The girl with the sharp long face who criticized Xu Qinghuan during registration is named Kong Lijuan. The middle-aged woman with the inverted triangle eyes responsible for registration that day is her aunt. To avoid favoritism, she didn't come to invigilate today.
However, her aunt mentioned that as long as the scores are close, she can be admitted.
Kong Lijuan felt a bit unbalanced when she saw Xu Qinghuan hand in her paper first, and she was quite contemptuous. So what if she handed in the paper first? She didn't believe that Xu Qinghuan's foreign language skills could surpass hers.
Unless there is a large recruitment drive, factories generally recruit people targetedly. If two people are recruited, at least one position is guaranteed to be reserved for someone predetermined. If only one person is recruited, it's highly probable that the person has already been decided.
The recruitment test for the lamp factory this time was essentially tailored for Kong Lijuan, because she even knew the test papers in advance.
She even had someone prepare the final translation question for her; she just needed to memorize it.
Xu Qinghuan's action of handing in her paper interrupted her train of thought, suddenly leaving her unsure about what to write next.
Fortunately, after pondering for a while, her mind finally grabbed onto something again, and she remembered it at last. She still felt something was off, but there wasn't enough time.
"Hand in your papers. I'll count to three. If you don't hand them in, you can't submit them." The staff responsible for invigilating said.
Kong Lijuan reluctantly stood up and handed in her paper.
Xu Qinghuan waited outside the exam room, and when Zhou Xinyan came out, she ran over and took her arm, "Let's go, Huanhuan. We'll go eat and then chat for a while."
"Sure, but it's still early. Could you accompany me to run some errands first?" Xu Qinghuan glanced at the time, ten-thirty. It's too early to grab something to eat at the state-run restaurant.
"Alright, let's go. What errand? I'll go with you!" Zhou Xinyan didn't even ask what Xu Qinghuan needed to do, and took the lead in heading out.
Kong Lijuan hurried forward with a few steps, "How did you both do on the exam? Did you answer the final big question?"
Noticing her smug expression, Xu Qinghuan understood her intention—she was confident and came to show off.
Xu Qinghuan believed she had answered perfectly, but she wasn't arrogant enough to overlook the fact that there might be someone better. So she modestly nodded, "I answered it, surely not going to leave it blank."
Kong Lijuan was satisfied with her answer and asked Zhou Xinyan, "How about you? You wouldn't leave it blank, would you?"
Zhou Xinyan frowned, disgruntled, "Who are you anyway, to care whether I left it blank!"
With that, she pulled Xu Qinghuan, "Let's go, ignore her!"
Kong Lijuan didn't get angry; she chuckled, "All huffed up now, yet it's useless—failing still means you fail!"
Xu Qinghuan furrowed her brow; how could someone behave like that? But Zhou Xinyan had already dragged her far away, so she ignored Kong Lijuan.
"Do you know her?" Xu Qinghuan asked curiously.
"High school classmate, terrible grades. I really don't get where she gets the nerve to mock me!" Zhou Xinyan had just graduated high school, not yet faced the realities of society, naïve like a blank slate.
"At least I was the English class representative back then. If I couldn't manage the final question, I guarantee she couldn't write a single word."
But the expression on Kong Lijuan's face earlier certainly didn't resemble someone who couldn't write a single word.
"How did you do on the last question?" Xu Qinghuan asked; it was a long passage to translate and included a few technical terms.
"I translated about seventy percent of it!" Zhou Xinyan sighed, reluctant to talk about such distressing matters, "If I don't pass, I don't pass. If worse comes to worst, I'll consider working in the countryside—I'm just another educated youth sent off, anyway. Come on, what do you need to do?"
With the Yong'an Department Store not far from here, they arrived within ten minutes, and Xu Qinghuan picked up her clothes and quilt with the receipt.
A set of winter clothes, one quilt weighing ten pounds, another weighing five pounds, altogether exceeding twenty pounds.
The ten-pound quilt was in the size of 1.8 meters by 2 meters. Xu Qinghuan prefers to use large blankets, not fond of the now-popular 1.5 meters by 2 meters ones.
Regardless, all this piled up made quite the heap.
Zhou Xinyan thought Xu Qinghuan was going to take them home. She helped carry the smaller quilt, but when she saw Xu Qinghuan went to the post office to send it, with the address filled out as Red Flag Commune, Shangjiang Team, Anguang County, Hei Province, the recipient Xu Qinghuan herself, she became even more surprised.
"Qinghuan, you... what's going on here?" Zhou Xinyan asked.
Xu Qinghuan sent everything out, clapped her hands, and smiled, "Because I'm preparing to go to the countryside!"
"But you took part in the exam. What if you pass?" Zhou Xinyan worriedly said, "Are you really not going to stay in the city?"
From the first time seeing Zhou Xinyan, Xu Qinghuan knew this girl must have grown up in a very privileged environment. From her conversations, she learned about some insider information of the recent exam, such as the foreign language part.
Xu Qinghuan knew this girl also had connections in the lamp factory.
She smiled, "I'm saying if I pass, and you don't, would you need me to sell you the job?"
Zhou Xinyan was taken aback, then even more puzzled, "Qinghuan, you don't want to stay in the city?"
Xu Qinghuan resolutely shook her head, "My father died for the country; my mother remarried when I was three. I have no home, living under someone else's roof. Heading to the countryside, the world there is bound to be broader; I want to control my own destiny!"
She didn't wallow in self-pity, some words left vaguely spoken, but Zhou Xinyan inexplicably felt a pang of compassion for this friend she'd only known for two days, instinctively reaching out to hug her, "Qinghuan, life in the countryside is tough!"
Time wasn't getting any earlier; Xu Qinghuan took her hand, "Come on, let's eat. Scores aren't out yet; it's early to talk about these."
They went to the state-run restaurant and unexpectedly encountered Xu Manman and Jiang Chengxu. Seeing them enter, Xu Manman waved, "Sis, over here!"
Zhou Xinyan looked at Xu Qinghuan with a puzzled expression. Xu Qinghuan slightly shook her head and walked over; on their table was a bowl of braised pork, a bowl of Kung Pao Chicken, and two bowls of white rice.
Jiang Chengxu nudged over, "Sit down. What would you like to eat? I'll go buy it."
"No need!" Xu Qinghuan smiled, "I came over with a friend. She's treating me!"
Zhou Xinyan almost didn't need a hint, promptly said, "Yes, yes, I already said I'd treat Huanhuan to a meal. Huanhuan, come on, I'll also treat you to braised pork."
"No need, a bowl of plain noodles is enough for me." Xu Qinghuan was pulled away by her, "I can't let you spend so much!"
Behind them, Xu Manman called out, "Sis, bring the plain noodles over; we'll save you some braised pork."
Xu Qinghuan pretended not to hear.
While they were queuing, Zhou Xinyan was still sneakily looking at Jiang Chengxu, "Your fiancé must be blind; he can't see such a great beauty like you, yet is only fond of that cousin who pretends to be weak?"
Zhou Xinyan indeed had sharp eyes.
"I'll give you the money later since it's inconvenient for me right now." Xu Qinghuan whispered.
She didn't want those two to know she had money on her.