Chapter 7: Knowledge is Wealth, the Gaokao is an ATM
Wu Xiulan's face bloomed with a smile, looking extremely happy.
In the past, whenever her son came back, he would mostly complain about being tired of wontons and ask for something else to be specially made.
Today, for the first time ever, he actually asked for wontons on his own accord.
"Go sit and rest, Mom will cook them for you in a bit." She called back, then immediately got busy.
Xu Ming sat in the spot closest to the stove, his gaze lingering on his parents. He felt a profound sense of peace and warmth inside; if the current situation hadn't been unsuitable, he would have already gone over to give them both a hug.
Their wonton shop was on the same street as Dongping No.3 High School, so students often came by.
Unlike No.1 High School, which focused heavily on academics, No.3 High School paid more attention to student image.
Besides requiring students to wear unified uniforms, their hair also had to be cut short.
That's why students from No.3 High School were the easiest to recognize.
For the rest of the time, Xu Ming didn't stay idle. After the customers in the shop finished eating and left, he proactively got up to clear the dishes.
"Just put them on the table, Mom will wash them. Don't get your clothes dirty." Wu Xiulan put down the wontons, taking the things from her son's hand and saying, "Hurry up and eat this bowl of wontons first."
"Okay," Xu Ming nodded obediently.
He then sat back down, picked up a spoon nearby, scooped up a wonton, blew on it, and put it in his mouth to chew.
The familiar taste exploded on his tongue, stirring up a strong surge of emotion.
As a mother, Wu Xiulan was incredibly sensitive to her son's subtle changes.
She could sense that something was amiss.
Taking the opportunity to bring over some spicy dried tofu, she quietly asked a couple of questions.
"If something's bothering you, please don't keep it to yourself. Just tell us. Your dad and I may not have high educations, but we're both very open-minded."
"Were you bullied by classmates at school?" Xu Jianguo also walked over, his expression serious.
Xu Ming forced a smile and said, "I'm fine."
Hearing his son's answer, Xu Jianguo observed him carefully for a few more moments, then his tone suddenly softened.
"Don't put too much pressure on yourself. If it doesn't work out, you can always repeat a year."
He thought of the senior high school students who came to the shop to eat, knowing how stressed Gaokao candidates were at this time, and thus paid even closer attention to his own child.
"Your dad's right, taking care of your health is the most important thing," his mother, Wu Xiulan, chimed in, echoing his words.
Listening to all his parents' concerns, Xu Ming was deeply moved, and his nose felt a little sore.
But how could he not understand the kind of expectations parents held for their children?
Who wouldn't want to see their child get into a good university and bring honor to the family in the future?
With this thought, he took the initiative to speak further, dispelling his parents' worries.
"Don't worry, not only am I perfectly fine, but my grades have also improved recently."
"I definitely won't need to repeat a year."
"That's good," Xu Jianguo and Wu Xiulan breathed a sigh of relief.
They couldn't vouch for anything else, but at least for all these years, their son had always told the truth and never exaggerated.
Watching his parents walk back inside, Xu Ming's lips curved upwards, a genuine smile appearing on his face as he thought about giving them a big surprise with the Gaokao.
After finishing a bowl of wontons and two slices of dried tofu, Xu Ming, who had originally intended to stay and help out for a while, was strongly urged by his parents to return to their rented room next door, telling him to quickly take a shower and change clothes.
...
In the simply whitewashed room, Xu Ming emerged from his shower, his thoughts drifting to his previous life because of the surroundings.
In his last life, his parents' biggest wish had been to buy a house in the county.
Unfortunately, first, he attended a third-tier university with relatively expensive tuition, and after graduating, his business ventures failed, leaving him in financial straits. This meant the house was never bought, which was a significant regret for his parents.
Now that he had a second chance at life, he had to make that dream a reality as soon as possible.
He didn't believe he had a talent for business, and without capital, it would be hard to seize the opportunities of the times.
Under these circumstances, to earn money quickly, he could only set his sights on the upcoming Gaokao.
Thinking of this, Xu Ming's eyes lit up.
"I wonder how much prize money the school and county will give if I become the top scorer?"
He muttered to himself, already calculating the exact amount.
After all, knowledge was wealth. What could be more fitting than to withdraw a sum of money to buy a house before entering university?
Suddenly gaining new motivation, he no longer lingered at home. He packed the clothes he needed and prepared to return to school to continue reviewing. After all, while he now had considerable confidence in Math, his other subjects were still pitifully bad.
It was worth noting that as he came down from the rented room and passed a certain shop, he instinctively stopped.
He raised his gaze and saw four large red characters leap into view.
Xinhua Bookstore.
"Would reviewing with supplementary textbooks be more efficient..." he mused inwardly, hesitating.
Compared to standard textbooks, some famous key high school teachers compiled teaching materials with often more precise knowledge points.
They could help students quickly memorize and understand.
Thinking that it might increase the rate of Subject Experience Points, Xu Ming finally stepped inside.
As the most comprehensive source of books in Dongping County, Xinhua Bookstore largely replaced the library, and people quietly reading could be seen everywhere inside.
Xu Ming quickly found the high school section of the bookshelves, his gaze sweeping across them like a radar.
Suddenly.
A familiar name entered his vision.
"This is..."
He immediately reached out, pulled it down, and exclaimed, "Five Years Gaokao, Three Years Mock Exams!"
This item, which would later be revered by senior high school students as a score-boosting artifact, had only been released for about two or three years and had not yet become widespread in high schools nationwide. If it weren't for a special establishment like Xinhua Bookstore, it probably wouldn't even be found in a small county town.
However, despite being mentally prepared, when he glimpsed the price, he couldn't help but frown.
Math: 45 yuan.
He couldn't help but sigh, "No wonder I haven't seen it in school."
Such an expensive textbook was indeed unaffordable for most students in the county high school.
After consideration, Xu Ming spent 40 yuan and only bought a slightly cheaper Physics textbook.
Returning to school, he entered the classroom.
The clock above the blackboard on the back wall showed it was not yet three o'clock, and not a single other classmate was visible in the classroom; clearly, everyone had not yet returned from outside.
Xu Ming, however, was happy for the quiet. He sat down in his seat, pulled out the newly purchased Five Years Gaokao, Three Years Mock Exams for Physics, and began reviewing its knowledge points and important theorems from the beginning.
Particle.
Displacement.
Free fall motion.
Friction.
Regarding the related physics formulas, he could clearly feel that memorizing and mastering them was very easy.
This invisibly boosted Xu Ming's revision efficiency significantly.
And so.
As time ticked by, minute by minute, and classmates gradually filled the room, the Physics Subject Experience Points on his panel also steadily and rapidly increased.
[After diligent study, your [Physics] level has increased, gaining 7 Subject Experience Points.]
[After...]
(End of this chapter)