"Child, An An tells me you are a good elder sister," Su Nianzhu said. "You treat An An well, and we want to treat you well too."
Li Zhaodi looked up at Su Nianzhu. They sat in the coffee shop, where the grandmother's elegance seemed somewhat out of place, and she herself, Li Zhaodi glanced at herself, felt even more so.
She felt too embarrassed to accept, even though she longed to live above ground instead of in a dark, cramped basement.
A few college students entered through the main door, chatting and laughing with backpacks slung over their shoulders.
Li Zhaodi watched them, feeling intensely envious. If she could go to college, she could escape all this, relying on her own abilities!
As this thought crossed her mind, the desire to study surged wildly again. She looked at Su Nianzhu, her gaze gradually firming.
"Grandma, I want to study," Li Zhaodi finally voiced it. Once this dam broke, the craving for education gushed out like a flood. "Grandma, more than a comfortable place to live, I want to study. Could I please..."
Su Nianzhu had not expected the young girl's request to be this.
"Study?" Su Nianzhu looked at her, puzzled. She remembered An An saying this elder sister was out working; surely she wasn't still studying?
But she did look very young.
"I was admitted to Taichuan City Normal University, and I'm about to report for enrollment," Li Zhaodi said. The thought of her admission letter, confiscated at home, brought tears to her eyes.
It turned out Li Zhaodi was a high school graduate this year. She had excellent grades, not only topping science in her entire village but also becoming the top science student in Dao County. The county had awarded her tens of thousands of yuan in prize money. Li Zhaodi had thought this money would allow her to attend university, but her parents took the money and kept it. Her admission letter was also confiscated along with it.
Her younger brother was about to start high school, and his grades weren't good enough to get into the best high school in the county without paying a hefty fee. To afford their son's education, her parents chose to deprive her of her chance to study. After discussion, they decided she should go out to work to supplement the household income. With no money and no admission letter, Li Zhaodi had no choice but to obey their arrangement and go out to work.
"How could they do that!" Su Nianzhu exclaimed, furious. What kind of parents were these?
She had lived in Taichuan City before. As the provincial capital, Taichuan City was a place aspiring poor scholars yearned for, and Taichuan City Normal University was a top-tier normal university. To be admitted to such a university must have been extremely difficult in a small county town.
Li Zhaodi's parents not only weren't happy for her but also prevented her from going to college!
"Leave this to Grandma," Su Nianzhu said, looking at Li Zhaodi with concern. "I will absolutely make sure you go to university."
Li Zhaodi smiled happily, "Thank you, Grandma! Thank you, An An!"
An An, having done little to help, smiled sheepishly.
At noon, at An An's insistent request, Li Zhaodi was led to a guest room in the Qin family's house to rest.
Lying on the comfortable large bed and looking at the clean, bright room, Li Zhaodi's resolve to study became even stronger.
No matter how much her parents beat her, this time she was determined to go to school. This was her only chance to change her fate.
Downstairs, after Qin Ningyi returned, he heard Su Nianzhu talk about Zhaodi's wish. An An, who was nearby, also vaguely understood the importance of college for Li Zhaodi and chimed in, "Dad, please help Zhaodi sister!"
"The Qin family can sponsor her studies," Qin Ningyi said in a deep voice. It wasn't a big deal. The company allocated a certain amount of money each year for scholarships for impoverished students.
"No, Dad, this matter might be a bit difficult," An An said, fidgeting with his fingers. "Zhaodi sister doesn't have her admission letter anymore, and it seems hard to register."
Su Nianzhu nodded.
"Uncle Li has kept her admission letter. He definitely won't give it out. In their eyes, only Qinghua brother matters."
Qin Ningyi thought it was a minor issue. "How long has it been since the old man intervened in affairs? Tell him the story, and he'll surely be willing to step in."
Upon hearing him mention the old man, Su Nianzhu couldn't help but smile. "Yes, and An An's matter hasn't been told to him yet. You can tell him about it together, and it will make him happy."
Qin Ningyi curved his lips. "We can just take them back to see him during the New Year."
"You rascal," Su Nianzhu said, playfully scolding him. Seeing that the matter had a resolution, she didn't linger and went back to sleep.
An An tugged at Qin Ningyi's hand as they walked towards the bedroom. "Dad, are you planning to give Great-Grandpa a surprise?"
Qin Ningyi didn't confirm, only saying, "Don't you want Mom to come back with us?"
"Yes!" An An's eyes lit up at the mention of his mother going along. The thought of the whole family being together made him happy.
The next day, before dawn, Li Zhaodi was already up and busy.
She first went to the yard to find a broom and started sweeping. Halfway through, the housekeeper, who had gotten up, saw her and hurried to stop her.
This was the elder sister the young master liked, and she was injured. It wasn't appropriate for such small arms and legs to sweep the yard.
"Miss Li, please go back and rest! The young master said you need bed rest for your injuries," the housekeeper said, finding someone responsible for cleaning to take over the broom and leading Li Zhaodi back.
"Grandpa Housekeeper, I've always done this at home. I'm very capable, please let me do something," Li Zhaodi felt very awkward. She didn't want to stay here for free.
The housekeeper led her to the living room. "Please sit here and rest for a while. Madam and the others will be up soon, and breakfast will be served."
As soon as the housekeeper left, Li Zhaodi couldn't stay idle. She went to the kitchen to help prepare breakfast.
The kitchen aunt was also reluctant at first, but under Li Zhaodi's persistent pleading, she allowed her to assist in simple tasks. Soon, the kitchen aunt was won over by Li Zhaodi.
Although the young girl was slender, her hands and feet were nimble and strong. She was fast at picking vegetables and washing them, and she washed them very clean. She also took over the pots and pans. She stir-fried the freshly washed vegetables with minced meat and diced carrots, added a little soy sauce, and then picked up a rolling pin and made dough.
The vegetable-filled buns were quickly wrapped. Li Zhaodi couldn't find a steamer and looked back at the aunt who was preparing other ingredients, asking for clarification.
The kitchen aunt then realized that all the buns were finished. The more she looked, the more satisfied she became, and she quickly took them to steam.
"Young lady, you are truly efficient. My daughter is already working and still hasn't learned to cook for herself. You are amazing," with Zhaodi's help, breakfast was finished early today. The aunt liked Zhaodi more and more.
Qin Ningyi was the first to get up. Seeing Li Zhaodi in the kitchen, he told her to sit down and rest before going out for his morning run.
"Does Uncle Qin like morning runs?" Li Zhaodi asked the aunt curiously.
"Yes, Young Master Qin gets up for a morning run every day, around this time."
Li Zhaodi recalled that when Huo Rou had first moved to the village, she also went for a morning run every day. Later, as her belly grew bigger, Uncle Shen strictly forbade her from running anymore.
"Good morning, Zhaodi sister!" An An greeted Li Zhaodi and asked, "Zhaodi sister, what were you thinking about? You seemed so lost in thought."
"I was thinking about how similar your dad's and mom's living habits are; they both like morning runs."
An An disagreed. After hearing this, he frowned.