After taking the morning math exam, Xiao Zhijie and Wang Changning felt a sense of 'unable to speak, choking on their tears' when they met downstairs from the teaching building.
Xiao Zhijie was particularly frustrated. Of the several courses, mathematics was his favourite and also his best subject. This blow today had hit him hard, and he hadn't even had time to do the last two big questions.
The most ruthless way to deal a blow to someone is to mercilessly defeat them in the area they think they are best at. Today's mathematics exam had perfectly achieved this.
On the way home, he asked Wang Changning, 'I wonder how Yiping did. Should we give him a call?'
'He's definitely done better than us, but I don't think he's done too well either. I don't think he's the only one who's done badly today, and I don't think anyone's done well. So, we should think positively. If everyone else does well and we don't, then we've really messed up. But if everyone else has messed up, then that's a different story. Cheer up, there are still two more subjects to go. Your sisters and their friends are all waiting for you at home. Smile!'
If both sets of parents came, it would be too grand a ceremony and would add extra pressure to them, so they both sent their daughters instead. While cheering them on, they also took care of their daily lives and meals for a few days.
'Yes, compared to everyone else, we didn't do too badly in the exam!' Xiao Zhijie also knew that there was no benefit in feeling sorry for oneself at this time.
In the city, after Feng Yiping had said those words, along the way, Huang Jingping kept forcing a smile, 'It's fine, the questions were so difficult, everyone must have done badly.'
Feng Yiping was a little depressed. 'That's not what I'm angry about. What I'm thinking is, how could I be so unlucky? Mathematics is my weak subject, and I happened to encounter the most difficult problems in the middle school entrance exam and the college entrance exam. How could I be so unlucky as to encounter the most difficult problems twice?'
'This shows that you're lucky,' Ding Qiang said with a smile, 'but how much do you think you'll get in the exam?'
'120 or above,' Feng Yiping said roughly. He had not checked the questions he had already answered, so he expected to lose some marks, but not too many. The main problem would be the few questions requiring a solution, and he was not sure about one of the fill-in-the-blanks questions.
'That's very good,' Ding Qiang said. 'Even if the questions were not difficult, scoring 120 out of 120 is not bad, let alone with questions of this difficulty.'
Huang Jingping was really happy now. 'Really! Why didn't you say so earlier?'
'You didn't ask me either!'
Feng Yuxuan called her parents to report what she knew. 'Do you know how Ping did?' Feng Zhenchang asked anxiously.
'I'm not sure, but I guess it wasn't very good. As you know, maths is his weakest subject. Shall I go home and ask him?' Feng Yuxuan said this with a worried heart, truly anxious for her brother.
Although she had some opinions about her younger brother, she still sincerely hoped that he would get good grades. She knew very well that since elementary school, her younger brother had always studied very hard and never slacked off. She, on the other hand, had really not studied half as hard as her younger brother when she was in school. If he had studied hard for more than ten years and then ended up failing the exam, she would feel sorry for him too.
'Why are you asking him this at this time? It's not helpful at all. Just wait. Tomorrow afternoon, he can go to the school to estimate his score. Don't influence him today, there are still two more subjects.' Fourth Uncle specially asked an acquaintance, and now Feng Zhenchang and the others are also clear about these procedures and precautions.
'You should also go back to the province. The next two subjects will not be a problem for him,' Feng Zhenchang said to Feng Yuxuan.
'Okay, I'll come and see him again tomorrow afternoon.' She was now in charge of the noodle shop, and there were a lot of things to do.
Huang Jingping had prepared lunch early, and as soon as they got home, the food was on the table: steamed small yellow croaker, poached shrimp, beef tenderloin with green peppers, scrambled eggs with leeks, and old duck soup.
'You're the hero today, the one who deserves the credit. You must eat a lot!' Huang Jingping peeled the shrimp, dipped them in the seasoning, and brought them to his mouth. It was quite a treat.
The next two exams, English and history, were uneventful. The only thing they had in common was the large number of questions.
The English section had 95 questions in total, including multiple choice and fill-in-the-blanks. At the end, he had to write a letter in the name of Li Hua to an old foreigner who had visited the school before, introducing the changes of the school. The letter should be about 100 words long and was worth 30 marks. Feng Yiping felt that this was a sure-fire question. He had already written several English letters, and besides, this one was similar to an essay based on a picture.
The same goes for history. The volume of questions was not small, but for him, who had memorised the textbook, the difficulty was really not great. It was the penultimate essay question, about the historical role of the Self-Strengthening Movement, that he did not answer very readily. It was not that he did not know how to answer, but when he answered, he was reminded of that period of history, which made him feel sad.
The last question might be a bit difficult for the average student, but he is a fan of German culture, having watched many documentaries and played many related games, so he is familiar with the history. He estimates that he can get at least a ten out of thirteen.
With the ringing of the bell on the morning of the 9th, it was all over. No matter how they had done or what the result was, these hardworking children were finally relieved. Some of those who had not done well might have to start again next year, but for now, everyone felt like a thousand pounds had been lifted from their shoulders. One by one, from the inside out, top to bottom, they all exuded a sense of relief.
However, the sudden release of pressure was followed by a tidal wave of fatigue. Feng Yiping got into the car, got his phone and called his parents first. Feng Zhenchang was probably waiting, too. 'Yiping, you're done with the exam? How was math? I heard the questions were particularly difficult this time.'
'I did okay, and the rest was pretty good, too. I just wanted to let you know that I plan to get a good night's sleep this afternoon and go to school tomorrow to check my score.'
'Good, you've had a hard time these past six months. Sleep well. I'll call your sister and brother-in-law and tell them not to disturb you.'
After hanging up, Feng Yiping called Xiao Zhijie and the others, who happened to be walking upstairs. When Xiao Zhijie answered the phone, he was yawning too. They all said that they would sleep well no matter what in the afternoon and that they would talk about anything that happened tomorrow.
Having eaten only a bowl of rice in soup for lunch, Feng Yiping didn't even brush his teeth, and collapsed directly onto the bed. Huang Jingping came over to give him an air-conditioned quilt, but Feng Yiping put his arms around her and said, 'Wait, the table hasn't been cleared yet.'
'Who cares, we can do that later.' Feng Yiping adjusted his position a little, resting his head on top of Huang Jingping's, and soon after, a light snoring sound could be heard.
In fact, Huang Jingping hasn't been any less busy than Feng Yiping these days.
She spends most of her time taking meticulous care of him. For example, her top priority is to cook delicious food for him in different ways to ensure that he gets the right nutrition.
In the hot summer, as many people lose their appetite, this is no easy task. Apart from taking care of him, Huang Jingping also has her own things to do. She has already signed up for the accounting qualification exam to be held in the second half of the year, so she also needs to find time to study and read professional books.
Feng Yiping's college entrance exam is over, and the heavy burden is lifted. She is also half relieved. Now, listening to Feng Yiping's rhythmic snoring, she also feels a wave of drowsiness coming over her. He gently takes Feng Yiping's hand away from under his body so as not to press it, then snuggles up next to him, smelling the familiar scent on his body, and also falls asleep after a while.
So, soon the house was quiet, with only two snores rising and falling and the rustle of the air conditioner in the living room.