Capítulo 161: Chapter 161
With a bang, the dark night sky exploded into a dazzling array of colorful fireworks. As the sparks faded, the sky returned to its deep, boundless silence.
In the festive atmosphere of the Lunar New Year, firecrackers continued to pop until the Lantern Festival on the fifteenth day. The New Year celebration concluded on the first full moon night of the new year with the final sound of a firecracker.
Calvin's failure to get into college was no longer news in the alley. The proud air of the Becky's family had diminished, and Calvin began preparing for another round of college entrance exams.
Henry sent a letter from the countryside, informing his family of his own failure to get into college, ending their hopes and fantasies of his return with a few simple words. Dana was so angry she couldn't help but curse him a little more.
***
The aftertaste of the New Year dissipated. The morning sun shone in the alley, just like any other day.
Shaw emerged from the gate of No. 8 courtyard with a travel bag. Carman and Summer followed him. As Carman stepped over the threshold, she turned to Summer and asked, "Did you bring everything? Especially the admission letter? Without it, you can't register."
Summer nodded, carrying her backpack. "Yes, I checked several times."
Yesterday was the Lantern Festival, and today was the official start of the new term at the University of Southern California. Shaw and Carman had taken the day off to accompany Summer to her registration.
As they walked through the alley, they greeted their neighbors with smiles. Upon hearing that Summer was going to register today, the neighbors expressed their envy and said, "Summer is making you proud. Once she graduates, you'll enjoy the good life."
Shaw responded with a modest smile, "There's still four years of university ahead. Who knows what will happen after that?"
The neighbors knew he was being humble and responded, "What else could it be? She's attending the best university, will get the best job, and you'll enjoy the greatest happiness."
With Summer needing to get to registration, they didn't linger on small talk and continued on their way.
Since the university was quite far, biking would take about two hours, so Shaw, Carman, and Summer took the bus instead, saving time and effort. The bus ride itself took about fifty minutes.
On the bus, Carman was more anxious than Summer, constantly listening for the stop announcements, worried they might miss their stop and delay Summer's registration. Besides her nervousness, Carman also kept advising Summer, "The school is far from home, so don't commute daily. Stay in the dormitory, and come home on weekends if you can. Without your dad and me around, take good care of yourself. Don't skimp on expenses..."
Seeing Carman so nervous, Summer couldn't help but laugh. "Mom, I'm not a high school graduate or a kid anymore. Remember, I managed by myself in the countryside for almost two years. I can handle things."
Carman, realizing she'd forgotten this, still said, "But I still can't help but worry."
Summer hugged Carman's arm with a smile. "I'll take care of myself. We're not far anyway. If anything happens, I'll take the bus home right away."
Carman nodded, "Yes, come home if anything happens."
While on the bus, Summer didn't feel anything unusual. But as they approached the stop and headed towards the university, especially when she saw the school gate, her heartbeat quickened with uncontrollable excitement and nervousness. With every step closer to the gate, she took deep breaths to calm herself.
She was not just walking towards a school but stepping into her own brand new future and life.
Upon entering the school gate and seeing the banner "Welcome Station," everything felt real.
The first day of school was busy with various tasks. After registering with her admission letter, receiving her supplies, and finding her dormitory, Summer and her parents settled her in. Shaw and Carman, not wanting to be in the way, left after helping her set up her bed. They took another tour of the campus before leaving so they could share more details about the school with the neighbors.
After they left, Summer stayed in the dorm. Eight girls shared the dorm, each arriving with their luggage. They greeted each other and introduced themselves. Given the unique circumstances of their admission year, the girls varied in age. Once everyone had arrived, Summer was the youngest among them.
Despite their different ages, backgrounds, and hometowns, they shared the common experience of passing the college entrance exams to be there. This gave them plenty to talk about, especially the tense exam preparations and the process of choosing their majors.
When asked why she chose economics, the others were curious about what the program entailed. Having never studied it before, Summer couldn't provide specifics and simply said, "I was worried I wouldn't get into a popular major, so I chose a less popular one."
The others, accepting this explanation, assumed their lower exam scores had placed them in the less popular major. Regardless, they all resolved to make the most of their studies at this prestigious university.
Once everyone was settled, the department organized a freshman meeting to introduce the teachers and give an overview of the department, followed by class and group assignments.
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