Chapter 5

Yeling Tian looked at everyone, his face full of surprise, and asked, "Teacher Yang, Principal Gao, why are you here?"

Sanying Village was still ten miles away from the town. Why did so many people come all the way to this small mountain village?

"Are you Yeling Tian? Congratulations! Oh? It looks like you're about to go out with that backpack?" The man at the front, who had a very steady demeanor, wore black-rimmed glasses, and carried a black briefcase, smiled and said to Yeling Tian.

Yeling Tian looked at the man and searched his memory but found no impression of him. He asked in confusion, "I am Yeling Tian, who are you?"

Seeing the situation, Teacher Yang hurriedly reminded from behind, "Yeling Tian, this is Director Wang from the County Education Bureau. Why don't you invite Director Wang inside?"

"Oh, oh, Director Wang, Principal Gao, Teacher Yang, please come in." Hearing Teacher Yang's words, Yeling Tian's heart tightened. He vaguely sensed the purpose of their visit and quickly invited everyone into the living room.

At this moment, Yang Sulan also reacted and hurriedly arranged chairs, poured tea, and water, but she couldn't find any tea snacks.

Since Ye Liancheng's death in a car accident, the number of guests at home had decreased. Hardly anyone visited throughout the year. Given their difficult financial situation, they rarely prepared tea snacks except during holidays.

"Director Wang, Principal Gao, Teacher Yang, I didn't know you were coming, so I didn't prepare anything. I'm sorry to have embarrassed you," Yang Sulan said, feeling quite embarrassed. She turned to Yeling Tian and said, "Lingtian, quickly go to the village store and buy some candies for the guests."

"No need to be so formal! Yeling Tian, please sit down," Director Wang stopped Yeling Tian, who was about to go buy candies. He smiled at Yang Sulan and said, "You must be Yeling Tian's mother? Congratulations! You have a good son, a fine seed for the country!"

"Good seed?" Yang Sulan looked at Director Wang, puzzled, and was confused by the unexpected congratulations, her face full of bewilderment.

Director Wang tapped his fingers lightly on the table and said excitedly, "Hmm? It seems you might not know yet. Your son, Yeling Tian, is this year's top scorer in the national college entrance exam for the liberal arts, and he has been admitted to Yanjing University! This is not only an honor for your family but also for our Guixing County! I am here on behalf of Secretary Cheng of the County Committee to extend our congratulations!"

"Top scorer in the national college entrance exam? Yanjing University?" Yang Sulan was startled by the sudden good news and, after a long pause, said in surprise, "Is this true? But Lingtian told me he didn't get into college!"

Hearing this, Director Wang's face immediately turned serious. He turned to Principal Gao and Teacher Yang and asked sternly, "Didn't get in? What's going on here?"

"How could that be? Yeling Tian, I personally handed you the admission letter from Yanjing University. Why do you say you didn't get in?" Teacher Yang's face turned serious as he quickly asked Yeling Tian, also explaining to Director Wang.

"I... I..." In front of so many people, Yeling Tian found it hard to speak.

As the saying goes, family shame should not be publicized. Giving up on college due to poverty would not only invite ridicule but also make people look down on him.

Seeing Yeling Tian stammering, Teacher Yang put on his teacher's stern face and asked, "What do you mean? What's going on?"

Unable to bear the pressure, Yeling Tian decided to come clean. He took a deep breath and said, "I didn't tell my mother the truth because we have no money. Not only do we have no money, but we also owe a lot to others."

Pausing for a moment, Yeling Tian continued, "I don't want my mother to continue working so hard. Look at her; she's only in her early forties, but she looks like she's sixty. All this is because of the years of hard work after my father's death, to support the family and to let me go to school. So I kept the news of being admitted to Yanjing University from my mother and decided not to go to college but to work and earn money to help my mother and pay off our debts."

After Yeling Tian finished speaking, everyone in the room fell silent, almost stunned.

"Lingtian, you scoundrel, you've become so bold that you dare to lie to your mother? Do you know that your father's greatest wish was for you to get into college? It was your dream too! Now that you've been admitted, why are you giving it up? No matter how hard I work, I will make sure you finish college!" Yang Sulan's face turned serious, and a wave of anger rose in her heart.

She never expected her obedient and sensible son to lie to her, especially about something as important as going to college.

"Mother, please don't be angry. These past few years, you've worked so hard to support the family and to let me go to school. Look at what you've become! If this continues, I don't know how long you can hold on! I've already lost my father; I can't lose my mother too! The debts we owe will eventually have to be paid. If I go out to work and earn money, I can pay off a little at a time and feel more at ease."

Seeing Yang Sulan's anger, Yeling Tian felt a bit guilty and bravely explained.

The room fell into a heavy silence, the atmosphere becoming oppressive.

After a moment, Director Wang broke the silence, cleared his throat, and pointed at Yeling Tian's backpack, asking, "Yeling Tian, it looks like you're carrying this backpack to go work?"

Yeling Tian looked at Director Wang, didn't answer, but nodded silently.

Seeing Yeling Tian nod, Director Wang pondered for a moment and said solemnly, "I didn't expect Yeling Tian's family to be in such difficult circumstances. The top scorer in the national college entrance exam is about to give up his education to work. This is a failure on our part as educators! If we hadn't come today, we would have made a huge mistake, and the country would have lost a pillar of talent!"

He then glanced at the dilapidated house, adjusted his glasses, and said earnestly to the people behind him, "Who would have thought that the top scorer in the national college entrance exam would come from such an environment? Adversity truly does produce talent!"

The people who came with Director Wang were also deeply shocked. Hearing Director Wang's words, they all lowered their heads.

Especially Teacher Yang, who, as Yeling Tian's homeroom teacher, knew nothing about his family's situation, felt a slight flush on his face and said, somewhat ashamed, "Director Wang is right; it's our fault!"

Principal Gao also said sincerely, "We will hold a special meeting when we return to develop a plan and conduct a thorough review of the students at our school to ensure we don't make such mistakes again."

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