"What's this eight-year integrated bachelor-master-doctorate program, with only ten people in a class?" Sun Rongfang apparently heard her daughter mention this for the first time, couldn't understand, and looked towards her cousin and cousin's husband for clarification.
Zhou Ruomei and Ding Yuhai's faces were a mix of pale and flushing.
Angered, Zhou Ruomei waved her hand dismissively at her younger cousin, "No need for tea, you all go back home."
Such a rude child, not listening to a word the elders say—what's there to talk about?
Sun Rongfang was stunned, unable to grasp how her daughter's words had managed to offend her cousin and cousin's husband, especially when Yingying hadn't said a single bad thing about them.
Was the cousin's family genuinely stupid or pretentiously foolish and malicious? Zhou Ruomei wondered. Claiming she could definitely get into Guoxie Medical University's integrated bachelor-master-doctorate program—wasn't that tantamount to trampling on their son, who had been accepted to Zhongshan Medical University, a son of a family of doctors? And to do it right in front of her and her husband—how could they not be angry?
If Zhongshan Medical is ranked first in the province, then Guoxie Medical University is ranked first in the whole country. Their integrated bachelor-master-doctorate program is considered the top of all medical schools nationwide.
"Go back, think carefully about what my husband and I told you," Zhou Ruomei said earnestly to her younger cousin.
Seeing her cousin's earnest desire to see them off, Sun Rongfang had no choice but to get up and take her daughter home, attempting to leave behind some Sunkist oranges, which Zhou Ruomei refused.
"Take them back for yourself. I'm aware of your family's financial situation. I also want to make it clear that the early stages of being a doctor are very tough and don't pay much. If you go work in a small county health clinic, the salary is even lower than most people's. Think it over before deciding whether Yingying should apply for medical school," she added.
Zhou Ruomei's words were a real blow, causing Sun Rongfang to completely lose heart over the idea of her daughter attending medical school.
If it's going to be in some small county clinic, forget about it—there's no point. Sun Rongfang thought.
Upon leaving her aunt's house, Xie Wanying remained very calm throughout the journey.
"What do you think?" Sun Rongfang asked her daughter, looking back, "Your aunt makes some good points, maybe we shouldn't bother with medical school?"
"Mom, let's talk about it after the results of the college entrance exam come in," Xie Wanying replied, knowing that anything she said at this point wouldn't matter; her results would speak for themselves.
"Your aunt said you won't get in," Sun Rongfang said, shaking her head dismissively, already brainwashed by her cousin.
Xie Wanying thought, if her mother could hear Zhou Ruomei's true thoughts, she would be in for a shock.
Zhou Ruomei had always looked down upon her less-educated cousin Sun Rongfang, who married a freight truck driver—as an intellectual, she always felt a sense of superiority at heart.
After their cousins had left, Zhou Ruomei and her husband Ding Yuhai talked, "What a pity to become a doctor. Yingying is rather pretty; she might be better off learning to sing," Zhou Ruomei remarked.
Upon hearing his wife's words, Ding Yuhai couldn't help but admire her cunning—wasn't she indirectly implying one should sell their looks?
Zhou Ruomei thought, if her cousin's daughter ended up relying on her looks, there was no need to worry about her child being overshadowed in the future.
If the daughter of a truck driver became a doctor and outperformed the children from a family of doctors, that would be heartbreaking for her.
The phone rang, and Ding Yuhai answered it.
"Old Ding, there's been a serious incident in emergency tonight."
"What happened?"
"In emergency, a young person preliminarily diagnosed a rare case of an aortic aneurysm rupture just by sight!"