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Hu Ruoyun stayed at Mao Na's house for a night, and the next morning, he couldn't wait to return home to share the good news. Mao Na wanted to go with him, but after their last outing ended with her staying out all night, it had made Zhang Xiuzhen very angry. She had scolded Mao Na privately, and now Mao Na was unsure how to explain things to her mother.
Understanding her daughter well, Zhang Xiuzhen sighed inwardly at the thought of her growing up too fast. She said, "School will start in just a few days. Once it begins, you’ll both be in Jiangcheng. At that point, I won’t see you, and I won’t worry as much. Why do you insist on going now?"
Seeing her daughter looking down and not responding, Zhang Xiuzhen thought about how once school started, the two would be in the same city every day. She realized she wouldn't be able to control things anymore... So why make her unhappy now? She relented and said, "Go ahead then; I can’t control you anymore!"
Her daughter perked up and whispered in her ear, "Don’t worry, I’ll still be living with his sister!"
Hu Ruoyun pedaled hard on his bicycle while Mao Na sat tightly behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist and giving him endless motivation. However, the nearly eighty-mile journey took them all morning before they finally reached the market in Laogu Township.
At the crossroads, they bought a dozen baked buns, a piece of pork, and two pounds of fried fish. Mao Na insisted on paying and leaned close to his ear to say, "I can’t come here empty-handed!"
Hu Ruoyun replied, "If you come empty-handed, my parents would be just as happy!"
He continued, "You don’t know how lost and confused I felt before yesterday! In the second part of 'Ordinary World', when I saw Sun Shaoping and Tian Xiaoxia clarify their relationship, I was both happy for them and worried about their future. One is a reporter for a provincial newspaper and the other is a coal miner; I have no doubt about their genuine feelings for each other, but I really can’t imagine how they would live together! Then in the third part, I found out that Tian Xiaoxia died! I even think your mother is right; if I end up farming at home while you work in the city, can we really make it through together?"
Mao Na tightened her grip around his waist even more from the back seat. "No more gloomy talk! You promised me ‘If I don’t leave, you won’t abandon me.’ No matter what happens, you can’t think of leaving me!" She pressed her face against his back and added, "In this life, you might not become particularly great or successful, but I believe you will never settle for mediocrity!"
Then she playfully poked him in the side. "Once we get to Jiangcheng, you have to come see me every week."
The love between them was so sweet.
When they arrived home, they were surprised to find a crowd gathered inside. Second Aunt and Hu Ruoyun's mother were busy in the kitchen while Aunt-in-law and two other aunts chatted with Grandma. Grandfather, Uncle, Second Uncle, and two other uncles sat together smoking and drinking tea. Xiao Hu and Xiao Feng led a group of cousins running around playing in the front and back yards.
It turned out that Village Chief Zhao Manyin had announced Hu Ruoyun’s acceptance into university over the loudspeaker, making it widely known throughout the village. For Hu Ruoyun's father and Second Uncle, this truly marked a change in the family’s fortunes! The days of borrowing endlessly—“borrow one pound to repay another”—were over; all the pent-up frustration from half a lifetime was finally released.
Just last night, Brother had been cracking peanuts while drinking an entire bottle of Zhang Gong liquor with Hu Ruoyun’s father. Second Aunt lived relatively close to Hu Family Village and quickly heard about this joyous occasion. Although Aunt was farther away from Hu Family Village, Annan County's Eight Middle School was located in Gaoqiao Town; word had already spread about who had passed the entrance exam for that school.
To confirm the authenticity of the news, Aunt-in-law even made special trips to visit Er Niu and Si Bao's homes to ask about it. As a result, the entire family gathered together to celebrate this momentous occasion.
When Hu Ruoyun entered with Mao Na, Aunt-in-law, who was already familiar with them, quickly approached and took Mao Na's hand to introduce her to Second Aunt and Third Aunt. However, Third Aunt recognized Mao Na and exclaimed, "Oh my! I thought it was someone else. Aren't you the daughter of the mayor who works at our Post Office? I heard your father is now the Vice County Head!"
This revelation shocked everyone; until now, Hu Ruoyun had only mentioned that Mao Na's parents "both have jobs," never specifying where they worked or their positions. Third Aunt's words left everyone astonished, realizing that the Lao Hu family had indeed climbed the social ladder!
That night, Hu Qihua and Zhao Meirong lay in bed feeling both joy and worry, unable to sleep for half the night. They were happy that Mao Na was beautiful and sensible but worried about how to speak to their future in-laws, considering her father was a Vice County Head. They also wondered if their son would face any difficulties if he married her, fearing it might turn into a drama like in the play "The Golden Branch."
For an ordinary farmer, the daughter of a Vice County Head seemed almost like a princess.
The Hu family's joyous event caught the attention of many who envied them. When news spread that "the father of Hu family's daughter-in-law is a Vice County Head," someone remarked that Woodzi's woman had been sulking for two days without eating much.
Why bother with such feelings?
By the end of August, school was about to start. In Hu Ruoyun's memory of the "foreseen future," he recalled arriving at Jiangbei University for his Practical Talent Class wearing a pair of sneakers, carrying luggage wrapped in coarse cloth, taking a long-distance bus to Jiangcheng, and then catching bus number 4 to Jiangbei University East Gate.
In his dormitory with six people, only his quilt lacked a cover; he didn't even have a travel bag. As the weather turned cold, he was left with only one pair of shoes and no change of coat. When winter truly arrived, while other students bought leather shoes and winter clothing, he received an old winter coat from his uncle and bought a pair of cheap canvas shoes for a few yuan to replace his worn-out sneakers.
His parents, who had never left the countryside, could not imagine what life in the city would be like. The monthly living expenses of 100 to 120 yuan were already considerable for a rural family like his.
Since his residence was far from school, he usually didn't eat breakfast at the school cafeteria; instead, he would buy two steamed buns for fifty cents from a nearby breakfast shop and have Hu Spicy Soup. For lunch at school, he would spend sixty cents on noodle soup with a bun or eighty cents on rice with bean sprouts (as far as he remembered, these were the cheapest meals available at Jiangbei University).
Now, he was going to study in the Provincial Capital with the girl he loved—who loved him back—and since he had been officially admitted through standardized enrollment, his current savings meant he wouldn't face the same hardships as before.
Just days before school started, Brother Biao and Jiang Qiuying visited Hu Ruoyun's home. Qiuying had been accepted into Jinan Normal University; she would attend the same school as Tong Caiying but not in the same department. Brother Biao ultimately did not pass his exams but remained carefree about it; he planned to attend a culinary school in Ji Nan to learn cooking skills. He joked, "Once I master it, I'll open the best restaurant in Annan!"
Mao Na gathered Hu Ruoyun along with Li Shengnan and Ouyang Xiaxue for another meeting. Ouyang Xiaxue's belly was noticeably round; she could only sit there half-reclined while Zhang Qiang or her mother served her food and drink. Li Shengnan gently touched her belly with envy and looked at Yao Wei with determination: "We're getting married next lunar year; you need to work hard towards that!"
Yao Wei blushed and replied, "Let's work hard together!"
Zhang Qiang had a few drinks alone with Hu Ruoyun. "I went to Jiangcheng and sorted out my Deputy Position and job transfer. I have to thank you!"
Hu Ruoyun waved her hand. "That's the result of your hard work and dedication."
Zhang Qiang leaned in and whispered, "Vice County Head Mao is about to be 'officially appointed.'"
Hu Ruoyun raised her glass. "As the tide rises, so do the boats. Congratulations in advance!"
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