Free Web NovelChapter 291: Chapter 291: Planning to Take the College Entrance Exam
"We should invite him," Li Wan said with a nod. "He helped me so much with this whole situation. I really need to thank him properly."
Over the past few days, Gu Xinsheng had been visiting Li Wan at Xiluo Alley whenever he was free. To express her gratitude, Li Wan cooked for him every time and had even bought him special gifts to show her appreciation.
However, Li Wan felt that this wasn’t nearly enough. After all, Gu Xinsheng had practically saved her life. She believed that no amount of gratitude would be too much.
And for this reunion with the Li family, Li Wan felt she should invite Gu Xinsheng to join them as well.
Su Qing raised an eyebrow. ’This newfound mother of mine is really dense about matters of the heart. Never mind me, her daughter—I bet even Mrs. Li can see what Gu Xinsheng is thinking. But my own mother is still completely in the dark.’
’Hmm, it looks like that Uncle Gu has his work cut out for him,’ Su Qing mused. ’I’d wager that unless Gu Xinsheng states his intentions plainly, Li Wan will never think of him in that way.’
’Tsk, tsk. Poor Uncle Gu.’
Li Huan suddenly nudged Su Qing with her shoulder and whispered in her ear, "Does that Uncle Gu of yours like my aunt?"
Su Qing couldn’t help but smile. ’Well, would you look at that. Even the ever-oblivious Li Huan has figured it out.’
Su Qing glanced at Li Huan and whispered back, "That’s still up to my mom."
"That’s true." Li Huan nodded. "When it comes to matters of the heart, it has to be mutual."
Mrs. Li held tightly to Li Wan’s hand. "It’s just your father and me living by ourselves now, and we have so many empty rooms at home. Why don’t you and Qingqing both come live at the compound? Please?"
"Oh." The sudden suggestion caught Li Wan off guard, and she hesitated. She understood her mother’s intentions, but she worried whether she and Su Qing could adapt to life in the compound. After all, she knew it was a world completely different from anything she had experienced before.
Su Qing, however, thought it was a great idea. ’I’m still planning to go deal with Li Yuan and Li Aiguo,’ she mused. ’I’d be worried leaving Li Wan alone in Xiluo Alley. Moving to the compound would be great; then I wouldn’t have to worry.’
And so, Su Qing said to Li Wan with a beaming smile, "Mom, I think Grandma’s suggestion is excellent."
Seeing that Su Qing was supportive, Mrs. Li was even more delighted. She nodded eagerly. "Exactly, Xiao Wan! See, even Qingqing thinks it’s a good idea. Just come and live with your father and me, please?"
Gazing into Mrs. Li’s hopeful eyes, Li Wan pressed her lips together and then nodded. "Okay, then."
When Li Wan agreed, everyone in the Li family was delighted. Li Huan was particularly ecstatic, happily linking her arm through Su Qing’s. "Qingqing, from now on we’ll be in the same compound! It’ll be so much more convenient for us to see each other."
Su Qing smiled and said, "After the family reunion banquet, I have to make a trip back to the Northeast. I still have some things to handle there."
When she heard Su Qing say she was going back to the Northeast, Li Wan quickly interjected, "Qingqing, I’ll go with you."
Although she knew her daughter was formidable now, Li Wan still worried that the Old Su Family would try to bully Su Qing. If they were really that shameless, she had to be there to stand in front of her daughter and protect her.
Li Wan’s personality was never a cowardly one to begin with. Otherwise, after Su Shengjun passed away all those years ago, she wouldn’t have been able to force the Old Su Family to divide their assets and still manage to get a house out of it.
"You don’t need to. You should stay here and accompany Grandma and Grandpa. I can go back by myself. Don’t worry, the Old Su Family can’t touch me." Su Qing knew what Li Wan was worried about, but she couldn’t let her come along. She still had to go deal with Li Yuan and Li Aiguo. Even though Li Wan was technically recovered, she was still in the early stages of recuperation. Her body was still fundamentally weak, something that even her green mist couldn’t instantly fix. She wouldn’t be able to handle such a long journey.
’I heard the couple, Li Yuan and Li Aiguo, were both sent to a farm in the Northeast. I don’t know the exact location yet. Hmm, looks like I’ll have to ask my new uncle about it when I get the chance.’
Given Su Qing’s insistence, Li Wan had no choice but to drop the matter.
Li Huan, for her part, was clamoring to go with Su Qing to the Northeast, but she was quickly shut down by Shang Yuqi. After all, it was already June. The college entrance exam on July 20th was just over a month away, and Li Huan needed to stay home and study hard.
Speaking of the college entrance exam, Shang Yuqi then asked Su Qing, "Qingqing, have you thought about going to college? If you want to take the exam, I can find someone to tutor you. If it’s too late this year, we can aim for next year. How about it?"
Su Qing thought about it. ’The body’s original owner hadn’t attended school since she was ten; you could say she hadn’t even graduated from elementary school. Based on her academic level, getting into college would probably be very difficult. As for me, I went to college and experienced university life in my past life before the apocalypse, so I don’t really have a strong desire to go again.’ Thinking this, Su Qing was ready to decline.
But before Su Qing could speak, Li Wan said, "You have to take it. Qingqing, you’re still so young, you should go to college. Having a degree will be beneficial to you in the future, no matter what you do."
Li Wan had never been able to go to college, and she didn’t want her daughter to miss that chance, too. Besides, Su Qing was only seventeen, the perfect age for schooling. That time couldn’t be wasted.
"Er..." Su Qing blinked. Beside her, Li Huan chimed in enthusiastically, "Qingqing, you take the exam too! Then we can get into the same university and look out for each other. How about it? Pleeeease? Just agree!"
Everyone in the Li family was supportive of Su Qing taking the college entrance exam.
"Er, alright." After a moment’s thought, Su Qing said, "If it’s not too late to register, I’ll take the college entrance exam this year."
Her words stunned everyone. ’Is there enough time for that?’
Shang Yuqi exclaimed, "Qingqing, registration won’t be a problem, but this year’s exam is on July twentieth. That’s just over a month away, at best! Will you have enough time to study? And don’t you still have to go to the Northeast?"
Su Qing just smiled and said, "Auntie, I’ve actually been secretly finding books and studying on my own these past few years. Just help me find a set of study materials, and I’ll take them with me to review whenever I have a spare moment. I’ll rush back before the exam. Worst case, if I don’t pass this year, I can always take it again next year."
Everyone else thought that made sense. She could just treat it as a practice run. With that, Shang Yuqi volunteered to take charge of preparing the review materials.
Then Mr. Li said, "There’s also the matter of Xiao Wan’s and Qingqing’s household registration. In the next few days, I’ll find someone to transfer your registrations back here. We’ll have you registered to this house."
"Alright, thank you, Grandpa," Su Qing said with a smile. She had been planning to find a chance to sort out her and Li Wan’s household registration herself. Now that Mr. Li was taking care of it, it would save her a lot of trouble.
With all the matters settled and the family reunion banquet set for two days later, the Li family headed home in high spirits. For the next two days, Li Wan and Su Qing would remain at Xiluo Alley, planning to move to the compound after the banquet.
