Chen Li Shu's decision was a wise one. The clothing store was doing too well, and envious whispers had already started. Wang Ai Xiang's staged performance inadvertently made everyone believe someone had already made a move, and the "Shu Se" clothing store suddenly garnered widespread sympathy.
The eyes that had been constantly observing the store also lessened considerably.
Chen Li Shu then handed over the matter of dyeing and printing fabrics entirely to Liang Chun Sheng. Each time, after the portion was sent back to the county town, the rest was wholesaled to two agents at the price of one yuan and fifty cents.
They then dispersed to various locations, and the fabric issue became much less conspicuous.
...
Ever since Jiang Yu Wei agreed to help with the job matters at home, Sun Ling had been waiting for news. But as she waited and waited without any, she decided to go back to school to inquire about Jiang Yu Wei's situation.
Shortly after she went downstairs one day, she couldn't shake the feeling of being followed. At first, Sun Ling thought it was her imagination. After all, who would be so bold in broad daylight? But as she turned a corner, her peripheral vision caught sight of a furtive man. When she turned to look, he quickly darted to the side.
Sun Ling's heart leaped into her throat. She quickened her pace, glancing back frequently to see if he was still following. After walking a stretch and seeing that he wasn't, she finally relaxed.
However, the moment she withdrew her gaze and turned back, she nearly bumped into someone. Seeing that he was wearing a dark blue outfit, exactly the same as the one the man who had been following her was wearing, her throat tightened, and she couldn't help but let out a scream, "Ah—"
Seeing her scream, the person quickly reached out to cover her mouth and lowered his voice, saying, "Ling'er, it's me!"
Wang Er Biao?!
Upon hearing the voice, Sun Ling quickly recovered from her shock. When she saw that it was indeed Wang Er Biao standing before her, her eyes almost spewed hatred.
"I was wrong about what happened before. I wronged you. You can hit me or scold me as you please, as long as you promise not to shout anymore, I'll let go. Okay?"
That day, in a moment of impulse, he had not only harmed Sun Ling but also stabbed Jiang Wei Guo. He thought he had killed someone and was so scared that he immediately fled to a relative's house in another town to hide.
Later, when he called a friend, he learned that Jiang Wei Guo had only been seriously injured and hospitalized, and the police, after investigating his home and not finding him, had left.
Although the person wasn't dead, he had been hospitalized due to his severe injuries. The police would definitely not let it go, so Wang Er Biao had spent even the New Year's holiday outside.
The reason he risked returning now was to see Sun Ling again. Especially after learning that she hadn't reported him to the police, a glimmer of hope and expectation suddenly arose in his heart. Sun Ling actually liked him a little bit.
Seeing that it was Wang Er Biao, Sun Ling was no longer afraid. Hearing him negotiate with her, she hesitated and nodded.
Wang Er Biao confidently withdrew his hand. "Ling'er, I know I was wrong to treat you that way. If you are willing, I will definitely marry you and spend the rest of my life as a cow or a horse to make amends..."
"Help! There's a murderer here—"
Before he could finish speaking, Sun Ling suddenly started shouting at the top of her lungs.
Wang Er Biao was instantly flustered. "You, you just promised you wouldn't shout!"
When he tried to cover Sun Ling's mouth again, she was already on guard. She turned and ran, continuing to shout loudly as she fled.
To think he could gain her forgiveness after what he had done to her was sheer delusion. She wished she could skin him alive and eat his flesh to quell her hatred.
Sun Ling's cries quickly attracted the attention of the passersby. Wang Er Biao originally wanted to explain things calmly to Sun Ling, but seeing her rejection and the fact that people were already running towards them, Wang Er Biao had no choice but to give up and reluctantly flee.
With the interruption from Wang Er Biao, Sun Ling was both angry and scared, and she had no intention of going to school to find Jiang Yu Wei. Instead, she turned and headed home.
...
At some point, news about the school applying for publicly funded overseas students began to spread.
"If only this spot could fall to me," Zhang Xue murmured, resting her chin on her hands.
"Why do you say that?" Chen Li Shu asked with a touch of curiosity.
Zhang Xue's spirit immediately perked up. "Think about it, publicly funded overseas students, the country pays. They say you can even take airplanes. Once you get abroad, you can experience everything you've never eaten or seen, all for free. How great is that?"
Chen Li Shu: "..." She thought this girl would say something constructive, but it seemed she had overestimated her.
"I tell you to read more books and listen to the news more often. Do you think the country is foolish? If everyone thought like you, it would be a disaster."
Li Zhi Wei, who was behind them, couldn't help but chime in, "Scholarships are limited. They'll barely cover your minimum living expenses abroad, and you'll have to rely on yourself for the rest."
Zhang Xue retorted, "How do you know? It's as if you've been there."
"I haven't been there, but I have relatives who were once chosen as publicly funded overseas students."
"Your relatives?" Zhang Xue turned around curiously and asked, "Which university? Which country did they go to? Did you hear anything interesting from them? Are they back now?"
Li Zhi Wei's eyes flickered. "They have now settled in the United States."
"The country sent them out, so why aren't they coming back? The country's four modernizations are in dire need of talent, and developed countries are that attractive? To betray their own motherland, they are simply ungrateful wretches," Zhang Xue said indignantly.
Li Zhi Wei was taken aback. "You can't say that. Everyone has their own aspirations. Anyway, if I had the chance to go abroad, I would definitely come back."
Yang Li Li, listening to their conversation from not far away, then glanced in the direction of Chen Li Shu and Jiang Yu Wei. Her eyes dimmed for a moment.
Jiang Yu Wei's family background was evident, and she was excellent in her own right. Chen Li Shu not only had excellent grades but also served as a teaching assistant at the school and had a very good relationship with the teachers. If there were opportunities for overseas students, the school would definitely choose them, right?
No matter how hard she tried, would she never be able to catch up with them?
Suddenly, the dim light in Yang Li Li's eyes rekindled, seemingly brighter than before.
She was clearly more diligent than both of them and had sacrificed just as much, if not more, due to her desire to escape poverty. Even if the overseas assessment was comprehensive, who could be sure she had no chance until the very last moment?
Having made up her mind to compete, Yang Li Li began to study even harder and actively tried to present herself well. She would rush to help teachers clean blackboards before and after classes, and even if it wasn't her turn for class duty, she would stay behind to help her classmates. She enthusiastically participated in any school or department activities.
She would readily endure hardship and toil as long as it would make teachers and classmates remember her, all in order to strive for the honor of a "three good student." This would surely be a bonus point during the assessment.