Chapter 42: Qin Hanyu: "Today’s College Entrance Examination"
Chapter 42
"What's this?" Qiao Yi took the large parcel handed to him by Qiao Ying and smelled a strong odor of Chinese medicine.
He quickly opened it to take a look, and sure enough, it was medicine, and the "Ming Shan Hall" three characters on the bag also gave Qiao Yi more hope.
He could hardly conceal his excitement as he looked at Qiao Ying.
Qiao Ying told him how to decoct the medicine, which ones were for drinking and which were for soaking feet.
Qiao Yi carefully took notes.
"Remember, soak your feet above your knees, just soak the left foot, keep the water temperature as high as you can tolerate, cover the bucket with a towel while soaking so the medicinal effect doesn't dissipate, soak for half an hour each time."
"Sis, this medicine must be expensive, right?"
"It's acceptable." The two ginseng roots were a bit expensive, but she didn't pay for them either.
"The injured part of your left foot hasn't undergone muscle necrosis yet, soak it for a while first, and I'll apply acupuncture to you later."
"Acupuncture?"
"You'll know when the time comes." Qiao Ying said and took her acupuncture kit back to her room first.
Qiao Yi put his homework aside and carefully took out two doses of medicine from the bag to the kitchen.
Smelling the fragrant medicinal aroma coming out, Qiao Yi's fair face flushed slightly with excitement.
He looked forward to the day his foot could walk normally again. Just thinking about it made his heartbeat become irregular.
At this moment, probably no one could understand his mood.
The hopeful Qiao Yi was a changed person compared to his former silent, gloomy self who was a loner at school and would sit at his desk all day long.
Although he was as good looking as the school hunk Xu Mingchen, he had always been ignored at school. In other people's mouths, Qiao Yi was "the cripple in Class One", or "the crippled top student in Class One" at best.
Until the fight with the son of the Shanshui Group President a few days ago, the unknown Qiao Yi became the second person after Qiao Ying that all the teachers and students in the school knew about.
Qiao Ying had been away these two days, and Qiao Yi was all his classmates talked about.
"Did you hear that? Chen Huanlin transferred schools."
"Transferred schools? Why? Weren't the other students who fought just made to write self-criticisms? Besides, isn't his family very rich? Why did he need to transfer schools? Did he go to a better school?"
"I heard that Chen Huanlin's parents brought several bodyguards to the principal's office that day, while Qiao Yi was alone."
"Everyone thought Qiao Yi was done for, but guess what? Chen Huanlin was carried away on a stretcher in the end."
"Wasn't he not seriously injured? Or did something else happen in the principal's office?"
"I heard that later Qiao Ying went to the principal's office, that Qiao Ying who got us a new principal. "
"Who would've thought that Qiao Yi turns out to be Qiao Ying's younger brother?"
"That cripple is Qiao Ying's brother?"
"How dare you still call him a cripple?"
If it still didn't prove how extraordinary Qiao Ying was when the underachiever transformed into an even more formidable top student than Xu Mingchen, forced the principal to publicly apologize to the whole school, and got him fired in the end, then this time Qiao Ying's younger brother Qiao Yi fought with the Shanshui Group President's son, and in the end Qiao Yi didn't even get punished or made to write self-criticism while the rich and powerful Chen Huanlin was forced to transfer schools, it made people have to believe that Qiao Ying really had a powerful background!
And today as Qiao Yi walked around the school, he attracted even more attention from the girls. Many noticed that he was in a good mood today.
Although they didn't see him smile or actively speak to anyone, they could clearly feel his gaze was different than before.
"I've just realized Qiao Yi is just as good looking as the school hunk Xu Mingchen."
"I realized it long ago. It's just a pity about his foot, otherwise who knows if Xu Mingchen could still be the school hunk."
"What's wrong with his foot? He's good at studying, good looking, and has such a formidable older sister. He'll definitely do well in the future."
The college entrance examination was imminent.
Qiao Lingling only returned to Yun City a few days before the college entrance exam.
The mother and daughter were both glowing, unlike having just attended a relative's wedding, but more like having won some grand prize outside.
The two had changed into new clothes, dressed rather fashionably, especially Li Lilian. She wore an urban woman's outfit despite the hot weather, and even wore a silk scarf, smiling so widely her eyes were barely open.
Qiao Lingling still brought back gifts for Qiao Ying conscientiously.
Of course, Qiao Ying didn't want them.
"Forget it, don't give them to me." So Qiao Lingling kept them herself.
Qiao Yi took the gift from his second sister to Qiao Ying's room.
"Sis, I feel like Mom didn't go to attend a wedding."
Qiao Ying: "What they went to do has nothing to do with me."
Qiao Yi felt something was off, but couldn't pinpoint what.
That night when Qiao Yi was decocting medicine, Li Lilian smelled it and went to the kitchen. Hearing this medicine was bought by Qiao Ying for Qiao Yi's foot, Li Lilian scolded and wanted to pour the medicine away.
"You can't just randomly take medicine, it can cause problems and kill people. Are you trying to get yourself killed?"
"That damned girl is trying to poison you!"
Qiao's father came out of his room and stopped Li Lilian, explaining: "This medicine was specially prescribed at Ming Shan Hall in the Capital City by Older Ming for Qiao Ying."
He held up the medicine package, pointing at the "Ming Shan Hall" three characters on it.
"Older Ming would prescribe medicine for her? You must have water in your brain." Even the uneducated Li Lilian knew of Older Ming's famous name. She absolutely didn't believe Qiao Ying could have gotten medicine prescribed by Older Ming, deciding this must be some fake Ming Shan Hall.
"Big sister went to the Capital City? When?" But Qiao Lingling noticed this point.
"Right, when did she go to the Capital City? How come I don't know about it?" Li Lilian followed up with asking.
"It was the day after you two left." Qiao's father said.
Li Lilian still didn't believe it and refused to let it go, saying Qiao Yi's foot had been crippled for so many years, it couldn't be cured with just some medicine. She insisted on not letting Qiao Yi take the medicine, and was about to grab the other package that hadn't been decocted yet to throw away.
"Little Yi has been taking it for several days now, and isn't he doing well?" Qiao's father didn't believe it at first either, but seeing Qiao Yi's spirit clearly better than before these past few days, he let him take it.
Although he knew it was impossible for his son's foot to heal, he still wanted to try, even if it only got a little better.
In the tussle, medicine spilled all over the floor.
Seeing the medicine scattered on the ground, Qiao Yi slowly squatted down and gathered the medicine in his hands.
"Little Yi." Seeing this, Qiao's father felt heartbroken and quickly squatted down to help pick them up.
Qiao Yi looked at the medicine in his hands, then slowly raised his head to look at his mother, gritting his teeth and enunciating each word: "Even if this medicine is poison that can kill people today, I will still take it!"
"This medicine costs 6,000 a dose. Do you think I specially went to the Capital City to spend tens of thousands just to poison Qiao Yi?"
No one knew when Qiao Ying appeared in the kitchen doorway, coldly watching everything happening.
If Li Lilian wasn't Qiao Ying and Qiao Yi's mother, Qiao Ying would have certainly made her pick up all the medicine off the floor and swallow it alive.
When Li Lilian heard that, she went speechless, only mumbling a couple sentences: "Having so much money, yet giving so little to the family."
Hearing Qiao Ying had so much money, Qiao Lingling became even more determined that no one could stop her from getting into a university in the capital.
-
The college entrance examination arrived as scheduled.
Qiao Ying went out right on time with her exam stationery, but when she came out, she saw Qiao Yi standing where he waited for her every school day.
Qiao Yi was on summer break from high school third grade since the exam was taking place. He wore the clothes Qiao Ying had bought for him, and compared to his lifeless appearance when they first met, he finally had some vibrancy.
"I'll go to school with you." Qiao Yi said.
"No need." Qiao Ying felt.
"I've got nothing else to do at home anyway." Qiao Yi went ahead first as he spoke.
In Qiao Yi's eyes, the college entrance exam was a major life event. Other students all had parents and family sending them off, so although he knew the exam posed no pressure whatsoever for Qiao Ying, since he could accompany her, Qiao Yi didn't want her to face it alone.
Qiao Ying was assigned to take the exam at her own school. Qiao Yi sent her to the school gate.
Qiao Ying arrived a bit late. Qiao Yi urged her to go into the exam venue.
Qiao Ying waved at him and leisurely strolled into the school gate.
Seeing Qiao Ying's casual attitude, the group of parents at the gate all shook their heads, certain that Qiao Ying must be a poor student who couldn't get into university.
-
"The college entrance exam is today?" Qin Hanyue who was about to go to work suddenly remembered what day it was.
Qin Yan responded: "Yes, Third Young Master, the college entrance exam is today."
He thought to himself: Is Boss asking about that girl?