Make a Fortune and Become Well-off [90] - Chapter 170

Jiang Hehua pursed her lips and frowned slightly.

She looked a bit like her name. Because she did not have to do farm work and had studied at home since she was a child, her skin was different from that of rural children, but pink and white, like flour dumplings.

She was three years older than Jiang Ning, but she was about the same height as her now. She had a round face and small eyes. She had a ponytail and some bangs on both sides of her forehead, covering some of her eyes.

She looked at the name on the list and said, “The Jiang Ning I know had average grades since she was a child—average in elementary school, and average in junior high school.” She turned to look at her classmate. “I was surprised that she got into No. 1 High School, so I don’t know if this Jiang Ning is the one I know.”

How could she, a student in a key class, pay attention to the performance of a student in an ordinary class? In her impression, she and Jiang Qinqin lived near the school, and only Jiang Ning would get up early every day and go to school before dawn. After school, she and Jiang Qinqin went to the canteen outside to eat. Jiang Ning would carry her schoolbag alone and run home under the sunset.

She knew this so clearly because she would go home with Jiang Ning and Jiang Qinqin on Fridays.

She and Jiang Qinqin took a boat or a tricycle to Tanshan Mountain, while Jiang Ning ran alone with her schoolbag and took shortcuts. She and Jiang Qinqin went home for dinner, and sometimes they could see her figure upstairs. She appeared far away at the ferry, trotting back in the gradually darkening night.

There were also times when she and Jiang Qinqin ran out of money, and the three of them walked home together on a small road.

“You really know her.” Ruan Hong completely ignored what she had said before about Jiang Ning’s poor grades as a child. She was amazing. After entering No. 1 High School, she had excelled so much that she directly ranked first in the county.

As a girl, Jiang Ning was able to achieve average grades in elementary school and junior high school and rush forward so fast in high school, which completely subverted the perception that Ruan Hong had always heard—that boys with average grades in junior high school would sprint extremely fast in high school. It was like a warm current was injected into her heart, dispelling the haze of being judged by others who claimed that girls were incapable of succeeding in high school.

Jiang Hehua turned her head and glanced at Ruan Hong, who had bright eyes, and then turned back to the classroom.

She was short and sat in the front row.

Song Peifeng was a very tall person and sat in the last row of the same group as her. She had always been secretly happy because of the coincidence between her and him.

Ruan Hong was still chattering to others, “Do you know that Jiang Ning? Jiang Hehua actually knows her. She said her grades in elementary school and junior high school were average. Unexpectedly, after entering No. 1 High School, she suddenly exerted her strength. So she actually defeated our Song Peifeng. Isn’t it awesome?”

The students in Class 10, who were all studying, raised their heads and looked at her after hearing Ruan Hong’s words. Even Song Peifeng, who was sitting in the back row reading, raised his head and looked at her.

–

Lu Xuehua, who usually didn’t speak much, was standing in the 610 dormitory, clapping her hands and standing in front of the bed to celebrate Jiang Ning’s victory.

“She got first place in the county and suppressed all the people in Wuzhong. I suggest that we add braised pork as an extra meal today. Do you think it would be okay?”

“Okay.” Liu Ping, who liked to praise Lu Xuehua the most, was the first to cheer loudly and applaud vigorously after hearing Lu Xuehua’s words, “We haven’t had extra meals for a long time.” She looked at Jiang Ning with questioning eyes and said coquettishly that she would like to have an extra meal.

“I think this proposal is great.” Wang Xia, the dormitory director, also agreed. “Before the joint examination, there was no holiday for half a month, and no one rented books to read, and there was no money. Now that the books have been rented out, we can add extra food. We can also celebrate Jiang Ning’s success.”

Liu Ping was clapping her hands and shouting, “Braised pork, braised pork, braised pork,” in rhythm.

Liu Ping had been craving meat for a long time. When she heard Lu Xuehua suggest adding extra food to celebrate Jiang Ning’s first place in the exam, she couldn’t contain her excitement.

Ranked first in the county, mainly because it overpowered Wuzhong.

Wasn’t such a great thing worth having a braised pork meal to celebrate? Xu Xiuli also smiled and said, “I also think Lu Xuehua’s proposal is good.”

“I agree too,” He Xiaofang raised her hands happily, picked up Jiang Ning, and spun her around.

Jiang Ning, who was unprepared, was startled by He Xiaofang’s sudden enthusiastic behavior. Then she was infected by their enthusiasm and happiness and said with a smile, “Put me down.”

Just after being put down by He Xiaofang, she was hugged and spun around by Wang Xia again, and the dormitory was filled with joy.

Only Jiang Ning, who was picked up, was unhappy.

She was the shortest and thinnest in the whole dormitory, and it felt really bad to be picked up so easily. It reminded her of the helpless feeling in Mother Jiang’s hands.

She decided to eat more meat and grow taller quickly. To grow taller, she must be strong and powerful.

After everyone had had enough fun, Jiang Ning smiled and asked Wang Xia, the dormitory director, “Department director, how much is our book rental fee?”

Wang Xia said happily, “Including today’s income, there came a total of three yuan and twenty cents.”

“I’m going to exchange for food stamps so I can get a lot of meat.”

The little girls were very happy. Because there was meat to eat again, and because Jiang Ning got such good results in the exam that time.

They all knew that the aunts who served the dishes liked Jiang Ning very much. Every time Jiang Ning got more dishes than they did.

The sisters who were serving food only knew Jiang Ning’s face but did not know her name. That day, the whole No. 1 High School was full of joy. The sisters who were serving food were very happy to see Jiang Ning coming to pick up food. One asked her with a smile, “You got so much meat, can you finish it?”

Jiang Ning smiled and said, “This is for the entire dormitory. We are happy today, and everyone wants to celebrate.”

The cooking sister didn’t know that Jiang Ning had defeated Wuzhong. She also said with a smile, “That’s for celebration.” The people behind her looked at her holding several large rice bowls of meat, and their eyes almost widened. Jiang Ning did not eat with them; she had to go deliver food to Grandpa Jiang.