Chapter 21

Chapter 21: So Pleased As to Lose One’s Sense of Measure

Translator: GravityTales  Editor: GravityTales

“Fatty, how could it be that they are awfully afraid to see you?” Although he had long been friends with Yuan Chuling, Tang Xiu had never asked about Yuan Chuling’s family situation. On the other hand, he also never raised the subject about his family in front of Tang Xiu.

Tang Xiu only faintly knew that Yuan Chuling’s parents did have hundreds of millions in assets and, but he was quite clueless about other things. Having been through the previous matter, Tang Xiu found that his buddy’s identity was quite mysterious.

Having heard Tang Xiu’s question, a scarlet blush covered Yuan Chuling’s round face. And with eyes full of an awkward expression, he answered, “Eldest Brother, since things have been resolved, could you not dig any further?”

Upon hearing his answer, Tang Xiu didn’t speak and instead stared straight at Yuan Chuling.

“Eldest Brother… I’m afraid… if I say it…” Under Tang Xiu’s questioning gaze, Yuan Chuling was quickly defeated as he told everything with an embarrassed and ashamed expression, about his relationship with the Eternal Growth Trading Co.

Five years ago, when the country vigorously cracked down and rectified the illegal usury company, Yuan Chuling’s uncle seized the opportunity to purchase the Eternal Growth Trading Co. and then became the company’s boss.

However, the kind of opportunistic, lazy, and irresponsible Yuan Chuling’s uncle, Zhao Tielin, proved to have no ability. Even though he became the Eternal Growth Trading Co’s owner, he didn’t know how to run a business, and instead let the previous company’s staff run the business. Resulting in turmoil within the company. Although Yuan Chuling’s parents had lent a hand, it took quite a long time to clean up his mess.

Because Yuan Chuling often went in and out the Eternal Growth Trading Co, coupled with the unusual doting Zhao Tielin had toward Yuan Chuling, over time, everyone from the top to the bottom of the Eternal Growth Trading Co. knew about his relationship with Zhao Tielin. They even regarded him as the crown prince master.

Having heard that the Eternal Growth Trading Co.’s true owner turned out to be Yuan Chuling’s parents, a kind of died down feeling sprouted out from Tang Xiu’s heart, making him almost vomit blood as he looked at Yuan Chuling with an unspoken bitterness which even words were unable to convey.

Thinking about as to how he and his mother had long been forced into a desperate situation for 6 months because of this Eternal Growth Trading Co., Tang Xiu could only feel that he had been wronged.

Mixed feelings also enveloped Su Lingyun’s heart, but at the next moment, with some effort, she was able to adjust her mood and then warmly greeted Yuan Chuling and asked him to sit, serving some tea and then skillfully cleaning up the house.

“Eldest Brother, I’m really sorry. After my parents divorced, I rarely go to the Eternal Growth Trading Co. anymore. Also, I haven’t paid any attention to their specific businesses. Otherwise, this matter wouldn’t have happened.” Yuan Chuling was also perfectly aware of the inner circumstance within the Eternal Growth Trading Co, even at a glance, it could be seen that it was a complete mess, making his heart full of guilt and shame.

“This thing does not have anything to do with you. You don’t need to blame yourself.” Upon seeing Yuan Chuling’s apologetic and regretful expression, Tang Xiu’s heart also melted as he patted Yuan Chuling’s shoulder before he curiously asked, “Anyways, as long as I’ve recalled, I have never given my address to you or anyone, how did you find it?”

“Eldest Brother, what about the matter at the restaurant? That group of thugs had bashed the restaurant without reasons or cause. Do you need me to deal with it?” As he simply shifted to the matter with the restaurant, Yuan Chuling asked in an excited manner.

“The restaurant matter has been resolved, but thanks for your concern though. Anyways, it’s the second day of our month vacation, you’re not going back to accompany your father and mother?” Seeing his mother become motionless and speechless after having heard of the matter with the restaurant, Tang Xiu didn’t hesitate to shift the topic.

“I… I… Eldest Brother, I have yet to prepare my mind and heart, I just want to wait until the end of the college entrance examination, and then I will consider this matter afterward.” Having raised the subject about his parents, Yuan Chuling’s mood suddenly became gloomy and dejected.

Ten minutes later, the room had been cleaned up and got a new look from Su Lingyun, and then the three of them took the leftover dishes in the kitchen and had dinner.

At the dinner table, Su Lingyun threw full praises towards Tang Xiu’s cooking skill while Yuan Chuling was devouring it as he himself almost wolfed down more than half of the dishes. Su Lingyun and Tang Xiu could only look at him with dumbfounded expressions.

With Yuan Chuling’s funny gags, the originally cold, dull, and sad atmosphere soon became cheerful and lively.

“Eldest Brother, I remember that yesterday you said that this month you’ll take the first grade, and now since all the tests have been finished, how much of a chance is there that you will take first grade?” The topic unknowingly shifted around to the Monthly Test, Yuan Chu Ling asked with a nervous expression.

“Don’t worry, when have I spoken empty words to you?” Seeing Yuan Chuling’s caring looks, Tang Xiu nodded and answered confidently.

Just when Tang Xiu’s words had finished, “clang” sounds were heard.

As Tang Xiu followed the sound’s direction, it turned out that the bowl suddenly fell from his mother’s hands as she stared blankly at him.

“Xiu’er, did what you say just now is true? You can take this Monthly Test’s first grade?” Su Lingyun didn’t clean up the bowl on the floor as her hands grabbed Tang Xiu’s arm and asked with an excited expression.

“Mom, the Monthly Test’s results should be coming out in 3 days, you will know the results then.” Tang Xiu was naturally aware of the concern in his mother’s heart.

Tang Xiu knew that his mother had basically pinned almost all of her hopes on him. The car accident more than a year ago had almost devastated all the hopes his mother had.

For more than a year, his mother had always been looking after him with meticulous care even though she had never shown any restlessness in front of him, but Tang Xiu also knew that his performance grades fell rapidly. The one who truly suffered from the pressures was not himself, but instead his mother, who was unconditionally bearing the pressure.

And now, having suddenly learned that his performance grades had returned to his previous achievements, it was only natural for his mother to be excited.

“So you only need a month to catch up to your previous grades?” Upon hearing Teng Xiu’s affirmative answer, Su Lingyun was more excited.

“It’s a given though. Whose son you are looking at anyway?” Tang Xiu put on a smug face and replied.

“Great, great, I know that once your body is back to normal, your grades would soon also be coming back. Then, your father’s soul in heaven will rest in peace.” As Su Lingyun said these words, two lines of tears welled up although a smile covered her face this time.

Having thoroughly understood Su Lingyun and Tang Xiu’s expression from their eyes, Yuan Chuling at the side seemed to want to speak but hesitated as worries were drawn on his face.

In this month’s time, Yuan Chuling was also fully immersing himself into study. He was perfectly aware of the difficulties of how to improve one’s grades. He had originally wanted to speak to Su Lingyun about the difficulty degree of improving the Monthly Test’s grades from the bottom grade to reach the first grade. However, after seeing the joyful tears from Su Lingyun’s face, he didn’t have the heart to say it.

When he saw Su Lingyun’s pure concern and happiness for Tang Xiu and seeing the caring attention of a mother and child between Su Lingyun with Tang Xiu. at the same time, a slight envy filled Yuan Chuling’s heart.

It reminded him about when his mother decided to leave home. Gradually, Yuan Chuling’s eyes became moist.

When the students in the Star City were enjoying a rare two days’ holiday this month, the high school’s teachers for the third year had already reviewed the test papers.

For these third year’s teachers, this was a painful and joyful pleasure.

It’s painful because they had to sacrifice their time and holiday time with their family to mark the test papers. It was joyful because they could see little improvements from their students’ results. They were seeing the College Entrance Test, like a bonus to entering higher education.

“Yang Jian’s results are really good, his Literature and Languages’ test scored 128 points, Mathematics 135 points, his Comprehensive Science test also got 242 points, if he can get more than 120 points in his English test, then he could pick most of the country’s major universities.” Hu Qiusheng read a few top students’ statistics’ grades in the class with a satisfied expression.

Actually, it was almost impossible for the third year’s teachers to completely review the examinees’ tests’ papers in one day. But this didn’t prevent the teachers in charge of their respective class to review the top students’ tests in advance.

“Yang Jian’s English results came out, 128 points; his total score has reached 633 points. Teacher Hu, congratulations! The two months he has spent working hard on this one finally bears fruit. Yang Jian is likely to be admitted to the Tsinghua University.” Quickly, the Class 5 English teacher handed Yang Jian’s English exam paper to Hu Qiusheng.

Upon hearing Yang Jian got 633 points in the second Monthly Test, other teachers in the office could not help but look toward Hu Qiusheng with envious eyes, and then spoke words of congratulation to him one after another.

“Hey, Tang Lijuan from our class only got 610 points, it seems he only got second place again.”

“Teacher Xiao, you don’t need to sigh, even the first genius in our class only got 598 points, I don’t know whether he would be able to enter the top ten or not.”

“This time, the difficulty degree for this Monthly Test was really raised too high compared to the last month’s. Its degree of difficulty is already close to the College Entrance Test. The students who are able to get more than 550 points should be able to enter prestigious universities.”

****

During most of the time today, these third year’s teachers had arranged the last month’s highest scorer in the forefront on top of test’s papers that had been marked, they also basically knew quite well about this time’s Monthly Test’s results.

All the tests’ papers had been marked, and there were 27 students who got 550 points or more, of which 12 of them came from Class 5, which was almost half of the total number. This made everyone become more envious to Hu Qiusheng’s good luck, and at the same time, they also had no choice but to congratulate him one by one.

“Everyone still remembers my bet with Teacher Han, right?” Having been flattered by numerous teachers for a while, Hu Qiusheng then spoke with a smug and conceited tone with a face full of an excited expression.

Hu Qiusheng’s words were like a pair of giant invisible hands that grabbed down on everyone’s neck, making the office instantly quiet down.

Looking at Hu Qiusheng’s expression which was seemingly blown up with success, everyone in the office subconsciously frowned with knitted brows. Never did they feel so disgusted with someone like this before.

“Oh, my wife has been calling me several times that I should go home quickly for dinner, see you everyone.”

“It’s too late today, if I don’t go home, my girlfriend will be angry again. I can’t continue reviewing the test papers again, see you everyone.”

“Since the marking for top 20 students for each classes’ test papers have basically been completed, let’s review the rest of the test papers tomorrow. Today everybody has worked hard, so let’s go home to rest first.”

****

Under Hu Qiusheng’s stunned and dumbfounded gaze, the room which was previously full of people, was instantly emptied by the people who went home, leaving only him and Han Qingwu.

“Teacher Hu, you want to go home with everyone now, or do you want to personally mark Tang Xiu’s test paper, and then rig it again?” Han Qingwu looked at Hu Qiusheng and faintly smiled, with ridiculing expression.

“You… you…” Hu Qiusheng was almost unable to breathe from a few words from Han Qingwu, as he sprouted out this “you” words and pointed to Han Qingwu’s nose for a long time. Unable to speak a complete sentence, he finally gasped for a breath and slammed the door when he went out.

*[advantage]: by having their erection in contact with her

*[ cent bills]: China has cents in bills called jiao

*[Guoshu]: Guo here means country and shu means technique

*[ 190 centimeters]: Over 6ft tall

*[Lake Cui]: Cui Hu, also means Green Lake

*[hundred dyuan bills]: 100yuan is their biggest bill

*[Daoist Fierce Tiger]: The author of this novel

*[Noodles]: made of wheat

*[Rice Noodles]: made of rice

*[Zhang Tian Tian]: Tian means sweet

*[Bajiquan]: Also known as Eight Extremities Fist, but Bajiquan sounds nicer to me

*[Long Taos]: side characters in Chinese operas who perform acrobatics and fight scenes

*[12.47 to 13.07]: don’t ask me about the tree sap