On Saturday evening, Fei Ni went straight to her parents' house after work to deliver exam materials to her brother.
She didn't run into her brother at home, but her sister-in-law Lin Mei saw her and pulled her into a small room, closing the door behind them. "Please talk to your brother and convince him to take the college entrance exam," Lin Mei said. "He was such a good student back then—it'd be a shame for him to miss this opportunity."
"Does my brother not want to take the exam?"
"My pregnancy really couldn't have come at a worse time."
"Don't say that, sister-in-law."
"It must be because of this. Your brother probably thinks it'd be too much of a burden on me if he goes to school. But no matter how hard it gets, it's only for a couple of years. Besides, your parents are here to help me. Please try to persuade him." Lin Mei glanced at the door, then took out an envelope and handed it to Fei Ni. "This is from your brother, for you and Xiao Fang."
Fei Ni opened it and found thirty yuan inside.
"Sister-in-law, why are you giving me money?"
"This is what you deserve." Fei Ting had originally told her to wait until the end of the year when they'd saved more money before giving it to Fei Ni, but Lin Mei was too impatient and wanted to share their joy with her sister-in-law right away.
"What do you mean?"
"Take it, and don't say it's too little. Your brother hired a carpenter to make a set of furniture based on Xiao Fang's designs and sold it. After deducting material costs and the carpenter's fee, we made enough to buy a television. Without Xiao Fang's drawings, we wouldn't have earned this money. Your brother said that from now on, you'll get a share of the profits every time we sell furniture."
"Does anyone else know about this?" Having a carpenter make furniture to sell was different from making it for personal use. If her brother kept this up, he'd practically become a small business owner like in the old society. Although things were more relaxed now, if someone reported him, the least he could expect was a formal reprimand—she didn't even want to think about more serious consequences.
"Don't worry, even your parents don't know. We've been telling the carpenter that we're making the furniture for relatives. We change locations for each set, so no one will find out."
"But what if someone does find out? At the very least, the factory would probably punish him." Fei Ni handed the envelope back to her sister-in-law. "I can't take this money. You should stop making and selling furniture for now—what if someone reports you for speculation? I have some savings, if you need..."
"Your brother and I don't really have any urgent need for money. You're right, though. I'll tell your brother to stop after this set."
Since Fei Ni was visiting, Fei Ma added an extra egg when making the scrambled eggs. Fei Ting came home just in time for dinner and, seeing Fei Ni, immediately pulled two review books from his bag and gave them to her. He had rushed to the Xinhua Bookstore at noon to get them—any later and they would have been sold out.
Fei Ni couldn't help but laugh when she saw the books—they were the exact same ones she had brought for him.
"Brother, are you planning to take the liberal arts or sciences exam?"
"At my age, if I go back to school now, I'll be over thirty by the time I graduate. What's the point?" Fei Ting insisted on giving the books to Fei Ni. "Let Xiao Fang use these."
"I already bought copies for him. Brother, please sign up for the exam. This is a rare opportunity, and sister-in-law supports you. Even if there are difficulties, they're only temporary. Besides, with so many people in our family, if we share the burden, it won't feel like much. Don't always try to carry everything alone."Fei Ting had intended to say he needed more time to think, but what came out was, "Alright." He knew his sister well—if he refused to take the college entrance exam, she would exhaust every possible method to persuade him until he relented. It was better to agree now; if he couldn't attend later, he could always claim he failed the exam. He understood how crucial the exam was to Fei Ni, but unlike her, he was nearly thirty, with only a year of seniority, making him ineligible for paid leave during studies. During those four years of schooling, his family wouldn't be able to contribute financially. Most importantly, his wife was pregnant. Without a child, things might have been manageable, but he couldn't possibly shift the entire burden of raising a child onto his wife. Of course, if they truly struggled, his parents and sister would help, but as a grown man, how could he shamelessly offload the responsibility of providing for his family onto others?
Seeing her brother agree, Fei Ni felt half her worries lift. She then whispered to Fei Ting, "Brother, don't have the carpenter make any more furniture for you. If someone reports it for profiteering, the consequences could be severe."
Fei Ting continued to say "alright," knowing full well that his wife had once again spilled the beans too early. After all these years, Lin Mei still couldn't keep a secret, blurting out everything. Back at the educated youth point, she had never been able to hide her thoughts. He recalled their first kiss by the river—the first thing he said afterward was, "Don't tell anyone. In the countryside, such things harm girls far more than boys." But Lin Mei's immediate response was, "I want everyone to know you kissed me. If you kiss anyone else, you'll be a scoundrel like Chen Shimei, despised by all." Despite her words, she had kept this one matter tightly under wraps; no one ever found out they often embraced and kissed in the riverside grove.
Fang Muyang had resigned from the restaurant today. Before leaving for good, he worked one last night shift and handed in his final tips. He managed to get two large dishes from the head chef, but it was too late to eat them. Along with the dishes, he took away two cans of beef canned food and two abalone cans.
Fei Ni had told him earlier to go to her parents' house after work, so Fang Muyang cycled straight to the Fei family after his shift.
He handed two lunch boxes to Fei Ma, suggesting she heat them up to eat tomorrow. The weather was cool, so overnight dishes wouldn't spoil. Fei Ma opened them to find stir-fried shrimp and sweet-and-sour fish.
Fei Ma said, "You should keep these for yourselves."
"Fei Ni still loves my cooking the most, right?"
Fei Ni chuckled and hummed in agreement.
Sitting on the back of Fang Muyang's bicycle, Fei Ni told him about Fei Ting making furniture to sell.
Fang Muyang had considered the same idea when he was short on money—he would supply the wood, hire a carpenter to make furniture based on his designs, and then sell it himself, earning enough to support himself and Fei Ni. He knew Fei Ni would disapprove even before he started, and as it turned out, they had enough money later, so he never went through with it.
"Don't worry too much. Things aren't as strict as they used to be. Your brother has good judgment; if the risks were too high, he wouldn't dare do it." Fang Muyang added, "But it's best to stop for now. I'll help sell the furniture he's already made, saying it's excess stock with no space to store it."
"Who will you sell it to?"
"Who wouldn't want furniture I designed?"
"Be careful."
"I know."
When they arrived home, Fei Ni asked Fang Muyang, "Have you had dinner?"
"No, I'll cook some noodles myself.""Go study, I'll handle this." Fei Ni handed Fang Muyang the key exam points she had highlighted yesterday, urging him to review them carefully.
Her foundation was far stronger than his—she was confident she could pass even if she took the exam immediately. But Fang Muyang was different; his basics were too weak. To give him more time to study, she was willing to take on more household chores during this period.
Fei Ni prepared noodles with abalone for Fang Muyang, using an entire can. She brought it to the table and insisted he eat. Fang Muyang looked at the notes Fei Ni had made for him last night—next to the highlighted sections, she had neatly written summaries in small regular script, specifically for him, worried he might not understand.
Their levels were completely different. At Fei Ni's level, she didn't need to review these materials at all. She worked during the day and spent her evenings organizing knowledge points for him.
Fei Ni supervised Fang Muyang until he finished all the abalone in his noodles, then made him a cup of milk powder.
Fang Muyang couldn't bring himself to tell Fei Ni he wasn't interested in what she wanted him to read, so he forced himself to absorb every highlighted word on the page.
After reading ten consecutive pages, Fang Muyang stood up and said to Fei Ni, "I'm going to the boiler room first, I'll continue reading when I get back."
Fei Ni knew he was going to the boiler room to ensure she could have a hot bath.
"Don't worry about it. I'll just heat some water to wash up today, and I can use the factory bathhouse from now on." Fei Ni knew Fang Muyang was different from her—he showered quickly and could still take cold showers daily even in winter.
"Your colleagues are too curious. If you suddenly start using the factory bathhouse, they might get suspicious..."
"Let them suspect." For the first time, Fei Ni appeared completely indifferent to rumors. "That doesn't matter, it's not important at all compared to your college entrance exam. What you need to do now is focus on your studies."
Fei Ni stayed up with Fang Muyang studying until nearly 1 AM before going to bed. The moment her head touched the pillow, she fell asleep. Listening to Fei Ni's even breathing, Fang Muyang kissed her forehead. At her level, staying up late to study with him would actually harm her exam performance. Her knowledge was more than sufficient—all she needed was proper rest.
He tucked Fei Ni's blanket securely around her and returned to the studio. The black tea Old Fang had given him came in handy, keeping him alert until 2 AM. What kept him going until 3 AM wasn't the tea, but the urge to paint. Once he started, he couldn't stop.
He also felt urges while studying—the urge to tear up the books. Not because he didn't understand (he could grasp difficult parts with repeated reading), but because sitting still and reading felt like immense torture to him.
It was Fei Ni's gaze that kept him anchored there. He had eaten the noodles she cooked and drunk the milk she prepared—he owed it to her to meet some of her expectations.
On Sunday, Old Fang knocked on his wayward son's door according to the address Fang Muyang had given him. Fang Muyang was out visiting his former art teacher, so Fei Ni answered the door.
Not only did Fang Muyang not want to trouble Fei Ni himself, he had specifically warned Old Fang to wait until after Fei Ni's college entrance exam before discussing the manuscript matter.Old Fang readily agreed, as organizing the manuscripts wasn’t urgent at the moment. This time, he didn’t bring the manuscripts but a box of books—all of which he had read and thought suitable for Fei Ni. His primary concern now was what major Fei Ni would choose. Teacher Mu had advised Fei Ni to pursue science, just as she had advised her own children, and this suggestion had proven influential at a critical moment. Old Fang worried that Fei Ni might follow his wife’s advice, knowing that if she chose science, she would excel at it. From his wife, he had heard that Fei Ni could understand most of the books she had lent her. If Fei Ni were only suited for the humanities, he wouldn’t be as concerned. Being a jack-of-all-trades wasn’t necessarily a good thing—one still had to make a choice, and a wrong one could lead to lifelong regret. To ensure his daughter-in-law chose a major truly suited to her, Old Fang felt he had to make this visit to help clear the fog for her.
He hoped Fei Ni would discover her true passion through these books.
Upon seeing her father-in-law, Fei Ni immediately invited him in and prepared tea for him.
“Muyang has gone out. Were you looking for him?”
“I’m not here for him.” Old Fang asked Fei Ni, “Are you planning to choose the humanities or science?”
“The humanities.” Initially, Fei Ni had also leaned toward Teacher Mu’s suggestion, but after reading the series of specialized books Teacher Mu had given her, her inclination shifted. She could understand the books Teacher Mu had given her, but that was all—she found she still preferred reading Old Fang’s manuscripts and the books related to them. Even during her exam preparations, she was willing to squeeze out time to read these manuscripts and books, not for the sake of acquiring knowledge, but for relaxation. This knowledge relaxed her.
Old Fang hadn’t expected his daughter-in-law to be so decisive and immediately remarked, “Excellent. You must stick to your own ideas. Others’ opinions can only serve as references—you must follow your inner passion.”
Guided by his daughter-in-law, Old Fang toured the new home of his rebellious son and daughter-in-law, inwardly marveling at how well his son knew how to enjoy life.
He particularly liked the floor-to-ceiling window in the art studio and the partition in the living room. The crude wooden door his son had made himself was also quite interesting. This small house was far more charming than living in an apartment.
But for a young person to be too fond of comfort wasn’t necessarily a good thing.
Fei Ni told her father-in-law that Fang Muyang was also preparing for the college entrance exam.
“He’s preparing for the exam?” In Old Fang’s memory, his rebellious son had never shown much interest in attending university. Even if he were interested, cramming at the last minute would make it difficult to pass. Old Fang thought to himself, no wonder the rascal wasn’t home—he must have escaped to avoid studying.
Old Fang tactfully said to Fei Ni, “Muyang doesn’t seem very interested in university,” using lack of interest to mask the possibility of future failure.
“Muyang really wants to go to university. He started reviewing last night and kept at it until dawn. He began reading as soon as he got up this morning and didn’t even have time for breakfast.”
Fang Muyang had spent the entire morning reviewing math in the bedroom. Old Fang had never imagined that the rebellious son his daughter-in-law spoke of would be so dedicated to studying, not moving from his spot since after breakfast.
Fang Muyang had no choice but to love studying—Fei Ni frequently tested him with questions. He had told Fei Ni that if he answered correctly, she would kiss him, and if he answered wrong, he would kiss her.He hadn't expected Fei Ni to immediately agree to the treaty after hearing it. At first, Fei Ni only agreed to kiss his cheek, but when he proactively requested her to kiss his lips, she complied—though only for a brief moment. When he made a mistake, he kissed her fiercely, believing it was a serious error that shouldn't be glossed over lightly. After kissing her twice with intensity, Fei Ni broke free from his embrace, smoothed her hair, and stopped testing him, urging him to review properly and strive not to make mistakes next time.
Fei Ni omitted this part when recounting it to Old Fang, which left him puzzled.
Had that rebellious son changed his nature? How could he sit still for so long besides painting?
Seeing both his rebellious son and daughter-in-law studying so diligently, Old Fang felt it inappropriate to disturb them and took his leave early.
Fang Muyang didn't return until dinnertime. Upon seeing him, Fei Ni went to cook noodles.
Since Fei Ni's level was far higher than Fang Muyang's, she took on most of the trivial tasks to allow him more time to focus on his studies.
Fang Muyang said, "I'm not planning to take the college entrance exam anymore."
"Didn't you agree to it just yesterday?" Fei Ni's tone noticeably rose, each word spoken urgently.
"I'm preparing for the graduate school entrance exam. Along with the college entrance exam, graduate admissions have also resumed, but it's too late for this year. I'll have to wait until next year."
"Graduate school? You're taking the graduate school exam?" When asking the second question, Fei Ni suppressed her tone, trying not to let Fang Muyang sense her surprise. She was afraid of hurting his self-esteem. But if he might struggle with the college entrance exam, how could he handle graduate school?
"There's no strict academic restriction for this; I can take it too."
Being able to take the exam and actually passing it are two different things.
"Ni, do you believe I can pass?"
Fei Ni slowly lowered her eyes, biting her lip until it left a mark, then forced a smile at Fang Muyang. "I believe you. But isn't the graduate school exam next year? Why not try this year's college entrance exam first?"
"The college entrance exam and the graduate school exam aren't the same. For graduate school, especially at the Art Academy, the focus is on the specialized subject. The general knowledge test isn't as important. Reviewing for it would just be a waste of time for me."
"But what if you don't pass?"
"Then I'll keep trying." Fang Muyang said with a smile. "The graduate school exam is still far off. Right now, the most important thing is your college entrance exam. Starting today, aside from work, your only focus should be reviewing. I'll handle everything else. Once you're done with your exam, you can take care of me however you want, and I won't stop you." Not only would he not stop her—he'd welcome it.
Fang Muyang stood behind Fei Ni, massaging her shoulders. "How's the pressure?"
Fang Muyang didn't believe he would definitely pass the graduate school exam, but the odds weren't worse than for the college entrance exam. Moreover, if he prepared for the college entrance exam, Fei Ni would be busy helping him. With time so tight, he hoped she could focus all her energy on her own exam, not his.
For dinner, he opened an abalone can to cook noodles. He ate the noodles himself and gave the abalone to Fei Ni.
"Review however you see fit; don't worry about me." Their levels were completely different. Fei Ni painstakingly outlining key points for him was of no help to her own studies.Thank you to the little angel who threw a shallow water bomb: Winter Rose 1;
Thank you to the little angels who threw landmines: Wang Yuejin at the Foot of the Mountain, 32072264, Mi Dada, Yang Zai 1 each;
Thank you to the little angels who irrigated nutrient solution: niki 167 bottles; Childish Elephant, Eat Sleep Play Games 50 bottles; As It Is 29 bottles; Xianggu Huaiji 16 bottles; Chirp 15 bottles; serena 12 bottles; Chaoming, Falling Wind at Will, Little Little 10 bottles; Brooklyn's Big White, Bright and Clear 9 bottles; Ruyue, Mooncakes Are Still Five Kernels Good 8 bottles; Lin Yiyi, Grendel, scarlett, 46455654 5 bottles; Zhang Zhang 4 bottles; Fat Crab Crab 3 bottles; real, g Qingqing, Sheng Yun l&p, superru 2 bottles; Yun Qing, Wang Yuejin at the Foot of the Mountain, Qiu Qiu, Two Cats One Dog, Xue Li, Midnight Snack Classmate 1 bottle;
Thank you all very much for your support, I will continue to work hard!
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