Soon, Su Xiaotian's system activated a new mission.
This mission was not about Su Xiaotian herself, but about her three brothers who were about to take the college entrance examination.
The mission was named "Jinshi Jidi" (Passing the Imperial Examination).
Su Xiaotian was speechless. Jinshi Jidi was a good name, but it was too difficult to accomplish.
Moreover, the system's mission was "Jinshi Jidi," not "Zhuangyuan Jidi" (Achieving the Top Scholar).
It was obvious that the system required all three of them to succeed simultaneously, which was easier said than done.
Third Brother's studies had always been good, but Eldest Brother and Second Brother were slightly behind.
It was hard to say what kind of results they would achieve.
Especially the requirement to each secure first, second, and third place was too challenging.
Wait, what level did "Jinshi Jidi" refer to? Did it really require them to be among the top three nationally?
If so, this mission might never be completed in a lifetime.
"Anna, tell me what level your mission requires?"
Anna's gentle voice replied, "It can be county level, city level, provincial level, or even national level. However..."
"However what?" Su Xiaotian asked urgently when the system suddenly stopped speaking.
"However, this year's examination is set by each province separately, so it's impossible to determine the true top three nationally!"
Alright, Su Xiaotian was instantly rendered speechless.
"Does this mission have any specific requirements?" Su Xiaotian felt that since the levels were different, the rewards for completing the mission would definitely differ.
"Naturally, there are differences. The mission rewards will be doubled and doubled again!" Anna said indifferently.
She complained, "Anna, wouldn't it be better if you issued missions about me!"
Issuing missions for others felt like handing over the power of life and death to others, and it didn't feel good at all.
System Anna's disdainful voice rang out, "With your current memory, achieving the top scholar wouldn't be anything! Why would I be so foolish as to issue such a mission?"
Su Xiaotian was speechless. She was foolish!
Alright, she still had confidence that her three brothers could achieve the top three in the county, meaning the most basic guarantee should be there.
But was that enough?
It wasn't enough!
Su Xiaotian began a rigorous training regimen.
The young scholars were now truly miserable. Driven by their sister every day, they went over the practice questions again and again, to the point of being able to infer one from another.
The Su family children had a significant advantage over their classmates.
They had two sets of "Self-Study Books for Mathematics, Physics, and Chemistry," as well as full mock exam papers provided by Su Xiaotian for review.
Furthermore, with Chi Ge, who had taught at a university, as their teacher, they felt very confident.
Su Xiaotian's rigorous training accelerated their progress even further. Even Chi Ge said he had never seen students improve so quickly.
Busy days always passed quickly, and time flew by.
In fact, from hearing about the college entrance examination to taking it, it was only a little over a month.
In the blink of an eye, it was December 10th.
The college entrance examination was scheduled for December 11th.
The entire Su family treated it like a major battle. Even Grandma Su was so nervous she didn't know where to put her hands or feet.
Seeing the family like this, Su Xiaotian couldn't help but chuckle.
"Grandma, why are you all so nervous?"
"You child, you're still young and don't understand anything!"
Grandma Su thought Su Xiaotian didn't understand because she was young, unaware that Su Xiaotian understood quite a lot.
"Grandma, my brothers' grades are excellent. I wouldn't dare say anything else, but being among the top few in our county is not a problem."
Grandma Su chuckled, still thinking Su Xiaotian was naive.
After all, she was a child, and could only say such childish things.
What was the county's first place? There were city-level, provincial-level, and many more.
It was said that university admissions selected students nationwide. The best in the county might not even be in the front ranks nationally.
Su Xiaotian didn't understand her grandmother's thoughts, otherwise, she might have said that the old lady was thinking very thoroughly.
But the old lady certainly didn't know that the family's nervousness would affect the examinees' psychology.
"Grandma, please don't worry. The Dragon King said that my brothers and sisters will all pass!"
Su Xiaotian whispered this close to Grandma Su, so that only she could hear it.
Grandma Su was the most likely to believe her words, but she was also the most capable of calming the family.
As long as Grandma Su was stable, everyone else would follow suit and calm down.
Indeed, soon after, Grandma Su happily busied herself with cooking, no longer nervous at all.
Grandma Su's relaxed mood indeed made everyone else feel more at ease.
Even the few who were taking the exam relaxed considerably.
Chi Ge saw clearly that after Su Xiaotian whispered to Grandma Su, her mood relaxed.
He couldn't help but wonder what Su Xiaotian had said to her grandmother.
"Xiaotian, what did you say to your grandma that made her not worry at all?"
Su Xiaotian would never tell Chi Ge about the Dragon King, so she replied matter-of-factly.
"Grandpa Chi, I just told Grandma that if my brothers and sisters with their current grades can't get in, then no one else has a chance!"
Chi Ge smiled and asked, "Are you that confident?"
Why was this little girl so confident?
"Of course. My brothers and sisters were among the top students before, and they've been studying so diligently recently, plus your guidance, Grandpa Chi. It would be strange if they couldn't outperform others!"
Su Xiaotian's words left Chi Ge somewhat speechless.
However, based on his years of teaching experience, he felt that her words made sense.
The Su family children were indeed outstanding. Although he couldn't guarantee they would be top-ranked nationally, they would definitely be among the top in the province.
Getting into university was definitely a sure thing.
"What the little girl said is right. Your brothers and sisters can indeed achieve good results. Their current level, even ten years ago, would have been comparable, let alone now!"
Su Xiaotian understood what he meant: in the past ten years, not much had been learned in school.
It was a time when one set of "Red Book," "Basic Industrial Knowledge," and "Basic Agricultural Knowledge" was enough to get by.
Many people, upon hearing that they had graduated from junior high or high school, actually had very low cultural literacy.
"Grandpa Chi, if my brothers and sisters heard that, they probably wouldn't be so nervous anymore."
"They're already not nervous. Didn't you see Eldest Brother and Second Brother going to fetch water to boil and prepare to wash their hair?" Chi Ge asked with a playful smile.
Su Xiaotian looked and indeed, it was true.
The two brothers were busy fetching water, saying they wanted to wash their hair so they could enter the examination hall clean and refreshed.
Oh!
Su Xiaotian felt that as Grandma no longer felt nervous, the others also relaxed.
After a sumptuous dinner, the night passed without incident.
The next morning, breakfast was also very rich.
Grandma Su, who always insisted on cooking herself, even specifically went to an outside restaurant to buy several long fried dough sticks, uncut. She gave one to each of the children.
In addition, each person also received two eggs.
Such a breakfast was considered quite extravagant, and even Su Xiaotian was startled.
Grandma's breakfast consumed a household's monthly egg supply. If others saw this, they would likely be terrified!
"I heard that eating fried dough sticks and eggs helps you score a hundred points. Hurry up and eat, and then do well in your exams."
Grandma Su didn't understand why eating fried dough sticks and eggs would help score a hundred points, but since others said so, there must be some reason.
Su Xiaotian chuckled. Grandma was still concerned about such things?
"Grandma, do you know why?"
Seeing Su Shouwen and the others become nervous again at Grandma Su's words, Su Xiaotian's eyes darted around. Wanting to liven up the atmosphere, she asked this question.
Where would Grandma Su know the reason? She was an old lady. Although her family members were studying diligently, she couldn't understand or read anything.
She tried to learn for a while, but what she learned today, she forgot tomorrow, and in the end, she couldn't even write her own name.
Seeing Grandma Su's expression, everyone couldn't help but burst into laughter.
The two-day examination quickly ended, and the tense mood of Su Shouwen and the others finally eased.
They recorded their answers to the questions one by one and compared them.
For those that were uncertain, they consulted Chi Ge.
After Chi Ge affirmed their answers, the hearts of the young men and women finally completely relaxed.
After relaxing, the fatigue that had accumulated from over a month of continuous effort swept over them. After eating, they eagerly went to bed to sleep.
Su Taohua originally wanted to chat with her daughter for a while before returning to Hongxin Brigade, but seeing her daughter so exhausted, she couldn't bear to.
Seeing Su Taohua like this, Su Manxiu pulled her into her room to talk.
"Sister Taohua, Xiao Mei's grades are good. She'll definitely get in this time." Su Manxiu assumed Su Taohua was worried about her daughter.
Little did she know that Su Taohua, who had been busy taking care of the children's studies and daily life, had forgotten about Shen Zizhen when she was busy. But now that she was free, she remembered it again, and her mood inevitably turned sour.
When Su Manxiu asked this, the pent-up emotions that had been suppressed for a long time could no longer be contained. She couldn't help but shed tears.
"Xiu'er, I'm not worried about Xiao Mei. Xiao Mei is a sensible child and won't worry me. I'm just thinking about my fate!"
Su Taohua hadn't felt anything at first, but after the first tear fell, it became uncontrollable.
The tears fell like pearls from a broken string, pitter-patter, and became more and more rapid.
"Sister Taohua, don't cry!" Su Manxiu hurriedly comforted Su Taohua.
It was also at this moment that she remembered that Teacher Shen, after returning to the capital, hadn't even written a single letter.
Su Manxiu didn't know how to comfort her. It had been a long time, and there shouldn't be no news at all!
Even a simple "arrived safely" would have been good.
But Su Manxiu couldn't say these words.
She could only keep comforting Su Taohua.
"Sister Taohua, there are no obstacles in life that cannot be overcome. Look, even if you don't consider anything else, you should consider these three children."
After crying for a while and her emotions somewhat eased, upon hearing Su Manxiu mention the three children, Su Taohua calmed down a bit.
"Xiu'er, you're right. The three children are all doing well. The eldest is doing well in the army, and if Xiao Mei gets into university, I'll focus all my attention on taking care of Xiao Gang."
Thinking of her three accomplished children, Su Taohua's mood indeed improved.
"Sister Taohua, it's good that you think this way. If Xiao Mei gets into university this time, she'll be a university student. Even when you go out, you'll be glorious!"
As a woman who had also been divorced and looked down upon, Su Manxiu knew what Su Taohua was thinking.
It was nothing more than worrying about being looked down upon. Those seemingly casual taunts, the speakers might just be talking carelessly, but they could completely break a person.
Especially since Sister Taohua had already been divorced once. If she were abandoned by Shen Zizhen again, she would truly have no way out in this life.
She began to consider finding a job for Sister Taohua in the city, even a temporary one.
This way, she wouldn't have to face gossip back in the brigade.
"Xiu'er, I plan to return to Hongxin Brigade this afternoon!" Su Taohua said after she had finished crying and thought things through.
"Sister Taohua, stay a few more days. It's winter anyway, and there's not much work in the brigade. Let's go back together after Xiao Mei finishes her exams!"
Su Manxiu thought that having Su Xiaomei accompany her would be better than Su Taohua returning alone.
Su Taohua understood Su Manxiu's intentions, but she chose to return now to avoid Su Xiaomei being gossiped about.
She would bear her own suffering; why should she implicate her children?
If she went back first, by the time the children returned, people would have gotten tired of talking, and they wouldn't make the children feel too uncomfortable.
"No, I'll go back first. I've been away for so long, and it's winter. I need to dry the kang, so that Xiao Mei and Xiao Gang will be warm when they return."
Su Manxiu knew Su Taohua's intentions but didn't know how to persuade her, so she could only hold Su Taohua's hand, offering silent comfort.
"Manxiu, you are ultimately a blessed person!"
Both divorced and remarried, Su Manxiu was happy and content, while she was destined to lose everything?
"Sister Taohua, as long as there's no news, there's still hope for things to get better. Perhaps the letters sent were lost in transit?"
Su Manxiu couldn't bear it any longer and quickly found an excuse.
In fact, she felt that this excuse might be the real reason.
But how could Su Taohua believe it?
That afternoon, Su Xiaotian, taking advantage of everyone's inattention, hurried to Tan Zishi's home.
Tan Zishi was the legendary Tan Bancheng whom Su Xiaotian had accidentally saved.
Although the atmosphere had improved a lot compared to before, Tan Zishi and his wife's lives had not gotten much better.
In fact, those people became even more insane, wanting to extract some benefits from Tan Zishi, and their torment increased.
Su Xiaotian, using her young age and the fact that she wouldn't attract much attention, occasionally provided for Tan Zishi and his wife.
However, Su Xiaotian never brought too much with her each time, knowing that bringing too much would only bring disaster.
She would usually bring about four or five days' worth of coarse grains, ensuring that Tan Zishi and his wife wouldn't starve to death, and that was all.
This time, because her brothers and sisters were taking the college entrance examination, Su Xiaotian hadn't visited Tan Zishi's home for seven or eight days.
"Grandpa Tan, Grandma Tan, I'm here!" Su Xiaotian called out softly at the doorstep.
Tan Zishi quickly lifted the tattered cloth curtain and walked out. Seeing Su Xiaotian, a more sincere smile appeared on his face.
But he still scanned the surroundings with vigilance, ensuring no one was following before he felt at ease.
Su Xiaotian smiled, looking at Tan Zishi's caution.
On her way here, she had communicated with the surrounding plants and trees, confirming that no one was following.
If she didn't have this cheating tool, Su Xiaotian wouldn't have dared to come here so boldly.
"Xiaotian, you're here. Come inside quickly!" Tan Zishi's face broke into a smile. "For the past six months, if it weren't for you, these old bones of ours would probably be gone!"
Su Xiaotian took out a small bag of grain from her schoolbag and said, "My brothers and sisters had exams these past few days, so I couldn't come. Are you doing alright?"
"We're doing fine, fine. These past few days, those people haven't come." Tan Zishi was surprised.
Su Xiaotian, however, understood a little. Things were different now. More and more people who had been sent down were returning. Although many had not been rehabilitated, it shouldn't be long before they were.
"If they haven't come, you two elders should live your lives peacefully. Things should truly get better in the future."
"Xiaotian, we old folks have nothing, yet you are willing to take care of us wholeheartedly." Tan Zishi said, his eyes welling up with tears.
Auntie Tan also choked up.
They had many relatives, but ever since they were disgraced, everyone wished to stay away from them, and even kicked them before leaving.
Even the old man's own children didn't care about him as their father.
It was difficult for this unrelated young girl to bring them food every few days.
What a good family!
Yes, they didn't attribute their gratitude to just one young girl, Su Xiaotian.
In their understanding, if the family hadn't been kind, a young girl couldn't have brought them so much food.
"It's fate that we met. I don't know why I saved you back then, but since I did, I certainly can't watch you starve to death!"
Su Xiaotian said this very frankly.
However, Tan Zishi didn't know that Su Xiaotian had helped Tan Zishi simply because when she saw him, she felt he looked kind, like a kind person who had helped her in her past life.
That was when she was at the train station, her wallet had been stolen, and he was the only one who was willing to believe her, buy her a train ticket, and also buy her some food.
For this reason, Su Xiaotian helped Tan Zishi.
However, she didn't tell these words to anyone, nor did she dare to.
"You do good deeds without expecting rewards, good child. Your future will be very fortunate!" Tan Zishi said with emotion.
Su Xiaotian, judging that she couldn't stay long, put down the grain and left quickly.
Tan Zishi and Auntie Tan looked at the small bag of grain, their faces exchanging glances.
"Old man..." Auntie Tan's words trailed off, and she finally didn't say them.
Without this family, the two of them would have starved to death or died of illness long ago.
One must repay kindness!
Tan Zishi looked at Auntie Tan and nodded, saying, "I understand what you want to say, old woman."
With just these few words between the couple, everything was understood.
Even the knot in their hearts was untangled with this sentence.
Su Xiaotian skipped happily back home.
Grandma Su and the others were looking for her.
"You little girl, where did you go? Grandma had a hard time finding you!" Grandma Su finally felt relieved seeing her granddaughter return safe and sound.
"Grandma, I'm fine. Don't worry about me. I just went to the school to see if anyone was there. Could I get lost?" Su Xiaotian said a lie with a smile.
After all, she couldn't say she had secretly gone to Tan Zishi's home again, right?
[Author's Note]
I've been too busy lately. The end of the year is really tough. Fortunately, the new year is just around the corner! Everything will be fine. To all my dear readers, please support Time.