Chapter 45

At around 5 PM, Xiao Fei returned to the village. As he passed by Liu Zhenhai's house, he noticed that their front gate was wide open, and people were coming and going, making it quite lively.

The news of Liu Xinmei's admission to university had already spread throughout the village, and the villagers were flocking to her house to offer their congratulations.

It was late July, the middle of the sixth month according to the lunar calendar.

Normally, this would be the busiest time of the year for farmers. In previous years, the villagers would work in the fields until it was pitch dark before returning home.

However, this year was very different.

The difference was that the situation in the cotton fields had deteriorated to the extreme, and most villagers had lost all hope of a cotton harvest.

Earlier than Xiao Fei had estimated, many families in the village began to abandon their cotton fields. They stopped applying pesticides and weeding, allowing the cotton plants to grow wildly, even reaching heights of over a person.

Only at this point did those who had mocked the Xiao family for uprooting their cotton and replanting with corn realize how foresighted the Xiao family had been, and how correct the actions of the two brothers had been.

However, it was now too late for them to follow the Xiao family's example and uproot their cotton to plant something else.

There was no choice but to let the fields lie fallow for this season.

Without the need to tend to the cotton, the villagers were idle. In recent days, hundreds of people would go to the hill to set traps for tortoises every night, but the harvest was meager.

Tortoises are a natural resource, but they are limited and not inexhaustible.

As Xiao Fei walked past Liu Zhenhai's house, he heard Wang Guizhi laughing heartily and talking to her neighbors, her tone full of pride.

"I knew it! My Xinmei will definitely get in this year!"

"Our Xinmei is the first college student in Xili Village in decades! She will surely make a name for herself, become a high-ranking official, and bring glory to our ancestors!"

Xiao Fei understood Wang Guizhi's feelings.

Xili Village was a remote and impoverished small village that had been isolated and backward for many years. Most of the villagers had never attended school, and those who had only finished junior high school at best.

The last time the village produced a college student was at the end of the 1970s, when Liu Mingxing's uncle, Liu Quanzhong, was admitted to H Province Mining Institute in the first year after the restoration of the college entrance examination.

Now, Liu Quanzhong was serving as the director of the mining bureau in J City in H Province. In the eyes of the villagers of Xili Village, he was already a very important official.

Liu Quanzhong had also become the most capable person in the eyes of the villagers of Xili Village.

Now, although Liu Xinmei's admission notice had not yet arrived, her admission to H Province University was a certainty. In the eyes of most people, H Province University was much better than H Province Mining Institute.

Wang Guizhi couldn't help but be proud.

Xiao Fei smiled faintly, thinking to himself, "The opportunities for college students at the end of the 1970s and in 1996 are completely different!"

At the end of the 1970s, college students were in the midst of a major talent gap in China. Even if one only attended a technical secondary school, with a bit of ambition and hard work, it was possible to reach a high-ranking position after a decade or so.

In 1996, college students were no longer as valuable.

Moreover, the state had begun to push college students into society, no longer guaranteeing them jobs. To rise to a high position, one would have to work extremely hard.

Xiao Fei had intended to smile and walk away, but he encountered Liu Mingxing.

Liu Mingxing was pouting as he watched the lively scene at Liu Zhenhai's house, muttering, "Damn! Even if Liu Xinmei gets into college, she will eventually get married and become someone else's wife. How does that bring glory to your ancestors? What a peculiar and unique way of thinking."

His tone was filled with jealousy.

"Liu Fei, how did you do on the exam?" Liu Mingxing grabbed Xiao Fei.

"640, I passed the vocational college line but not the undergraduate line," Xiao Fei said briefly.

Liu Mingxing responded with an "Oh" and became interested. "So, you also got in, right? Isn't a vocational college also a university?"

"Yes, but I don't plan to go this year. I want to retake the exam for another year," Xiao Fei said.

Xiao Fei didn't expect Liu Mingxing to shout to a group of villagers, "Everyone listen up! This year, not only did Liu Xinmei get into college, but Xiao Fei also got in!"

Xiao Fei was taken aback; this guy was definitely doing it on purpose.

Liu Mingxing's goal was simple: he didn't want Liu Zhenhai's family to have all the glory. He wanted to use Xiao Fei to disrupt the scene at Liu Zhenhai's house.

People gathered around.

"Xiao Fei also got in?"

"How many points did you score?"

"Which school are you planning to attend?"

Everyone asked Xiao Fei questions. Xiao Fei saw that Wang Guizhi and Liu Xinmei had also come over, and Liu Xinmei nodded and smiled at him.

Xiao Fei had to explain.

"Ha ha! I thought you really got in. You just passed the vocational college line. Is that worth being so happy? According to Xiao Fei, he doesn't plan to go to school this year and wants to retake the exam. Isn't that the same as not getting in? How is that worth mentioning? It's far from what our Xinmei achieved!" Wang Guizhi's face was fat and puffed up, and she spoke with a tone of disdain, her nose in the air.

Liu Xinmei gave Xiao Fei an apologetic look and pulled her mother's arm. "Mom! Say less. Xiao Fei did pretty well this year. If he retakes the exam for another year, he might get into a university even better than H University."

She thought long-term, unlike her mother, who was shallow.

"Someone like Xiao Fei, even if he retakes the exam for ten years, he might not get into H University. It's already a miracle that he passed the vocational college line this year!" Wang Guizhi's words were as sharp as ever.

She was a bit angry when she saw Xiao Fei.

After all, she had been planning for a long time to have her nephew marry Xiao Yan through a marriage exchange. She thought it was almost a done deal, but now, with the Xiao family's gradual rise, it was completely ruined.

The main reason for the Xiao family's rise and the current momentum of their success was largely due to Xiao Fei.

This was also the main reason why Wang Guizhi disliked Xiao Fei.

Xiao Fei was very frustrated. How could this woman talk like that? Can't you speak properly? I haven't provoked you, so why curse me?

He ignored her.

After saying a few words to Liu Mingxing and others, he was about to leave. He heard Wang Guizhi still badmouthing him, "Look! He can't even fart and runs away! He has no confidence! I knew it, he passed the vocational college line by sheer luck. He might not even score as high next year! Xiao Fei is not meant for college!"

"If Xiao Fei gets into a university better than H University next year, what will you do? Aunt, shall we make a bet?" Liu Mingxing challenged Wang Guizhi.

"Let's bet! If Xiao Fei gets into a university better than H University next year, I'll drink my own foot washing water!" Wang Guizhi shouted loudly.

"Okay! I'll bet with you! If Xiao Fei doesn't get into a university better than H University, I'll drink my own foot washing water too!" Liu Mingxing also shouted.

Xiao Fei, who had walked a distance, heard Wang Guizhi's badmouthing and was very frustrated. "Damn! She won't let it go?"

Xiao Fei stopped his bike, turned around, and waved to Wang Guizhi, "Aunt, come over."

Wang Guizhi was taken aback. What does this young man want?

She looked at his face, which was very calm, with no sign of anger, and sneered, "What will happen if I come over? Are you going to hit me?"

Wang Guizhi waddled over with her plump bottom.

To show her courage, she walked up to within half a foot of Xiao Fei and asked, "What do you want me to come over for?"

Xiao Fei chuckled. In front of everyone, he suddenly lifted his butt and let out a loud fart in Wang Guizhi's direction.

"Aunt, see? As you wished, I've already farted. Can I go now?" Xiao Fei said, then pedaled away quickly.

Wang Guizhi felt a strong smell of hydrogen sulfide instantly surround her, making her step back. The onlookers nearby saw this and burst into laughter.