Chapter 76: Playing in the City

  The results of the final exam came out soon, and unexpectedly, Chai Ziwei fell out of the top three, ranking fourth.

  He himself said it was because he had to prepare for the competition and then didn't have much time to review.

  However, Gu Xiang felt that the study group was also a waste of energy, especially for someone like Chai Zi Yu who was a popular candidate. His study group had been stuffed with many people, and most of them were boys who got along well with him.

  In this case, no one can review well either.

  Gu Xiang is still the first in grade, and there's nothing too surprising about it.

  Xiao Hei Pang's final exam results were unexpectedly good this time, and he squeezed into the top twenty in their class.

  Xiao Hei Pang's dad later even made a special phone call to thank him, saying that thanks to the usual guidance of Ping Xiang to Xiao Hei Pang, he was able to make such great progress this time.

  However, Gu Xiang felt that she hadn't actually done anything. Xiao Hei was always too embarrassed to bother her. Each time, he would organize all the questions he didn't understand and only then ask for her help. After she explained it to him once, she would ask if he understood, and he would nod his head, say thank you, and then go back to thinking about it on his own.

  The summer vacation before junior high school has some people happy and others worried.

  Those who did slightly better were not willing to fall behind and all enrolled in summer supplementary classes.

  Those who perform even worse will be even more unlikely to go out and have fun.

  It is actually students with average grades who have more freedom.

  Tang Lulu and Lin Jiahuan went out to play for a while and then reported to their class.

  Gu Xiang spent half a month at home finishing her homework. The place where she had supplementary classes also had cram schools, one period per month, and she was waiting for the August period. With half a month free in between, she planned to go play at her father's place.

  Her mother didn't say anything, just reminded her to be careful when going out, and to take good care of her bag so it wouldn't get stolen.

  Gu Xiang was speechless: "Fine, take the direct bus, it'll only take half an hour to get there."

  "Railway stations are so chaotic, you look like a little kid. What if someone takes a liking to you?"

  "It would be better if my dad came to pick me up at the station earlier. And I don't look like a rich person, who is so bored that they keep staring at me?"

  "Mom insisted: "No way, I'm not at ease. How about this, I'll see you off on the bus and then wait for your dad to pick you up, and then I'll take another bus back."

  "Can you just send me to the bus station? You don't have to accompany me. Once I get on the bus, can't my dad wait for me at the terminal? I'm already 16 years old. Did your parents still need to accompany you when you were 16?"

  "Your generation can't compare to ours. I was getting up early at the age of 10 to cook pig food and feed pigs... Ah, never mind, here's some money for you, keep it close to your body, if anything happens, call me."

  "Alright." Gu Xiang agreed, but she had no idea what her mother was thinking. For the past two years, she had been behaving well and giving people peace of mind, but thinking about it, this was probably her first time traveling alone.

  Gu Xiang had called his dad two days before he left.

  Mr. Gu was delighted to hear that his daughter was coming, but he also had some worries like Mrs. Gu. After all, there were fewer people in the county, and the train station in the city was a mixed bag of good and bad people. Just two years ago, there were even cases of pickpocketing.

  He told Gu Xiang: "What time is your train, tell me. After you get on the train, send me a text message and I'll go to the station to pick you up in advance."

  Gu Xiang discussed with her father about the timing.

  The day she went to town, her mother saw her off at the bus stop.

  Gu Xiang got on the bus and sent a text message to her father. Her father had been waiting for a long time, and as soon as he received the text message, he drove to the station.

  He drove to the station and it took more than ten minutes. After arriving, he found a parking spot and then ran to the pick-up point to wait.

  As soon as Gu Xiang got off the bus, he saw his dad dressed like a big boss, with a briefcase under his arm, squeezed among a group of saleswomen promoting small hotels.

  Gu Xiang carried a backpack and held another travel bag. She waved goodbye to her dad and left. As soon as she walked out of the platform, several women rushed up to her, pulling on her bags, speaking in not-so-fluent Mandarin: "Little girl, want to stay at our hotel? Thirty yuan per night is very cheap... hot water, TV, all included..."

  Suddenly surrounded Gu Xiang.

  Fortunately, her father also squeezed over to her side, took her luggage and pulled her away.

  Gu Xiangxin still had lingering fear: "These aunties are too enthusiastic, right?" In her previous life, she had taken planes and high-speed trains many times, and every station was always in order. She had never seen such a spectacle before.

  Mr. Gu smiled and said, "You look like a student, they're all rushing to intercept you. These are just hotel salespeople, there are also mobile phone pen salespeople, maybe even disabled people will pull you, insisting that you buy from them."

  Gu Xianghuan glanced around at the crowded station and indeed found that there were very few genuine travelers and family members.

  Grandpa and grandma got up especially early in the morning, and they personally went to the kitchen to make a squirrel mandarin fish for her.

  When Gu Xiang arrived, it was already past 10 o'clock. As soon as she entered the door, her father first took out a pair of pink new slippers from the shoe cabinet for her.

  Grandpa and grandma were sitting in the living room waiting for her.

  Grandma saw Gu Xiang approaching and patted the sofa beside her: "Come over and sit down, let Grandma take a good look at you."

  Gu Xiang put down her backpack and sat beside her grandmother.

  Although the air conditioner was turned on in the house, it wasn't set very low and Gu Xiang had already sweated a lot outside. Grandpa saw this and picked up the remote control to lower the temperature by a few degrees.

  "Dad, you and mom have rheumatism, don't turn on the air conditioner too high."

  "Grandpa, I'm not hot, I'll just use an electric fan."

  Grandpa smiled at her and didn't say anything.

  Grandma held a fan beside her to help Cousheng cool down, "Our little girl has now become a big girl, so beautiful. If you don't come visit Grandpa and Grandma again, we'll have to not recognize you."

  The sound of chopping and washing vegetables was coming from the kitchen. Grandpa looked at Gu's father, who then went to the kitchen and called out his stepmother.

  Her stepmother, wearing an apron, saw Gu Xiang arrive and smiled while wiping her hands with the apron, "Xiangxang is here, take a rest, have some fruit. We'll be eating soon."

  Gu Xiang then called out to her "Auntie".

  Gu Xiang's child has grown taller, and because she doesn't like going out, her skin has become even whiter. Plus, she has lost weight, and in the summer when she wears thin clothes, it is especially noticeable, really different from before.

  Grandma asked her about how hard she worked at school, whether she could keep up, and how her final exams went.

  Although they were all trivial matters, Gu Xiang told her in detail one by one. Although Grandpa and Grandma didn't quite understand, they smiled from start to finish.

  Lunch is ready soon.

  Gu Xiang's eyes widened when he saw Song Shu Gui Yu.

  It must be hard work frying fish in a big pot of oil on such a hot summer day.

  The fish was fried by Grandpa, taken out and left for a while, then put back in the pot before dinner, topped with tomato sauce and served.

  Grandma promptly put the whole mandarin fish in front of Gu Xiang, "Eat more, your grandfather specially made it for you."

  Dad looked at it and laughed, "Mom, you're being too biased, giving such a big fish to Niu Niu to eat. During the Lantern Festival this year, I said I wanted to eat this dish, but neither you nor my dad said anything about making it."

  "Grandma hummed and said, 'That's it, give it to Yaoyao to eat. You're not allowed to touch.'"

  "Gu's father then said to Gu Xiang: 'You must eat two more bowls of rice, don't waste it. We can't even get enough to eat.'"

  Gu Xiang couldn't help but want to laugh.

  After lunch, stepmother cleaned up.

  Gu Xiang went with her grandfather and grandmother, as well as her father, to the living room to eat fruit.

  Grandma peeled an orange for Gu Xiang to eat. She ate a whole one, and Grandma still wanted to peel more, but Gu Xiang really couldn't eat any more.

  In the afternoon, Father Gu went to the factory, and Gu Xiang stayed at home with Grandpa and Grandma watching TV.

  After a while, all three of them started to feel drowsy.

  Grandpa and grandma usually take a nap, but Gu Xiang has been sleeping late and getting up late during the summer vacation at home. Today he got up early and took a bus, feeling very sleepy.

  They couldn't finish watching one episode of "My Fair Princess", and all three of them fell asleep.

  Gu Xiang's room was ready long ago.

  The style is more European, and it looks like a whole set was moved back from the mall.

  The desk, wardrobe and bed are all part of a set.

  The curtains and sheets are small floral patterns. The wallpaper is also a soft pink color.

  Gu Xiang turned on the air conditioner, wrapped himself in a blanket and rolled onto the bed, falling asleep in just a few minutes.

  She hadn't slept for long when her phone rang. As soon as she picked it up, her mother was on the other end of the line, saying: "What's wrong with you? It took you so long to answer the phone! And you didn't even say I'd call you!"

  Gu Xiang arrived in the morning and sent a text message to her mother. She had planned to call her mother after lunch, but her grandmother kept talking to her and she forgot.

  Gu Xiang dazedly coquettishly said: "I'm taking a nap."

  "Are you uncomfortable from sitting in the car? Are you feeling better now?"

  "It's okay, very close, didn't get carsick much. It's just that the smell in the car is too awful."

  "Okay, okay, then you continue sleeping. Call me tonight."

  Gu Xiang agreed and hung up the phone. Feeling a bit thirsty, she prepared to go out and pour herself a glass of water.

  Just as I walked out of the house and onto the national highway, I heard my stepmother's voice on the phone.

  "Right, our family's old Gu's daughter is here. The whole family dotes on her so much, I was busy just finishing cleaning up... it should be like this at home, can't dote on her too much." Stepmother was making a phone call in her own room, the door slightly ajar, and when Gu Xiang walked by she overheard, "Anyway, I'm waiting to give birth to a son, that small clinic you mentioned last time, I'll go take a look in two days. This time it must be successful..."