Reborn in 1979, with a female educated youth lying next to me.

"Third son, you've heard about what we've been waiting for, haven't you? This child is probably ruined!"

At first, Aunt Chunlan was able to hold on.

But when she said the last sentence, she couldn't stop the tears from falling again.

"Auntie, don't worry, I came here to discuss this matter with Panlai."

Aunt Chunlan's eyes lit up.

"How can we discuss this? Sanzi, do you have a solution?"

"There is one right now, but I don't know if he will agree. This matter can only be decided after we meet him in person."

Hearing Liu Jia say that, Aunt Chunlan's heart jumped into her throat.

After receiving his university acceptance letter, my son seemed like a completely different person.

He remained silent all day, locking himself in his room for the entire day.

Chunlan also saw her son's efforts.

But the current situation was completely unexpected for Chunlan.

When her father wasn't home, she felt alone as a woman and didn't know how to comfort him.

I may not understand those grand principles, but seeing my son suffer makes my heart ache too; that's a real thing.

Liu Jia's words gave Chunlan a glimmer of hope.

In an instant, Chunlan became much more energetic.

“Go ahead, he’s in the next room. Sanzi, you have to help your aunt. You have to get this child through this.”

As she finished speaking, Chunlan's voice choked with emotion.

Liu Jia nodded hurriedly after hearing this.

As the two were talking, Zhao Panlai suddenly walked over.

Seeing Zhao Panlai in front of him, Liu Jia looked on in disbelief.

Her hair was a mess, her eyes were bloodshot, and her clothes were so wrinkled they looked like they were a size too big.

To be honest, Liu Jia had never seen Zhao Panlai so dejected.

"Brother Lai, what happened to you in just a few days?"

Liu Jia suppressed his surprise and deliberately pretended to be nonchalant.

A bitter smile appeared on Zhao Panlai's face.

"Isn't it all because of that?"

"What's the big deal? Why are you making such a fuss? If you don't pass this year, you can try again tomorrow. You have the knowledge base, so what are you afraid of?"

Liu Jia spoke casually.

Zhao Panlai was stunned after hearing this.

What?

How can it be that easy?

I put in almost all my energy to prepare for the college entrance examination, but in the end I still did nothing.

If I take the exam again next year and do the same thing, how am I supposed to live like this?

Chunlan's heart was in her throat.

He knew that Liu Jia was cunning and worldly-wise.

But isn't he afraid of upsetting Panlai by saying that?

Before Chunlan could recover, Liu Jia had already stepped forward.

"Brother Lai, this isn't the place to talk. Shall we go to your room and have a proper chat?"

From the moment Liu Jia appeared, Zhao Panlai knew that Liu Jia must have come for some reason.

Zhao Panlai wasn't surprised when Liu Jia said that.

On the contrary, when Zhao Panlai turned around, she saw her mother looking so haggard and felt a pang of guilt.

"Mother, let me go inside and talk to Sanzi for a bit. You should make something to eat too; we haven't eaten all day."

Chunlan was so moved that tears welled up in her eyes, and she nodded several times.

It's not a big deal.

Liu Jia entered Zhao Panlai's room.

"Sanzi, to tell you the truth, I was a little scared when I heard your voice just now. I struggled with my mind for a long time before I went out to see you."

"What?"

"I don't know how to face you. Look at you, you got into university, while I did nothing. In your eyes, I am a failure, a complete and utter failure."

"What nonsense are you talking about? This is only the beginning. Are you going to condemn your entire life just because you didn't do well on this exam? If not, fine, but you're being too hasty."

As soon as Liu Jia finished speaking, Zhao Panlai sighed.

I didn't want it to be like this either.

But with such a bleak future, what else can one be but a loser?

Just a moment ago, I was thinking about how to end my life.

Although he was talking to Liu Jia, Zhao Panlai couldn't muster any enthusiasm.

"Brother Lai, have you given up on yourself? Are you going to take the exam again next year?"

Are you willing to accept this?

"Won't you really give up because of this bad test result?"

Liu Jia stared intently into Zhao Panlai's eyes, his words firm.

Zhao Panlai opened his mouth.

For a moment, he didn't know how to answer Liu Jia's question.

Are you willing?

How can it be?

I risked my life for this college entrance exam, and I didn't pass. How can I be at peace with that?

Zhao Panlai hesitated when asked if he would ever recover from his setbacks.

"Anyway, I have no hope. I'm not like you. I feel like this is how my life is going to be."

Liu Jia stood up.

"Brother Lai, if that's what you think, then I really look down on you."

“We’ve been playing together since we were little. You’re two years older than me, so you naturally understand more than I do.”

"If you don't do well on this exam, you can take it again next year. You can give up whenever you don't want to take it anymore. That's normal."

“But if you’re going to be depressed because you didn’t do well on this test, people will laugh at you.”

Zhao Panlai shook his head, his voice becoming weak and listless once again.

"I was thinking of taking the test again next year, but there's still a year to go. By the time the test comes, I'll probably have forgotten most of the knowledge points, and I definitely won't do well."

For several months in a row, I didn't go to work and didn't earn any money.

All for the sake of doing well on the exam.

To put it bluntly, I'm such a grown-up, yet I'm still being supported by my parents.

On the other hand...

This also demonstrates his determination.

But this is the result I never expected.

Things that have passed can be left unmentioned.

But what about next year?

Am I going to have to continue like this next year just for the sake of the college entrance exam?

How can I face my parents?

Should we let them support us for another year?

Even if my parents agreed, I wouldn't agree.

In front of Liu Jia, Zhao Panlai directly voiced his concerns.

“I have a solution. If you want to continue taking the exam but don’t want to burden your family, you can go to Uncle Zhou.”

Zhao Panlai didn't react for a moment.

"What do you want with the captain?"

"you listen to me."

Liu Jia waved to Zhao Panlai.

Zhao Panlai then leaned his head closer.

Twenty minutes later.

Liu Jia smiled again.

"I've explained things to you clearly. Whether you want to do as I say or not is entirely up to you."

"But let me tell you beforehand, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and this position won't last forever."

"Think it over carefully. If it's okay, go find Uncle Zhou as soon as possible. If you go too late, the position may be gone."

Zhao Panlai kept frowning, and seemed somewhat absent-minded.

They are clearly considering what Liu Jia said.

Liu Jia stood up and stretched.

"Alright, I've said what I needed to say. It's getting late, I need to go back for dinner."

Zhao Panlai finally came to her senses.

“Sanzi, you came to see me so kindly, and look, I didn’t even give you a drink of water, let alone a meal, I…”

"Stop with the formalities, we're practically family! I was hoping to have a nice drink with you sometime when you're in a better mood! Alright, I'm off."

"Then I'll give it to you."

Liu Jia did not refuse.

As soon as Liu Jia stepped into the courtyard, he saw Aunt Chunlan cooking by the south wall.

After saying a few simple words, Liu Jia walked out the door.

Zhao Panlai, who was behind Liu Jia, escorted him all the way to the door before turning around.

“Son, I’ve cooked some noodles and poached two eggs on top. Have some. I’ve come to terms with it. People need to eat, and you can’t go without food.”

Chunlan spoke while observing Zhao Panlai's expression.

Zhao Panlai frowned. He wanted to say he didn't want to eat, but then he remembered what Liu Jia had said and gritted his teeth.

"Okay, let's all eat well. Mom, we have to live well!"

One sentence broke Chunlan's defenses.

If it weren't for Zhao Panlai's presence, I would have suddenly wanted to burst into tears.

My son has become energetic again, like a completely different person.

Good heavens, you've finally opened your eyes!

Otherwise, someone could really die!

After leaving Chunlai's house, Liu Jia did not go straight home, but went to Zhou Fengshou's house instead.

By the time I got home, it was past dinnertime.

Hearing Liu Jia's footsteps, Zhang Guilan quickly lifted the curtain.

"What time is it that you're finally back? Didn't you say you were just going to be gone for a little while?"

"Luckily it's summer; if it were winter, the food would freeze solid."

"Go eat quickly, I'm covering you up here!"

Realizing it was indeed late, Liu Jia smiled and scratched his head.

"We were so busy talking that we forgot about eating. Mom, have you all eaten?"

"You've already eaten. The dishes and rice are all piled together. Go eat quickly."

Zhang Guilan kept urging him, but Liu Jia didn't say anything and went straight to the south room.

The next day, everything was as usual.

In the evening, Zhou Fengshou told Liu Jia that Zhao Panlai had not come to see him.

"Wait a little longer, maybe we'll hear something tonight, Uncle Zhou, don't worry."

Although he said he wasn't in a hurry, Liu Jia's brows were already furrowed.

Zhou Fengshou also noticed Liu Jia's worries.

"Okay, anyway, I'll be resting for the next two days, so it won't delay anything. As long as we can finalize this tomorrow, that's fine."

After saying that, Zhou Feng glanced in the direction of the primary school.

evening.

It was just getting dark.

While everyone was eating, Zhao Panlai quietly slipped out of the house and went to Zhou Fengshou's house as quickly as possible.

So nervous, the pack of cigarettes I was clutching was almost deformed.

After a day and a night of consideration, Zhao Panlai finally understood.

Liu Jia was suggesting a way out.

I can't stay depressed forever, otherwise, how will I take the college entrance examination next year?

How can I get people to see me in a different light?

There's a limited number of jobs available, and this opportunity won't come again. If I don't seize this chance, I might have to work in the fields to earn work points.

When that time comes, it will be just as I said.

I estimate that they've already forgotten everything they knew before the time to take the college entrance exam.

With that thought in mind, Zhao Panlai quickened his pace.

When they arrived at Zhou Fengshou's house, Zhao Panlai practically ran inside.

Is Uncle Zhou home?

Once inside the courtyard, Zhao Panlai finally mustered the courage to ask a question.

"Who is it? I heard someone call Uncle Zhou."

Zhou Caixia asked as she peeked out.

I peeked through the curtain, then quickly pulled my head back.

"Father, it's Zhao Panlai. What brings him here?"

Zhou Fengshou, who was sitting opposite, had just picked up a piece of food with his chopsticks when he heard Zhou Caixia say this. He quickly put the food in his mouth, then threw down his chopsticks and walked out.

"I've been waiting for you! You're here. What's up?"

"I'd like to discuss something with you. Uncle Zhou, have you eaten yet?"

Zhao Panlai looked at Zhou Fengshou with some embarrassment.

Zhou Fengshou touched his mouth and quickly continued the conversation, saying, "I've already eaten, I'm full. Come on, let's go inside and talk."

The two were talking in the yard. Although their voices were not loud, everyone could hear what they were saying clearly.

Seeing Zhou Fengshou and Zhao Panlai walk into the north room, Zhou Caixia followed suit with a pout.

"Mom, look at Dad, what nice words he said! Our food hasn't even been served yet, and they're already full."

After hearing this, Caixia's mother also laughed.

"You know your father's temper, don't you? Besides, Sanzi explained this matter several times. How could your father not take it seriously?"

Zhou Caixia originally wanted to say a few more words, but after hearing her mother say that, she had no choice but to shut her mouth.

What my third brother said were all important matters, and we couldn't ignore them.

"I don't know what Third Brother said to Zhao Panlai, but Zhao Panlai suddenly came to his senses."

Looking towards the north room, Zhou Caixia's face was full of doubt.