Before, someone had said they would cover her tuition, and now someone else wants to take responsibility for it?
Chiang Xiao had a moment of speechless frustration.
She wanted to express that she was still able to pay her tuition!
"Teacher, really, it’s not necessary, I can pay the tuition. Also, I will do well on the exam," Chiang Xiao thought it over and said to Song Tianyang, "I’m planning to apply for a grade-skipping exam at the town middle school. Teacher Song, do you know how I should go about applying?"
Song Tianyang was greatly surprised, "What did you say? You want to apply to skip grades?"
"Yes, actually, I feel like I’ve already completed the curriculum for junior high, and I want to give it a try."
"Chiang Xiao, do you realize that the curriculum in junior high is a watershed from elementary school? The difficulty is not as easy as you imagine. Moreover, the first year of junior high is a critical time for laying foundations, you can’t just think of this as a way to save on tuition costs," Song Tianyang said seriously.
Chiang Xiao was once again at a loss for words. She had just discovered how wild Teacher Song’s assumptions could be, thinking that she wanted to skip grades to save on tuition?
"Teacher, I’m serious about wanting to skip grades, then free up more time to study painting, because in the future I intend to apply to an art academy," she clarified.
"You want to become a Painter?"
"Now, that is an admirable aspiration!" Song Tianyang’s eyes lit up.
Ordinary college students also only know there will be good jobs waiting for them later, but becoming a Painter seems exceptionally prestigious. If their village could produce a Painter, it would indeed be a source of great pride.
"So, as long as I can pass my academic subjects, that will be fine. Moreover, I’m confident that I can do well, and if I don’t do well, it wouldn’t be possible to skip a grade, right?"
"Do your grandparents know about this plan of yours?"
"They know, and they’re supportive of my decision." In fact, Chiang Songhai and the others were all listening to her, and her decisions were pretty much just a matter of informing them.
Teacher Song stood up and said, "If you’re determined and confident about it, how about this: I will apply for you, and after we confirm the date of the exam, I’ll notify you. I reckon it’ll be at the end of the term, and then we can directly give you the papers for the first year of junior high for you to take."
"No, Teacher Song, I want to directly skip to the third year of junior high," she replied.
This was like a bombshell, leaving Song Tianyang completely dazed. Not only did she want to skip a grade, but she also wanted to skip two?
The other teachers nearby had also heard this, and they, too, were stunned.
Somehow, this news quickly spread and even reached Secretary Yao.
Secretary Yao immediately slapped his thigh, "If Chiang Xiao can pass the second year of junior high while she’s in the sixth grade, then our Siyang Village Primary School will get quite the attention! I think the girl can do it! I’ll take care of this matter!"
Thus, the news of Chiang Xiao’s impending grade-skipping exam made her famous in the village once more.
After school, as Chiang Xiao headed home, she heard more talk about the commotion Wan Niu and the others had caused the day before. When people asked her about it, Chiang Xiao told them the truth.
Bai Gu Mountain was rich in resources and had an abundance of wild plants, but there were also many poisonous snakes and fierce beasts.
In any case, she said just that, and whoever wanted to go up the mountain could do so.
Yet, there really were no villagers brave enough to venture there.
Even so, people began to think that Chiang Songhai truly had both the ability and the courage. Many started admiring Chiang Songhai, and even those who were envious only talked behind his back.
Ho Laidi, after hearing all this, was so angry she stormed into her house and slammed the door, cursing through clenched teeth.
"It would serve them right to get carried off by a big cat!"
Chiang Xiao paid no mind to the fickle hearts of these people. This morning, before she left the house, she had already washed the mushrooms and set some out to dry.