“Given such a situation, tell me, what kind of strings could she pull? Furthermore, is it possible for college entrance examination questions to leak out? If the questions do leak out, even a senior-ranking official will be badly punished for being involved.”

  This would be a matter of political unrest in the education sector.

  “You’re just a child. Don’t spout nonsense.” The parent shook his head. True enough, no one was perfect in this world. With such a mother and sister, this young lady could forget about having a proper life if she was not determined to succeed.

  “Principal.”

  “Qiao Nan is here. Come, come, come. Quickly come in.” Upon hearing Qiao Nan’s voice, Principal Meng quickly let Qiao Nan in.

  After Qiao Nan entered the principal’s office, she discovered that a gray-haired elderly couple was also present.

  Qiao Nan gave a quick and gentle bow to the two of them. The elderly couple responded with a friendly smile. “Principal, you asked me to come here today. Is there any matter?”

  “No matter what, you’ve assisted our students who took this year’s college entrance examination in their revision for seven days. Take a look at the estimated college admission rate of our school. After all, you’re someone who contributed to this.” Principal Meng laughed as he passed Qiao Nan a list for her to read.

  Qiao Nan took the list. She was quite surprised when she read it. At this time, such an admission rate was truly considered high. Even in the future, it would also be considered competitive. “Have the admission scores for all the colleges in the nation also been announced?”

  “Yes, the situation is as such.”

  “Okay.”

  \r \r \r

  “Qiao Nan, this time, I sincerely thank you very much on behalf of the school and students. I’ve heard from the students. You are able to spot questions very well and have been of great help to them in the examinations this time around.”

  At the sight of Principal Meng grinning from ear to ear as if he was the Maitreya Buddha, Qiao Nan felt very awkward. “Principal, please don’t say that. Our seniors have done well this time mainly due to their own efforts and also the hard work of all the teachers of the third-year cohort. Actually, I didn’t contribute that much. I just spotted a few questions for them. This can mostly be credited to the hard work of the third-year cohort.”

  “Is that so? Principal Meng, do you know what Qiao Nan told me yesterday?” Shi Qing, who invited herself, did not feel embarrassed to speak out even in the presence of the elderly couple who were strangers to her.

  “What did she say?” Principal Meng asked curiously.

  “I praised Qiao Nan for her ability to spot questions. Instead, Qiao Nan questioned me if she were to help spot questions for a student who had just been admitted to senior high school, how many marks the student would score.” When she thought of these words, Shi Qing felt that Qiao Nan’s reply was so amazing. “At that time, I was completely dumbfounded. I was happy for her but she seemed so nonchalant about it. She even posed such a difficult question. However, having thought about it, what Qiao Nan said made sense too.”

  In the absence of a strong foundation in studies, it would not be of help no matter how good Qiao Nan was in spotting questions.

  “Haha, everyone deserves credit. Everyone. No one is dispensable. Qiao Nan, I guess you’re going to be very busy this summer. You can’t skip the appreciation banquet. Just now, a few parents came and asked me if they can invite you for meals to celebrate together.”

  Qiao Nan was so humble. She did not claim credit for herself. Instead, she was down-to-earth and credited the teachers and students of the third-year cohort.

  Who would not like such a sensible and modest student?

  “Principal, please don’t mind. Please help Qiao Nan decline all that you can. Though she seems quite healthy usually, she doesn’t eat or sleep well during summertime. She’ll only feel peaceful when she reads. If you ask her to run to and fro to attend those appreciation meals, she’ll lose a few pounds instead of putting on weight in the end,” Shi Qing said on behalf of Qiao Nan.

  If they continued to create such dins, those meals would not be appreciation meals. It would be a form of revenge.

  “Is that so?” Principal Meng hesitated for a while. “Then, when I asked you to come back during the summer vacation to help the third-year students, it must have been tough on you. Why didn’t you say so?”

  Qiao Nan had never mentioned the ailments that she suffered during summer to Principal Meng before. If Shi Qing had not mentioned it today, Principal Meng would not have known.

  “It’s nothing. When it’s summer, I’ll feel bad no matter where I am.” Qiao Nan waved her hands and was reluctant to elaborate.

  Since Qiao Nan appeared, the elderly couple had been observing her. Whenever they heard what Qiao Nan said, they had been nodding continuously. They then hinted at Principal Meng with their eyes to let him know that that matter could proceed.

  Principal Meng was overjoyed and smiled. “Qiao Nan, we certainly owed it much to you this time. Hence, our school can’t let you work in vain. Do you still remember what I previously told you about the house?”

  “Yes.” Qiao Nan nodded. “But I came today to say that I can’t accept the house.”

  In her previous life, she was financially squeezed by her mother and Qiao Zijin. Clearly, she had earned a lot of money but could only stay in a rented apartment that was slightly over ten square meters. Since she had been forced to move out from the quad, she was more resolute to earn and save up money and buy a property under her own name in the future. In that case, she would have a house that wholly belonged to her.

  Qiao Nan longed badly for a house. However, she was not willing to take something that should not belong to her.

  “You don’t want it?”

  “Why not!”

  The first question was asked by Principal Meng, while the second one was from Shi

  Qing.

  Shi Qing tugged at Qiao Nan. Someone was willing to give her a house and she did not want it? Was she a fool?

  Qiao Nan took back her hand and ignored Shi Qing. She looked up, her chest lifted and her back straightened. “Principal Meng, I heard that the owners of the house have passed the management rights of the house to the school. They intend to let it benefit the people in the school. I’m already very embarrassed to borrow the house from the school for three years. Hence, I simply can’t accept this house. Even though my family’s situation may be the only one that’s unique in Ping Cheng High School, but I believe Ping Cheng High School will most likely take in students with similar plights as me in the future. When that time comes, as long as this house is still around, it will help at least one of the students, if not all of them.”

  A gentleman who desires wealth makes it in good ways.

  The house did not belong to her. She did not have the shame to accept it even if they were to give it to her at no cost.

  Qiao Nan had considered it carefully. At this time, everyone’s salaries were really not high. Although a cradle-to-grave job such as being a teacher came with good benefits, compared to the years after 2010, there was no shortage in the supply of property in the year of 2000.

  However, in another ten years’ time, lands and properties would be in great demand. The property that she was currently staying at was at a particularly excellent location. The government would invest and redevelop it in the future. That would translate to large sums of money.

  Not to mention this sum of money, in another ten years’ time, there would be a shortage of accommodation for many people, including the teachers and students in Ping Cheng High School. With this small courtyard around, the school could arrange a few people to stay at the place according to the needs then. It would solve the problems associated with accommodation.