1994: From a young man from a small town to a second-generation resident of Shanghai

"Dagang, our son is going abroad to study soon. Are we really going to do nothing?"

Wang Juan's words dampened Chen Dagang's joy.

My son is going to study abroad, and before I could even be happy for a few minutes, troubles began to arise.

Are you really not going to give him any money? Are you going to let Chen Yun cover all of Chen Yong's expenses?

That just doesn't make sense!

Chen Yong might not care whether the couple gave him money or not, but he would definitely be grateful to those who helped him. The more favors he owed, the deeper his feelings for them would become.

The reality is harsh: the two high school teachers hadn't saved much money.

The couple's combined income was just enough to raise their son, who was provided with good living conditions from a young age, with plenty of food, clothing, and toys.

When they get old, they don't have to worry about being a burden on their children, as they have retirement pensions to support them.

"I've heard that it's very expensive abroad, and the little money we have isn't enough."

"Go borrow it, borrow 50,000 yuan for the child."

"So much!" Fifty thousand yuan is too much. How many people would we have to borrow from?

"I meant a loan, to see if we can get one. Fifty thousand is just a figure I'm giving; we'll borrow as much as we can. Even if we don't have the means, we still need to find a way to create opportunities for our child."

The next day, Chen Dagang found the president of the county bank.

He is now the vice principal of the county high school, which means he has just entered the county's elite class and is considered to have some status and position.

The social circle in a county town is quite small; you can easily find someone by asking around.

"Principal Chen, I didn't expect you to come to see me. You're here to get a loan for your son's education, right?" Bank Manager Guo immediately saw through Chen Dagang's purpose.

Everyone in the county knows that his son got first place in last year's college entrance examination and was admitted to Fudan University.

"Your prediction, Mr. Guo, was right."

President Guo praised Chen Yong, which was a rare opportunity to get closer to Chen Dagang's family. There were rumors that the county magistrate's daughter was also studying in Shanghai, and the two children's schools were very close, so they might already be a couple.

Chen Dagang's rapid promotion to vice principal was also due to something County Chief Ye said.

It is said that when the county committee was being established, County Chief Ye specifically mentioned Chen Dagang to the leaders of the Education Bureau, which led to Chen Dagang's rapid promotion.

"Yes, Chen Yong is going abroad for a three-month academic exchange this semester..."

President Guo was initially quite calm, but when he heard that Chen Yong was going abroad for a study visit, he thought, "He's only a freshman, and he's already being sent abroad!"

Moreover, he was sent from Fudan University, which means that the school will focus on cultivating him.

Being able to receive special training from a top university is a sure path to becoming a city-level leader or a business owner with assets worth tens of millions.

"Chen Yong is only a freshman, and he's already going abroad! Da Gang, you really have a good son!" Guo Youliang excitedly grasped Chen Da Gang's hand, as if his own son were about to go abroad.

"How did you all raise your children? They're so outstanding. I'd be satisfied if my son had even half the talent of yours."

"We didn't really educate him much; it's all thanks to his own hard work. The only thing we can do to help is send him some money."

"Yes, yes, yes! We need to send him money. You might not understand, but it's expensive abroad! The cost of living is high. One US dollar needs to be exchanged for more than five dollars, and if he goes abroad for three months, it will cost at least three to five thousand US dollars."

At least three thousand, that's more than fifteen thousand.

"President Guo, how much can I borrow?"

"Normally, the loan limit for ordinary people is 500-1000 yuan, but some people can exceed this limit."

"Principal Chen, you're different. Your son is so successful, the country will definitely support him! Besides, we're on good terms. I'll make the decision and lend you 15,000 yuan with the lowest possible interest rate, which you can pay off slowly over the next five years."

He still has to pay back 3,000 yuan a year, which is still a lot, but he has been promoted and will earn several hundred yuan more a month. He can also earn some under-the-table income, so the pressure is not too great.

"Thank you very much, President Guo."

Guo Youliang personally saw Chen Dagang off. After he left, he muttered to himself, "I never expected that this honest and unassuming teacher would have such a fine son. I must go and tell County Chief Ye the good news."

Ye Jiansong's home.

County Magistrate's wife, Tang Ying, said to her husband, "Old Ye, has our daughter been troubled by something lately? She's been so perfunctory on the phone."

"That's normal. Something probably happened that prevented you from talking to me?"

"That's precisely why I'm worried. Do you think it might be because you've broken up with your boyfriend?"

"It's possible. Could our daughter's boyfriend be Chen Yong? Their schools are very close to each other."

At that moment, Bank Manager Guo knocked on his door.

When they came in, they were carrying a Moutai gift box, which was stuffed full.

"Old Guo, what brings you here? Don't you know you're being watched?"

"We don't need these things."

"County Chief, great news! Chen Dagang's son is going abroad to study for three months. He came to me today specifically to ask for a loan to raise money for his son."

Tang Ying looked surprised and said, "Chen Yong is going abroad? He's only a freshman and he's already going abroad! How can it be so fast?"

"That's perfectly normal. Chen Yong attends a top-tier university, which has many opportunities for international exchange programs. It's not unusual. It shows that even in university, Chen Yong is among the top students in his class."

Ye Jiansong was in high spirits. "Old Guo, you really brought good news. Stay for a meal before you leave."

Later, Tang Ying called her daughter again to ask if she knew that Chen Yong was going to study abroad.

"Huiling, you've seemed unhappy lately. Is it because of Chen Yong?"

"Mom, please don't interfere anymore, and don't mention him."

Their daughter's reaction confirmed their suspicions: "Chen Yong is going abroad for three months. What are you worried about? It's not like he's not coming back. Besides, going abroad will secure his future."

"What?" Ye Huiling was shocked to hear from her parents that Chen Yong was going abroad.

Upon hearing her daughter's reaction, Tang Ying felt something was amiss. Her daughter clearly didn't know Chen Yong was going abroad. "Huiling, tell me honestly, who have you been arguing with lately? Is it Chen Yong?"

Ye Huiling then recounted how she had seen a girl sitting in Chen Yong's car earlier.

After listening, Tang Ying began to analyze the situation and offer suggestions to Ye Huiling.

"Chen Yong hasn't contacted you recently, and you haven't contacted him either. He's so outstanding, how come no girls like him?"

"What should I do then?"

"Try to go see him, take the initiative to show him some concern! Otherwise, you'll just sit here waiting, and he might even forget about you. If he really has a girlfriend, then just forget about him."

Ye Huiling put down the phone, and her mood, which had been low because of Chen Yong, was once again excited because of him.

Chen Yong actually got a spot to study abroad. Although it was only a three-month exchange program, it showed that Chen Yong's abilities were definitely very strong, which is why he was able to get this precious spot in his freshman year.

At their school, the opportunity to go abroad for exchange programs doesn't come until the third year, and the number of places is extremely limited, with a maximum of only two places per class.

It will be very difficult for her to get a spot unless the top candidates give up their spots.

After finishing the phone call, Ye Huiling returned to her dormitory.

Seeing fruit on my desk in the dorm, I wondered, "Who sent this fruit?"

Xu Wenwen said, "Who else could it be but our dear senior? He brought you fruit again. His feelings for you are as clear as day! Ye Huiling, why don't you try dating him?"

"I'm not interested. I already told him I don't like him, but he still insisted on giving me a gift."

"You're like a well-fed man who doesn't know the hunger of a starving man. We're all envious of such an outstanding guy as him, but you can't even be bothered to look at him. You're still thinking about that classmate next door."

"He's going abroad," Ye Huiling suddenly said, and the dormitory became unusually quiet!

You could hear a pin drop. Xiao Fang was sewing clothes just now; the seam on her clothes had come undone, and she sewed it all herself.

At that time, female college students had a wide range of skills; they could cook, sew, and even work.

"Wait, you mean your high school classmate is going abroad? That's amazing!"

"I just heard it from my mom, and it should be right. I think it's Harvard University."

"My goodness, he's going to Harvard as an exchange student. I could accept waiting for a guy like that."

Just a moment ago, they were encouraging Ye Huiling to date her senior, but now they've immediately changed their minds.

If Huang Lei knew that the girl he had bribed during this period had abandoned him so quickly, he would definitely be so angry that he would pound his chest and vomit blood.