Chapter 589: Chapter 589
Zhou Mo and Lin Mu were waiting at home for their admission letters, so they didn’t go anywhere for the time being, either playing games or meeting up to play basketball at home, finally leading the good life normal people should lead.
Yiyi went back to her hometown before leaving, as the village chief had personally called her, and she had no way to refuse.
It wasn’t until she got home that she realized the village had given her money, a total of three thousand yuan for the past two years’ rent and this year’s, plus another one thousand yuan for renting the land for the next five years, a total of four thousand yuan. It was as if they were finding ways to save up her tuition fees, and Zhou Yiyi was very moved.
The village chief, with heartfelt seriousness, patted her on the shoulder and said, "Good child, you not only bring honor to our village but also to your father. Your parents in the afterlife must be smiling now. Child, study hard, and if you ever need anything, just call me, and we’ll figure it out together."
Zhou Yiyi expressed her gratitude over and over before she left with the money from the village chief’s house. When she reached the entrance of the village, she ran into Zhou Songlin and his mother.
The woman sang praises of her upon seeing her, and after heaping compliments, did not forget to boast about her own son. What surprised Zhou Yiyi was Zhou Songlin’s score - he had scored five hundred and eighty-three, a considerably good performance. If he chose his preferences wisely, even if he didn’t make it into a top-tier university, he could have a good future in a second-tier one. So, there was a reason why they were here waiting for her!
"Zhou Yiyi, my son will also go to Beijing for university in the future. You’re from the same village, so when you meet, look out for each other, okay?"
Zhou Songlin was also going to university in Beijing?
It really was a small world.
She hoped she wouldn’t run into him, as although she hadn’t had the chance to get back at them in this life, it didn’t mean she had given up on the idea. She was just waiting for the right moment to return what she owed, with interest.
Zhou Yiyi gave a distant smile before turning around and leaving. Where his son would go to school wasn’t something that could be determined just by what they said. After all, anything could happen before the admission notice was received.
Some who performed well ended up slipping through the rounds - who could they blame?
Zhou Yiyi had clearly declined Beijing University and accepted Tsinghua, so her admission to Tsinghua was very secure. Her previous arts examination and the possibility of attending the Central Academy of Fine Arts seemed no longer relevant. Still, if it were possible, she might pursue a double degree in the arts department of Tsinghua, as with her membership in the Calligrapher Association, it should be no pressure at all.
Around July 10, Zhou Yiyi arrived in Beijing and first paid a visit to Qin Qiong. Mr. Qin, upon learning of her results, felt gratified and impressed. To her surprise, the teacher he took her to visit turned out to be a professor in the art department of Qing University and an honorary member of the Calligrapher Association.
Such a precious opportunity made Zhou Yiyi’s eyes redden with excitement as she couldn’t stop thanking Qin Qiong. But he said,
"Professor Guan learned about you from the works at the Lanting Award and went through several people to find me. He is a master calligrapher, and if you can receive guidance from him, you’ll benefit for a lifetime. He really values talent. For him to take a special interest in you shows that you really do have something extraordinary. Yiyi, have confidence in yourself. You’ve been admitted to Qing University, so what’s there to be afraid of in meeting people?"
Just as Qin Qiong had described, Professor Guan Zuolin was indeed a master of calligraphy, even wearing a Sun Yat-sen suit, embodying the quintessential Beijinger.
His home was situated within a Courtyard, exclusively his own property, a place that’s invaluable. Such a property was protected and couldn’t be bought or sold. If a family had such a house, its value would be well over a hundred million, making them truly wealthy.
Professor Guan’s home was completely designed with Chinese aesthetics. Although she wasn’t an expert, Zhou Yiyi could tell that the decor in his house was very valuable.
Professor Guan and Grandma Guan received them with great warmth, and through conversation, she learned that Professor Guan was of Manchu descent, from the renowned Gua’erjia clan. Wow, that was impressive - royal relatives from the Qing Dynasty? No wonder his mannerisms were so refined, no wonder he was a professor at Qing University. For such a cultured individual to take notice of her?
It seemed her ancestors must have accumulated good karma!
When Guan Zuolin found out that Zhou Yiyi had completed her university preferences and was waiting for admission, he was even more pleased with her. Although she had not applied for the art department, when he learned she was interested in pursuing a double degree, he gave her great encouragement and support.
"I will discuss this matter with the leaders. Rest assured, with your Calligrapher Association membership, acquiring a double degree will be a piece of cake. However, if you want room for improvement, you can’t give up halfway or rely on your past achievements to coast through. I won’t stand for that. If you’re going to study, you have to do it properly, and if you can’t keep up, I won’t let you graduate."
Zhou Yiyi of course nodded in agreement. Guan Zuolin was very pleased with her, "You’re a good kid, clear-headed and steady. Let’s start from today. Come over to study every morning, and don’t bother in the afternoon. Spend more time reading, familiarize yourself with Beijing’s culture, get to know the city,"
Leaving Professor Guan’s house, Zhou Yiyi felt she had sweated through her back; even the palms of her hands were sticky and slightly cool.
Seeing her actions, Qin Qiong couldn’t help but chuckle, "Scared?"
Zhou Yiyi, slightly embarrassed, said, "Not exactly scared, just very nervous. Professor Guan has a serious aura that you can’t ignore; it puts pressure on you without being spoken. Heh, was I too obvious?"
"That’s true. Don’t just say it was you; I felt it too. He is a national treasure professor, a rare opportunity. Study well, and if you master it, you’ll reap lifelong benefits. If you can take your calligraphy to the next level in the future, its value will increase step by step..."
Not only can calligraphy works be auctioned, but they also can be sold, which is the highest honor for any calligrapher. Previously, Zhou Yiyi hadn’t thought about this, but after meeting Professor Guan today, she felt she really had hit the jackpot. When luck comes knocking, you just can’t dodge it.
Since she only had classes in the morning, she practiced writing in her space in the afternoon and went to the library to study. In the evenings, Zhou Yiyi rode her tricycle to sell goods at the night market, aiming to clear out her space, where she still had goods worth over twenty thousand yuan unsold.
The previous twenty thousand she sold had doubled, earning her about forty thousand yuan. Combined with her earlier earnings, she had invested it all into the stock market, which had now climbed to a value of one hundred and thirty thousand. Continuing to work hard, reaching two hundred thousand was within reach. New ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄhapters are published on N0v3l.Fiɾe.net
Zhou Yiyi’s mantra was that making money is important, but studying is more important. During her four years at university, she definitely needed to focus on her studies for the first two years. Part-time jobs would depend on the opportunities: if there were any, she would take them; if not, she would study. When she became a junior and senior with more ability, she would then consider making money – there was no hurry. After all, she now had a computer; she could trade stocks online without needing to run back and forth...