boyutpedia Chapter 228 Qi Yu's Doubts
Chapter 228 Qi Yu's Doubts
Qi Yu looked worried and frowned. Shen Siheng saw him from afar and hurriedly waved to greet him.
"Qi Yu, what are you doing?"
Qi Yu acted as if he hadn't heard her and continued walking forward. Shen Siheng's face immediately fell when she saw that he was ignoring her. She complained to Zhang Xuyang beside her, "What's wrong with this bookworm? He usually just flatters you guys when you talk to him, but he treats me like a stranger. He just says 'uh-huh' or 'oh.' Today, he ignored me when I greeted him. I'll catch up with him and see if he's seen a ghost because he looks like he's lost his soul."
Today, they were the last to leave after school. Zhang Xuyang dawdled and only came out at this hour. Meng Jiuhe also looked puzzled: "What's wrong with Qi Yu? He looks so absent-minded. Did he get scolded by the teacher?"
Shen Siheng muttered a few words to the man's back: "How could someone as rigid and dull as him look so dejected after being scolded by the teacher?"
Qi Yu entered the county school before them, so the three of them weren't in the same class. Shen Siheng, on the other hand, shamelessly spent a lot of money and used a lot of connections to squeeze into the same class with them. He spent his days either dozing off in the back or drawing turtles in class, and he was caught by the teacher several times.
After the group caught up with Qi Yu, Shen Siheng called out to him several times but received no response. He slapped Qi Yu on the shoulder and said, "Hey, bookworm, I've called you so many times. Have you gone deaf at such a young age?"
Qi Yu then realized what was happening and bowed to them, saying, "Oh, it's you gentlemen. I'm sorry, I was thinking about something and didn't notice you."
Shen Siheng snorted at him a few times with a dissatisfied look on his face: "Bookworm, you don't look down on me, do you? I called you so many times and you didn't respond, but now that you see my brother Meng, your face changes. How come you're as fickle as a child's face in June?"
Zhang Xuyang tugged at his clothes several times. He hadn't noticed the subtle signals he was giving someone, and he still spoke as bluntly as ever.
Meng Jiuhe glanced at the road ahead and asked, "Qi Yu, where are you going? This isn't the way home."
Qi Yu then explained, "My mother washes clothes for others every day. I usually pick her up after school so we can go home together, or I go to the bookstore to get some books to copy so as to lighten her burden."
After saying that, he looked apologetic and said that they couldn't delay any longer.
The group walked side by side, Qi Yu's worried expression still lingering. Shen Siheng chattered incessantly beside her, saying that they were finally able to have a full meal these past few days.
Zhang Xuyang, standing nearby, asked with some curiosity, "Have your mother and sister-in-law's relationship improved?"
Shen Siheng: No, not at all.
Zhang Xuyang looked puzzled: "If the relationship hasn't improved, where are you going to eat? You're not thinking of coming to our compound to freeload again, are you?"
Shen Siheng slapped him on the shoulder: "Zhang Xuyang, can you not be so stingy? I didn't lend you those rare books. You're already being treated badly for just two meals. Besides, I'm eating at my sister-in-law's house, not yours. I wouldn't even look at your cooking."
The two started arguing as soon as they arrived. Meng Jiu shook his head helplessly. He glanced at Qi Yu beside him, pondered for a moment, and then asked the question that had been bothering him.
"Qi Yu, what's wrong with you today? You seem a bit distracted."
Qi Yu quickly shook her head: "I guess she's been too tired these past few days and hasn't had enough rest."
Meng Jiuhe looked at him with certainty: "You must be hiding something from us. During lunch break today, I saw you sitting alone on that stone bench with a worried look on your face. Have you encountered some problem that you can't solve on your own? Tell us and we'll help you think of a solution. As the saying goes, three cobblers are better than one Zhuge Liang. If you encounter something you can't solve, we can also help you make a decision."
Qi Yu glanced at the noisy Shen Siheng, her words stuck in her throat, but she swallowed them back and insisted that she was fine.
As they passed another alleyway, Zhang Xuyang shoved Shen Siheng aside, saying, "You brat, don't linger with us today. Let's split up here and head back. The three of us can go our separate ways without worrying about mooching a meal at our house. Your sister-in-law is back, isn't she? Your mother should be cooking."
Shen Siheng looked pitiful: "Zhang Xuyang, Brother Zhang, please have mercy and let me have another meal. Although my sister-in-law is back, her relationship with my mother is like fire and water. They don't talk to each other when they meet. The hot food I ate was brought back from the restaurant by my older brother every day to coax my sister-in-law. I just ate a little bit."
Meng Jiuhe and Zhang Xuyang were both very curious about his family. They argued every few days, but his older brother acted as if nothing had happened. They wondered how bad the relationship between his mother and daughter-in-law would get. As the saying goes, if the relationship between a mother-in-law and daughter-in-law is bad, life will definitely be difficult in the future. It also requires the husband to mediate. His older brother was like a hands-off manager, and all he did was try to smooth things over.
Judging from Shen Siheng's words and the previous time they witnessed his mother and daughter-in-law arguing, it's clear that his older brother doesn't know how to handle the relationship between his mother and daughter-in-law. He's busy with the restaurant all day and neglects communication between husband and wife. If this continues, the Shen family will definitely not have peace.
Today, Meng Jiuhe made a rare comment: "Shen Siheng, we won't comment on your family affairs, but the constant noise at home is ultimately not good for your studies."
Shen Siheng nodded: "Yes, Brother Meng, you are absolutely right."
His eyes lit up: "So does that mean you agree to let me come to your house for dinner? And we can study together from now on."
As a flock of crows flew overhead, Meng Jiu thought to himself, "I should have kept quiet. This kid's comprehension is just too good."
Zhang Xuyang continued Meng Jiuhe's words, finishing his sentence: "Well, what he meant was that you should also try to persuade your mother. With her personality, she'll run away even if she marries ten wives. The old lady shouldn't be too domineering. She doesn't complain to her son and husband about everything that's not going her way. She should just talk less and do more. Don't meddle in other young couples' affairs. You should also give your older brother some advice. Don't always try to be a hands-off manager and smooth things over. A man should be responsible and accountable, not run away from problems. Look at you, you're like a beggar, going hungry every few days. I really don't know how lively your house will be after you get married."
Shen Siheng subconsciously waved his hand and said, "I don't want to get married. I'm young and free now. If I get married, I'll be tied down. Besides, my mother is like a tigress. She goes against my sister-in-law every day. If I get married, will she rebel? As the saying goes, three women make a drama. She could tear my yard apart. Besides, a man should establish his career before starting a family. My younger brother's future depends on you."
After dismissing Shen Siheng with a few words, the three of them walked home silently, but Meng Jiuhe was still a little worried. Just as they were about to part ways with Qi Yu, they stopped him: "Qi Yu, you seem restless all day. What happened? Tell us and Xuyang and I will help you."
Qi Yu glanced at them and sighed, "It's not that I don't want to tell you."
Zhang Xuyang: "Just what?"
Qi Yu looked around and, finding no one else nearby, beckoned the two closer and began to talk.
"Do you still remember the entrance exam for the county school?" The two nodded.
"Today I found an article I wrote on the back desk, and the handwriting on it is undoubtedly mine."
Zhang Xuyang and Meng Jiu looked at him blankly: "That was our entrance exam, how did you get involved?"
Qi Yu also looked frustrated: "I don't know either. The day before the New Year holiday, the teacher gave me some homework and said he wanted to test me. I didn't think much of it and finished it in half an hour. The one I saw today is exactly the same as the one I had that day. I was very confused and asked him casually. He said it was his cousin's. I guess the two of them mixed it up?"
Meng Jiuhe: "Do you suspect that the cheating on the college entrance exam used the paper you wrote back then?"
Qi Yu looked uncertain: "I'm not sure either, I just can't figure this out."
Zhang Xuyang: "Didn't you participate once before? I heard you failed the exam."
Qi Yu: "I've always wanted to enter the prefectural school, but my family is poor. The teacher said I had a good chance and thought highly of me. He said he knew someone at the prefectural school who could recommend me. But I've been waiting for two years without any news. I always get top marks in the exams, but every time I try to enter the prefectural school, they say I'm not qualified. Several people who wrote worse essays than me got in, which I find very puzzling."