Chapter 24: The Letter of Acceptance

The housewarming dinner was a joyous affair for the entire family. After the meal, Qin Tiezhu, Qin Baoshan, and Qin Baonan spent the afternoon chatting with Su Dawei and Qin Jiuhong. As the sun began to set, they headed back to the production team.

Su Yunzhi and Lin Hong also took their two children home. Meanwhile, Qin Jiuhong began sorting through the wild boar meat and the enamel basins that Qin Tiezhu had brought. Aside from the wine, Su Yunzhi had also brought a tin of malted milk extract—a truly precious gift in those days.

After helping Qin Jiuhong tidy up the house, Su Yanchu returned to her room to write her manuscript. Earlier that day, besides watching a movie at the theater with Xue Xiaodong, she had visited a waste collection station to buy several old newspapers. She was currently studying the writing styles of the era, planning to submit her own work to a publishing house.

Days passed by, and Su Yanchu spent her free time during summer vacation working on her writing.

"Excuse me, comrade, does Su Yanchu live here?" a young woman with a delicate appearance and glasses asked upon entering the front courtyard.

"Who are you?" Tan Yuhua, who was sewing soles in the courtyard, asked with a hint of curiosity.

"I'm her teacher. I'm here to deliver her admission letter," Deng Meiling said, adjusting her glasses.

"She doesn't live here," Tan Yuhua replied. The memory of being splashed with urine by Qin Jiuhong a few days prior—and the subsequent long scrub she had to endure—made her blood boil.

Deng Meiling looked puzzled. If she truly didn't know the girl, why such a strong reaction to the name? *Could the Su family be on bad terms with the people living here?* she wondered.

"Teacher Deng." Su Yanchu, who had stepped out for a glass of water, heard the commotion and emerged.

"Student Su Yanchu, this is your admission letter." Upon hearing her voice, Deng Meiling turned around, recognized her, and promptly handed over the acceptance letter from the Tanzhou City Mechanical School.

"Thank you for going through the trouble of coming here," Su Yanchu said. In those days, school admission letters were delivered directly by teachers rather than by postmen. "Teacher, please come in and have some water."

"Congratulations on getting into the provincial mechanical school, Student Su. I won't stay; I have other letters to deliver to other students," Deng Meiling said, turning to leave.

"Did Student Xue get into a technical secondary school?" Su Yanchu asked after a moment’s hesitation.

"Student Xue missed the cutoff by a few points; he didn't make it," Deng Meiling replied, knowing they were close friends.

"I see." Su Yanchu responded calmly. It wasn't entirely unexpected; Xue Xiaodong's grades had never been stellar, and the admission requirements for technical schools were higher than those for standard high schools.

"I'll be going then," Deng Meiling said.

"Let me see you out, Teacher." Su Yanchu walked Deng Meiling out of the compound and watched her walk a long distance away.

"Student Su."

Just as she was about to head back, a voice made her stop. She turned to see Xue Xiaodong. He was a fifteen-year-old boy with a handsome face, though he looked somewhat dejected. Su Yanchu greeted him.

"Student Xue, I heard that you..."

"Student Su, congratulations on getting into the technical school. I came to say goodbye," Xue Xiaodong said. He had already received the news and had come specifically to find her.

"What?" Su Yanchu had been about to offer some comfort, but he cut her off.

"I didn't get into the technical school. My uncle used his connections to recommend me for the army," Xue Xiaodong explained. "The unit isn't here; it's in the south."

"Isn't that a good thing?" Su Yanchu swallowed her words of consolation. Joining the army wasn't something just anyone could do. If she hadn't been without connections, she would have wanted to go herself. At the time, national consciousness was high, and serving in the military was a coveted opportunity that many fought tooth and nail to secure.

"I wanted to go, but from now on..." *It will be hard to see you.* Xue Xiaodong left the last part unsaid, but Su Yanchu understood. She only saw him as a regular classmate, and the boy was clearly overthinking things.

"Stay safe in the army," Su Yanchu said, patting his shoulder. "Even if we don't keep in touch much, we'll still be friends."

"Yeah." Xue Xiaodong gathered his composure. They were still young; it was a bit early to be making romantic plans. *Maybe later,* he thought.

"I'm heading home. I won't be able to see you off at the train station," Su Yanchu said, waving as she turned back toward the compound.

"Let's watch a movie again if I get the chance in the future!" Xue Xiaodong shouted after her.

"Sure," Su Yanchu called back without looking, continuing on her way home. She still needed to share the news of her admission with Qin Jiuhong and Su Dawei.

Meanwhile, the middle-aged women in the compound had already started gossiping. "Su Dawei is a worker at the machinery factory, his daughter got into a technical school, and his wife works at the neighborhood office. That whole family is on the payroll," Auntie Liang remarked.

"That's right. I wonder whose family will be lucky enough to marry their daughter one day!" Widow Zhai added. She had two children in primary school who weren't doing well; she wished they could be as successful as Su Yanchu.

"What's there to be envious about? Once my Yuanchao graduates from his technical school, our family will have two breadwinners too," Tan Yuhua said with a sneer. "Even if she gets married, she won't be a well-behaved one. With that face, she's just a vixen."

"Auntie Tan, your mouth is as long and foul as a pair of bound-foot bandages. You're the one who isn't well-behaved, always spreading rumors," Su Yanchu said, appearing right behind them.

Tan Yuhua jumped in fright, quickly checking to see if Su Yanchu was holding anything. Being splashed with urine by Qin Jiuhong a few days ago had truly left her traumatized. "I was just speaking the truth," Tan Yuhua muttered before hurrying home; she knew better than to provoke that family again.

"Yanchu, congratulations on your admission," Widow Zhai said with a smile.

"Auntie Tan's mouth is just dirty; the neighbors are used to it. Don't pay her any mind," Auntie Liang added. "Ever since your mother splashed her, she acts like a mouse seeing a cat whenever she sees your mother."

"She's just a bully who fears the strong and intimidates the weak," Su Yanchu said. "Auntie Liang, Auntie Zhai, I'm going in to cook."

It was late afternoon, and since Qin Jiuhong and Su Dawei were still at work, dinner was Su Yanchu's responsibility. Although she could have prepared food in her private space, she knew she had to keep up the appearance of normal domestic life to avoid suspicion.

Once dinner was ready, Su Dawei and Qin Jiuhong returned.

"Dad, Mom, I got into the technical school in the provincial capital." Su Yanchu handed them the admission letter.

"I knew you wouldn't have any trouble getting in, Chuchu," Qin Jiuhong said, taking the letter and reading it. She was genuinely happy for her daughter.