"Mom! Mom! Look at this!" Xu Jia Li was panting as she entered the house. She hurriedly called out her mother.
She just came back from outside doing her usual chores when one of their neighbours whose daughter was studying in Beijing's B University approached her and gave her an application form.
The form was for the application for gifted students who excel in different arts: painting, ballet, dancing, singing and acting as well as other forms of art. The form came from China's well-known university.
Cui Ruzhou University for Arts and Media only accepted students who were exceptionally good and talented. Only 10 percent of students who submitted their forms were qualified for initial interview before taking the entrance exam.
Being the top-tier and most respectable school for the Arts and Media, it was known to everyone that artists who came from Cui Ruzhou were easily accepted by the top entertainment companies and were more likely to be popular due to the intensity of the university's curriculum together with its high status in the society.
"Xiao Li, this is a form given by Xiao Mei's friend. She'd been asking her friend for it because she knows you are a genius in painting. You can continue enhancing your painting there, eh." Old Zhuang Cai said excitedly.
Old Zhuang Cai was their neighbour. He was a good man and everybody respected him in Xhuan Jin Province. He was a merchant and Mei Mei was his daughter.
"She remembered all your stone paintings on the hill."
"Oh!" Xu Jia Li was speechless, her eyes glinted with excitement as she stared at the form in her hands. She was shaking - her heart was beating like a drum. She did not know what to say.
At the very moment, all she wanted to do was to hug the old man from giving her the key to achieving her dreams.
She looked at Old Zhuang Cai with eyes full of gratitude as she said in a sweet tone,
"Grandpa Zhuang, I'm grateful to you and Mei- jie. Thank you! I will go home and tell mom the good news."
"Oh, you sweet little child. It's nothing. Go now. I'm sure Huifen will be very happy."
Xu Home..
"Xiao Li, here! I'm in the kitchen!"
Xu Jia Li heard her mother's voice. She hurriedly approached her and hugged her from behind. She kissed her on the cheeks and snuggled at the crook of her neck. Xu Huifen laughed and kissed Xu Jia Li on her cheeks while she continued cooking. It was obvious that she was very happy.
Xu Jia Li handed down the form to her mother and began narrating what happened outside.
A loud clack sound could be heard as Xu Huifen suddenly dropped the ladle on the floor. She stopped from cooking and stared at the form in Xu Jia Li's hands.
Application form : Cui Ruzhou University for Arts and Media
Xu Jia Li eyed her mother expectantly while she waited for her reply. She was praying hard in mind,
'Oh, please. Let mom allow me to try.'
Xu Huifen turned her gaze away from the form and focus on Xu Jia Li's face. She saw nervousness written there as beads of cold sweat filled her face.
Xu Jia Li was afraid that her mother wouldn't let her go because she might think that she would only try singing and other arts aside from painting.
After all those years, Xu Jia Li still did her best not to disappoint her mother. She never gave up her hope that her dreams would soon be within her reach.
She was cut from her inner thoughts when she heard her mother spoke,
"Let me think about it."
She was shocked that her heart skipped a beat. Although, she was hoping and wishing really hard for her to agree, she already accepted it in her heart that her mother might not buy the idea of her studying, more especially in one of the top-tier university in Beijing. That's why Xu Huifen's answer made her want to jump in joy.
'Oh my! At least it's better that mother will think about it. It's better than nothing.' Xu Jia Li's mind almost couldn't help rejoicing.
"Thank you, mom! Please, let me try. I will not disappoint you." Xu Jia Li hugged her mother tightly and put her head on her shoulder - tears of happiness flowed freely from her eyes. She gripped the application form as if her whole life depended on it.
'This will be the start! I will become the greatest artist in China!'