Feel free to wash and eat them."

"Thanks," said Jin Huihui, climbing down from her upper bunk to take a few apples and wash them before distributing them.

"Huihui, aren’t you afraid Yan Xiwan will get angry if you’re so casual?" Du Juan teased.

Jin Huihui bit into an apple and replied, "Yan Xiwan isn’t that stingy. If she says the apples are for us, they’re for us. She’s not like some people who frown if you accidentally eat a bit of their chili sauce."

Yan Xiwan interjected, "Huihui, you should change that attitude. Comrade Qiuju’s family situation is difficult, and that bottle of chili sauce is her daily staple. You ate a third of it; of course, she was angry."

"Exactly. Besides, Comrade Qiuju isn’t even in our dorm. It’s a miracle she didn’t fight you after you ate so casually," Du Juan added.

Ma Sanhua also chimed in, "Seriously, Huihui, do you have a grudge against Qiuju? I don’t see you being this opinionated about anyone else."

"Qiuju is just very fake. She always acts like everyone is bullying her, with tears in her eyes. I can’t stand people like that," Jin Huihui said.

"A 'white lotus'?" Yan Xiwan asked.

"That’s a perfect description," Jin Huihui said, instantly understanding. "Qiuju has been pretending to be a white lotus since she was little."

"You know Qiuju?" Du Juan asked curiously.

"Technically, she’s my cousin, though only half a month younger than me," Jin Huihui explained. "My mother and her mother are cousins."

"That’s not a very close relationship," Yan Xiwan noted.

"It’s not close, which is why our families never interact. But I know a bit about their situation. My aunt had five children, all girls," Jin Huihui said.

Yan Xiwan immediately guessed the story’s direction. "It’s definitely another case of valuing boys over girls."

"You’re right, Yan Xiwan. It is exactly that. My aunt still wants to have more children. Recently, she found out she’s pregnant with a boy, and she’s already planning how to use her daughters to support this unborn son," Jin Huihui said with disdain.

"Although such parents are looked down upon, this phenomenon is common in many places. In their eyes, boys carry on the family line, while girls belong to other families. Even in terms of earning work points, boys will earn full points in the future, while girls’ earnings are uncertain," Yan Xiwan explained calmly.

"Yes. But among these five daughters, Qiuju is the strangest. I remember she was fine before she was seven, but after that, she changed. She started doing weird things, like seeking sympathy. In short, everything she did was to step on her older sisters. At home, she always played the innocent victim," Jin Huihui sighed. "Because she always played the victim, I suffered a lot."

"Don’t your families avoid each other?" Ma Sanhua asked.

"Even if we don’t interact, I still visit my grandparents during the New Year. She visits her grandparents too. Since our grandfathers are brothers, we naturally meet," Jin Huihui said helplessly.

"Does she cause trouble for you every New Year?" Du Juan asked.

"Exactly. The problem is, if she confronted me directly, I could fight back. But she always looks aggrieved, with tears in her eyes, as if I were tormenting her. I have nowhere to vent my grievances. So, this time, I had to take revenge," Jin Huihui said directly. She was the type to love and hate openly.

Yan Xiwan laughed. "So, eating a third of her chili sauce made you feel better?"

"At least I was happy for a while," Jin Huihui said with a grin, taking another bite of apple.

The others shook their heads slightly.

Yan Xiwan said, "I think the best way to get rid of this person is to surpass her in grades and eventually hold a higher status than her."

"How can I surpass her? Now that we’re in high school, there’s no college entrance exam. You need recommendations to go to university," Jin Huihui said, looking helpless.

"Not necessarily," Yan Xiwan smiled lightly. "Luck is important. Maybe the college entrance exam will be restored by the time we graduate. Even if it isn’t, given your physical fitness and personality, Jin Huihui, I think applying to a military academy would be a good idea. Or you could become a cultural worker in the future. I doubt Qiuju would follow you to become a female soldier."

Jin Huihui tilted her head and thought for a moment. "You’re right, Yan Xiwan. I should aim to become a soldier. I don’t believe Qiuju can keep causing me trouble then."

"So, we must work hard," Yan Xiwan concluded.

By "work hard," she naturally meant studying well.

People at that time were very dedicated to their studies at school.

Besides her regular coursework, Yan Xiwan also learned other languages privately, such as English, French, and some minor languages. She kept these studies secret.

Although many people were learning foreign languages, most were studying Russian.

Yan Xiwan learned multiple languages simply to read original works. Original texts were hard to find elsewhere, but they were available in the capital.

Yan Xiwan was not someone who stuck to old ways. Foreign medical techniques had their advantages, and she was willing to learn anything that benefited people.

One day, Yan Xiwan went to the cafeteria with Jin Huihui, Du Juan, and Ma Sanhua. They overheard someone saying, "Have you heard? Something very significant happened on the front line."

"What happened?" a classmate asked.

"Haven’t you read the newspapers or listened to the radio? A researcher on the front line invented a weapon with a range one hundred meters farther than ordinary weapons."

"That’s amazing!" Many people expressed admiration.

"Indeed. Thanks to this, we repelled many enemies on the front line and boosted our national prestige."

"That’s great. I wish I could become a researcher like that."

"Don’t dream. Those researchers are all brilliant talents. They are geniuses. How can high school students like us compare?"

"Yes, I just hope to go to university in the future."

"Many people share that hope."

…

Perhaps because it had been so long since universities were accessible, many people held this hope: that the college entrance exam would be restored soon.

After Yan Xiwan and her classmates entered their senior year, the authorities finally announced the restoration of the college entrance exam.

Suddenly, the youth of the capital became lively.

This exam was open not only to current students but also to former middle school graduates, provided they could pass the exam.

Yan Xiwan hadn’t expected the exam to be restored a year earlier than she knew, but that was fine. She could participate.

"I’ve decided to take the college entrance exam," Yan Xiwan told Ouyang Tianyun.

Ouyang Tianyun naturally did not stop her. "I’ve been waiting for this day."

Ouyang Tianyun never doubted Yan Xiwan’s abilities. Her knowledge was more than enough to pass the exam.

Yan Xiwan nodded. "That’s good."

In fact, Yan Xiwan’s abilities were sufficient to enter a research institute directly, but she still decided to take the exam first.

That year, everyone in Yan Xiwan’s dormitory participated in the exam, as it was a rare opportunity.

Yan Xiwan also knew that if they didn’t take it this year, next year’s competition would be fiercer. Besides the educated youth, there would also be sophomore students.

To gather talent faster, the education system would change next year: five years of primary school, and two years each for middle and high school.