The moment these words were spoken, the teachers in the office fell into a tacit silence.
This time, there were only two spots available for the Seedling Program with Shuimu University, and everyone had tacitly agreed that these two spots would go to the school's first and second place students.
And now, the top student, Liu Chen, was actually giving up such a great opportunity?
Then… wouldn't their class's first place student also have a chance?
Lai Jing remained silent for a few seconds before finally saying,
“How about this, I’ll give you one evening to discuss it with your parents and give me your reply tomorrow morning. We’re not in a hurry, okay?”
Nodding, Liu Chen didn't say anything more and obediently walked out of the office. Back in the classroom, Lai Jielun was still winking at her. Ren Mo simply covered Lai Jielun’s face with his hand and, with an eager and slightly hopeful expression, asked,
“Sis? Are you participating in the Seedling Program? Are you?”
“I said I need to consider it,” Liu Chen replied as she sat down at her seat. She glanced at the three of them, who looked utterly bewildered, and continued, “I want to get into Shuimu by myself, and the Seedling Program doesn’t align with the major I want to apply for.”
Major?
The three of them looked blank.
“Chen Chen, which major do you want to apply for?” Mi Zhuzhu directly turned her chair to face Liu Chen and then asked Ren Mo and Lai Jielun, “Do you guys have any majors you want to study?”
Ren Mo shook his head, “No. Whichever major is willing to take me, I’ll go for it. However, the one I want to pursue the most is computer science, but I think the cutoff score for that is definitely going to be very high.”
Lai Jielun, who was usually the most talkative, remained silent this time. However, everyone simply assumed that, like Ren Mo, he didn’t have a specific major in mind.
“I want to study advertising and media,” Mi Zhuzhu, who was usually the most carefree, surprisingly announced a major that was somewhat unpopular nowadays. This immediately shifted the attention of the other three.
Ren Mo looked utterly perplexed.
“Mi Zhuzhu, do you know what the advertising and media major entails?”
Mi Zhuzhu, uncharacteristically, restrained her smile, pursed her lips, and nodded seriously.
“I do. Advertising and media. I like both. What about you, Chen Chen?”
“I want to study Food Science and Engineering.” Liu Chen finally uttered the words she had kept in her heart for over a decade. Instantly, she felt a significant lightness in her chest, as if some invisible plastic film had been broken through.
In her previous life, she had worked countless odd jobs. In the end, she had found her footing in the frozen food industry as a sales representative. While her cousin had helped her, as she continued in the field, Liu Chen discovered that she had actually fallen in love with this seemingly unglamorous industry.
The frozen food industry, a sector most people might not have even heard of. Those who worked in this field didn't commute to and from magnificent skyscrapers like those in finance or IT, nor did they work overtime in brightly lit, air-conditioned office buildings.
In the frozen food industry, one would typically move from the so-called new product research and development labs to assembly lines, and then to various distributors, supermarkets, and agricultural markets for promotion.
Their attire often consisted of a short-sleeved shirt with a green military coat slung over their shoulders, a preparation for entering the cold storage at any moment.
As for making money, even a slick boss like Wang Dong’s net profit in her previous life could barely maintain fifteen percent. Even then, Wang Dong was incredibly proud. In his words:
“While our sales volume isn't as high as those big factories, our profit margin is more than double theirs! So, as long as we sell half of what they sell, our profits will be the same as theirs!”
The accountant’s hesitant expression at that moment, and the silent faces of the young sales representatives, were still incredibly clear in her memory…
After she finished speaking, Lai Jielun, who had been somewhat quiet today, suddenly became interested and asked,
“With your grades, Chen Jie, wouldn’t studying Food Science and Engineering be a bit of a waste? I don’t mean the major is bad, I just feel that last year’s top scorer in science in our S province ended up choosing the School of Management, or the top scorer from the neighboring province studied clinical medicine. Those sound much more high-end.”
“Lai Jielun, you talk too much!” Mi Zhuzhu said, glancing at Liu Chen with a hint of worry. Seeing that Liu Chen’s face didn’t show any hesitation or difficulty, she continued, “I believe my Chen Chen definitely has her own ideas. Ah! Is it because of the family business?”
At this, Ren Mo finally seemed to understand.
Only Lai Jielun’s eyes remained fixed on Liu Chen, “Did Auntie make you choose this?”
Liu Chen glanced at Lai Jielun, who seemed unusually sensitive today, and shook her head.
“Why would you think that? You’ve met my mom, Liu Fang. Before the joint exam results came out, Liu Fang even threatened that even if my grades were too bad, she could still support me if I went to a junior college.”
This small interlude didn't bother Liu Chen. She had been an adult for over a decade and had learned to take responsibility for all her decisions.
As expected, when she returned home, Liu Chen found her mother applying a face mask. Leaning against the bedroom doorframe, she recounted the matter of the Seedling Program.
Liu Fang’s mouth opened, and then she realized the mask was stretching her skin. She carefully removed the mask with both hands, holding it in her hand. This was some kind of “Ketu mask” that Sister Yuan Ying had given her, which apparently cost dozens of yuan per sheet!
“You can make your own decision. You’re already an adult. Adults have to be responsible for their choices. The path you choose, even if you regret it in the future, you can only blame yourself.”
Liu Chen wasn't surprised to hear this.
These were exactly the words her mother would say!
After some thought, Liu Chen ultimately decided not to mention her intention to apply for Food Science and Engineering, to avoid burdening Liu Fang.
The next morning, as soon as Liu Chen arrived at the classroom, she was called to the office by Teacher Lai.
“Have you made up your mind?” Lai Jing, without even realizing it, clenched her hands.
Seeing Teacher Lai’s concerned gaze, Liu Chen still shook her head. The most important thing in her life was to be responsible for herself.
For some reason, seeing Liu Chen shake her head, Lai Jing didn't feel surprised. It was as if she had already known the answer in her heart.
“Alright, Liu Chen, you can go back to the classroom first. Help me call that boy Jielun here.”
Having truly rejected the Seedling Program, Liu Chen felt a faint sense of loss, but she understood that this slight disappointment could not outweigh her passion for food.
Upon returning to her seat, Liu Chen noticed that Lai Jielun’s complexion was somewhat poor today, with dark circles under his eyes.
This was truly strange. Was there ever a time when Lai Jielun couldn't sleep?
“Lai Jielun, Teacher Lai wants you to come to the office.”
After saying this, Liu Chen lowered her head and started reciting vocabulary words. She had memorized several when she noticed there was no movement from the front. She looked up and saw Lai Jielun sitting slumped in his chair, his entire body prone on the desk. She quickly leaned forward and gently touched Lai Jielun’s shoulder with concern.
“Lai Jielun, what’s wrong?”