At the Friendship Hotel, the twenty-three-year-old classmates quickly filled half the hall, chatting joyously about their expectations for the future.
In their class, everyone was retaking the year. The pressure of repeating a year was greater than that of their peers who were just in their senior year of high school. Over the past year, they dared not relax. Every day, the first thing they did upon opening their eyes was to think about that day’s study schedule: the unfinishable test papers, unexplainable problems, unendable classes, and unmemorable texts.
Today, after the college entrance exam was over, everyone’s pressure was suddenly gone. Even though they didn’t know their scores yet, they started to let loose, and many students had some drinks.
Xu Nianhua was drinking soda, which tasted quite good. She was sitting next to Zheng Jin, who, despite her quiet-sounding name, was anything but quiet and liked to talk a lot.
"Nianhua, are you planning to apply to Beining University?" Zheng Jin had a close relationship with Xu Nianhua and was aware of her university aspirations. She sighed and said, "It’s a pity, my scores are low, I’m afraid I won’t be able to go to the same university as you."
"Where are you planning to go?" Xu Nianhua asked.
Turning her head, Zheng Jin replied, "If I can get in, I want to go to the Normal School in South City. Being a teacher afterwards doesn’t sound too bad."
"Nianhua, what about your brother, where is he going?" Zheng Jin’s gaze drifted to the table with the male classmates, where Xu Nian’an’s distinguished appearance made him particularly conspicuous.
Xu Nianhua pursed her lips, knowing that Zheng Jin had a bit of a crush on her elder brother. She said, "Elder brother is going to Ningbei Medical College."
Although Zheng Jin had heard the news before, hearing it from Xu Nianhua still made her feel somewhat disappointed. Over the past year, she had tried hard to catch up, and her grades had improved a lot. Unfortunately, with her modest scores, it was not enough for universities outside the province. Getting into the Normal School in South City was already a blessing.
"Meeting each other in the future won’t be easy then," Zheng Jin sighed.
Leaning in close, Xu Nianhua whispered in her ear, "Xiaojin, you like my elder brother."
Her statement was not a question but a declaration.
There were many classmates in school, but she and Zheng Jin had the closest relationship, as Zheng Jin was straightforward and genuinely likable due to her simplicity and candor.
She thought that if her elder brother and Zheng Jin could end up together, that would be nice.
"Nianhua, what are you talking about?" Zheng Jin quickly glanced around, her eyes flickering to Xu Nian’an at the neighboring table. Her heart pounded inside her chest, and she lowered her head, unwilling to meet Xu Nianhua’s gaze again for fear of revealing her feelings.
Changing the subject, Zheng Jin said, "I think I did quite well on the exams. Who knows, I might really get into the Normal School. If I do, my dad would be absolutely thrilled."
Her attempt to dodge the topic made Xu Nianhua smile and not pursue their earlier conversation. She responded, "As long as your uncle is happy, from now on, you’ll be his pride."
"Right." The thought of her dad’s joy if she got into the Normal School made Zheng Jin feel proud. She said, "Nianhua, thank you."
She spoke earnestly. Even though she had said many words of thanks before, today, at this moment, she still felt compelled to express her gratitude. Without Xu Nianhua, she might not have even had a chance with the Normal School.
After finishing the exams, it was time to look for a job and consider doing something else. Who would dare to dream of getting into a university?
"We are classmates, we are friends." Xu Nianhua’s eyes curved, and her gentle smile shone as bright and warm as the sunlight.