"I’m telling you, I’m here to take care of my son, as for anyone else who’s unrelated, I have no obligation to serve..." Feng Caie then glanced sideways at Yang Baixiang before turning into the kitchen.
Yang Baixiang stood awkwardly in the middle of the courtyard, not knowing what to do next.
The elderly couple inside didn’t utter a word either. In the end, Yang Baixiang turned silently and entered his own room, and he sat on his simple kang bed, his heart involuntarily filled with the sour memory of his last visit to Xinxin’s home, where Xiaofeng had insisted that he not waste food, which was actually his way of making sure Yang ate his fill. But here... his heart couldn’t help but ache.
That night, Yang Baixiang didn’t go out for dinner, and of course, no one came to call him either, so he just went to sleep on an empty stomach.
The next day, all the family members eagerly awaited the announcement, while Yang Baixiang quietly picked up water before heading over to Yang Ruxin’s, knowing today was the day of the workshop’s completion, where he could lend a hand.
Compared to Yang Rusong’s anxiety, Guan Qingshu was remarkably indifferent, truly indifferent, indifferent to the point of seeming almost uncaring.
Since his confrontation with Gu Qingheng, Guan Qingshu had become unusually silent upon returning home, speaking very little and just burying himself in reading day and night, even memorizing backwards the passage from "Mencius" that Qingheng had recited. But what was the use? His mind was continuously tormented by the image of Yang Ruxin and Gu Qingheng holding hands tightly, so he didn’t care at all about the exams anymore, because he suddenly felt they were meaningless.
But while he might not care, others did, and that was the Tong Family. Tong Gang had rushed to the county town that morning to check the announcement. Seeing Guan Qingshu’s name, he was incomparably thrilled and hurried back home, locking up the shop before rushing to Dapu East Village with his wife and child.
"Really?" asked Guan Tongshi, electrified by the news brought by her older brother and sister-in-law, "My Qingshu was certainly bound to pass... and we can’t discount the support from my older brother and sister-in-law... And how about the Yang Family’s boy?"
"Indeed true, your brother saw it himself and worried that it might be inconvenient for you to go there," Tong Liushi said with a self-satisfied smile, then glanced at her husband.
"I didn’t look," Tong Gang shook his head. "I saw Qingshu’s name and rushed right back."
"Our Qingshu’s name was at the very top. Even if Yang Rusong passed, his scores couldn’t compare to Qingshu’s," Tong Liushi added, laughing gleefully.
"I’ll go congratulate my cousin," Tong Lingling said before darting straight into Guan Qingshu’s room.
"That girl, doesn’t she know how to be a bit more demure?" Tong Liushi chided, laughing softly.
"They grew up together as childhood sweethearts. They don’t mind all that," Guan Tongshi waved her hand dismissively.
Tong Gang and his wife exchanged a glance, seeing a hint of relief in each other’s eyes because of the lingering worry over the previous incident where Lingling’s clothes had been stripped. They feared that it would cause estrangement with her family, but now it seemed...
"When you get older, it’s better to be more careful," Guan Danian, who had been silent, suddenly spoke out. "Lest people start gossiping later on."
"What do you mean by that, brother-in-law?" asked Tong Gang, frowning.
"You know what I mean," Guan Danian replied, glancing at Tong Gang. "Uncle, let’s not mince words. Is your daughter Lingling still reputable?"