Bab 10: Chapter 10 Agreement
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"Okay, stop arguing, both of you."
Zhao Xianlai interrupted the quarrel with his voice.
He suggested, "Mianmian still has half a term left in her ninth grade, right? Let her finish the ninth grade first, and then decide based on whether her grades improve."
Given the current situation, that was the only option, as for the future, it still depended on whether Shen Mianmian could make the effort herself; he didn't want to crush the hope in her eyes.
"No..."
"I agree."
Shen Mianmian spoke up before Zhou Lanfang could.
In her previous life when she helped Zhou Siyu take care of the child, she had learned quite a bit of knowledge, although she had nearly forgotten it, picking it up again wasn't hard.
She was confident.
Zhao Xianlai looked towards Shen Jianhua, "Do you agree?"
"I agree too." Since it had reached this point, it was necessary to give the village chief face.
Zhou Lanfang, furious, clenched her teeth. That damned girl, so quick with her mouth, actually stole her words.
Now that Shen Jianhua had agreed with the village chief, if she voiced her opinion, it would seem too obvious, and Shen Jianhua would definitely get angry; she could only endure it for now.
Damned girl, want to study? She would deal with her properly later.
The matter seemed to be settled, and Zhao Xianlai gave a few more reminders to Shen Jianhua before heading back home.
No sooner had Zhao Xianlai been seen out than Zhou Lanfang started making a scene, "Our family has no savings left now, where are you going to find the money for her tuition for the second half of the term?"
"Let's talk inside the house." He was worried that Zhou Lanfang, in her anger, might let something slip, and said to Shen Mianmian, "Mianmian, you go back to your room to rest too."
"Mm."
Shen Mianmian responded with a sound, but she didn't return to her room; instead, she went to Zhao Xianlai's house again.
Just as Zhao Xianlai had barely arrived home and had not yet settled down, he saw Shen Mianmian come again. His first thought was that Zhou Lanfang must have made a scene.
"Did your mom hit you again?"
He Nan's eyebrows also furrowed slightly. She had returned home once and was still dressed so thinly; it seemed her father really didn't take her seriously.
Noticing He Nan's expression, Shen Mianmian wondered: Does he find her a nuisance?
She could not back down.
She did her best to ignore He Nan's gaze.
"Uncle Zhao, I'm not here to complain this time; I'm here to borrow money."
"Borrow money?"
"Borrow money?"
Zhao Xianlai and Li Chunhua both paused for a moment, while the profound darkness of He Nan's eyes flickered.
Shen Mianmian gathered her courage, "Uncle Zhao, Aunt Li, you both know my family's situation by now. My mom will definitely try everything she can to keep me from studying when the time comes, so I want to ask, in case she really doesn't give me the tuition, could you lend it to me first?"
Before they could reply, she quickly assured them, "I will definitely return the money to you before the start of the twelfth grade, and I can write an IOU."
Given Zhou Lanfang's temperament, she would surely complicate things when it comes time to pay school fees. She had to find a safety net in advance, just in case.
The tuition for the ninth grade was thirty yuan, and she was confident that she could pay it off before high school started.
Zhao Xianlai and Li Chunhua exchanged glances, apparently understanding Shen Mianmian's intent; she was borrowing the money without her parents knowing.
Thirty yuan was no small sum. A year's earnings from farming might only bring in a hundred yuan or so, and a month's labor off the farm barely made twenty yuan, sometimes even less than fifteen.
Shen Mianmian was still a child, and Li Chunhua hesitated a bit.
After a moment of contemplation, Zhao Xianlai spoke, "Mianmian, I can cover the tuition for you for now, but there's a condition."
Shen Mianmian's eyes brightened, "Uncle Zhao, please tell me."
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Bab 11: Chapter 11: Sending Army Coats
"There's just over half a month until the final exams. If you can improve your grades by five ranks from before, I'll cover your tuition for the latter half of the semester."
"I can do that." Right now, she was pretty much at the bottom, so moving up five ranks was not a difficult task at all.
Seeing her respond so readily and without hesitation, Zhao Xianlai nodded in satisfaction, then added, "If you can make it into the top ten of your class next semester, I can cover your high school tuition fees in advance as well."
"Thank you, Uncle Zhao. I will work hard."
She then turned to Li Chunhua, guaranteeing with sincere conviction, "Auntie Li, don't worry, I will definitely pay you back this money."
She didn't want the matter of borrowing money to cause any family conflicts.
Seeing Shen Mianmian being so understanding and considerate of her feelings, Li Chunhua felt much more at ease, "Mianmian, as long as you can manage it, I have no objections." Zhao Xianlai had already laid out the offer, and no matter what, she couldn't undermine her own husband.
"Thank you, Auntie Li." Shen Mianmian was truly grateful, "I've missed a few days of school, and I have a lot of coursework to catch up on. I need to go back and study now."
In their eyes, she was still a child; no amount of promises could be very persuasive. The only thing she could do was to study hard.
"Alright."
Auntie Li nodded, and as she escorted Shen Mianmian out, she reminded her, "Put on more clothes when you get back, it's cold now, and you haven't fully recovered from your injury. Don't catch a cold again."
"Okay."
Shen Mianmian nodded obediently, and at the doorway, she finally said, "Auntie, you should go back inside! It's cold out here."
After speaking, she was about to leave, but someone called out to her.
"Wait a second."
"He Nan..."
As the man with a commanding presence approached, Shen Mianmian opened her mouth but didn't know what to call him.
Noticing her discomfort, He Nan reminded her lightly, "Call me Big Brother He."
"Big Brother He." Her mind hadn't quite caught up, but her mouth obediently followed the prompt.
This man's presence was so daunting; being around him, one couldn't help but be led by his influence.
He Nan nodded with an 'mm' sound, opened the back car door, and took out a military coat, "Wear this."
"..."
Hesitating for a moment, Shen Mianmian didn't take it, "Big Brother He, thank you, but once I'm home and inside, I won't be cold."
This thick military coat—if she dirtied it, she couldn't afford to compensate.
Seeing her concern, He Nan didn't expose it, "It's too small for me, I'm giving it to you to wear."
As he had little contact with young girls, his tone was like that of speaking with a younger cousin.
Was he giving it to her?
Shen Mianmian was stunned for a moment.
"Take it," He Nan said again.
"Thank you." Right now, she indeed needed a cotton-padded jacket. The only one she had at home was a very thin old padded coat, which had belonged to Zhou Siyu from the year before last. It was now a bit small for her, with sleeves half a size too short. Zhou Siyu had got it dirty the day before yesterday, and it still hadn't dried due to the bad weather.
The classroom was cold, and without a padded coat, she could easily get sick.
Seeing she was holding the coat but not putting it on, He Nan raised an eyebrow slightly, "Will holding it in your hands keep you warm?"
Shen Mianmian's face flushed, and she hurriedly put on the military coat which then enveloped her from head to toe, as if she had approached a stove, instantly warming her considerably.
He Nan then opened the driver's side door and took something else out, "Take this, too. It's no use to a big man like me."
Scented beeswax?
Shen Mianmian's eyes lit up.
In this era, it was a precious item. It worked especially well for chilblains and frostbite on the hands, and it could also be applied to the face, a divine skincare product for winter days.
Her hands were severely frostbitten, swollen like leavened buns, making it inconvenient to write; she really needed this.
"Thank you, Big Brother He."
"Mm." He Nan nodded, "Go back now!"
…
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