To celebrate Zhao Shenggu's college entrance exam, Guan Yuan specifically asked his homeroom teacher for two weeks off and would come back to take his exams directly.
Guan Yuan's homeroom teacher, seeing that his grades had always been stable and outstanding, agreed.
The two of them rarely set aside company and school matters and properly toured the capital from top to bottom.
After returning, Guan Yuan was about to take his final exams, and Zhao Shenggu threw himself back into work.
Not long after, Zhao Shenggu's results came out: first place in No. 4 High School, second place in the entire capital. Zhao Shenggu had applied to Beijing University, and this score was naturally more than enough.
When Guan Yuan went with Zhao Shenggu to pick up his score report, the school had already hung a banner that read: Warmest congratulations to student Zhao Shenggu for achieving second place in the city in the college entrance exam.
Zhao Shenggu's homeroom teacher had already been waiting at the school gate. As soon as he saw Zhao Shenggu arrive, he quickly grabbed him and said with a cheerful smile, "Zhao Shenggu, you did well. Teacher is proud of you."
There were also parents at the school who had come with their children. As soon as they heard that he was Zhao Shenggu, envious exclamations rang out endlessly.
Zhao Shenggu had become the second-place scorer in the capital, and the school specially rewarded him with five hundred yuan. That amount was quite a lot in those days.
Zhao Shenggu was also very grateful. When the school asked him to give a speech to the younger students, sharing his experience of succeeding on the college entrance exam, Zhao Shenggu agreed.
Han Li was overjoyed holding her score report. Back when she learned that Zhao Shenggu had applied to Beijing University, regardless of her own risky grades, she had staked everything and applied to Beijing University too.
Now she had just barely scraped past the admission line.
Looking at Zhao Shenggu speaking confidently on the stage, her eyes held a determined ambition to win.
Finally, after all this was done, there were still more than two months of summer vacation left. Guan Yuan and Zhao Shenggu decided to return to Guanjia Village. After all, there were still the garment factory and the braised meat workshop in Guanjia Village.
They had been in the capital for a year now, and it was time to go back and take a look.
Guanjia Village was still the same as ever. When Guan Yuan and Zhao Shenggu got home, it was exactly noon. Everyone was resting at home at that hour, so they didn't run into anyone along the way.
When they opened the door, the house looked no different from when they had left. It seemed Li Ying had taken good care of their home.
The kang was also clean. When Zhao Shenggu spread out the bedding, he could still smell the scent of sunshine on it. Guan Yuan and Zhao Shenggu had been on the road for so long that they were already exhausted. They lay down on the kang and slept like logs.
When Li Ying came as usual to clean their house, she saw the wide-open door and her heart skipped a beat. She thought a thief had gotten in. She found a wooden stick in the corner and crept inside quietly, only to discover that the ones lying on the kang were Guan Yuan and Zhao Shenggu.
Li Ying was overjoyed, but seeing how soundly they were sleeping, she didn't disturb them and quietly slipped back out.
Guan Yuan and Zhao Shenggu didn't wake up until after three in the afternoon.
Not long after they woke up, Li Ying came in.
"You're finally awake! I came by to check on you several times. So, how are you? Worn out?" Li Ying asked with concern.
Guan Yuan and Zhao Shenggu called out in unison, "Auntie Li." "Auntie Li, sorry to trouble you. You've taken such good care of the house," Zhao Shenggu said as he helped Guan Yuan wash his face, thanking Li Ying.
Li Ying waved it off. "What trouble? It's just a little thing. You didn't eat at noon, are you hungry? Hurry over to my house to eat. I made it a while ago and was just waiting for you to wake up."
At this hour, it was definitely because Li Ying had seen them return that she made the food. Guan Yuan and Zhao Shenggu thanked her again, then followed Li Ying to her home.
After a year away, Li Ying's family had built a new house—a two-story blue brick building with white lime plastered on the outside. In a small village like Guanjia Village, it looked quite impressive.
Guan Guo was splitting firewood in the yard. When he saw Guan Yuan and Zhao Shenggu, he was overjoyed too. "Good, you're finally back! As soon as I heard you'd returned, I wanted to go see you, but your auntie said you were sleeping. Shenggu's a grown man now. Today, you and I, uncle and nephew, won't stop until we're drunk."
Guan Yuan felt very comfortable with Li Ying and Guan Guo's warmth.
He let Li Ying lead him into the house.
"Auntie, where's Shitou?" Guan Yuan looked around but didn't see that mischievous little figure.
"Him? As soon as vacation started, he's been running wild and nowhere to be seen. Who knows where he's off causing trouble now."
Just as Li Ying finished speaking, Guan Shitou's voice rang out in the yard: "Mom, I'm hungry…" Before the words finished, Guan Shitou darted into the house like a gust of wind.
Li Ying grabbed his ear. "What did I tell you? When it's mealtime, you come home. Where did you go running wild today?"
Guan Shitou yelped, "Mom, let go…" His rolling eyes suddenly landed on Guan Yuan, who was sitting to the side watching him with amusement.
Guan Shitou's eyes widened instantly. "Boss?" Then he saw Zhao Shenggu. "Brother Shenggu? When did you guys get back? How come nobody told me!"
"Hmph, tell you? You're nowhere to be found. How could anyone tell you!" Li Ying scolded angrily.
Guan Shitou acted as if he hadn't heard. With a few twists of his body, he slipped out of Li Ying's grasp. The move was so practiced it looked like he rehearsed it every day.
Guan Shitou darted to Guan Yuan's side in one quick stride. "Boss, my mom said you guys went to the capital. You're really no fun—you didn't even tell me before you left. Is the capital fun? I read in a book that the capital's *** is really big, and there are white pigeons too. Does the capital really have the Forbidden City…"
Guan Shitou fired off questions like a machine gun.
"Alright, with so many questions, which one am I supposed to answer?" Guan Yuan said.
"Shitou, don't pester Xiao Yuan for now. They just got back from the capital and they're tired. Let's eat first," Li Ying said.
Only then did Guan Shitou remember his growling stomach. He cheered, "Eat, eat, time to eat…" His antics nearly made Li Ying reach out to pinch his ear again.
Because Zhao Shenggu had already turned eighteen, Guan Guo now treated him as a grown man. At the table, he repeatedly urged him to drink. "If you're a real man, drink this bowl of baijiu (Chinese liquor)…" Guan Guo was already a bit drunk, shouting with his neck red.
Zhao Shenggu's body had been transformed by the spiritual spring water, so this little bit of alcohol was naturally nothing to him. He matched Guan Guo drink for drink. While Guan Guo was red-faced and thick-necked, Zhao Shenggu still looked completely fine.
Drunk, Guan Guo accidentally brought up the matter of the old Guan family house. He pointed at Guan Yuan and said, "That grandfather of yours is really no good. He could even lay a hand on his own daughter..."
Li Ying immediately pinched Guan Guo hard on the waist. Guan Guo looked at her with bleary eyes and asked in confusion, "Wife, why are you pinching me?"
Guan Yuan and Zhao Shenggu were both startled. They had speculated back then about Guan He doing something to Guan Manyue, but how had this matter come to light?
"Auntie, what exactly happened?" Guan Yuan asked Li Ying.
"Oh, I don't really know either. Your second uncle, Guan Manku, suddenly started shouting one day that Guan He had killed Manyue. It just so happened that there were police officers at the village chief's house at the time, so the matter got exposed."
"But after so long, there's no way to prove whether Guan He killed Guan Manyue, right?" Zhao Shenggu asked in confusion.
"I don't know what happened either. Anyway, later Guan He admitted it himself. He's in prison in the county now!"
Although they found it strange that Guan He would actually admit to killing someone, Guan Yuan and Zhao Shenggu didn't press him with questions. The two ate at Guan Guo's place, rested for a while, and then headed home.
Back home, Guan Yuan went to check on his small garden. Although it hadn't been tended to for over a year, everything was growing quite well. Guan Yuan watered it with some spiritual spring water and then went back inside.
Zhao Shenggu and Guan Yuan had slept too much during the day, so they sat in the courtyard that evening to cool off.
Just then, there was a knock at the door.
Zhao Shenggu and Guan Yuan thought it was Li Ying and the others, so they got up to open the door. But the visitor caught them completely off guard.
"What are you doing here?" Zhao Shenggu said coldly, leaning against the doorframe.
"It's you, Shenggu. I'm here to see Xiao Yuan," Guan Mancang said with a smile.
"Xiao Yuan is already asleep. You should go back," Zhao Shenggu said, unmoved.
"Who are you fooling? I just heard you two talking. Xiao Yuan, Xiao Yuan, come out here!" Guan Mancang shouted toward the courtyard.
"What do you want?" Guan Yuan had heard Guan Mancang's voice a while ago. He wanted to see what Guan Mancang was up to.
"Xiao Yuan, you came all the way back from the capital and didn't even tell me. I had to hear it from someone else! I'm still your father, after all."
"Father?" Guan Yuan let out a scoff. "Now you remember you're my father?"
To his surprise, Guan Mancang didn't get angry at that. He put on a shameless smile and said, "I was wrong before, but I'll treat you well from now on!"
Zhao Shenggu's face was cold. "When Xiao Yuan needed a father the most, you didn't remember you had a son. Now Xiao Yuan doesn't need a so-called father anymore. Just say what you want. Hiding behind the banner of family is just disgusting."
Guan Mancang's face stiffened for a moment. It was clear he wanted to explode in anger, but he forced it down. "No matter what you say, Guan Yuan is my flesh and blood. It's only right that he respects me as his father. Now that you've made so much money and are living the good life, shouldn't you show some respect to me too?"
Guan Yuan's expression didn't change. He couldn't be bothered to waste more words on Guan Mancang. He simply said to Zhao Shenggu, "Brother, close the door!"
The moment Guan Yuan finished speaking, Zhao Shenggu slammed the door shut with a bang.
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