Chapter 555: Chapter 58: Freak Camp (Part 2)
The old lady was a kind person, and since she and her husband couldn’t finish a whole table of food themselves, she gave the child a piece of sweet potato to eat.
"Yummy, mommy, I want to eat sweet potato too," the child’s mouth was the most honest, and they immediately felt that the old lady’s sweet potato tasted better than any they had before.
These days, kids’ tastes are ruined by snacks. It’s rare and much better for a picky, active child to want coarse grains over junk food. It wasn’t anything fancy, so the young mother took interest.
But where to buy sweet potatoes this season? The young mother casually asked the old lady and took mental note. The next day, she went to the Agricultural Specialty Store the old lady mentioned and picked up a few pounds of sweet potatoes. While buying them, the young mother noticed the Agricultural Science Academy recommended green, pollution-free products, and impulsively bought a few pounds of sweet potato flour and canned sweet potato leaves to take home.
That was the second day. On the third day, both old ladies and a grandpa returned to buy more sweet potatoes and ended up purchasing other products from the Agricultural Specialty Store as well.
Customers gradually increased, and even the vegetable market stall owners nearby heard about this store specializing in sweet potato products. The prices weren’t low because they didn’t use fertilizers or pesticides, and the natural flavor and texture were addictively good.
The saying "A good wine needs no bush" applied perfectly to this Agricultural Specialty Store. By now, Zhuo Feng and Xiao Xian were thoroughly convinced by Mao Dazhu’s approach. The Agricultural Specialty Store had settled for the moment; Zhuo Feng and Feng Xing were responsible for processing Yanqing Farm’s sweet potatoes into products, delivering to the store just once or twice a week. What the couple needed to do now was to stabilize the supply of sweet potatoes.
After things settled down with the Agricultural Specialty Store, Sacred Heart Middle School had already started the new term.
After completing the transfer procedures at Sacred Heart Middle School, Xiao Xian wanted to meet up with Zhang Yiyi.
Unfortunately, Zhang Yiyi didn’t come to register on the first day of school. Xiao Xian thought about it—over the month-plus journey from Chengde back to Beijing, she hadn’t received a call from Zhang Yiyi.
Xiao Xian then called Zhang Yiyi’s home, and Yiyi’s father said she had caught chickenpox and would be late to school. Xiao Xian had to wait until her health improved before arranging a separate meeting with her.
Before heading to Huake Institute, Mei Nian repeated her advice to Xiao Xian: After joining the Reverse Genius Class, it was crucial to make more friends. Interpersonal relations needed to be handled even more cautiously than at Sacred Heart Middle School. Most importantly, don’t be too high-profile, because in the Reverse Genius Class there is no strongest, only stronger.
The Reverse Genius Class consisted of three types of people: those like Xiao Xian who were recommended and selected based on their own merits; those with family connections; and those who had a mix of the previous two factors. Mei Nian hoped Xiao Xian would focus on befriending the latter group.
The person most disappointed to hear about Xiao Xian’s transfer was Coach Ni Shahe. Bai Xue had to prepare for middle school entrance exams this year, and Wang Ke had ended up in that state. Ni Shahe had originally intended to focus on nurturing Xiao Xian as the team captain.
Next in regret was Zeng Yang. Upon hearing of Xiao Xian’s transfer, he dragged Mao Yi along to say goodbye.
"Xiao Xian, Sacred Heart Middle School is so good. Look, the two of us could have taken care of you," Zeng Yang glanced at Xiao Xian, who had grown prettier over the scorching summer break. Her jet-black hair and swan-like white skin, her eyelashes fluttering—Zeng Yang was filled with regret and anger.
Zeng Yang regretted not making a move before Xiao Xian went to high school; now it was too late, as she was about to spread her wings and fly.
"Don’t listen to his nonsense, Xiao Xian. Huake Institute is a good school. It’s said that those who study there are guaranteed government job placements in the future," Mao Yi exchanged a few pleasantries with Xiao Xian, then pulled Zeng Yang away.
After saying goodbye to the Lin sisters, Xiao Xian walked outside the infirmary. Inside, bustling about, was not Zhou Ziang. It was heard that he had come to school at the end of August to resign, and where he was now was anyone’s guess.
Having spent a year at the school, she felt a sense of reluctance to leave. With time to spare before her scheduled pickup, Xiao Xian dragged her suitcase, strolling slowly through the campus.
The sports field, the teaching buildings, and the West Hall for practicing basketball—the peaceful and joyful days were all memories now.
**
"Dad, do I really have to transfer schools? I don’t want to transfer. I want to stay at Sacred Heart Middle School, Xiao Xian and Xuerou are both there," Zhang Yiyi said pitifully, dragging an extra-large suitcase, reminiscent of when she first started at Sacred Heart Middle School. No, it was nothing like that—back then, she was overjoyed to attend Sacred Heart, unlike today with the uncertain school waiting for her.
"Yiyi, your dad has no choice with your current condition. You can’t stay at Sacred Heart Middle School; you would be laughed at," Mr. Zhang comforted his daughter. During the summer vacation, soon after his daughter returned home, a series of bizarre things occurred.
For example, one morning, when Mr. Zhang went to wake Zhang Yiyi for breakfast, he found that his daughter, who usually loved to sleep in, was not in bed. After searching around, she was nowhere to be found in the room. Just as Mr. Zhang was about to call the police in panic, he looked up...
"Dad, stop talking. If Xiao Xian and Xuerou find out, they definitely won’t talk to me. I won’t go to Sacred Heart anymore," Zhang Yiyi reached for a tissue to wipe her tears, but as soon as she raised her hand, the tissue stuck to it.
"Yiyi, don’t be afraid. Once you join the Reverse Genius Class at Huake Institute, the teachers there will surely cure your strange illness," Mr. Zhang sighed, hailed a taxi, and went straight to Huake Institute with his daughter.
**
Been so busy I’m spitting blood, don’t even have the energy to beg for votes, just do your best to support me~
**(To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian () to cast your recommendation ticket and monthly ticket. Your support is my greatest motivation.)